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[Sean Mirrsen]

Anton Chernozorov

((It was August 31st for the shipyard with the crew working, and September 6th for the mass driver. I haven't asked for a timeframe on the Merchant yet overhaul because I've had no concrete idea what that will entail.))

Assuming another Construction crew works on it, and the whole thing is primarily overhauled while in space using parts salvaged from wrecked ships, how long would the FTL overhaul of the Merchant take?

edit: As per Simus' reply, put the Mass Driver project and the Merchant's overhaul into production, with a CONSTRUCTION crew assigned to each. The construction crew assigned to the Merchant will also, as a side effect, have to perform a survey of the debris and wrecks we have in orbit in order to locate and assemble the parts required for the overhaul.

((Also, since I've nothing to do in the meantime -))

Minor Tinker project - Take the Gungnir rifle, strip off the Tesla saber, and fit a spark gap on the front instead. Under the barrel, fit a capacitor bank just large enough to produce a lethal-strength instant electric discharge equivalent to maybe one second of Tesla Saber power.

The idea is to have an infinite-charge laser rifle that (when it's not firing) stores up power for a lightning discharge that's closer to a real lightning bolt, instant instead of continuous, with a side effect that it's cheaper to produce and has a lower token cost. Get an estimate on the token cost of such a weapon if it were mass-produced and added to the Armory.

((Theoretically, it'd cost something like 6 token if assembled by hand. 2 for the rifle, 2 for the generator, 2 for the capacitors and various stuff. Right? Could probably be lower than that in mass production.))

[Radio Controlled]

WARNING: THE HEPHAESTUS SECRET ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS FOUND QUESTIONABLE CONTENT WITHIN YOUR POST.

((I think it's fair to say that this is probably my fault, pw. I pestered Syv to ask you again because there was ambiguity on some points. If there's any sort of punishment you had in mind for him for this I feel I should be the one it's pointed at. But thank you for answering nonetheless..))


((@Syv: so yeah, looking at the new data we have from ARESTEVE regarding sods, and seeing how it doesn't always line up with what you projected (such as 3 to 1 ratio instead of 10 to 1, chances of robot-countermeasures being high, and flesh sods advantage for guerrilla on backwaters), would you like us to retcon some of Saint's messages? Or how would you like to handle that? You could have him send a new message incorporating the new information. Also, sorry for setting pw's hounds loose on you, but now at least we are on the same page with correct information).))

Hmm. I dunno. You're gonna have to go a bit more indepth with what you mean. Like, have him design armor and then incorperate that metal into other stuff?

1) I mean what kinds of designing we, the players, can outsource to ARESTEVE. For example, say I want an upgrade to generators so that they can produce more energy for same money (to have better lasers without increasing cost). Should we technobabbble to that, or can I just ask ARESTEVE to do that for me (of course, I'd have to think of a logical way for him to go about it, like how I described the steps to be taken for that armor).

Another example: could I ask ARESTEVE to design a bunch of new small-arms? What about new exoskeleton designs for various uses (one as a basis for Mk.III-like suits, one to use as a basis for new battlesuit, ...) or vehicles?
The big advantage to letting ARESTEVE do things is that we can just discus on what we can do in terms of game balance, instead of breaking our heads over technobabble and pseudoscience (for example, we can discuss on a game-level what kinds of bonuses and drawbacks the new exoskeleton can have, and at what price).

Another way to phrase this question: what kind of things do you really want us players to still design ourselves (e.g. "You have to design all the new weapons and suits yourself, but components can be done automatically").

The jump  point? It's a bit outside the solar system, and occupies an area the size of a small planet, through where you hit it doesn't matter.

((Holy carp, this is MAJOR news! I thought it'd be lightyears wide (and thus hard to defend), but an area that small should be rather easy to defend. If we take the size of earth as a guideline (12 756 km diameter, or 1.08321×10¹² km³) that means we might be capable of completely locking that space down, to the point we can even use short-range weapons (regular missiles, maybe even fighter-like contraptions).))

