Starship designs...

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 6:57 pm

Dylon 7C Light Transport
(aka ‘Crate’, ‘Sprat’)

“We used to joke that the CAF was spooning in forces into the war zone in Dylon-crates because any one CAF trooper was equal to any three Kretig...after eight months in an arctic warzone, fighting, the rumor’s now the CCW doesn’t want to advertize the cost of the war by showing big troop transports going in fully loaded, and coming back nearly empty...nobody pays attention to how many small transports...’sprats’...come and go, though...so it isn’t evident how many troops are REALLY being sent in...and how many ain’t riding back out alive...”

The Dylon 7C is a fast light transport that entered service with the CCW’s Anvil Galaxy services some forty years ago, introduced by Malon Industries, in response to a CAF spec-request for a locally-produced small short-range transport craft. MI, which had already produced several previous utility ships for industrial and military support, turned in a design for the requirement “so fast they didn’t have time to erase the straight-angle pencil lines on the blueprints” in the joke of one CAF procurement officer, referencing the blocky angular lines of the ship. Malon won the contract, and the Dylon 7C entered official service with CAF Anvil.
The Dylon 7C is a squarish, angular, and unrepentantly ugly craft with nearly no concessions to aesthetics or streamlining of any sort. The main fuselage is rectangular and flat-faced, with slab sides, a sloped-up rear ventral section, and two stub vertical generator vanes at the rear. Internal layout had two decks, a lower passenger deck with side and rear hatches, and a forward airlock port, and an upper crew/bridge/engineering deck. Control systems were based on the familiar, intuitive General Galaxy CS(Cockpit Standard)-552 model, allowing for quick and easy training, and simple handling, but the ships fly almost entirely by instruments, the pilots having no direct visual viewports through the nose of the ship, but must rely on the feed from the large sensor dome located in the front above the nose docking adaptor. Internal facilities are limited; for a passenger run, onboard services could only realistically support a full passenger load of one hundred persons in any sort of comfort for only three days, limiting the Dylon to short runs between stars systems(though its five-lightyear/hour speed meant it could easily cover one hundred light years in a day).
Despite their boxy, utilitarian appearances, Dylon 7Cs are quite fast, courtesy of their courier-style drive systems. Malon Industries elected to salvage its defunct Straslan Lufthoven H-3 courier programme by adapting the engines meant for it to other purposes. The Malon LCD-330s were cut down and modified, sacrificing some of their original power for less tempermental and abuse-tolerant operation in the field. The high-performance engines are located in two lateral pyloned nacelles, with an extra-large cooling system mounted on them. Despite the still-high maintenance required of these drives, the Dylon drive systems still put out impressive performance, considering that the ships must rely entirely on their CG drives ‘bruteforcing’ their way through atmosphere. Their turn of speed in space and in FTL mode is superior to that of many other ships of their class, making them ideal for quick transits in contested space.
As it was developed to meet a military requirement, the Dylon-7C carries medium armor and a token point defense system, with several small pulse laser turrets covering the main arcs of approach. A variable forcefield system was added for protection, but the Dylon’s main defense remains its speed.
Despite test-crew reservations about the ‘virtual cockpit’ and the extra attention demanded by the engines, Malon Industries won the CAF Anvil contract bid for a light military transport, and delivered over 800 ships to the CAF. Dylon 7Cs became a common sight in CAF logistical units in the Anvil Galaxy, though the design has thus far seen little service elsewhere in the CCW, given the poor distribution of spare parts by Malon. Their first major trial by fire was the Three Systems War, where Dylons became fairly ubiquitous, ferrying personnel to and medevacing casaulties from the warzone. Despite their lack of armament, Dylon 7Cs frequently came under fire and had to serve in hot combat zones as the war escalated, and the craft came to be pressed into action as tactical transports. Attempts to convert the craft into gunships and armor transports proved less satisfactory,as the ships were too tall and narrow to accommodate the CAF Anvil-standard armored vehicles, and mounting additional weapons was problematic due to the placement of the main engines.
The Dylon 7C is generally regarded as a standard, stalwart, if not exceptional, example of its class, and continues to soldier on in CAF service. Though generally ignored elsewhere in the CAF as just another ‘starhopper’, veterans of the Three Systems War have nicknamed the Dylon 7C with such titles as ‘Mail Box’, ‘Lunch Pail’, ‘Newbie Crate’, and ‘Coffin Carton’. Twenty years ago, Malon Industries came out with a civilian model of the Dylon, which has sold modestly well on the open market, so the ship is not uncommon to see outside military service in the Anvil.
Type: CCW-MI-T104 Dylon 7C
Class: Light Transport
Crew: 4+100 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,800
Bridge 600
Forward Sensor Array 300
Engines(2) 1,000 each
Point Defense Laser Turrets(3) 65 each
Variable Forcefields 200 per side, 1,200 total
Height: 42 ft
Width: 65 ft
Length: 186 ft
Weight: 320 tons
Cargo: 100 passengers or 150 tons of cargo
Powerplant: Advanced Fusion Nuclear w/ 30 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 1.2; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 10
(Kitsune Values: 50% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.0% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 5.5 light years per hour
(Underwater) Not Possible
Market Cost: 24 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:
Weapons Systems:
1) Point Defense Laser Turrets(3, two dorsal, one ventral rear)---The Dylon 7C carries a light PDS armament of three light laser turrets.
Range: 1 mile in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH, or 4 APMs under automated fire control
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

Variants:

*Dylon 7D---The civilian version of the Dylon 7C strips off most of the armor(reduce overall MDC by 40%) and downgrades the variable forceshielding to a standard monoplanar field(1,000 MDC).

*Dylon 7C(TS1)---Tactical support gunship variant of the Dylon 7C, the TS-model replaced the pulse lasers with GR-50 Grav Cannons( with 20,000 rds each), gutted the lower passenger/cargo compartment, and mounted two GR-100s and four PDS particle beams(2d4x10 MD per blast) in side sponsons. Two short range missile launchers(30 missiles each, volleys of 1-5) were added firing forward. TheTS1 was roundly criticized for its lack of forward armor and firepower---the necessary measures to add the forward SRM launchers and some limited strafing ability made the ship vulnerable to strikes penetrating its forward docking hatch and damaging the missile ammunition bins---in one case, resulting in a catastrophic cook-off explosion. Efforts to correct this vulnerability and add additional firepower by deleting the forward docking hatch/compartment altogether made the ship impossible to hard-dock in space, making crewing and servicing difficult. The TS1 variant proved of limited value in securing landing zones and supporting ground troops and other craft and conversions of other designs proved more effective in the fire support role. Only a few dozen TS1 conversions were completed, and they were quickly wirthdrawn after several combat actions showed their weaknesses.

*Dylon 7C(C)---An attempt to make the Dylon 7C more versatile as a material transport, the C-C variant rebuilt the lower hull to become essentially an open deck for underslung cargo modules and externally-carried cargo in place of the passenger deck. This enabled the Dylon to carry such cargoes as a single 3GICS Class-3 (‘Giant’) Cargo Can or a single CAF Phalanx MBT, but ruined what little streamlining the ships had. The C-Cs proved slow and vulnerable when performing in-atmo, and the few hundred ships so converted to the C-C model were quickly pulled from the combat zone and relegated to rear-echelon duties. The civilian model of the Dylon 7D(C) has done somewhat better.

