Tank Crew Rework: Construction Mechanics

Development Ideaguys
1

Construction Mechanic

CONSTRUCTION

Difficulty: Hard
Supervisors: Chief Seabee
Rank: Corporal [Under 10hrs]/Sergeant [10hrs]/Staff Sergeant[70hrs]
Duties: Establish the Primary Extraction Point, build a home, drive the tank, construct defensive equipment.
Guides: Construction, Guide to Engineering, Guide to Medicine
Unlock Requirements: Ten hours as any squad role. Five hours as a Combat Engineer. One hour as any medical role.
Detailed Description:

Your have the equipment and skills to perform disaster relief, infrastructure repair and triage. Those in harm’s way are counting on you for a secure extraction zone.

Construction Mechanics (CM), also known as “Seabees” or “Pioneers”, are enlisted USMC crewmembers who provide light engineering support. Where the Combat Engineer has a greater range of equipment for tackling the battlefield, the Construction Mechanic supplements the mission with their unique qualifications and a focus on operational demands over engaging with the enemy.

“There we were on the Kael line in our M22 dinosaurs, and in the unit next door the Army guys were bitching about the missile detection/interception systems, the jamming and decoy systems, and the 3D tactical suites in their M40’s. We had nothing like they had, and what we had was old and kept breaking down. They had tanks so stealthy they were invisible from nine paces; our stealth was a decade out of date. With all the Third World-supplied detection gear the B-boys were packing in the Trobriands and around Parrot’s Beak, they could see us coming a continent away.” - Staff Sgt. Robin Miskolozy, Colonial Marine’s Technical Manual

^ Overview

The Construction Mechanic is responsible for establishing the initial landing zone, repairing infrastructure on the ground or operating powerloaders and vehicles. Unlike the Combat Technician who deploys with a wider gear arsenal, your task is to ensure operations are conducted smoothly without reliance on overworked squaddies. Performing well means that Squad and Fireteam Leaders can focus on communicating, and Combat Technicians can focus on assaulting the enemy.

^ Preparing and Building the Defenses

Located in the Hangar Storage south of the dropships is your Construction Fabricator. Here you can print assemblies and materials for various defense structures or vehicles. Talk to your head of department, the Chief Seabee, about what you might be printing. Each assembly costs Construction budget, which slowly accrues over time. If you run out of budget, more has to be assigned to you by Requisitions.

[List of things like generators, vehicles, powerloaders, mech suits and FOB Rework Stuff goes here.]

^ Equipment

As a Construction Mechanic, your core loadout and responsibilities are determined by which kit you select. Once selected, your chosen specialization is displayed upon your identification on the crew manifest.

Assault Pioneer Kit
1x Assault Pioneer Pamphlet
1x Breaching Charge
1x M20 Mine Box
1x Explosive Pouch
1x M10 Technician Helmet
1x M3-T Light Armor

Builder Kit
1x Builder Pamphlet
1x Basic Engineering Supplies Kit
1x Plastic Explosive
50x Sandbags
1x External Webbing

Equipment Operator Kit
1x Equipment Operator Certification
1x Welding Goggles
1x Binoculars
1x M50 Tanker Helmet
1x Vehicle Crewman Uniform
1x M3 Pattern Tanker Armor
1x Powerloader Requisition Form
1x Powerloader Maintenance Toolbox

Engineering Aide Kit
1x Surveyor Pamphlet
1x Deployable Floodlight Kit
1x Range Finder
1x M89-S Signal Flare Pack
1x Meson Glasses
1x External Webbing
1x Document Pouch

Construction Corpsman Kit
1x Emergency Relief Pamphlet
1x Mini Extinguisher
1x SensorMate Medical HUD
1x Hypospray
1x First Responder Tactical Pouch
1x Vial Pouch (Full)
1x First Aid Kit
5x Bedroll
1x Field Tent
1x M94 Marking Flare Pack
1x Roller Bed
5x MREs
1x External Webbing

Assault Pioneer Pamphlet: A pamphlet that grants +1 to the Engineering and Firearms skills.
Builder Pamphlet: A pamphlet that grants +1 to the Engineering and Construction skills.
Equipment Operator Certification: A pamphlet that grants +1 to the Engineering, Vehicle and Powerloader skills.
Surveyor Pamphlet: A pamphlet that grants +1 to the Construction, Intel and JTAC skills.
Emergency Relief Pamphlet: A pamphlet that grants +1 to the Medical, Surgery and Fireman Carry skills.

^ Your Skillset

Endurance 1 (Trained)
Medical 1 (Trained)
Construction 2 (Specially Trained)
Engineering 2 (Specially Trained)
Vehicles 1 (Trained)
Powerloader 1 (Trained)

7 Likes
2

What do you imagine the Engineering Aide would be doing?

