Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles

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Starship Troopers Reference Collection.

Armored Fighting Suit

Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles
(CGI TV Series 1999)

DROP CAPSULES
It appears early on in development, the original idea of dropping the Troopers in capsules (as in the Novel) was still being considered.

Conceptual artwork for drop-cpasule system (1997-98).

DROP SUITS
Troopers would be in their Power Armor, then placed into a Drop Capsule.

These designs clearly show a "Fifth Element" style armor.

As used in R:STC, you can still see this concept design, but is has been used for the Drop Suit. A nice design, but very impractical. You have arms and limbs that can be easily targeted, and at the moment of separation, leaves the Trooper very exposed. A very bulky piece of equipment that does not look recoverable after a mission.

Notice the legs and torso are separate pieces. Also, the head clamps on, leaving many seams exposed during atmospheric reentry.

A very nice shot of the Drop Suit.

Notice how the Trooper is exposed during the transition. Why would he not be dropped already in this huddled position?

POWERSUITS
It was unclear at first, if they were going with infantry variation. In the novel, the entire unit was mechanized, and could advance as one wave. Here we start to see traditional army tactics. There seem to be an early development with light armored infantry, body armor, that aren't exactly very mobile. They will be supported by heavier units, infantry in Heavy Duty Powersuits. But for now, there is no mechanized force.

As used in R:STC, in battle, Troopers are protected/armed with Powersuits. When wearing a lightweight powersuit (or "scout"), a soldier can leap great distances, move at superhuman speed, and launch a variety of tactical weapons. Although we would not see them "leap" for several episodes when they were outfitted with jet packs. The suits are somewhat bulky and make the soldiers look like gorillas, hence when suited up, Troopers refer to each other as "apes." They're highly maneuverable (they are lined with pressure receptors which enhance muscle movements) unlike today's space suits or yesterdays medieval armor. They allow battles to be fought in environments and atmospheres which would otherwise be deadly to humans.

The "Scout" Powersuits were a standard issue OD, but were quickly customized by individual squads.

Some hard-to-get detail shots from the side and good ones of the helmets.

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HEAVY DUTY POWERSUIT
The powered armor from the novel has been given a "supporting" roll. Now the infantry, in their "Scout" Powersuits, would advance in time with the one or two mechanized units. Much like a tank in capacity, they supported and protected each other throughout a mission. Unfortunately, they appeared to slow the mission down, not moving as fast as the infantry. Of course, this could have been part of plot development and simply did not see them in their full capacity of action.

As used in R:STC, Heavy Duty Powersuits ("Marauders") give each individual more firepower than a battalion of 20th-century tanks. While not appearing to hold more "volume" of ammunition, each being a small nuclear device well make up for it. The standard marauder is a 10 ft. tall mechanical exoskeleton, moves slightly faster than a human can (through a larger stride), and houses extreme weaponry (e.g., nuclear missiles, rockets, chain gun). Though all soldiers are trained to operate Marauders, only TWO are assigned to each squadron, and are generally manned by specialists. The equivalent of an "engineer" in today's war. This is no doubt due to their specialized nature: each one requires 26 hours of maintenance to go from "cold" (storage) to "hot" (operational) -- yet possesses only about an hour of active fight time before winding down (why they could be armed with nuclear weapons, and Fleet has the ability to travel faster than light, they would not find a more efficient source of power... but then again, there's that pesky plot). It is popular opinion that getting caught in one of these if it winds down during a bug skirmish, could render you an easy target... like a turtle on its back.

[NOTE: Most warrior bugs can easily tear through a "scout" with its pincers; "marauders" are clearly a bit harder for the average bug to take down].

Often refereed to as the "Duck" Marauder. No arms, but lots of weapons.

This unit has arms for grappling and other utility services.

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