Body Armor

Body armor is the protective clothing utilized by soldiers, law enforcement, mercenaries, and other entities throughout the galaxy. Body armor comes into four types: plate armor, powered armor, exoskeletal armor, and battlesuits.

Overview
Body armor is used in some form by every modern military force in the galaxy as well as by countless mercenaries, pirate bands, corporations, and anyone else capable of either producing or procuring armor. This has led to the creation of an endless myriad of armors that, while their exact design specifications vary substantially, do share a few broad traits.

Most suits of armor are comprised of an undersuit and the plating. The undersuit is generally a weather-resistant jumpsuit comprised of lightweight and flexible material. As well as preventing chafing, the undersuit can serve a wide variety of roles, such as providing an extra layer of protection and interfacing with the armor by monitoring the user's vitals. On top of the undersuit is the armor itself, which is often comprised of one or more layers of metal and/or composite plates. Depending on the design, the plate layer can then have one of many attachments added unto it, such as jump jets or wrist-mounted weapons.

Categories
Body armor can be broadly divided into four categories defined by their construction, intended role, and their inclusion or lack of a central power source:


 * Plate Armor: Plate armor lacks both a central power source and an exoskeleton. Though providing only modest protection against most weapons, plate armor is both cheap and easy to produce and maintain, and is thus common among third-party groups. It should be noted that plate armor can feature electrical components such as shield generators, but they are powered by individual battery packs.


 * Power Armor: Though specifics vary between nations, power armor broadly encompasses any armored suit featuring a central power supply that provides power to the suit's electrical components. Such armors can provide the user with a variety of tools, such as energy shields, active camouflage, a heads-up-display, and much more. Most modern armies utilize some form of powered armor.


 * Exoskeletal Armor: Exoskeletal armor is a more advanced form of powered armor which encompasses the user in an exoskeletal frame. As well as having the benefits of powered armor, exoskeletal suits can enhance one's mobility and strength.


 * Battlesuit: Battlesuits are effectively larger and stronger exoskeletal suits that blur the line between armor and vehicle; in fact, some nations consider battlesuits to be vehicles rather than suits of armor.

Components
Components are devices that add a new function to armor, such as an energy shield, jump jet, or life support. Components are divided into internal and auxiliary components. Internal components are built into the armor as a standard feature. Auxiliary components are optional and are added unto the armor, usually via a port connecting to a suit's power supply. Components are a crucial element of modern armor as they can drastically affect an individual's role, performance, and survivability.

Internal Components
Internal components are components which generally come as built-in features for powered, exoskeletal, and battlesuit armor. Not all suits contain all of these components, and a small few of the components can be found on plate armor.


 * Power Supply: The power supply supplies power to the armor. It is the cornerstone of powered armor; without it, it would not exist. Most power supplies can run for several straight weeks before needing to be recharged.


 * Life-Support/Thermal Regulation Systems: The life support system ensures that the user is capable of operating in any environment, including those that are otherwise inhospitable, such as the vacuum of space and toxic wastelands. The thermal regulation system keeps the user and their armor at a comfortable temperature.


 * Medical Interface: The medical interface is responsible for treating injuries until the user can reach a medic. Most interfaces inject pain-relieving drugs into the bloodstream and slows or stops bleeding by filling the wound with a substance such as a medicinal foam.


 * Shield Generator: Shield generators produce a force-field around the user. The shield's strength depends on the generator itself and how much power is dedicated to it.


 * Power Lock: The Power Lock locks the armor in place when struck by a shock wave or other extremely strong kinetic forces, preventing the user from moving and reducing or preventing increased physical trauma.


 * Geiger Counter: Geiger counters detect nearby radioactive particles.


 * Stealth Generator: Stealth generators provide temporary invisibility to the user. This component is somewhat uncommon due to the fact that many suits cannot reliably use it because of the noise the plating produces when the armor moves. Some have found a workaround by using the chaos of battle to conceal the noise until it is too late for the enemy to properly respond. The Rach, the unchallenged masters of stealth, use stealth generators on many of their soldiers.


 * Adrenal Booster: Adrenal boosters pump adrenaline or combat-enhancing bloods into the user's bloodstream. These drugs can temporarily boost a user's reaction time, mobility, pain threshold, and/or strength. This component can be dangerous, as frequent use can result in muscle damage from constant strain as well as addiction to the energetic feeling the drugs produce.


 * Artificial-Intelligence Module (AIM): The Artificial Intelligence Module is used to upload A.I constructs directly into the armor. The A.I is much more advanced than the base programs within the armor, and is capable of making split-second decisions in order to protect the user, the obvious downside being a loss of at least some user control. These A.I can be uploaded into other electronics. Some users have reported forming a close relationship with their A.I, which has led to some debate as to how they should be programmed. The biggest risk of AIMs comes if the A.I goes rogue, which could pose a fatal risk to the user if left untreated.

