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Author Topic: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Fall 1965 - Final Design Phase)  (Read 60663 times)

Blood_Librarian

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Revision Phase)
« Reply #705 on: October 20, 2019, 01:51:39 am »

STELLAR ASCENDANT COURIER (SAC)
The SAC is an offshoot from the SOL Invictus, in that it carries a similar plasma system and shares a large portion of its electronic parts with the Invictus. Its purpose is to ferry cargo from the space elevator to the Moon, without being intercepted by enemy spacecraft.

To that end, at its very core, it is essentially a scaffolding built around a massive rotary plasma dynamic thruster. It is a scaffold designed to carry drop tanks for its reactor, cargo, and habitation modules. It has three side mountings(left, top, right) and one front module mounting, which can connect to the top mounting to allow for the pilot's compartment to connect to a passenger compartment without a spacewalk, as well as its engine room.

It is equipped with both fuel tanks that line the reactor itself to provide radiation shielding, as well as drop tanks near the thrust manifold, which are filled with a higher yield low-efficiency fuel for emergency maneuvers.

It is equipped with four rotary turrets that are slaved to the master computer system, designed to work in conjunction with the ECM system to baffle enemy missiles while blasts of plasma detonate enemy warheads prematurely. At any given situation, it is assumed that at least two turrets have firing arcs on the enemy.

The mountings on the SAC are differentiated: The top mount for the SAC is expected to carry a personnel module or a cargo module, And the side mounts can carry larger cargo containers for large vehicles if prepared properly. It is expected to unload vehicles in non-combat conditions, and will most likely require technicians to “unpack” the theoretical vehicle or object.

Running along the entire length of the craft is an Omni-band antenna that should have the bandwidth and wavelength required to contact the beanstalk back home, as well as an orientable dish antenna to enable relay operations between other craft.

With our vastly superior fuel efficiency, we can expect to beat out the enemy in terms of raw speed, as we can afford to accelerate for longer periods to compensate for our lower acceleration speeds. We will avoid confrontation by enduring.

As we are not carrying any equipment for entering the atmosphere, we should be both lighter and more effective in space operations. For lunar operations, it is equipped with veneer thrusters that both allow for a normal space maneuvering standard with advanced craft as well as landing on its belly on the lunar surface.


ARMAGEDDON REFIT
The Meteors entire plasma reactor system is refitted into a singular reactor, consisting of a rotary system that allows for higher energy yields in an equivalent space by  introducing a centrifugal action on a large scale. This centrifugal action causes the pseudo fusion reactions to occur at a relatively incredible increase in efficiency, while simultaneously removing the waste material from the reaction and increasing the reactor service life. This reactor feeds both the thrusters that allow the Meteor to move as well as the RF plasma cannons that replace the coil gun array as well as all of the Tesla turrets.


Bio-Ware “Amber”
Bioware  Amber represents the wide-scale knowledge application of SPICE, bioaugmentation and cryo sanctum technology. By conditioning the nerves of our soldiers, we allow for a more effective ‘basic’ augmented soldier, roughly replacing the Golden Eyes in terms of utilization in military applications. Once a soldier is augmented with an Amber Bioware package, they do not require further treatments, as the pharmaceuticals modify several organs in the human body to sustain the reaction, provided the individual takes the required nutritional variety for the reaction to continue. They hold the same awareness as a Golden-Eye special forces member while requiring a drastically lower maintenance profile as well as a marked increase in spatial awareness, kinesthetic control, and logical-mathematical ability. This augment allows for more complex battlefield tactics as well as off-battlefield uses where an increase in general intelligence is a boon. These effects also occur whether or not the augmented individual displays astral ability, although it is far more effective if astrally sensitive individuals are used in the process.

(Also viewable in a sometimes more updated document here)
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Man of Paper

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Revision Phase)
« Reply #706 on: October 23, 2019, 09:09:23 pm »

And now for other revisions. Mostly barebones, because I'm tired but I want some relatively sane options to at least mull over:

Proposal: "Sarissa" Plasma Battle Tank Overhaul

The Sarissa is a conversion of the Glaive ECCB's chassis, with the coil cannon and related components replaced with a plasma cannon scaled to take over as the tank's primary weapon. The tesla rifle is also replaced with an Albatross. A holographic targeting system is utilized for the primary cannon and can calculate point of impact based on any number of relatively predictable battlefield factors.

[Author's note: The Glaive seems pretty solid, but it might like a cousin with a plasma cannon. If there's any other reasonable additions anyone has, definitely fire them at me.]