*Dylon-8C---A subsequent redesign of some of the less endearing aspects of the Dylon 7C, in an effort to hang onto the light transport contract, the Dylon-8C adds some streamlining to the hull, and modifies the forward sensor array into a more curved and rounded prow, with multiple smaller sensor lenses and arrays in place of the original ‘cyclops eye’ array. Otherwise, performance and characteristics are unchanged.

*‘Black Maria”--- “Black Maria” was the nickname given by CCW MilIntel to a handful of Dylon 7Cs captured by the Kretig in the Three Systems War and converted for use for infiltrating CCW space. They were most infamously used in the tracking down and kidnapping of Kretig defectors and disidents who were living in CCW space and publicly denouncing the Kretig military government. It is believed that there were no more than a dozen ‘Black Marias’ in service, and that they were involved in the disappearances and/or deaths of over two dozen people over their years of service, but they also provided excellent platforms for spying and reconning CCW space. The end of the ‘Black Maria’ programme came with the abduction of Esseta Teyan, an ex-lieuntenant in the Kretig military, who became a vocal critic-in-exile of the regime....CCW pursuit ships managed to track the Dylon spyship carrying her back into Kretig space and managed to intercept and capture it. Information found in the ship’s intact com-logs allowed CAF MilIntel to locate and trap several other ‘Black Marias’, reportedly putting an end to their operations.
The main changes to the ships were an alterable IFF transponder system, ELINT suite, sensor baffling array, FTL burst comm array(Kretig systems typically had a non-relay range of 85 light years), and had the armament bolstered to include three concealed particle beam turrets (4d6x10 MD per blast each, effective range of 1.5 miles inatmo/3 miles in space) and a rear-mounted medium-range missile launcher(36 missile capacity, volleys of 1-12)(though the ‘Black Marias’’ only real hope of surviving an encounter with enemy craft was to avoid contact altogether). Passenger capacity was slashed to 40(typically special operations) and a stasis-cell array with capacity for 12 prisoners.

KLM · Unread post by **KLM** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:44 am

Nice little ship, the only addition to it would be some possibility to
overload the engines (ie. the given peak performance is only aviable
for some time - a dozen hours or so - before malfunctions, for example).

Adios
KLM

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 2:46 pm

KLM wrote::ok:

Nice little ship, the only addition to it would be some possibility to
overload the engines (ie. the given peak performance is only aviable
for some time - a dozen hours or so - before malfunctions, for example).

Adios
KLM

"SCOTTY! GIVE US MORE REVERSE GEARRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!"

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:58 am

Nice ship Taalismn! Looks like something that could be found in the hands of many people. I'm sure someone will modify them into a smuggling rig.

gaby · Unread post by **gaby** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:42 am

Nice ship.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 3:02 pm

Forraker Aerospace Transol Medium Transport

“After a day of bickering with the natives over a suitable price for the local merchandise, fighting off the blowhards who figure the right price is your ransom, hauling the goods back and loading them along with the reparations you got from what was left of the blowhards, fending off an attack by their relatives who feel they got cut out of the wills, then fending off an attack by rival merchantmen who figure on cutting out the middlemen and taking your cargo for themselves, it’s sure nice to be able to ease into the comfort and safety of your ship, wash off the day’s grim, sweat, and blood, and relax in the lounge with a highball, while contemplating the life of a merchant-adventurer!”
----Baron-Mercantile Nicoli Terrosa, author of From the Heart to the Arm: Being the Self-Promoting Pronouncements and Ever-So Slightly Exaggerated Adventures of a Stellar Traveller, Trader, and Scoundrel.

Forraker Aerospace was an old company in the Human Alliance, that served the commercial sector in the early days of the HA. They gained some notoriety for their sturdy and comfortable transport craft and industrial platform designs.
Forraker’s designs belonged to an older era of space travel, when it could be argued there was still a spirit of adventure in even the most mundane of interstellar commerce. Forakker ships were designed with durability and comfort in mind; even their freighters featured lavish crew quarters and plenty of space for creature comforts. And for a time Forraker was THE name in cutting edge technology and ship design; their ships graced the fleets of such early mercantile empire-builders as D’Loyd’s, ChromaStar Lines, the Henley Compact, and the Verrone Consortium. Their designs were reliable and safe, and the company scandal-free. The location and rescue of the survivors of the translight passenger liner Titan, by two Transol freighters helped push the Forraker name into a positive public limelight that hardly faded over the years.
Forraker Aerospace fell behind the times as space travel became more routine, streamlined, and commercialized. Though well- designed and comfortable, Forraker ships did not meet the demanding needs of the younger interstellar corporations that wanted faster and less expensive ships. Crew comforts were cut to the minimum necessary to maintain crew functionality. Forraker just couldn’t compete with the newer, faster, short-haul designs being pumped out by the big aerospace firms of the CCW, and the yacht trade was drying up as the younger million- and billionaire-set looked away from Forraker’s old-fashioned philosophies and looked to the newer Fringe yards and well-sponsored firms like those based out of the Paradise Foundation. The (relatively) genteel competition and commerce practices of Forraker’s glory days were quickly fading as the interstellar trade territories both openned and tightened up.
On the verge of financial collapse, Forraker went onto the auction block, where it was bought up by WZTechyards, ironically the sort of Fringe shipyard that would have contributed to Forraker’s demise in the day. The conglomerate has breathed fresh life into the company, allowing the company to stay afloat long enough, producing spare parts and components for WZT designs, for its ‘classic’ models to again come back into vogue.
The Transol is probably the best known of the Forraker ‘gentlemen traveller’ ships; multipurpose starships with enough integral style and luxury to appeal to adventurous space travellers and long-haul voyagers. The ships have a roughly lozenge-shaped hull, with sensors in the forward curved hull, engines in the rear, cargo bays straddling a high-placed spine running between fore-and-aft sensor and observation ‘pagodas’. The extensive use of kelamium-titanium composite alloys throughout the outer hull construction had the curious effect of acquiring a colorful ‘patina’ from exposure to atmospheric oxygen and hydrogen gas, quickly lending the vessels a ‘weathered’ look without compromising structural integrity. The ships’ baroque, almost antiquated, appearance lends something of the ‘flying chateau’(or ‘astroGothic’) to their appeal among customers seeking something that speaks of old reliability and long-invested money. Of course, WZT has upgraded the systemry of the Transol to allow it to keep up with advances in avionics, while retaining the vessel’s classic lines and looks.
The Transol is much more reliant on physical toughness than on shields for protection, and it was armored more heavily for the unexpected hazards of space travel than modern transports, carrying a greater physical weight of older material armor. WZT has managed to shave some of the weight off while increasing the protective value with more modern armors, and has upgraded the early model radiation/particle shielding with a more modern forceshielding system(with the option of upgrading to a variable forcefield). The crew accommodations retain the forward semi-circular ‘pagoda’ design and the long ‘gallery’ for recreation facilities paralleling the lower cargo decks(the gymnasium facilities can be converted to additional light cargo stowage for cost-conscious operators). Crew quarters retain their roominess(In an age that still remembered the earlier axioms of wasted space and extra mass, Forraker felt that claustrophobia made for poor crew efficiency).
While still unable to compete with modern bulk freighters for the large corporate contracts, the new Transols are finding a new market among wealthier private travellers who use the ships more as working yachts than as freighters. A number of ships have been acquired and converted into small starliners, space-going tourist and spa cruisers, high-end diner excursion craft, and even diplomatic shuttles. The Espa Assembly of the Deity has a refitted Transol to act as a tabernacle-ship, taking worshippers out to enjoy the silence and peace out at the edge of the Espa-Rau solar system(and the wonderous view of the neighboring Fountain Nebula), while GenGenDara Associates uses their Transol as a flying office and business seminar retreat.
Besides the new production Transols, there are still hundreds of old-model Transols out in the Three Galaxies, in various states of disrepair and functionality, many of them heavily modified. These ships generally have 25-30% less main body MDC and slower speeds.
Type: FA-STM-070 Transol(II)
Class: Medium Transport
Crew: 8+ 1-30 passengers(liner conversions can carry up to 400 passengers in comfort)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 20,000
Bridge 5,000
Sensor/Communications Arrays(3) 300 each
Rear Lounge/Living Quarters Blister 5,000
Shuttlebay 2,000
Engines(4) 2,000 each
Forcefield 1,000

