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Karagin
Imperial Karagin Army
Imperial General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 4120
Location: United States
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 Posted: 04-Jul-2005 00:25 Post subject: The Spread of technology |
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Okay each house has technology that is suppose to be solely for their use and their alone, or so it would seem. Now we all know that custom mechs don't really need to follow that, but my question is this how long of a time period should pass before one or more of the other houses/groups in the Inner Sphere should have their own versions of the tech that one house as solely to themselves?
Also do you folks feel that each house should have access to what the others have or not?
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Karagin
Only the dead have seen the end of war. - Plato
"Wasted trip Man. Nobody said nuthin' about lockin' horns with no tigers." Oddball
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Nightmare
Lyran Alliance
Kommandant-General
Joined: 03-May-2002 00:00
Posts: 2214
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| Posted: 04-Jul-2005 00:47 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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I suspect most of them do as Marik did with ER lasers. Sell, sell and sell to anyone with the right color of money, unless a war is close. The poorer states, like the DC, will have more of an incentive to sell. The Steiners can afford to choose customers, but they LIKE making money.
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Erenon
Blighted Sun Battalion
2nd Company
"Seraph's Slaughter"
Sergeant
Joined: 04-Jun-2004 00:00
Posts: 976
Location: Singapore
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| Posted: 04-Jul-2005 01:09 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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Five years? Ten max.
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"My job is to keep the majority of people in this country alive. That's it. If fifty-one percent eat a meal tomorrow and forty-nine percent don't, I've done my job." - The Beast (AKA The President), Transmetropolitan
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Warhammer: 3025
Freelance
Captain, AFFC (Ret.)
Joined: 29-Jan-2005 00:00
Posts: 1856
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| Posted: 04-Jul-2005 01:32 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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Absolute tippity-top MAX: 20 years. By then, everything would either be available on the open market, or will have been reverse-engineered.
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Because sometimes, there are many guards in the castle.
Ya Rl'yeh!
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DarkAdder
Clan Star Adder
Star Commander
Joined: 10-Jan-2004 00:00
Posts: 604
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| Posted: 04-Jul-2005 01:49 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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It will also depend on whats being made available. I seem to recall that the DCMS was trying to reverse-engineer the original Hatchetman design in the 3025 Tech book. However, as of the 4th Succession war (3028) very few mechwarriors opted to pilot one, as most of them saw using a 'barbaric' hatchet as counter to the samurai immage of DCMS warriors.
I would say that after two-ish years since a products debut, the first knockoffs would start to appear in various black markets and 'secret' test beds. If you really want to make your players nuts, have these be imperfect copies with a chance of failure with each use. After about 5 years or so, more relaible versions would be available, and easily obtained.
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Sleeping Dragon
Draconis Combine
Tai-i
Joined: 06-Apr-2005 00:00
Posts: 4820
Location: Czech Republic
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| Posted: 04-Jul-2005 03:34 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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I agree that almost anything that doesn't require building special production facilities (like Endo-Steel) that take time to build, will be available within five years from the introduction of the technology.
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Seraph
Blighted Sun Battalion
2nd Company
"Seraph's Slaughter"
Major
Joined: 11-Mar-2004 00:00
Posts: 1744
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| Posted: 04-Jul-2005 07:28 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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but you guys are forgetting the often used shortcut. Industrial espionage. Why make one when you can just steal it?
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Sleeping Dragon
Draconis Combine
Tai-i
Joined: 06-Apr-2005 00:00
Posts: 4820
Location: Czech Republic
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| Posted: 04-Jul-2005 07:53 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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Even reproducing stolen items takes some time and most states still respect blueprints for various things, so they'll try to produce something original (some reverse engineering is needed to understand the the equipment, the equipment must be compatible with local systems and retooling production facilities takes some time too).
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Gunslinger Patch
Royal Black Watch Regiment
Major
Joined: 04-Mar-2002 00:00
Posts: 1611
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2005 04:50 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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With House Marik stuff, just about anyone could buy it very soon after it enters production. With other houses, sometimes they trade stuff. like the DCMS and Victor Davion did.
But for most stuff from other houses, unless your supply source is a direct ally or that house, I would say the item will be very hard to get for a decade or more, short of battlefield salvage.
