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[Madman198237]

Now this turn we get to steal the most advanced jet that's going to come out of the alliance.

And then equip it with GOFASTER fuel. Or possibly make a cheaper version and equip that, but same difference, right?

[NUKE9.13]

Spending a design to reverse engineer outdated radar is not the most efficient course of action. I mean, a revision should be enough.

Instead, we should... design... something. Something useful, that we don't need to put a machine gun on, and that we can't get from Forenia.

...godsdamnit why did we get the stupid Cataphract.

Wait, I got it. Computers! Forenia won't offer us any decent computer systems, yet transistors are common knowledge by now. We should spend a design on computers.

MXETE: The Mererth eXperimental Electrical Thinking Engine is a revolutionary new device. Utilising new-fangled 'transistors', it is smaller, faster, and more reliable than the computers of the past. With an astounding 4Mb of long-term-memory stored on a magnetic drum, an operating memory of 1200*32bits, a CPU operating at a lightning fast 2Mhz, a state-of-the-art keyboard input interface, and an output interface capable of outputting data both to punch cards and a 'screen', it is a machine that rivals- if not exceeds- the most modern computers in the world.
The MXETE's ability to run calculations at an astounding rate will benefit the Merethine economy, and make our jobs easier when it comes to designing things, but more importantly, it serves as a proof-of-concept for all manner of digitised weaponry- fire-control systems smaller and more accurate than ever before, encryption devices orders of magnitude harder to decipher than any previously seen, missiles capable of mind-boggling levels of intelligence- the list goes on and on.
We've seen the future, and it is digital. Mereth shall not be left behind.

(The specs outlined here are slightly above what was typical at the time, but I'm assuming that the soft-sci-fi aspect of the game will let us get more advanced computers more easily)

Rockwell II Plan:
MXETE: [1] NUKE9.13

[Madman198237]

How on earth is the radar outdated in this Arms Race?

It's literally the most advanced version either side has access to now.

[NUKE9.13]

How on earth is the radar outdated in this Arms Race?

It's literally the most advanced version either side has access to now.

Because it's 13 years later, numbskull. Radar tech was advancing in leaps and bounds during WWII; what is state of the art in 1942 is hopelessly outdated in 1955.
Don't get me wrong, it's not useless. But it definitely is not worth spending a design on.
We would've, as I've mentioned before, been better off getting timeless things that haven't grown outdated in the past 13 years. Like a good machine gun.

[Madman198237]

...

"Numbskull", really?

I pointed out that you had invested no thought into your comment.



Our radar is STILL the most advanced thing available in this Arms Race, because you can't just grab the technical documents from thin air.

We're going to need radar, and we don't really want to spend the time working our way up the radar tech tree, right?

[NUKE9.13]

Madman, I refer you to the standard AR rule of not getting salty at your own side.

I pointed out that you had invested no thought into your comment.

:/
You may disagree with the conclusion I arrived at, but I think I demonstrated that I did put thought into it.

Our radar is STILL the most advanced thing available in this Arms Race, because you can't just grab the technical documents from thin air.

We're going to need radar, and we don't really want to spend the time working our way up the radar tech tree, right?

You say 'Our radar', but we don't actually have any radar. We still need to reverse-engineer it.
You absolutely can grab the technical documents out of thin air. We don't need to work our way up the radar tech tree, considering how basic radar tech is by now common knowledge. We could've gotten equivalent radar with a single, not too difficult, design- which, as I have acknowledged, is more work than a single revision. So it isn't useless.

But anyway, let's not argue about this. You up for some computers, or what?

[Madman198237]

Madman, I refer you to the standard AR rule of not getting salty at your own side.

And referring to them as "numbskulls" is......what, exactly?

[NUKE9.13]

Madman, I refer you to the standard AR rule of not getting salty at your own side.

And referring to them as "numbskulls" is......what, exactly?

An endearing jab. My apologies if it came off as anything else. I don't consider "numbskull" to be a particularly serious insult.

[Chiefwaffles]

If there are no votes otherwise soon I'll roll the MXETE as Mereth's 1955 design.

[Jilladilla]

WAIT! I have a vote Chiefwaffles!.... It's for the thing, so do what you were doing in the first place, I suppose.

Rockwell II Plan:
MXETE: [2] NUKE9.13, Jilladilla

[Chiefwaffles]

Alright, as there's already been 2 days to vote not including the warning and the vote was for MXETE, I'll consider that enough.

MXETE: The Mererth eXperimental Electrical Thinking Engine is a revolutionary new device. Utilising new-fangled 'transistors', it is smaller, faster, and more reliable than the computers of the past. With an astounding 4Mb of long-term-memory stored on a magnetic drum, an operating memory of 1200*32bits, a CPU operating at a lightning fast 2Mhz, a state-of-the-art keyboard input interface, and an output interface capable of outputting data both to punch cards and a 'screen', it is a machine that rivals- if not exceeds- the most modern computers in the world.
The MXETE's ability to run calculations at an astounding rate will benefit the Merethine economy, and make our jobs easier when it comes to designing things, but more importantly, it serves as a proof-of-concept for all manner of digitised weaponry- fire-control systems smaller and more accurate than ever before, encryption devices orders of magnitude harder to decipher than any previously seen, missiles capable of mind-boggling levels of intelligence- the list goes on and on.
We've seen the future, and it is digital. Mereth shall not be left behind.

