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Sep. 3rd, 2013 01:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
1000morefoolsIntro Paragraph:
It is the year 3059 and the galaxy catches its breath between wars. Although they are unified in name under the new Star League, the five great houses of the Inner Sphere secretly scheme against each other. The peace is fragile, threatened by genetically engineered Clan warriors, bandit raiders, and human greed and lust for power. Regiments of battlemechs, the towering humanoid war machines that are the kings of the 31st century battlefield, wait at the command of their lords, a word away from war.
Here on Solaris 7, you're doing your part to preserve the peace too, whether you like it or not. For this is the game world, where 31st century gladiators strap themselves into their metal mounts and duel for money, glory and the honor of their nation. But beware, mechwarrior. For fame has its dangers too, and Solaris has always been a chessboard for the great powers...
Possible raw material to make banners out of:
http://0-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/tg/image/1341/28/1341281138445.jpg
http://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1365/27/1365276739152.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/AzAiS.jpg
List of sections to do:
FAQ
Reserve
Rules
Taken
Application
Drop
AUing Your Character
The Universe
Solaris 7
The Games
IC Announcements
FAQ:
What is this game?
SolarisRPG is a game based in a slightly modified version of the Battletech universe. The characters are residents of Solaris 7, the "game world", where mechwarriors (and more recently, vehicle drivers, battle armor troopers and aerospace pilots) duel for money, glory, the honor of their home nation, a cause they wish to highlight, etc.
So how did my character get to this universe?
They were born here! This is an alternate universe game. That means the characters are born and raised in it, and their history is altered to reflect that.
I'm having trouble fitting my character into the universe. Help?
We've written a helpful guide to help you with that process! If you have questions not covered by that guide, feel free to ask them.
So you mentioned something about mecha duels...?
That's right! For three hundred years, the economy of Solaris 7 has been dependant on the duels between battlemechs in its arenas, of which there are dozens. However the biggest matches are fought in the five arenas that are officially operated by the five great houses: Boreal Reach (House Davion, which rules the Federated Commonwealth), The Factory (House Marik, which rules the Free Worlds League), The Jungle (House Liao, which rulls the Capellan Confederation), and The Colliseum (House Steiner, which rules the Lyran Alliance).
Recently arenas have also been popping up for matches between those in battle armor, combat vehicles and even aerospace fighters. For more information, please see the Divisions section of the World Info.
Does my character need to be an arena pilot?
Absolutely not! Solaris is an entire planet and there are many roles. Possible character careers could include underworld gangsters, bookies, technicians, barkeeps, idol singers, and spies.
What are stables/cooperatives?
Stables and cooperatives are groups of arena pilots that function as teams, pooling their resources and fighting together in team matches. They often have their own support staff. The difference between stables and coops is that stables are led by a stablemaster and usually sponsored by a faction. Cooperatives are run democratically and without sponsorship and are thus usually poorer as a result. While it's in no way a requirement, joining a stable or coop can be a great way to build CR.
Is there a network system?
Yes, there is. Comstar maintains a local internet and sells offworld communications through its HPG uplinks. Solarist.net, a local message board is very popular with newcomers and locals alike.
Does this game accept original characters?
It does! OCs must be fit to the setting and their applications will be held to higher standards than those of canon characters.
My character isn't human. How should I apply them?
They should be humanized. For characters with animal ears and suchlike, cosmetic cybernetic ears, tails, etc have become popular in recent times. Genetic alterations were once practiced during the Star League, and the descendants of such people still sometimes display strange traits as well.
In what ways does this RP differ from the canon battletech universe?
[tbd]
[More TBD]
Reserve:
[TBD]
Taken:
[TBD, make sure to have a spot for faction and stable/coop affiliation for each character, if applicable]
Application:
[TBD]
Drop:
[TBD]
Rules:
[TBD]
Guide To AUing Your Character
We realize that writing an alternate universe version of a character can be challenging at first. To help, we've compiled a step by step guide to the process. [Intersperse these sections with examples from an existing character]
Step One: Know Your Character And Their Canon
The most obvious step. Knowing your character's background in their canon is necessary for the next step in the process.
Watching the Red Wedding doesn't get any easier the second time you see it on Game Of Thrones...Ew, that's not wine.
Step Two: Determine The Faction That Fits Your Character's Background
Luckily for us, many creators have a tendency to reuse worldbuilding tropes, creating nations that resemble the same few countries over and over again. Battletech is no exception! This makes transposing many character's backgrounds into a new universe exceptionally easy. Check out the factions on the faction page to see if any fit well. If not, you can always make up an independent Periphery planet for your character's background. If you're being vague with your character's background, picking or making up a specific planet isn't necessary. For characters who are nobility in their home canon, being one of the feudal planetary nobles that owes allegiance to one of the five great houses might be an option for you to consider.
Alright, since both Westeros and the Federated Commonwealth strongly resemble England and France, Jon Snow will be from the Commonwealth, in the Westeros system, which sits on the Federated Commonwealth/Lyran Alliance border. See what I did there? I made up a planet that resembles his home canon because the Battletech universe is so big I can do things like that. Let's see...each planet in the system is governed by a different planetary noble house. The starks are the farthest away from the sun, on planet Winter. The system overall is governed by House Baratheon, which itself owes allegiance to House Davion.
Step Three: Flesh Out Their Background
In this step you should decide how much detail you're going to do on the background before you do it. Leaving large portions of the background obscure, whether because you're not very familiar with the universe or because you're waiting on future castmates is fine by us.
Pfew, that turned out to be pretty long and detailed. Guess I got a little too into it. Well, this shoul be the last paragraph..."Seeing an opportunity to make something of himself that he wouldn't have if he were to stay at home, Jon went to the local Comstar HPG and took the initiate's oath. The overstretched ComGuard was glad to have a skilled mechwarrior with his own mech and Jon was glad to have the opportunity to advance in life. Meanwhile, relations between the houses came to a head in 3056, when Robert Baratheon died under suspicious but officially accidental circumstances. Nedd Stark was accused of plotting the assasination of his duke and old friend. There was a show trial and Nedd was publicly executed, his mech also publicly broken down into spare parts. The boy-duke Joffrey Baratheon was put on the throne, where he promptly declared that the Westeros system would thenceforth owe allegiance to House Steiner instead of House Davion. Jon's first tour with the ComGuard was...eventful. When it was over, he was given an important but boring assignment: keeping the peace on Solaris 7, with an occasional foray into the arenas the only relief from the boredom."
Step Four (Optional): Decide Where They Live And What They Do
Although it's not necessary, some people like to decide where their character lives and what their current profession is when apping in. Most people prefer to live in the city sector or suburb that corresponds to their home country. Solaris is a cosmopolitan city though, and as long as you've got the money, you can probably find a home pretty much anywhere. Struggling arena pilots have even been known to sleep inside their rigs. Stables usually provide housing for their members.
There are a number of possible careers besides that of an arena fighter. Here are some example ideas:
Chanteuse: Tired arena jocks gather to hear the sound of your voice at the se,edy bar you sing at. You hope to one day break into the planet's entertainment industry and hear your voice broadcast over the speakers in the arena.
