This would be a great defense against boarders(or to SUPPORT boarders), power armors, and fighters/missiles...defenseless freighter opens a few hatches and suddenly the ship looks like a mother scorpion covered with dozens of crawler cannons angling for a good vantage point to rain hell on some luckless pirate....
Stat this up, please!
-------------
"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"
This would be a great defense against boarders(or to SUPPORT boarders), power armors, and fighters/missiles...
Yeah, exactly, a flexible system, but only a point defense on starship scale.
But not really suited for boarding (see dependence on central power and probably a vulnerable underbelly). For boarding there is the K-3000 Yazhing savant missile... .... legs rectracted it fits into an LRM tube.
defenseless freighter opens a few hatches and suddenly the ship looks like a mother scorpion covered with dozens of crawler cannons angling for a good vantage point to rain hell on some luckless pirate....
More likely, they have to be hunted by precision starfighter/PA fire - giving time for the ship to escape.
Stat this up, please!
Not much to be statted I guess... Like 300 MDC main body
(80 if attacked from under- unlikely), 50 MDC per leg, 80 MDC
per pincer and tailgun (2*2), force field is about 250 MDC.
Can scurry at about 60 km/h or can fly at 1M in space (ie.
micro/zero gravity). Robotic PS 30, but if one wants to pry
it from its emplacement is takes
a, depleting the forcefield
b, robotic PS 60
Plasma flamethrower - same as Rebot-Bot, RoF 2*2 per melee.
What else?
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
Hmmm...a boarding variant might be a wastebasket-sized/shaped(or maybe model it after a phage) thingie that first creates a foam patch on the hull, sticks itself in to make hull contact, then uses a fusion torch to burn its way inside the hull, then pushes its way through the patch that seals the hole after it...it thumps down inside the hull, redeploys its legs, and starts firing stun grenades, shock bombs, and various gases to capture/disorient/distract the defenders....
-------------
"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:Hmmm...a boarding variant might be a wastebasket-sized/shaped.
Nope, the K-3000 Yazhing looks like your average (overcomplicated)
Kittannii long range missile.
Upon reaching a starship, it is enveloped into a plasma field,
trying to breach the shields - and then coming back for another
attack, again and again, 4 times a melee, untill the shields
are depleted (plasma field damage is d4*10)
Usually thought the targets point defense picks them out,
before this happens... At least several of them.
The remaining ones - if their communication is not jammed -
are distributing priority targets among themselves, and going
after hatches or cable-tunnels to disable engines, weaponry,
and then the crew.
For this end, they are extending a dozen pair of legs, so the
drone will resemble its namesake, the Yazhing multipede.
For the tasks above, they are equipped with:
- plasma torch (mouth) and plasma field generator
- cutting energy mandibles
- a dual stun blaster (see dmb3, page 62)
- foam dispersers (dmb3, page 69)
- a small, dual CG/pulse laser gun in the tail,
- several grenade launchers, equal of the K-1's
in WB2:137
The horrible thing is rather flexible, and fast both
as a missile and as a boarding drone.
Size: 2,4 m long, 25 cm in diameter, plus legs, antennae
and spikes.
Weight: 67,3 kg
MDC:
Main body: 70
Head: 50
Tail: 40
Legs (2*12): 10 each
Can scurry along at 120 kmh and fly at
3 M in atmosphere and 18M is space.
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
Darkmax wrote:Sounds quite uber, even though the MDC is quite low...
How would a pod of these be delivered?
Launch them from standard long range missile launchers,
for example from a Dragon Dreadnought...
...and it is not that uber, compared to the NE-010
destructo drone (Merc. SB).
Oh, and whenever it is aviable on the market, it
costs a cool million. A hefty price at the first look
but considering, that a dozen of these (hiding in a
heatlhy LRM swarm) can knock out a tipical
cargo ship quite safely - whereas with conventional
weapons we always have the chance of a pretty fireball,
consuming the loot and the would be slaves alike...
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
yep...restraint....that fine line between capturing a ship with its monetary value intact and reducing it(and the gunner's future) to an expanding cloud of disassociating vapor...
It's also given the hapless victims a SMALL opportunity to escape...
-------------
"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 guess, this method of attack (versus blowing holes
with the big guns) actually raises both the chance of
escape and the chance of successfull boarding.
Maybe, if the drones are smart enough, they can
activate a beacon on the target ship, even if it
escaped - but have at least one Yazhing remaining
active on board.
And it still stands a chance to disable the ship.
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
Narrator: The serial peacemaker's terapedos have what 31st-century munitions manufacturers describe as "Synthetic Intelligence." It's good marketing. Terapedo: Objective confirmed. Teraport to target and match speed. Terapedo: "Don't blow up yet." Sigh. Okay. Narrator: Since artificial intelligence is considered on par with organic sapience, it would be amoral to build an artificial intelligence whose sole purpose is to die gloriously. Terapedo: It's not fair. I can do a lot more than just take pictures. I'm smart! I can blow up! There'll be time for taking pictures later. Narrator: Contextually, 'Synthetic' means 'Kinda stupid.'
Author of Rifts: Deep Frontier (Rifter 70) Author of Rifts:Scandinavia (current project) * All fantasy should have a solid base in reality. * Good sense about trivialities is better than nonsense about things that matter. -Max Beerbohm Visit my Website
Still feel the 'Combatron' needs a little more work, but here goes....
*WZ-HF-M007 Mecha Ray Heavy Fighter/Bomber
When the warriors of Hadazad(Thundercloud Galaxy) made contact with the Three Galaxies, the event brought to an end over 500 years of internecine conflict on the wartech world, as the various global factions united to address the issues of dealing with a galactic culture larger, more wonderous, and more dangerous thn anything they had ever imagined. So too ended the chivalrous code of combat carried out between the city-states, by massive towering warbots piloted by elite knight-phaetons. While the warriors of Hadazad immediately saw parallels between their powerful, city-stomping warbots, and such advanced galactic-tech creations as the CCW’s Battleram Robots, they were also made painfully aware of the vast differences in technology and in conduct of warfare...No more, the graceful plodding of great warbots into position to smite their foes, no more posturing and extension of invitation to surrender.....modern warfare moved at a lightning pace, across skies and solar systems, and was conducted without mercy.
While the unified armies of Hadazad rushed to prepare their world in the event that such warfare should come to them, and mercenary mechknights sought to adapt themselves to fighting on alien worlds for their livelihood, one of the alliances made with outside suppliers to update the Hadazad arsenal was with WZTechYards. Together with a consulting team of veteran knight-phaetons, WZ came up with a vehicle design for a fast-moving fighter/support wing/combat robot combination that would allow the warriors of Hadazad to make the best use of their experiences and strengths.
