Import: UF-AC-41 VelocipratorUF-AC-41 Velociraptor: This autocannon is a revision of AC18, with several improvements. The gun is a little more tolerant of different ammo weights and the shells have been modified so that mixed ammo belts are possible. The use of more advanced materials has allowed some parts to become lighter, while a heavier bolt and stronger spring allows a rate of fire of 750 RPM, with a final gun weight of 48kg. In infantry use, it has noticeably more recoil, but this is less of a concern on vehicles.
AS-AC18: An advanced primer ignition autocannon, which ignites cartridge primers before the round is fully chambered. It fires the new, large, 20x100mm round, fed from a top-mounted 25 round C-shaped magazine with a powerful spring, usually armor piercing, about 600 times per minute. The weapon is quite large with a simple action but heavy barrel, weighing over 40 kilograms, and it requires being mounted to a carriage, foundation, or vehicle to fire with accuracy, although recoil is reduced by the nature of its action. It is dependent on a careful balance between the force of the shell and the force of the action, which means that different ammo types cannot be interchanged without recalibrating the gun. It has a terrifying ability to punch through armor and emplacements. Costs 3 ore due to its size and the size of its ammo.
A strange carrier-cargo ship from Forenia delivers everything relevant to the UF-AC-41 Velociraptor. We also know how to build the AS-AC18 as well.
"For context," our representative tells us.
UT-56 Burrower: You want mad? We got mad. The Burrower is a medium-sized vehicle, tracked, the most notable feature of which is the large drill on the front. Not one of those comical pointy drills, because that would just be silly. No, it's one of those big flat round ones, like the ones used to dig tunnels. Broken up rock and dirt is pushed to the back of the vehicle, where it can either stay, closing the tunnel behind it, or be removed, creating a tunnel through which further troops and materiel can be moved.
The Burrower's main innovation are its GOFAST-burning engines, which enable it to move at a substantially faster pace than conventional tunnel-boring-machines. It can manage up to several miles per hour!
The Burrower requires a two-man crew. It has room in the back for half a dozen soldiers. An autocannon (Velociraptor) may be deployed above ground to clear the area of hostiles, although of course ideally the Burrower will not encounter any hostiles, emerging well behind enemy lines. When not digging through the earth, it moves at a moderate pace. It only has light armour, although the drill itself provides some protection from frontal fire.
Easy (2+2)+1 = 5: Average
The UT-56 Burrower is essentially a heavily-modified commercial tunnel boring machine. The modification of the engine to accept GOFAST-Fuel, some general tweaks to the drill, the addition of armor, some cargo capacity, and other modifications have made it a competent military vehicle.
Underground, it moves at a
Very Slow pace. Still leaps and bounds faster than what we started with. It also has much more freedom of movement underground, though it's still limited. It's digging through the earth, not flying through the air. Once aboveground, it moves at
Moderate speeds thanks to the engine. Six soldiers and a small amount of equipment or just a moderate amount of equipment and no soldiers can fit in the back. The whole thing is of course airtight and pressure resistant down to
Shallow depths and a simple hatch door allows men to exit from the back. Those in the cockpit disembark through the back as well.
We couldn't find anywhere to mount an autocannon, though. The entrance/exit makes one mounted there impractical, and other hatches for people to operate it from inside would compromise structural integrity.
We can't recommend any traversal in the tunnels created by the Burrower, however. They're prone to almost immediate collapse thanks to the complete lack of supports and the depth of the boring. The very brave can ride just behind the Burrower, though we really still don't recommend that.
The Burrower costs
3 Ore and
3 Oil, the GOFAST-fuel adding to its already expensive oil requirements.
A somewhat unexpected effect is the boon the Burrower has brought to our economy. Turns out having extremely efficient tunnel boring machines is
great to the mining industry. We're managing to extract
+1 Ore from our existing mines thanks to the Burrower. Though if we were to invest in some way of stabilizing the tunnels after the Burrower has passed through, preventing future cave-ins, we could greatly aid our military logistics. This would allow forces to move fairly quickly and unharmed through the tunnels, and we'd have tunnels to transport goods through, increasing TC.
The Cataphract is now
Very Expensive, and before anything could be done with it the Velociraptor has decreased from
Expensive to
Cheap. (The Burrower is
Expensive, but would have been
Very Expensive if it didn't gain us more ore.)
Transport Capacity: 0
Resources: 3 Ore,
1 OilWeapons- "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 - UF-AC-41 Velociraptor: This autocannon is a revision of AC18, with several improvements. The gun is a little more tolerant of different ammo weights and the shells have been modified so that mixed ammo belts are possible. The use of more advanced materials has allowed some parts to become lighter, while a heavier bolt and stronger spring allows a rate of fire of 750 RPM, with a final gun weight of 48kg. In infantry use, it has noticeably more recoil, but this is less of a concern on vehicles.
[Cheap] 3 Ore
- AS-AC18: An advanced primer ignition autocannon, which ignites cartridge primers before the round is fully chambered. It fires the new, large, 20x100mm round, fed from a top-mounted 25 round C-shaped magazine with a powerful spring, usually armor piercing, about 600 times per minute. The weapon is quite large with a simple action but heavy barrel, weighing over 40 kilograms, and it requires being mounted to a carriage, foundation, or vehicle to fire with accuracy, although recoil is reduced by the nature of its action. It is dependent on a careful balance between the force of the shell and the force of the action, which means that different ammo types cannot be interchanged without recalibrating the gun. It has a terrifying ability to punch through armor and emplacements.
[Cheap] 3 Ore
Underground Vehicles- UT-56 Burrower: A tracked medium-sized heavily-modified tunnel boring machine, most notably using GOFAST-fuel. Can go down to Shallow depths, moves at Very Slow speeds while underground and at Moderate speeds aboveground. Possesses limited (but notable) agility underground. Contains space for 6 soldiers and small amounts of equipment of the equivalent amount of cargo in the back, in addition to the 2 crew in its cockpit. Light armor.
[Expensive] 3 Ore, 3 Oil; Provides 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.
[Very Expensive] 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.
- WALK-TALK: The Wireless Audio Local Kommunicator-Transistor Assistance Lowers Kost Radio. A small hand-held two-way transistor radio. Production is hampered by the ever-persistant Union of Electronics Workers, making it Complex.
[Expensive] 1 Ore, Complex
Infrastructure- Division of Unusual Chemistry: A fully funded department & lab under the Design Division specializing in more unusual chemistry.
You may also vote for another Forenian design to import. The import will arrive at the end of 1956, and will not be considered valid as a component for this year's revision.
Author
Topic: Mad Arms Race - Mereth Design Division (Fall 1965 - Final Design Phase) (Read 82172 times)