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[Draignean]

So, I try to keep the rules revisions staggered so they don't give away what questions a team just asked, but would people like me to put the clarifications for using multiple revisions and for rolling revision at advantage up in the Core thread now, or after next turn?

Spoiler: Resolution of Ebbor's Complaint (click to show/hide)

But anyway, it's clear this discussion is indeed going nowhere. There are 3 pieces of evidence here, and all have been quoted.

Alright, so let's get to the heart of this misunderstanding.

But rolling at advantage was never the plan.

THe first revision was to try Suckerpunch again.

The second revision was to try and understand why suckerpunch didn't work, and improve range and accuracy.

We got what we wanted. Stop trying to screw it up.

Yeah, I know you wanted to roll with advantage. The vote did not go your way. You were the only one to vote for it, in fact.

Just because the GM made an error in your favor doesn't change that.

The votebox does not agree with either of these assertions. For reference, the relevant version is here. The double-down is a single revision. You did not win the vote. You lost, 2:3.  If there is an error on my part, you will have to be more specific. The votebox was honored.

In any case, it's clear your write-up got entirely ignored. It explicitly stated to evaluate and change the design, but then the update says that the design is left exactly the same.

The original text of the revision is as follows, replicated in full.

SUCKERPUNCH, Take Two, DOUBLE-DOWN EDITION
By giving our engineers plenty of time to both commence a brief analysis on what went wrong with the original SUCKERPUNCH and to actually enact changes in the design, we hope to get a functioning weapon when using Itshana Select Crystals.

If our engineers hit a major breakthrough and finish the project ahead of schedule, they will spend the remaining time attempting to synchronise the weapon crystals to increase accuracy, and improve secondary cooling systems to increase fire rate of an Itshana Select boosted SUCKERPUNCH.

The text of the result is as follows, replicated in full.

Engineers have finally succeeded in getting the itshana select crystals mounted into Light cannons! The new barrel is higher windage, but also features strategic cut-outs and a barebones system of rails near the end for effective heat dispersion. Unfortunately, these are all aspects of the original (exploded) design, and no one is quite sure why they worked this time. Furthermore, it took considerable trial and error of barrel cutting, metal selection, and bore adjustment to achieve a system that didn't undergo dramatic detrimental changes to projectile range and accuracy- and the engineers aren't sure of the rationale behind any of the changes.

For small things like this, engineers might be able to muddle through and hope for the best, but larger designs will necessitate a better background understanding of how weapons crystals form hard aether, and the interaction between aetheric projectile and the weapon barrel. Still it works, and the cost is as expected.

The first paragraphs clearly correlate. The engineers did their brief analysis and got a working weapon, their analysis revealed that the mechanism behind the failure is still a complete mystery, one that was clearly stated in the last revision to require more than a simple revision to solve.

The second paragraph also correlates. The engineers don't know exactly what's happening, and they can't really improve the efficacy further without basically hitting things until it works. The magic of buzzwords did not compel them to spontaneously making sweeping improvements to a system they do not fully understand.

Not as I understand it.

As I understand it, the 6 would have solved all the issues, regardless if we got the 4 before it or not. That means that the 4 is effectively wasted.

Edit : I argued against rolling for advantage. We voted for a proposal that was explicitly written to avoid wasting the effect of a good die roll, and hence, explicitedly wasn't a roll at advantage. And then everything that's written is ignored and we get a roll for advantage.

It just seems like a bait and switch.

It was never stated, nor has it ever been stated, that you can make revisions that are contingent upon other revisions. This is not in the rules. This is not in the discord. This is nowhere but your own head. You cannot claim a 'bait and switch', when you're the one who laid out the bait.

Now, there was a subset situation outlined on discord where you could possibly get dice back when doing revisions. That is when one revision doing well obviates the need for a second revision, AND there is no way for me to reasonably spend the second die. Example case:  your new high-tech aetherbeam has massive cooling issues, and develops cracks in its diamondillium reactor casing which causes the spiders inside to escape and kill the crew. You make 1 revision to use spars of sacred holikite to try and cool the reactor, and one revision to just keep a vat of plaster nearby to spackle the cracks shut when they form. If you succeed very well on the holikite revision, there's no logical need for the spackle, nor is there any way that I can reasonably consume that die for research.

That is not the case here. What you're trying to do (and was not explicitly stated in the text of the revision, contrary to your assertion) that the revision would only roll a second die if the first one went bad. That will never be allowed, except as an award credit which specifically has that effect.


Now, you say you have three pieces of evidence, all of which you've quoted. However, the only quote that might be construed to that effect is the one from jilladilla regarding trying not to waste dice, which isn't even part of his revision. I understand if the other two pieces of evidence were eaten by the forum, it happens sometimes.

Unless you have further clarification, I see your complaint and find it without merit.

