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[Sean Mirrsen]

((You know, with the advent of resource limits, it might actually be better to recycle those ships back into RU and use that to build proper combat ships instead of refitted civilian ships.

Just sayin'.))

((We will spend more RU on building entire ships from scratch than on refitting existing ones. You could, perhaps, make a case for the freighter - it's only here to be useful after the fighting is done. But everything else it's easier to refit into a purpose, than purpose-build something else. Why take apart a courier ship to make a fast atmospheric combat dropship, when it's already most of the way there? Why purpose-build an armored ship assault shuttle when the Tug is already large, powerful, and is used to taking abuse from the front? That sort of reasoning.

Plus, we're not winning against the UWM fleet even with six combat ships, because they have enough ships to attack us even with all of Hephaestus's defenses. This fight will mostly be on the ground.))

[PyroDesu]

((You know, with the advent of resource limits, it might actually be better to recycle those ships back into RU and use that to build proper combat ships instead of refitted civilian ships.

Just sayin'.))

((We will spend more RU on building entire ships from scratch than on refitting existing ones. You could, perhaps, make a case for the freighter - it's only here to be useful after the fighting is done. But everything else it's easier to refit into a purpose, than purpose-build something else. Why take apart a courier ship to make a fast atmospheric combat dropship, when it's already most of the way there? Why purpose-build an armored ship assault shuttle when the Tug is already large, powerful, and is used to taking abuse from the front? That sort of reasoning.

Plus, we're not winning against the UWM fleet even with six combat ships, because they have enough ships to attack us even with all of Hephaestus's defenses. This fight will mostly be on the ground.))

((Where did I say anything about attacking the fleet?

Anyways, I'm just thinking that if we were to design a dedicated CAS craft (since that's pretty much all the refitted ships would be good for), it would be more efficient in terms of combat capability against resources spent. Depending on how we design it, if we recycle the salvaged ships, or even just a few of them, we might even end up with more RU than we spent building an equivalent number of them to our refitted civilian ships (especially in terms of uniformity - right now, we have an armored attack ship, a pair of general-use lightly armed ships, a flying plasma cannon, and something resembling a gunship in that courier - not to say that any of these designs are bad, but we have no coherence between them).

Not belittling you and Bishop's work on seeing how best to refit them, just noting that it might be better to scrap and go dedicated. it all depends on how much PW would say it costs, really.))

Simus steps out from the aurora again, and this time notices an unread message; from Auron. Reading it, she calls Anton:

Anton, this project of Auron's... did you authorize that?

((Also, Unholy - PW has noted that your gun hasn't actually been attached yet. Might want to start thinking of explanations as to why it ever should.))

[Sean Mirrsen]

Anton, this project of Auron's... did you authorize that?

"No. I was in no position to prevent it, as he used parts from the admin building, but I issued a warning and a directive to coordinate any construction with me as soon as I became aware of it. He preferred to stay on his own. I say let him be for now. If he won't cooperate all we can do is lock him up, and we're short on hands as it is. If he makes something useful to defense, all the better. If not, we can always dismantle whatever he's doing - or if we need the parts, and we definitely can and will dock the costs from his payroll. To say nothing of any future prototyping grants.

I was planning to go check out his construction site when I was done with this assignment. What is he building there, anyway? Some kind of robot is all I know."

[Unholy_Pariah]

((@piecewise: Gauss cannon is fine.

@pyro: piecewise said all thats left is to watch it learn to walk, that implies the cannon has been attached.))

Observe spidertank.
Practice putting the civilian exosuit back together or have the repair bots fix it if that doesnt take a roll.

[Tavik Toth]

((@piecewise: Gauss cannon is fine.

@pyro: piecewise said all thats left is to watch it learn to walk, that implies the cannon has been attached.))

Observe spidertank.
Practice putting the civilian exosuit back together or have the repair bots fix it if that doesnt take a roll.

((Unholy, anything you need Jack to do?))

[Unholy_Pariah]

((@piecewise: Gauss cannon is fine.

@pyro: piecewise said all thats left is to watch it learn to walk, that implies the cannon has been attached.))

Observe spidertank.
Practice putting the civilian exosuit back together or have the repair bots fix it if that doesnt take a roll.

((Unholy, anything you need Jack to do?))

((No the spiderbot is finished and i thank you for the help, tell me if you need help with anything and ill return the favor.))

[Tavik Toth]

((@piecewise: Gauss cannon is fine.

@pyro: piecewise said all thats left is to watch it learn to walk, that implies the cannon has been attached.))

Observe spidertank.
Practice putting the civilian exosuit back together or have the repair bots fix it if that doesnt take a roll.

((Unholy, anything you need Jack to do?))

((No the spiderbot is finished and i thank you for the help, tell me if you need help with anything and ill return the favor.))

((No problem and sure thing.))

[GreatWyrmGold]

Anton, this project of Auron's... did you authorize that?

"No. I was in no position to prevent it, as he used parts from the admin building, but I issued a warning and a directive to coordinate any construction with me as soon as I became aware of it. He preferred to stay on his own. I say let him be for now. If he won't cooperate all we can do is lock him up, and we're short on hands as it is. If he makes something useful to defense, all the better. If not, we can always dismantle whatever he's doing - or if we need the parts, and we definitely can and will dock the costs from his payroll. To say nothing of any future prototyping grants.
I was planning to go check out his construction site when I was done with this assignment. What is he building there, anyway? Some kind of robot is all I know."