Height: 75 ft
Width: 90 ft
Length: 500 ft
Weight: 85,000 tons
Cargo: 20,000 tons
Powerplant: Advanced Nuclear Fusion w/ 60 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 6
(Kitsune Values: 20% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.6% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 5 light years per hour(Original speed was 1.2 light years an hour)
(Underwater) Not Possible
Market Cost: 150 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:
*Expanded Onboard Recreation Facilities----The Transol’s living accommodations are noticeably larger than those on previous ships...and many ships since; the ships come with three large basketball-court-sized areas set aside specifically for crew recreation(they’re poorly accessible for anything other than light cargo) that are typically outfitted as gymnasiums, theatres, or studios. Other perks of the ships include large lounge areas with armored viewports and video screens, a large sickbay(and separate quarantine cabin), live-growth hydroponic and arboretum section, and roomy cabins.

*Expanded Recycling Facilities----Forraker designed for long-haul travel and incorporated the latest miniaturized-scale recycling and autofac systems into its ships(the equivalent of Class Two Recycling from MiO), allowing for low-loss recycling of air, water, simple plastics and fabrics, standard metals and basic alloys, and basic foodstuffs. The systems on the Transol could efficiently recycle with a basic starting massload for a comfortable trip of about 9 months(ship-time)...Under emergency conditions, that could be stretched to 24 months(ship-time).

Weapons Systems:
The Transol originally came equipped with fore-and-aft anti-debris defensive lasers, but most ‘gentlemen-adventurers’ have seen fit to upgrade the armaments, up to medium-class weapons. Some extreme up-guns have mounted as many as eight different weapons systems, including some fairly heavy ordnance; famed Baron-Mercantile and travel author Nicoli Terrosa’s Solar Rose mounted a concealed nuclear howitzer that could lob a 20 kiloton shell up to 90 miles(he reportedly only fired it in anger three times in his long career).
1) Point Defense Laser Turrets(4)
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Auxiliary Craft:
3 shuttles
Typically 1-6 terrestrial vehicles(ground cars or hovercraft)

KLM · Unread post by **KLM** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:04 am

Nice ship.

As always :wink:

I have a couple of suggestions:

1, Sublight speed is a tad low for the improved FTL.
2, Under the "extended recycling facilities" so called "autofac"-s are mentioned?
Are they automated factories? Are they capable of manufacturing goods from
raw (like mined) materials? Is it possible to buy - say - lumber at one place,
and selling boats at another (and meanwhile let the autofactories earn their price)?

Adios
KLM

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:37 pm

KLM wrote:Nice ship.

As always I have a couple of suggestions:

1, Sublight speed is a tad low for the improved FTL.
2, Under the "extended recycling facilities" so called "autofac"-s are mentioned?
Are they automated factories? Are they capable of manufacturing goods from
raw (like mined) materials? Is it possible to buy - say - lumber at one place,
and selling boats at another (and meanwhile let the autofactories earn their price)?

Adios
KLM

Mybe sublight 7 or 8?

The autofacs I'd say are 'widgetfacs' or vendor-stall devices...they can turn out tools, pistols, raincoats, plastic sheeting, packaging, small items like that...you probably wouldn't be able to turn out a boat, but you could turn out the nails, plastic hull paneling, components, engine parts, and then assemble it...

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:47 pm

I like this ship! I'm thinking about equiping some Merc Units in Phase world and these ships could be their transports for their grav tanks and other vehicles that they use.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:24 pm

Thanks...I got the visual aspect from some old verdigried Victorian-era tabernacle pavillions near my summer house...with a dose of the baroque design from Disney's 'Black Hole'...

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 2:19 am

That is a cool thing to be inspired by! You guys have a summer house? Cool!

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 6:00 pm

Aramanthus wrote:That is a cool thing to be inspired by! You guys have a summer house? Cool!

Yep..google 'Oak Bluffs', "Gingerbread Cottages', 'Methodist Campgrounds'...probably even geta few pictures of houses near mine(actually my folks')...
They're really little more than brightly painted sheds with few amenities, but they're nice places to get away from most of it...Also very conducive to thoughts about magic...

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:51 pm

Working off DarkMaxx's old images....

*WZ-USF-023-ST Manta Sub-Fighter

“The liberation of Perotii VII wouldn’t have been possible without submarine interdiction...Originally our employers wanted to pay for a big showy orbital sweep and blanket-coverage EM spectrum jamming that would shut down all planetary communications between the Seljukii garrisons, but we caught wind that that the clever dinos had laid old-fashioned submarine fiber optics down in the deep oceans where jamming and orbital fire wasn’t going to touch them....So we diverted some of the fireworks budget to buy some subs...During our first attack runs, we dropped them in, THEN pulled our big light-and-static show...Between their wireless being snowed and their sub-cables being chopped, the lizards went mute and couldn’t coordinate any sort of response fast enough through their few land lines before we got THOSE too....After that it was a straight-out textbook seige and a month later the Seljuk Boradi Rangers took down their flags and conceded defeat...They might have held out for a lot longer if they had retained interbase communications like they would have if we hadn’t invested in the sea-fighters. ”
---Colonel-Martial Mannbave Ringgo, Leveraged Negotiations Inc.