[10ebbor10]

The votebox does not agree with either of these assertions. For reference, the relevant version is here. The double-down is a single revision. You did not win the vote. You lost, 2:3.  If there is an error on my part, you will have to be more specific. The votebox was honored.

My assertion is that the winning option is seperate from the attempt to roll at advantage, because both where rolled seperatly. You'll note that I'm not arguing nor have ever argued that we only wanted to spend 1 die, which is what the option I voted for is.

The old votebox is relevant in that it clearly shows that the proposed revision is seperate from the Roll at Advantage plan.

The first paragraphs clearly correlate. The engineers did their brief analysis and got a working weapon, their analysis revealed that the mechanism behind the failure is still a complete mystery, one that was clearly stated in the last revision to require more than a simple revision to solve.

The second paragraph also correlates. The engineers don't know exactly what's happening, and they can't really improve the efficacy further without basically hitting things until it works. The magic of buzzwords did not compel them to spontaneously making sweeping improvements to a system they do not fully understand.

In my impression, both of those corellate better to the retry of the SUCKERPUNCH. SUCKERPUNCH was just trying the old parts again, and that's what happened here. But I can see how it rellates to the other, especially since our engineers apperently don't understand it without a design, and hence their analysis was pointless.

That is not the case here.

Not really relevant to the original argument, but I don't see how it is different. We had 2 revisions.

Suckerpunch 2.0 : The old suckerpunch revision, which rolled a 4.
Suckerpunch Double Down : The analyse revision, which rolled a 6.

Clearly, the double down fixed all the issues present with the cannon, hence removing the need for the ordinary 2.0. As such, like the spackle, it wouldn't exist?

Or did both only do partial fixes?

[Tack]

After next turn please.

Gotta say though boy do I hate it when people argue with the GM.
There's a reason most of the arguments against you are nothing more than "stop being a dick" because that's all there is to say. He's not going to improve our outcomes if we go on strike due to the unfairness of his revision interpretation.
Suck it up already, and learn from your mistakes re: doubling down on dice. It's not like hr's setting a double standard and if he was it'd logcally be in our favour.

[10ebbor10]

Bringing up complaints is allowed.

Using ad hominem's is not. You'd make a better case is you didn't make me appear as a paragon saint of virtue by comparison.

[Draignean]

The votebox does not agree with either of these assertions. For reference, the relevant version is here. The double-down is a single revision. You did not win the vote. You lost, 2:3.  If there is an error on my part, you will have to be more specific. The votebox was honored.

My assertion is that the winning option is seperate from the attempt to roll at advantage, because both where rolled seperatly. You'll note that I'm not arguing nor have ever argued that we only wanted to spend 1 die, which is what the option I voted for is.

The old votebox is relevant in that it clearly shows that the proposed revision is seperate from the Roll at Advantage plan.

Okay, after going back and looking at old voteboxes, I see where you're coming from. However, as a player it is part of your responsibility to keep the votebox up to date and accurate. This could have been avoided by not adding the hyphenated section and keeping the SUCKERPUNCH 2.0 and the Double Down as separate entities with their own vote trackers.

I will never consult old voteboxes when making the current turn.

That is not the case here.

Not really relevant to the original argument, but I don't see how it is different. We had 2 revisions.

Suckerpunch 2.0 : The old suckerpunch revision, which rolled a 4.
Suckerpunch Double Down : The analyse revision, which rolled a 6.

Clearly, the double down fixed all the issues present with the cannon, hence removing the need for the ordinary 2.0. As such, like the spackle, it wouldn't exist?

The old Suckerpunch 2.0 did not roll a 4. The old suckerpunch was never even rolled for, because I had no idea you had a second revision. As far as I was concerned, it was not a separate revision. There was no text headered SUCKERPUNCH 2.0 that I could find in the revision phase, and Jilladilla specifically noted that they were (I quote) basically rolling at advantage.

The Double Down is not an analyze revision, that's the problem. It's clearly a revision to make a cannon and time permitting do more.

In future, please be more careful to make sure everyone is on the same page as you are, keep the votebox up to date, and provide links to the text for revisions. Less stress all around.

After next turn please.

Gotta say though boy do I hate it when people argue with the GM.
There's a reason most of the arguments against you are nothing more than "stop being a dick" because that's all there is to say. He's not going to improve our outcomes if we go on strike due to the unfairness of his revision interpretation.
Suck it up already, and learn from your mistakes re: doubling down on dice. It's not like hr's setting a double standard and if he was it'd logcally be in our favour.

Ebbor has a point, Tack. His problem was due to his failure to communicate, not any personal malice. You shouldn't tell people on your own team to 'suck it up'.

That's my job.

[Tack]

Ah, true. I didn't really have any vested interest in the outcome of the SP, so I guess I'm not coming from a neutral place when I argue against arguing. I saw a good result and was happy with taking it at face value.

