darkmax wrote:Do I have a neural transmitter that you are receiving from?..... You are practically reading my mind!
That would explain the ringing headaches and the weird dreams(have you ever or are going to a) hijack a haunted Japanese landing craft, b) ever applied for a job as a Roman Centurion, or c) tried to hide a locomotive in your garage?)
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
noticed that, compared to the descriptions of space station sizes and populations in the Three Galaxies Dimension Book, the Pacifica is very sparsely populated for a fifty mile structure(the Dimension book has a 2 mile space station sandard with a population approaching a million souls).
So either the Pacifica has a low population density with each resident having LOTS of personal space(or maybe the disc-shaped midbody holds a discus of water in which the station residents live in floating cottage-bubbles), or it has space for MASSIVE automated industries and hangar bays...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
The Blackbird...are those missiles on the underside?
If so, they're giant compared to regular cruise missiles...
Trying to figure out a good weapons config for something that big and designed as an interceptor....I can see the thing used to take out TGE Berserker missile boats before they can attack ships or planets...so having a massive one-hit-one-kill weapon like a supercruise missile would be a fair weapon to have...
But besides simply building a bigger warhead, what are some ideas for the 'supersized' cruise missile that might fit under the Blackbirdie...?
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
I'll think about the WZ building for them. I've got to lay out the Battlecruiser. Which is going to be descended from my own Myrmadon class Battlecruiser.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
Sounds like you got a regular assembly line here...
I'm almost finished stating out the Magus and the Silver Swan...just need to review soem more advanced rules for spacecraft performance, and add/tweak some systems....
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
Okay,,,it;s official.....after bombarding the snot out of planetary defenses with my massdriver-armed Cachelots, I'm seizing control of some poor planet's coastal regions with the Leviathans I bought....
Looks sorta like Gundam's 'White Base' had a kid after a menage a trois with the RDF's Prometheus and Daedalus supercarriers...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
Just had a horrifying thought while polishing up the stats on the Silver Swan...
The going exchange rate is one THree Galaxies' credit equals 10 Rifts Earth credits....
The Naruni Crescent Moon aerospace plane(the Silver Swan's closest competitor) sells on Earth for 55 million cr....that's 5.5million Galactic!
Ow....that's like getting an F-111 for the price of an M-1 tank!
Even at 6.5 million, we're going to be selling a LOT of Silver Swans...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
WZ-MZ-89 Silver Swan
The WZ-MZ-89 Silver Swan is a conventional atmospheric defense ship and heavy fighter built under the WZTechYards’ name and sold to bolster planetside militaries. The Silver Swan is aimed at planetary defense forces looking for a high-altitude interceptor that can hold its own against aerospace fighters while able to deal critical damage to enemy starships in low orbit and landing/attack craft in high atmosphere.
The MZ-89 has a fairly conventional layout; a swept-wing delta fighter with variable geometry swing-wings, and twin engine nacelles tucked under the tail planes. Despite being the size of a medium bomber, the Silver Swan is extremely maneuverable, courtesy of a combination of low powered gravitonics and high-powered thrusters, allowing it to take off quickly VTOL-mode from hardened aircraft shelters and often outrace and outmaneuver incoming contra-gravity fighters and missiles. Despite its high speed, the Silver Swan is NOT designed for operation in space, but can operate in the edge of space upper atmosphere for intercept and anti-satellite missions. Its high speed also allows the Silver Swan to make transatmospheric hypersonic dashes to defend global target zones from enemy attack within minutes of an alert warning.
The Silver Swan is heavily armored, especially against nuclear missiles and anti-aircraft lasers. Its electronics are hard-shielded against the EMP weaponry often deployed in the openning phases of a planetary invasion(as well its own anti-spacecraft ordnance). Weaponry is heavy, consisting of both internally- and externally-carried missiles, and a massive cannon module slung under the forward fuselage. Missile countermeasure launchers and three retractable light point-defense laser turrets round out its defensive capabilties.
The most telling feature of the Silver Swan is its low cost(WZ has priced it to move); militias wanting some hardhitting in-atmo firepower can buy a Silver Swan for substantially less than a Naruni Broadsword or a black market Flying Fang, and is certainly competitively priced with its commerical rival, the Naruni Crescent Moon Aerospace Plane.
Type:WZ-MZ-89 Silver Swan
Class:Hypersonic Atmospheric Fighter
Crew: 2 (pilot, sensor/weapons officer)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 850
Reinforced Crew Compartment 180
Wings(2) 160 each
Mini-Laser Turrets(2) 45 each
Cannon Pod(1, ventral fuselage) 110
Height:12 feet (4 m)
Width:132 feet / 90 feet (44 m / 30 m) w/ wings fully extended
Length:72 feet (24 m)
Weight: 24,000 lbs
Cargo:Small space behind crew seating for survival packs and gear.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion with 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere)VTOL: Hover up to 12,000 feet (4 km) in air
Mach 7.5 in an atmosphere, maximum altitude of 90,000 ft.
Can make brief ‘dash-climbs’ up to 185,000 ft to launch cruise missiles against low-orbit targets, but cannot sustain altitude for more than 1d6 minutes.
