Year 1912 AC (After Colonization) Cold Season, Revision Phase
Proposal: SMG-12a
SMG-12a
Revising out the crank fully for a open bolt blowback chamber, we ensure that the weapon is more accurate (As it can now be aimed) and reliable as the feed issue is fixed due to it not relying on the unreliable crankshaft.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Result: 8 (6+4-2) =
AverageOur focus on a new firing mechanics has led to the successful conversion of the SMG-12 from a crank-operated SubMachine Gun to an automatic SMG. The SMG-12a weighs 4.3kg and replaces the crank-operated mechanisms with an open bolt blowback automatic firing system. Iron sights are added onto the weapon to facilitate the newfound ability to aim the weapon, giving it a max firing range of 200m while dramatically increasing reliability of the weapon in terms of actually firing rounds when it's meant to. Dirt and mud can cause some issues, but the weapon is fairly easy to clean. The SMG-12a will replace the SMG-12 unless otherwise dictated.
The weapon is slightly cheaper now at
3 Ore and
2 Wood.
You may also decide to keep the SMG-12 in the field or make it [OBSOLETE], though even if you don't keep it you can still work off the design at a later date.------------
Proposal: Caelium Sleds
Caelium Sleds
While the Kerata was an... admirable effort, the difficulties with the undercarriage shows that we need significantly more experience in vehicle construction and the use of Caelium before another such design can be attempted. The Caelium Sled is our attempt at the latter; Essentially a board of Caelium that's capable of holding a G3-12 or a LGG-12 or equivalent load and a handle to allow or troops to simply pull the sled along, and a power source that can lift the weight of the sled high enough from the ground to make moment easy and can be switched off to deploy the weapon.
Difficulty: Easy
Result: 13 (6+6+1) =
Unexpected BoonThe
Armored Sled is an armored platform using a powered Caelium foil on the underside of the floor to lift itself into the air enough to be maneuvered. The inside of the platform has two holes in the floor for crew to hop into and "push" the
Sled from inside using handles attached to it as well as to provide some stability to the platform. The legs of the crew pushing are protected by a skirt surrounding the
Sled. A lever inside controls power to four 30cm screws that bite into the ground to provide further stability to the platform should rotation not be needed. While the
Sled was levitating it still required enough force to overcome it's original mass to move. As such a
Caelium Steel alloy was created in our attempts to come up with a solution that didn't involve fielding vulnerable
Mountain suits at the front. By mixing Caelium with Steel we created a metal that is somehow lighter than the sum of it's parts. A 5mm armor plate of
Caelium Steel weighs half as much as a similar steel plate while providing the same amount of strength, but comes at a higher cost.
Small amounts of Caelium Steel were used to lighten the
Sled and make the job of moving it easier, especially as the platform has 4-8mm armor a meter high at the front and sides to protect the gunner on the
G3-12 or
LGG-12 mounted on the
Sled slightly forward of center or the four extra passengers inside (leaving the crew at 3). The
Sled can be moved at the pace of a march and provides a mobile firing post for our forces.
Costs
3 Ore and
2 Caelium as well as
2 Gavrilium for the motor providing power to the
Sled. This makes it
(EXPENSIVE), though our lack of a
Caelium supply makes it
[complex].
Of course, we also have unarmored Caelium Sleds closer to the original design for transporting our G3 and LGG, as well as larger sleds made to transport our GA1 and GA1B, with
Mountain Suits assigned to the "haulers". These cost
2 Ore,
1 Caelium, and
2 Gavrilium, making it
(CHEAP), though once again having no
Caelium resource makes it
[complex].
------------
Proposal: VTR-12 "Ceramah" Radio
VTR-12 "Ceramah" Radio: The scientific community in Salvios has been going nuts. They are scrambling over themselves to get government contracts to develop technology for military applications. This is probably due to the fact that doing so gets them access to classified materials such as Gavrilium, Caelium, and Myomer. That the army pays even better than Merchant Lords for useful inventions doesn't hurt either.
Anyway, we've been approached by a team from Dawai Labs, who have presented a device called a 'vacuum tube'. Whilst these devices have been around for many years, they have been naught but scientific curios, only useful for obscure experiments in theoretical physics. But just this year, there has been a breakthrough which could very well change the world. A vacuum tube containing three electrodes has been found to act as an "amplifier"- which, to cut a long story short, makes it possible to create effective radio transmitters and receivers of a scale previously unheard of.
The potential utility of an effective radio is not lost on us, and so we have decided to not only bring Dawai Labs on board, but also dedicate our additional funding to the project to ensure the end result is the best possible piece of kit we can create.
The Ceramah comes in three varieties; receiver-only, broadcast-only, and broadcast/receiver. Their size ascends in order. The receiver-only kit consists of two (20?)kg boxes and a 2m antenna, and can be transported by infantry, with a hand-cranked generator to recharge the batteries. The broadcast-only is slightly larger, and has a small Gavrilium generator included to provide enough power to give a decent range of a few kilometers- suitable for installation in small-ish vehicles. The broadcast/receiver unit is quite large, and would only fit on a large vehicle, but has a very respectable range, making it perfect for installation in command posts.