The WZ-HF-M007 Mecha Ray is based around a medium-weight Hadazad Warbot-class, the Rayden, partnered with a lifting-body heavy fighter transporter, or ‘warwing’ with transatmospheric capability.
The Mecha Ray’warwing’ acts as both a transport and a support vehicle, carrying the warbot into combat, then circling to provide air support. When combined, the warbot adds its considerable firepower to that of the warwing, and bolsters the ship’s defenses with the linking of its own powerplant. It is a roughly saucer-shaped fuselage with two large triangular wings that extend ahead of the leading edge of the central fuselage on either side of it, and which can angle slightly downward from teh horizontal. The main fuselage has a center ‘well’ for the combatron; a localized grav-field generator and tractor beams are used to raise the robot into position from the ground, then docking clamps close and lock around the ‘bot’s waist, holding it in place. The robot’s lower legs then bend back and lock to the lower hull for flight. When the robot is deployed, the process reverses itself, the tractor field being used to lower the robot to the ground, and the warwing’s cockpit pod sliding back over the top of the robot-well to streamline the hull for independent operations. Weaponry is relatively light for a fighter-bomber of its size; most of the warwing’s power going to propulsion and heavy shielding, and the most oft-voiced criticism by crew members is the lack of energy weapons that would allow them to remain in combat longer. Overall, the warwing is roughly comparable in performance and armament to the CAF Proctor long range fighter.
(Mecha-Ray Warwing)
Type:WZ-HF-M007 Mecha Ray
Class:Heavy Fighter/Bomber/Mech-Cutter
Crew: 3
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 1500
Reinforced Crew Compartment 250
Gravity Rail Gun Turrets(2) 150 each
Medium Range Missile Launchers(2, wings) 150 each
Short Range Missile Launchers(2, wings) 150 each
Variable Forcefield (2400 total, 400 per side)*
*W/ the warbot attached and its powerplant linked, these values go up to 3300 total, 550 per side)
Height: 28.5 ft
Width: 108 ft
Length: 108 ft
Weight: 600 tons
Cargo: Small space in crew cabin for personal gear and survival equipment.
Two small cargo bays behind the robot well hold additional ammunition and repair parts for the ‘bot. Maximum cargo weight is 80 tons.
Powerplant:Advanced Nuclear-Fusion w/ 30 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; Mach 6 w/ combatron detached
(Sublight) Mach 8
(Kitsune Values: 50% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.8% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 3 light years per hour
(Underwater) Not Possible
Market Cost: 220 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Systems, plus;
*Extended Crew Cabin---The warwing has enough room in the main fuselage to house both the warwing’s and the Combatron’s crews in austere, but serviceable, cabins, with an adjacent common/dining/food prep room, and attached washroom.
*Ejectable Crew Cabin---In an emergency, the entire crew cabin can be ejected to serve as a lifeboat.
*Repair Racks---The center robot well and rear holds of the ship are fitted with extra gear and equipment to allow limited servicing and repair of the docked combatron. Remote control waldoes can be engaged by the crew(who must have Robot Mechanics skills to effect repairs) to reload the robot’s guns and missile racks from stores(typically 3 complete reloads are carried for the combatron’s weapons systems), and up to 25% of total body damage (external armor and subsidiary systems) can be repaired from onboard stores. Additional and more extensive repairs will require resupply and/or more complete repair facilities.
*Tractor Beam---The warwing mounts a high-capacity tractor-beam that is used to lift the 400-ton mass of a combatron into the central holding well, from as far up as a 300 ft altitude (under normal terrestrial gravity). The beam is also used to pick up the much lighter robot crew compartment in the event an emergency rescue is needed(a grappling cable and rig is available as a backup).
Weapons Systems:
1)Gravity Rail Guns(2) ----These high-powered gatling-style gravitonic rail guns are mounted in drop-down turrets normally concealed within the the main body/fuselage. Each turret has 270 degree rotation/arc of fire, plus 90-degree depression
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per 20 round blast per cannon
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 300 bursts per cannon
2)Medium Range Missiles(2 launchers, in outer wings)---Each outer wing section conceals a medium range missile launcher.
Range:Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values:)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-8 per launcher
Payload: 16 per launcher, 32 total
3)Short Range Missiles(2 launchers, in the upper surface ‘intakes’)
Range:Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values:)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-8 per launcher
Payload: 40 per launcher, 80 total
4) (Optional) Underwing Hardpoints(4)----Each hardpoint can be outfitted with ONE of the following:
a) Mini-Missile Pod----48 shot pod
b) Short Range Missile Pod----12 shot pod
c) Medium Range Missile Pod----6 shot pod
d) Long Range Missile Launcher----3 shot pod
e) Cruise Missiles---1 per hardpoint
Variants:
A number of variants of the warwing have been tested, mainly focusing on increasing the weaponry and protection, although at the expense of added weight and reduced speed. Several ‘scale-up’ projects also exist, to adapt the concept to larger Combator models.
(Rayden-class Combator)(aka ‘warbot’)
The Rayden-class combatron was chosen for the air-cavalry role because it is one of the lighter, faster, and more agile of Hadazad’s mighty Warbot classes. The Rayden represents a fair compromise between speed and firepower, carrying both hardhitting energy and projectile weapons. Since Rayden-class Combatron crews are already familiar with flanking and airdrop tactics, they have had the easiest time of the Hadazad heavy knight-phaetons in adapting to galactic warfare styles.
Type: M007 Rayden
Class: Medium-class Combator
Crew: 2, plus room for 1-5 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 3,600
Head 500
Laser Eyes(2) each 100 each
Reinforced Crew Compartment 200
Upper Arms(2) 400 each
Lower Arms(2) 400 each
Shoulders(2) 700 each
Shoulder Plasma Cannons(2) 500 each
Hands(2) 300 each
Handheld Gravity Rail Guns(2) 500 each
Legs(2) 1,000 each
Feet(2) 500 each
Missile Launchers(4, upper and lower legs) 180 each
Height: 105 ft
Width: 38 ft
Length: 45 ft
Weight: 380 tons
Cargo:Small space behind crew seating for survival packs.
Powerplant: Advanced Nuclear-Fusion w/ 30 year energy life
Speed:
(Running) 35 MPH
(Leaping) Can manage a ponderous leap 25 ft across, 10 ft up. Try not to be under it when it lands.
(Flying) Not possible
(Space) Limited; the warbot’s atmospheric stabilizing jets can push the ‘bot along at a slow 20 MPH.
(Underwater) Limited to trudging along the bottom at a leisurely 10 MPH, maximum depth 2 miles.