In other news, arguing with the GM is a pet peeve and I've had games sunk in the past because of it (admittedly because I'm an awful GM), so I will reserve the right to bitch about that to anyone in any game.

[10ebbor10]

So, to get it straight. You're arguing with the GM, directly flaunting both his rules and explicit statements, because you don't like other people arguing with the GM.

[Tack]

I'm glad you also see the irony.

[Draignean]

Three Captains

The WOSV Windrider and her six skiff escorts are able to rendezvous at the Three Captains without incident. There is some initial concern that the ships might have been spotted as they came in from different directions, but a lack of movement from the Spires indicates these fears were never realized. The seven strong fleet rises to ambush height and moves in. Sailors make various warding symbols and rub stiff hands together as the air grows thin and cold. Moving at this height is a boon as far as stealth is concerned, but it's hard on the men. 

A little hardship, however, must be endured in order to secure victory.

When in position, it becomes clear that the Kasgyrites have moved to reinforce their position. The transport seen earlier is here, along with both of the known Kasgyrite Corvettes. There does not, however, appear to be any skiff support, which fives the Wreth a distinct numerical advantage. Not that a lack of one would have affected the Wrethan courage. The attack is swift. Three skiffs and the Windrider dive, streaking from above as fast as they can push their hulls. Wind whistles past hull and rope as the ambush approaches, the interminable distance closing fast, but it would only take a single Kasgyrite sailor looking up to compromise the attack.

That doesn't happen. None of the three ships raise shroud before the Wreth vessel manage their opening volley. Unfortunately, whether due to the high speed of the maneuver making aiming difficult, or frigid fingers interfering badly with timing, ever shot aimed at the vipers either misses or simply grazes their outer web. The transport, however, is a different story. Two SUCKERPUNCH cannon blasts rip into its side, shattering many of its webbing spars and very likely eliminating half of its trim crystals.

The Vipers don't have much of a chance to get off a parting volley as they desperately raise shroud, turn about to track the Windrider and the three skiffs, and dash off in pursuit. In short, the opening maneuver goes nearly perfectly, excepting the amount of missing in the opening volley. Both the Windrider and the Skiffs are faster in a straight run than the Vipers, and staying just out of their weapon's range isn't terribly difficult. One shot weakened from being made at extreme range, ruffles the Windrider's shroud as she dances back to keep the Vipers interested, but the maneuver to draw the Vipers away is otherwise well executed.

It's unlikely that the Viper captains even noticed the second trio of skiffs diving, the likely didn't even notice their opening barrage over the thunder of their own cannons. Their crippled transport's shroud exploding in a shower of sparks, however, probably caught their attention. Not they had time to do anything before the three skiffs in the second ambush wave finished eviscerating the transport and sending her down to the surface in flaming chunks. It's clean kill, and practically free from a standpoint of ships expended.

After executing the crippled transport, the trio of skyskiffs zoom in (with the Vomit Comet leading noticeably) to join the fray against the vipers, which is when the true fight begins.

Actually engaging the Vipers is a dangerous affair. They're much lighter than the armored Windrider, and despite how well the Windrider can dance, the Vipers can still turn and accelerate substantially faster. The higher linear max-speed of the Windrider becomes less relevant, and she's initially forced into a circling game, trying to stay below the angle at which the Vipers can tilt and retain gun control. Unfortunately, the ability of the Viper to make quick adjustments in the air usually just results in shots coming down into the Windrider at an angle that (without shroud) would smash through the top of the deck. In the end, she ends up rising to the Viper's level, in order to bring her belt armor on line with their guns if they do get through her shroud.

Which seems very, very likely. The Vipers advantages over the Windrider are concentrated fire, higher acceleration, heavy shroud, and low inertia. It's desperately hard to get a full broadside on her, and the weight of the Windrider means that the vipers have a much easier time leading her. Though a man of good Wrethan character, the captain of the Windrider has no doubt that a two-against-one fight would end disastrously for the Windrider. The skiffs, however, provide a decisive advantage in the battle. The Kasgyrite vessels spin and whirl to chase the small and less powerful vessels, frequently wasting frontal barrages trying to pin down the evasive vessels. The Kasgyrite captains failure to focus fire on the Windrider does result in steep skiff casualties, but it also allows the Windrider to swap shroud and turn when needed to cover holes.

The close of the battle is vicious. The sum shroud strength of the Windrider is still a bit weaker than that of an individual viper, but the skiff's harassment has put all three ships on a roughly even keel. The Windrider, still, is the first ship to have a shroud buckle. The more maneuverable Viper is able to get a partial barrage across the shroud, shattering it in a burst of light, and the second Viper then fires its full frontal battery into the Windrider's side.  Two shots go wide, but six slam into her armor. Most of it hits the belt armor, slagging copper into soft putty, and two shots hit the lower regions where her lighter skin is still exposed, turning copper into vapor and setting the hull beneath on fire.  The Windrider retaliates with a broadside volley, hammering into the already thinned frontal shroud of the slightly less maneuverable Viper. Two shots hit, generating a hole, and the third shot slips through to hit the lower port quadrant of the ship's broad head. The primary explosion of the SUCKERPUNCH hitting unarmored wood is lost in secondary explosions that race across the vessels lower gun deck, annihilating the jawline of the vessel in a rush of light and flame.   

