Anyway, enough blarb, you'll see the finished article when it's in progress.

This is a freehand biro drawin, so it's mega scruffy but I think you can make it all out okay. Input is VERY much wanted and appreciated. I want to know the design is sound enough.

Five years ago, the Imperial fleet, against the idea of the colonial alliance gaining independance, moved the third fleet into Venria's orbit in an attempt to make the colonial forces fall into line with the empires will. This had entirely the opposite effect, the colonial militia began an open revolt against the empire. The colonial forces were entrenched and seemed to be in the position to hold off the empire indefinitely should they deploy their forces planetside.

From out of nowhere, imperial forces attacked Telis, the capital city, and the seat of the colonial government. Telis was a fortress of gun turrets and high end gears, it seemed like suicide. That was untill the empire dropped a type of mech never seen before from orbit. A collossus. A mech the size of a city, dropped in a thermal shell from orbit. None of the colonists thought such a machine was possible. The behemoth turns Telis into ash and the colonial governemnt folds. Cut off and split in twain, the colonial military, confused and isolated is quickly conquered.

Fortunately for the abused people of Venria, that wasnt the end of the story. Not all the colonial military folded in the wake of Telis. Attacking from secret bases, the colonial forces still fight their campaign against the imperial military.

The story sofar is a little bit on the standard side(not the first colonie that splits from the empire ).
But dont take that wrong, if it has some nice story twists and is well told it will rock(and im sure you manage this .

Oh and draw the mechs from the bad guys I shirow like spider mechs.

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Wer nicht vom Meister lernt, lernt nie etwas.

And without getting political when switching on the TV.
You can get a nice example how complicated and also interesting reasons for a war can be(as cruel as it is).

The Idea for Crusader like mechs is cool and suits empiral troops very well imho.

Looking forward to your further designs and ofcourse the story.

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Wer nicht vom Meister lernt, lernt nie etwas.

Must admit I came up with a way how it could happen while I walked the dog to day.

Imagine the Empire having strict laws and honor code, that keeps everything well tide togheter.

Ofcourse the colonies are far from home and so laws are handled alot more laidback, resulting in gambling prostitution and drugdealing.
But as we all know it creativ people prever it when they dont have to follow strict rules(and can get the substances that make them so creativ easy).
Because of this alot of artists and sientists move over to the colonie.

The empire is perfectly fine with this in the beginning.
But soon enough the colonie wants independence, and that means the empire would loose all the crative, money making class of its country.
Leaving them only with peons politicians and an small group of proud warriors (think samurais).

Now in the small battles that follows, it shows that the warriors of the colonie, use quite some cruel tactics (as they are not bound by the honor system of the empire anymore).
Killing alot of civilians and assorted things.

Uh I stop here but can you simpatize with the Empire this way?
Hm come to think of it I propably use it in someway for my RPG, but still if you want to sniff parts of it be my guest.

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Wer nicht vom Meister lernt, lernt nie etwas.

The colonials could use all sorts of banned weaponry, bio weapons, living bio gears, and be a right load of bastards, revolting, and 'liberating' imperial worlds in the name of a supposed peace.

The imperial guard, stripped of it's power base and raw recruits, becomes an ultra elite filled with long serving veterans, striking back from the imperial core worlds, liberating them from colonial forces.

But the freedom offered by the colonials is false, they are quickly abused and cast aside for slave labour, building the gears and becoming live components in mindless living bio gears.

Coming in the name of liberation, the colonials are welcomed by all the fringe worlds as conquerors and heroes, untill that is, they are put to work.

The empire crumbles further and is pushed back to the Sol system where they dig in, gathering around them all their finest forces. This is sufficient to hold off the colonials for now.

Liberators, gear drop ships, invisible to lightar strike out at the colonial worlds, the imperial commandos inside have only one mission, to destroy every last trace of colonial rule on the planets they invade but they are outnumbered, and bound by imperial doctrine to never harm the innocent, and to always fight to imperial standards (not cheat).

So basically to sum all this up. The earth is the last fortress world of the empire. From which daring commando missions are launched to take back what once was theirs. The story is centred around the Imperial Black Guard (commandos) the elite of the elite.

Cheers GIAM, I never wouldve thought of that without you. Offer still stands, wanna help ?.

Decided to submit a drawin of the imperial Palladin gear now. It's scruffy but it should give you a feel of the stylistic differences between the modern colonials and the empire. Wanted to wait till I had a clean one, but nevermind.

Palladin middleweight gear.

Oki you wanted input on the Mecha designs right, so some quick doodles.

The first three concern the spidermech idea.

The first stance is what you had drawn. Problem is, this way all the mech mass is located up high.
This way the mech could be easily fall over (I would keep the stance only to move trough hazardous ground, like deep water or to look over a hill).

2. Is how he should be moving (imo).
The mass is low and the legs are spread wide, so the mech can compensate high recoil pretty well.

3. this stance would be the way you park this mech.
The body is almost at ground, this way the pilot can climp out rather simple (try to get out of stance 1).

Overall I would keep the spider aproach as small reckon mechs (as they can manauver in a lot more terain than two legged mechs) or as big weapon platform mechs.

The other sketches illustrate the problem I have about those wheels.

1. ass soon as the mech would accelerate he would fall down, because of inertia.
I think you said he would sunk on them, well not sure how this would look like, but the other sketches are ideas to improve his drivin ability.
Basicly I would give 'em more then two wheels.

I like the imperial design sofar, looks very royal.

and tnx for the offer but I think it is your story.
However post your progress and I will give you my honest opinion (think of me as a beta tester )

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Wer nicht vom Meister lernt, lernt nie etwas.