Market Cost: 210 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:
*360-degree Waist Rotation
*Ejectable Crew Compartment----The reinforced crew compartment can eject under rocket-power as an escape capsule, and is able to travel up to 10 miles under its jets to (hopefully) get the crew clear of the combat zone.
Weapons Systems:
1)Shoulder Plasma Cannons(2)-----Advanced plasma ordnance is rare, especially so on Hadazad, so the likeliest explanation for the Rayden mounting two of these weapons is a WZ-sponsored tech exchange, possibly with the New Nigellian Confederation, known to possess advanced plasma weapons technology.
Range: 10,000 ft in atmosphere, 30,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values: 6 miles in atmosphere, 600 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD +50 MD per single blast
Rate of Fire: 4 blasts per melee, per cannon
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
2)Handheld Gravity Rail Guns(2) ---Locked to an external mount on each arm is a long-barreled garvity rail gun.
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 16 miles in atmosphere, 1,600 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x100 MD per 20 rd burst per cannon; both cannon firing simultaneously do 2d6x100 MD
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 200 bursts per cannon
3) Short Range Missiles(4 launchers, upper hip and lower leg)---The Rayden’s legs each hold two short range missile launchers. While locked into the warwing, only the lower leg launchers can fire unimpeded(the upper hip launchers are blocked by the hull of the warwing and cannot fire).
Range:Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values:)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6 per launcher
Payload: 30 each launcher, 120 total
4) Eyeball Light Pulse Lasers(2) ---The glowing optics of the Rayden hold high-powered lasers for anti-personnel attacks and missile-defense.
Range: 5,000 ft in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
Damage: 4d6 MD single blast or 1d4x10 MD per dual simultaneous blast
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload:Effectively Unlimited
Hand to Hand Combat
Restrained Punch 5d6 MD
Full Strength Punch 3d6x10 MD
Power Punch(2 attacks) 5d6x10 MD
Kick 3d4x10 MD
Stomp 1d4x10 MD against targets 20 ft tall or smaller
Body Block/Tackle 3d6x10 MD
+1 strike(in addition to weapons bonuses)
+1 parry
+1 roll w/ impact
Variants:
Numerous variants and personally customized configurations of the Rayden exist on Hadazad, so it isn’t unusual to find a combatron sporting additional and/or different weapons, such as heavy lasers, heavy artillery tubes, or missile launchers in place of the plasma cannons, different hand-held rifle pods, or mini-missile launchers and flamethrower pods in place of the short range missile batteries. In fact, many Hadazad knight-phaetons consider it socially unacceptabe to NOT modify their personal ‘bots as they advance in rank and experience.
Last edited by taalismn on Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-------------
"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"
Was this where we had this discussion? I can't remember... anywho..... MUHAHAHAHAHAHA
Oh that's the stuff..... Any other dark fears of yours we can use to inspire creativity in 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"
Darkmax wrote:I meant AI...... but yes synthetic intelligence ain't supposed to be too bright...
Never make your ordnance smarter than the average-grade level demolitions tech you're most likley to send out to defuse it if something goes wrong....
-------------
"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"
Hmmm... A bit too powerfull FTL engine for the carrier unit
(suggested solution: make it a bit bigger in dimensions and
weight, and maybe add the "Stealth" feature ).
and the Rayden itself is a bit too agile... Except if it does
not get the Robot Combat: Elite skill bonuses, just the
listed ones.
Otherwise it is a viable solution for the same problem
which gave birth to the Battleram - only with lower tech.
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
WZ-PT-008 H-Class “Orbital Hare” Shuttle
The ‘Orbital Hare’ is a design that dates back to WZTechYards’ formative years, when it was essentially a guild of smaller shipbuilders that were sharing resources in order to better compete with larger concerns on basic tranbsportation contracts. Most of the founding companies wee small-craft manufacturers, whose expertise(or lack thereof) at building larger ships hadn’t sounded a very confident note to discriminating buyers in the Three Galaxies. So, when WZ was ready to make the move into the larger vessel market, they developed the PT-008 as an ‘accessory’ or freebie auxiliary craft given away as standard equipment with any larger ship of WZ construction, that could accommodate a small craft of the size. The H-class was a bit of a gamble, meant to both sweeten the deal for prospective buyers and keep many of the smaller WZ subsidiary factories( most of whom originally produced small shuttles and spaceplanes) busy until larger contracts could roll in and the lines retooled for future projects.
Though originally meant as a ‘giveaway’ design, the ‘Orbital Hare’ actually proved itself an excellent vessel in its own right. Though initially given away for free, the PT-008 would go on to be produced for sale in its own right, though WZ would deliberately keep the price as low as possible(it’s estimated that WZ makes a paltry 5% profit on each ship sold). The ship became something of a ‘rite of passage’ for shipbuilders seeking to join WZ...if they couldn’t produce a PT-008, they were likely refused entry into the guild-company.
Once the Three Galaxies’ marketplace got over the idea that ‘dirt cheap’ didn’t mean ‘instant deathtrap’ in the case of the PT-008, the market couldn’t get enough of them....
The PT-008 is a basic lifting body transatmospheric standard-layout spaceplane constructed of light megadamage materials(including a large percentage of recycled materials from WZ’s orbital starship yards), and fitted with both nuclear heat turbojects and a basic anti-grav system...the Orbital Hare can move in and out of atmosphere without engaging the anti-grav, using only its thrusters, but those who have flown on a Hare complain that the ride and control isn’t as smooth with the high-techs engaged. The PT-008 is durable, but not particularly well-armored in its basic configuration, which keeps it from being more popular with more adventrous clientele, but the vessel has proven amenable to modification. However, the ship has done extremely well in sales to shuttle services and planetary airlines, which thus leads to it being used by a lot of adventurers and brigands because the ships are readily available, and tend not to draw much attention.
A cargo version with a single large cargo bay, basic cargi manipulator arms, and dorsal-openning bay doors also exists.
However, the PT-008 still carries around a multi-ton joke burden of being a ‘ship found in the glove compartment’, or as the free toy in a snacker box.
Type:WZ-PT-0008 H-Class Orbital Hare
Class: Transatmospheric-orbital Shuttle
Crew: 3+1-7 cabin crew
Passengers: 214 maximum seating w/ luggage
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 280
Crew/Passenger Compartment 100
Engines 120
Height: 60 ft(20m)
Width:96 ft(32m)
Length:126 ft(42 ft)
Weight: 50 tons
Cargo: (Passenger Configuration) Overhead and seat luggage racks, plus up to 8 tons of miscellaneous cargo in lower deck holds
(Cargo Configuration) 30 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion with 15 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 2.2; can boost briefly to Mach 5 for orbital insertion.