By the time the Kasgyrite vessels have another volley ready, the Windrider has her already tattered second shroud up. The Damaged Kasgyrite warship begins to retreat, and the Windrider hits the remaining ship with another volley. This one doesn't pierce the Viper's shroud, it buckles it completely, but fails to penetrate. The Viper retaliates with another assaults that punches another hole in the Windrider's shroud and sends a shot across her deck, eliminating one cannon and fouling the next cannon on the broadside with a spray of molten metal.

Both Kasgyrite ships begin disengaging, and, considering the damage and fires on his own vessel, the Windrider Captain does not pursue. The Vomit Comet, however, does. It's able to dance though the fire of the Viper Stern guns for a time, putting two cannon shots into the webbed core section of the (formerly) more maneuverable Kasgyrite vessel. Its pursuit ends when it gets hit squarely with a cannon blast. Its improved shroud holds, but it loses too much of its web to pursue effectively.

The engagement isn't fully decisive, and neither side can be said to 'control' the air, but the Kasgyrite vessels are definitely worse off. The captain of the Windrider notes that, except for the cannon, there is nearly no structural damage. The armor belt on the starboard side is pretty much worthless, and the copper skin there is compromised as well, but that's the same side that lost the cannon. As long as he doesn't have to tank hits with his starboard side, he's confident that the Windrider could go another engagement with the damage Kasgyrite vessels. Assuming he got a few more skiffs.

Inside the Spire

Wreth marines pull up stakes and pull back. It's not terribly glorious, but it does prevent losses. The Kasgyrites don't seem to be charging forward (Likely for fear of charging into a corridor and getting immolated), which gives them ample time to make an orderly retreat.

Damaged Ships: WOSV Windrider: Compromised Armor, Destroyed Cannon, Damaged Cannon. WOSV Vomit Comet:  Low Webbing
Damaged Enemy Ships: Unknown Vessel A: Likely heavy structural damage, four guns destroyed, trim crystals likely damaged. Unknown Vessel B: Compromised Webbing
Losses: Four Skyskiffs

Wreth has Lost Ground at the Three Captains


Spire Wreth

Two additional squads of Marines have been trained and stand ready. Two additional Skyskiffs have been constructed.


It is the beginning of 358 AR

Spire Wreth's production stands at
13/y Crystal, 27/65 Banked
17/y Ore, 18/85 banked
19/y Wood, 95/95 banked
10/y Silk, 43/50 banked

It is the the beginning of the Design and Project Maintenance phase. You have six dice left to spend.

Spoiler: Projects (click to show/hide)

PLACE: 8/15 | 1 Ore, + 2 from Silk OR Ore OR Crystal | Rushed 0 Times | 2 ore, 4 silk invested | Prototype Deployed
Windrider Corvette: 8/16 | 6 wood + 3 Ore | Rushed 0 Times | Nothing Invested

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)

The Calm: The calm is a region of the aerosphere with almost no wind beyond fleeting turbulence, and absolutely no aetheric currents. It's frigidly cold, and filled with fine red 'snow' that barely moves. Traversing it with a conventional vessel is impossible due to the lack of energy to fuel the lift and trim crystals.
The Everstorm: As the name suggests, the everstorm is a region of the aerosphere dominated by an enormous and eternal thunderstorm. It's a chaotic region of raging winds and surging aetheric energy that manifests in terrible bursts of prismatic flame. No conventional vessel could hope to survive the nightmarish storm conditions.

Wreth Territory

Haze-Maze
Marine Presence: K 0/8 |  W 1/8
--->Marines
---> Squad G (No Equip)
Territory: 0/4 | 4/4
Resources: 1C, 3O, 1W, 2S
Conditions: Deadly Gas Pockets, significant vertical shafts and steep tunnels.