[syvarris]

((_{Why am I the only one to get red text?}

Radio, as you know I hate being wrong, so I'd just like to say that I did clarify the 10-to-1 number back when PW first gave it. link.  It seemed too good to be true back then, too.

Anyways, as far as Saint's messages... yeah, let's just retcon them to not have happened, or abstract them.  I specifically prepared for being wrong about the things which could have been incorrect ('properly set up robosods'), but wasn't prepared for the ratio itself to change.

Although, I would like to say that PW's statement saying a counter to robosods would be found also applies to flesh sods.  If they're a large threat, then something will be found.  That said, how's an even split as far as fleshpits go?  That would be an end product of 25% flesh, 75% robot on tne battlefield.


Alsoalsoalso, in happy news, we finally got new wifi!  Expect the wiki to be updated within the day, and my actions to follow shortly afterward.))

[Xantalos]

((ONE MORE, YE OF NONDEADNESS
ONE MORE DAY I THINK UNTIL WORD OF MY DEATH REACHES YOU
EHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEHEHEHEHEHE))

[syvarris]

((Wiki updated.  Apparently I actually had set orders to start expanding the fleshpit stuff, so yay.

FYI, two construction crews are idle from what I saw, unless I missed a production order.  I'd one be used on the shipyard, and the other on the mass driver, so we can start building up an orbital presence ASAP.))

1.Send a reminder text to Simus asking if she reviewed my weapon design yet, and if I would be allowed to produce a few prototypes for testing.

Spoiler: Repost of gun infodump for Pyro (click to show/hide)

Testament Light Shard Weapon:
Cost:4 tokens
Ammo:17280 round back mounted magazine, a third the size of a propane tank.  Extra magazines are 2 tokens each.
Power draw: 4 TPU, transmitted from a Power suit through the grip.  A small half-TPU capacitor is embedded in the grip, which discharges if the power supply momentarily drops below 4 TPU during operation of the weapon.  It recharges when there's surplus power.
Range: 'Similar to the shard launcher, in theory. Middle range is best.' PSL range is: Melee:-2 Short:+2 Medium:+1 Long: -1 Extreme: -3
No stat requirements.

Fires a small crystalline shard, about two inches long, and probably about a quarter inch thick in the middle, tapering to sharp points.

Damage: Penetration and electricity do most damage, detonation does local damage but isn't as spread as larger rounds.  Still probably fatal or at least really damaging if you manage to hit someone in the chest.  It can penetrate milnoplate with concentrated fire or a good hit.  Can hit a synthbody's braincase with less fire.  Can damage battlesuit plate about as well as Milnoplate.  Against unarmored targets, sometimes penetrates through without detonating.  Recommend using volley fire on them.

Rifle sized.

Has a fire selector with five settings:  Auto at 480 RPM - Semiauto - Safe - 4 shard fluid volley - 16 shard fluid volley

'Gunner' magazines, back mounted, a third the size of a propane tank, 17280 shots.

All sections of the gun that are sensitive to a high-voltage shock are lightly insulated from electricity


Power Suit:
Cost:1 token

A basic MK.I, with a 4 TPU generator between the shoulders.  A cable runs down each arm from this generator, to each hand.  If a cable is damaged, power to it is immediately turned off.  Power to either arm can be turned off, or set to a lower power level for stunning human targets, with voice commands.

Each hand has two conductive surfaces connected to the cable: on the palm, and a tougher version on the knuckles.  Under these surfaces are further insulating material.  If the integrity of either surface is damaged, power is shut off to that surface.

It has been proven to reliably supply four TPU to anything gripped- including people.  As four TPU is consistently quite lethal, it makes for an effective melee weapon.

Integrity is measured by electrical flow, which is remarkably accurate.

2. Load up the Power suit, and a few of our smaller infantry weapons that use only 4 TPU or less.  Make some quick and dirty modifications that remove their onboard power sources, and instead get power from the suit.  Would this overall reduce, not change, or increase the cost in tokens, assuming the user buys two or three guns?

