Launch Bay Rules
In Mekton Z, it states that battleships may launch 1/10th of their complement of mecha per turn. While this is a perfectly reasonable limit, particularly when compared to the performance of modern carriers, there are examples of spacecraft in anime which are perfectly capable of dumping their entire complement of mecha in one go.
Launching from vessels in anime appears to be an all-or-nothing affair. Either a vessel can launch all of its mecha in one go, or it can't. Not all the mecha have to be launched, but as far as launch bay systems go it is one or the other.
Standard Launch Bays
Standard launch bays are covered in the Mekton Z rules. Essentially, these are modified cargo holds with doors that open into space. Mecha are launched by flying out through the doors under their own power. Up to 1/10th of the complement of a bay (round this value up) may be launched per turn.
Flattop-style carrier launch decks also come into this category. Although it is possible to launch all a vessel's mecha instantly from a deck, it requires positioning the mecha beforehand. In more normal circumstances, launch decks have the 1/10th total complement limit. This time, the limit is not a function of the size of the launch bay doors (there aren't any), but is based upon how many mecha can be brought onto the launch deck in a given period.
Launch Bins
These are giant armoured pods used to hold mecha ready for launching. The face of these pods consists of a set of giant, clamshell doors. These doors protect the mecha until they are required. The mecha themselves are held in launch cradles within the bay, ready for an instant launch. Examples of this type of bay can be seen on the Invid Transports in Robotech, Garfish Cruisers (Robotech, again) and SDF-7 Ikazuchi carriers (The Sentinels RPG).
Launch bins may launch all of their mecha in one turn. However, it requires one turn for the bin to open, a turn for the mecha to launch and a third turn to close the bins. During this time the carrier is very vulnerable.
The main disadvantage to this system is that during the turns that the bin is open, the servo holding the bay is considered to have no armour and will be a prime target for any passing hotshot and his weapons - with the usual devastating consequences. A less immediate disadvantage is that mecha stored in these areas may not be repaired - there just isn't the space available.
Individual launch bins which have enough space to allow for the repair of mecha and do not leave gaping holes in the armour of vessels do exist. These resemble the Star Fury bays as seen in Babylon 5 or the Sizzler launch bays from Gunbuster.
Launch Catapults
Launch catapults are systems integrated into a launch bay. While they do not speed up the launching rate of launch, they do allow mecha to launch at a greater speed than is allowed for under the normal acceleration rules.
Catapults can take the form of steam catapults, electromagnetic fields or specially grown, muscle lined tubes, depending on how strange the how technology is. Any mecha launched from a catapult may be launched at a MA of 24 from the launching vessel.
Some mecha may be not be able to stand the strain of catapult assisted launch. Assume that a mecha can withstand an acceleration equal to twice its flight MA. If a mecha has boosterpacks, assume the maximum thrust generated by the boosterpacks is the flight MA the mecha is designed for. In order to launch mecha with a Flight MA of less than 12, assume that equipment, such as appropriate linkages, special circuits or sensors, may be used to launch the mech at an appropriate speed.
If mecha are launched at too great a speed they will suffer damage due to the stress on the frame. In order to simulate this, roll a d10 for each of the systems listed on the Tech Construction Table in Mekton Z+ and apply the effects. The pilot of the mech may spend Luck points to lower the roll.
Good examples of catapults can be seen in Robotech (on board the SDF-1) or Macross, Gunbuster, Buck Rogers or Battlestar Galactica.
Written By Jon Wilson
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