Miner's Folly
Marine Presence: K 0/18 |  W 1/18
--->Marines
---> Squad G (No Equip)
Territory: 0/4 | 4/4
Resources: 1C, 6O, 0W, 1S
Conditions: Toxic Stone, Massive Caverns, pitch-black

The Verdant Vista
Marine Presence: K 0/18 |  W 0/18
Territory: 0/4 | 4/4
Resources: 1C, 0O, 8W, 2S
Conditions: Mostly earth and soil, Unstable pocket caves


The Belt

Three Captains
Marine Presence: K ?/20 |  W 4/20
--->Marines
---> Squad D (Pincushion, Fireteam | Cutlass, All) [50%]
---> Squad 2A (Gauntlets, all | Cutlass, all | Silk Vests,Commander | 1 PLACE  [50%]
---> Squad 2B (Gauntlets, all | Cutlass, all | Silk Vests,Commander
Territory: 1/4 | 2/4
Resources: 1C, 6O, 2W, 6S
Conditions: Kinetoluminescent Ores, Heavily Infested

Wrackspire
Marine Presence: K ?/12 |  W 0/12
Territory: ?/4 | 0/4
Resources: 3C, 4O, 4W, 2S
Conditions: Unstable Aetheric Phenomena, Broken Spire

Burned Mountain
Marine Presence: K ?/24 |  W 0/24
Territory: ?/4 | 0/4
Resources: 1C, 10O, 1W, 0S
Conditions: Inexplicably Molten Core, Hundreds of narrow tunnels and small galleries.

The Unfinished
Marine Presence: K ?/45 |  W 0/45
Territory: ?/4 | 0/4
Resources: 8C, 0O, 6W, 2S
Conditions: Unfinished infrastructure, Massive open rooms and halls.

Spoiler: Ships (click to show/hide)

Skiffs With No Name - Skyskiff Class (x1)
Loadout
2 Light Aether Cannons+ (Flanged Heatsinks, Itshana Refinement).
1 Very Small Basic Core Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
1 Very Small Basic Lift Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
4 Trim Crystals+ (Itshana Refinement)
2 reams of webbing
Location: Three Captains
Status: All papers are in order.

WOSV 'Vomit Comet' - Skyskiff Class
Loadout
2 Light Aether Cannons+ (Flanged Heatsinks, Itshana Refinement).
1 Very Small Itshana Select Core Crystal
1 Very Small Basic Lift Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
4 Trim Crystals+ (Itshana Refinement)
2 reams of webbing  [[DAMAGE: Low Webbing | Will have trouble if it loses its web again.  1 Silk to fix.]]
Location: Three Captains
Status: Slightly Damaged

WOSV Windrider - Windrider Class
Loadout
8 SUCKERPUNCH Light Aether Cannons+ (Flanged Heatsinks, Itshana Select) [4 unit Broadside]  [[DAMAGE: Destroyed Cannon, Damaged Cannon | One cannon is destroyed, needing replacement (1 Crystal, 2 Ore), one cannon is damaged and unable to rotate (1 ore to fix)]]
2 Light Aether Cannons+ (Flanged Heatsinks, Itshana Refinement) [Bow Mount]
2 Small Itshana Select Core Crystals
2 Small Basic Lift Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
16 Trim Crystals+ (Itshana Refinement)
8 reams of webbing
Armored Skin  [[DAMAGE: Partially Compromised | A large section of this armor is damaged, rendering it much less useful. 2 Ore to fix]]
1 Unit of Armor   [[DAMAGE: Partially Compromised | A large section of this armor is damaged, rendering it much less useful. 2 Ore to fix]] [Upper Belt]
Location: Three Captains
Status: Slightly Damaged

WOSV Herbie - Transport Barge
Loadout
1 Small Core Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
1 Small Basic Lift Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
2 Trim Crystals+ (Itshana Refinement)
1 reams of webbing
Carrying: 0/6
Location: Spire Wreth
Status:  All papers are in order.

Skiffs With No Name - Skyskiff Class (x2)
Loadout
2 Light Aether Cannons+ (Flanged Heatsinks, Itshana Refinement).
1 Very Small Basic Core Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
1 Very Small Basic Lift Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
4 Trim Crystals+ (Itshana Refinement)
2 reams of webbing
Location: Spire Wreth
Status: All papers are in order.

Spoiler: Infantry (click to show/hide)

Marines x17

Spoiler: Misc. Goods (click to show/hide)

Ream of Webbing x8

Current Technology

Spoiler: Tech (click to show/hide)

Infantry

Flint-Lock Pistol: Cost: 2 ore to give one of either to every fireteam in a squad, 8 to give to every man. Inaccurate beyond spitting distance, incapable of dealing significant damage against hard armor, and liable to explode when used regularly even when given the most expert maintenance,  the primary advantage of these weapons is that they can punch straight through shrouds like they didn't exist, and they're slowed by aethersilk officer's coats as much as by an ordinary silk shirt.

Flint-Lock Rifle: Cost: 3 ore to give one of either to every fireteam in a squad, 12 to give to every man. Reasonably accurate, but slow to reload and still incapable of dealing significant damage against hard armor or ship hulls. These weapons still require expert maintenance to keep them from being single-use weapons, and sustained use still makes these weapons terrifyingly unreliable as service weapons. Still, an excellent choice for shooting through silk shirts and ignoring shrouds.