(Sublight) Mach 11
(FTL) Not Possible
(Underwater)Not Possible
Market Cost:1.8 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Spacecraft Systems, plus;
*Life Support---Basic life support with 7 days endurance(upgradeable)
*Emergency Beacons---Automatic high-power radio transmitters broadcasting location and status for rescuers. Typically carries three separate beacons; one in the nose and one in each tail fin.
*Universal Docking Connector---Besides the standard side doors/airlocks, the PT-008 has a dorsal docking collar for rescue operations.
Weapons Systems: None standard
Some private and colonial operators have modified their Hares with light nose weapons and a dorsal weapons turret(or, if a cargo model, missile launchers in the dorsal bay).
Options:
Being such a basic and inexpensive vehicle, the Orbital Hare has seen a lot of modification packages and post-sale add-ons...mostly different cargo and passenger configurations, life support, and avionics...that can quadruple the price. Up to 250 MDC in additional armor can be added without encumberance penalties, and some buyers add forcefields for additional protection. Other modifications include strap-on boosters for additional speed(for orbital insertion), and different types of landing gear for operating from specific surfaces....An amphibious operations package(10 million credits), allows the Hare to operate from the surface of most planetary hydrospheres.
-------------
"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"
Hmmm... A bit too powerfull FTL engine for the carrier unit (suggested solution: make it a bit bigger in dimensions and weight, and maybe add the "Stealth" feature ). and the Rayden itself is a bit too agile... Except if it does not get the Robot Combat: Elite skill bonuses, just the listed ones.
Otherwise it is a viable solution for the same problem which gave birth to the Battleram - only with lower tech.
Adios KLM
Quite alright...the Dodge bonuses were a last-minute "WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?!" addition that after due consideration, I'll edit out....
R.Talsorian for their Cyberpunk Meets Mekton game, Starblade Battalion, had a similar concept called a Cutter...sort of an expanded Beta-Legioss combo for nontransformable mecha, though those lacked onboard repair equipment....
-------------
"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 admit, when I was very young, I was greatly influened by Stewart Cowley's Spacecraft: 2000-2050.......after that I moved to RPGIng, and reading up on the histories of actual aircraft, which was just as fascinating...especially of the 'Worst' and 'Most UNusal' aircraft, as well as prototypes...The drama of development can be just as exciting as the actual service records of a given vehicle...
-------------
"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:not joking! I've been interested in those too! Recently got my mind set on getting to know more about the Aurora Project (which is still a myth), the hypersonic suborbital passenger liner, the new Boeing's Dreamliner (new material and some interesting innovations), etc.... nice but information are relatively slow.
Oh! Just before I forget... here's a little experiment I made: The Esquire
The Esquire's apparently having some problems of its own getting up....
But I thought the DReamliner went the way of the Bristol Barbazon and the (more promising) Britannia Flying Airliner...Its delta-wing and forward canards SST design just looked too radical...
The VTOL Roton and DCX-3 'Connestoga' which looked so promising also seem to have sputtered to a halt, though they're ramping up talk about the private competitions for the next generation Moon Lander and X-Prize 2..
-------------
"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"
Not big on sensor values or accessories...but, hey, it's a hot rod!
WZ-HSI-900 Starcross High-Speed Interceptor
The Starcross concept is simple; basic, minimal airframe, a large gun package, sensor pallet, and the biggest engine the airframe can be stuffed with. That was the pitch Terayac Arms made to the CCW for a light, inexpensive, high-speed interceptor. The CCW turned down Terayac, wanting something heavier and more versatile(they settled on an improved SF-69 Scorpion). Incensed at the rejection, Terayac Arms then turned around and sold the Starcross concept to WZTechYards, who’s been churning out the Starcross ever since and selling to anybody with the creds.
The Starcross has a simple, straightforward design; a clean, sleek fuselage with a weapons battery slung underneath, large engine in the rear, and four swept-forward cuniform wings at the tail. The two crew are seated forward in separate tandem cockpit life-bubbles with individual escape-pod ejection function. A sensor pallet between the crew modules and engines provides for a basic scout recon ability, while an underslung heavy plasma cannon(original specs called for a heavy laser, but WZ elected to take advantage of recent technology trades with the New Nigellian Confederation to mount the more powerful and less expected plasma cannon instead) and two light rail guns provide the ship with a hard-hitting attack capability. Armor is light, and a light forcefield provides protection against high veocity debris and atmospheric protection, but little protection against heavy weapons fire, so the Starcross’s only real defense in combat is to avoid getting hit. Fortunately, with its lucerin-fuelled fusion nuclear powerplanet, the Starcross has engine performance and acceleration more befitting a hypervelocity missile than anything else, earning it the nickname ‘Bottle Rocket’. The Starcross is also unusual for a standard-production starfighter in that it is capable of limited underwater operations; its streamlined fuselage allows it to manuever underwater as readily as a mini-sub, though it lacks both sensors and depth/pressure resistance to be an effective underwater vehicle...However, many buyers, especially the FWC, have made use of this feature to launch their Starcrosses from underwater basing and carrier platforms.
The Starcross is easily the fastest ship in its weight class...pilots have commented that the vessel ‘takes off like a drag-racer’...It’s so fast, in fact, that pilots are advised against firing the heavy plasma cannon on a direct high-speed approach to a target, on account of the possibility of the ship overrunning its own plasma bolts. The ship could be even faster, but WZ insisted on some safety measures being added to the ship, adding weight at the shaving of some top speed(Mach 18 as opposed to Mach 19 for the forcefield-less prototypes).
There’s nothing particularly exotic about the Starcross compared to other exotic-technology wonders put out by WZTechYards; it’s a good, basic, reliable design that WZ sells for relative peanuts, and that’s being snapped up by militaries all across the Three Galaxies...That’s why Terayac Arms employees now laugh uproariously every time they pass a CAF facility.
Needless to say, the Free Worlds Council buys lots of Starcrosses.
Type:WZ-HSI-900 Starcross
Class:High-Speed Interceptor
Crew: 2
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 500
Cockpit Pods(2) 120 each
Plasma Cannon 180
Engines 280
Forcefield 200
Height: 36 ft (12m)
Width: 30 ft(10 m)
Length: 42 ft(14 m)
Weight: 8 tons
Cargo:Small space behind crew seating for a survival pack
Powerplant:Advanced Lucerin-Fuelled Nuclear Fusion w/ 18 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 7
(Sublight) Mach 18
(Kitsune Values:40% of light speed. Accelerate/Decelerate at 1.8% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) None standard; can be fitted with an FTL Drive sled
(Underwater) Can operate underwater, at speeds up to 200 MPH, maximum depth 800 ft.