(Sublight)Not possible
(FTL) Not possible
(Underwater)Not possible
Market Cost: 6.5 million credits*(or 38 million credits if ypu want something that sounds more realistic)
(*remember; 1 Three Galaxies credit is worth 10 Rifts Earth credits; a similar Naruni Crescent Moon aerospace plane sells for 55 million credits on Earth)
Systems of Note:
Standard, plus;
*Crew Ejection Pod---The cockpit is an ejectable survival pod for bail-out at hypersonic speeds and deploys a parawing for controlled gliding to a safe landing. In the event that the crew pod should be damaged, the crew members have individual ejection seats.
*Long Range Radar/LIDAR---The upright fin directly behind the cockpit holds an advanced skysearch radar system, complementing the standard forward and rear quadrant radars, but covering the skyward region. Based on a starfighter sensor system, but operating from within an atmosphere, it typically has an effective range of 300,000 miles
*Laser Resistant Armor---A layer of laser-reflective ceramic is bonded to the outside of the Silver Swan’s armor as protection against both thermal flash and laser fire. Lasers do HALF damage.
*Advanced Targetting Computer---A starfighter-grade targetting system gives the Silver Swan’s direct-fire systems a +4 to strike, and missile systems a +3 to strike
*Countermeasure Flare/Chaff Launchers(2)---Two launch systems in the engine pods dispense clouds of thermal decoys and micro-mitter ‘ghost’ pods to confuse enemy sensors in direct combat.
Range: Close Defense
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
In space, anything flying at high speed through the cloud will take 2d6 MD +1d6 MD per every 100 miles of speed over 670 MPH.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 12 per launcher, 24 total
Weapons Systems:
1) Cruise Missiles(5)---The Silver Swan is one of the few atmospheric craft known to be dessigned to fire anti-spacecraft cruise missiles(most nations permit only the space forces to possess the powerful weapons). The Silver Swan carries five cruise missiles in semi-external launch racks on its underside, typically launching them in high atmosphere against targets in low orbit.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type(anti-matter warheads are almost NEVER issued to terrestrial-based units; only the most desperate defenders would contemplate lobbing anti-matter ordnance around their environment)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-5
Payload: 5 cruise missiles
Note: In the alternative, long range missiles can be substituted for cruise missiles
2) Medium Range Missiles(2)---Two rotary launch bays flank the centerline hardpoint for the fifth cruise missile. These launchers fire as backup anti-ship weapons and as medium range intercept missiles against enemy fighters(similar to the terrestrial US Navy Phoenix fleet-defense AAM).
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 12 MRMs, 6 missiles per launcher
3) Mini-Missile Launchers(2, upper hull)---These rapid-fire rotary launchers are used for anti-aircraft/anti-missile defense, typically launching in salvo to increase the chances of a successful strike.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 24 MMs, 12 missiles per launcher
4) Modular Heavy Gun Pod(1)---Slung under the nose is a large turreted weapons pod with 45 degree lateral traverse and 30 degree depression(however, it cannot be traversed at any speed above Mach 1.2, but must be locked in fixed-forward position), for direct-fire attacks on airborne targets and strafing ground targets. WZ has made this weapon modular, allowing buyers to choose the weapon best suited to their needs. The underfuselage turret-hardpoint can mount ONE of the following;
a) Grav-Cannon
Range: 3 miles in atmosphere
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload: 250 bursts
b) Double-Barrelled Long Range Laser Cannon
Range: 12,000 ft in atmosphere
Damage: 1d6x10 MD single blast, 2d6x10 MD simultaneous blast(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
c) Particle Beam Cannon
Range: 8,000 ft
Damage: 4d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload:Effectively Unlimited
5) Light Point Defense Laser Turrets(2, one on the outside of each engine nacelle)---Normally concealed under fuselage plates, these small turrets emerge for action as point defense weapons against enemy missiles, fighters, and power armor. Each turret has 360 rotation and 90 degree elevation. They can either be manually controlled or auto-fired by a self-defense program tied to the ship’s sensors.
Range: 5,000 ft
Damage: 5d6 MD per pulse burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH, or 4 attacks per melee in autodefense mode(+3 to strike in either case)
Payload:Effectively Unlimited
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
Oh yeah, here is something new from my own stuff! Enjoy!
Name of Class: Sabot
History: This class of Destroyer / Carrier is being built by the CAF. The Sabot will be a well balanced rough little machine. It'll be a rugged little work horse. This ship is built along a similar lines as the Hunter. This ship was designed for helping to protect convoys during times of peace. It was also built to help fight pirates during times of peace. During times of war the class would be used to conduct deep penetration raids on various value targets in the enemy's area of control.
It is equipped similarly to the Hunter with some extra weapons having been added to provide a better overall protection to itself. It has a larger compliment of marines on board. It is over 200 feet longer than the Hunter. It is better armored. It's equipped with 24 medium fighters or 12 heavy fighters. These fighters are positioned in the mid section of the Sabot. The vessel's fighter bays are equipped to be able to launch 12 of it's fighters at once. This is done by having 6 launch bays on each side of the ship. It has two recovery bays in the ventral section of the hull. The maintenance area is right there in the ventral area above the recovery bay.
For weapons it is has the same main weapons as the Hunter. It carries three 15cm lasers for it's primary armorment. It carries one cruise missile launcher for it's long range punch. It carries both point defense lasers and railguns for use against various threats to it. It is equipped with a pair of Scatterguns for additional point defense. It carries medium missiles for extra longe range protection from incoming missiles and fighters. It has four batteries of mini missiles for close in protection. And the final layer of protection is the two heavy phase cannons.
During their initial work ups the ships have been preforming very well. They have turned the tables on those pirates who are better equipped by being able to provide a fighter element in a situation where before it couldn't meet that requirement.