"That's what Mister Auron is doing? I think I helped him find stuff. I thought it was something he was supposed to be doing, though...am I in trouble?"

You got me to do things we weren't supposed to be doing. You probably got me in trouble. Meanie.

[PyroDesu]

((@pyro: piecewise said all thats left is to watch it learn to walk, that implies the cannon has been attached.))

((Really? Because from what he's told me, I can still stop you from using it. Seems Steve, while ambivalent on your project, isn't so ambivalent about who's in charge of you.))

To Anton: Even if we fine him, would it be enough? After all, what are tokens other than an indicator of trust in a person, at this point. The raw materials used are more important, I think. Besides, you say you ordered him and he ignored you? That's insubordination, and I'm not going to tolerate it. I'm going to ask him to stop. If I think he explains himself well enough, which will be quite a task due to his voluntary ignoring of orders and attempting to keep it secret, he'll get away with a fine. Otherwise, what he is doing will be dismantled and I will ask Steve to keep him on board the Sword until needed.

To Auron: Whatever you are doing, I want you to cease, now. Explain to me why I should let you continue.

[Tavik Toth]

((I'm pretty sure Jack is still with Auron. I think.))

"Oh. Hello there."

[Unholy_Pariah]

Quit being immature, noone is going to get in trouble except me.

To simus: You want me to not repair the civilian exosuit i recovered? Why on earth would i stop doing that?

To jack: "Oh hey Jack, Thanks for the help with the spiderbot. Any ideas on what we should call it?

[Tavik Toth]

Quit being immature, noone is going to get in trouble except me.

To simus: You want me to not repair the civilian exosuit i recovered? Why on earth would i stop doing that?

To jack: "Oh hey Jack, Thanks for the help with the spiderbot. Any ideas on what we should call it?

"Crusher?"

[piecewise]

The first idea, basically using the kinamp sandwiches in the same way explosive lenses are used on plutonium based bombs, is possible, though you will probably need more then two. You're probably gonna need a shell studded with many of them to get it to work. We could just make fusion bombs you know. They're more expensive but we can definitely make them.

((But doesn't fusion have no "lower limit" to the amount of fusable material used? We can do more than just fusion bombs, we can do whole star-cannons with the Instigators, but the role is important here too. A full-size fusion bomb is likely to cause entirely too much damage considering what the current intended use is, not to mention it'd still likely be based off fission weapons. I'd like to try and make clean, compact missiles that won't destroy more than a few (dozen) city blocks if we have to use them in an occupied area.))
Let's put it this way. If it's possible to make compact fusion warheads with no more than some low (1-5) kilotons of destructive power using the kinamp-sandwich method, go with those. The mobile response team will like some good punching power, I think. If not, check how cheap, clean and small can "regular" fusion warheads be made.

That second idea....no, the shield isn't reactive like that, you can't funnel it around by hitting it with energy.

((Oh well. Hmm, can it be made reactive? Can a custom energy projectile of any type be suspended in a HEP beam like that? That's a good project for after the invasion.))
Go with an overcharged plasma cannon, see how much "ammo" will end up being possible to carry. Tally up the costs of planned modifications:

Tug: Armor plating, vernier thrusters, four gimbaled forward-facing laser cannons, PD turrets
Hauler, Modified hauler: Two cutting laser turrets apiece
Blackship-too: Full refit into flying custom plasma cannon mount, with original parts preserved for restoration
Courier: Several (four? six?) cutting laser turrets, two custom missiles with either kinamp-fusion or regular fusion warheads in the low kiloton range.

Your fusion weapon is possible, but will require some R&D and be more expensive (though also more controlled) then standard ones. Whats what it will come down to.

A great big plasma cannon can carry maybe a half dozen shots before needing to be resupplied. But they'll be hella big shots.

About 250 RU all together, with modifications, equipment costs and time expenditure.

((You know, with the advent of resource limits, it might actually be better to recycle those ships back into RU and use that to build proper combat ships instead of refitted civilian ships.

Just sayin'.))

((Well, aren't the RU more symbolic of manufacturing capability, rather than actual resources?  So tearing the ships apart more would actually cost RU?  At least, assuming we're already tearing off the semi-modular bits, like engines and plating, and just refitting them together. 

Of course, PW did say the effective cost of refitting those ships was ~300, IIRC.  We know a perfect replica of the sword costs about 1000, we might as well ask how many smaller, more specialized warships can we make for 300 RU?))

Depends on specifications. Though the sword would cost more the 1000, since we're not using the full capacity of the planet and such for this. Remember, we're rebuilding the control center along with other things.

((@piecewise: Gauss cannon is fine.

@pyro: piecewise said all thats left is to watch it learn to walk, that implies the cannon has been attached.))

Observe spidertank.
Practice putting the civilian exosuit back together or have the repair bots fix it if that doesnt take a roll.

Well, it's attached but it can be detached and put back into RU's.

The spidertank is just sort of wiggling its legs a bit at this point. It's in the early stages of learning to move.

You get the repair bots to repair your exosuit.

[Unholy_Pariah]

Quit being immature, noone is going to get in trouble except me.

To simus: You want me to not repair the civilian exosuit i recovered? Why on earth would i stop doing that?

To jack: "Oh hey Jack, Thanks for the help with the spiderbot. Any ideas on what we should call it?

"Crusher?"

"I was hoping for something sounding a bit more impressive, maybe something like Goliath..."

[smurfingtonthethird]

((Don't you be makin Starcraft references.))