Circuit Fight

[Tournaments]

The Circuit Fights are a competition mode for Mech pilots, hosted by the Mecha Games and Tournaments Organization led by General Nova, in which the participating pilots measure their forces through a single combat against each other and without limitations in the Mech class that they use in their squads.

Circuit Fights Features & Rules:

Registration open to pilots level 10 or higher.

Each Circuit has 32 open spots.

Each pilot participant will be assigned to a division based on his pilot skills (according his galactic standardized level)

Every pilot will have an opportunity to fight each other once. The pilot with more victories will score higher.

To pass someone in the Circuit ranking, the pilots must win more fights than any other.

Ties go to whoever got the wins first.

If two pilots acquired the same amount of victories, the one who first got them will be ranked higher.

The top five of each circuit will be awarded a medal and a weapon from the armories of the Craftsmen:

1. Gold to the highest scored.
2. Silver for the second scored.
3. Bronze for the third, fourth and fifth ranks.

Prizes:

• By entering a Circuit the organization will pay to you 10 Crystal and 1 Niode. 

• By winning Circuit Fights the organization will pay crystal equal to triple the energy cells spent. 

• After win two battles, the organization will give you a second Niode.

• Winning eight battles will grant you a third Niode.

• Winning up to twenty two battles will grant you a fourth Niode.

• The Games organization will also award the Gold, Silver and Bronze pilots with weapons and a special double upgrade package for the Champ.

.

Summary of Circuit Rewards  (Considering full victories)
Wins (1, 2)	Energy required	Crystals awarded	Total Crystal Won	Other rewards
Enter	None	10	10	+1 Niode
1	1	3	13
2	3	9	22	+1 Niode (2 Total Niodes)
3	5	15	37
4	7	21	58
5	9	27	85
6	11	33	118
7	13	39	157
8	15	45	202	+1 Niode (3 Total Niodes)
9	17	51	253
10	19	57	310
11	21	63	373
12	23	69	442
13	25	75	517
14	27	81	598
15	29	87	685
16	31	93	778
17	33	99	877
18	35	105	982
19	37	111	1093
20	39	117	1210
21	40	120	1330
22	41	123	1453	+1 Niode (4 Total Niodes)
23	42	126	1579
24	43	129	1708
25	44	132	1840
26	45	135	1975
27	46	138	2113
28	47	141	2254
29	48	144	2398
30	49	147	2545
31	50	150	2695
32	51	153	2848
33	52	156	3004
34	53	159	3163
35	54	162	3325
Note 1. If a pilot got defeated, will earn half the available crystal and the next fight will increase energy requirement as also the triple awarded crystal. Note 2. The current maximum amount of spots can change from circuit to circuit, usually with a total of 35.
Medal Bonus
Gold (Top ranked)			Weapon tier 3	-
Silver (2nd ranked)			Weapon tier 2	-
Bronze (3rd, 4th & 5th)			Weapon tier 1	-

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Circuit Fights History

Hosted by the Founder and Director of the Games, the famous pilot Velastian Gearnutt, and with the support of a large number of sponsors across the galaxy, the official introduction of the circuits took place in 3261, the same year that the King of the Mountain tournaments were inaugurated, although there were the 3260 Beta circuits that were already celebrated.

Beta Circuit awards (gold, silver and bronze) 3260 - 3264

During the beta circuits celebrated in 3260, the details of its execution were lined up. As the tests were successful, with a great reception among the Mech pilots, the official inauguration was released the next year, 3261.

August 3264 to December 3298

In the year 3299, with the celebration of the first Mech Olympiads: the Mechalympix, in which the circuits had the total protagonist, new badges were designed, as well as they were given, for the first time, arms to the awardees. Each medal was matched with a score that would be added to the total obtained by the members of each participating clan, offering the winning clans of that year's Grand Tournament.

January - May 3299 (Mechalympic Circuits)

After the Mechalympix event, which received a rather controversial reception among the multiple clans, the circuits returned to their routine, although the medals experienced a new change.

August 3299 to September 3318

In the year 3317, Velastian retired, determined to enjoy his old age in some paradisiac planet and the direction of the games passed to General Nova.

Nova, determined to give a new impetus to the circuits, which languished with no greater interest than to provide some crystal to the most desperate pilots, held working meetings with the Craftsmen, the main supporters of the games and suppliers of the famous Mechs which the tournament champions of clan and KotM received: Vizi, Zadok and Nephylax.