Model Type: CAF-DD/CV-120
Vehicle Type: Destroyer/Carrier
Crew: 24
Officers: 4
Enlisted: 20
Troops: 50
Marines: 10
Fighter Pilots: 40
Vehicle, Robots & Power Armor:
Robots:
Power Armors: 4 - SH-CCW100 Silverhawk Attack Exo Skeletons
Fighters: 24 - SF-69 CAF Scorpion Interceptors
or 24 - BIF-67 Katana Fighters, SF-101 Black Eagles Fighters and/or SF-101 Storm Eagle Fighters
or 12 - CAF-LRF-25 Proctor Heavy Fighters
Miscellaneous: 2 Standard shuttles
MDC By Location:
Main Body: 13,000
Variable Force Field: 1,500 per side (7200 Total)
Bridge: 1200
Auxiliary Bridge: none
Main Engines: (2 ) 5000 each
Hanger Bay: 1800
Outer Hull: 150
Inner Hull: 100
Support Laser Cannons 15cm (3 ): 1200 each
Point Defense Gravity Rail Guns (4 ): 220 each
Point Defense Lasers (4 ): 175 each
Tachyon Scatterguns (2 ): 200 each
Cruise Missile Batteries (1 ): 1200 each
Medium Missile Batteries (2 ): 350 each
Mini Missile Launchers (4 ): 100 each
PC-200 Heavy Phase Cannons (2 ): 150 each
Speed:
Driving on Ground: not possible
Sublight: 60% speed of light. Accelerate/ Decelerate at 01.15% of light per melee
Atmospheric Propulsion: 300mph
Star Drive: 8 light years per hour
Maximum Range: Effectively unlimited by either drive. Carries about 3 years of supplies on board
Statistical Data:
Length: 500 feet long
Height: 100 feet
Width: 125 feet
Mass / Weight: 13,500 tons
Power System: Anti-Matter with a 50 year lifespan. The ship normally goes about 10 years between refuelings.
Cargo: 2000 tons
Market Cost: 500 Million to construct
Weapon Systems:
1) Support Laser Cannons 15cm (3 )
Mega Damage: 3D6 X 100
Range: 30,000 miles in space and 30 miles in an atmosphere
Rate of Fire: maximum of 2X per melee
Payload: Unlimited
2) Point Defense Gravity Rail Guns (4 )
Mega Damage: 2D4 X 10
Range: 200 miles in Space or 2 miles in an Atmosphere
Rate of Fire: HTH of Gunner
Payload: 10,000 rounds per gun
3) Point Defense Lasers (4 )
Mega Damage: 3D6 X 10
Range: 1000 miles in space and 10 miles in an Atmosphere
Rate of Fire: HTH of Gunner
Payload: Unlimited
4) Tachyon Scatterguns (2 )
Mega Damage: 2D4 X 10
Range: 24.8 miles Length and 12.4 miles wide in space. Range and width in an atmosphere are reduced to 1/4.
Rate of Fire: 4X per melee
Payload: Unlimited
5) Cruise Missile Batteries (1 )
Mega Damage: By missile type (But usually 4D6 X 100)
Range: 4,000,000 miles in Space or 8000 miles in an atmosphere
Rate of Fire: 1,2,4,8,16 or 32 / battery per melee
Payload: 32 cruise missiles per Battery (8 reloads for a total of 512)
6) Medium Missile Batteries (2 )
Mega Damage: By missile type
Range: 800,000 miles in an Atmosphere and 160 in an Atmosphere
Rate of Fire: 1,2,4,8,16 or 32 / Launcher per melee
Payload: 320 per launcher (15 reloads in the cargo hold)
7) Mini Missile Launchers (4 )
Mega Damage: 1D6 X 10 or 1D4 X 10
Range: 100 miles in Space or 2 miles in an Atmosphere
Rate of Fire: 1,2,4,8,16 or 32
Payload: 128 per launcher (cargo hold contains an additional 3072 mini missiles
8) PC-200 Heavy Phase Cannons (2 )
Mega Damage: 4D6 to all living things. 1D6 X 10 to force fields or creatures 10 foot or taller. SDC damage to SDC targets, MDC to MDC targets.
Range: 100 mile in space and 2 miles in an Atmosphere
Rate of Fire: HTH of Gunner
Payload: Unlimited
Notes: This class will be produced at a rate of 12 per month until between 1200 and 1500 are produced.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
I'll leave the pricing to the execs, just as long as I have an unlimited R&D (TOYS!!!) budget,,,
Even if it means a scenario like the following;
Mercenary(standing in front of large vending machine):
"Anybody lend me coupla million? I'm building an air force before lunch!"
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
Aramanthus wrote:Oh yeah, here is something new from my own stuff! Enjoy!
Name of Class: Sabot.
Hmmm..you like those 15cm support lasers and tachyon scatterguns, do you?
For anti-pirate work, I might also include some ELINT gear and maybe some way of obscuring the ship's ID/sensor signature from long range...not enough to defeat the better military sensor suites, but enoughto keep the pirates(who often have second-grade military gear hand-me-downs and juiced-up civilian rigs) from guessing what that ship is..until they figure out it's hauling arse towards them under full military power, that is!
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
getting back myself to starship designs..
My favorite coastal steamer, the Steamship Authority Islander, is going out of service after 56 years of service..
She was a tub, but a beloved tub...
so why do I feel this inane urge to immortalize her(as best one can on these forums) as a transport starship class?