3.Look at the laser rifle- specifically, it's intensity feature.  Assuming one supplies twenty TPU (the maximum setting, and 250% the power draw of a cutting laser) to it for an extended period of time, does the gun break?

4.Try supplying only eight TPU, the same as a cutting laser.  How effective is it compared to a cutting laser?

5.How effective is it at 20 TPU?

[Empiricist]

Is there any footage available here?

[PyroDesu]

((Syv, I think this might be PW's way of telling you to knock it off with the massive posts. At least while he's in hermit-mode.))

What about interior layers, stuff like biosensors and such? Also, are we looking at any increase of cost for the poor sods (and not the fleshy automaton kind) aboard the Sword, if the new suit is just like the MkI only MCP-based, and using the radiator system from the more 'advanced' Mk suits? Also, out of curiosity, what how long would it take a science team to analyze the Small Purple Hexagon, Diagonal Line ("Some sort of small, spherical seed pod") artifact I have? Can we even use them to analyze Nyartifacts (after all, they've probably been over them before - maybe they just tell us what they know?)?

Saint, I'm rather impressed with how effective that shard rifle looks like it performs. Makes me wonder what the original version is rated for, if it fires shards about 12 times as long. Only here's a problem - you've set it up to work in tandem with a suit to provide power to it, so it's not usable on its own. While I can see utility in letting suits provide power to things that need a large amount of it, it also provides an additional point of failure - and from the power requirements you put down, it doesn't seem entirely needed. Also, that is an almost hilariously oversized magazine, which would make whoever's using the rifle basically dedicated to it. Perhaps something on the gun itself, but leave the massive tank as an option?

Anton, you have permission to use the two construction crews that you're requesting.

[Sean Mirrsen]

((Wiki updated.  Apparently I actually had set orders to start expanding the fleshpit stuff, so yay.

FYI, two construction crews are idle from what I saw, unless I missed a production order.  I'd one be used on the shipyard, and the other on the mass driver, so we can start building up an orbital presence ASAP.))

((You missed Simus giving Anton permission to use one construction crew on the Shipyard. I intend to use the last crew for the overhaul of the Merchant, so that we have a freighter to send to the Sword ASAP. Once we have that, we'll start on orbital presence.))

[PyroDesu]

((Wiki updated.  Apparently I actually had set orders to start expanding the fleshpit stuff, so yay.

FYI, two construction crews are idle from what I saw, unless I missed a production order.  I'd one be used on the shipyard, and the other on the mass driver, so we can start building up an orbital presence ASAP.))

((You missed Simus giving Anton permission to use one construction crew on the Shipyard. I intend to use the last crew for the overhaul of the Merchant, so that we have a freighter to send to the Sword ASAP. Once we have that, we'll start on orbital presence.))

((Huh, looks like I actually did give you all three, looking back a bit. Thought I had only given you two, and the one I said you could have earlier was included in this latest go-ahead. So yeah, you can have all three - one for the shipyard, one for the mass driver, and one for the retrofit. Considering how close the mission bundle is to getting wrapped up (1 done, 1 nearly done, and 1 almost so undone that progress is essentially negative (par for the course)), it's probably the best thing to be using them all for right now. I've updated the wiki accordingly.))

[Sean Mirrsen]

((Wasn't Saint using one crew to expand the fleshpits?
...
Ah, no, that was just Radio asking PW a theoretical question. Okay then. Yeah, it seems like our construction prospects are covered right now. Sort of a literal race into space.))

Action post has been edited to reflect new construction orders.

[syvarris]

((Syv, I think this might be PW's way of telling you to knock it off with the massive posts. At least while he's in hermit-mode.))

What about interior layers, stuff like biosensors and such? Also, are we looking at any increase of cost for the poor sods (and not the fleshy automaton kind) aboard the Sword, if the new suit is just like the MkI only MCP-based, and using the radiator system from the more 'advanced' Mk suits? Also, out of curiosity, what how long would it take a science team to analyze the Small Purple Hexagon, Diagonal Line ("Some sort of small, spherical seed pod") artifact I have? Can we even use them to analyze Nyartifacts (after all, they've probably been over them before - maybe they just tell us what they know?)?

