I have some follow up questions on power systems.
The power duration of bots on PIT pg 81 is
way off the Core Rules.
Most bots can last years on their individual power sources vs days according to Techlord stats.
I agree that Techlord stats in PIT are probably more realistic, but the cannon has been established in TME RAW.
If we assume both books are correct we get an amazing drop in efficiency for Techlord bots. Maybe bot power systems aren't their specialty.
This would normally be an increase in resistance, if we're talking real world physics and electronics.
The weight for robot chassis are about doubled that of Core Rules. My assumption is that all of these bots are scrap and scratch rebuilt bots instead of pristine working bodies from before the fall. So, they could have hammered out the metal, found piss poor wire and wound the motors themselves; or whatever the future equivalent might be.
Add to it that the cobbled together bodies are 2x weight and you'd have less battery life, sure.
My issue is that we aren't talking about current day power sources. Even assuming superconducting tech and near 100% efficient energy systems and the power cell (energy clip, or whatever you want to call it) has around 30 times a near lethal amount of power (see Laser pistol) with our understanding of capacitance. *
Now stay with me here..
With that kind of power source only lasting a few days at best, with inefficient motors the resistance would be so great these robots would be red hot and probably melt after a few hours or minutes at best.
Picturing a crazed over clocked bot arcing lighting bolts wherever there's a ground (pc with a metal weapon) with in 2m while smoking and burning out every system in it's chassis would be awesome for the arena! But it's not something that you'd want to buy and actually expect to use outside of combat.
* OK, I've been meaning to write something about this, but I wanted to get my facts straight.
Short version, by today's standards, I'm going to assume 1kJ is required for a lethal energy beam. This seems to be what 'the military' wants for a man portable DEW. RAW, lethal is ~25 END (TME pgs 10, 111). I'll assume every 20-25..31 damage, or so, is lethal.
Laser Pistol does D20+10 damage. I'm assuming that is lethal for the average Joe and Sally mutant.
You get 30 shots(!) with a power cell. Let's assume the power cell is near 100% efficient (ha!) and the laser is near 100% efficient (ha ha!), that's a lot to ask for 500gm battery.
Edit: Also see TME pg 216, #19.
Hair Dryer uses a mini power cell for 10 hrs(!) use. 1990-2000 hair dryers are 1.8kW or so. Very energy efficient blow dryers in 2013 are about 1kW. even with 2150+ tech, you still have to heat and move air. Ion wind instead of motors(?), ceramic blocks instead of resistor heating elements.. it's probably still 500W or super charged to act as an air compressor (assumption), or sensors to not burn your scalp and it goes back up to 1kW, who knows. 10kW hrs, 5kW hours or even 3kW hours is pretty damn good for a 100gm battery.
Mini power cells are about 1/3 the charge of power cells (TME pg 199)... I could be easily be wrong, but it seems the Techlord's batteries are scratch built too.