Analysis (for 1E and 2E) of 1E's Z3 Cyclops

[ShadowLogan]

The First Edition’s REF Z-3 version of the Zentreadi Cyclops always felt off. It replaced the Escape Capsule with an Alpha-Beta VF stack, and converted it for a crew of humans (quantity of which was dictated by the Beta’s “passenger” accommodations along with a storage bay of a defined size and another bay for 12 Cyclones.

What felt off isn’t what Palladium crammed into the Zentreadi Cyclops, it’s that they really failed to take full advantage of the actual space available on several fronts (even by 1E Standards). This analysis mixes 1E and 2E, though should still be applicable to both since the actual dimensions of the Cyclops aren’t being used to gauge what is going on but using other known elements (and the 1E’s escape capsule size is used and treated as being applicable to 2E, even though it doesn’t appear there).

Let's start with the Alpha-Beta replacing the Escape Capsule. I can think of two issues, one of which is really a non-issue (the width of the Beta’s wings in F/G mode make it too wide, BUT the wings can be stowed away as if in their B mode position as seen in the show, though orientation of the mecha could allow it with wings deployed the Alpha then wouldn’t fit connected and it would have to slip out sideways). The remaining issue is that by 1E dimensions (lacking in 2E) for the original escape capsule you could fit* (using 2E dimensions for mecha and 1E for the size of the capsule is correct, and rounding all results down listed: # per deck by # of decks):
-2x3 Betas (solo) in Fighter Mode (this leaves no margin in deck spacing so you have to lose one deck) -6x1 Betas (solo) in Battloid Mode
-16x2 Alphas (solo) in Battloid Mode
-5x4 Alphas (solo) in Fighter Mode
-10x3 Alphas (solo) in Guardian Mode
-10x1 Condors or 23x2 Bioroid Interceptors (for 2E, similar sized mecha from UEEF Marines should be regarded here instead of with the R5/8 class below)
-13x2 UEEF Destroids (4x1Monsters)
-25x8 Spartas VHTs in Transport Mode (47x3 in Battloid Mode, no margin for deck spacing so lose one deck)
-6x5 AGAC in Vehicle Modes (59x2 in Battloid Mode, this though ignored the additional space required for the rotor blades)
-4x4 Logans in Fighter Mode (30x3 in Robot Mode, both assume 2E’s dimensions which inflate some of the dimensions from canon/1E)
-43x2 ASC Battloids
-136x5 ASC Power Armor
-3x4 VF1s in Fighter Mode (14x1 in Battloid)
-6x1 UEDF Destroids (No Monster)
-1x2 Alpha/Beta Combined (practically speaking, technically 1x3 but that leaves no room for deck spacing), PLUS room for 2x Alpha Battloids per deck (or 1x Condor or 3x Bioroids or 2x UEEF non-Monster Destroids/Zentreadi Pod)

The multipurpose storage bay’s size is 10ft/3m in any given dimension. No real issue here per say. The Cyclone bay (12 units) requires a minimum size in terms of floor area equal to the MSB (actually a tiny bit more), more actually since one can expect to want to get between the parked mecha in Motorcycle mode (battloid mode actually requires even more space). Though if the Cyclones are stored in their box mode (like in the Alpha) they would require less room, I think. Again, no real issue here.

The issue is that is basically it in terms of described conversion space. There is an implied flight deck/crew stations, but when you figure that 4x humans escaped by piloting a Regult Battlepod (from its pilot seat intended for a giant) and can be seen with room to spare in its seat, in terms of area you could easily account for all 14 crew in the area of where the RAW (in 1E) 4 person Zentreadi giant crew would sit (even adjusting for a screen accurate 3 person crew). Again, fitting in what they state or imply to be present isn’t off per say.

What I find off is how underutilized the Z-3 interior space is. A 1E Zentreadi was x10 taller as a giant (RAW) than a human (even assuming a short human at 1.67m tall means 16.7m, so in theory you could convert the Z-3 to a multi-deck configuration with all the human scale stuff on one deck (maybe two) added via a false ceiling deck added to a hallowed out the original main deck given over to bulk usage. And given the screen depiction there is room to walk around between the various giant crew stations (animation suggests a 3x3 possibly even a 3x5 “grid” with each square of the “grid” equal to 1 seated Zentreadi workstation), so there is even more room than just looking at the crew size of the 3 giants at workstations.

Now in 1E they did not have the option as found in 2E for carrying 6x unit squad of Zentreadi Male Power Armor (or giant Infantry, for simplicity I am going to assume 1 infantry takes up the same space as an MPA and could also work as a stand-in for a Zentreadi-sized crew station for above). In 2E, based on the dimensions of the ZMPA for each ZMPA you could fit in* (# per deck by # of decks, all fractional results rounded down):
-3x1 VF1 Battloids
-1x1 UEDF Destroids (I used a generic R4/7 version using the max dimension for all 4, so individual models could be more), NO MAC
-11x2 VHT1 in Battloids (6x7 in Tank mode)
-10x2 ASC ntBattloids
-32x5 ASC nt Power Armor (will need to shave off one deck for clearance)
-14x1 ASC AGAC VT in Battloid mode (1x5 in vehicle)
-7x3 ASC Logan VT in Battloid mode (1x4 in vehicle, in vehicle mode shave off one for deck clearance)
-3x1 Alpha Battloid mode (1x3 in Fighter mode)
-1x1 Beta Battloid mode VF (1x3 in Fighter mode w/wings retracted)
-10x2 Silverbacks in Battloid mode (10x6 in vehicle mode)
-2x1 Condor Battloids
-5x2x Bioroid Interceptors
-3x1 generic UEEF Destroids (3x2x for Zentreadi models), No MAC
-483x Cyclone size Power Armor suits (1,407x in Vehicle mode)

All of the above suggests it is at least theoretically possible to configure the Z3 for different mission requirements. Depending on the world it is deployed to, the Alpha might be capable of orbital/escape velocity on its own if the world’s gravity is more like the Moon or Mars (Mercury included, along with the Dwarf Planets and the major moons of the gas giants in the Solar System), rather than Earth or Venus. Mission requirements might also downplay the loss of the Beta (we do see Alphas launched in space w/o Beta support giving some precedent that the UEEF would do this for certain mission profiles).

So what other missions do you think the Z3 could be considered capable of handling for the EF (or other organizations like the ASC, RDF, and EBSIS in 1E)? What else could they do with all that unused space?

*Now this is rounding the area down to the nearest whole number in terms of space and deck height, but that will still assume packing them in tight, requiring further reduction in the numbers (for simplicity go with half). Area also assumes a basic rectangle and is not an exact shape (leaving additional margin). Non-Transformable Units are lumped together by organizational user using the maximum value for any given dimension in the group, as such you might be able to squeeze in more units for a specific type within the grouping if they happen to be smaller.

[glitterboy2098]

yeah the correctly adjusted sizes mean that the Quel-Quallie Theatre Scout is actually fairly close to the ASC banshee class light cruiser (the SMG RPG calls it the Pulsar iirc) and Garfish in size, a little over half its size.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/121965117 ... 657885754/

thus with a full human scale internal refit, it would not be hard for the result to be a fully interstellar capable Frigate by human standards. personally, i tend to headcanon for my own games that the Quel-Quallie actually has a variant that is fold drive equipped, and humanity found the plans for said variant in the factory sattelite, giving them the basis for their home built fold drives aboard the ASC vessels. and that they adapted the design to be a sort of recon frigate for the early UEEF. something that could scout out the Master's empire when they found it, and could scout ahead of the fleets until they did.