Saint, I'm rather impressed with how effective that shard rifle looks like it performs. Makes me wonder what the original version is rated for, if it fires shards about 12 times as long. Only here's a problem - you've set it up to work in tandem with a suit to provide power to it, so it's not usable on its own. While I can see utility in letting suits provide power to things that need a large amount of it, it also provides an additional point of failure - and from the power requirements you put down, it doesn't seem entirely needed. Also, that is an almost hilariously oversized magazine, which would make whoever's using the rifle basically dedicated to it. Perhaps something on the gun itself, but leave the massive tank as an option?

Anton, you have permission to use the two construction crews that you're requesting.

((I thought that at first, but I specifically asked whether my posts were too long, and he said no- they're too broad in what they deal with.  But that post pretty much dealt with only one thing.))

"Ah, yes, the Testament isn't really a good demonstation of the idea- in theory, if we adapted all of our infantry weapons to use a suit-based battery, we'd save cost overall because we manufacture far less suits than weapons.  It also provides other benefits, such as forcing all our troops to have a nonlethal weapon, using the shock gloves; I think you would agree that that isn't a bad idea.  It also means that enemy troops can't use our weapons without either serious adaption of the weapon or using our suits.

Of course, a self-powered variant would be more appropriate for sods, considering that they'll have less weapons than bodies if anything.

As far as the oversized magazine, I originally designed it with a smaller magazine type.  I removed it after preliminary testing showed that the reduction in cost and weight was so surprisingly minor that it barely served any purpose.  It might be good for equipping sods, if we're going to be equipping a lot of them.

Do I have permission to produce prototypes?  I could produce different power sources, and different magazine sizes, to compare performance."

((Yes, more or less IC justifications for OOC reasons.  First, the suit's idea is for reducing the cost of a bunch of different weapons, by moving a token of cost to a one-time purchase.  Lots of people buy lots of guns, but they can usually only use one at a time.  The enormous magazine is because you get a free mag with the initial purchase, without increasing the price, and nobody is ever ever ever gonna buy a second magazine with it at that size, so mag price doesn't matter.

But yeah, neither idea really applies to sods.))

[Radio Controlled]

Radio, as you know I hate being wrong, so I'd just like to say that I did clarify the 10-to-1 number back when PW first gave it. link.  It seemed too good to be true back then, too.

((Hey, I know you tried, it's just a bit of miscommunication between you and pw. Artifact of the medium I'm afraid.

Anyways, as far as Saint's messages... yeah, let's just retcon them to not have happened, or abstract them.  I specifically prepared for being wrong about the things which could have been incorrect ('properly set up robosods'), but wasn't prepared for the ratio itself to change.

Torpedoes primed, retcon away!

Although, I would like to say that PW's statement saying a counter to robosods would be found also applies to flesh sods.  If they're a large threat, then something will be found.

Sure, that's why we have two kinds, for redundancy. And we already know the counter to flesh sods (it's bullets :3 ). But yeah, we should probably give the flesh sods full suits to defeat nerve gases and such.

That said, how's an even split as far as fleshpits go?  That would be an end product of 25% flesh, 75% robot on tne battlefield.

That is ok for me, we can adjust it later if we want. For the record, this is just for the standard sods right? Since we haven't designed the upgraded ones yet.))

Is it just me, or does that new shard rifle seem a bit unbalanced in terms of amount of shots you get for the price, even though each shot is still kinda powerful? PW might need to consider balancing that before putting it in the armory for player use (according to Syv's infodump, it can penetrate battlesuit plate or synthflesh, has ridiculous ammo amount yet only costs 5 tokens all included (as much as a crystaline projector, for which you get 10 shots, and can't penetrate battlesuit plate I think) and has no stat requirements). Dunno, might just be me feeling like this though.))

[syvarris]

((Yes, just basic sods.  I expect to get into a whole new argument when we start deciding on the upgraded sods.