Bonuses: +2 Dodge, +1 Initiative
Market Cost: 28 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starfighter Systems, plus;
*Dual Independent Escape Pods---Because of the high speed of the Starcross, each crew member has his own separate escape pod/life support bubble with 7 days life support, maneuvering engine(can crawl up to Mach 1), and re-entry shielding.
Weapons Systems:
1)Heavy Plasma Cannon(1)---High performance long range plasma weapons are rare in the Three Galaxies; the technology to keep the plasma coherent enough to do damage over long distances is something few nations bother developing, lasers and particle beams being easier and less expensive. The NNRPC-B14 is one of the few, and most powerful, starship-grade plasma weapons currently available on the market, and it gives the Starcross a powerful punch, firing a plasma ‘torpedo’.
Range:in atmosphere, 165,000 ft/ 33 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 33 miles in atmosphere, 3,300 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: 5 blasts per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
2) Light Grav Rail Guns(2) ---Fixed forward firing position in the nose.
Range: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst; 2d6x10 MD per simultaneous burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:10,000 rounds each(2,000 bursts total)
3) Flare/Chaff Launchers(2)---Mounted amidships in flip-out launch-dispensers above the sensor pallet are two launchers for electronic decoys/anti-missile countermeasures.
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.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 12 per launcher, 24 total
Variants:
WZ has experimented with several different configurations for the Starcross, mainly swapping out the armaments for different equipment; such as replacing the plasma cannon with a missile launcher, single-shot cruise missile, or sensor recon pod. Other variants replace the rail guns with pulse lasers for unlimited shots.
Another variant, the HSI-900 BX, adds a grav-pulse booster and pushes the top speed to Mach 19, allowing the Starcross to outpace the CCW Scorpion; however, this model is still in the testing stages and has not yet been approved for larger production.
-------------
"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"
Plasma torpedo:
The "original" romulan plasma torpedo utilised a
projectile, with a dual force field bubble (the inner
to protect the torpedo, the outer to hold the plasma
in), so I would give a payload for the gun.
Especially, because it outstanding range.
Flare/chaff disperser:
Somehow decoys do not work well in the 3Galaxies.
I would rather introduce a few, low powered beam
weapons (comparable to handguns) and a mini-missile
launcher as an automated point-defense system.
Then create a "smart" mini-missile (reduced damage)
with "swarm" cabilities, so they can intercept multiple
targets in an incoming missile salvo.
It sounds complicated, but hey, it is not much different
from welding two dyna-bots to the hull, and telling them
to do point defense
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
How about a long range missile with a cluster function. When it gets within a certain distance of the target it opens up an unleashes a swarm of mini missiles at one target. Or else instead of mini missiles, use micro missiles. Just a thought.
"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."
Aramanthus wrote:How about a long range missile with a cluster function. When it gets within a certain distance of the target it opens up an unleashes a swarm of mini missiles at one target. Or else instead of mini missiles, use micro missiles. Just a thought.
Cluster (ie. multi-multi-multi warhead) LRM: certainly for larger
ships and for long-range. I am afraid, that in case of fighter combat,
where a most common attack to be intercepted is a swarm
of MRM or SRM launched within like 10 kms (Palladium range),
a fighter needs a multi-directional launch system (turret or
multiple tubes, facing in every direction), and the LRM
warhead would heve no time and spce to "blossom".
Micro missiles: they are a NE trademark, supposedly
possible only via K-HEX warhead.
But if someone wants to buy a licence of it from NE,
they will sell. (Just read the contract very carefully).
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
I guess it is one thing to buy a weapon (like a
forearm micro-missile launcher and ammo),
and and another to knock it off, incorporate
it into my design, and just buy ammo for it
from the NE.
NE is (in)famous for its Uteni lawyers, so...
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
Yeah, that is why it is advised to install long range
defense systems on a (bigger) starship.
And since LRM's are quite universal, they are excellent
long range attack weapons AND defense.
But, in our question, the Starcross interceptor (or any
starfighter for that matter) only needs a short/point blank
range defense system - mini-missiles, automated
small point-def. turrets, etc.
There are a few main reasons for it:
- A medium or long range defense weapon on a frigate
(and up) is a medium range missile launcher at the minimum.
Now, these systems are usually the main weapon systems
on a starfighter.
- A starfighter, when attacked by a long range missile
swarm can hope to turn and run, thus giving more time
for his (and his mates' ) systems to deal with the
missiles - usually using their main weapons - or even
outrun the missiles.
- On the other hand, starfighter dogfight often means
launching like 4 MRMs on the target, no dodge, end of story.
(As we seen it on Robotech many times, right?)
In this case only a short range automated system might give
a last chance.
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
In Mutants in Orbit, and in Manhunter missiles ARE cheap.
(Like 350 credits a piece for LRMs)
On RIFTS Earth - they cost a fortune.
(Well, in RUE they are... affordable...)
In the 3 Galaxies....? No clue.
(We only know, that E-clips are 250 Cr @)
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
Darkmax wrote:depends on supply. Both Rifts Manhunter and Mutants In Orbit has no unified government to control the price and supply of the missiles. Whereas in Rifts and PW, there exist governments that do not want the private owners to have such powerful weapons, thus it could be a hell lot more expensive.
Yepp, more control (not to mention, that
the Black Market is more or less in a
monopoly) and less supply (NG, CS, maybe
ARCHIE can manufacture missiles in NA).
Even then, LRMs in RUE are a lot cheaper,
than they were in the sourcebook 1.
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
KLM wrote:Plasma torpedo: The "original" romulan plasma torpedo utilised a projectile, with a dual force field bubble (the inner to protect the torpedo, the outer to hold the plasma in), so I would give a payload for the gun. Especially, because it outstanding range.
Flare/chaff disperser: Somehow decoys do not work well in the 3Galaxies. I would rather introduce a few, low powered beam weapons (comparable to handguns) and a mini-missile launcher as an automated point-defense system.
Then create a "smart" mini-missile (reduced damage) with "swarm" cabilities, so they can intercept multiple targets in an incoming missile salvo.
It sounds complicated, but hey, it is not much different from welding two dyna-bots to the hull, and telling them to do point defense
Adios KLM
I tend to think of THree Galaxies 'chaff' as very cheap minuaturized signal decoys(rather than metallic strips)..I really should upgrade and define these properties, but then I'd never get anything done...