Proposal: Beacon Bombs

Current beacon markers for STOP assistance are somewhat lacking in a lot of ways, but the biggest flaw comes in delivery (slowly and manually) and activation (also manually). Beacon Bombs subvert the issues by configuring a STOP beacon to fit into a casing capable of being mounted onto an aircraft hardpoint. The interior of the casing is insulated and designed to ensure minimal damage occurs to the internal devices after being deployed and striking the ground without interfering with the signal. Once contact with the ground occurs, an impact trigger within the casing activates the beacon and is capable of emitting a signal for a few minutes before dying out (as opposed to the beacon's current ping).


Proposal: I had another idea but forgot it. I should try to sleep. Meanwhile, let's discuss proposals!
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Blood_Librarian

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Revision Phase)
« Reply #707 on: October 23, 2019, 10:32:54 pm »

I made three more proposals. Yeah.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Quote from:  Bote Box
Stellar Ascendant Courier (SAC) (0):
Armageddon Refit (0):
Bio-Ware "Amber" (1): Blood_Librarian
Sarissa Plasma Battle Tank Overhaul (0):
Beacon Bombs (0):
Dream Tank (0):
Diktat of Astral Kommunication Korps of Aratam (0):
Blink (1): Blood_Librarian
« Last Edit: October 24, 2019, 12:10:16 pm by Blood_Librarian »
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Rockeater

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Revision Phase)
« Reply #708 on: October 26, 2019, 05:49:29 am »


[/spoiler]
Quote from:  Bote Box
Stellar Ascendant Courier (SAC) (0):
Armageddon Refit (0):
Bio-Ware "Amber" (1): Blood_Librarian
Sarissa Plasma Battle Tank Overhaul (0):
Beacon Bombs (1):Rockeater
Dream Tank (0):
Diktat of Astral Kommunication Korps of Aratam (0):
Blink (1): Blood_Librarian
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Also, don't forget to contact your local Eldritch Being(s), so that they can help with our mission to destroy the universe.

Man of Paper

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Revision Phase)
« Reply #709 on: October 26, 2019, 10:14:49 am »

Quote from:  Bote Box
Stellar Ascendant Courier (SAC) (0):
Armageddon Refit (0):
Bio-Ware "Amber" (1): Blood_Librarian
Sarissa Plasma Battle Tank Overhaul (0):
Beacon Bombs (2):Rockeater, MoP
Dream Tank (0):
Diktat of Astral Kommunication Korps of Aratam (0):
Blink (1): Blood_Librarian

I really wanna get this thing working as intended, because it's got so much potential that we're just on the edge of. It's such a tease and it needs to STOP. If the Plasma Tank overhaul got traction I could swap. I think the problem with the rest of (BL's) suggestions is they feel like designs in scope.
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Blood_Librarian

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Revision Phase)
« Reply #710 on: October 26, 2019, 12:27:11 pm »

Quote
Stellar Ascendant Courier (SAC) (0):
Armageddon Refit (0):
Bio-Ware "Amber" (0):
Sarissa Plasma Battle Tank Overhaul (0):
Beacon Bombs (3):Rockeater, MoP, Blood_Librarian
Dream Tank (0):
Diktat of Astral Kommunication Korps of Aratam (0):
Blink (0):
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The Ensorceler

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Revision Phase)
« Reply #711 on: October 26, 2019, 01:07:45 pm »

Quote
Stellar Ascendant Courier (SAC) (0):
Armageddon Refit (0):
Bio-Ware "Amber" (0):
Sarissa Plasma Battle Tank Overhaul (0):
Beacon Bombs (3):Rockeater, MoP, Blood_Librarian
Dream Tank (0):
Diktat of Astral Kommunication Korps of Aratam (0):
Blink (1): The Ensorceler
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Chiefwaffles

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Combat Phase)
« Reply #712 on: November 04, 2019, 02:41:49 am »

Proposal: Beacon Bombs

Current beacon markers for STOP assistance are somewhat lacking in a lot of ways, but the biggest flaw comes in delivery (slowly and manually) and activation (also manually). Beacon Bombs subvert the issues by configuring a STOP beacon to fit into a casing capable of being mounted onto an aircraft hardpoint. The interior of the casing is insulated and designed to ensure minimal damage occurs to the internal devices after being deployed and striking the ground without interfering with the signal. Once contact with the ground occurs, an impact trigger within the casing activates the beacon and is capable of emitting a signal for a few minutes before dying out (as opposed to the beacon's current ping).
Revision: Beacon Bombs
(Trivial) (6)+2 = 8: Unexpected Boon

Simple enough. Make a Beacon a biit lighter, insulate and encase it, upgrade power supply and usage, and stick it on an aircraft. Critics within the Design Bureau have called bombing to request bombing "wasteful" and "unnecessarily complicated". They were not invited to the testing.