Inspiration comes from some -strange- sources....
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
taalismn wrote:getting back myself to starship designs.. My favorite coastal steamer, the Steamship Authority Islander, is going out of service after 56 years of service.. She was a tub, but a beloved tub... so why do I feel this inane urge to immortalize her(as best one can on these forums) as a transport starship class?
Inspiration comes from some -strange- sources....
nothing wrong with that
who would own her ? or what power bloc would she call home ? CCW ? TGE ? UWW ?
It's going to be a class of light freighters from out of the old Human Alliance...202 ft long, 65 ft beam, double-ended roll-on-roll-off design with two bridges(multiple systems redundancy)....the Islander was built of military-grade steel from discontinued submarine programs, so I worked something similar into the Star Islanders' development(dumped cruiser contract during one of the previous TGE/CCW confrontations, and the following budget drawdown leaving the shipyards with lots of heavy MDC materials laying about)...Since I know her deckplan and general dimensions, I've been working out internal cargo space and capacity and modifying the design accordingly(and while writing up the fluff I found myself building a solar system...the Gosnold Cluster...nothing dramatic, just a pleasant little system...but the thought of starting out building a tramp starship and accidentally creating a binary star system with six habitable planets strikes me as rather...godlike.... )
Like I said, she was a tub, but she was better than the ships who came after her...
The starship version of her won't be a Star Destroyer, but people have taken on empires in ships smaller and uglier than her...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
Aramanthus wrote:I didn't put the ELINT in because I always consider it a standard on a military vessel. But maybe I should include it.
Admittedly its a pain to stat out something that's likely obsolete the minute it enters production, but if it's assumed EVERYBODY"S got EW suites, there have to be SOME exceptional systems that can hold their own for a while before the hackers and electron-wranglers can gimmick it out of effectiveness...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
one of my favorite sites on early space age/retrotech design:
www.astronautix.com
Plenty of great articles and statistics of early proposed spacecraft and the like....for those starbound Captain Nemos out there...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
Aramanthus wrote:That sounds like a good idea to immortalize the steamer!
Of course, then we can start paying tribute to our automobiles with the Volkswagon Starbug and the Honda-BuishiFed Civis Personal Shuttle...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
WZ-LF-103 Solace Escort Fighter
With the Forge War heating up and drawing the military forces of the various stellar nations away from such duties as internal security and mercantile patrol, almost all sectors have seen a rise in opportunistic piracy. Unable to call on overstretched national armed forces for convoy protection, many companies and shipping concerns have turned to hiring and equipping their own escort forces. This is an expensive and time-consuming practice, but one which many transgalactic shippers are finding necessary if they hope to remain in business. With the Solace-class escort fighter, WZTechYards hopes to make that necessity a little less onerous by providing buyers with a low cost, but hard-hitting, combat craft designed for escort duties.
The Solace has a pod-shape that was inspired by observations of similar Naruni and other alien light craft; a heavily-armored ovoid with curved cockpit armor-crystal canopy, and rear engine thruster. The small, compact shape allows the fighter to be easily carried inside a larger ship’s shuttle bays or cargo decks without eating into valuable cargo-carrying capacity, making the design even more attractive for escort dutes. A lighweight fusion powerplant, using WZTechYards’ proprietory lucerin-fuel reactor technology, provides ample power to the propulsion contra-grav without excessive heat or radiation. Weaponry is heavy for such a light attack craft, configured to do as much damage as possible in as short a time as possible to raiders and privateers. A top powered mount holds two particle beam cannon, while two flanking outrigger pods feature twin-tube missile launchers, flanked by tri-barrel light pulse lasers in over-and-under configuration.
The Solace is well-protected for a light fighter, with a tough armored shell protecting all vital components. To improve the ease of maintenance, WZTechYard engineers have devised a modular plate armoring system for the Solace’s ceramic-polymer composite armor; though it gives the ship’s exterior a rather rough ‘jigsaw’ look, the interlocking modular elements allow for fast and simple replacement of damaged armor, and quick maintance turnarounds. Though the multi-segmented skin also increases drag in an atmosphere, engineers didn’t consider this much of a problem, as the Solace is not really meant for high-agility atmospheric maneuvering.
In space combat, the Solace’s compact design and shape makes for surprisingly agile control; in the hands of an experienced pilot, the fighter can ‘dance’ and sidestep enemy fire with amazing grace, and its ability to spin about while maintaining forward speed has caught more than one opponent attempting to tail-nail it by fatal surprise. In an atmosphere, however, the Solace’s shape acts against it; its handling characteristics in a dense atmosphere have been described as ‘brick-like’, and it loses much of its vaunted maneuverability and speed. A wise buyer, then, provides for different deterence in-atmo, while deploying escort Solaces in space, where their strengths are greatest.
Since its introduction, the Solace has done well in sales with merchants and private security firms providing escort and orbital security service. Surviving pirates have already nicknamed the Solace the ‘mini-pit(bull)’, ‘boxer’, and ‘pug-death’ for its blunt-ugly looks and hard-hitting performace.
Type:WZ-LF-103 Solace
Class:Escort Fighter
Crew: 1
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 600
Reinforced Crew Compartment 120
Particle Beam Cannon Turret(top) 100
Missile/Laser Armatures(2) 180 each
Height: 12 ft
Width: 9 ft
Length: 21 ft
Weight: 5 tons
Cargo: Small space in cockpit for a survival pack and sidearm.
