HERCULAN

A HERCULAN are a type of mecha that feature in Earthsiege.

History

Humaniform-Emulation Roboticized Combat Unit with Leg-Articulated Navigation (HERCULAN) were a type of large mecha that developed by mankind. They were created to serve as the latest generation of machines to fight their wars. These were two legged mecha that contained large weaponry and ranged from small models to larger battle machines. They were initially designed as heavy-duty, bipedal utility vehicles with the primary function of performing complex tasks in rough or unstable terrain that traditional wheeled or tracked vehicles could not easily navigate. In the burgeoning colonies on planets like Mars, they were widely used in the mining sector for excavation and mineral extraction. They also served in construction projects for new settlements and as critical emergency response vehicles for managing disasters in remote locations. Their bipedal design was simply a practical engineering solution to mimic human dexterity and mobility in challenging environments, not a military design choice, until the outbreak of war forced their retrofitting into war machines.

The Cybrids were created to later man the machines and resulted in Prometheus taking control of many units to overthrow his Human masters.

Overview

In appearance, HERCULANs were towering, heavily armored weapon systems that utilised a revolutionary bipedal walking drive that was designed for all-environment operations. They were noted for being similar to the armored fighting vehicles known as 'tanks' developed during the 20th century. Their main body consisted of a power source, fuel and support electronics. Energy requirements were provided by a fusion reactor where the output was collected in a Master Energy Pool that was an advanced capacitator. It allocated power as needed to the drive motors, weapon systems, shields and instrumentation. At its head was the pilot compartment where a heavily armored turret could rotate and elevate separately. Weapons were modular and mounted on hard points so that the pilot could aim and fire them through turret control without changing the vehicle's course. It allowed for faster target acquisition and a finer degree of aiming control than a fixed body design. Bipedal drive systems allowed the HERC to manage varying terrains where they could turn right or left, forward or reverse and pivot like a tracked vehicle.

The bipedal drive system allowed the HERC to manage varying terrains, turn right or left in forward or reverse, and pivot in place like a tracked vehicle. Its main drawback were their relative vulnerability — Human HERC designs must devote shielding, armor, and life support systems to sustaining the pilot, while Cybrid units need only protect vital systems like the reactor or weapons. Nevertheless, the wreckage of Cybrid units provides valuable salvage, readily adaptable for repairing and building Human .

The only perceived limitations of these machines was the fallibility of the human pilots controlling them. Its main drawback was its relative vulnerability as Human HERC designs must devote shielding, armor and life support systems that sustained the pilot. While most operational models were originally piloted by Cybrid AI, some pre-Cybrid HERCs were discovered by the Resistance after the Cybrid Overthrow. Human designs have advanced from there, spurred by the occasional capture of new Cybrid technology. Different HERCs have different cockpit and console layouts, depending on the number of weapons they carry, but the views and components are similar for all.

FlashComm broadcasts to all squad members simultaneously on a tight-beam scrambled frequency. The closest squad member who can fulfill your order will then do so, sending an acknowledgment beforehand.

All HERCs are datalinked, allowing an enemy unit detected by one pilot to be seen by all. However, active Radar scanning broadcasts the scanning HERC’s position and sets it up as a target for ambush and air attack. Anti-Radar Homing Missiles will home in specifically on Radar emissions.

In general, bigger HERCs can carry more and heavier weapons, and have stronger armor and shields. The trade-off was that bigger HERCs were also slower and less maneuverable. Among the types of HERC's created included:

• Roadrunner : the fastest scout HERC fielded by the Resistance, the Roadrunner was ideally suited for light recon and scouting missions where speed was essential.
• Outlaw : mounting more armor and the ability to carry heavier weaponry than a Roadrunner, the Outlaw can stay in a fight longer than its counterpart. It was also the lightest HERC that can mount an EMP cannon.
• Raptor : a medium weight HERC with good maneuverability and firepower with its specialty being armed reconnaissance.
• Tomahawk : Tomahawks specialize in the medium attack role and are often deployed as a screening force for assault HERCs.
• Patriot : This HERC can mount more missiles for its size than any other type. It is especially well suited for anti-air operations.
• Rhino : The Rhino is a fast heavy attack HERC. Hit and fade missions that require good firepower and speed are ideal for the Rhino.
• Samson :
• Colossus :
• Ramses : the most common medium Cybrid HERC, it was deployed in nearly every combat theater in a variety of roles.

There were three main types of HERC weapon systems: Energy (divided into beam or pulse systems), Projectile (cannon), and Missiles. Each has comparative strengths and weaknesses with energy weapons requiring a minimum charge to fire. A weapon not in use will automatically recharge from the HERC's Master Energy Pool, the same power source that runs the HERC's motors, shields, radar and other systems. Among weapons capable of being mounted on HERC's included:

• Lasers : one of the most common HERC weapon systems, lasers cause damage by hitting their target with a tightly focused beam of coherent light energy. HERC laser fire was of fixed power (determined by gigawattage of weapon) and duration. Popular because of their accuracy, lasers can be used to surgically cripple an enemy HERC with precise fire.
• Electron Flux Weapons :
• Particle Beam Weapons :
• Electromagnetic Pulse Cannon :
• Automatic Cannons :
• Missile Arrays :

Shields were powered from the onboard fusion generator and run through a capacitance energy matrix standard on all HERCs. The bigger the HERC's generator, the stronger the shield. Two weapons are effective against shields: EMP cannons disrupt the shield matrix, and the ELF is so incredibly powerful that it punches through shields as if they are not even there.

HERCs were normally dropped near mission objectives by airborne carriers and picked up afterwards though in some cases they originated from bases for certain missions.

It was noted that they were astronomically expensive to build and required a vast expenditure of precious resources.

Pilots

• Harabec Weathers :
• Caanon Weathers :
• Tyris Larkin :

Notes

• HERCULANs were created by Dynamix where they featured in the Earthsiege universe.

Appearances

• Metaltech: Earthsiege:
• Earthsiege 2:
• Starsiege:

External Links

• Starsiege Universe Wiki Entry

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