Drug Dealer: Solaris City is big and it has a lot of addictions to feed. Yeah what you're doing is illegal but all you're doing is providing a service for a fee and what's wrong with that? The burnouts and casualties of fame who buy your product seem to agree.
Agent: With the populations of so many interstellar nations mingling, Solaris is naturally rife with spies. Spreading vicious rumors about your nation's enemies, hacking the personal information of their sponsored mech jocks, even assasination, it's all in a day's work for you.
Tech For Hire: You came to Solaris with little more than a wrench in your hand and built yourself a reputation as a technician with an almost intuitive feel for how mechs work. You insist that it's because you love the mechs and understand their feelings, which sounds kindof nutty. But you're good enough that your customers are willing to look past it.
Jon lives in a tiny, ratty apartment provided for him by Comstar, in the International Sector. Once a week he takes Ice out to the country to visit Ghost. His semi-regular entering of arena bouts is officially frowned upon but written off as 'additional mech training' by his superiors.
Step Five (Optional): Give Them A Ride:
If your character's battling in the arenas or otherwise engaged in battle they should have a rig of some kind. One of the standard models of Inner Sphere mech, vehicle or fighter seen in the Technical Readouts 3025, 3039 or 3050 would be a good choice for a beginner. Brawler
For a 'knightly' character like Jon Snow, a mech is the obvious choice, since mechwarriors are considered 31st century knights. I could easily go with a 'standard' model, but I wanna tweak his ride just a little to reflect him. "Jon's mech, 'Ice', is a customized Hatchetman with the axe removed and replaced with a sword and the two medium lasers replaced with a large one, to give it some long range capability. He hopes to have it upgraded with more advanced weaponry."
The Universe:
It is the year 3060 and humankind has colonized hundredes of star systems, bringing war with them. It was not always so. Once, all of humanity was united under a single governing entity: The Star League. House Cameron ruled, keeping the peace between the member states. The people of the Inner Sphere remember this time as a golden age, when prosperity and technology where at an all time high (though if you ask the average citizen of a Periphery realm which was force to join the League at autocannonpoint you might get a different story). But in 2775 Stefan Amaris became known forever as The Usurper when he turned traitor to the League and assassinated the entire Cameron family. The Star League Defense Force beat back Amaris's forces and The Usurper was executed.
However peace was not to be had. With no heir to the Cameron dynasty alive, the heads of each of the five Great Houses declared themselves the rightful heirs. Disgusted by this development and hoping to preserve the best of the league from the coming chaos, Alexander Kerensky took the majority of the SLDF out of the Inner Sphere, to parts unknown, where noone would see them for a long time.
The next three hundred years would see the galaxy devolve into a series of savage conflicts known as the Succession Wars as the five houses fought each other over the empty throne. This is the source of the common nickname of the Houses: Succesor States.
[Intro to the BT universe. Keep it as simple as possible and link to the sarna articles. Help appers to choose factions for their character: for example samurai type characters to House Kurita, Proud Warrior Race Guys to the Clanner expats, mystical weirdoes to Comstar and Word Of Blake, etc. Make sure they know that being independent is an option.]
Independent:
While technically Solaris 7 is a Lyran Alliance world, most of the planet's natives feel no particular attachment to any faction, considering Solaris itself to be their primary nationality. Wandering mercenaries, scavengers, techs and traders and those who owe allegiance to single planet governments in the Periphery also fall into this category.
Ideal Independent Characters: Captain Harlock (Harlock series), Han Solo (Star Wars), Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop)
The Successor States:
The majority of humanity in the Battletech universe lives under one of the five noble houses that each rule a Successor State. In the hundreds of years since the fall of the first Star League, they fought a series of savage wars that nearly brought interstellar civilization to an end. Enmities between Successor States still simmer under the surface of the new Star League and spill over into the streets and arenas of Solaris City.
House Davion/The Federated Commonwealth:
House Davion's culture resembles that of medieval England and France. Though considered one of the most politically free Successor States, problems of wealth inequality and the tendency of FedCom citizens to believe in spreading freedom through force make citizens of other states likely to view them as hypocrites. Though formerly united by marriage, Houses Steiner and Davion are often at each other's throats in both the political arena and the streets of Solaris City. That FedCom worlds where often invaded by the Draconis Combine (and vice versa) during the Succession Wars has not been forgotten either.
Ruler: First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion
Capitol Planet: New Avalon
Solaris City Sector: Black Hills
Arena: Boreal Reach
Demonym: Davion, FedCom
Slur: FedRat
Ideal FedCom characters: Suzaku (Code Geass), any Stark (A Song Of Ice And Fire)
House Steiner/The Lyran Alliance:
The Lyran Alliance is the richest Successor State with the most extensive industry. The quality of their regular military has suffered some for it, with "social generals" using their wealth to promote themselves into positions of power. Steiner mechwarriors tend to prefer the heavy and assault classes. Though formerly united by marriage, Houses Steiner and Davion are often at each other's throats in both the political arena and the streets of Solaris City. Lyran culture is most analagous to Rennaisance era Prussia and The Netherlands, with Scottish and Irish influences.
Ruler: Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion
Capitol Planet: Tharkad
Solaris City Sector: Silesia
Arena: The Colliseum
Demonym: Lyran, Steiner
Slur: Harps, Goldwarriors (armed forces only
Ideal Lyran characters: any Lannister (A Song Of Ice And Fire), Nwabudike Morgan (Alpha Centauri)
House Kurita/The Draconis Combine:
With a culture resembling that of ancient Japan (though many other ethnicities coexist under the DC banner, such as the Bedouin descended Azami people), it's no wonder that the culture of the Draconis Combine places a high value on honor, knowing one's place, self sacrifice and martial virtue. Though Chancelor Theodore Kurita's reforms have helped to loosen the stranglehold of tradition on DC society, it is still rather conservative. That DC worlds were often invaded by the Federated Commonwealth (and vice versa) during the Succession Wars has not been forgotten either.
Ruler: Coordinator Theodore Kurita
Capitol Planet: Luthien
Solaris City Sector: Kobe
Demonym: Kuritan, Draconic
Slur: Snakes
Arena: Ishiyama
Ideal Draconis Combine characters: any Sengoku Basara character,
House Liao/The Capellan Confederation:
The smallest Successor State, the CapCon has suffered as a result. A virtual police state, the authority of the Celestial Throne is considered absolute. Outnumbered and outgunned, CapCon mechwarriors have learned over the centuries to fight dirty. However because of this history of being bullied by the larger states, the average Capellan is fiercely patriotic. CapCon culture resembles that of feudal China.
Ruler: Chancelor Sun-Tzu Liao
Capitol Planet: Sian
Solaris City Sector: Cathay
Demonym: Cappelan
Slur: Cappie
Arena: The Jungle
Ideal CapCon characters: any Romance Of The Three Kingdoms/Dynasty Warriors character, Gauron (Full Metal Panic)
House Marik/The Free Worlds League:
A multicultural state run on a federal system, the Free Worlds League often spends as much time fighting conflicts within its borders as it does other factions. The Free Worlds League is more respectful of cultural diversity than any other Succesor State and its ruler is the least powerful. FWL culture has a high respect for privacy. Recently the League has taken in much of the Word Of Blake, preferring their services to those of Comstar.
