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[Stirk]

Need more information on the prosthetic for a price check. If we are looking at "First step towards cyborgs" style tech, its probably going to be around 200R.

[Madman198237]

As in, "Useful for full-range-of-mobility". Or, "almost-as-good-as-a-normal-leg". That works too.

It can be clumsier or whatever, but bending knee, ankle, etc. You should be capable of running, walking, shuffling, jumping jacks, whatever. If we're going to lose limbs, then we're going to replace limbs.

(Actually, first question: Is there any sort of cost penalty for researching higher levels of usefulness outright? As in, if we spent two invention turns on this, could we bring the cost down by undershooting at first?)

Cause it there's not such a cost, then I say go straight for combat-useful cybernetics. Anybody who volunteers can just keep going back with better limbs.

[RAM]

I feel as though we already short of actions, I dislike spending actions if possible.

[Stirk]

As in, "Useful for full-range-of-mobility". Or, "almost-as-good-as-a-normal-leg". That works too.

It can be clumsier or whatever, but bending knee, ankle, etc. You should be capable of running, walking, shuffling, jumping jacks, whatever. If we're going to lose limbs, then we're going to replace limbs.

(Actually, first question: Is there any sort of cost penalty for researching higher levels of usefulness outright? As in, if we spent two invention turns on this, could we bring the cost down by undershooting at first?)

Cause it there's not such a cost, then I say go straight for combat-useful cybernetics. Anybody who volunteers can just keep going back with better limbs.

Just to keep it useful, High effectiveness will be "On Par with normal human parts", anything lower would be inferior to normal to a varying degree, and "Very High" would be somewhat superior. Would come with all the advantages and disadvantages that go with having a bit of metal instead of flesh, and those values will change depending on what else the body part is designed to do. For flavor it would make almost-as-good-as normal but delicate prosthetics to keep the soldiers that make it back in several pieces happy. (That is to say, function in combat. At this level you arn't quite advanced enough for full feeling and such, and the "Superior" would act like bladed foot prosthetic that are theoretically better than normal feet at running).

Multi-turn discount: an interesting idea. I think I'll have to say no for now, mostly because I can't think of any mechanics for it that wouldn't be broken later in the game. And partially because it encourages you all to put more ideas on the paper. Might change it later, especially if we look towards more expensive technology. (I'm thinking that some technology can be made cheaper by making them more specific, and that later broader technology would be made cheaper due to not having to research that part. Ex if you focused on "Prosthetic arms" it would be cheaper that prosthetics would, and in return "prostetics" would cost less later on).

[Hibou]

Well in that case I'd like to posit we research legs now so that we'll have more success with arms later. They are, after all, more complicated machines and also having more experience means we'd be that much closer to having rocket fists.

[Stirk]

Alright, let that slip a bit X0.

0 Spectral sensors:
0 Public division:
1 Zombie toxin: RMA
0 Mage autopsy:
2 Red spellbook analysis: Hibou, Crazyabe
1 Prosthetics: Madman198237

Want to clarify your vote Hibou?

[Hibou]

The idea is that we'd try and discover what powers the book might have. Bombard it with radiation, scan it with x-rays, run it through an MRI, have a linguist translate the words, do what we can to try and figure out exactly how the mages were able to channel magic through these tomes, or at least try and get a rough understanding of where to start.

[Stirk]

Well in that case I'd like to posit we research legs now so that we'll have more success with arms later. They are, after all, more complicated machines and also having more experience means we'd be that much closer to having rocket fists.

I was mostly referring to "Do you want to do that now ^ or still focus on the book".

[Hibou]

OH. Well, I was leaning towards the magic study because we haven't done any of that and it could come in handy, but I think if we weaponize SLUDG in the coming turn then we could solve a few of our magical problems anyway.

0 Spectral sensors:
0 Public division:
1 Zombie toxin: RMA
0 Mage autopsy:
1 Red spellbook analysis: Crazyabe
2 Prosthetics: Madman198237, Hibou

I'll scoot my vote over to prosthesis research. The cyber revolution is now.

[RAM]

I would like to reiterate my call to spectral sensors. If we get them before studying magic then we can analyze magic's underlying forces as we learn it and make a mad scientist quote...

Of course, that quote is not accurate. Some magics are intrinsically inconsistent and thus each one would be its own field of study that could change spontaneously. It is dubiously science if the scientific method doesn't apply...

[Stirk]

Alright, so we really need to move on at this point! Lets say 50R for Leg research and move on with our lives.

Phase 1 Round 3
Design Phase
50R
Current Designs:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

M4 Carbine: M9 Handguns: Interceptor Body Armor: M67 Fragmentation grenades
Low/Free/None.
Standard starting equipment. Some researchers theorize that the equipment you receive is old, damaged, or even sabotaged by enemy infiltrators. If true, than even producing clones in house would lead to more efficient weaponry.