Also, it would be nice if the defense structures were something like pillboxes or bunkers.

1 Like
3

I think they should let the HESCO barriers from Tyrargo be used, theyre literally made for making FOBs/COP/FARPs etc

1 Like
4

I’m gonna be real, this just seems like CT but better barring direct combat skills. Like I genuinely don’t know what this is supposed to be aside from maybe an MT that can ground deploy whenever.

2 Likes
5

Its a “Bravo now has an excuse to actually go fight” role.

6

Get rid of the assault pioneer kit, give them firearms 1 by default and let the buy that equipment for vendor points. We don’t need more marine roles that have no idea how to use guns.

Construction corpsman also seems unnecessary, since Field Doc exists and usually has a nurse with them as well.

I don’t think we need to add this as a whole new department. Would be fine to add them under CE.

2 Likes
7

I mean it sounds interesting but you need to write down way more details about it.

8

Would this replace the CE and the MT?

9

Chief Engineer and the MT would remain as they are. Chief Engineer is a commissioned officer, Chief Seabee (also known as a Chief Constructionman) are E-9 paygrade. CE/ASO would be the Chief Constructionman’s command superior.

Valid feedback on the firearms skill, I’m looking for more viewpoints on this. The idea isn’t to just have more Combat Techs and have them closer to Maintenance Techs, and if you wanted to be closer to a Combat Technician and do more fighting you’d take the kit, not just be better with firearms, but to signal to others your round intentions.

The Field Doc and Nurse are restricted to secure locations only, requiring guards. Field Doc isn’t a Corpsman they can perform far more surgery, and Nurse is a learning role. The Construction Corpsman is there to accompany other Construction Mechanics towards locations like generators or combat outposts. It’s essentially the Dropship Crew Chief skills without piloting.

Auxiliary may be a better fit for department, have them under the ASO since their printer would be connected to requisitions, but they may need at least their own radio channel and overwatch terminal.

Maybe a better name for the role is the Engineer Equipment Operator, which may be more Marine ranking lore accurate.

They’re a rework idea for Tank Crew, mostly self sufficient and dependent on their Construction Printer. At the population where the Tank Unlocks they should have the points to deploy the Light Tank, APC or a Mech, and at populations below their budget scales smaller is the idea. They might only be able to afford replacement parts for the ARC, or batch of floodlights and a sentry gun at low pop. Then if CIC decides, they can blow their intel points on budget, then assign the budget as needed towards the Construction Printer.

Tank Crew as is only shows up with the tank. Construction Mechanics can be the FOB squad initially, and then after Intel is collected, transition into the ARC squad at any population count. Or uniquely they can hop in Powerloaders (importantly Powerloaders not linked to functions in the Hangar) and move supplies around, which would be an entirely unique groundside experience.

Engineering Aides are non-budgetary planners, assessing the ground and soil for structures and keeping records. Since Budget increases are tied to Intel points, they would be akin to the Intel Rifleman for the Construction department, accelerating access to vehicles or operating the Mortar on the side.

More than a few Comtechs start their round praying not to be on the FOB, or stuck building comms. Still others instantly enter cryo if they see themselves on Bravo. Players are clearly not enjoying that system, and so the Construction Mechanic will be the default department role for operational engineering requirements like the FOB or Comms. A.S.S. didn’t work for this, it was more of the same discontent and unpredictability on what you might get to do in a round.

We can just make it a dedicated department, and if no one rolls for FOB, everything as usual. Building the FOB and being rewarded with the chance to maybe drive a vehicle around seems like QUALITY incentive to me.

1 Like
10

Firearms skill really has no correlation with how likely you are to fight. Mess tech has firearms 2 but is limited to secure areas. My issue is that having firearms 0 makes you comically incompetent with any guns, and all marines should in theory be competent enough to hit targets at 200 meters irl. (Looking at you medbay)

Fair point, I had assumed these marines would have the same restriction. If they’re supposed to also be mobile a corpsman would be of use.

Maybe? ASO already has intel and flight crew directly under them with no dedicated chief. Since they sound primarily engineering oriented I thought CE would be a better fit.

May I offer the now defunct MOS of 0481 - Landing Support Specialist? Historically they were in charge of logistical support between land, air, and sea. Their chief could take the MOS of 0491 - Logistics/Mobility Chief. And I’d say give the chief time locked ranks from E6 (Staff Sergeant) to E8 technical (Master Sergeant). Would give them the same ranks as QM. With the specialist underlines going from E3 (Lance Corporal) to E5 (Sergeant)

1 Like