New circuit medals (both models alternate each circuit). September 3318

(By GJ - 685605) 

Robert C. Goetz

[Faction Leader, Legendary Pilot]

AFF CIC - Pilot license number: 175626

Legendary Commander in Chief of the once largest Mercenary Faction: The Death’s Affiliation (aka AFF). A family man in the personal area and paternalistic, but dispersed as CIC in his goal to better control the several AFF units carrying the AFF burning skull flags. He allowed his own scientists to develop a cloning program, encouraging his closest officers to clone themselves in a savage way to maintain better leadership of the larger army. Robert himself reached a garrison of forty Goetzian clones until the galactic Clone Purge of 3315.

He values the formation of new blood as the way forward for the future, and while he may lack capabilities as a tactician and strategist, he has been known to get recruit qualified advisers and brilliant staff officers who helped him to reach some glorious years for the AFF.

Currently, while the remnant AFF faction is in certain decay, far from their past glorious times and struggling to recover their splendour, his personal Cohort, the Death’s Collectors AFF, that has been the emblem AFF unit since their foundation, has been a long time champion in 3rd and 4th divisions.

In his words: 

“I am someone that likes to complete a task, teach others by leading by example.

A family man that loves to go on adventures, explore new places and activities, and challenge myself to always move forward”.

~ ~ ~

Weapons of choice  (at level 118)

Balanced profile, with all weaponry skills in a range between 50 to 55.

First Gold Medals:

~ ~ ~

Recorded videoptic archives.- Subject: Live interview with Robert. Christopher Goetz.
Date: March, 10, 3317
Location: Death's Affiliation field garrison at Epsilon Taurus moon.

Mechanomicon. - We have the honour to meet the Affiliation (AFF) founder and CIC, Commander Robert Christopher Goetz, who happened to cover  for long years the middle and lower divisions  with golds for his dreadful Death's Squadrons.

Where are you from, Sir,?

Robert C. Goetz - Originally I am from the St. Louis area of New Montana (Old Earth), but I have been travelling around the Galaxy for most of my life, I've always seemed to be drafted into a leadership position either from the start or shortly after I've started, so I guess leadership comes naturally.

M. - How did you become a pilot?

R.G. - The Death's Affiliation started after a couple years from the inception of the Mecha Clan Tournaments, our first clans were Death's Collectors, then after a couple months I got frustrated with having to boot pilots because of their upsetting tactics and poor practises and wanting to keep tighter level gaps. So the first offshoot was Death's Disciples, which brought the AFF into creation.

Within a couple years, more and more pilots wanted to join so we grew very, very fast and within six years we were the largest 'Faction' in the galaxy and held that position for over three decades.

M. - How did you manage to create as wide cloud of clans as the Death's units bound to your faction? I could imagine there were several logistic troubles. How did you sort them?

R.G. - As far as leading I have to give early respect to Stoner Stewart for leading Disciples and helping me to form the AFF. As we grew, we did have several leaders, not just clones, and going into our second decade of growth we had another leader to grow through the ranks: Scott Abbott. He quickly rose to become my number two and stayed in that position until the split, under his spreadsheet record keeping we rose to earning more and more golds and with the support of cloning tech both, he and I, had ourselves cloned many times over and our personal clones led almost every clan during that second decade run of massive growth and gold building.

We had pilots from the far reaches of the galaxy wanting to join our forces since, I hate to say this, but most rather follow than lead, it was easier for them to earn gold under our banner than forge their own colours.

M. - So the rumours of association with Dr. Drake were certain, or did you receive genetic support from a different clone facility?

R.G. - We developed our own Cloning tech... Not saying we didn't have some well placed spies in some of the farthest reaches of the galaxy watching all new developments. 

M. - Evil masterminds. So can we conjecture AFF never tried to take down the galaxy with a clone army as Dr. Drake and Droch'ah after he tried?

R.G. - Our main purpose was to give every active pilot a hanger to hang their helmets on, in the beginning. 

M. - Why did you pick the Death's name for your clans? An image campaign to dig the enemy moral?

R.G. - The Death's' was continued through our clans since we started by collecting the burnt skulls of the dead we defeated.

M. - Dreadful and effective I suppose, the dead enemy from today won't be able to fight you tomorrow. As CIC for the "Affiliation" what are the biggest issues you had to face during the many years?

R.G. – They had changed over the time, always keeping everyone active and in communication.  But early in the game was developing the knowledge on how best to build formations and load outs, then once equipment dropped we had to reboot the whole tech formula, then as we grew, leadership development was very important. After that the record keeping of all clans and their movement became key, to not only our growth, but also for our medal counts. All things go in cycles, but lately keeping pilots interested in our business after the purges, and the fact that other changes have turned some off is important.