Though WZTechYards was set up as a spacecraft-manufacturing consortium, many of the smaller companies that comprise it had divisions in other fields, including conventional ground and hydro-vehicle manufacture. The SysAdmin has not discouraged this, and, when possible, has arranged for companies to receive funding and tech support for promising vehicle designs.
The WZ-USF-023-ST Manta Sub-Fighter came from the drawing boards of the Paven, a race of non-humanoid amphibians who were otherwise better known to the Three Galaxies for their manufacture of modular marine spaceport facilities. The WZ-USF-023-ST was their effort to launch into galactic arms sales, using a design previously developed for a local military requirement(the Paven military passed it up in favor of a more expensive and heavier design). The relatively small size and light weight of the Manta prototype indicated that it would be easy to carry aboard starships, making it that much more attractive to merchants and mercenaries contemplating marine operations.
The WZ-USF-023-ST Manta is immediately distinguishable by its filmy ‘wings’ that emerge from the streamlined cerametal hull. Comprised of ultra-thin nanotubules and ‘smart’ polymers infused with bucky-fiber actuators and nanocircuitry, these filmy appendages serve a dual purpose. When deployed they act as both ultra-fine sonar sensor arrays and as ultra-stealthy ‘cilia’ propulsion systems. Although as a propulsion system thay cannot move the Manta very fast, the cilia-drive system allows the sub to move exceptionally quietly, with none of the accoustic racket associated with more conventional hydro-drives. When the Manta needs to move FAST, it retracts its ‘wings’ and switches to a more conventional hgh-speed hydrojet propulsion system.
The main weaponry is a set of four powerful ‘sonascream’ cannons---powerful hybrids of marine lasers and sonic weapons, with excellent underwater range performance. Backing the energy weapons are two short-range torpedo launchers for extra firepower.
Adapting the Manta for humanoid users has taken some work, but worth the effort. WZTechyards has simplified the process by developing a modular crew compartment pod with universal system connections that can be swapped out and bolted on to customize the craft for for different species. The pod also detaches as a lifeboat in an emergency.
While submarines have never been hot sellers on the galactic market, being too easily overlooked as effective weapons in galactic warfare, the Manta has done well for itself in its limited market. Recently, several large orders have been made by unanimous buyers out on the Galactic Rim(unbeknownst to WZTechYards, the buyer is the Splugorth Slaynrythh, who specializes in aquatic Minions and hydrosphere-based planetary conquest).
Type:WZ-USF-023-ST
Class: Sub-Fighter
Crew: One
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 400
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Cilia Propulsion Fans(2) 90 each
Sonascream Cannons(4) 35 each
Height: 45 ft(15 m) (8 ft with cilia fans folded up)
Width: 15 ft (5 m) (10 ft with cilia fans folded up)
Length: 48 ft (16 m)
Weight: 7 tons
Cargo: Small space in cockpit for a survival pack and sidearm.
Powerplant: Advanced Nuclear-Fusion w/ 15 year energy life
Speed:
(Underwater) 110 MPH, maximum depth of 7 miles
Bonuses: The fighter-like controls and advanced propulsion system give the Manta incredible manuevarability underwater; +2 to dodge.
Market Cost: 32 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus;
*Escape Pod---The cockpit can eject from the rest of the ship to serve as a lifepod, especially when at deep depths.
*Sonar---50 mile range
*Stealth Running---With the ‘cilia fans’ engaged, the Manta is extremely quiet; -25% to detect via sonar, but cannot exceed 25 MPH in speed.
Weapons Systems:
1) SonaScream Cannons(4)---The Manta mounts four high-power sonic cannons in the spine-like protrudances at the front of the ship.
The cannon barrels have the added property of being able to be vibrated like giant vibroblades, allowing them to be used in close-quarters ramming and cutting attack.
Range:(Sonic Beam) 6,000 ft underwater, 3,000 ft in air.
(VibroSlicers) Contact
Damage:(Sonic Beam) 1d4x10 MD per single pulse; 4d4x10 MD for all four cannon firing simultaneously
(VibroSlicers) 6d6 per blade strike, 2d6x10 MD for a ram with all four spines
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Short Range Torpedo Launchers(2)---Two conventional supercavitating torpedo launchers are mounted on the sides of the sub-fighter.
Range:Varies by Type; typically 8 miles
Damage: Varies by Type; typically 2d6x10 MD (high explosive)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 18 per launcher(32 total)

3)Screamer Acoustic Decoys
Screamers are specialized one-use munitions that when fired, broadcast a massive burst of noise across all audio/sonic frequencies, with the intended effect of destroying acoustic target(sonar) locks, and allowing the sub to escape opponents using sonar to detect or track them. -60% to track the sub via sonar while the Screamer is in effect, while sonar-guided weapons are -10 to strike. plus acoustic-homing weapons will break target lock to attack the decoy.
Screamers also have the effect of stunning dolphins, whales, and other creatures using natural sonar and echo location. These creatures are disoriented/stunned for 1d4 melees.
A typical screamer will last 1d6 melees until it burns out or is destroyed.
Screamers can also be fused to ignite/activate anywhen up to a minute(4 melees) after deployment.
Note: Screamers will affect the user’s own sonar systems.
Range: 6,000 ft
Payload: The Manta carries 10 Screamer decoys

Options:
*ASPL-’Sea Fire’ Launchers----Through one of its many trade contacts, WZT acquired the plans and license to produce the ASP Sea Fire, adual mode missile/torpedo based on Kittani hardware. The Manta can be fitted with two launchers under the main hull.
Range:(Underwater) 20 miles
(Air) 75 miles
Speed:(Underwater) 400 MPH
(Air) Mach 3
Damage: 4d6x10 MD
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2, 3, 4, or 6
Payload: 6 per launcher, 12 total
Bonuses: (Torpedo)Because of the torpedoes’ higher speed and advanced targeting systems, the Sea Fire doesn’t suffer the same range and accuracy penalties as conventional torpedoes. The Sea Fire has a +1 to strike, and a +3 to strike within 3,000 ft of the target.
(Missile)---Not quite as accurate as a Harpoon III, but more powerful. +3 to strike

*HASPL ‘SeaSlam’ Heavy Rocket Torpedoes---Instead of the smaller ‘Sea Fire’, the Manta can instead carry two underslung HASP ‘SeaSlam’ weapons, based on the original Kittani weapons.
Range: (Underwater) 500 miles
(Air) 1,800 miles
Speed:(Underwater) 200 MPH
(Air) Mach 3
Damage: Varies by missile type(Long Range/Heavy)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-2(all)
Payload: Two HASPs can be carried

KLM · Unread post by **KLM** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:56 pm

First to post

Nice ship, thought technically not a starship.

What I would recommend is to elaborate passive/active sonar system and maybe a towed decoy.

Adios
KLM

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:19 pm

Well, I'm already thinking of what the Minion War is going to do to the Three Galaxies...what with the CCW taking it really hard(there's some hints of a breakdown of order in the CCW, with the TGE attacking out of sheer opportunism...), I'm thinking of the CAF finding itself overstretched, its traditional suppliers disrupted by either Minion attacks, local chaos, and TGE sabotage, and forced to use a lot of stopgaps and secondary- and tertiary-suppliers and designs...

Other hints from the Dyval book:
*The FWC---Goes on a rampage and possibly overextends itself fighting the TGE while the latter is supposedly preoccupied with the CCW
*UWW---Hit from all sides...they know the most and have the most effective supernatural defenses, but are also among the most vulnerable due to their location near magic-rich worlds...
*Phaseworld---hard hit by the Minions due its place as a dimensional nexus...

My thoughts on the other powers---
*The Altess---The Altess will attempt to buy mercenaries to defend them...teh mercenaries will get (literally) eaten alive...then the Altess will attempt to buy off the demons...and fail miserably....THen they'll attempt to fight...and go down hard...The Minions take great sport in enslaving Altess worlds....

*Splugorth---The Splugs will be divided on allying themselves with one or another of the factions, hoping to be still standing at the end to betray their allies and fall on the weakened THree Galaxies, but their holding of dimensional rifts and magic artifacts means htey'll take a savage beating regardless of their plans...