A Beacon Bomb is mounted onto any hardpoint, and deployed from the cockpit. It smashes into the ground at very high speeds and begins emitting the standard STOP Beacon signal. Of very interesting, fun, and destructive note, the continuous signal (sent for about 30 seconds) allows for numerous STOPs to lock on.
You can imagine what happens next. A barrage of STOP shells bombarding the area. The signal dies out too quick for more than 3 STOPs to track, and -- due to fun orbital mechanics shenanigans -- once that signal dies the data it was transmitting quickly becomes useless as factors change. So 3 STOPs, one shot each. Still very nice.

A Sol Invictus can carry two Beacon Bombs at a small penalty to top speed.


A Beacon Bomb is extremely expensive. It costs 4 Ore, 6 Oil, and is Complex. Making it a National Effort. Extra ore goes into the insulation and the general complicated manufacturing process (the metal in the end product doesn't represent 4 Ore, we just have to use a lot to get a suitable-enough product). But more important is the energy cost. We have to stick very large amounts of energy in a Beacon Bomb and in a medium where it can be extracted quickly. Having the bomb start to "spin up" its components before hitting ground helps a lot here, but we still need massive amounts of energy quickly accessible. The Beacon takes time to charge up a single pulse before dying; the Beacon Bomb continuously emits that same signal for 30 seconds.
Hence the cost. A lot of oil to get that energy, and complex manufacturing to kludge it together so it can be accessed quickly enough.


Something's off about this design though. The B.E.O.'s presence makes that clear. They've been unusually silent about their motivations (which is an accomplishment considering how silent they are usually); they haven't stopped or disrupted anything but they know something we don't. They've gained access to every file on the project and have showed special interest in the test -- interviewing anyone there or even remotely nearby, and appearing to audit every centimeter of the prototype's production and shipment to the testing site.
We just feel watched, even if productivity hasn't been hurt.


Being National Effort means that you will choose one theatre to deploy it in per combat phase; a single aircraft will be equipped with them and can see from 1 to a handful of total deployments that combat phase.

Spoiler: Designs (click to show/hide)

The Combat Phase of Spring 1965 has begun. Vote on deployment for your National Effort designs. Optionally vote on a single Intrigue action to take.
You feel the Astral... stretch.
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You should really look to the wilderness for your stealth ideas, it has been doing it much longer than you have after all. Take squids for example, that ink trick works pretty well, and in water too! So you just sneak into the dam upsteam, dump several megatons of distressed squid into it, then break the dam. Boom, you suddenly have enough water-proof stealth for a whole city!

Blood_Librarian

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Combat Phase)
« Reply #713 on: November 04, 2019, 10:31:40 am »

Can we deploy both the Meteor and th eBeacon bomb?
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The Ensorceler

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Combat Phase)
« Reply #714 on: November 04, 2019, 03:49:27 pm »

Yes, it's like how we can deploy both the Meteor and the Stormcaller Circle. We'll be deploying all three.
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Blood_Librarian

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Combat Phase)
« Reply #715 on: November 04, 2019, 05:15:32 pm »

Operation Shake and Bake

make them bleed make them bleed make them bleed make them bleed make them bleed make them bleed make them bleed

Quote
It has come to the attention of the Aratam design Bureau that the enemy is poised to gain a foothold in the desert. Operation Shake and Bake is a strategic manuver where Mereth is prodded into over-extending their forces and then burning hte blight out in the plains.

The Meteor is redeployed from combat operations in the Plains to defensive actions in the Desert/Mountains.

The StorrmCallers are ordered to prepare for the creation of a dozen dry-lightning storms on the dried out prairies of the plains, this will be initiated when they sense the death of alot of people. They are not informed of the nature of how this death would occur, but hints are provided that it is going to be from the utilization of the STOPs, but the Drop-Beacons are kept strictly need-to-know.


The Beacon bomb is deployed with three to five "fake" bombs that are just regular explosives, the command structure in the airforce is systemically deceived so that they are to believe that all weapons given are Beacons, such that while not all beacons will have 3 deployed STOPS to fire upon them, it will still be lethal. These strikes are to be done simultaneously as to prevent cry-wolf fatigue on our side.