M. - As AFF CIC what other clans have been your greatest opponents along the history of the Clan Wars and who your best allies, if any?

R.G. - Well early I would say our greater Tournament opponents were RND, Northwind, and Black Star clans, then 'RV´ clans grew rather quickly and challenged us in several divisions, but as these Mecha Games go, most of those clan have fallen away; now the Dragons most of which I would say they were former AFF, are in most of the middle to lower divisions. 

We've had some lasting friendships that work with us in FW's.

M. - As a pilot, what kind of weapons, capabilities and Mechs do you prefer?

R.G. - Speed is your friend. I try for that first, then, depends on the lines to be honest, I like the combo of fire and ice a lot. As new equipment gets released I have to adjust to counter the opponent capabilities.

M. - Is there a Mech that is your totemic one, your beloved partner after one thousand battles?

R.G. - Sure, I love my personal Reaper. Also, after the release of the Skriags I loved them, they were kings, until the Torrents and Dreadnaughts hit the field. Before that, it was hard to not fall in love with the Inferno. They were very, very tough, and still work very well in different weight specialists.

M. - As AFF CIC, what do you think you have learned and how have you grown and maturated both as a person and as a pilot? 

R.G. – The biggest thing I learned after a rough start was to not level faster than your resources, and to work on as many different formations as you can. Having a variety of fleets makes you much more lithe in larger battles like Clan Wars and Factions Wars. So going slow and steady makes you a more solid pilot.


M. - Thank you for your time, Cmdr. Goetz.

R.G. - Pleased.

Entry and interview with Robert. C. Goetz Sr. (175626) by GJ (685605)

Hatoraide

[Chemistry]

Hatoraide (often spelled "Hate-o-Raid") is an energy drink created for consumption in situations of high physical and mental demands.

Hatoraide contains mainly water, sucrose, glucose, caffeine, different vitamins (niacin, taurine, pantothenic acid, B2, B3, B6 and B12) and up to eight secret components, which are suspected to be highly addictive substances. Therefore, the authorities of almost all the governments of the galaxy have banned or restricted its consumption among the civilian population, reserving it for military purposes (and in general, turning a blind eye regarding its indiscriminate consumption by the Mecha pilots).

Although the manufacturer and the sponsors insist on advertising that Hatoraides has scientifically proven revitalizing and detoxifying effects as well as properties that increase physical and mental abilities, they blatantly omit the fact that it contains a whole collection of stimulants which could keep any pharmacy supplied for an entire year.

Its addictive power is such that a single drink generates a very high dependence. Currently, no one is known to have been able to give up their consumption (once started).

According to clinical studies, Hatoraide's consumption increases the secretion of adrenaline by 200%, while acting as a vasodilator and providing alkaloids that yield a state of euphoria durable enough to extend a high performance during combat. After the peak of physical and emotional enhancement, individuals experience highly irascible behaviour, with frequent changes in their state of humor if they do not return to ingest it within a day.

There are three versions of Hatoraide: normal, large and super.

Super Hatoraide is a highly volatile version, mostly distributed in clandestine laboratories that copy again and again the original recipe developed in 3261 by Velastian Gearnutt, the first Director of Mech Tournaments. Apparently, it has a brutal effect, capable of prolonging combat activity up to eight times more than normal doses, but is so volatile that once produced, it becomes innocuous and ineffective after a day. Its consumption is recommended in a controlled way.

(By GJ - 685605)

Shogunate

[Great Powers, Society, History]

Government: 

Absolute monarchy (Empire) where the Emperor Meiji controls all the production systems and military forces in the Shogunate.

Imperial flag of the Shogunate (By GJ)

Government Components

• The Emperor (Shogun-Heika or Commander in Chief-Emperor).

• The Shogunate Diet - advises the Emperor in the government tasks of the Shogunate and influences its fate. The Diet is composed of:

• The Imperial Family
• The Imperial Functionaries 
• The Imperial Generals
• The Alpha Corp Technocrats

Capital of the Shogunate

Shin Edo or Xanadu.

The original administrative metropolis of the Asian Alliance was formerly named Pnam-Tang, but the 28^th Shogun Orazuge renamed it to match the nostalgic Bushido traditions that had the ancestral Japanese city of Edo as its cradle and origin of the warrior's code. The ancient city of Edo was also the center of power in medieval Japan, and residence of the original Shogunate in that ancient age on Old Terra.

While the Shogunate capital is officially called Shin Edo (New Tokyo), the inhabitants of the city call the metropolis Xanadu. This is due the most of the inhabitants being made up of mainly of the ethnic Chinese-Mongol group whose population out-number any other racial group in the city. The Chinese-Mongol's use the name Xanadu to honour their ancestors from Old Terra. Xanadu remains the most common name for the capital amongst the Shogunate's population.

