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[Madman198237]

Aegis of Zeus: (1) Happerry
Achnizo's Compound Aeolipile: (2) NUKE9.13, Madman
Achnizo's Piston Engine: (1) DGR

[dgr11897]

Aegis of Zeus: (1) Happerry
Achnizo's Compound Aeolipile: (3) NUKE9.13, Madman, DGR
Achnizo's Piston Engine: (0)

[Happerry]

Aegis of Zeus: (1) Happerry
Achnizo's Compound Aeolipile: (2) NUKE9.13, Happerry
Achnizo's Piston Engine: (1) DGR

[dgr11897]

Aegis of Zeus: (1) Happerry
Achnizo's Compound Aeolipile: (3) NUKE9.13, Madman, DGR
Achnizo's Piston Engine: (0)

[andrea]

(Hard)(3,2)-1=4 Below average
Achnizo sets to work on upscaling one of his inventions, the compound aeolipile. The base element is the same as everyone is familiar with, although with more and slightly more refined nozzles. A big innovation however is the use of a multi stage process to extract more energy from steam, more efficiently. Steam is produced by an high pressure orichalcum boiler,heated by a wood fire below it.

Overall, it is compact and powerful, but the materials it is made of are expensive and at its core the elements it is made of are simple aeolipiles, not optimized for the use they are co-opted for.

Despite being basically just an upsized prototype, they still work quite well and provide significant help in the mines. Not yet enough to double the production of orichalcum, but enough to field significantly more high end equipment.

Mounting on vehicles is considered feasible, although the mechanisms to convert engine power into useful force still need to be devised and built.

You get an expense credit per year, to use on equipment that derives part of its expense from orichalcum. Can’t be saved.

Spoiler:  Atlanteans equipment (click to show/hide)

Oricalchum tipped spear – A pole of hardwood with a strong orichalcum tip , this weapon shines in formation fights and keeps enemies at a distance. It can pierce most things rather easily, and the tip is barbed to produce more grievous wounds. [1 wood, 1 ore, 1 Orichalcum] [Cheap]

Bone composite bow – Made of bone and wood, it can propel arrows at fairly large distance and have good piercing capabilities. However, it takes a long time to manufacture, due to the need to join together layers of different materials [complex][2 wood, 1 ore] [Expensive]

Aesystrofi’s bow – An orichalcum bow, it is slimmer and lighter than the composite bow while being easier to manufacture, but it requires fancier materials. It is longer ranged than its mundane counterpart [1 wood, 2 ore, 2 orichalcum][Expensive]

Polianthion – A weapon capable of propelling a large bolt against enemies at range, using springs of orichalcum and a system of winches  to load, store and release the energy. It can shoot powerfully at similar ranges to the Egyptian cannon, or even farther at the cost of accuracy [2 wood, 2 ore, 2 orichalcum][Expensive]

High guard armour – A full set of armour and shield made entirely of orichalcum. It makes the user impervious to most common weapons. It is light and durable, thanks to the extraordinary properties of orichalcum, and it is treated to glow brightly with Atlantean glory. [2 ore 2 Orichalcum] [Expensive]

Protection of the bigger fish a fairly well crafted set of scale armour, it covers torso, legs and arms. While somewhat inferior to high guard armour, it still offers good protection against both slashing and piercing, especially from the front, which uses orichalcum scales. It comes with a wooden shield with a metal rim. [2 Wood 2 Ore 1 Orichalcum] [Cheap]

Penteconter – a slim ship made of thick wood, with an orichalcum plated ram in the front. It can house several warriors on the deck, while below deck the crew mans the oars, allowing short term burst of speed. Main propulsion system is a large square sail. Provides 1 TC [2 wood, 2 ore, 2 Orichalcum][Expensive]
-Polianthion Penteconter – a version of the base ship equipped with a pair of deck mounted polianthion, it can engage at range [2 wood, 3 ore, 3 orichalcum][Very Expensive]