Ruler: Captain-General Thomas Marik
Capitol Planet: Atreus
Solaris City Sector: Montenegro
Arena: The Factory
Ideal FWL characters: Chibodee Crocket (G Gundam), Dave and Dirk Strider (Homestuck), Inigo Montoya (The Princess Bride)
The Periphery:
Ringing the Inner Sphere, the Periphery contains most of the poorest worlds of the galaxy. Yet periphery dwellers are proud of their independence and often disdainful of what they see as spoiled "inner world" citizens. Several multistellar nations exist out there as well. While almost all pirate bands come from The Periphery, many periphery nations are nice, civilized places to live. Many Periphery citizens live in the suburbs sorrounding Solaris City.
Magistracy Of Canopus:
A matriarchal and open society, The Magistracy has some of the most prosperous planets in the periphery due to its high level of education and lack of restrictions on what can and can't be sold. The capitol world of Canopus is considered to the Inner Sphere what Las Vegas is to the 21st century USA: in other words what happens there, stays there. Thus Canopians are commonly stereotyped as hedonists.
Ideal Canopian characters: the protagonist of Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas,
Outworlds Alliance:
One of very few nations that doesn't consider war the center of its economy, many Outworlders are pacifists. Though a member of the Avellar family has been elected as president every year for its entire existence, the Alliance still prides itself on being a representative republic instead of a feudal autocracy. Although their military is generally of a poor quality, their aerospace fighter pilots are, on average, the best outside of the Clans.
Ideal Outworlds Alliance characters: Quatre Raberba Winner (Gundam Wing), Nausicaa (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind)
Brotherhood Of Randis:
A Christian religious order in possession of a single Periphery planet, the Brotherhood's knights-errant travel the Periphery, protecting ordinary citizens from raiders of all types. The Brotherhood has been recently sending gladiators to fight on Solaris to help shore up its perpetually low cash reserves.
Ideal Brotherhood characters: Father Alexander Anderson (Hellsing), Nicholas D Wolfwood (Trigun)
The Clans:
The descendants of the Star League Defense force who left the Inner Sphere hundreds of years ago, the Clans returned in 3049, carving a blazing path through the Inner Sphere, hoping to reach their ultimate goal of Terra. Though they were ultimately halted in a massive Trial Of Refusal just last year, many Inner Sphere citizens still fear and hate the Clans. Despite this, and Clan culture's disdain for the "money-grubbing, pretend Warriors" of Solaris, many clanner expats, former bondsmen and/or members of the 'friendly' Clans have settled in the suburb of [name], often earning glory in the arenas themselves.
Clan technology (especially military tech) is the most advanced in the galaxy, but also the most difficult to acquire and maintain. Clan Warriors are the finest duelists in the galaxy as well. Each Clan is led by its genetically engineered Warrior Caste, though 'freeborn' (conventionally conceived people) can still test into that caste. Clan culture places a high emphasis on duty, honor, honesty and frugality and is divided into five castes, which are, in rough order of who's on top of the societal pyramid: Warriors, Scientists, Merchants, Technicians and Laborers.
Clan Warriors are used to lives of constant dueling, so despite the average clanner's cultural bias against fighting for money, they usually adapt well to the Solaris arenas. Although Warriors disdain the notion of romantic love (which is not to say it never happens), there is no taboo on casual sex for most clanners, a cultural difference that has led to more than one awkward situation. Warriors also do not reproduce conventionally. Rather, those who achieve success in battle have their genes added to the breeding program to create future generations of Trueborn Warriors. Expat former clanners are free to fall in love and/or have children with whoever they wish, of course.
A Clan background is ideal for characters who fit the Proud Warrior Race Guy trope and characters from caste-based backgrounds. Expats from any Clan can be played here. The following Clans are probably the easiest to rationalize bringing to Solaris:
Clan Diamond Shark:
Known as the finest merchants among the Clans, the Diamond Sharks are even willing to trade with non-Clanners, something which often earns them the ire of more conservative Clans. Retired Diamond Shark Warriors often become part of the Merchant Caste.
Ideal Diamond Shark characters: Feferi Peixes (Homestuck),
Clan Ghost Bear:
Known for thinking before they act and speak and their almost unClanlike regard for family, Clan Ghost Bear was one of the most succesful of the invading Crusader Clans until they had a Clan-wide change of heart and most of them converted to the Warden philosphy. The Ghost Bears are in the process of secretly moving all their assets and population to their Inner Sphere holdings. Many young Ghost Bears have been sent to Solaris to gain combat experience in the arenas, while their leaders seek to normalize relations with the Inner Sphere. Ghost Bear Warriors tend to prefer the heavier weight classes of whatever machine they're in.
Ideal Ghost Bear characters:
Clan Goliath Scorpion:
An eccentric Clan with a strong historian bent, Clan Goliath Scorpion sends its Seekers around the galaxy to recover artifacts of the first Star League. The use of the drug necrosia brings them, they claim, visions of whatever it is they seek.
Ideal Goliath Scorpion characters: Vriska Serket (Homestuck), Pyro (Team Fortress 2)
Clan Nova Cat:
A uniquely mystical Clan, the Nova Cats claimed to be guided by a vision when they went over en masse to the new Star League Defense Force. However they have not found their new accomadations on a planet ceded to them by the Draconis Combine to be very profitable, and thus have sent Warriors to Solaris to earn money for the Clan.
Ideal Nova Cat characters: most Jedi (Star Wars), Aradia Megido (Homestuck)
Clan Smoke Jaguar:
Once a strong invading Crusader, Clan known for its ruthlessness, Clan Smoke Jaguar was destroyed in a massive campaign by the new Star League Defense Force in 3058. Former Smoke Jaguars can be found scattered about the Inner Sphere, hoping to find new purpose in life. Some find the Solaris games an ideal new calling.
Ideal (former) Smoke Jaguar characters: Worf (Star Trek), any Zentraedi (Macross/Robotech)
Clan Snow Raven:
The Snow Ravens are masters of two things: space warfare and political maneuvering. An opportunistic Warden Clan, the Snow Ravens have quietly spread out around the Periphery. Apparently they're searching for something...
Ideal Snow Raven characters: Char Aznable (Mobile Suit Gundam series), Jinto Lynn (Banner Of The Stars)
Clan Wolf (In Exile)
Created when the Warden part of Clan Wolf fled to the Inner Sphere following the disastrous war with Clan Jade Falcon, the exiled Wolves settled on planet Morges. Though cast out from their former brethren, they still maintain their traditions and share the Wolf bent for cleverness.