*Golgans----The Golgans will be like the TGE...they'll see an opportunity, and will gather their forces in anticipation...as soon as the Dyvals and Demons finish weakening all their enemies...in the meantime, they'll go uber-paranoid and shoot anything suspicious entering their space....THey'll also be secure thinking that their alliance with the ULtrovians gives then an edge, but this will prove their undoing...the Ultrovians will seem to be doing all right until they do something boneheaded, like summon an Infernal Lord...and blow it, and the Golgans will suddenly have a major Minion problem exploding inside their own territory...

Naruni Enterprises---They'll be selling left and right, greedily rubbing their appendages in anticipation of all those foreclosures and penalty payments they'll rake in afterwards....at least until the Minions and piracy take a toll on their own worlds...

Omegan Order---Of the two remaining major powers, the Omegan order will stand to benefit the most....THey'll gladly sell their services to one side or the other, seize the opportunity to fall on panicked worlds, set up protection rackets, and settle old scores with the CosmoKnights and their Forge allies....

Central Alliance---Being in a magic-poor, underpopulated sector of space, and with a culture that idealizes bionic augmentation, the Central Alliance should be free of Minion activity..The lore of magic corruption and power will hardly appeal to folks who see getting metall'ed up as the real path to power, and the full conversion cyborgs will be more immune to magic and illusions....If the Central Alliance could build up their navy and spaceforces, they could do very well exploiting the chaos among their neighbors, and helping out or hiring out as mercenaries to combat the Minions...

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 1:18 am

It is a very interesting creation. I can see it filling a niche in the Three Galaxies. There are many worlds where something like that could help patrol the depths. Please keep the Starships coming! So do you have Dyval yet Taalismn?

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:55 pm

Aramanthus wrote:It is a very interesting creation. I can see it filling a niche in the Three Galaxies. There are many worlds where something like that could help patrol the depths. Please keep the Starships coming! So do you have Dyval yet Taalismn?

Yep...that's where I learned of the coming CCW internal turmoil and TGE open war season...

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:49 am

Good thing in my game the TGE is going to get blindsided by a small star nation with their EDF navy. I think any of their task groups that has a battleship attached can whip any of the ships the TGE can muster. Wave motion cannons are always a nice thing to hit them with!

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:27 pm

Unity of Starholme Mrk XXXVII Nasis Gun-Drone

“True, a drone is predictable...it’s fly and fight, with about as much basic strategy and tactics as a beginner military cadet...given enough time, an experienced pilot or crew can quickly out-think even a fast-reflexed drone and take it down...But the objective of the drone is to keep that crew busy...too busy to concentrate on other matters, like what the living crew that launched that drone is up to...Launch enough drones, and even a veteran crew will have problems predicting what all of them are going to do, and you’ll keep a lot of enemy pilots and crews from ever attaining veteran status.”

The Mrk 37 Nasis is typical of the latest generation of semi-autonomous space-drone ‘force multiplier’ units deployed by the Unity of Starholme to supplement its fighter forces and extend its available military power. The M-37 is a roughly egg-shaped armored casing enclosing a gravitic drive, maneuvering thrusters, sensors, and weapons package.
The weapons package is designed to be modular, allowing the Gun-Drone to be quickly modified for a variety of mission types, using a common platform that can be tailored to the needs of circumstance. Because the drone doesn’t carry a pilot, energy weapons can be rather more powerful than those carried by manned craft, owing to less mass and energy dedicated to life support and protective shielding for the crew.
Though nearly as expensive as a manned fighter, drones are considered to be expendable. Their high output engines and robotic piloting mean that they can handle accelerations that might kill a living pilot, while their small size means that they can be carried more efficiently aboard starships and spacestations. While other societies might regard drones as as best secondary to manned weapons systems, the Unity considers them primary weapons, and used in front-line combat units. Most Unity warcraft, and many civilian/commerical craft, have capability to launch a complement of drones(and under system defense protocols, UNity commercial transport can be quickly fitted as carrier paltforms). The Unity has massive stockpiles of drones on space platforms, asteroid caches, and lunar armories for use by its defense forces.
Type:ShUAF-UV
Class: Semi-Autonomous Space Fighter/Recon Drone
Crew: None; Robotic A.I.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 300
Height: 10 ft
Width: 10 ft
Length: 28 ft
Weight: 5 tons
Cargo: None
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 5 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Not Possible
(Sublight) Mach 12
(Kitsune Values: 30% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.2% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) Not Possible
(Underwater) Not Possible
Market Cost: 10 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starfighter Systems.
Weapons Systems:
1) Primary Weapon Load---The drone’s primary warload is a modular pack that can be ONE of the following, depending on mission need;
a) 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 1-10
Payload: 60

b) 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 1-12
Payload: 36

c) 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 1-6
Payload: 24

d) Long Range Missile Launcher
Range:Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire:Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 12

e) X-Ray Laser
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 16 miles in atmosphere, 16,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x100 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: Four times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

f) Particle Beam Cannon
Range: 6 miles in atmosphere, 12 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 12 miles in atmosphere, 12,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x100 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: Three times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

g) Mass-Driver Cannon
Range:6 miles in atmosphere, 12 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 12 miles in atmosphere, 12,000 miles in space)
Damage: 6d6x10 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: Six times per melee
Payload: 300 shots

h) Recon Package
This is a high-power sensor package roughly equal to high-end scoutship sensors

i) Jammer
A powerful multi-mode jamming suite used to black out entire regions of space, or to decoy enemy sensors....As a decoy, the drone can imitate the sensor and communications emissions of ships up to cruiser-size, such that an enemy cannot properly identify the true identity of the target at anything less than 2,000 miles.
In active jamming mode, the module affects a 70 mile radius for targeting sensors, and a 200 mile radius for communciations. Enemy radar and laser targeting systems are -8 to strike, and there is a 95% chance of jamming commerical-band EM communications, 80% chance of jamming military-band EM communications.

2) Close-Defense Lasers(2)---The Mrk 37 Nasis mounts two relatively short-ranged lasers for self-defense and anti-fighter work.
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x10 MD single cannon blast, 2d6x10 MD for both cannons firing simultaneously
Rate of Fire: 8 times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Self-Destruct Charge----Either as part of its primary mission, or as a weapon of last resort, the drone can use a combination of an explosive charge and an overloading powerplant to explode itself(and ideally a target)
Range: 1,000 ft blast radius
Damage: 4d6x100 MD.

Combat Programming:
Actions/Attacks per Melee: 8
Initiative +2
Strike +6
Dodge +4

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 12:34 am

Pretty awesome drones! Now according to the name, is it a Wolfen creation?

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 1:58 pm

Aramanthus wrote:Pretty awesome drones! Now according to the name, is it a Wolfen creation?

Nope...It's the little star nation belonging to the Shrakken, the MIcra, the Ajemnin, and a host of other genetically-engineered human stock detailed in the Races thread...
I'm working on detailing the various current warships of the Unity of Starholme, but it's taking time, since I want to give the Unity a unique feel and their own technologies...sorta like Sweden as opposed to Russia or the United States...this is just what I had ready to go, though your confusion tells me I should have spent some more time explaining their origins...
They are currently NOT for sale outside the Unity worlds...