Powerplant: Advanced Lucerin-Fuelled Nuclear Fusion with 15 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Mach 1
(Sublight) Mach 13
(Kitsune Value: 40% of light speed. Acclerate/Decelerate at 1.3% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) Not possible
(Underwater) Limited; the Solace CAN operate in the hydrosphere of low-gravity worlds, being able to move at 25 MPH under thrust, and survive depths of 800 ft.
Bonuses: +4 to Dodge in space, +1 to Dodge in an Atmosphere, +1 to Initiative in space combat
Market Cost: 39 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard, plus:
*Ventral Grapple---The underside of the Solace is fitted with a retractable grapple and maglock, that allows the fighter to attach itself to another ship externally and hitch a ride. Many merchants will, when travelling through known danger zones, carry deployed Solaces maglocked to their hulls as ‘parasites’ for rapid-deployment if pirates are sighted, the attached fighters unlocking and soaring into combat while the onboard fighters launch from internal hangars to join the fray.
*Countermeasure Flare/Chaff Launchers(2)---Two launch systems in the engine pod dispense clouds of thermal decoys and micro-mitter ‘ghost’ pods to confuse enemy sensors in direct combat.
Range: Close Defense
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
In space, anything flying at high speed through the cloud will take 2d6 MD +1d6 MD per every 100 miles of speed over 670 MPH.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 12 per launcher, 24 total
Weapons Systems:
1)Twin-Barrelled Particle Beam Cannon(1, dorsal)---Mounted above and behind the cockpit pod is a twin-barreled particle beam cannon. This is the same model as is mounted on WZ’s Solace Escort Fighter, and is a proven and reliable design for anti-fighter work. The turret mechanism can elevate/depress the cannon up to 45 degres from level, and rotate them 360-degrees, but most pilots prefer to keep them locked in forward-firing position.
Range: 9,000 ft in atmosphere, 27,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 5,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x10 MD single blast, 2d6x10 MD dual blast(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:Effectively Unlimited
2) Medium Range Missile Launchers(2)---These imposing-looking weapons pack missiles in ‘metalstorm’ magazine array; end to end in each tube before each missile is moved via EM-catatpult and ejected from the barrel before igniting their thrusters and homing on target.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 160 miles in atmosphere, 80,000 miles in space)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-4
Payload: 36 MRMs, 9 missiles per barrel
3) Light Pulse Laser Arrays(4, 2 on each missile launcher arm, above and below)---These tri-barreled rapid-fire laser pods have short range, but high damage potential. They are typically used to ‘spray’ an area shotgun-style to destroy missiles and power armors.
Range: 6,000 ft in atmosphere, 2 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space)
Damage: 3d6MD single shot, 1d6x10 MD pulse burst, 2d6x10 MD for both cannons on an armature firing simultaneously, and 4d6x10 MD for all four laser clusters firing simultaneously(counts as one attack).
The shot pattern can also be altered to ‘spray’ a wider(30 degree wide cone) area, shotgun-style, in front of the fighter, giving a +2 to strike, but reducing damage to 2d4 MD single shot, 5d6 MD pulse burst, 1d6x10 MD for both cannons on an armature firing simultaneously
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:Effectively Unlimited
Variants:
Several variant models of the Solace have been tried operationally. These variants are mostly weapons-swaps, changing the missile launcher armatures for other weapon types, such as heavy rail guns, recoilless cannon, or heavy lasers.
Another variant undergoing testing adds a forcefield with 300 MDC.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
I saw a few DSC channel shows about the new hi-speed ferries they're building (australian ?) for places like Canada, which are incredible in performance and construction.
well, I'll be interested on the stats once you get her done.
Almost set with her stats, ...I'm trying not to overload the basic class with too many extraordinary features...She's one of the few starships I actually have a mental floorplan of because I based it on the dimensions and layout of the original...
She was an oldie, but a goodie...
We've had some of the Aussie-style catamaran high-speeds operate on a Vineyard-to-Boston run. but they're strictly for foot-traffic...I used them as a basis for high-speed coastal patrol boats for my Rifts Earth nation-corp, Paladin Steel and Greater New England...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
darkmax wrote:Actually she gives me the idea she should be up classed to be starliner, or something to that effect. She looked as though she can carry personal crafts and the passengers comfortably on a luxury cruise! .
Might work if we upscaled her to the size of the Queen Mary and made her lifeboats the size of STS shuttles...The original Islander was hardly a luxury ship, but she had actual upholstered couches you could stretch out on on the night trips....her replacements have individual preform-plastic bucket seats that about as comfy as sitting at a fast-food joint...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
Loses some of the fluff in that format, but looks like the 'abridged' quick-and-dirty version for the pressed-for-time(while hostiles are bearing down on you)....
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
Okay...just got past one of my mental stumbling blocks on the Blackbird...the big missiles...I'm thinking of them now as weapons pods similar to those carried by the B-50 Convair 'Hustler'...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
The 'Gadrin Special' looks exactly that...special...like something a spacefaring Robin Hood band(or FWC guerrillas) might be flying...
By the way, the 'Steamer' looks nice too...It ain't the Star-Islander(which is double-ended roll-on/roll-off, but working from one picture as you did you came surprisingly close and gaveME some ideas for improving what I already got...
Heck...I may do a write up of the 'Steamer' as an Asgard Dwarf steam-powered (Elemental-powered) starship!(Almost wanted to call it the 'Edmund Fitzgerald' but that's like calling a liner 'Titanic')...
