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These are the basis for a new story I am thinking of writing, plus and opening paragraph. Please tell me what you think, and whether I should write this story! For those of you who read Battletech or have played Mechcommander or Mechwarrior, you might recognise some place names, and of course Mechs. This is an attempt at futuristic Civ3(something that was sorely missing in my opinion). Oh, and since I love sword fighting as well as guns, a few light sabers may be thrown in 
PLANET: Alpha Centari
TECHNOLOGIES: Huge robotic war machines, piloted by men inside the head-mounted cockpits, which are called Mechs rule the battlefields, but are in very short supply since contact was lost with mother Earth. Jet fighters rule the skies, but are very vulnerable, with most infantry carrying easy to use, but accurate, portable SAMs. Tanks and machine gun infantry still make up the bulk of the armies as they did on Earth, with only a few infantry regiments being equipped with the latest laser rifles. All infantry however are equipped with light sabers, a deadly weapon that can harm even a Mech if used properly.
NATIONS
The New Avalon Alliance
Ruler: Prince Martin Avalon
Capital: New Avalon
The Imperial Empire
Ruler: King George Regent
Capital: Imperial City
The Capitol Commonwealth
Ruler: General Secretary Thomas Atreus
Capital: Marik
The Terran Hegemony
Ruler: President David Dieron
Capital: Terra
The four nations are split equally around the globe of Alpha Centauri, a planet with no surface water. This makes for long borders, which are hard to defend.
STANDARD ORGANISATION:
4 Men = 1 Platoon
4 Platoons = 1 Squad: 16 men or 4 tanks
4 Squads = 1 Lance: 64 men, 16 tanks, 4 mechs or 4 fighters
3 Lances = 1 Company: 192 men, 48 tanks, or 12 mechs/fighters
3 Companies = 1 Battalion: 576 men, 192 tanks, or 36 mechs/fighters
3 Battalions = 1 Regiment: 1728 men, 576 tanks, or 108 mechs/fighters
**********************************************
While there are many types of tanks available, and the same for jet fighters, Mechs are of a few limited types brought from Earth. Only a few factories on Alpha Centauri can produce them, about two for each state. They can only turn out six Mechs each per year, making replacing those lost in battle difficult. Luckily, they are able to produce many spare parts for the easy to look after Battlemechs, and so the nations can usually keep their armies operational, but not expand due to lack of Mechs.
The only types are:
Daishi
100 tonnes
Mounts: 1 Gauss rifle, 2 particle projection cannons(PPCs), 3 large lasers, 2 medium lasers.
Highlander
80 tonnes
Mounts: 2 particle projection cannons, 3 large lasers, 1 small laser.
MadCat
60 tonnes
Mounts: 1 Gauss rifle, 1 particle projection cannon, 1 medium laser, 1 small laser.
Puma
40 tonnes
Mounts: 1 particle projection cannon, 2 medium lasers.
Raven
20 tonnes
Mounts: 1 large laser, 1 small laser.
*********************************************
Prince Martin Avalon spurred his Daishi forward. It was one of only a few in existence, and his was painted gold, as befitted the Prince of the New Avalon Alliance.
He targetted a nearby Raven, and let loose a shot from his Gauss rifle, which was basically a magnetically charged rail gun, with limited ammunition.
The slug hit the knee of the smaller Mech, knocking it off its feet. The pilot struggled to get back up, but the Prince fired a PPC into the head of the fallen Mech, killing the pilot in a bolt of electrical energy.
The cockpit's temperature soared as he bathed a Puma with his three large lasers, burning a line from its right shoulder to its stomach. Its right arm dropped to the ground, the myomers bundles holding it to the Mech singed.
Finally the simulation ended, and Martin climbed out of the simulator's cockpit. He was still sweating from the simulation of a real cockpit's heat levels, something the Earth scientists had probably solved by now, but couldn't pass on to their stranded colonies on Alpha Centauri.
Martin entered his throne room, not expecting good news.
It wasn't.
"Your Highness, the Imperial Empire has crossed the border, and made a raid against Robinson, the capital of the Southern March."
The Alliance was split into four Marches, the Southern, which bordered the Empire and was commanded by Martin's younger brother Nicholas, the Western, which bordered the Capitol Commonwealth's east side, and was commanded by Martin's final brother, Jeffrey, who was slightly older than Nicholas, the Eastern, which bordered the Commonwealth's western side(just picture a globe)which was commanded by Duke Peter Windsor, and the Central, which was commanded by himself and bordered all the other Marches and the freezing moutains which made up the Arctic Cap.
"Mobilise my New Avalon Avengers, and tell the Prince's Guard to be ready to move. Oh, and recall everyone from leave in the army, and put the entire army on war status."
Martin had been looking forward to a banquet to celebrate his engagement to the daughter of Peter Windsor, but it would have to wait now.
There was a war to fight.
***********************************************
Jeffrey Avalon was startled by the news. Martin marrying the daughter of Duke Peter? But he had met her first! She had been his first love, and him hers! They have promised each other to marry when they were old enough. But then they had drifted apart, due to work and families. But he had recently met her again, and the romance had begun once more.
But now she was having a marriage to Martin arranged!
It was time to make Martin pay, he decided. He would win her back once and for all.