As far as the rifle, IIRC it can penetrate a single layer of battlesuit plate, on a good shot- I.E. a five.  If you actually want to kill a battlesuit you'll still have to sandblast it for a bit, although you'll probably get through faster than with a gauss rifle or something.

And the ammo count is insane, yes.  I originally figured that it would have a few hundred rounds, rather than several thousand, but then PW said rounds a twelfth the length of a standard PSL round were effective, so...  If PW wants to retcon it into having a less inexhaustible supply, he can of course.  Although, to be honest, it's not much better than a generator-supplied laser.  It's just somewhat cheaper.))

[Radio Controlled]

I expect to get into a whole new argument when we start deciding on the upgraded sods.

Didn't we agree on keeping them full robot? And even if not, can't we just create a suit incorporating all/most of the stuff we give to the upgraded robosods and call it a day?

As far as the rifle, IIRC it can penetrate a single layer of battlesuit plate, on a good shot- I.E. a five.  If you actually want to kill a battlesuit you'll still have to sandblast it for a bit, although you'll probably get through faster than with a gauss rifle or something.

Ah, might want to clear that out a bit in your infodump, was confused going from this:

It can penetrate milnoplate (=1 layer of battlesuit plate, I think?) with concentrated fire or a good hit.
Can hit a synthbody's braincase with less fire.  Can damage battlesuit plate (= 5 layers of battlesuit plate, aka 5 layers of milnoplate, or 1 layer of battlsuit plate?) about as well as Milnoplate.

Although, to be honest, it's not much better than a generator-supplied laser.  It's just somewhat cheaper.

Dunno, just 'feels' a bit too good to have balance against other weapons. I'll fully admit though that decently balancing this kinda stuff is really hard (which is why a lot of rts's and other games have damage, price and other balance updates for a good long time).

[Parisbre56]

((The way I see it, the Shard Rifle is worse than a laser or a gauss rifle for HMRC purposes, but it's better as a standard issue army weapon.

The gauss cannon has the overcharge shot and the ability to use specialized ammunition which give it the ability to be much more powerful and much more versatile. It can also work underwater, although I don't think that's very important.

The laser rifle has no kickback (and thus doesn't require the user to spend any points in STR, which is good for newbies) and has the ability to make shotgun blasts, slice things, melt things, disarm people and make sweeping attacks thus creating a line of death. It is therefore much more versatile.

The shard rifle fires shards that are less powerful then gauss shells (although they are more powerful than a laser). You can't do a sweep to hit multiple targets like the laser rifle (although you could probably hit two or three targets at the same time with full auto). You need concentrated fire to damage anything armoured like with the laser rifle, only with the shard rifle it's harder, because it has some kickback. And it is not at all versatile. It doesn't even have a variable power setting. Even so, it is much more expensive and requires an external generator which can easily fail and require repairs in case of damage to the weapon or the user.

If a newbie was faced with the question of where to spend their money, in my opinion, they would  probably not choose the shard rifle if they knew what they were doing, unless they were faced with an imminent battle against the UWM or another mission that is likely to involve extended combat. They'd be much better off spending the money to buy a crystalline projector so that they could get an almost guaranteed kill with every hit plus a melee weapon (which is what matters most, since battles in ER tend to be rather short). Or spending the money to buy a laser or gauss rifle so that they have some left over to buy more and better stuff later or to buy other useful equipment like scouteyes or medkits.

And neither would a veteran. They'd be much better off spending 7 tokens instead of 5 to buy the Sibilus, which is vastly superior in everything but ammo capacity and ammo cost.

The only balancing thing it needs in my opinion is a strength requirement (3 or lower, probably) with a greater one for automatic firing (around 5, probably), since it'll have some kickback, plus you have to carry a heavy backpack.

On the other hand, for missions that include prolonged combat or for an army that uses standardized equipment, where having cheap yet powerful equipment matters, where there is time for repairs and medical attention, where prolonged suppressing fire is necessary, the shard rifle would probably be better, although there should still be plenty of gauss and laser rifles to go along with them.

EDIT: Just realized this isn't the OOC thread.))