SD1 "Oversight"
A basic handheld device with a small monitor attached to it. The device uses a combination of radar, infrared, and other techniques to locate other entities in the rough direction where it's pointed at. Anything detected shows up on the small monitor. The device is small and can be easily stored by anyone.
This device can be used by anyone and can be flicked on, improving our teams' spatial awareness at all times and keeping them from being caught unaware. It's recommended that multiple people get it to provide redundancy, but otherwise one person can operate the device while the rest have their weapons equipped, and the device can easily be stowed if needed.
Very Low/20R/Fragile, Weather Weak

Unobtanium
A heavy bullpup assault(battle?) rifle optimized for accuracy while employing an 8x50mm round. Utilities hyperburst, 2 toggleable 20-round magazines, battlespike, under-barrel 24mm 4-round shotgun, holographic sights, fixed stock, and a cupholder.Initial ammunition types include soft hollowpoint and soft with a hardened penetrating core.Utilities a "shifted blowback pulse" system to produce an extremely rapid two-round burst. Also features full-auto.Magazines are inserted into a conveyor that can be cycled using a bolt on the external side. This allows the magazines to be switched rapidly, permitting rapid switching between two ammunition types or replacing an expended magazine while the weapon is still loaded with a full magazine. This system is made sturdy to prevent mistakes.
The magazines are inserted underneath with a slight offset towards the internal-side. The two magazines together, combined with the internal preference, does make changing magazines a bit awkward, but the other magazine can act as a guide, aiding in blind-reloads.It features a oair of short, sturdy spikes projecting from either side of the barrel. These can be used offensively but are also useful for anchoring the rifle to a soft object to steady it when firing, or to hold it against a single piece of the target's anatomy to unload a whole magazine into the same hole...At the front is a downward-projecting grip which contains a manual-loaded ammunition feed for a bottom-fed semi-automatic 24-millimetre shotgun. The default round of which is 8mm steel balls. This is primarily for destroying soft tissue or deterring a nearby threat.Comes with a standard holographic sight and fixed stock.Features a collapsible horizontal ring midway along the interior edge. This can be expanded to hold spare magazines, shot-bandoliers, or a covered beverage.Very Low/70R/Unreliable

Current Equipment:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

2 Oversights
1 Unobtanium
4 Zombie Corpse (Damaged)
5 Zombie Corpse (Heavily Damaged)
Two Skeletons (Damaged)
Two Skeleton Shields/Swords/Helmets
One Mage Corpse
One Red Spellbook
Two Imp Corpses

Current Enemies:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Zombies
Anemic green humanoids, typically with visible injuries that would normally disable a human. The field has shown them to be highly resistant to damage to anywhere that isn't the head. Slow, shambling, and weak they are no danger to our soldiers in open combat. As such they seem to prefer ambush tactics, and are apparently numerous enough that overwhelming numbers might become an issue in the future. The nature of their weakness means that most zombie corpses will not have intact brains when recovered, however it also means that "live" subjects will relatively simple to obtain. Soldiers are already planning to dismember a subject, and will attempt to do so if the mission is fully under control. Even small scratches from this creature can lead to a spreading infection.

Skeletons
Human skeletons, often scratched and damaged. Field testing has shown them to be highly resistant to damage at all points on their body. It seems that they can only take so much damage before collapsing into a pile of bones (which primary testing has shown to be completely mundane). More interestingly, it seems that an invisible force is manipulating it like a puppet. Something is shown retreating from a skeleton on their "death". It can apparently leave the skeleton before death at will, and appears to have been used as a sort of scout for ambushes. They are all accompanied by a sword, shield, and helmet.

Imp
Blood red with leathery bat wings. Its main body was small and humanoid, roughly three feet tall with ram like horns and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Capable of shooting out a large, slow moving fireball that doesn't seem to burn anything other than its initial target. Initial tests suggest that it is much different biologically than known Earth animals, despite its relatively similar appearance. It is apparently used as a range unit, supporting the enemy forces from the back.

Mage
Primary tests suggest that these creatures are entirely human. They wear large robes, covering up any sign of their identity. A red bound book filled with incomprehensible runes was found on the subject, which logic dictates is a spell book. The current subject was witnessed shooting flames from his hands, though it is possible they had other abilities. As a human enemy, they possess an intelligence many of our enemies to date have lacked.

