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[andrea]

Core thread

Welcome, scholars of the Academy of Prometheus.

Please take a seat at the Golden table, made of Orichalcum that both lights the room and is kept at a perennial warm temperature. This will be your main discussing area. Then there are the workshops, in which you will find prototypes and experiments from earlier periods, steam wheels, simple automatons and other toys. All will soon be obsoleted, as new necessities will push us to make what was a mere toy into the greatest inventions of mankind!

Our patron God gave us Orichalcum, divine fire stolen from the sky itself, and we have dedicated ourselves to its study and use. Now, it falls upon us to use our mastery of the elements to win this war. While officialy it was born of minor border incidents, Truth is that Anatolia has significant Orichalcum deposits, which can’t be exploited until we control it fully. So, design! You have the finest minds of Atlantis at your disposal and the best materials you could ever ask for.

Since the war was not as sudden as it might seem from outside, we can do a design and a revision before fighting begins.

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]

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]

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]

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]

Resources 2 Ore, 2 Wood, 1 Orichalcum
TC needed:2 - Available:2

[frostgiant]

Joining the Atlanteans

[NUKE9.13]

We're down... below the ocean.

[Happerry]

Looking at what we have, I think our first action should be to get armor cheap enough that all our troops are armored, which should help emphasize the difference in troop quality because the other side doesn't start out with any armor at all. So here's a simple design for scale armor.

Protection of the Fish
"Taking inspiration from the scales of a fish, our scholars are now investigating how to sew scales of metal upon robes of linen and leather, so that like a fish our soldiers, even those who are not honored members of the High Guard, may be properly protected from our enemies. If possible, orichalcum  scales would be preferred, but if that would make the armor to expensive to equip all of our troops with, scales of bronze will do as well."

[frostgiant]

I would go for that.

[johiah]

I feel like not everyone would have it if we used orichalcum. What about a combination? Orichalcum over important torso-y bits and copper scales over the rest?

[Happerry]

Well, the Oricalchum tipped spear is cheap, so we patently can have cheap Oricalchum stuff, but that's why I said if it was too expensive go down to bronze scales.

[NUKE9.13]

Hmm. I like the idea of giving all our troops armour. However, I worry that scale mail may be too complex (or indeed [Complex]). Something simpler (and more on theme), perhaps:

Hoplon Armour: This set of armour, named after the included shield, is designed to be cheaper than High Guard Armour, whilst still providing reasonable protection to the common infantry.
The shield itself is circular, approx 80cm in diameter, and consists of an Orichalcum outer layer, a wooden center layer, and a leather inner layer. It is strapped to the forearm in the center, with the grip near the edge. Thanks to the wonders of Orichalcum, it should not encumber soldiers overmuch. We dread to think of people replicating this shield in bronze- it'd probably weigh quite a bit.
An Orichalcum helmet is provided, which is mostly open, covering the top of the head with a small nose guard- not as impressive as those given to the High Guard, but still providing ample protection from serious blows to the noggin.
Also included is a breastplate, Orichalcum if costs permit and bronze otherwise, and greaves protecting the lower legs. An optional leather 'skirt' provides a modicum of protection to the upper legs and groinal region.
Overall, the armour does not offer the total protection of High Guard Armour, but should protect the most at-risk areas.

[Urist Mc Dwarf]

Hmm. I like the idea of giving all our troops armour. However, I worry that scale mail may be too complex (or indeed [Complex]). Something simpler (and more on theme), perhaps:

Hoplon Armour: This set of armour, named after the included shield, is designed to be cheaper than High Guard Armour, whilst still providing reasonable protection to the common infantry.
The shield itself is circular, approx 80cm in diameter, and consists of an Orichalcum outer layer, a wooden center layer, and a leather inner layer. It is strapped to the forearm in the center, with the grip near the edge. Thanks to the wonders of Orichalcum, it should not encumber soldiers overmuch. We dread to think of people replicating this shied in bronze- it'd probably weigh quite a bit.
An Orichalcum helmet is provided, which is mostly open, covering the top of the head with a small nose guard- not as impressive as those given to the High Guard, but still providing ample protection from serious blows to the noggin.
Also included is a breastplate, Orichalcum if costs permit and bronze otherwise, and greaves protecting the lower legs. An optional leather 'skirt' provides a modicum of protection to the upper legs and groinal region.
Overall, the armour does not offer the total protection of High Guard Armour, but should protect the most at-risk areas.