Helmet Components
Modern helmets are extremely advanced pieces of armor, providing the user with a host of tactical and sensory information.


 * Visual Relay: Helmets that do not feature visors instead use a visual relay, which is a network of tiny cameras that gather visual information and transmit it into the helmet's internal Heads-Up-Display. While considerably safer than a visor, the main downside is that the user is rendered blind if the cameras are disabled.


 * Heads-Up Display (HUD): The Heads-Up Display either displays the information fed to it by the visual overlay or acts as an overlay in helmets with visors. HUDs can sometimes switch between various visual modes, such as night and thermal vision, and can record what the user sees and broadcast that information to nearby allies. so they can monitor one another. Additionally, the HUD displays information received from other armor components, allowing the user to check suit integrity, how much power is left, their vitals, oxygen supply, filter integrity, and information pertinent to auxiliary components, such as jump jet fuel. HUDs can also can also 'sync' with the user's weapon. When synced, the HUD will display a target reticle, ammo counter, range-finder, thermometer, and other features depending on the weapon. Weapon Syncs are not universal; for example, a Galderan soldier could not pick up an Aeverian weapon and sync with it without modifying the weapon first.


 * Sensory Receivers/Dampers: While the visual relay provides vision, the sensory receivers pick up audio and smell. The audio receivers are of particular significance; they have a much wider hearing range than most of its users, and can modify the frequencies so that the wearer can hear otherwise imperceptible noises. They also act as instant translators for foreign languages within its database. Dampers automatically detect loud noises and bright light and 'dampens' them, lessening their intensity so as to not harm the user.


 * Vox Box/Rebreather: The 'Vox Box' is a device utilized on fully-enclosed helmets. It projects the user's voice out of a small microphone, ensuring that their voice is clear and audible. The volume and pitch can be adjusted to produce a piercing screech or a deafening bellow. The rebreather filters the air, preventing airborne particles, gases, and bacteria from entering.


 * Communicator: The Communicator is the suit's radio communications device. Basic models can allow troops within the same general area to communicate, but with the aid of satellites or other boosters, Communicators can have a vastly increased range.


 * Pressure Lock: Pressure locks keep the helmet tightly sealed shut, preventing dust and other foreign bodies from getting inside. The locks can be loosed, allowing the user to remove the helmet entirely or just reveal their face.

Auxiliary Components

 * Enhanced Power Supply: Enhanced Power Supplies are larger and more powerful versions of standard power supplies. They are used to either power especially energy-intensive components and for soldiers being deployed to remote locations where they may have no opportunity to recharge for extended periods of time.


 * Bubble Shield Generator: Bubble shield generators produce a large bubble around the user, protecting them and anyone inside while allowing its occupants to fire out of it.


 * Acoustic Locator: Acoustic locators are a relatively common form of stealth detection. The device uses echolocation to produce an image of the surrounding area, showing a silhouette of otherwise invisible entities in the process. The device is less reliable in cluttered environments, where the silhouette can be broken up. Some armors may also be capable of absorbing the sound wave rather than reflecting it, preventing any information from returning to the device. Depending on the frequency, some races are capable of hearing the sounds produced by the locator, which can cause discomfort and has earned it various colloquial nicknames. Hand-held acoustic locators have also been developed.


 * Jump Jets: Jump jets are comprised of one or more rocket jets mounted on the armor's back.


 * Gravity Jets: Gravity jets are similar to jump jets except that they utilize anti-gravity to move. They are not quite as fast, but are substantially easier to control.


 * Mechanical Limbs: Mechanical limbs assist the user in performing various tasks such as treating injuries and repairing machinery. Limbs may also have weapons mounted on them. Mechanical limbs are controlled either remotely, by an A.I, or by thought. When controlled by thought, they need to be connected to the user's nervous system so that they can function properly. With enough practice, the machine can be just as precise as an organic limb.


 * Weaponry: Weapon attachments can vary from blades, assault rifles, shotguns, and even small missile launchers. They are typically built into the wrist, but larger armors can mount them on the shoulders, back, and even the torso, though this tends to restrict mobility.


 * Claw Gauntlets: Claw gauntlets are gauntlets equipped with razor-sharp blades.


 * Wrist Shield: Wrist shields are solid metal or energy-based shields mounted on the user's arm. They can come in many shapes, sizes, and materials.


 * Drone Dock: Drone docks are used to store and charge one or more robotic drones.


 * Floodlights: Floodlights are common on suits of plate armor that lack night vision equipment.


 * Magnetic Boots: Particularly popular with space-bound infantry and infiltration forces, magnetic boots allow the wearer to attach to any magnetic surface.