Ideal Wolf (In Exile) characters: Master Chief (Halo), Thrawn (Star Wars)
Comstar and the Word Of Blake:
Created from the old Star League Communications Service, the mystical order of Comstar provided interstellar communication to the Inner Sphere for hundreds of years. In 3051, the Primus of the order officially secularized it, causing the conservatives to split off and form the Word Of Blake. The Word Of Blake has engaged in covert terrorist acts for unknown purposes since its inception.
Comstar administers the International Sector of Solaris City.
Ideal Comstar characters: Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost In The Shell), Jon Snow (A Song Of Ice And Fire)
Ideal Word Of Blake characters:
Solaris 7:
[Also draw heavily from the sarna.net article here, but make sure to elaborate on the clanner and periphery suburbs.]
The Games:
[Intro to the games goes here. What motivates people to enter? What kindof prizes can you expect? What's an arena fighter's daily life like?]
Arena:
[The five big arenas go here. Drawing heavily from the sarna.net articles is ok for them. Also add typical vehicle (monster truck esque), aerospace (out of the way) and battle armor (UFC-esque? more Ninja Warrior-like?) arenas.]
Battlemech:
The Assault Class championship, in the Steiner Colliseum
Light Mechs hunt each other in The Jungle
A Medium match in The Factory
The battlemech divisions are what most people think of when they think of the Solaris 7 games. These are the most prestigious divisions, due to the battlemech's dominance of 31st century warfare. Note that while Land-Air Mechs may enter the light or medium divisions, for practical reasons they must remain in battlemech mode.
Lightweight Battlemech (10 to 35 tons)
The best division for mechwarriors who are just starting out. Light battlemechs are cheap to buy and maintain.
Famous light scout 'Mechs include the Locust, Stinger, and Wasp, while the Commando, Jenner, and Panther are powerful combat units for their size. Clan technology provides their designs such as the Adder (Puma) with firepower equalling Inner Sphere 'Mechs twice their size.
Mediumweight Battlemech (40 to 55 tons)
Connuiseurs say that this league provides the optimum balance of speed and firepower for an exciting game.
Common medium 'Mech designs include the Phoenix Hawk, Vindicator, Centurion, Shadow Hawk, Griffin, and Wolverine, and the Clan designs Nova (Black Hawk) and Stormcrow (Ryoken).
Heavyweight Battlemech (60 to 75 tons)
The first of the truly big leagues. The heavyweight division is tough, filled with mechwarriors who are clawing their way up to the Assault circuit.
Typical examples of heavy 'Mech designs are the Crusader, Thunderbolt, Warhammer, Marauder and the Clan Mad Dog (Vulture), Summoner (Thor) and Timber Wolf (Mad Cat) designs.
Assault Battlemech (80 to 100 tons)
This is where the big guys come out to play. The largest, meanest mechs you can find are present here, and whie they might not move as quick, there's more firepower on the field in some assault matches than there is in some military regiments.
Iconic Assault 'Mechs include the Atlas, and Stalker and the Clan Warhawk (Masakari) and Dire Wolf (Daishi) designs.
Vehicles:
Vehicle duels have been going on on Solaris for almost as long as mechs have. However they've always played second fiddle to their walking cousins and their arenas are popularly considered dens of low class bumpkins. However in recent years interest in the vehicle leagues has revived due to an unexpected demographic: so called 'combat hipsters', who are interested in spotting or even owning unusual vehicle designs. The culture clash of watching them interact with the natives who religiously follow their favorite drivers is priceless to behold and the action in the vehicle arenas, which tend to be in either open fields or junkyards, is gritty and furious. Note that VTOL craft can also be entered into vehicle divisions, making for an exciting time in the stands when one of them gets shot down!
Light Vehicles (up to 30 tons)
Much beloved by people who, if born in an earlier era, would be huge fans of NASCAR racing, these include the fastest vehicles and the most furious drivers. Common light combat vehicles include the Savannah Master, Saracen, Warrior VTOL and refitted civilian vehicles.
Medium vehicles (31 to 60 tons)
Like its battlemech equivalent, this division offers an optimum blend of speed and firepower. Commonly seen medium vehicles include the Saladin, Hetzer and Vedette.
Heavy/Assault Vehicles (61 to 100 tons)
Also like their battlemech cousins, these are considered the 'elite' of the vehicle divisions, for whatever that's worth. Due to the relative scarcity of these vehicles on Solaris, the heavy and assault divisions are combined into one. Common heavy and assault vehicles include the Demolisher, Ontos and Pike.
Battle Armor (up to 2 tons)
The battle armor division is the brainchild of one person: Diana White. A shrewd businesswoman with a brash persona, known for her gaudy suits and bald head, she foresaw the needs of an increasingly bloodthirsty Solaris audience and created the battle armor division to fulfill it in 3054, five years ago. Battle armor matches are dangerous and unpredictable affairs. Matches at close range often resemble martial arts duels as much as they do battlemech warfare. Serious connuiseurs of the 'mech divisions see the battle armor pits as little more than brawls. However they have become quite popular since their debut and appear to be here to stay. Note that since the combatants need only be armored in some way, astounding and deadly mismatches between fighters wearing personal armor and towering powered armor are possible. Popular battle armor designs include the Gray Death Scout, Kanazuchi, Achileus, Sniper Suit, and modified civilian suits. Clan Elemental Battle Armor is considered the best possible power armor, but is also very expensive, difficult to maintain (due to a lack of spare parts) and exhausting to use by everyone but their genetically engineered troopers.
Aerospace (up to 100 tons):
A rare "live" ammo aerospace match
Aerospace matches are the calling of a specialized few. Due to the tendency of damaged fighters to turn into 'lawn darts', most aerospace matches are fought with marker ammunition and powered down lasers. This, combined with their often out of the way locations (airspace around Solaris City being at a premium) means that their audiences remain small. Often they are held either on improvised airstrips deep in the countryside or in space, away from the heavily traveled space lanes going towards and away from the city. The audiences for these matches are two types of people: either flight enthusiasts (often agricultural or shuttle pilots themselves) who love the feeling of freedom flight gives or military and corporate scouts, looking to snatch up new pilots or interesting designs. Popular aerospace fighters include the Sparrowhawk, Chippewa, and Corsair, as well as the Clan Jagatai and Avar. Matches in the atmosphere may also see the use conventional fighters and VTOL craft.
Open:
Mechs and vehicles clash in the open division in Boreal Reach Arena
In The Jungle, battle armor pursues a light mech
This division is completely open, with one exception: Aerospace fighters are not practical to fit into an arena. However aerospace pilots can still enter with VTOL craft. Every combatant in this division is in the top three in their own weight class. Due to the differences in size between the different divisions, ludicrous mismatches are possible (though not probable), such as a person in powered armor with a sniper in the same arena as an Assault Battlemech, or a light wheeled vehicle fighting a top of the line Clan omnimech.
The "Pixel Leagues":
As would be expected on a planet like Solaris 7, there are numerous simulator games in the city's many arcades. City wide top scores are maintained in real time by Comstar. This has created an unofficial "pixel league" of amateurs who hope to attract the attention of the talent scouts that trawl it, looking for raw talent for the actual arenas.