+1

[andrea]

I plan to roll in a few hours, barring significant shifts in votes. Currently, I would consider the Hoplon armor in the lead.
(if you need more time, to discuss, it shall be granted of course)

[Madman198237]

Joining Atlantis Egypt. (No really, I promise I'm being totally truthful)

I very much support the use of Hoplites, but they need to be known as hoplites, only the shield should be called the "hoplon".

Anyways, the shield should be Orichalcum-faced, nothing else. A bronze breastplate and greaves complete a front-rank hoplite's equipment, though sometimes their right arm (the spear arm) would have some form of bronze-based protection. Bronze is what would be appropriate for those. So I'd propose something more like this:

Hoplite Battle Dress
Our rank-and-file needs armor, and so we answer by turning them into hoplites, those who carry hoplons, or large round shields (also known as aspises) The shield extends from the base of the helmet to the knees, or the tops of the greaves if the soldier is wearing them. Atlantean hoplons will be faced with orichalcum, primarily composed of wood, with a leather inner lining, and fairly convex. The greaves themselves are bronze, and protect only the front of the shins. Leather backing and straps secure them to the leg. No armor is worn on the upper legs. A hoplite careless enough to leave his legs uncovered with his shield deserves to be crippled by the heathens and their crude weaponry. The torso is protected by a bronze cuirass, front and back. The cuirass is padded underneath, and extends roughly to the base of the ribs or navel, to maintain freedom of movement and reduce weight, while still protecting the vitals. The helmet is once again bronze, as bronze has been proved to be sufficient for deflecting arrow fire and weapons, especially with the shield presented to the enemy. It's shaped like this for maximum protection. Officers, however, may use orichalcum helms and cuirasses, to be easily identified in battle (just follow the shiny guy, no easily-grappled plume-things required) Combined with our spears, our soldiers will be unbeatable when fighting in formation, and tough enough in single combat if that is necessary.

Now we too can have an army that constantly moves to the right as it marches, and is basically impervious to arrow fire!

Hey, Andrea, what sort of armor is the High Guard stuff?

[NUKE9.13]

Couple of things:
The hoplon is not a staple of Greek combat at this time, since we're in the early bronze age, preceding what we think of when we think Ancient Greece by centuries.
Hoplon was used to describe both the shield and the entire armour set. In fact, the shield was more commonly known as an aspis.
I deliberately didn't use a Corinthian helmet, as those restricted vision and hearing to a degree that was not worth the extra protection.
Officers can wear High Guard armour. We're only dealing with the rank and file here.

[Madman198237]

1. I mean, history's already gone pretty far off the rails, but yeah I'll just amend that to a slightly OOC type of mention
2. It's both, I just learned it as "hoplon" because that's where we get "hoplite", and the book I learned it from was more concerned about the hoplite that the etymology of the shield
3. Formation fighting means you don't really need to hear, and all you need to see is forwards. Also, if vision was going to be a modelled problem, wouldn't the High Guard armor already be literally blinding everyone who wears it?
4. Good point, didn't think about that.

Ninja edit:
5. I'll fix it later, I'm busy now

[andrea]

As explained in discord, I am offering some difficulty advice until the war starts. The more you ask, the less you get until I will finally remain silent.

Q:How hard would It be to try and make orichalcum  give off more heat or light? Could we use a design or a revision?

A:Not especially hard. You already know how to do not glowing up to glowing enough to read, if not comfortably. as for warmth, your warming orichalcum in the meeting hall is slightly experimental, but you shouldn't encounter significant difficulty getting to that point.

Higher levels of light and heat are proportionally more complex and may have side effects. You can probably still tack on some other stuff on the design.

Q: How dense is orichalcum, can we affect the weight?

A: A bit less dense than bronze (noticeably so but not aluminium(not that you even know about aluminium)). You have no orichalcum specific way to affect density.

Q:How hard would the following design be?
ROBOT ROWERS
These automatons are legless torsos with two strong arms attached to them. They are designed to do one thing, and one thing only. Row row the boat, if at varying speeds depending on the current tactical and strategic situation. Thus we of Atlantis will be free from the fickle winds, and able to travel anywhere we desire without the limitations of weak human rowers.

A: Not extremely hard, but you may have some surprises .

[Happerry]

Armor of the Fish (1): Happerry
Hoplon Armour (2): Nuke, Urist
Hoplite Battle Dress (1): Madman