All in all...great job!
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
darkmax wrote:New stuff on the site... well... one new gunship.... comments?
Very nice...looks heavily armored and dreadfully powerful....The Narns from Babylon 5 would love to make large orders of this thing!
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
That looks cool! Where can I get one... oh! wait... "No personal air-vehicle in Singapore is allowed, or the government will do their best with you...". Oops!
Interesting....they must figure there's too much temptation for airborne tomfoolery with unregulated civilian pilots...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
Here's my take on the Magus so far...I haven't yet figured out the exact degree of ECM this bugger will have, so It isn't complete yet....
WZ-HSGS-0337 Magus High Speed Gunship
The Magus High-Speed Gunship was developed in response to a perceived need for a heavy, high-speed, space-and-atmosphere attack ship with both energy and projectile main armaments. WZTechYards decided to use as a basis their already proven Magister Customs Patrol Craft, but owing to the anticipated role in in-atmo strafing missions, strengthened and streamlined the hull against atmospheric maneuvering stresses. The ship’s dimensions were further widened by the addition of twin JiniJaze 430 Rammer drive pods, complementing the added bulge of beefed-up CG lifter generators in the lower hull. A lucerin-fueled advanced fusion powerplant feeds the ship’s twin tri-venturi’ed main thrusters, powers the enhanced shields, and has enough left over for the energy weaponry, while twin conventional fusion plants power the atmospheric rammer drives in the wingtip nacelles. However, even with all this power coursing through its hull, the ship is still rather sluggish in atmosphere; stable in atmospheric flight, but heavy on the controls when attempting aerobatic maneuvers. In space it is rather faster, able to keep pace with heavy fightes and interceptors like the Proctor.
The twin lower hull keels have been reinforced for the mounting of a pair of heavy OxHoof 12B Grav cannons. Complementing these kinetic-kill weapons is a pair of long-chambered, double-barreled medium laser cannons in dorsal mounts, rigged for anti-spacecraft work. For increased utility in the ground attack role, as well as to enable the gunship to deploy anti-ship mines, a three-sectioned ordnance bay is located below and behind the ship’s centerline, deploying ordnance rearward. Because the ship is expected to make deep atmospheric penetrations where it comes under fire from both ground and space defenses, the ship has substantial forceshielding for a ship of its weight class, and a heavy cladding of ablative cermatic armor. This protection is necessary, as the Magus’ most glaring weakness as a warship is its lack of point-defense weaponry against enemy missiles and fighters.
The Magus also mounts an excellent targetting system for its weapons. The leading edges of the twin forward-thrusting hull riggers have sensor windows for duplicate target acquisition and designation systems, guaranteeing that the Magus’s fire is dead-on accurate. These targetters can also be used to ‘paint’ targets for the Magus’s mine and bomb launchers, often following up a strafing attack with a stick of guided bombs.
The Magus first saw action on the disputed world of Alasx VII, where multiple mercenary armies clashed on behalf of the eight distinct political factions claiming the system. After one of the larger merenary outfits, Central Security, took the opportunity to obliterate the assets of a smaller professional rival, Appropriate Force, Inc., while their troops were resting at their laager in a negotiated neutral zone, Appropriate Force Inc. purchased a dozen Magus gunships and returned the field a month later to repay the treachery. In a single raid on Central Security’s fortified forward command post and depot, the squadron rendered Central Security both finicially and organizationally non-viable, and effectively broke the superiority of three of the factions(who had hired Central Security) in the war. Tapes of the action have spurred orders for the Magus from mercenary contingents and planetary governments all across the Anvil.
Type: WZ-HSGS-0337
Class: High Speed Gunship
Crew: 15
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 3,600
Reinforced Crew Compartment 900
Engines(2) 1,800 each
Communications Arrays(swept back fins aft of bridge) 300
Forward Sensor Arrays(3) 200 each)
Heavy Grav Cannons(2, ventral) 400 each
Heavy Laser Cannons(2, dorsal) 300 each
Bomb/Mine Bays(3, ventral) 200 each
Variable Forcefield ( 3,000 MDC, 500 each side)
Height: 90 ft
Width: 108 ft
Length: 45 ft
Weight: 650 tons
Cargo: 50 tons
Powerplant:Advanced Nuclear-Fusion w/ 25 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Mach 2.2
(Sublight) Mach 10
(Kitsune Value: 53% of light speed. Accelerate/Decelerate at 1% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) Four light years per hour
(Underwater) The Magus can actually survive submersion in a planetary hydrosphere, able to survive depths of up to 1,000 ft and maneuver at up to 50 MPH.
Market Cost: 300 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard, plus:
*Advanced Targetting---Three seperate targetting arrays in the hull provide both systems redundancy and superior triangulation on targets, giving the ship’s weaponry a +4 to strike for direct fire energy weaponry, and +3 for projectile weaponry(rail guns and bombs)
Weapons Systems:
1) Twin OxHoof 12B Grav Cannons(2, ventral mounts)---A heavy grav-cannon similar to the common GR-2000, but firing a heavier shell for more damage, the OxHoof 12 comes to WZTechYards courtesy of their contacts with the weaponsmiths of XXihan. The weapon gives excellent damage, but spare parts and ammunition may be difficult to come by outside WZ and XXihan sales territories.