Current Status:
[Weather, events and rankings for PCs and important NPCs go here]
It is the year 3059 and the galaxy catches its breath between wars. Although they are unified in name under the new Star League, the five great houses of the Inner Sphere secretly scheme against each other. The peace is fragile, threatened by genetically engineered Clan warriors, bandit raiders, and human greed and lust for power. Regiments of battlemechs, the towering humanoid war machines that are the kings of the 31st century battlefield, wait at the command of their lords, a word away from war.
Here on Solaris 7, you're doing your part to preserve the peace too, whether you like it or not. For this is the game world, where 31st century gladiators strap themselves into their metal mounts and duel for money, glory and the honor of their nation. But beware, mechwarrior. For fame has its dangers too, and Solaris has always been a chessboard for the great powers...
Possible raw material to make banners out of:
http://0-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/tg/image/1341/28/1341281138445.jpg
http://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1365/27/1365276739152.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/AzAiS.jpg
List of sections to do:
FAQ
Reserve
Rules
Taken
Application
Drop
AUing Your Character
The Universe
Solaris 7
The Games
IC Announcements
FAQ:
What is this game?
SolarisRPG is a game based in a slightly modified version of the Battletech universe. The characters are residents of Solaris 7, the "game world", where mechwarriors (and more recently, vehicle drivers, battle armor troopers and aerospace pilots) duel for money, glory, the honor of their home nation, a cause they wish to highlight, etc.
So how did my character get to this universe?
They were born here! This is an alternate universe game. That means the characters are born and raised in it, and their history is altered to reflect that.
I'm having trouble fitting my character into the universe. Help?
We've written a helpful guide to help you with that process! If you have questions not covered by that guide, feel free to ask them.
So you mentioned something about mecha duels...?
That's right! For three hundred years, the economy of Solaris 7 has been dependant on the duels between battlemechs in its arenas, of which there are dozens. However the biggest matches are fought in the five arenas that are officially operated by the five great houses: Boreal Reach (House Davion, which rules the Federated Commonwealth), The Factory (House Marik, which rules the Free Worlds League), The Jungle (House Liao, which rulls the Capellan Confederation), and The Colliseum (House Steiner, which rules the Lyran Alliance).
Recently arenas have also been popping up for matches between those in battle armor, combat vehicles and even aerospace fighters. For more information, please see the Divisions section of the World Info.
Does my character need to be an arena pilot?
Absolutely not! Solaris is an entire planet and there are many roles. Possible character careers could include underworld gangsters, bookies, technicians, barkeeps, idol singers, and spies.
What are stables/cooperatives?
Stables and cooperatives are groups of arena pilots that function as teams, pooling their resources and fighting together in team matches. They often have their own support staff. The difference between stables and coops is that stables are led by a stablemaster and usually sponsored by a faction. Cooperatives are run democratically and without sponsorship and are thus usually poorer as a result. While it's in no way a requirement, joining a stable or coop can be a great way to build CR.
Is there a network system?
Yes, there is. Comstar maintains a local internet and sells offworld communications through its HPG uplinks. Solarist.net, a local message board is very popular with newcomers and locals alike.
Does this game accept original characters?
It does! OCs must be fit to the setting and their applications will be held to higher standards than those of canon characters.
My character isn't human. How should I apply them?
They should be humanized. For characters with animal ears and suchlike, cosmetic cybernetic ears, tails, etc have become popular in recent times. Genetic alterations were once practiced during the Star League, and the descendants of such people still sometimes display strange traits as well.
In what ways does this RP differ from the canon battletech universe?
[tbd]
[More TBD]
Reserve:
[TBD]
Taken:
[TBD, make sure to have a spot for faction and stable/coop affiliation for each character, if applicable]
Application:
[TBD]
Drop:
[TBD]
Rules:
[TBD]
Guide To AUing Your Character
We realize that writing an alternate universe version of a character can be challenging at first. To help, we've compiled a step by step guide to the process. [Intersperse these sections with examples from an existing character]
Step One: Know Your Character And Their Canon
The most obvious step. Knowing your character's background in their canon is necessary for the next step in the process.
Watching the Red Wedding doesn't get any easier the second time you see it on Game Of Thrones...Ew, that's not wine.
Step Two: Determine The Faction That Fits Your Character's Background
Luckily for us, many creators have a tendency to reuse worldbuilding tropes, creating nations that resemble the same few countries over and over again. Battletech is no exception! This makes transposing many character's backgrounds into a new universe exceptionally easy. Check out the factions on the faction page to see if any fit well. If not, you can always make up an independent Periphery planet for your character's background. If you're being vague with your character's background, picking or making up a specific planet isn't necessary. For characters who are nobility in their home canon, being one of the feudal planetary nobles that owes allegiance to one of the five great houses might be an option for you to consider.
Alright, since both Westeros and the Federated Commonwealth strongly resemble England and France, Jon Snow will be from the Commonwealth, in the Westeros system, which sits on the Federated Commonwealth/Lyran Alliance border. See what I did there? I made up a planet that resembles his home canon because the Battletech universe is so big I can do things like that. Let's see...each planet in the system is governed by a different planetary noble house. The starks are the farthest away from the sun, on planet Winter. The system overall is governed by House Baratheon, which itself owes allegiance to House Davion.
Step Three: Flesh Out Their Background
In this step you should decide how much detail you're going to do on the background before you do it. Leaving large portions of the background obscure, whether because you're not very familiar with the universe or because you're waiting on future castmates is fine by us.
Pfew, that turned out to be pretty long and detailed. Guess I got a little too into it. Well, this shoul be the last paragraph..."Seeing an opportunity to make something of himself that he wouldn't have if he were to stay at home, Jon went to the local Comstar HPG and took the initiate's oath. The overstretched ComGuard was glad to have a skilled mechwarrior with his own mech and Jon was glad to have the opportunity to advance in life. Meanwhile, relations between the houses came to a head in 3056, when Robert Baratheon died under suspicious but officially accidental circumstances. Nedd Stark was accused of plotting the assasination of his duke and old friend. There was a show trial and Nedd was publicly executed, his mech also publicly broken down into spare parts. The boy-duke Joffrey Baratheon was put on the throne, where he promptly declared that the Westeros system would thenceforth owe allegiance to House Steiner instead of House Davion. Jon's first tour with the ComGuard was...eventful. When it was over, he was given an important but boring assignment: keeping the peace on Solaris 7, with an occasional foray into the arenas the only relief from the boredom."
Step Four (Optional): Decide Where They Live And What They Do
Although it's not necessary, some people like to decide where their character lives and what their current profession is when apping in. Most people prefer to live in the city sector or suburb that corresponds to their home country. Solaris is a cosmopolitan city though, and as long as you've got the money, you can probably find a home pretty much anywhere. Struggling arena pilots have even been known to sleep inside their rigs. Stables usually provide housing for their members.
There are a number of possible careers besides that of an arena fighter. Here are some example ideas:
Chanteuse: Tired arena jocks gather to hear the sound of your voice at the se,edy bar you sing at. You hope to one day break into the planet's entertainment industry and hear your voice broadcast over the speakers in the arena.