Suppressor Repeating Crossbow: Cost: 2 wood+ 1 ore per fireteam, 8 wood + 4 ore to give to every man. | A repeating crossbow with a forty pound lever weight. Field modification allow it to operate has a standard repeating crossbow, or as a light crossbow using a goat's foot lever. The latter is underpowered, the former is inaccurate.

Pincushion Repeating Crossbow: Cost: 3 wood to give one to every fireteam, 12 wood to give to every man. | A lighter and nearly all wood version of the Suppressor. Limited draw weight and not terribly robust, but cheap.

Grappling Gear: Cost: 1 ore to give to every member of a squad. Standard issue ropes and hooks for boarding vessels or climbing the outside of spires. Cumbersome if you're not going to use it.

Aetheric Gauntlet*: Cost: 1 Ore, 1 crystal to give one to every fireteam in a squad, 4 of each to give one to everyone. A gauntlet (usually left handed to keep the right hand free) of copper and leather with a tiny weapons crystal locked into the palm. Capable of firing dozens of low energy blasts of aetheric energy at the user's discretion, but is difficult to aim and the copper cage used to draw heat from the crystal has the unsettling tendency to leave disfiguring gauntlet burns, melt, or set the user on fire if used too frequently.
---> A.G.I: Some small QoL changes have been made to the gauntlet, slightly increasing its sustained rate of fire and giving the user a bit more time before the gauntlet burns their arm.


Bronze Cutlass: Cost: 2 Ore to give to every member of a squad. A simple, heavy blade of bronze attached to a wooden handle. Simple, and brutally effective in close quarters.

Aethersilk Vest: Cost: 1 Silk to give to a squad's ranking officer, 5 silk to provide to ranking officer and team leads, 16 silk to give to every member of a squad. A double layer vest of dense aethersilk, capable of absorbing a considerable amount of Aetheric energy. Can stop multiple point-blank shots from a gauntlet, but doesn't cover the arms, legs, or head. Does nothing against physical weapons or projectiles.
 

Ship Tech

Light Aether Cannon*: 1 Crystal, 1 Ore for one.  A small cannon, capable of being mounted on deck without reinforcement. Fires powerful blasts of aetheric energy, and uses a removable block of copper as a heat-sink. Relatively inaccurate, short ranged, hot, power hungry, and prone to exploding violently if hit directly by enemy fire. Still, it can blow wood into flaming cinders and will melt through light plating in a few shots.
---> The Itshana Process has improved crystal purity, allowing for a slight increase in power.
---> Can be manufactured using Itshana Select crystals, which gives a 75-100% increase in power, at the cost of increasing the ore cost of the component by an amount equal to the base crystal price.
---> Improved Dissipation enables it to be fired 25% faster than normal once hot.

Basic Core Crystal+: [VS 3 Crystal | S 6 Crystal]  A massive rough gem, grown in vats and used to transduce aetheric energy into electric current. This particular model is relatively inefficient, both as a transducer and as a storage unit. It can generate a defensive shroud around a vessel, but more than a single shot from a light Aether cannon on the same point will knock a hole in the shroud. Will explode spectacularly if hit directly.
---> The Itshana Process has improved crystal purity, allowing for a slight increase in efficiency.
---> Can be manufactured using Itshana Select crystals, which gives a 75-100% increase in power, at the cost of increasing the ore cost of the component by an amount equal to the base crystal price.

Basic Lift Crystal*: [VS 2 Crystal, 2 ore | S 3 Crystal, 2 ore for one] A chunk of crystal the size of a bathtub, heavily reinforced so that it can be locked into a ship's spine. When fed electricity, it will progressively invert gravity's effect on itself, flying upwards and pulling anything attached up with it. This basic model is incredibly power hungry, produces only enough lift for a small ship and internal flaws mean that extreme maneuvers could easily cause it to crack.
---> The Itshana Process has improved crystal purity, allowing for a slight increase in lift.
---> Can be manufactured using Itshana Select crystals, which gives a 75-100% increase in power, at the cost of increasing the ore cost of the component by an amount equal to the base crystal price.

Basic Trim Crystals*: 1 Crystal for two.  Head sized chunks of crystal, similar to lift crystals, though of greater refinement. These produce directional gravity when powered, allowing a ship to make finer maneuvers. Like the basic lift crystal, these are power hungry and prone to fracture of used for rapid maneuverability.
---> The Itshana Process has improved crystal purity, allowing for a slight increase in maneuverability.
---> Can be manufactured using Itshana Select crystals, which gives a 75-100% increase in power, at the cost of increasing the ore cost of the component by an amount equal to the base crystal price.

Basic Webbing: 2 Silk per ream. Aethersilk webbing, designed to catch hold of aetheric currents and shunt them into a ship's core crystal. Particularly susceptible to fire from aetheric weapons, which will rapidly cause overloads that burn out whole sections of webbing.