Design: MXETE
Hard  (2+2) - 1 = 3: Buggy Mess

The MXETE is certainly something. A giant mainframe with its own floor underneath the Design Division. It's built using newfangled discrete transistors, and our engineers have even constructed an impressive matrix of lights that can roughly resemble pictures! Input is performed via punch cards, though progress was made on fitting a typewriter as some kind of direct input. We just barely managed to achieve the intended specifications of a 2 MHz CPU, 4 Mb of magnetic drum long-term memory, and an operating memory of 1200*32 bits.

While the MXETE succeeded at its main goal, a high-tech computer (likely the fastest in the world), it is extremely impractical.
Extremely. Impractical.
It takes up its own floor. Not a room, not a portion of the floor, but the entire floor. And the Design Division isn't some short narrow building - each floor is big. Then consider the resources required to build this. Then the sheer cost in manpower. As it stands, we will not be able to build another MXETE any time soon. Significant work is required to miniaturize the MXETE to a practical degree.

Spoiler: Designs (click to show/hide)

Transport Capacity: 0
Resources: 2 Ore, 1 Oil

Weapons

• "Stalwart" Rifle: A semi-automatic rifle with mediocre accuracy at Long range and good accuracy at Medium (and useless accuracy further).
  [Cheap] 1 Ore
• "Heartstopper" Pistol: A 2-round semiautomatic pistol semi-accurate up to Short range. Has enormous stopping power. Pride of the Merethan army.
  [Cheap] 1 Ore

Navy

• UFN-CA-41 Catraphract: The Cataphract is a cruiser built to rival Cannala's ships. It is armed with 3x3 150mm gun turrets, each using a fully electrified loading system based on the moderately-performing Overcompensator, except that the 60kg shells are moved in one piece. Each gun can fire 8 times a minute. It has an armored citadel with 300mm of nickel-steel armor (Heavy), and a torpedo belt as well. The deck is also heavily armored, at 120mm (Light) to defend against plunging fire, plus an extra splinter deck. The turrets are similarly armored. There is a central director in the con tower which controls all the electrically-driven turrets, though there is no advanced firing calculator. Additionally there are three turrets with two bumblebees on each side of the ship, capable of firing on aircraft or ships, and miscellaneous autocannons wherever there is room. It is powered by oil-burning steam turbines, and there are a lot of them though with its considerable armor it only musters moderate speed.
  [National Effort] 5 Ore, 4 Oil

Other

• Standard Uniform: A plain blue featureless uniform. The blue's mild enough that it doesn't really stick out.
• GOFAST-Fuel: A special type of more energy-dense and stable fuel. Greatly increases fuel efficiency of anything it's in, doesn't require an oxidizer, and can rarely leak out of compromised containers.
  Adds 1 Oil to cost.
• MXETE: Discrete transistor digital mainframe computer - 2 MHz CPU, 4 Mb of magnetic drum long-term memory, and an operating memory of 1200*32 bits. Takes up an entire (very big) floor on the Design Division and creating another one is immensely impractical. Punch card input, with a tightly-packed light matrix called a "screen" for output.

Infrastructure

• Division of Unusual Chemistry: A fully funded department & lab under the Design Division specializing in more unusual chemistry.

The Revision Phase of 1955 has begun.

[NUKE9.13]

Alright, alright. That's alright.

Okay, so, revision:

WALK-TALK Radio: Transistors are still the future! MXETE may have ended up slightly bigger than planned, but that's okay. We have another use for transistors: radio. Our old radios need bulky vacuum tubes- our new radios will have svelte transistors! Meet the Wireless Audio Local Kommunicator-Transistor Assistance Lowers Kost Radio. A two-way radio you can hold in your hand, with better battery life than equivalent vacuum-tube-based units. "But transistors are expensive", they say. Tell that to the innovators of Mereth, and our low-cost labour just waiting to be exploited. We hear the distant land of 'Japan' is looking to become a leader in electronics? Not if Mereth can beat them to it!

Transistor radios are poised to plummet in price and size this year. Presumably we have the technology to build radios already; this revision is just replacing vacuum tubes with transistors, basically.

[Madman198237]

We do have the tech, it's on the Cataphract.

[NUKE9.13]

Well, if no one is going to say anything, I'm just gonna vote for my transistor radio.

WALK-TALK Radio: (1) NUKE9.13

[Madman198237]

I forgot to tell you that your acronyms are abominations against nature, NUKE.

WALK-TALK Radio: (2) NUKE9.13, Madman

By the way, NUKE, your acronyms are abominations against nature.