Tug: Gonna lose some speed and be even more front heavy, but it will fly. Though, if those cannons are hardmounted then it's gonna be rather hard to hit stuff with them. The ship is gonna be pretty slow and not terribly maneuverable.
"Cute. Options, options, hm."
Let the guns have some gimbal range, so they can converge on different distances and hit targets some ten degrees off course. See if verniers can be added for maneuverability - in all likelihood the Tug will primarily see use during ship assault, so it'll need to take out defense systems and avoid being shot down as it approaches.
Courier: Not gonna handle a laser cannon very well. Might be better off with lots of gimble mounted cutting lasers and a computer system to work them. Missiles are doable, though sub-nuclear is a rather large range when you think about it.
"Yeah, going to have to go with all turrets. And the missiles are really too large."
Switch to multiple cutting laser turrets, then. Consider options for missile warheads. Nuclear leaves too much of a mess. See if the Token of Appreciation (kinetic amp sandwich) can provide enough feedback force to propel penetrating flechettes or otherwise cause significant secondary damage, since its primary damage has already been established.
Hauler and shuttle: Normal shuttles don't have weapons.
"Hmm."
Give them both a pair of cutting laser turrets for general attack and defense capability.
Transport: It's a big son-of-a-bitch. It can fly in atmosphere, but not very well. It's designed to get the hell off of a planet and then drift or chug along till it reaches jump speed. You could use it for macross missile spam, for sure, though it would probably only do it once.
"Haha, yeah, no. Fun idea, but a mite too out there."
Leave the transport alone. It's too big, too slow, and too soft a target to deploy it into combat.
Blackship: So basically you want to gut the thing and turn it into what amounts to a flying cannon mount? That works but depending on the weapon used the recoil might cause it to gain the ability to fly backwards.
"Okay, now we're getting somewhere."
Yes, strip the ship down, but try to cause as little permanent damage as possible. Ideally, it should return to its usual shape and function after the crisis is over. See how much damage advantage a plasma cannon or gauss cannon offer over a pure energy weapon such as a laser or HEP. On one hand, staying power is not a concern - on the other, having few shots to work with can be a problem considering you can miss the target even with a fusion instigator.
The gimbal stuff will be restricted to laser weapons, but beyond that, We're good.
Alright, laser turrets. As per explosives; well we can get some high density conventional explosives coated with something extremely dangerous.
Done and done
Done and done
Well, the most potential damage would probably be from an energy weapon (Kinetic ones are only really practical when you get them a good solid mount and some auto manip help) with high energy, single use cells. We won't be able to slap a reactor or generator on there thats small but powerful enough to make it worth while, but we can get some extremely high energy density cells and use them to power either a laser cannon thats at or above the laser battery spec, or condensed plasma shell that should be able to eat it's way straight through a ship.
((Yeah, throttle and computer will be fine.
Oh and put the sneaked in arms folded up next to the head like a spiders forelimbs.))
implant ant movement patterns into procedural algorithm for adaptation and to prevent awesome gazelle mode.
Alright, 6 legged beetle tank with little limbs up by the "Head".
What kinda armaments we giving it?
((In regards to the Mk4, what separates that from the Battlesuit?))
((It would be a lot smaller and lighter for one, since the Battlesuit is pretty damn big. This would provide a good amount of protection while still being about the same size as a human, so it would be a lot easier to use in confined spaces. Plus, Battlesuits can't run on walls or ceilings so it's also a lot more mobile than a battlesuit. (I'll have to talk to the Doktor and AM about the grippers and see what they could come up with.)
It would also be a lot easier to use, since it's synthflesh and most of the add-on's and gadgets are turned on/off by a button push (or more ideally, a brain impulse now that I think of it. Have to talk to the Doktor again...) and are pretty straight forward in their use.
It's also based on synthflesh, so a good deal of the physical power is organic in nature, unlike Battlesuits which are entirely mechanical. This could be important in case of wierd alien crap or EMP's.
Basically, it's a more subtle form of the battlesuit that's based on a different method of operation than computers as I think of it. You use this when in close quarters, on special missions, in medium to heavy combat, on important specialist jobs or when you are just uncertain for what you are going up against and need as many options open as possible. I think of it as a bridge between the current MK series of suits and the Battlesuit, since there's a big gap there in terms of utility and protection. (MK series has lots more utility and accessibility to more areas than Battlesuit, but Battlesuit has more protection and is geared to heavy combat. You don't really hack or interact with computers or fight in tight spaces in a battlesuit for example.) It may have to be called a different name because of this.))
"Well, perhaps we should check to see what we have in stock before making any serious choices? Who knows, we might find something useful in there that we didn't know about..."
Check up with Steve to see what we have in stock or can immediately make. Get his thoughts about what we should arm the ships with while I'm at it.
>Well, anything from the armory really, though keep in mind we do have a limit of supplies and time, so covering these ships in fission instigators is a possibility, but it's gonna leave you rather anemic on other fronts. We can also manufacture things, if you have ideas.((Oh Sean, you and your anthropomorphic equines. Here, have some of mine.
Anyways, I only really see those as robotic pack mules, or maybe some supporting role. Unless you go synthflesh, which is hella expensive.))
((The standard cyber-augments are strong enough. The idea is to build them as organoid machines rather than classic robots (i.e. a synthoid frame like the one HMRC used/uses). They won't be leaping tall buildings in a single bound, they'll be as strong as they are built to be. And yes, supporting role primarily. Not pack mule, but mobile weapons platform, medical dispenser, and if all else goes south, mobile cover.
Seriously, like a SHIV. Not a super-soldier, but a good support unit and more pleasant to the eye than a Sod.
Using synthflesh could be possible though, for actual frontline or "elite" units.))
((I'm not going to be saying much on the topic of things people want to prototype, like this, if only because you're going to have to convince me in-character, what with Steve setting me up in charge of such things.
And something like that is going to be a hard sell, I will tell you now. Possible, but not easy.))
Simus steps out of the aurora a moment to quickly send a message to Steve:
Steve, are there any tunnels that would go through this anomaly?
>There are a few that run under that area. We could pretty easily dig a shaft down and fit an elevator that can get you from the tunnel up to the surface and such.
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Topic: Einsteinian Roulette (Missions 9a, 10, 11, and Heph post war survey team) (Read 435638 times)