Aetokos - A very large flightless bird, it is the mount of choice of your army. Very fast, if a bit coward and not particularly robust, it allows your soldiers to move on the battlefield at great speeds and perform great charges. It can be deadly in a fight, when it decides to fight. Thanks to good saddles, your soldiers are comfortable while riding and perform better. [4 wood] [Expensive]

Mule caravan – many mules, in a line, delivering good carried in their saddle bags. The mule is perfectly adapted to uneven terrain that would make carts less easy to use. And you don’t have to embark a cart on ships. Provides 1 TC [1 wood] [Cheap]

[Happerry]

Aetokos Guard Armor
A set of orichalcum based off of the High Guard armor, but adapted for use by Aetokos instead of humans. Includes a breastplate, light helmet, segmented neck armor, side armor meant to be fit underneath the bird's wings, and attachment points to the side armor attach the saddle to for a stable riding position.

Aetokos Guard Armor (1): Happerry

I'm hoping that if we make the Polianthion cheap, this will also make the boats with a Polianthion mounted on them fall down a cost catagory as well, which should give us a lot more siege weapons both on land and sea to shoot the enemy to death with before the staves come into play.

Spend on Polianthion (1): Happerry

[NUKE9.13]

Aeolipile Optimisations: Following the successful development of a primitive Compound Aeolipile, we are now faced with the dull but necessary task of optimising it. What happens when we make the wheels 10% larger? 12% smaller? What about if we increase pressure by 7% and add an extra wheel? What is the optimal number and shape of nozzles per wheel? Which parts can we replace with bronze, and which work better made of Orichalcum?
This is new technology, and there are many questions of this nature that need to be answered. With every answer, we take another step towards perfection, and our mines can go that bit deeper.

Andrea has confirmed that an increase in power/efficiency would let us reach our initial goal of producing 2 Orichalcum. I need not remind everyone of the value of an extra Orichalcum.

Aetokos Guard Armor (1): Happerry
Aeolipile Optimisations (1): NUKE9.13

Not sure if we should be voting for where to spend the expense credit now, since we might have more than one if we roll mediocre on engine improvements. (Or zero if we roll well)

[dgr11897]

Aetokos Guard Armor (1): Happerry
Aeolipile Optimisations (2):NUKE9.13, Dgr

[NUKE9.13]

Whilst we wait for some more people to vote (or for Happerry to change their vote), have a proposal for a future design.

Steam Bireme (placeholder name): Steam is a miraculous thing. You just heat water, and get power beyond one's wildest dreams. We have applied this to our latest ship, the Steam Bireme.
Larger than the Penteconter, the Steam Bireme is also more heavily armoured, with a thicker wooden hull that won't catch fire so easily, covered in beaten copper to further decrease flammability (the below-water copper also increases the speed of the vessel by reducing fouling). It has space on deck for many warriors and Polianthi, and room below decks for passengers or cargo. The ram is made of bronze, for cost reasons.
Human rowers would struggle to propel such a heavy vessel at a decent pace. Which is why they have been replaced with automata- mechanical bronze creations, resembling a man (sans legs), that row tirelessly, with great might and speed, simply by the navigator pushing the right lever. Two decks of these constructs provide enough oars to propel the Steam Bireme at an astounding pace.
Of course, these mechanical men do not move by themselves. They are powered by shafts running beneath their 'benches', which are connected to the heart of the vessel, a Compound Aeolipile. The firebox is carefully insulated from the ship's wooden structure, to which the engine is firmly affixed. Output can be modulated through a series of gears and pulleys, allowing for the navigator to change the speed at which each side's rowers row- four forwards speeds, 'neutral', and reverse.