However, even if spacecraft designs are slow to revolutionize in the 3G(the slowwing of technological pace), countermeasure tech changes almost weekly....thus the best 'chaff' systems reprogram the micro-decoys before launch with up-to-the-second frequency data gleaned from the ship's radiation sensors...then, of course, somebody switches to gravitics or other targetting systems that the EW suite can't detect...and refitting the ship to pick up on those and counter with appropriate measures adds expense to the ship...
That makes tossing a nice cloud of sand or other ablative material behind you is such a nice idea...even if the enemy missiles can see you through it, they'll still slam into the slower-moving stuff and take damage....Dumb, but effective(unless your enemy has spend good money on heavily armored missiles or forcefielded ordnance).....Again, cost versus preparedness...
-------------
"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:BTW, I meant to ask... Should I make the Esquire official or is it just too blend?
And also, I've been meaning to do some housecleaning (again)... which designs do you guys want to get rid of?
NO, the Esquire doesn't look any more unusual than anything else...
Since I've got just about every design of yours in various states of stat'ed ness on my computer, including some that already got zilched, I can't answer that....
-------------
"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: That makes tossing a nice cloud of sand or other ablative material behind you is such a nice idea...even if the enemy missiles can see you through it, they'll still slam into the slower-moving stuff and take damage....Dumb, but effective(unless your enemy has spend good money on heavily armored missiles or forcefielded ordnance).....Again, cost versus preparedness...
While it is very cinematic to blast a missile away with
a tool kit jettisoned into space...
I am afraid, that missiles
- do not just come from 6 o'clok (from a dog's tail)
- do like company
- already MDC targets (ie. armored to a certain point)
Ssssooo.... You have to able to launch your "sand" in
multiple direction. It has to be fast and heavy grained
to penetrate the missile hull.
It looks like attaching a few dozen claymore mines
onto the starfighter's hull is more viable (this method
is under development and maybe used too in armored
vehicles).
And that is the most simple, yet foolproof method.
(And in the case of tanks, it comes handy, when
someone, with a satchel charge gets within 20 meters
(ie. most weapons are usueless against him).
Silverhawk pilots, did you hear that?
Thought for my part, I would like to be able to destroy
incoming missiles from a somewhat greater distance.
But since we are speaking about a starfighter (those
suicide sled are notoriusly cramped) I do not mind,
if this system is useable as a secondary (tertiary) weapon
system.
This means small CG railgun turrets and/or mini-missiles.
(Micro missiles are fine too, but for my part, I prefer
them as a NE speciality).
Not to mention, that a small turret comes handy when you
have a "tail".
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
Darkmax wrote:BTW, I think you guys should think about throwing an active transponder overboard to get the attention of those missiles. after all, with missiles that smart, they should be chasing transponder signals, not heat signature or gravitatonic waves.
Err... Vacuum Wasps do not heave transponders, but
I would like my missiles to be able to track them. And
there are a handfull of other targets, who not likely
to have transponders (from smugglers to Dominator
vessel, just to cover the two sides of the spectrum).
Besides, a good transponder is not like a beacon
"beep-beep-beep"-ing, but only answers for an
(encrypted) signal.
On the other hand, even the Stinger (ie. shoulder
launched SAM from the early 1980's, late 1970's)
had IFF systems, because we all know, that
the only thing which is more accurate and devastating
than enemy fire is friendly fire.
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
Hmmm... for my part, the good old "image recognition,
fire and forget" method works well.
Except when one sends out a swarm of missiles,
as per "random missile assault" DMB 03, page 107...
That boggles me...
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
Nope, I mean in a signal rich enviroment
(like troop concentrations) if you release
salvo how do they find their target ?
Mind you, launch without lock...
The only thing I can think of is a quite
extensive library - ie. onboard memory
and advanced computing power...
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
Missiles: Perhaps we have a misunderstanding
here. Missiles, as per DMB3 (from SMR and up)
are able to perform seek-and-destoy attacks,
ie. launched at a general location to seek out
target for themselves. It means the NORMAL
(guided but not smart) missiles...
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
Yepp... Maybe in the 3 Galaxies book there is one statted out.
So, would you make a pic with - like - a Scorpion+sled
combo?
Adios
KLM
But still, one of the most basic rules for survival on any planet is never to upset someone wearing black leather - This is why protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw their paint over Hell's Angels.
- Terry Prachett
Small font: use ctrl+c and copy it, so you can read. But since it is in small fonts, it is not important. I am not a NE salesperson.
Darkmax wrote:Guys... see what you guys think of this FTL Sled
Funky...gotta agree, though, unless it's made of tough materials, it looks rather fragile...but maybe the designing race has different aesthetics or advanced knowledge of FTL properties...
-------------
"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:The FTL Sled is meant to be an attachment for non-FTL vessels... It is also supposed to generate a "bubble" to carry the vessel into FTL. Those 4 "stalks" are meant to be magnetic clamps. Adjustable, of course.
Ah...pretty AND functional....
JUst perfect for FTL Sled Rentals or militia looking to move local-space vessels elsewhere FAST...
-------------
"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:BTW, I meant to ask... Should I make the Esquire official or is it just too blend?
And also, I've been meaning to do some housecleaning (again)... which designs do you guys want to get rid of?
NO, the Esquire doesn't look any more unusual than anything else...
Since I've got just about every design of yours in various states of stat'ed ness on my computer, including some that already got zilched, I can't answer that....
Oh! I thought you wouldn't like some of them, so was suggesting to phased out some of these designs. You know, terminating the old production models.
Even if you remove stuff, I can still finish the stats and add them to this list...
I have several 'design trees' in my mind...related designs that show the progression of a design philosophy
Dampier+Cachalot>>>>>Prometheus Vectored Cruiser
Frontier>>>Pacifica>>>>Amaranthus
DRaco Planetary Assault>>>>Chimeara X Deep Space Supergun(+possible variant, the 'Fudd' Demon Planet Slayer)
Ecto Recon Drone>>>>Wraith Stealth SCout>>>>Ethereal Stealth Carrier
Heck, I'm discovering I can even make use of some of your mistakes...
For instance, looking at the vehicle complement for the Dark Justice, the embraked numbers are absurd even the size of the thing...but a variant of the design might be for a terrier-sized race whose fighters are the size of modern day cruise missiles(albeit armed with a few light lasers and a mini-missile launcher), car-sized scouts, truck-sized landing shuttles, and garden-gnome-sized power armors...
...And suddenly I find myself thinking of a whole new race, the Rypt, and their technology("Sure their ships are tiny and pack only pop-guns, but they're so small they barely register on sensors, and when you got seven hundred of them gunning for you...yo pray your missile defense systems are up to it or your jump drive's charged up, 'cause you're looking at death by a thousand cuts...")...which of course, I'll have to stat out...