Xanadu was the great capital of the legendary Kublai Khan, who created one of the mightiest Ancient Eurasian Empires ever seen on Old Terra. The Great Kublai Khan was the grandchild of Genghis Khan, known to have provided his DNA samples (stolen by Droch'ah during his time-travels with the help of the Chroniode) to create the Genghis Khan's clone, who turned out to be one of the greatest Generals in Droch'ah's League of Ages.

Official languages

• Galactic Standard
• Nihonyin

Nihonyin is a mix of Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages. These three main languages had a common lexical and phonetic origin from ancient times. Nihonyin also embodied the influence of many other languages that had also influenced the Asian dialects for over five centuries, such as Hindi and Tagalog.

The continual change and clashing of this sort of Babylonian language created several misunderstandings and administrative chaos in the past and a number of serious diplomatic incidents. however, the cultural pressures of the different nations in the Asian Alliance made almost impossible to create their common language without causing some disruption.

Two different Nihonyin versions exist: The more traditional version was created for High Administrative purposes and for the Elite, while the second version was more dynamic and was more often in use by the middle and lower classes of the Asian Alliance inhabitants. The second, more common version varied largely depending the sector of the Asian Alliance.

However, during the expansion of the mankind through the known Galaxy, by means of the gateways, trade and diplomatic relations assisted the development of a potent new language: the Galactic Standard. This galaxy wide language received great acceptance among the elites and the trading lobbies. Eventually, Galactic Standard replaced all other minority languages across the galaxy in regard to trade and diplomacy.

While the two versions of Nihonyin continued to be used for localised communications, the Galactic Standard became the dominant language across all three of the Great Powers in the Outer Planets. While the two official languages of the Shogunate were taught side by side in schools, many proud tribes continued to teach their young specific dialects of their ancestral Asian origins.

Forenames

The Upper social classes of the SHogunate frequently gave their children Japanese based names following a tradition begun by the 28th Shogun, Orazuge Shimato Shogun-Heika. Examples of this is seen in the names of many Elites of the Shogunate such as, Meiji Emperor, Prince Kiyomasa and General Fujiwara. However, the lower classes named their children based on their own ancestral origins, which some analysts believe is a source of the continued class structure of the Shogunate.

Place Names

While the Upper Classes continued the tradition to choose Japanese forenames, the naming of locations and minor cities was different. Ancestral Asian names from Old Terra were used to name locations, towns and minor cities and was due to a larger concentration of specific ethnic cultures of the colonists. Across the Shogunate, place names have origins from Japan, China, Korea, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, to name a few.

Organization and trade names

While the Asian languages continued to hold sway over the naming of children and place names in the Shogunate, Galactic Standard became more popular for organization names. This became standard practice in the Shogunate for practical reasons of trade and diplomacy. Using Galactic Standard in trade, especially for organisation names, indicated that the organisation was serious about long term success.

Shogunate History

Origins (~2300 to 2500)

The Shogunate is rooted in the ancient pan-Asian federation of eastern nations whose alliance began a rapid expansion after the discovery of the gateways of Dr. Falcon Lisi in the year 2287.

For three tumultuous centuries, a succession of unstable governments led the Asian Alliance in its expansion into the outer planetary region of terra-formed planets. 

However, the numerous changes in government, political coups, in-fighting, and a general lack of common direction were factors that led to the intervention of the military. The Asian Alliance shifted from a political based regime to a military one. 

Shogun (Circa 2600´s)

As a result of the military coup, a military hierarchy was imposed on the Asian Alliance, conferring a period of stability that facilitated the emergence of the Alliance as an increasingly influential power. The Asian Alliance had begun its journey to become one of the three Great Powers in the Outer Planets, along with the Illyrian Hegemony and the Society of Cogwerk Planets.

During this time, some generals of the military hierarchy were strongly influenced by the Bushido (Japanese warrior code and tradition), and they increasingly referred to their leader as "Shogun" (former Japanese title similar to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces), resulting in the Alliance becoming known as the Shogunate.

Over time, the Shogun gained absolute power by strengthening his authority in the military hierarchy, and by taking direct control of Alpha Corp, a leading manufacturing company. With the emergence of Mech technology, Alpha Corp became the only producer of this new technology in the Shogunate.

