((So it's mostly just a "lower tech level" than the saber then? A big conventional battery and a simple tesla projector instead of the whatever compact tech the saber uses?))
"Hm. This might be a tricky one."
Explode the Tesla Arc, focusing on the tesla projector. Examine the design of the projector and attempt to construct an insulated tesla coil on the forearm of the "gauntlet", and a miniaturized version of the projector head attached to the back of the hand. Split the battery off and make it a backpack version, connected with a wire running along the arm and down to the battery, affixed to the arm with straps. Make sure to insulate the gauntlet as thoroughly as possible to minimize the risk of the arc attracting to it.
((the whole design is something like this, I guess, but perhaps with more housing for the coil. I'm actually a little confused as to how doesn't the arc normally arc back to the user if it's just a tesla coil... chalk that up to charge differential, I guess...... still not sure.
edit: also, ouch. I know the mission people think they're on a timer, but they really should have figured out to avoid all contact with the darn stuff by now. I mean, they saw the sharkmist and ran away from it, now they see a whole cavern made out of something like it and they plunge right in... how is anything that seems to devour stuff on a molecular level seem like a good idea to touch is beyond me. ))
edit2: In the meantime, Anton queues up some performance tests using Duel, studying the results of different encounters with one side of the conflict equipped with electrolasers.
- Standard battle encounter - have the computer find instances of in-atmosphere battle encounters between UWM and other armed forces. Equip the losing side of the conflict with electrolaser rifles instead of any standard equivalent tech and compare outcomes.
- Vacuum battle encounter - as above, but in vacuum. See if just having a melee energy weapon coupled with the primary firearm confers any benefits outside of the electrolaser effects.
- Nonlethal encounter - have the computer find instances of armed forces being required to nonlethally subdue a group of (armed) individuals, possibly with civilians as obstacles. Compare results between using minimum-power electrolasers as ranged tazers, and whichever method is standard procedure for such occasions.
Finally, have the computer (or Steve) estimate the cost-effectiveness of using electrolaser weaponry based on the results of the tests.
((Basically, Anton wants to acquire as much test data as possible to have Electrolasers (or Arc Rifles, if you want) added as standard gear in the Armory and elsewhere. The Gungnir is going to be expensive-ish at 8 token (Rifle 2, Saber 5, Upgrades 1), so he wants confirmation that it's a useful weapon for its cost before he pursues building it. The error of diving into prototype building before extensive research has taught him well.))
(pretty much. Tesla sabres were tech for higher level officers. Tesla arcs were single use weapons they strapped to strong looking soldiers and sent them out to the front lines to use up as much as they could before dying.)
Now the big problem with this tesla arc thing is that you are going to electrocute yourself. Or someone near you. I guarantee it; as it is that thing is gonna throw an arc either into your fingers or your chest or something. However, one thing does come to mind that might fix that. You know how stun guns have two metal prongs between which the electricity arcs? You could do something like that, arcing it in front of the laser.
As per these tests:
Standard: Well, losing side does more damage, thats for sure. But remember that the UWM has never really had to fight it's equal or even close to it in terms of military power, at least since the Altered wars. So your gun really isn't gonna turn the tide of the battle, but it might make it harder for them.
Vacuum: Don't know because didn't someone say that this wouldn't work in vacuum and someone said it would work really well in vacuum?
Nonlethal: Nonlethal? Whats that?
Cost effectiveness: Would probably be more cost effective if you use some sort of custom made electric arc.Since tesla sabres are kinda expensive.
scream "i know your there you rat bastard" over the speakers at maximum comprehensible volume, wait for it to rysh me then fire a single second burst frim my flamer to stop it charging then rocket hover around it then rocket boost tackle it off the roof towards the fuel station
You stay on the roof, spinning around to try and keep an eye on everything. Nothing happens. No one charges you, no sub-human monster lopes in from the shadows intent on spilling your blood. It's just quiet. You know he's somewhere nearby but it seems he's smart enough not to just bum rush you in the open.
"Hm, thanks. Would you be ok to send me a message if you happen to remember?"
Ask.
"Yeah sure."
Exit VR then go watch competitive knife throwing.
To Steve: "Where's Ivan?"
You get out of the VR machine and walk over to the couch.
"Hey steve, where's Ivan?"
>Look up.That would be most kind of you. I was not exactly aiming for becoming a mind Juggernaut, after all, more like having a slightly better chance of resisting that sort of influence.
Politely accept the Armory Master's offer.
((@MutzelRX Remember, if you cannot see him, he cannot see you. Also, things don't exist while they aren't observed by you. Just keep watching TV, nothing wrong can happen to you as long as your attention is completely focused on it. ))
"First thing, don't move. You can't walk off a cliff if you don't move. Second, bite your tongue or lip or something and focus on the pain. sometimes the disconnect between whats false and whats real will be enough to snap you out of it. Third, if you can warn your teammates, warn your teammates. And last, try to avoid mind fuck as best you can; watch your teammates, don't touch anything thats glowing or fractal or whispering alien limericks to you."