Drug Dealer: Solaris City is big and it has a lot of addictions to feed. Yeah what you're doing is illegal but all you're doing is providing a service for a fee and what's wrong with that? The burnouts and casualties of fame who buy your product seem to agree.
Agent: With the populations of so many interstellar nations mingling, Solaris is naturally rife with spies. Spreading vicious rumors about your nation's enemies, hacking the personal information of their sponsored mech jocks, even assasination, it's all in a day's work for you.
Tech For Hire: You came to Solaris with little more than a wrench in your hand and built yourself a reputation as a technician with an almost intuitive feel for how mechs work. You insist that it's because you love the mechs and understand their feelings, which sounds kindof nutty. But you're good enough that your customers are willing to look past it.
Jon lives in a tiny, ratty apartment provided for him by Comstar, in the International Sector. Once a week he takes Ice out to the country to visit Ghost. His semi-regular entering of arena bouts is officially frowned upon but written off as 'additional mech training' by his superiors.
Step Five (Optional): Give Them A Ride:
If your character's battling in the arenas or otherwise engaged in battle they should have a rig of some kind. One of the standard models of Inner Sphere mech, vehicle or fighter seen in the Technical Readouts 3025, 3039 or 3050 would be a good choice for a beginner. Brawler
For a 'knightly' character like Jon Snow, a mech is the obvious choice, since mechwarriors are considered 31st century knights. I could easily go with a 'standard' model, but I wanna tweak his ride just a little to reflect him. "Jon's mech, 'Ice', is a customized Hatchetman with the axe removed and replaced with a sword and the two medium lasers replaced with a large one, to give it some long range capability. He hopes to have it upgraded with more advanced weaponry."
The Universe:
It is the year 3060 and humankind has colonized hundredes of star systems, bringing war with them. It was not always so. Once, all of humanity was united under a single governing entity: The Star League. House Cameron ruled, keeping the peace between the member states. The people of the Inner Sphere remember this time as a golden age, when prosperity and technology where at an all time high (though if you ask the average citizen of a Periphery realm which was force to join the League at autocannonpoint you might get a different story). But in 2775 Stefan Amaris became known forever as The Usurper when he turned traitor to the League and assassinated the entire Cameron family. The Star League Defense Force beat back Amaris's forces and The Usurper was executed.
However peace was not to be had. With no heir to the Cameron dynasty alive, the heads of each of the five Great Houses declared themselves the rightful heirs. Disgusted by this development and hoping to preserve the best of the league from the coming chaos, Alexander Kerensky took the majority of the SLDF out of the Inner Sphere, to parts unknown, where noone would see them for a long time.
The next three hundred years would see the galaxy devolve into a series of savage conflicts known as the Succession Wars as the five houses fought each other over the empty throne. This is the source of the common nickname of the Houses: Succesor States.
[Intro to the BT universe. Keep it as simple as possible and link to the sarna articles. Help appers to choose factions for their character: for example samurai type characters to House Kurita, Proud Warrior Race Guys to the Clanner expats, mystical weirdoes to Comstar and Word Of Blake, etc. Make sure they know that being independent is an option.]
Independent:
While technically Solaris 7 is a Lyran Alliance world, most of the planet's natives feel no particular attachment to any faction, considering Solaris itself to be their primary nationality. Wandering mercenaries, scavengers, techs and traders and those who owe allegiance to single planet governments in the Periphery also fall into this category.
Ideal Independent Characters: Captain Harlock (Harlock series), Han Solo (Star Wars), Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop)
The Successor States:
The majority of humanity in the Battletech universe lives under one of the five noble houses that each rule a Successor State. In the hundreds of years since the fall of the first Star League, they fought a series of savage wars that nearly brought interstellar civilization to an end. Enmities between Successor States still simmer under the surface of the new Star League and spill over into the streets and arenas of Solaris City.
House Davion/The Federated Commonwealth:
House Davion's culture resembles that of medieval England and France. Though considered one of the most politically free Successor States, problems of wealth inequality and the tendency of FedCom citizens to believe in spreading freedom through force make citizens of other states likely to view them as hypocrites. Though formerly united by marriage, Houses Steiner and Davion are often at each other's throats in both the political arena and the streets of Solaris City. That FedCom worlds where often invaded by the Draconis Combine (and vice versa) during the Succession Wars has not been forgotten either.
Ruler: First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion
Capitol Planet: New Avalon
Solaris City Sector: Black Hills
Arena: Boreal Reach
Demonym: Davion, FedCom
Slur: FedRat
Ideal FedCom characters: Suzaku (Code Geass), any Stark (A Song Of Ice And Fire)
House Steiner/The Lyran Alliance:
The Lyran Alliance is the richest Successor State with the most extensive industry. The quality of their regular military has suffered some for it, with "social generals" using their wealth to promote themselves into positions of power. Steiner mechwarriors tend to prefer the heavy and assault classes. Though formerly united by marriage, Houses Steiner and Davion are often at each other's throats in both the political arena and the streets of Solaris City. Lyran culture is most analagous to Rennaisance era Prussia and The Netherlands, with Scottish and Irish influences.
Ruler: Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion
Capitol Planet: Tharkad
Solaris City Sector: Silesia
Arena: The Colliseum
Demonym: Lyran, Steiner
Slur: Harps, Goldwarriors (armed forces only
Ideal Lyran characters: any Lannister (A Song Of Ice And Fire), Nwabudike Morgan (Alpha Centauri)
House Kurita/The Draconis Combine:
With a culture resembling that of ancient Japan (though many other ethnicities coexist under the DC banner, such as the Bedouin descended Azami people), it's no wonder that the culture of the Draconis Combine places a high value on honor, knowing one's place, self sacrifice and martial virtue. Though Chancelor Theodore Kurita's reforms have helped to loosen the stranglehold of tradition on DC society, it is still rather conservative. That DC worlds were often invaded by the Federated Commonwealth (and vice versa) during the Succession Wars has not been forgotten either.
Ruler: Coordinator Theodore Kurita
Capitol Planet: Luthien
Solaris City Sector: Kobe
Demonym: Kuritan, Draconic
Slur: Snakes
Arena: Ishiyama
Ideal Draconis Combine characters: any Sengoku Basara character,
House Liao/The Capellan Confederation:
The smallest Successor State, the CapCon has suffered as a result. A virtual police state, the authority of the Celestial Throne is considered absolute. Outnumbered and outgunned, CapCon mechwarriors have learned over the centuries to fight dirty. However because of this history of being bullied by the larger states, the average Capellan is fiercely patriotic. CapCon culture resembles that of feudal China.
Ruler: Chancelor Sun-Tzu Liao
Capitol Planet: Sian
Solaris City Sector: Cathay
Demonym: Cappelan
Slur: Cappie
Arena: The Jungle
Ideal CapCon characters: any Romance Of The Three Kingdoms/Dynasty Warriors character, Gauron (Full Metal Panic)
House Marik/The Free Worlds League:
A multicultural state run on a federal system, the Free Worlds League often spends as much time fighting conflicts within its borders as it does other factions. The Free Worlds League is more respectful of cultural diversity than any other Succesor State and its ruler is the least powerful. FWL culture has a high respect for privacy. Recently the League has taken in much of the Word Of Blake, preferring their services to those of Comstar.