Current Technology:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

S.L.U.D.G
(Semi-Liquid Uniform De-mobilization Glue)
The idea is that it's a cross between spray-able foam insulation and rubber cement. It's a two-step process, featuring one solvent with a special polymer inside stored in one container and another catalyst stored in another. These two are combined in a mixing chamber where the catalyst begins to neutralize the solvent, reducing its solubility. This also produces heat, which in part reduces the strength that the polymer chains have leftover. This mixture is them sprayed out of the nozzle, where the polymer chains cool and as they are no longer held in stasis inside the solvent they reform quickly into long, strong chains that form a thick ooze on whatever the mixture was sprayed on in a matter of seconds. The neutralizing solvent sprayed along with it releases gas bubbles as it undergoes the process, puffing up the goop until it expands and cools into a strong, stretchy foam that can hold a person and possibly something stronger in place where it stands.

The end product is a goop that can be transported in a liquid form and can undergo a chemical reaction on demand that can turn it into a foam that expands and then hardens or at least thickens very quickly as to immobilize whatever it's being fired at. This design hopefully can create a foam that will be strong enough to immobilize something with the strength of an average human, but later versions could up the ante to hold down something bigger like a werecreature or moving vehicle. Having a backup chemical that can dissolve the SLUDG is handy, but not necessarily required so long as the soldiers understand not to point the gun at eachother.

Prosthetic (Leg) 1. Advancements have been made to human prosthetics, with a focus for integrating the human nervous system with electronics. Currently, we are capable of replacing human legs with workable replacements. Further work is necessary to expand the technology to other body parts, with even more research necessary to expand into true cybernetics.

[RAM]

I am thinking some sort of 24mm shotgun with S.L.U.D.G., slug, and shot ammunition and consideration as a melee weapon...

[Madman198237]

Ummm...More like a 40mm grenade launcher (30mm isn't big enough) with HE, HEAT (Never know what you'll find out there in this looney world we are working in), and SLUDG options.

[Hibou]

The thing about SLUDG is that the more you use the more effective it becomes. The 40mm or handheld grenade option is attractive, but even then it would be about the equivalent of throwing a water balloon's worth of the stuff. It could hold down something weak, but for the big baddies we'd need more. A lot more. So allow me to introduce...

The Hydro-Optimized Solution Emitter, a.k.a.
The H.O.S.E.

The HOSE is a handheld device composed of a long sturdy barrel, a trigger mechanism, and a tube leading to a two-tank system attached to the underside. One tank holds about two liters of a fluid, in this case SLUDG, and the other, smaller tank is filled with pressurized gas. (Preferably something non-flammable, like nitrogen or carbon dioxide.) When the trigger is pulled, the pressurized gas flows into the chamber containing the SLUDG. This pushes the SLUDG out of the holding tank and through the tube. A tapered nozzle at the end of the barrel focuses the stream, shooting the fluid up to 100-150 feet depending on the pressure of the gaseous propellant.

The liquid tank can be refilled with other fluids as well, the most obvious choice being an accelerant like napalm or gasoline. Other options could include water or chemical fire retardant for a mobile fire suppressant tool, surface lubricant for tactical retreats, coolant/liquid nitrogen as an alternative offensive approach, or even filling both tanks with pressurized gas and using it with a muzzle mount to launch handheld grenades longer distances.

[RAM]

That's nice, but it would be difficult to get that in a decent semi-automatic. Still, you are rightthat a 40mm grenade launcher would be nice to have. Just, a lot of our stuff is indoors at the moment. After saying that, we will probably see a hydra in a big open field next mission and all be thinking "if only we had some artillery"...

Anythunks.

My Personal Suggestion would be Designing a new gun, which is a combination of a Club and a Shotgun, and is Designed to Shoot masses of Wire attached to little metal balls AS WELL as ordinary Shotgun shells, this would give us a decent weapon against Skeletons which would severely reduce the number of shots required to kill one, Reducing the number of Bullets wasted attempting to Shoot it here and there.

Okay...
Prom-s.g.24-003 "Bonerender" Shotgun
We start off by designing an ergonomic mace. Covered grip with an outwards ridge, A reinforced sword-catching spike above the grip, a sturdy haft, and a hefty ball with ridges on the ouuter facing. Ridges ould be basically very shallow blades to concetrate force without getting stuck in things.
Then we design a shotgun. 24mm semiautomatic smoothbore with an 8-round side-loaded magazine.
Then we combine them, Adding a shield around the barrel to minimise damage to the barrel itself while still utillising it as structure, mounting a hefty ridged shield to the underside at the tip and lighter ones at the grips. Adding a dead-man safety to force a specific thumb position in order to fire to prevent discharges while swinging or blocking with it.
due to the aiming difficulties the grip needed to be bent forwards, making it swing more like a kukri than a traditional mace, but that can be overcome with training.

Ammunition-wise it prioritises utilising the new S.L.U.D.G. rounds, then focuses on a chain-shot for catching and yanking on bone, followed by conventional rifled slugs and ball shot.