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 16 miles in atmosphere, 16,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x100 MD per 20 rd burst per cannon; both cannon firing simultaneously do 2d6x100 MD
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 300 bursts per cannon
2) Twin Double-Barrelled Medium Laser Cannons(2, dorsal mountings)---Mounted on the upper hull are two long-barreled twin medium-power laser cannons. These weapons are used against enemy spacecraft and defense satellites, but lack the high rate of fire required for effective anti-missile/anti-fighter point defense. Each turret has 70 degree elevation, and 360-degree traverse.
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 16 miles in atmosphere, 16,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x100 MD single blast, 4d4x10MD double barrelled blast, 8d4x10MD for a simultaneous double-barrelled blast from both cannons(counts as one attack).
Rate of Fire:four blasts per melee per barrel
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
3) Mine/Bomb Launcher Bay---Three rear-facing launchers in the lower hull are used for dropping brake-retarded bombs, smart-munitions, or free-floating space mines.
Range: Bombs can be accurately dropped from as far up as 3 miles. Mines are freefloating and triggered by targets entering their blast range.
Damage: Equivalent to long range missile warheads(w/ blast radius increased 2-10 times). Specialized munitions are also possible, such as chemical warheads and x-ray laser mines.
Rate of Fire:1-12
Payload: 80 mines/bombs per bay, 240 total
Variants:
Currently there are no major variants of the Magus on the market. However, WZ is reportedly testing a new model that addresses the lack of point defense by mounting four light turrets with phalanx-style rapid fire rail guns or lasers.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
And here's what I got so far on the Star-Islander
I'm working on several sketches of it, so I'm finallizing the look...
Star Islander-class Light Transport
The Star-Islander-class Transport started existance as a cargo lighter design commissioned for the colonization of the Gosnold Cluster in CCW space, and went on to serve as an intrasystem ferry. However, the ship design was found to be stout and robust enough to handle the stresses of FTL travel, and it was modified accordingly into a short run interstellar light freighter. The Star-Islander has since been seen in a variety of utility roles in an increasing number of star systems in CCW and Independent space.
The Star-Islander is a roughly lozenge-shaped cylinder with rounded ends and a keeled bottom. The Star-Islander is unusual for a number of features; it is a double-ended roll-on-roll-off freighter design with a central cargo deck and ramped front and rear hatches. The Star-Islander also has two complete bridge assemblies, fore and aft, allowing for more convenient docking/undocking in crowded orbital yards, but also giving the ship remarkable systems redundancy(though many private operators disable the controls in one bridge and use it for additional personal space).
It is capable not only of space and atmospheric operations, but is also amphibious, capable of operating on and under the water, required as a necessity in serving the scattered surface settlements on several of the wet Gosnold Worlds. Dry land landing is accommodated by six extendable landing jack-skids on the underside of the ship. Primary propulsion is by contra-gravity generator; the Star-Islanders have no obvious main engine venturi, though they do sport fore and aft auxiliary thrusters and numersous smaller reaction jets for attitude control and positioning. Standard FTL drive is an unremarkable, but well-tested and proven CG-B Eddins design, capable of a meager two light years per hour. Propulsion on/underwater is accomplished with a CG-pushed hydroject and grav-push plates.
Internally, the Star-Islanders are laid out with five decks. The lowermost deck is engineering, servicing the large contra-grav toroid generators and twin fusion powerplants that provide power. The next deck up is the main cargo deck, divided into a large central bay and two adjacent gallery bays, all of which open into common annexes at each end in front of the cargo bay doors/airlocks. Four partitions containing structural members, service trunks, and both ladder and elevator access to the above and below decks divide the cargo/vehicle bays. The third deck is two side gallery decks, straddling the upper part of the central (large) cargo bay; these are passenger decks, with seating and accommodations, including four washrrom-lavatories, and four escape launches/pods(one at each end of a gallery). Long-term accommodations are spartan; ‘Pullman Car’ cubicle seating with passenger couches that fold out into bunks. Stairs and elevators at either end provide access to the fourth deck, which has more passenger accommodations, additional lifepods, observation decks fore and aft, a cafeteria, small sickbay, crew’s quarters and offices. The fifth deck consists of the twin bridge towers, fore-and aft sensor arrays, and the central avionics and sensor ‘mast’ midway between the two. Access to the bridges/engineering stations is typically restricted only to crew.
The original Star-Islanders were built with military-grade materials both because of the need for a stout, durable, construction, and also because the shipyards given the original commission had the armor on hand following the scrapping of cancelled CCW warship contracts (a defense budget drawdown following one of the last periods of conflict between the CCW and the TGE). That aspect of the original design has been retained, and as a result the ships are very well protected for vessels of their class and size. A standard forcefield provides additional protection from radiation and micrometeors.
The Star-Islanders in both sublight and FTL mode are not the fastest vessels around, but they are reliable; the ships require remarkably little maintenance. The critical engine components can be quickly accessed and replaced in-yard by removing floor plates in the central cargo bay, jacking up the toroid and power assemblies, and rolling them out for overhaul or replacement, allowing most major repairs to be accomplished in a pressurized ‘shirtsleeve’ environment(provided, of course, the main bay is empty). The hull construction has proven very resilient to stress and damage, and the systems redundancy, including that of the twin bridges, means that there are few things that can go wrong on the ship that cannot be quickly contained and routed around to the back-ups. While not fast or manuverable enough to interest diehard adventurers and stellar explorers, the Star-Islander has found a niche-market with smaller, short-run, cargo and stellar commuter line operators who appreciate the ship’s low operating costs, efficiency, and utility. A number of commuter-line operators in the more densely-settled regions of the Three Galaxies use Star-Islanders for intersystem service(trips of no more than 2-3 days), and several mercantile firms use the ship design as cargo-lighters flying off larger space-based long-haulers.