Ruler: Captain-General Thomas Marik
Capitol Planet: Atreus
Solaris City Sector: Montenegro
Arena: The Factory
Ideal FWL characters: Chibodee Crocket (G Gundam), Dave and Dirk Strider (Homestuck), Inigo Montoya (The Princess Bride)
The Periphery:
Ringing the Inner Sphere, the Periphery contains most of the poorest worlds of the galaxy. Yet periphery dwellers are proud of their independence and often disdainful of what they see as spoiled "inner world" citizens. Several multistellar nations exist out there as well. While almost all pirate bands come from The Periphery, many periphery nations are nice, civilized places to live. Many Periphery citizens live in the suburbs sorrounding Solaris City.
Magistracy Of Canopus:
A matriarchal and open society, The Magistracy has some of the most prosperous planets in the periphery due to its high level of education and lack of restrictions on what can and can't be sold. The capitol world of Canopus is considered to the Inner Sphere what Las Vegas is to the 21st century USA: in other words what happens there, stays there. Thus Canopians are commonly stereotyped as hedonists.
Ideal Canopian characters: the protagonist of Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas,
Outworlds Alliance:
One of very few nations that doesn't consider war the center of its economy, many Outworlders are pacifists. Though a member of the Avellar family has been elected as president every year for its entire existence, the Alliance still prides itself on being a representative republic instead of a feudal autocracy. Although their military is generally of a poor quality, their aerospace fighter pilots are, on average, the best outside of the Clans.
Ideal Outworlds Alliance characters: Quatre Raberba Winner (Gundam Wing), Nausicaa (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind)
Brotherhood Of Randis:
A Christian religious order in possession of a single Periphery planet, the Brotherhood's knights-errant travel the Periphery, protecting ordinary citizens from raiders of all types. The Brotherhood has been recently sending gladiators to fight on Solaris to help shore up its perpetually low cash reserves.
Ideal Brotherhood characters: Father Alexander Anderson (Hellsing), Nicholas D Wolfwood (Trigun)
The Clans:
The descendants of the Star League Defense force who left the Inner Sphere hundreds of years ago, the Clans returned in 3049, carving a blazing path through the Inner Sphere, hoping to reach their ultimate goal of Terra. Though they were ultimately halted in a massive Trial Of Refusal just last year, many Inner Sphere citizens still fear and hate the Clans. Despite this, and Clan culture's disdain for the "money-grubbing, pretend Warriors" of Solaris, many clanner expats, former bondsmen and/or members of the 'friendly' Clans have settled in the suburb of [name], often earning glory in the arenas themselves.
Clan technology (especially military tech) is the most advanced in the galaxy, but also the most difficult to acquire and maintain. Clan Warriors are the finest duelists in the galaxy as well. Each Clan is led by its genetically engineered Warrior Caste, though 'freeborn' (conventionally conceived people) can still test into that caste. Clan culture places a high emphasis on duty, honor, honesty and frugality and is divided into five castes, which are, in rough order of who's on top of the societal pyramid: Warriors, Scientists, Merchants, Technicians and Laborers.
Clan Warriors are used to lives of constant dueling, so despite the average clanner's cultural bias against fighting for money, they usually adapt well to the Solaris arenas. Although Warriors disdain the notion of romantic love (which is not to say it never happens), there is no taboo on casual sex for most clanners, a cultural difference that has led to more than one awkward situation. Warriors also do not reproduce conventionally. Rather, those who achieve success in battle have their genes added to the breeding program to create future generations of Trueborn Warriors. Expat former clanners are free to fall in love and/or have children with whoever they wish, of course.
A Clan background is ideal for characters who fit the Proud Warrior Race Guy trope and characters from caste-based backgrounds. Expats from any Clan can be played here. The following Clans are probably the easiest to rationalize bringing to Solaris:
Clan Diamond Shark:
Known as the finest merchants among the Clans, the Diamond Sharks are even willing to trade with non-Clanners, something which often earns them the ire of more conservative Clans. Retired Diamond Shark Warriors often become part of the Merchant Caste.
Ideal Diamond Shark characters: Feferi Peixes (Homestuck),
Clan Ghost Bear:
Known for thinking before they act and speak and their almost unClanlike regard for family, Clan Ghost Bear was one of the most succesful of the invading Crusader Clans until they had a Clan-wide change of heart and most of them converted to the Warden philosphy. The Ghost Bears are in the process of secretly moving all their assets and population to their Inner Sphere holdings. Many young Ghost Bears have been sent to Solaris to gain combat experience in the arenas, while their leaders seek to normalize relations with the Inner Sphere. Ghost Bear Warriors tend to prefer the heavier weight classes of whatever machine they're in.
Ideal Ghost Bear characters:
Clan Goliath Scorpion:
An eccentric Clan with a strong historian bent, Clan Goliath Scorpion sends its Seekers around the galaxy to recover artifacts of the first Star League. The use of the drug necrosia brings them, they claim, visions of whatever it is they seek.
Ideal Goliath Scorpion characters: Vriska Serket (Homestuck), Pyro (Team Fortress 2)
Clan Nova Cat:
A uniquely mystical Clan, the Nova Cats claimed to be guided by a vision when they went over en masse to the new Star League Defense Force. However they have not found their new accomadations on a planet ceded to them by the Draconis Combine to be very profitable, and thus have sent Warriors to Solaris to earn money for the Clan.
Ideal Nova Cat characters: most Jedi (Star Wars), Aradia Megido (Homestuck)
Clan Smoke Jaguar:
Once a strong invading Crusader, Clan known for its ruthlessness, Clan Smoke Jaguar was destroyed in a massive campaign by the new Star League Defense Force in 3058. Former Smoke Jaguars can be found scattered about the Inner Sphere, hoping to find new purpose in life. Some find the Solaris games an ideal new calling.
Ideal (former) Smoke Jaguar characters: Worf (Star Trek), any Zentraedi (Macross/Robotech)
Clan Snow Raven:
The Snow Ravens are masters of two things: space warfare and political maneuvering. An opportunistic Warden Clan, the Snow Ravens have quietly spread out around the Periphery. Apparently they're searching for something...
Ideal Snow Raven characters: Char Aznable (Mobile Suit Gundam series), Jinto Lynn (Banner Of The Stars)
Clan Wolf (In Exile)
Created when the Warden part of Clan Wolf fled to the Inner Sphere following the disastrous war with Clan Jade Falcon, the exiled Wolves settled on planet Morges. Though cast out from their former brethren, they still maintain their traditions and share the Wolf bent for cleverness.
Ideal Wolf (In Exile) characters: Master Chief (Halo), Thrawn (Star Wars)
Comstar and the Word Of Blake:
Created from the old Star League Communications Service, the mystical order of Comstar provided interstellar communication to the Inner Sphere for hundreds of years. In 3051, the Primus of the order officially secularized it, causing the conservatives to split off and form the Word Of Blake. The Word Of Blake has engaged in covert terrorist acts for unknown purposes since its inception.