Light Copper Ship Plating: 3 ore per section. Nearly pure copper plates, heavy, but with good thermal conductivity. Useful for spreading out the heat generated by an aether blast. Low melting point does mean that repeated impacts will melt the armor and set fire to the wood beneath.

Ship Hulls

Skyskiff 5 wood, 2 ore for one.
At her heart, the Skyskiff is an 18ft long frame of sleek timber and brass reinforcement, built from the ground up to be light on the air and quick to handle. Her basic design is quite old, dating back before the perfection of trim crystals, and she still sports a rudimentary mast that a sail can be run from in addition to the normal spars to run out web. In service, she's typically run by a crew of four. Two gunners who worked crouched in the middle of the ship, a pilot who spends their time practically laying on top of the core crystal in order to manipulate the power control, and the spotter who usually stands at the rear of the ship and calls out directions and threats. Generally, the captain of the vessel is the spotter, due to their superior vantage point and ability to see the entire local theatre.

A notable problem with the Skyskiff is that despite her speed, her web is cumbersome to replace, and without it she's painfully slow. In addition, both her Core Crystal and Her Lift Crystal slots are only designed to fit small crystals. Her small lift crystal means a lot of the burden for vertical maneuvers is still placed on the power hungry trim crystals, which in turn puts more demand on her small core. As a result, her shroud is weak, and a single light cannon blast will knock a hole in it. It still takes two or three more shots before her shroud will buckle entirely, but if another shot comes in the same spot swiftly enough- that's the end of the skiff. Except in the most fortunate of circumstances, a single cannon blast to an unshrouded skiff will destroy it.

She has no usable cargo capacity.
Armament
2 light cannon mounts. One on each side.
Requires:
1 Core Crystal (Up to Very Small in size)
1 Lift Crystal (Up to Very Small in size)
4 Trim Crystals
2 reams of webbing

Transport barge 7 wood, 2 ore for one.
In times of peace, this was the vessel most frequently seen going to and from Spires. She's little more than a wooden oval with a few metal bands designed to support the lift crystal. She's got capacity for crew and cargo, but she's quite slow when fully loaded, and her lack of significant trim crystals means that she can't maneuver with any speed. Her only real defense against attack is to dive down into the mist layer and hope that the attacking vessel loses her trail before the mistmaw comes lurking.

She can hold six units of cargo.
Armament
None
Requires:
1 Core Crystal (Up to small size)
1 Lift Crystal (Up to small size)
2 Trim Crystals
1 ream of webbing

Basic Dinghy (Special, used automatically by Marines to embark/disembark transports)
A very small boat, technically capable of transporting eight people as long as they aren't too broad, don't have a fear of heights, and their legs aren't too long. Her core crystal is about the size of a housecat, and kept powered by a fixed ventral web. She's solid wood, unarmed, and has the tendency to tip alarmingly as she doesn't actually use a lift crystal, but makes do entirely on a trio of small trim crystals. It's a slow and terrifying way to travel. Though she's the primary lifeboat of transports, your chances of survival are alarmingly small if you find yourself alone in a dingy .

When used by marines, she's typically crewed by five, with the squad leader acting as an extra member in every set of three boats. When going into a hostile spire, one marine steers, the other four act as spotters or (if one or more has a gauntlet or rifle) shooters. She's such a small vessel that it doesn't take more than a dozen gauntlet shots for her to break apart completely, and a single shot to her ventral web will (at best) cripple her.

Her core crystal is, technically, capable of generating a shroud. However, the limited energy the miniscule core crystal can process limits the crew to picking two of three options: Maintain Altitude control, maintain thrust, raise shroud. For obvious reasons, raising the shroud is something of a last resort. Worse, even when powered, the shroud can be penetrated by sustained gauntlet fire. This is to say nothing of a shot from a light cannon. The shroud will buckle completely after a single shot from a light cannon, though to its credit, that's one more cannon shot than the Dinghy would have survived normally.

Spoiler: Tactics (click to show/hide)

Marines
Massed Fire and Charge: When engaging, Marines will bunch up to focus fire with their ranged weapons until they run out of ammunition or become too hot to use (depending on weapon type), at which point they will charge in with melee weapons.

Crossbow Corridors of Carnage: When engaging, Marines will attempt to find cover, or at least concealment, and fire from behind that. Advancement is a leap-frog between cover, and retreat is a similar series of backward jumps.

Ships
Close Aggressively: Ships will attempt to close distance with enemy vessels and engage at close range, firing all cannons until the enemy is destroyed.

High Vigil: Tells a fleet to maintain a vessel as a high-altitude lookout. The lookout will give a warning shot if they spot an enemy vessel. After raising the alarm, the scout rejoins the fleet and follows the same tactic as her fellow ships.

AGILE: Ships using AGILE will attempt to evade and outmaneuver enemy vessels, focusing on evasive action rather than maximizing damage.