Type: HA-LST(T)-1950J
Class: Light Transport
Crew: 8 +1-200 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 4,000
Bridges(2) 800 each
Communications/Sensor Arrays(2) 300 each
Central Dorsal Avionics Dome(1) 700
Main Cargo Hatches/Airlocks(2) 600 each
Personnel Airlocks(8) 180 each
Forcefield 1,300
Height: 68 ft
Width: 65 ft
Length: 205 ft
Weight: 700 tons
Cargo: Can carry up to 300 tons
Central Cargo Bay: 30 ftx30ftx180 ft
Gallery Cargo Decks(2) 12 ft x13 ft x180 ft
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 50 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 1.3
(Sublight) 20% of light(Accelerates/decelerates at 0.7% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 2 light years per hour.
(Underwater) 20 MPH, maximum depth of 1,000 ft
Market Cost: 45 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard, plus:
*Sonar----Because of its amphibious operations, the Star-Islander is one of the few production civilian starships with sonar as standard equipment...Has an effective active sonar range of 90 miles.
*Fore and Aft Universal Docking Collars---Extendable maglock air-curtains and hard-clamps on either end, concealed behind sliding doors and hatches in the hull, allow the Star-Islander to dock with most space stations and facilities for an airtight link.
* Fore and Aft Ramps---Both cargo doors are equipped with extendable loading ramps with a powered conveyor belt inset in the center. Likewise, because the six main personnel boarding airlocks are set above the midline of the ship(to facilitate amphibious operations), they must either use gantries provided by ground crews, or use extendable boarding stairs/ramps.
*System Redundancy---There is so much duplication and redundancy in the Star-Islanders’ critical systems that any one incapacitating strike or systems failure will only result in a gap of 1d4 melees’ system outage before the backup can be switched on/into service(in other words, the ship can take TWICE as much critical systems damage before suffering serious shutdown)
Weapons Systems: None standard, but many Star-Islanders in the Gosnold Cluster mount four light lasers(two at each end) for anti-meteorite defense.
Aux. Craft:
12 Life Boats
Freight models will typically carry two ‘donkey engine’ hauler-carts or utility exoskeletons for moving cargo pallets.
Variants:
There are few official variants of the Star-Islander class; most post-market modifications involve refitting the bridge decks, improving communications and sensors, or replacing the main FTL drive with other makes. A variant common with extraplanetary civil space patrols adds a tractor beam projector to each end of the main cargo bay, outfits the side cargo bays into workshops, and uses the entire central cargo bay as an airlock, for the assembly-line-style recovery, examination, testing, and servicing of deep space navigation beacons.
For those who absolutely MUST have weaponry on their ships, a number of Star-Islanders have been refitted with Variable Forcefields and 2-8 light weapons turrets. The most radical militarization of the class was four Star-Islanders outfitted with gunship armaments(fore , aft, and amidships gatling gravity rail guns, and multiple laser-blisters, plasma sprayers, and upper deck light missile launchers) used as troop lighters by the Paranasus Agrogosus Militia in their successful war against the mercenary squatters of the Medelan Development Combine. Another military user outfitted the central cargo bay to accommodate four Solace-class light fighters, flying them out to surprise pirates in a ‘Q-Ship’ operation(one of the Solace pilots also calims to have made a high speed ‘barnstorm’ through the central bay of his mothership while both end-doors were open to space....after which the maintenance crew immediately added inertial damper fields and an arrestor net to the interior landing bay).
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
QWell...as I said earlier, there's material here for TWO ships...I can easily stat up a vessel closer to your 'starliner' idea, and still be able to photoshop a drawing of what IMHO the Star-Islander looks like, as time allows....I appreciate the suggestion however...
Actually, if I use the Cape Cod ferries as models, the ship you have depicted could easily be another ship of the Gosnold Cluster(a binary star system with seven habitable planets in CCW space...it's fought off extensive industrial development aside from self-sufficiency needs, but is close enough to more built-up regions of CCW space that it is a popular low-cost extra-solar tourism destination for coreworlders who can't afford more exotic locales like the Paradise Foundation), from the same builders as the Star-Islander, but better suited for fast passenger service...the larger engines and more power available to them suggest fast runs and prolonged cruise speed...like the smaller oceanliners one sees with lines like Norweigan Cruise Lines...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
Hey, whatever works...and plasma weaponry on spacecraft in Palaldium is rather rare....
I find myself looking over the old Mechanoid books for pre-MDC Palladium plasma weapons stats for starships....
And we can't discount plasma weapons...what with Larry Niven's rule about the Efficiency of a drive system tied to its efficiency as a weapon?(or was it the other way around)...so, plasma drives and plasma cannons!
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
Aramanthus wrote:Hey Taalismn. You might want to fix that smilely in your desciption. I think your 8 got eaten by the board.
I saw that too...very strange, but then the Boards have been acting quirky for a while,,,
Techno-Gremlins are breeding, must be....
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
Aramanthus wrote:It's still there. Just put a little extra spaces between the ( ) and your 8. That'll take care it that gremlin.
I'll try it...then we'll see if something ELSE doesn't pop up to mar the perfection of our posts!
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
You are practically reading my mind!