Comstar administers the International Sector of Solaris City.
Ideal Comstar characters: Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost In The Shell), Jon Snow (A Song Of Ice And Fire)
Ideal Word Of Blake characters:
Solaris 7:
[Also draw heavily from the sarna.net article here, but make sure to elaborate on the clanner and periphery suburbs.]
The Games:
[Intro to the games goes here. What motivates people to enter? What kindof prizes can you expect? What's an arena fighter's daily life like?]
Arena:
[The five big arenas go here. Drawing heavily from the sarna.net articles is ok for them. Also add typical vehicle (monster truck esque), aerospace (out of the way) and battle armor (UFC-esque? more Ninja Warrior-like?) arenas.]
Battlemech:
The Assault Class championship, in the Steiner Colliseum
Light Mechs hunt each other in The Jungle
A Medium match in The Factory
The battlemech divisions are what most people think of when they think of the Solaris 7 games. These are the most prestigious divisions, due to the battlemech's dominance of 31st century warfare. Note that while Land-Air Mechs may enter the light or medium divisions, for practical reasons they must remain in battlemech mode.
Lightweight Battlemech (10 to 35 tons)
The best division for mechwarriors who are just starting out. Light battlemechs are cheap to buy and maintain.
Famous light scout 'Mechs include the Locust, Stinger, and Wasp, while the Commando, Jenner, and Panther are powerful combat units for their size. Clan technology provides their designs such as the Adder (Puma) with firepower equalling Inner Sphere 'Mechs twice their size.
Mediumweight Battlemech (40 to 55 tons)
Connuiseurs say that this league provides the optimum balance of speed and firepower for an exciting game.
Common medium 'Mech designs include the Phoenix Hawk, Vindicator, Centurion, Shadow Hawk, Griffin, and Wolverine, and the Clan designs Nova (Black Hawk) and Stormcrow (Ryoken).
Heavyweight Battlemech (60 to 75 tons)
The first of the truly big leagues. The heavyweight division is tough, filled with mechwarriors who are clawing their way up to the Assault circuit.
Typical examples of heavy 'Mech designs are the Crusader, Thunderbolt, Warhammer, Marauder and the Clan Mad Dog (Vulture), Summoner (Thor) and Timber Wolf (Mad Cat) designs.
Assault Battlemech (80 to 100 tons)
This is where the big guys come out to play. The largest, meanest mechs you can find are present here, and whie they might not move as quick, there's more firepower on the field in some assault matches than there is in some military regiments.
Iconic Assault 'Mechs include the Atlas, and Stalker and the Clan Warhawk (Masakari) and Dire Wolf (Daishi) designs.
Vehicles:
Vehicle duels have been going on on Solaris for almost as long as mechs have. However they've always played second fiddle to their walking cousins and their arenas are popularly considered dens of low class bumpkins. However in recent years interest in the vehicle leagues has revived due to an unexpected demographic: so called 'combat hipsters', who are interested in spotting or even owning unusual vehicle designs. The culture clash of watching them interact with the natives who religiously follow their favorite drivers is priceless to behold and the action in the vehicle arenas, which tend to be in either open fields or junkyards, is gritty and furious. Note that VTOL craft can also be entered into vehicle divisions, making for an exciting time in the stands when one of them gets shot down!
Light Vehicles (up to 30 tons)
Much beloved by people who, if born in an earlier era, would be huge fans of NASCAR racing, these include the fastest vehicles and the most furious drivers. Common light combat vehicles include the Savannah Master, Saracen, Warrior VTOL and refitted civilian vehicles.
Medium vehicles (31 to 60 tons)
Like its battlemech equivalent, this division offers an optimum blend of speed and firepower. Commonly seen medium vehicles include the Saladin, Hetzer and Vedette.
Heavy/Assault Vehicles (61 to 100 tons)
Also like their battlemech cousins, these are considered the 'elite' of the vehicle divisions, for whatever that's worth. Due to the relative scarcity of these vehicles on Solaris, the heavy and assault divisions are combined into one. Common heavy and assault vehicles include the Demolisher, Ontos and Pike.
Battle Armor (up to 2 tons)
The battle armor division is the brainchild of one person: Diana White. A shrewd businesswoman with a brash persona, known for her gaudy suits and bald head, she foresaw the needs of an increasingly bloodthirsty Solaris audience and created the battle armor division to fulfill it in 3054, five years ago. Battle armor matches are dangerous and unpredictable affairs. Matches at close range often resemble martial arts duels as much as they do battlemech warfare. Serious connuiseurs of the 'mech divisions see the battle armor pits as little more than brawls. However they have become quite popular since their debut and appear to be here to stay. Note that since the combatants need only be armored in some way, astounding and deadly mismatches between fighters wearing personal armor and towering powered armor are possible. Popular battle armor designs include the Gray Death Scout, Kanazuchi, Achileus, Sniper Suit, and modified civilian suits. Clan Elemental Battle Armor is considered the best possible power armor, but is also very expensive, difficult to maintain (due to a lack of spare parts) and exhausting to use by everyone but their genetically engineered troopers.
Aerospace (up to 100 tons):
A rare "live" ammo aerospace match
Aerospace matches are the calling of a specialized few. Due to the tendency of damaged fighters to turn into 'lawn darts', most aerospace matches are fought with marker ammunition and powered down lasers. This, combined with their often out of the way locations (airspace around Solaris City being at a premium) means that their audiences remain small. Often they are held either on improvised airstrips deep in the countryside or in space, away from the heavily traveled space lanes going towards and away from the city. The audiences for these matches are two types of people: either flight enthusiasts (often agricultural or shuttle pilots themselves) who love the feeling of freedom flight gives or military and corporate scouts, looking to snatch up new pilots or interesting designs. Popular aerospace fighters include the Sparrowhawk, Chippewa, and Corsair, as well as the Clan Jagatai and Avar. Matches in the atmosphere may also see the use conventional fighters and VTOL craft.
Open:
Mechs and vehicles clash in the open division in Boreal Reach Arena
In The Jungle, battle armor pursues a light mech
This division is completely open, with one exception: Aerospace fighters are not practical to fit into an arena. However aerospace pilots can still enter with VTOL craft. Every combatant in this division is in the top three in their own weight class. Due to the differences in size between the different divisions, ludicrous mismatches are possible (though not probable), such as a person in powered armor with a sniper in the same arena as an Assault Battlemech, or a light wheeled vehicle fighting a top of the line Clan omnimech.
The "Pixel Leagues":
As would be expected on a planet like Solaris 7, there are numerous simulator games in the city's many arcades. City wide top scores are maintained in real time by Comstar. This has created an unofficial "pixel league" of amateurs who hope to attract the attention of the talent scouts that trawl it, looking for raw talent for the actual arenas.
Current Status:
[Weather, events and rankings for PCs and important NPCs go here]