Lords Light PPCs are kuritan, but over a couple of centuries, you could buy them in any house I'd say. But the hitch is that only in the Combine could you buy them brand new, the rest are used and maybe cranky. Any news ones they sell would likely go to either Marik or Liao, but to their military, not to the merc market.
And even a long time later, to judge how easy it would be to buy one, I would consider how many mechs are around that has the item on it. Stuff mounted on a panther light mech would be common. Something mounted on a Ostsol, would be hard to find.
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Seraph
Blighted Sun Battalion
2nd Company
"Seraph's Slaughter"
Major
Joined: 11-Mar-2004 00:00
Posts: 1744
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2005 17:17 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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One thing to remember....mercs often frequent the black market for that hard to get item. I'm a trader in the Lyran Commonwealth. I pick up some Defiance Weapons autocannons. I smuggle them across the border into Marik or Kurita space and sell them. Lo and behold, one house item has been transfered to another house and not necessarily to the House. Also, for newer items, someone may have an insider who misplaces a few items. A few changes to the database and viola! They never existed. Now to take them to a buyer or a market to sell. Keep the profit and send some cash to your insider.
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If ignorance is bliss, then why are you so miserable?
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Karagin
Imperial Karagin Army
Imperial General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 4120
Location: United States
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2005 23:04 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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That can happen at any point in history, but we don't see an entire army all of a sudden being armed with 120mm rifled guns over night and that is what has happen in BT, in less time then it would take most nations to figure out how to counter new tech their enemies are using the whole IS can now use what everyone has. Something about this really takes away from the feel of 5 houses fighting it out, each being different and unquie.
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Karagin
Only the dead have seen the end of war. - Plato
"Wasted trip Man. Nobody said nuthin' about lockin' horns with no tigers." Oddball
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Sleeping Dragon
Draconis Combine
Tai-i
Joined: 06-Apr-2005 00:00
Posts: 4820
Location: Czech Republic
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| Posted: 08-Jul-2005 04:09 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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FWL items (at least samples) may be distributed this way easily, with all the mess with logistics they have.
ComStar and Word of Blake can have access to some technologies that are otherwise unique.
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Knightrunner
Clan Snow Raven
Star Commander
Joined: 20-Jul-2005 00:00
Posts: 123
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| Posted: 04-Sep-2005 20:06 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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Based on the modern world, I'd have to agree that most tech would be widespread after 5-10 years due to the black market, reverse engineering, etc.
But, why hasn't Clan tech been properly reverse engineered? By 3060 or so Kurita, especially has many examples of, say, a Clan Er Large Laser. They can already produce the IS version, have captured some Clan technicians, and have close ties to the Nova Cats. In 10 years of reverse-engineering, industrial espionage, and interrogating techs- shouldn't they have figured it out? They did it with omnis and battle armor- why not the weapons?
I understand why, for game balance, the IS shouldn't be able to replicate Clan tech, but it seems a bit illogical. 
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Nightmare
Lyran Alliance
Kommandant-General
Joined: 03-May-2002 00:00
Posts: 2214
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| Posted: 04-Sep-2005 21:30 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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[quote]
On 2005-09-04 20:06, Knightrunner wrote:
But, why hasn't Clan tech been properly reverse engineered? By 3060 or so Kurita, especially has many examples of, say, a Clan Er Large Laser. [quote]
You might wish to read the introduction to MaxTech. A NAIS scientist is holding a lecture about technology and mentions just those clanner ER Large Lasers you brought up. He says the IS could build them, but the rare materials and processes make the price much too high. On the order of a full battlemech lance for one lousy laser. 
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A tree fall in the forest, and no one is around, and it hits a mime. Does anyone care?
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Raven!
Clan Snow Raven
Galaxy Commander
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1326
Location: United States
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| Posted: 04-Sep-2005 22:12 Post subject: RE: The Spread of technology |
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One could ask: with friendly relations with some home clans, why not simply trade for the necessary rare materials? Or start talking to the Periphery realms... maybe some are beginning to expand outwards *cough cough* Taurian Concordat *cough cough* The only excuse sadly is game balance. but then I'm getting sick of the over powered munchy weapons. Hence why I'm such a fan of the Concordat! : )
However, I'll keep using Clan Snow Raven as my affiliation cause I like them too. go underdogs!!!
Raven!
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