Emperor (Circa 2770)

To further consolidate his dynastic power, the 28th Shogun proclaimed himself as Emperor, claiming a direct line of descent with many of the legendary lineages of ancient Japan, China and Korea, which were some of the main countries that the Asian Alliance was originally made from on Old Terra. Despite the absurdity and the implausibility of the claim, discontents and protests were quickly and effectively suppressed, leaving no one to object within the domains of the Shogunate.

The Shogunate-Hegemony Wars (~ 3000 to 3190)

During the first millennium of expansion, the Shogunate collided twice with the Illyrian Hegemony, sparking two great wars. The first war occurred when the borders of both Great Powers came in contact during their progressive expansion during the 31th century, while the second occurred during the 32th Century. These conflicts were long and exhausting for both Great Powers and after their completion, neither had benefited greatly from them. A tense peace was then agreed to. However, both of the Great Powers occasionally came into conflict in smaller border skirmishes and small localised wars.

The existence of the Society of Cogwerk Planets (SoCP) frequently suppressed the excesses of war between the Shogunate and the Hegemony, since neither of the two Great Powers wished to be weakened in a drawn-out war that would leave them at the mercy of the SoCP.

The Shogunate Decadence (~3260 - 3307)

While the Illiryan Hegemony and the Society of Cogwerk Planets experienced considerable growth in the technological field, the Shogunate began to experience stagnation. This lack of technological edge and an ageing Emperor fcreated an air of defeatism and discontent among the elite of the Shogunate.

In 3287, during this period of instability, the Shogunate was forced to ally with the Society of Cogwerk Planets to fight the madman known as Evil Santa, showing further signs of weakness.

Battle of the Bunraku Marionettes (3297)

During this period of weakness, the Shogunate got a severe test with the engagement of Toshiko, a deadly renegade Mech-pilot and master programmer who had improved an invasive AI by which she created an army of hacked and remotely controlled Mechs. She attempted to conquer the Shogunate to become Empress and from there, to extend her Empire in a colosal wave of vengeful wrath and destruction.
With the support of the Mercenary Clans, Toshiko was terminated, although that supposed the awakening of a new threat, born of her master AI, that didn't got destroyed with her.

Civil War (3307)

In 3307, the fearsome arch villain Gorax (or Gorak) developed a plague that was transmitted through masses of infected bioptics that he managed to distribute throughout the Shogunate. The plague affected members of the military hierarchy and the Imperial Family, inducing a mood of rage that, coupled with the air of discontent in the Shogunate led to a civil war. General Fujiwara led a rebellion against the Shogun-Emperor and his sons, the Iron and Flower Princes, who in turn sought to create their own state in Sengakuji.

With the support of the mercenary clans, the civil war ended with the defeat of the rebel General Fujiwara and the Iron Prince. However, the Prince of Flowers managed to gain control of the area known as Sengakuji Reaches and the Cherry Blossom Mechworks, a smaller Mech manufacturer, making them an independent Mid Power in the Galaxy. Gorax was defeated the following year, when the villain launched a second pestilence after the distraction caused by the civil war.

Xmas Days (3318)

Evil Santa attacked again on Xmas eve 3318, focussing on an area in dispute between the Hegemony and the Shogunate, which led to a resurgence of the hostilities between the two Great Powers. Evil Santa wanted control of the area to search for a Chroniode supposedly buried there in a mineral deposit. However, it all ended for Evil Santa and his Elves as soon as the combined armies of the two Great Powers and the Mercenary Clans put the few Evil Santa's Mechs that were not destroyed to flight. 

Shogunate Renewal (3320)

The civil war made it clear to the Shogunate that they were stagnating technologically and militarily. Realising they were beginning to depend too much on the military power of the Mercenary Clans, the Emperor pardoned his son, the Prince of Iron, and promoted a series of measures to revive pride in the Shogunate.

Technologically, Alpha Corp completed the design and production of a new BFM, the Pike, which would constitute the pinnacle of Mech engineering at that time and clearly demonstrated the Shogunate's resilience and its return as a pointing force among the Great Powers.

AlphaCorp

Alpha Corp (Alpha Corporation or AlCorp) is the only manufacturer in the Shogunate and is under the direct control of the Emperor. The fate of this great manufacturer and that of the Shogunate are inseparably linked, where the status of Alpha Corp is an excellent reflection of the status of the Shogunate.


References:

• Alpha Corporation
• Battle of the Marionetes
• Cherry Blossom Mechworks
• Emperor Meiji
• Galactic Standard
• General Fujiwara
• Kiyomasa, Prince of Flowers
• Prince of Iron
• Sengakuji Reaches
• Shogunate Civil War
• Toshiko

(By GJ - 658605 & RS - 899155)