Ah...a universe-builder's work is never done....
-------------
"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"
KLM wrote:Hmmm... for my part, the good old "image recognition, fire and forget" method works well.
Except when one sends out a swarm of missiles, as per "random missile assault" DMB 03, page 107...
That boggles me...
Adios KLM
Add that to the list of needed descriptions...smart missiles capable of coordinating strikes with other missiles, rather than 'every warhead for himself!'.
-------------
"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 like your sled. Would that be for fighter sized craft or larger?
Hmmm...I wonder..if you synched enough of them, could you move larger objects, such as freighters or small space habitats?
-------------
"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"
Central Alliance SteelHawk Fighter Body
The Central Alliance has been a favorite hunting ground of Splugorth slavers looking for fresh stock, as the worlds are poor, usually poorly-defended, and out of range of fast response from better-equipped neighbors. However, occasionally the Splugorth have found themselves raiding in the face of some real resistance, and the cyborgs of the Central Alliance have managed to turn the tables more than once. In defeating raiders, the Central Alliance has managed to acquire a fair amount of enemy equipment to study and recycle, but generally, the Alliance has lacked the means to duplicate anything but the more basic designs. This has left the Alliance trailing behind their Splugorth tormentors, especially when it comes to fighter design and production.
Over the years the Central Alliance has managed to capture, or reconstruct from various wrecks, over a dozen Kittani Robot Fighters, but has been unable to do much with them. With the arrival of StarForge Shipyards, and its several accompanying smaller subcontractor firms, however, the Alliance’s technological base has gotten a much-needed shot in the arm. Among Noldek’s stipulations for working with SFS was that the company would look seriously into addressing the Alliance’s pressing need for aerospace fighters.
SFS’s Fighter Division has elected to reformat the Kittani design as a cyborg exoframe, allowing them to save on bulky life support systems, as well as to apply much of what the Alliance already has from development of ‘superborg’ gladiator and assault trooper frames to the new fighter. The cyborg can still leave the exoframe in his/her Light Machine body, but once the cyborg enters the SteelHawk’s cockpit niche, he or she is essentially strapping on a new body. In fact, many cyborgs actually refuse to ‘devehicle’, coming to see the fighter AS their bodies.
Because of the need to operate within the generally less-technologically-advanced and resource-scarce Central Alliance, older, less advanced, gear is often used, at least until more sophisticated and powerful equipment becomes available. However, in a few areas, SFS has been able to improve on the original Kittani design. Taking advantage of the cyborg pilots; ability to better handle acceleration g-forces, SFS replaced the originak powerplanet with a larger thruster copied from the Naruni Broadsword fighter. The SteelHawk is slightly larger and noticeably heavier than its Kittani ancestor/opposite number, and is slightly less agile with the added mass, but it possesses a higher turn of raw speed, respectable armor, and more weaponry. SFS has designed the SteelHawk to use modular weaponry, allowing pilot’borgs to ‘customize’ their weapons configuration, as well as simplifying future upgrades.
The basic weapons configuration is similar to the Kittani version; a set of long range energy weapons, a missile battery, and two melee weapons, but the SteelHawk’s modular weapons stations allow more weapons, and a greater variety, to be carried. Another new standard addition is a nose-mount, underslung rifle/cannon pod. The new machine still falls short of the wholly vehicular designs fielded by the TGE and CCW in terms of speed and performance, but the SteelHawk is tough and heavily armed, and is more than equal to the task of battling its Kittani inspiration, as well as Golgan border probes and bandit raiders.
The SteelHawk has only recently been introduced, and supply of the new fighters is lagging behind demand. General Noldek has five squadrons of elite pilots in training around his capital, while another six squadrons are currently in training at the CyberHawks’ elite ranger base on Atticus Moon. StarForge Shipyards has another three squadrons defending its shipyards, and another ten squadrons being formed, with many more to come as production steps up.
Type: CA-SFS-F14
Class: Variable Configuration Aerospace Fighter
Crew: One Light Machine Full Conversion Cyborg
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 500
Head/Laser Turret 200
Reinforced Crew Compartment 80
Shoulder Cannons(2) 150 each
Shoulder Mini-Missile Launchers(2) 150 each
Arms(2) 190 each
Hands(2) 60 each
Legs(2) 250 each
Height: (Fighter Mode) 9 ft
(Robot Mode) 19 ft
Width:(Fighter Mode) 36 ft
(Robot Mode) 10 ft
Length:(Fighter Mode) 36 ft(the protruding rifle pod can add an additional 4 ft)
(Robot Mode) 7 ft
Weight: 10.5 tons
Cargo: Small 3x3 ft cargo space next to pilot.
Physical Strength: Robotic P.S. of 45
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion, w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Running) 50 MPH
(Flying-Atmosphere) 500 MPH in humanoid form, Mach 7.5 in fighter mode
(Flying-Space) Mach 1 in humanoid form, Mach 10 in fighter mode
(Kitsune Values: 25% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.0% of light speed per melee)
(Underwater) Fully capable of operating underwater; 65 MPH under thrusters, with a maximum depth tolerance of 1,000 ft
Market Cost: 9 million credits for the basic SteelHawk
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:
*Neural Interface----The piloting cyborg MUST be fitted with the appropriate headjack connectors(otherwise, on plain manual controls, piloting is limited to Robot Combat: BASIC, with only skill bonuses) to exploit the capabilities of the SteelHawk to its fullest. Bonuses is similar to the Cyberlink Vehicle Interface(Rifts: Warlords of Russia), but has refined through advanced Three Galaxies technology to allow the system to be used with a complex vehicle such as the SteelHawk(note that this is cutting edge tech for the CA, and Noldek will NOT sell it to anybody else): +1 initiative,+ strike, +1 dodge, +1 melee action/attack, +10% to Pilot Fighter skill rolls while linked, and speed can be ‘pumped’ by 1 percentage point per pilot’s IQ rating, maintaining this increased speed for four minutes per M.E. point(so having nerves of steel pays off).
Weapons Systems:
1) Nose Cannon/Rifle Pod(1)---Attached ahead, and below, the nose sensor cluster is a long-bodied railgun pod that is handheld in robot mode. Rather than use a grav-gun like the CCW or TGE, or other more advanced races, the Central Alliance uses less sophisticated rail guns---cheaper, easier to maintain, and easier to construct. Of course, StarForge Shipyards has stated that once they get support infrastructure up and running, upgrades to more powerful grav-guns will be a matter of course, starting with Noldek’s elite guard.