In effect, our military forces will act to deceive the enemy precognition software, and thus give us a semblance of surprise against the enemy.  We don't really expect to take the enemy totally off guard, but each time they erroneously evacuate their forces for a detonation that would never come means our advance is that much further along, and if they do happen to fail to expect the unexpectable and receive an orbital bombardment without preparations, all the better.

Once the beacon bomb is successfully deployed, and the STOPs have finished their fire mission, it is the Storm Callers turn to ensure our advance is kept forward with fire and lightning at the enemy's heels.

Investigation: Our Observational capacity is deployed in a similar manner to Operation Alpha Strike. Operational integrity will not be compromised: Observers will be sent to observe the fake bombs as well as the real weapon.
« Last Edit: November 04, 2019, 08:07:05 pm by Blood_Librarian »
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Man of Paper

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Combat Phase)
« Reply #716 on: November 04, 2019, 05:45:21 pm »

Operation Clever Name Alpha Strike

Operation Clever Name Alpha Strike is designed to keep pressure on Mereth and use our offensive capabilities to further our knowledge of the Astral.

The Meteor remains in the Plains.

Stormcaller Circle is used to create dry lighting storms in the Plains with a steady gust Westward.

The Beacon Bomb is deployed to be used on enemy forces within the Mountains in order to weaken the enemy forces there. The Beacon Bomb's first deployment, which will coincide with our first combat deployment of the Sol Invictus, will open our offensive to begin retaking the mountains. As both the bomb and the plane should be unquantified variables, the ORACLE and it's Merethian slaves won't expect what is to come.


But we do, so for our Investigation Action we will not attempt to outmaneuver the BEO, and instead double down on our own efforts to study the Astral. All Black Chamber resources will be directed to studying what happens during the bombing run through the Astral Realm. The introduction of the Beacon Bomb coincided with a strange fluctuation in the Astral Realm, and so teams will be assigned to observing a number of objectives:

-The Pilot
-The Test Subjects Victims Merethians At The Target
-The Astral Realm Itself
-The People Observing The Objectives

We will also have a small team sent out to observe (from a distance) the bombardment and report every detail, highlighting anything unusual. They are included on the list of teams observed.


-----


This plan means we definitely keep pressure on our better front, and it uses our Investigation to actually investigate and not worsen the rift between unofficial factions in Aratam. Shit, imagine what would happen if we cooperated with one another. After all, we're the ones that make the breakthroughs that strengthen them - and indeed support our entire populace.
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The Ensorceler

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Combat Phase)
« Reply #717 on: November 04, 2019, 06:35:49 pm »

Operation Iron Stance

Operation Iron Stance will hold the line against Mereth's recent advances in the Mountains, and begin a war of attrition with our various Superweapons inflicting heavy losses on the advancing forces.

The Meteor and Beacon Bomb will be deployed to the fighting in the Mountains and Desert border. Both will be used to cripple enemy forces and give them hell.

The Stormcaller Circle will continue its success in the Plains with its Heat Wave lowering the effectiveness of Bear Armor. Unnecessary troops will be diverted to reinforce the fighting in the Mountains and Deserts. The Plains are as good as ours.

Intrigue Action: In secret, the Stormcaller Circle has been advised to instead prepare for a Wildfire in the Plains by maintaining heat and placing low and high pressure fronts to accelerate its spread, with the assistaince of a Sol Invictus squadron which will break off from the fighting and rain plasma behind enemy lines as ignition. As up to that point our forces will be unaware of this plan, there should be no "tell" for Oracle to read in their movements.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2019, 11:34:23 am by The Ensorceler »
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Blood_Librarian

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Combat Phase)
« Reply #718 on: November 09, 2019, 11:49:19 pm »

Quote
Operation SHake and Bake (0):
Operation Alpha Strike (1): Blood_Librarian
Operation Iron Stance (0):

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Rockeater

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Re: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Spring 1965 - Combat Phase)
« Reply #719 on: November 10, 2019, 06:12:52 am »


Quote
Operation SHake and Bake (0):
Operation Alpha Strike (1): Blood_Librarian
Operation Iron Stance (1): Rockeater

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Damnit people, this is why I said to keep the truce. Because now everyone's ganging up on the cats.
Also, don't forget to contact your local Eldritch Being(s), so that they can help with our mission to destroy the universe.
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