AMDG:  Currently better known as AMES, this tactic attempts to get captains to bring their small vessels within the shroud of larger vessels before firing. Ambitions, and currently rubbish due to multiple lacking components and complete lack of buy-in from the brass.

Double Ambush: Splits a fleet up into two groups. One group attacks from ambush initially, boom and zoom style, then the second group moves into attack whatever slow or crippled ships do not pursue the first ambush group.

Spoiler: Infrastructure and Production Patterns (click to show/hide)

Small Docks: Relatively simple affairs of wood jutting out into the void, capable of servicing a relatively small number of light craft. These docks are best suited to peace time usage, and are ill-equipped to service or build true warships. Light defensive cannons have been mounted in strategic positions, and will be upgraded automatically when needed.
Provides a single production line that can be used for any small or smaller production pattern.

Marine Academy: The basic and unaugmented marine academy, where men and women are transformed from milksop civilians into hardened marines.
Provides a single production line to be used ONLY on Marine production.

Crude Fuses: Extremely rudimentary fuses. You can make them fail safe, but they're going to fail often.

Production Patterns

Basic Marine Training: [Max: 25 | Rate: 2]
Generates Marine units at the spire. These marines are capable in hand-to-hand combat, but are not provided any initial weapons. You might want to buy them swords, at the very least.

Skyskiff Pattern A: [Max: 10 | Rate: 2]
Creates two Skyskiff units per turn, up to a max of 10.  Each skyskiff is outfitted with
2 Light Aether Cannons.
1 Very Small Basic Core Crystal
1 Very Small Basic Lift Crystal
4 Trim Crystals
2 reams of webbing
Buyback cost: 9 crystal, 6 ore, 5 wood, 4 silk

[Tack]

VICTORY IN THE AIR

[10ebbor10]

That could have gone worse, but I do wonder where the enemy Skiffs buggered of too.

If they had been present, damaging the Kunai's wouldn't have gone nearly as well.

[Tack]

Advanced Crystal Matrices (National Boon)
It has become clear that current crystal quality is inferior for the requirements of wartime ship construction. Whilst core crystals were free to grow intergenerationally in peacetime, the tendency of crystals grown under duress to have flaws and flimsy design means that new techniques need to be developed in order to bring our crystals up from the basic and fractured attempts they are now to the Wrethian standard of excellence. Our challenges are twofold. Swiftly grown matrices are extremely unstable, and our knowledge of crystal circuitry after the revolution is sub-par.

Our solution? We must begin by learning to create a malleable and incredibly fine matrix, so tiny that it will be impossible for the human eye to see unaided, which will require new equipment, new specialists, and vast leaps in research. However, the benefits are unimaginable, literally, as we cannot yet fathom what the new "advanced (or intermediate, again, I don't know what the crystal grade scale is) crystals will have their shapes and purposes able to be moulded towards, or the new sizes which will be able to be achieved from the more stable crystals.

Beginning this great research is an enormous ask, however this is a task which Wrethian national pride could never fail to meet, and so all scientists from all of the nation's Demi-spires, engineers, vatters, magisters and philosophers are being gathered to bring their heads together on this one all-important task, to shape the future of Wrethian progress.

"Pocket Rocket"/"Skyleaper"/"Pirahna" class skyskiff.
--Review Phase--
The effectiveness of the alarmingly-named 'Vomit Comet' has been noted, sent home in letters, disseminated into action reports and collated in triplicate.
The results are in, and they look good. Now is the time to revise our standard pattern of Skyskiff.
By removing one of the guns and upgrading the other to a SUCKERPUNCH-pattern chase cannon, we will be free to upgrade the lift crystal to an Itshana Select, causing improvements in speed, manouverability, impact and shroud with little reduction in sustained firepower.

COWS-count prev: 100.69
COWS-count after: 99.63

Edit: Alt (COWS-count w/ Itshana select core: 103.1)

[10ebbor10]

Anyway, here's an idea for updating the Skyskiff pattern.

New Skiff

2 SUCKERPUNCH Light Aether Cannons+ (Flanged Heatsinks, Itshana Refinement, Itshana Select). 
1 Very Small Itshana Select Core Crystal
1 Very Small Basic Itshana Select Lift Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
4 Itshana Select Trim Crystals+ (Itshana Refinement)
1 Ream of Webbing

Cost :
11 ore
11 crystal
2 Silk

Total cost : 99.8
Old skiff cost : 100.69

This gives us a very powerfull skiff, with as only caveat that we need to spend 4 silk per turn to give them a full Web.

Design Not valid

[Nirur Torir]

I like the crystal matrix (4 dice, 2x time) and Ebbor's skyskiff pattern. Let's also spend a revise to optimize the load-out for SUCKERPUNCH cannons and Select crystals.

[10ebbor10]

My Skyskiff pattern doesn't work. I kind of forgot to include the actual Skyskiff.