[TheFantasticMsFox]

Aetokos Guard Armor (1): Happerry
Aeolipile Optimisations (3):NUKE9.13, Dgr, TFF

[Madman198237]

Aetokos Guard Armor (1): Happerry
Aeolipile Optimisations (4):NUKE9.13, Dgr, TFF, Madman

[Detoxicated]

i can see them becoming three armed in the long run only rowing as a circle

[andrea]

(Normal)(4,3)= 7  Superior craftmanship
The first engine was a prototype. And it shows. This however? This is the real deal, a working, efficient scalable steam engine. Surely there is still room for improvement in the future, but you are beyond what you would have thought possible until recently.
The key word of all this was optimization: the number of wheels and their relative size was engineered for best results; the nozzles are no longer simple bent pipes but shaped to aid the expansion of the steam. Weight and cost are trimmed where possible.
In the end, you have a steaming, whistling contraption that is an unmatched source of power. Your mines are now running at top efficiency and the lowest levels are drained from water, opening you levels. Yet, this is only the beginning

Spoiler:  Atlanteans equipment (click to show/hide)

Oricalchum tipped spear – A pole of hardwood with a strong orichalcum tip , this weapon shines in formation fights and keeps enemies at a distance. It can pierce most things rather easily, and the tip is barbed to produce more grievous wounds. [1 wood, 1 ore, 1 Orichalcum] [Cheap]

Bone composite bow – Made of bone and wood, it can propel arrows at fairly large distance and have good piercing capabilities. However, it takes a long time to manufacture, due to the need to join together layers of different materials [complex][2 wood, 1 ore] [Expensive]

Aesystrofi’s bow – An orichalcum bow, it is slimmer and lighter than the composite bow while being easier to manufacture, but it requires fancier materials. It is longer ranged than its mundane counterpart [1 wood, 2 ore, 2 orichalcum][Cheap]

Polianthion – A weapon capable of propelling a large bolt against enemies at range, using springs of orichalcum and a system of winches  to load, store and release the energy. It can shoot powerfully at similar ranges to the Egyptian cannon, or even farther at the cost of accuracy [2 wood, 2 ore, 2 orichalcum][Cheap]

High guard armour – A full set of armour and shield made entirely of orichalcum. It makes the user impervious to most common weapons. It is light and durable, thanks to the extraordinary properties of orichalcum, and it is treated to glow brightly with Atlantean glory. [2 ore 2 Orichalcum] [Cheap]

Protection of the bigger fish a fairly well crafted set of scale armour, it covers torso, legs and arms. While somewhat inferior to high guard armour, it still offers good protection against both slashing and piercing, especially from the front, which uses orichalcum scales. It comes with a wooden shield with a metal rim. [2 Wood 2 Ore 1 Orichalcum] [Cheap]

Penteconter – a slim ship made of thick wood, with an orichalcum plated ram in the front. It can house several warriors on the deck, while below deck the crew mans the oars, allowing short term burst of speed. Main propulsion system is a large square sail. Provides 1 TC [2 wood, 2 ore, 2 Orichalcum][Cheap]
-Polianthion Penteconter – a version of the base ship equipped with a pair of deck mounted polianthion, it can engage at range [2 wood, 3 ore, 3 orichalcum][ Expensive]

Aetokos - A very large flightless bird, it is the mount of choice of your army. Very fast, if a bit coward and not particularly robust, it allows your soldiers to move on the battlefield at great speeds and perform great charges. It can be deadly in a fight, when it decides to fight. Thanks to good saddles, your soldiers are comfortable while riding and perform better. [4 wood] [Expensive]

Mule caravan – many mules, in a line, delivering good carried in their saddle bags. The mule is perfectly adapted to uneven terrain that would make carts less easy to use. And you don’t have to embark a cart on ships. Provides 1 TC [1 wood] [Cheap]

[Urist Mc Dwarf]

This could be another future design:

Atlantean Fire: There are many philosophers on Atlantis. One, Promethia, has long been interested in fire. Perhaps it has something to do with his name...regardless, his experiments with orichalum have found that the metal stores heat and energy when treated properly. Now we simply need to develop a way to add this to our spears and arrowheads, and we shall burn out the Egyptians! Ideally, we would make it so that the stored energy is released in an explosion when the arrows strike their targets...

For a revision, perhaps we could make the polianthion cheaper?

[Happerry]

If we're going to do alchemical fire, we should call it the Promethean Flame. If we just want fire-temperature or explosive orichalcum, it should be something like Red Orichalcum or something alike to show it's still orichalcum, not an actual incendiary material.