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:38 am

I remember when you wrote up the RCC description. It's going to be cool to see the ships of this race. Take your time and make them the way that will they'll fit with your concepts.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:33 pm

WZT Shipyards YF-203 ‘Slingshot’ Heavy Fighter
(aka ‘Yex’, ‘Spatula’, ‘BatSpat’)

“Thing looks like a hydrocat with a gun fetish...the cockpit’s set so far back that flying in-atmo’s like steering a barge....some pilots swear the only way they know they’re getting close to the ground if the instruments go off, is that the ship will start WIG’ing just before crashlanding....Not the sort of ride you wanna be playing NOE-tag with Flying Fangs in the thick...But up in the black, it’s a different story...There, if a ‘zerk comes shrieking in on a thunder-run, you can smack it right in the face with a full ten of heavy contra-terrain torpedoes from just one effective...Not many fighters can claim that sort of throw-weight of heavy ord, and the heavy lasers mean it can remain in the fight long after it’s tossed its warload.”

The outbreak of the Minion War into the Three Galaxies was particularly hard on the Consortium of Civilized Worlds. Internal turmoil as various member worlds were forced to deal with demonic invasion and threats they were ill-prepared for, combined with the opportunistic invasion by the Transgalactic Empire, pushed the network of trade and defense binding the CCW roiling into chaos. With so many fires to put out, crisises to deal with, and emergencies to respond to, the CAF found its resources stretched to the limit. Compounding the problems was the disruption of the CAF’s normal lines of supply. Well-known major CCW contractors, such as Galactic Armory, General Galaxy, and Wolfpack Weapons, found their production and supply capabilities pushed to the limit by the surge in demand, or, worse, found their facilities targeted by demonic attacks or TGE sabotage and attack...The CAF all too quickly found itself running short of spare parts and new ships as it found itself cut off from its major suppliers. This hit the outer regions of the CCW particularly hard, as the CAF forces stationed there found themselves caught between regional obligations and orders to reinforce other sectors, and a shortage of both manpower and war material to cover those demands.
To meet the challenge, a number of smaller, regional, manufacturers rose to supply local defense militias and CAF garrisons alike. WZT Shipyards, the pan-galactic union of smaller starship manufacturers, was one of those who rushed to provide the beleagured CCW loyalists with the equipment they desperately needed.
To address the pressing need for a replacement for the Proctor-class interceptor, which was in short supply with General Galaxy’s main production plants under seige, WZT has rushed the YF-203 Slingshot into production . The YF-203 is based on Harbin Dynamics’ YEXF-201, a contender for the original Proctor Heavy Fighter contract. The Harbin prototype was turned down by the CAF for being too heavy, too ambitious, and less versatile than the long range Proctor, which won the production contract and went on to become a staple of the CAF fleets. Harbin would later sell off its long backburnered military division to WZT, along with the YEXF plans and prototypes, and the design was mothballed for several centuries, until fairly recently. WZT has dusted off the design, upgraded it as best they can, and retooled several of its border system factory plants to produce the ship...just in time to meet the demand for heavy fighters coming from the beleagured CCW states.
The YF-203 has a flattened, double-prow fuselage with the cockpit mounted aft at the stem of the two forward weapons hulls, with a twin heavy turret immediately astern of the cockpit, and the engine bloc bringing up the rear. The primary armament fitout of the YF-203 is heavy, based around a forward twin battery of missile launchers, backed by dual energy weapons turrets. WZT chose to make the main armament modular, allowing for the fact that not all potential buyers would have access to more advanced LRM or CM weapons. The Slingshot mounts only a standard monoplanar forcefield for protection, rather than a more powerful variable forcefield system, both to reduce power draw and expense. It carries slightly more main body armor, due to the more angular and boxy hull being slightly sturdier and allowing the use of cheaper, but less flexible, toron fibersteel in its construction. For propulsion, the WTZ Slingshot replaces the original specification Harbin HC-201 engine, long out of production, with a Kamazii HG-400, the same engine already in use with WZT’s other ‘missile boat’ fighter, the WZ-HMF-T30 Meteor Storm. The HG-400 provides reliable power and has proven robust under field conditions, being easily repairable with conventional CG tool systems. The HG-400 also has the advantage of being manufactured under license in the FWC, being fit to a number of adhoc FWC craft.
Compared to the Proctor, the Slingshot is relatively slow and uncomfortable on extended missions. Its lack of cabin space means the Slingshot can’t fill many of the same commando /transport/liaison duties as the Proctor, and it lacks the amenities for the same sort of long range patrols and transits. It is also decidedly less agile in atmospheric flight(its handling characteristics have been compared by pilots to ‘flying a sheet metal parachute’). Its strengths, however, are in its firepower; the Slingshot is an unrepentent gun-and-missile boat meant to kill targets in straight-out firefights. Loaded with cruise missiles, a Slingshot can outright destroy many smaller warships and cripple larger ones, and outfitted with smaller missiles, the Slingshot can maintain a sustained bombardment against fighters and attack ships. Its secondary beam armament is quite capable as well, both turrets able to pour heavy fire on-target and melt lesser fighters in one or two attacks.
Almost immediately after the first YF-203 rolled off the assembly line, orders began pouring in for ships, and WZT has been struggling to keep up with the demand for new fighters. How much of this popularity comes from sheer desperation for available fightercraft, rather than respect for the design’s quality, is unknown. In particular, the YF-203 has seen immediate application as an escort fighter, protecting vulnerable shipping from the increased attacks of TGE Berserkers and other strike craft.
Type: WZT-YF-203 Slingshot
Class: Heavy Fighter
Crew: 3+2 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 1,500
Reinforced Crew Compartment 200
Missile Launchers(2) 250 each
Cannon Turrets(2) 200 each
Engine Bloc 1,000
Forcefield 1,400
Height: 22 ft
Width: 60 ft
Length: 95 ft
Weight: 500 tons
Cargo: 1 ton in a small bay next to the crew cabin.
Powerplant:Nuclear Fusion w/ 15 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 2; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 9
(Kitsune Values: 50% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.9% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 4 light years per hour
(Underwater) Not Possible
Market Cost: 220 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems
Weapons Systems:
1) Twin Forward Missile Bays(2)---The prow of the Slingshot is dominated by two separate missile bays, which can be fitted with ONE of the following configurations:
a) Medium Range Missiles----24 per launcher, arranged in columns of eight rounds
b) Long Range Missiles----12 per launcher, arranged in columns of six rounds
c) Cruise Missiles---5 per launcher

2)Laser Turrets(2)---The Slingshot mounts two heavy laser turrets, ventral and dorsal. Each turret has 360 degrees of rotation, and 75 degrees of elevation.
Range: 4 miles in atmosphere, 8 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 8 miles in atmosphere, 8,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per blast, 2d4x100 MD per dual blast from both cannons (counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire:Four shots per melee maximum
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Point Defense Laser Turrets(2)---Two small point defense laser turrets are mounted on armatures sticking out from the engine block, protecting the rear aspects and approaches of the fighter.
Range: 6,000 ft in atmosphere, 2.4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2.4 miles in atmosphere, 240 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per pulse burst, 2d4x10 MD for both mounts firing on the same target simultaneously
Rate of Fire: EGCHH, or six shots per melee in autodefense mode
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

Variants:
*YF-203D---An effort to provide the Slingshot with even heavier protection, this variant replaces one of the forward missile launchers with a larger forcefield generator, This effectively HALVES the missile payload, but DOUBLES the forcefield strength. Despite the increase in protection, the YF-203D is not popular with crews, who more often than not prefer more firepower. WZT is experimenting with another model, the YF-203D2, that can extend its forcefield protection(out to 300 ft) to encompass several adjacent craft, for use in formation and convoy protection.

