Modifications - Chaotic Age Zero

Modifications

Introduction: So, every pilot must have Zoids in order to be truly called a pilot. There are hundreds of possible Zoids on the market, ranging from aerials to aquatics to the more popular terrestrial variety: the fast, the slow, and the massive of firepower. It's quite a selection, yes, but no one likes his or her Zoid exactly the way it is. Nearly everyone decides to make adjustments or changes to his or her Zoid, from the decals on the side to the Twin Republic Super Cannons on the shoulder - which leads us back to the subject of modifications. The term "Modifications" or "Mods" is used to refer to the parts, customizations, and upgrades that almost every pilot inevitably chooses to purchase for his or her Zoid. This section contains in-dept explanation and discussion of the various aspects of modifications.

Zi's E-Bay: Firstly, we probably ought to discuss the idea of buying, selling, and trading parts. Buying parts is simple enough. Firstly, browse through the modifications page on this website (look at the side bar - there should be a big button that says "Mods" on it). Once you find something you like, keep its page open in one window. Make sure that you actually have the cash to buy the mod, too. Open another window in your browser and go to our forums. On the forums, there exists a good ol' fashion mom and pop Ammo Shop. (Called "Ammo Shop", for the record). Follow the instructions in forum, post a topic with the appropriate information, and the mod will be yours in due time. One modification incurs a wait of 24 hours. Each additional modification you bought will force you to wait another 12 hours. (Don't try posting multiple threads with multiple mod purchases, we will notice.) Note that an administrator, moderator, or a judge has to approve your order in order for you to actually get the modification you desire.

Now, you probably have some other questions, like "can I sell modifications". Not as of this time. It's a bit too complicated and convoluted to really let you do it. Nor can you trade individual modifications with other pilots. However, be it noted that if you trade a Zoid to another pilot, and that Zoid is modified, all of the Zoid's modifications come with that Zoid. Unfortunately, there same is true of when you sell the Zoid back to government or whatever anonymous purchasers buy Zoids. All the modifications go with it, and you get no refund for them, just a refund based on the level of the Zoid.

If you have two Zoids of the same type, or a modification that is applicable to both Zoids, you cannot share the modifications. Unfortunately, each modification is to some extent custom-made for the Zoid for which it is ordered. This isn't a terribly big variation, but it's big enough to create a compatability problem.

Type of Modifications: Alright, so, on the modifications page, you'll note that there are several categories of parts. I'll quickly run through them all. Firstly, JZ or "Just Zoids" parts are our own inventions, whereas CP or "Customizable Parts" are the canon Zoids parts that are sold under the TOMY brandname in real life. EP parts and Upgrade are special classes of modifications (see below). CAS parts are armors, primarily used by the Ultimate X's. If you ever get to use things in that section, you should consider yourself extraordinarily lucky. Transport Parts are parts for your transport, usually modifying your "Zoids slots" in some way or improving your transport's ability to help you in the field.

Permanent, Upgrade, and EP: Some modifications are what are called "permanent". What this means is that they can't be taken off the Zoid; they'll always be with it. That means that you're forced to use that modification in every battle where you use that Zoid. Furthermore, you are unable to eject that modification (see below). Furthermore, you can't have a permanent modification that is exclusive with another permanent modification. An "upgrade" is a kind of permanent modification that turns your Zoid into another Zoid, like the Zaber Fang to the Great Sabre or the Iron Kong to the IK Mk. II Limited. Lastly, there exists a classification of parts called the "EP" parts. All EP parts are mutually exclusive with other EP parts and many are permanent. Hence, you can only have one EP part on your Zoid at a time.

A Numbers Game: One frequently asked question is, "Are there any limits on modifications I can have?" The answer is "no". You can buy every modification available for your Zoid UNLESS you already have a permanent modifications that is mutually exclusive with the modification you to buy. Then, the modification you're buying is either unusuable or, if it's permanent, just impossible to even purchase for the Zoid. However, you should note that while you can buy modifications in droves, many are exclusive with others, meaning that you can't use them all at once on the same Zoid.

In Battle: Usage of modifications in battle is simple. You just tell the judge what modifications you're using at the appropriate time, usually at the start of the battle when the judge asks for that information. However, there are a few things you have to be sure of first. Firstly, you have to make sure that none of the modifications are mutually exclusive with each other. Next, you need to make sure that you've listed all of the permanent modifications for your Zoid. After that, you're pretty much set. Just make sure you've listed everything you wanted to have on your Zoid for this battle. If you have a Conversion Armor System (CAS) unit in your transport, you should mention that to your judge, as well as stating every modification you own for the Zoid in question. That's because you might want to swap out your modifications later in the battle (see "Swapping Out" and "Rearming" below).

Ejection: There exists a concept called "ejection". This means that there is a button or switch or other control somewhere inside your cockpit that allows you to instantly detach any modification on your Zoid and simply let it fall to the ground. Why would you want to do this? Well, you see, many parts and modifications have downsides. Some are so heavy that they impair the maneuverability of your Zoid. Some restrict your motion or capabilities. Maybe your judge is particularly sharp and has said that under the combined weight of all your modifications, you're beginning to suffer performance penalties. Whatever the reason, sometimes you will want to get rid of a modification. As long as the modification in question is both non-permanent and mounted to the exterior of your Zoid, you can eject it. Press the button and it will fall away. Once you do, however, you won't be able to use it for the remainder of the battle. After the battle, it will be picked up and put back into your transport, but there's no way to do that while the battle is going on.

Swapping Out and Rearming: There are a few more things worth noting here. Once per battle, your Zoid is allowed to enter your transport and rearm its expendibles. (Missiles, mortars, rockets, GEPs, things of that nature). This process takes six seconds and can be quite handy for the pilot that really relies on his expendible weapons. This process can be even handier if you have a Conversion Armor System (CAS) unit installed in your transport. You see, if you do, while you're rearming, you can also swap out non-permanent external modifications for other non-permanent external modifications. You can add or subtract however many that you want.

But What About...?: If you know of a modification that we don't have or have dreamt up some crazy one that you think we should have, then just PM it to me. Unless you're doing it deliberately to annoy me, the worst I'll do is reject your idea. Don't think it's an impossibility to get it approved, either, as a surprising number of our existing modifications are based on pilot suggestions.