By force of arms.
***********************************************
What do you think? I know it's a pretty boring post at the moment, but I'm just trying to set the scene of life of Alpha Centauri.
Nemesis AKA Chris
PLANET: Alpha Centari
TECHNOLOGIES: Huge robotic war machines, piloted by men inside the head-mounted cockpits, which are called Mechs rule the battlefields, but are in very short supply since contact was lost with mother Earth. Jet fighters rule the skies, but are very vulnerable, with most infantry carrying easy to use, but accurate, portable SAMs. Tanks and machine gun infantry still make up the bulk of the armies as they did on Earth, with only a few infantry regiments being equipped with the latest laser rifles. All infantry however are equipped with light sabers, a deadly weapon that can harm even a Mech if used properly.
NATIONS
The New Avalon Alliance
Ruler: Prince Martin Avalon
Capital: New Avalon
The Imperial Empire
Ruler: King George Regent
Capital: Imperial City
The Capitol Commonwealth
Ruler: General Secretary Thomas Atreus
Capital: Marik
The Terran Hegemony
Ruler: President David Dieron
Capital: Terra
The four nations are split equally around the globe of Alpha Centauri, a planet with no surface water. This makes for long borders, which are hard to defend.
STANDARD ORGANISATION:
4 Men = 1 Platoon
4 Platoons = 1 Squad: 16 men or 4 tanks
4 Squads = 1 Lance: 64 men, 16 tanks, 4 mechs or 4 fighters
3 Lances = 1 Company: 192 men, 48 tanks, or 12 mechs/fighters
3 Companies = 1 Battalion: 576 men, 192 tanks, or 36 mechs/fighters
3 Battalions = 1 Regiment: 1728 men, 576 tanks, or 108 mechs/fighters
**********************************************
While there are many types of tanks available, and the same for jet fighters, Mechs are of a few limited types brought from Earth. Only a few factories on Alpha Centauri can produce them, about two for each state. They can only turn out six Mechs each per year, making replacing those lost in battle difficult. Luckily, they are able to produce many spare parts for the easy to look after Battlemechs, and so the nations can usually keep their armies operational, but not expand due to lack of Mechs.
The only types are:
Daishi
100 tonnes
Mounts: 1 Gauss rifle, 2 particle projection cannons(PPCs), 3 large lasers, 2 medium lasers.
Highlander
80 tonnes
Mounts: 2 particle projection cannons, 3 large lasers, 1 small laser.
MadCat
60 tonnes
Mounts: 1 Gauss rifle, 1 particle projection cannon, 1 medium laser, 1 small laser.
Puma
40 tonnes
Mounts: 1 particle projection cannon, 2 medium lasers.
Raven
20 tonnes
Mounts: 1 large laser, 1 small laser.
*********************************************
Prince Martin Avalon spurred his Daishi forward. It was one of only a few in existence, and his was painted gold, as befitted the Prince of the New Avalon Alliance.
He targetted a nearby Raven, and let loose a shot from his Gauss rifle, which was basically a magnetically charged rail gun, with limited ammunition.
The slug hit the knee of the smaller Mech, knocking it off its feet. The pilot struggled to get back up, but the Prince fired a PPC into the head of the fallen Mech, killing the pilot in a bolt of electrical energy.
The cockpit's temperature soared as he bathed a Puma with his three large lasers, burning a line from its right shoulder to its stomach. Its right arm dropped to the ground, the myomers bundles holding it to the Mech singed.
Finally the simulation ended, and Martin climbed out of the simulator's cockpit. He was still sweating from the simulation of a real cockpit's heat levels, something the Earth scientists had probably solved by now, but couldn't pass on to their stranded colonies on Alpha Centauri.
Martin entered his throne room, not expecting good news.
It wasn't.
"Your Highness, the Imperial Empire has crossed the border, and made a raid against Robinson, the capital of the Southern March."
The Alliance was split into four Marches, the Southern, which bordered the Empire and was commanded by Martin's younger brother Nicholas, the Western, which bordered the Capitol Commonwealth's east side, and was commanded by Martin's final brother, Jeffrey, who was slightly older than Nicholas, the Eastern, which bordered the Commonwealth's western side(just picture a globe
)which was commanded by Duke Peter Windsor, and the Central, which was commanded by himself and bordered all the other Marches and the freezing moutains which made up the Arctic Cap. "Mobilise my New Avalon Avengers, and tell the Prince's Guard to be ready to move. Oh, and recall everyone from leave in the army, and put the entire army on war status."
Martin had been looking forward to a banquet to celebrate his engagement to the daughter of Peter Windsor, but it would have to wait now.
There was a war to fight.
***********************************************
Jeffrey Avalon was startled by the news. Martin marrying the daughter of Duke Peter? But he had met her first! She had been his first love, and him hers! They have promised each other to marry when they were old enough. But then they had drifted apart, due to work and families. But he had recently met her again, and the romance had begun once more.
But now she was having a marriage to Martin arranged!
It was time to make Martin pay, he decided. He would win her back once and for all.
By force of arms.
***********************************************
What do you think? I know it's a pretty boring post at the moment, but I'm just trying to set the scene of life of Alpha Centauri.
Nemesis AKA Chris
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