"Steve? Could I order a custom automanipulator?"
Use the wierdvision to peer inside the gravity manipulator. Then spawn a gauss rifle, and a standard gauss round. Add three blades to the slug like an expanding broadhead. Spawn a human dummy, and shoot him with the modified slug. Observe effects.
((Eh. It was more a test for the limitations of a automanip, than anything else.))
Well, you can't look into the manipulators using weird vision on the VR machine. If you try all that happens is you see the innards of the VR goggles.
And that dummy's head is going away regardless of blades or no blades on a gauss round.
>Depends on what you want it to do."OH CRAP! He's behind me. He must be behind me. Where else would he be!? If I don't get away from him he'll kill me.
If I try to move he'll probably kill me as well. Still, I have to run..but my body won't move an inch
I have to stay calm. I'm sure the other guys here will...WHO THE HELL AM I KIDDING!? They didn't notice him sneaking up on me in the first place!
Screw it all! I'm not gonna be any demon's dinner."
Muster my will and courage to leap away from whatever's behind me and keep my distance to it.
Look around for anything that could be used as a weapon, stay alert.
Also alert teammates in the rec room.
"Hey, guys in the VR's! I hate to keep you from your no doubt great inventions, but Mr. Demon here asks for your attention!"
You spin around. There's nothing there. Uh....oh god...where is he...
You hold the television remote like a light sabre.
Chaz was about to try a combat situation using the VR, until he was interrupted by someone. Ehh... is it really that bad?
Have the VR create a random map.
Have the VR spawn enemy soldiers, starting at a skill level of Recruit.
Have a few rounds against them using what weapons I currently have.
Every time I win: Increase skill level by one rank. Every time I lose: Lower skill rank by one.
Respond to the voice with:
"What Demon? I just got here!"
You and a handful of Ai's punch eachother to death for a while. Maybe you should arm them next time...
Save progress (of particle cannon, if it was possible) and step out of VR, monoatomic sword at the ready.
"Who's bothering me?"
You step out of the VR machine, Your monoatomic sword buzzing. The guy over there by the couch is freaking out, but you can't tell why.
((A demons you say?, Also event though that radiation sounds extremely bad the suits are highly resistant to radiation although keeping the radiation below the max tolerance for the suits would be good although I cant wait to field test as the theroised effects
sounded pretty brutal(nigh instantaneous superheating and massive kinetic energy transfer. ) Also here is the article pyro: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_beam_weapon))
Addendum;
Upon hearing the screams of the madman about Demons or something and postulating that something weird has occured, Save and password protect project and go buy a microwave manipulator and then find this supposed "demon".
You have just enough time to run and grab the Manipulator, but running back and going demon hunting is out of the question. It' a school night, mister.
IN REGARDS TO ION CANNON STUFF:
((((Also event though that radiation sounds extremely bad the suits are highly resistant to radiation although keeping the radiation below the max tolerance for the suits would be good although I cant wait to field test as the theroised effects
sounded pretty brutal(nigh instantaneous superheating and massive kinetic energy transfer. ) Also here is the article pyro: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_beam_weapon))
((Interesting, but I'm still not entirely sure about a container of neutral gas eliminating the charge on a beam of protons (cations?) that is moving at a very high c-frac. Besides, even if they strip the charge, it has to go somewhere, so the neutral gas won't be neutral for long. And you also have a similar issue to that of Ion engines. These two passages will show you, but when they speak of thrust, that's effectively your beam's power:
And it suffers from the same critical thrust-limiting problem as any other ion engine: since you are accelerating ions, the acceleration region is chock full of ions. Which means that it has a net space charge which repels any additional ions trying to get in until the ones already under acceleration manage to get out, thus choking the propellant flow through the thruster.
The upper limit on thrust is proportional to the cross-sectional area of the acceleration region and the square of the voltage gradient across the acceleration region, and even the most optimistic plausible values (i.e. voltage gradients just shy of causing vacuum arcs across the grids) do not allow for anything remotely resembling high thrust.
You can only increase particle energy so much; you then start to get vacuum arcing across the acceleration chamber due to the enormous potential difference involved. So you can't keep pumping up the voltage indefinitely.
To get higher thrust, you need to throw more particles into the mix. The more you do this, the more it will reduce the energy delivered to each particle.
It is a physical limit. Ion drives cannot have high thrusts.
Also, that radiation is, to put it in the outdated units everyone knows, 50000 rems. That's likely to be well above what the suits can protect us from.))
I'm inclined to trust pyro here.