*YF-203E---An upgunned variant, that adds a heavy particle beam weapon pod (200 MDC)between and under the two forward missile launchers. However, the added weight(10 tons) and bulk of the pod further reduces the fighter’s agility in-atmo(reduce top atmospheric speed to Mach 1.8, and -1 to Dodge in atmosphere).
Range: 3.5 miles in atmosphere, 7 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 7 miles in atmosphere, 7,000 miles in space)
Damage: 3d6x100 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: Three times per melee
Payload:Effectively Unlimited

*YF-203G---”EarDrum”---This variant removes the missile launchers and replaces them with a long range gravitic sensor array in the forward hull, able to track CG propulsion systems at 14 light years, and conventional space drives at 400,000 miles. The ship retains its lasers for self-defense, and is intended to accompany escort YF-203s as a spotter, particularly in anti-raider units.

*YF-203L-----A late development, the -L variant became available as trade routes were re-normalized and facilities in secure regions were re-tooled to produce variable forcefields, allowing more ships to be affordably fitted with variable forcefields again. The -L model was given VFG protection equal to the old Proctor-class (at 400 per side, for a total of 2,400 MDC) but the cost per unit rose some 20%, favoring production of the older monoplanar-field-equipped versions for operators without deep pockets. The -L variant was snapped by CCW field forces, however.

*Cyclops Missile---The Cyclops Missile was developed parallel to the Kryzbyn fighter. As if cruise missiles weren’t enough, several programs to produce a ‘super cruise missile’ with assured one-shot-one-kill capabilty against capital ships have been ongoing across the Three Galaxies; the Cyclops is one of the products of that research.
The Cyclops uses a warhead composed of degenerate stellar material jacketed in J!ng-supplied energy crystal matrix to produce a short-lived collapsar with an enhanced area of gravitational sheer beyond the central radius of near-total destruction. To increase its chances to hit, it has both an advanced targetting computer tied to a multi-spectral sensor suite, and a hypervelocity CG-drive that’s so powerful, engineers joke, and faster and the missile would melt! It is also rumored that future marks of this projectile will feature a crystal-PPE matrix-powered forcefield penetration aide.
The Cyclops first showed up in operation with the Free Worlds Council, its primary buyer. Despite the massive price-tag(at one million credits per shot!), the FWC loves these missiles, having already scored a dozen major ship kills with Cyclops missiles. Literally and figuratively the FWC can’t get enough of these weapons...their accuracy and power endear them to the pilots who have fired the new ordnance in battle. The problem, from the FWC’s standpoint, is that they lack the means to manufacture this powerful ship-killer on their own; supplies of the missile must be smuggled, at great risk, into TGE-dominated space from WZ’s facilities elsewhere in the galaxy, so FWC forces must use their Cyclopses sparingly and only on the highest-priority(and thus most likely to be heavily defended) targets.
Recently, the Cyclops missile has begun appearing on YF-203 Slingshots; given the recent increase in FWC operations against the TGE, this would appear to suggest that WZT has built up a stockpile of these weapons or has stepped up production, if they are supplying both FWC and CCW units with the missiles.
Range: 500 miles in atmosphere, 1,000 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 8,000 miles in atmosphere, 4,000,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x1000 MD. w/ 300 ft blast radius, and 1d6x100 MD to an additional 700 ft radius.
Rate of Fire: Single shot
Payload: The YF-203 can carry Cyclops missiles in place of regular cruise missiles or carry three underslung between the forward missile launchers.
Bonuses: +6 to strike; +7 if fired from within 10 miles of the target. Can hit a top speed of 0.99c(99% of light speed), accelerating at the obscene speed of Mach 50!
Cost: 1 million credits per missile

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:11 am

That is one awesome Heavy fighter. Just one thing I noticed was the acceleration of the fighter itself. According to what is there it's acceleration os 0.0 % the speed of light. Hopefully you'll adjust it.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:21 pm

Aramanthus wrote:That is one awesome Heavy fighter. Just one thing I noticed was the acceleration of the fighter itself. According to what is there it's acceleration os 0.0 % the speed of light. Hopefully you'll adjust it.

fixed...

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 12:59 am

As I said it's a very cool fighter! I'm looking forward to seeing more!

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:38 pm

All in good time...a lot of part-time work eating up my free time...

gaby · Unread post by **gaby** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:38 pm

What look you like for your ships?

I like ships from Battlestar Galatica and Firefly.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:52 pm

gaby wrote:What look you like for your ships?

I like ships from Battlestar Galatica and Firefly.

Painters....Peter Elson, Bob Layzell, Jim Burns, Angus McKie, Syd Mead, Ralph Mcquirre, and Chris Foss...

KLM · Unread post by **KLM** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 4:04 pm

gaby wrote:What look you like for your ships?

I like ships from Battlestar Galatica and Firefly.

Functional first and foremost.

Adios
KLM

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 7:22 pm

KLM wrote:
gaby wrote:What look you like for your ships?

I like ships from Battlestar Galatica and Firefly.

Functional first and foremost.

Adios
KLM

Babylon 5 Earthforce, then?

KLM · Unread post by **KLM** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 11:31 am

Not exactly.

People most often think that functional is not aesthetic - but it is not (always) the case.

Take a look at a modern jet fighter, most of the time, the need of an aerodynamic
shape result in as aesthetically pleasing one too.

Ships from the "classic" SW trilogy, most Star Trek ships have traceable "design
parameters", yet still "looking cool".

(So, stuff from Kevin Long is A+, Breaux is A (sometimes a strong B) from me. )

-------------
In a nutshell, ships must have a surface area close to the minimum for their size (since most
ships have to be armored). This results in an almost aerodynamic shape.

But after this criteria, the "flavor" of the powerblock and the other design neccessities can
and do vary wildly.

Adios
KLM

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 2:00 pm

Hmmm.....Gerry Anderson shows(THunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Terrahawks, UFO, Space 1999) then? He's into a keen streamlined aesthetic, and his S: 1999 have a functional modular look and practicality that's hard to beat...

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:39 pm

I'd rather deal with almost everything except Star Trek. Although I do have a small Federation in my Phase World setting where there are a few representative of that series is present. And one of my main Mercs managed to find a nearly dead Whitestar. Friends of hers managed to merge the living tech with her Flagship, including the primary beam weapon of the Whitestar. So now a Dreadnaught has the fire power of a Whitestar added on to it's overall fire power.

thedrunk · Unread post by **thedrunk** » Sat May 02, 2009 8:26 am

KLM wrote:Not exactly.

People most often think that functional is not aesthetic - but it is not (always) the case.

Take a look at a modern jet fighter, most of the time, the need of an aerodynamic
shape result in as aesthetically pleasing one too.

