Powered Armor?

[Major_Blackhart]

Just a thought: An armor powered by batteries that uses a chassis, etc. When used in combat, it adds strength and movement points and reduces encumbrance, but drains energy. Otherwise functions similarly to a suit of steel armor.
Strength requirements are actually less than steel armor, but you only get the benefits when you activate the armor, in or out of combat. When armor is not active, movement speed decreases and encumbrance increases. When active, movement speed increases, Encumbrance decreases, etc etc.

[LazyMonk]

Something like the Power Armor of Wasteland/Fallout?
I always loved that concept. Is there any confirmation of a Power Armor in the game?
I have only found this picture:
http://underrail.com/images/DevLog/alpha-crafting-1.png

The a idea of having to recharge the armor sounds nice.

[Eliasfrost]

That's actually a great idea. Not only eoes it provides the player a heavy armor without direct disadvantages to your attributes and skills, it also need resource management to balance the power out, I totally support this idea, as long as the armor is power hungry enough so that it is a second thought thing and not a face-roll piece equipment.

[Thrasymachus]

Hahaha....wait until you need energy cells to move. 

On a serious note you could claim that your suit uses the kinetic energy of your movement to power its basic functions; making you a human rolex.  You could then "ovedrive" it when you wanted to sprint or do more melee damage and this would need energy.

[LazyMonk]

Hahaha....wait until you need energy cells to move.

Haha i thought of that as well and it isnt a pretty sight! xD

On a serious note you could claim that your suit uses the kinetic energy of your movement to power its basic functions; making you a human rolex.  You could then "ovedrive" it when you wanted to sprint or do more melee damage and this would need energy.

Fallout had a cool way of explaining why you had no need to worry about its power:
"A self-contained suit of advanced technology armor. Powered by a micro-fusion reactor, with enough fuel to last a hundred years."

[Styg]

I'm not a big fan of (at least fallout's) power armor concept because it tends, by its nature, to be "the best armor". And all the other types of armors you use up to that point only serve to get you there. It's basically the heaviest of armors without any disadvantages of being that.

Having it drain resources while active is not a bad idea, but the problem is that the player can always save the armor and the batteries for specific fights and events, so you still have to account for it.

So in short, don't expect a fallout style power armor to be introduced. However, what I will probably add is an ability to add certain powered components to heavy armors (metal armor and possibly other future types of heavy armor) during crafting that might augment some of your abilities or provide additional armor effects while powered.

[Ruvon]

... the problem is that the player can always save the armor and the batteries for specific fights and events, so you still have to account for it.

Why a player could even carry an metal armor in his backpack ??

How come you get a penalty for wearing a heavy armor and not for carrying it ?

I don't remember how the topic about inventory and weight ended but maybe this could be a way to avoid the problem you're talking about...

[maheusz]

Or it could be done it way:

because world seems retro and concentrating about scavenged equipment and rigged devices then any sort of normal power armor would be too OP. But what I'm thinking of is more like this - it could be some sort of mechanical exoskeleton (think a bit powerloaders from Aliens) with exposed energy source. Any attack on the energy source (strong enough) would shut it down, even maybe make explode (and turn useless). Humans with technical skill would know where to attack, maybe some beasts too (experience), but that's all. Or it could be really falloutlike armor, but like I mentioned - rigged from not matching parts.

What I would like to stress is ridiculesness of batteries being used to power any kind of armor (not counting these regeneration ones which are based on different idea). It needs something more powerful - fusion device or some kind of artifact (from old civs). Also making them pretty much stationary (powerloaders etc.) removes mentioned above combat advantage.

How's that?

[LazyMonk]

When i first played Fallout i loved the whole Mad Max look of the leather jacket. But i couldn't build my character around that armor. It was just a step on your way through the games armors. I like the fact that on Underrail you can build your character around a certain type of armor. Each armor type isn't better than the other just different, suiting better certain types of characters than others. It reminds me a bit of how armors were on D&D.

I think Styg has the right idea about balance, and although i love the idea of a Power Armor, a la Fallout, i cant see it as not being better than the Metal Armor in every way.

[Major_Blackhart]

Well, how about making it actually weak against electrical damage? Like when hit by an electrical attack not only is damage increased by 50%, but the battery also drains. Not a bad scenario, and the energy drain would be high enough with normal use that you REALLY can only have it operational during combat, and then for something like 8 rounds max before it needs recharcing.

[maheusz]

If I remember correctly Styg said something about Deep Caverns where everything is much more dangerous and there are areas of hightened radiation/poison (or something like that). I would guess that using some kind of protection will be a must out there... so you can stay hopeful

[LazyMonk]

I wonder if there are any plans for chem suits and/or heavily contaminated areas where such suit would be a necessity?

Well i have one of these on my character's inventory:

Biotechnician suit
Armor suit
This suit offers a moderate biohazard protection.
Resistances:
Bio: 25%/5