Range: 10,000 ft in atmosphere, 30,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values: 6 miles in atmosphere, 600 miles in space)
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 200 bursts
b) Heavy Plasma Cannon---In the alternative, a larger, heavier, Plasma Ejector Pod, based on a pirated Bushido Industries design, and offering more firepowr, albeit at reduced range and rate of fire, can be carried instead. This weapon is typically used for assaults on ground targets and on fortified structures at close range.
Range 600 ft :in atmosphere, 2,400 ft in space
(Kitsune Values: 2,400 ft in atmosphere, 240,000 ft(48 miles) in space)
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee(each blast counts as 2 attacks)
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
2) Forearm Weapons(2, modular)---Mounted alongside the nose in Fighter Mode, and as armshields in Robot Mode, these modular pallets are optimized for swap-in/swap-out weaponry systems, allowing for fast refits and customization. Available weapons include(ONE may be mounted per forearm):
a) Vibroblade---Identical to the original Kittani design, but slightly longer and often appearing as swept-winglets when in fighter-mode; 1d4x10 MD per energized strike
b) Ripper Blades---These are longer, nastier, curved and barbed energy blades developed by Noldek’s own weapons techs, and they do slightly more damage than regular heavy vibroblades.
Range: Melee
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per strike
c) Pulse Laser
Range: 6,000 ft in atmosphere, 18,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values: 3.6 miles in atmosphere, 360 miles in space)
Damage: 4d6 MD per single blast, 1d4x10 MD per pulse burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
d) Ion Blaster
Range: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 12,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values: 2.4 miles in atmosphere, 240 miles in space)
Damage: 5d6 MD per blast, 1d6x10 MD for a double-tap blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
e) Plasma Cannon
Range: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 12,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values: 2.4 miles in atmosphere, 240 miles in space)
Damage: 6d6 MD per single blast or 4d6 MD to a 30 ft wide area
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
f) Plasma Arc---A short-ranged, but extremely powerful and damaging plasma torch...It suffers from some development problems, however, including a tendancy to overheat and inconsistant recharge time.
Range: Melee(arc is roughly 12 ft long)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per strike, 3d6x10 MD for a full melee cut/burn
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Conditionally Unlimited, can only be maintained for 1d6+2 melees before requiring 1d4 melees to cool down/recharge.
g) Particle Beam Cannon
Range: 1 mile in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
Damage: 6d6+6 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
h) Mini-Missile Launcher
Range:(Varies by Missile Type)
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 100 miles in space)
Damage:(Varies by Missile Type)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 18 mini-missiles
i) Short-Range Missile Launcher
Range:(Varies by Missile Type)
(Kitsune Values: 10 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
Damage:(Varies by Missile Type)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 6 SRMs
k) Medium Range Missile Launcher
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 1-3
Payload: 3 MRMs
l) Light Rail Gun
Range 6,000 ft :in atmosphere, 18,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values: 3.6 miles in atmosphere, 360 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per 40 round burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 40,000 rds (100 bursts)
m) Gausss Rifle----A heavier, larger-bore, rail gun firing a single heavy projectile. SFS is experimenting with various explosive and specialized enhanced damage-capacity munition types, as opposed to a simple kinetic penetrator round.
Range: 10,000 ft in atmosphere, 30,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values: 6 miles in atmosphere, 600 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per single shot
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 50 rounds
3) Shoulder Cannons(2)---Similar to those on the original Kittani model, only heavier with slightly better range.
Range:in atmosphere, in space
(Kitsune Values: in atmosphere, in space)
Damage: 1d4x10+5 MD per single blast, 2d4x10+10 MD per double blast(counts as ONE attack)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
4) Shoulder Mini-Missile Launchers(2)---The original launchers have been retained, but the slightly larger size of the SteelHawk means that there is a bit more magazine room for additional reloads.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-8
Payload: 16 missiles per launcher, 32 total
5)Head Lasers---Another holdover from the original design, only slightly less powerful due to less advanced laser technology.
Range: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 12,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values: 2.4 miles in atmosphere, 240 miles in space)
Damage: 4d6 MD per blast, 1d6x10+4 MD for a double-tap blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
6)Hand to Hand Combat
Restrained Punch 1d6 MD
Full Strength Punch 2d6 MD
Power Punch(2 attacks) 5d6 MD
Kick 3d6 MD
Leap Kick 5d6 MD
Body Block/Tackle
Combat is similar to the Kittani vehicle(Basic and Elite Power Armor Combat) with the folowing modifications from the Cyborg Interface Linkage.
+1 initiative,
+ strike,
+1 dodge,
+1 melee action/attack,
+10% to Pilot Fighter skill rolls while linked
Speed can be ‘pumped’ by 1 percentage point per pilot’s IQ rating, maintaining this increased speed for four minutes per M.E. point(so having nerves of steel pays off).
Options:
Besides the modular forearm points, many SteelHawk pilots like to swap out the main rifle pod for a different weapon, such as a portable laser/energy cannon, heavier Grav Rail Gun, or large missile launcher pod. Individualized, cosmetically-customized sensor heads are also popular with elite units, though this does not affect the sensors’ performance.
Other options under testing and development include additional avionics hardpoints for carrying additional sensors and ECM/EW pods, as well as additional applique armor(though this is likely to add protection at the expense of speed) and bot scout and stealth versions....However, such systems will likely first appear with Noldek’s elite forces.
* ‘SunFang’ Pulse Lance---This option is an attempt to make the SteelHawk comparable to the fighters of more advanced nations, in terms of long range firepower. It’s essentially a massive long-range laser cannon that is carried over the shoulder in robot mode, and lashed parallel to the main hull in fighter mode. Constructed with the best local weapons technology available to the Central Alliance, it’s rather bulky and cumbersome, and downright expensive(currently only Noldek’s elite fighter corps are given access to the weapon), but it packs a serious photonic punch at incredible range.
Range: 5 miles in atmosphere, 10 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 10 miles in atmosphere, 10,000 miles in space)
Damage: 4d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Penalty: The SunFang is heavy and adds drag in atmosphere; reduce top speed by 25% and -2 to Dodge
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"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:Hmm... been rethinking a cargo transporter. What do you guys think of this super transporter?
I know the front portion needs a revamp, but I just can't figure out what to do with it yet. This starship is also supposed to bend and flex quite a bit. The cargoes are all attached to a central connecting "rod" at one of each container's corners. This should allow for some degree of flexibility. The is a huge back thrusters in the back, which is not visible from this angle. BTW, it is meant to be a bit minimalistic. Those glowing columns are supposed to be CG-generators.
See if you guys can comment on it. Any sort of comment.
Hmmmm...giant container ship...just perfect for flooding a planetary economy with cheap goods or sneaking in a small army of raiders!
-------------
"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"
)