Ships from the "classic" SW trilogy, most Star Trek ships have traceable "design
parameters", yet still "looking cool".

(So, stuff from Kevin Long is A+, Breaux is A (sometimes a strong B) from me. )

-------------
In a nutshell, ships must have a surface area close to the minimum for their size (since most
ships have to be armored). This results in an almost aerodynamic shape.

But after this criteria, the "flavor" of the powerblock and the other design neccessities can
and do vary wildly.

Adios
KLM

ok i got so lost but fuctional in space could be a box....... circle.... more so wiht trans-atmosphere ships that have a contragrav propulison system with in them. so aerodynamic does nto need apply. even today northrupt gruman has made UAV stelth planes back in the day that wernt traditional aerodynamicly correct....

but the best ship I like is form andromeda sci-fi series by gean rodenberry .... omfg and the NI on that ship is HOTT!!!

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Sat May 02, 2009 3:09 pm

The Andromeda Ascendant always reminded me of a bobsled...or those tube-sleds in Running Man....I was less impressed with the fighters, which had a launch sequence suspiciously like that of Galactica(no doubt to save special effects money by doing something more complicated)...while Rebecca Valentine's ship was your basic generic rustbucket...

KLM · Unread post by **KLM** » Sun May 03, 2009 2:52 am

thedrunk wrote:ok i got so lost but fuctional in space could be a box....... circle....

Maybe a sphere.

more so wiht trans-atmosphere ships that have a contragrav propulison system with in them. so aerodynamic does nto need apply.

Except when you suddenly have an aerodynamic tail in a dogfight.
Did I say that I like the Scorpion? (DMB2, p157)?

However, you seem to miss the point about armor (which also happens to make IRL
MBT's and dreadnought battleships look cool... Well, some of them.)

even today northrupt gruman has made UAV stelth planes back in the day that wernt traditional aerodynamicly correct....

Excuse me...?

Adios
KLM

ps: And the captain on the Adromeda looks like a Greek god :lol:

However, I think the
bobsled design of the Andromeda is dictated by the laws of her FTL propulsion system
and having a "hot" AI interface is probably also has a function - a psychological one.
(Not neccessary wet dreams... :wink:

)

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Sun May 03, 2009 1:14 pm

Weber's Dahak and other IMperium ships are Death Star-like spheres...H.Beam Piper was also fond of the design for his ships...however, they don't photograph(or action choreograph) well, so I don't see them becoming Hollywood material any time soon....

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Tue May 05, 2009 12:30 am

Don't forget to mention that Dahak and his brothers were far larger and far more capable than the Death Star ever was. And they can destroy planets too. And they can rip moons from orbit and hurl it into the sun.

Love those books. If I remember correctly that in the Lensmen Series (Novels) they had Tear drop shaped hulls. (I have to reread those someday.)

gaby · Unread post by **gaby** » Tue May 12, 2009 12:52 pm

Do you think the ships Phase world are too small?

I think they go to much for Starterk and Star wars way.
I see ships sizes more like they were on the Babylon5.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Tue May 12, 2009 5:58 pm

gaby wrote:Do you think the ships Phase world are too small?

I think they go to much for Starterk and Star wars way.
I see ships sizes more like they were on the Babylon5.

Yeah...Three whole GALAXIES' worth of travel demand BIG honkin' ships...

KLM · Unread post by **KLM** » Wed May 13, 2009 3:13 am

gaby wrote:Do you think the ships Phase world are too small?

No, I don't.

They are undercrewed and "understatted", however.

By the latter I mean, that they have fewer MDC, "smaller" guns, too small fighter wings and
of course they need a serious upgrade in the flak department too.

Adios
KLM

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Wed May 13, 2009 5:32 pm

We need flak weapons then...and more carrier platforms...Or more varied 'combined arms' ships more appropriate to extended operations far from support...

gaby · Unread post by **gaby** » Wed May 13, 2009 7:47 pm

I just do not see any thing under 150 meters as a real military ship.

I also think thers need to be a speed limited dependent on the Ship,s Power systems like using M/AM will reached the roof of the CG-drive,another would not.

What do you think?

How would you set-up the speed limited for each power source?

KLM · Unread post by **KLM** » Thu May 14, 2009 2:27 am

taalismn wrote:We need flak weapons then...

If you mean that we need new weapons to be invented - I have to disagree.

The overall layout of the Arcane Mk II. patrol ship's "flak department" is close
to the optimal.

Its is multi layered and consists weaponry, which is accurate to hit fighters
(as well as having enough punch to kill them) - specifically LRM's for the first layer,
medium laser canons for heavy "flak" and finally a bunch of light point-defense
guns.
That IMO is a good start.

However, on larger ships, "air-defense" is seldom multi-layered like above and also
lacking in the numbers of weaponry.

Adios
KLM

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu May 14, 2009 6:29 pm

Nope..by Flak, I refer to existing systems....more of them, and with better fire control..

I'd posted at least two designs that were little more than anti-fighter/missile platforms using lots of small guns or cluster-launchers for mini-, short-, and medium-range missiles...

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Fri May 15, 2009 1:27 am

I usually follow mid to late WW2 ship models for mine. When the various navies which had large numbers of capitol ships had massive numbers of AAA weapons. I'm working on some new ships for the "Spectral Winds."

KLM · Unread post by **KLM** » Fri May 15, 2009 3:27 am

Aramanthus wrote:I usually follow mid to late WW2 ship models for mine. When the various navies which had large numbers of capitol ships had massive numbers of AAA weapons.

More or less I agree.

Then we must calculate with missile weaponry - but again, we have to keep in mind, that
missile volleys, however deadly they look like are frequently stopped by the targets' defense
(unless fired from point blank or REALLY massive firepower applied).

Also, in the "flak department" all designers have to keep in mind that there are a multitude
of potential targets which are resistent or outright immune to energy weapons. This means
either more missile launchers (with kinetic warheads - ie. AP or fragmentation) or railguns
(usually CG ones).

-----------
Another issue is the "caliber of guns" - in WWII, single seat fighters carried guns between
.50 and 40mm, with some attack planes (usually not single-seat ones) equipped with
75mm ARTILLERY.
However, flak - even on ships - consisted of at least 3" Dual-purpose guns (which is
around 76mm - around the largest gun on aircraft) but bigger guns were the norm,
up to 5" dual purpose ones, and even battleship main guns had airburst flak ammo.
(along with a large number of smaller autocanons 20 to 40 mm, even 57 mm
in some cases).
What this boils down to?
A single AAA emplacement usually had way more firepower than the aircraft it is
supposed to counter.

In the "canonical" 3Galactic setting the most powerfull fighter gun is the GR-1000 - (24km range,
4d6*10 MD per burst). This is mounted on the 6 ton Scorpion fighter.
Some frigate main guns are weaker than that.

Adios
KLM

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Fri May 15, 2009 4:02 am

I see what you mean. I usually try to put serious AAA on my ships. And I also put heavy rail guns to take care of those pesky people who are immune to energy. And I know in WW2 that the proximity shells deployed at first by the Americans were especially nasty towards aircraft.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Sat May 16, 2009 10:52 am

BIG shotguns with high rates of fire....Get as much hyper-veolcity mass moving across as much space as possible, ideally in waves...that way you sandblast an opponent(ideally using their own speed against them)...