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<blockquote data-quote="Wil" data-source="post: 2809347" data-attributes="member: 3502">The exo-armors aren't an integral element of the setting (they can be removed and you'd never miss them), but they actually have a plausible explanation.&nbsp;&nbsp; The primary application is in space-based combat, where they are mostly used as multi-mission vehicles that range towards space-superiority.&nbsp; It's actually one of those situations where one advance logically lead to a certain way of designing &quot;space fighters&quot; - the linear frame control system used in modern exo-armors made it not only easier to manuever small space vehicles but also design them with a semi-humanoid form.&nbsp; As such, the combat vehicles range from more traditional &quot;space fighters&quot;, to hybrids like the Fury or Hector that have a &quot;torso&quot; but thrusters in place of &quot;legs&quot;, to the fully humanoid designs you see on the cover.&nbsp; Ground-based exo-armors are still in their infancy, and they are definitely not the kings of the battlefield - you'll find very few ground-based designs for this reason.&nbsp; Heck, you could keep the linear frames (IIRC Babylon 5's Starfuries used a control system that was very similar) and ditch the exos.&nbsp; Although I can't force you to think exo-armors in Jovian Chronicles are plausible (and it's certainly your right to think they aren't), I still think it's important to know that they aren't just randomly thrown in there &quot;because it's cool&quot;.EDIT: I just realized something that may or may not be important to you.&nbsp; When I think of JC, or suggest it to someone as a hard-science fiction setting, I don't even think twice about the mecha.&nbsp; I often forget they're there, and go &quot;Doh!&quot; when someone brings them up.&nbsp; They're that trivial to the setting and there are so many other things - from the politics, to the societies, to the other technologies - that are interesting to me.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Wil, post: 2809347, member: 3502"] The exo-armors aren't an integral element of the setting (they can be removed and you'd never miss them), but they actually have a plausible explanation. The primary application is in space-based combat, where they are mostly used as multi-mission vehicles that range towards space-superiority. It's actually one of those situations where one advance logically lead to a certain way of designing "space fighters" - the linear frame control system used in modern exo-armors made it not only easier to manuever small space vehicles but also design them with a semi-humanoid form. As such, the combat vehicles range from more traditional "space fighters", to hybrids like the Fury or Hector that have a "torso" but thrusters in place of "legs", to the fully humanoid designs you see on the cover. Ground-based exo-armors are still in their infancy, and they are definitely not the kings of the battlefield - you'll find very few ground-based designs for this reason. Heck, you could keep the linear frames (IIRC Babylon 5's Starfuries used a control system that was very similar) and ditch the exos. Although I can't force you to think exo-armors in Jovian Chronicles are plausible (and it's certainly your right to think they aren't), I still think it's important to know that they aren't just randomly thrown in there "because it's cool". EDIT: I just realized something that may or may not be important to you. When I think of JC, or suggest it to someone as a hard-science fiction setting, I don't even think twice about the mecha. I often forget they're there, and go "Doh!" when someone brings them up. They're that trivial to the setting and there are so many other things - from the politics, to the societies, to the other technologies - that are interesting to me. [/QUOTE]

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