Difficulty: Hard
Result: 8 (5+4-1) 9 (6+4-1) =
Above AverageThe
Ceramah is a radio system that provides our forces the ability to communicate instantly over long distances. The smaller man-portable, though cumbersome, equipment provides a range of 1.5km, while larger instruments and Radio Stations can broadcast and receive much further.
Ceramah equipment costs
6 Ore, making it
(EXPENSIVE) in terms of infantry usage.
NONCOMBAT DESIGN BENEFIT: Any sector controlled by Salvios with an Entrenchment Level above 1 receives the "Radio Coverage" modifier thanks to the construction of Radio Stations, increasing overall effectiveness of Defending a sector as well as Counter-Attacking overrun positions (when Abbera controls a percentage of a Salviosi sector without flipping control) based on the efficacy of the design. This rule will remain secret until first contact or Abbera makes a design that reveals this bonus.
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We're in the final phases of preparation for the next push north. It is now time to once again
assign a Resource to a node in a controlled sector and
select a sector to fortify. Remember to
decide whether or not the SMG-12 is made (OBSOLETE). We also commend you on the discovery of
Caelium Steel, which will certainly be useful in the future.
IT IS NOW THE STRATEGY PHASE.Infantry
Senapang Pattern Rifle: A 110 cm, 4 kg dark wood masterpiece. 7.7mm rounds are fed via 5-round stripper clip into the 10-round internal magazine, which can also be loaded with rounds individually. It has an adjustable rear sight with 100 meter increments. It also has a bayonet lug and comes with a bayonet. Padded for operator comfort, extremely dependable and reliable. The Senapang outclasses many rifles of our time. Costs 2 Ore and 2 Wood. (CHEAP)
SMG-12 Sub-Machine Gun: Essentially a low-powered hand-cranked personal Gatling Gun fired from the hip and fed 10mm pistol rounds through a box magazine under the weapon. Difficult to aim, as there is a crank mounted on top of the thing. Occasionally fails to load chambers, resulting in the nickname "The Stuttergun". Still, it's a big step in personal automatic firearms. Costs 4 Ore and 2 Wood. (CHEAP)
--SMG-12a Sub-Machine Gun: Replaces the crank system with an open bolt blowback system, with the added benefit that it can actually be aimed. Rate of fire drops but reliability increases. Costs 3 Ore and 2 Wood. (CHEAP)
M2 Dispersion Grenade: A fantastic incendiary weapon. Effectively a canister on a stick that explodes in a burst of heat and molten metal. The sudden burst of wilting heat causes intense burns out to three meters while the flying molten Gavrilium can inflict serious wounds out to ten. Costs 1 Ore and 1 Gavrilium. (CHEAP)
GGG-12 Gavrilium Gatling Gun: A tri-barrel gatling gun that uses a small GavEngine to rotate the barrels. Fires up to 600 rpm with a range up to 2200m thanks to the 7.7G rounds which use a GavPowder load. A heat sink helps provide equilibrium between the heat caused by the Gavpowder load and the freezing caused by the depletion of Gavrilium rods in the engine. Uses a dial to adjust rate of fire. Effective and reliable. Costs 5 Ore and 4 Gavrilium, making it (VERY EXPENSIVE).
--LGG-12 Light Gatling Gun: A GGG-12 without the Gavpowder. Range drops to 1500m but Rate of Fire is increased to a possible 1200 RPM. Is also much lighter, allowing it to be redeployed very easily by a crew. Can also be deployed with a small artillery carriage. Costs 4 Ore and 2 Gavrilium. (CHEAP)
GA1 Cannon: A 150mm piece of artillery that uses a mixture of cordite and powdered Gavrilium to fire rounds fairly accurately to six kilometers but potentially out to nine if accuracy isn't really a factor. The barrel warps from extended use so teams are asked to restrict themselves to six rounds at a time before needing to cool for an extended period. Costs 5 Ore and 3 Gavrilium. (EXPENSIVE)
--GA1B Cannon: By modifying the powder, barrel, and alloy used in the GA1's construction, the GA1B can fire 5 rounds a minute accurately up to 10km. The use of Chemical Compounds in the powder formula complicates things. Costs 4 Ore, 2 Gavrilium, and 1 Chemical Compounds. (EXPENSIVE) [complex]
"Mountain" Myomer Lifting Kit: A reinforced canvas suit with cords of myomer muscle running across it powered by a small GavEngine in the back. Allows users to lift 250kg. Sees most of it's use in a support role and not on the front line. 2 Gavrilium, 2 Myomer. (CHEAP)
BSU: The Berani standard uniform is made of light cotton dyed khaki. A wide brim steel helmet offers some protection, and leather patches on the elbows and knees provide a level of comfort and protection when kneeling or leaning on something. The uniform has a large number of pockets, belts, and satchels made of cotton webbing in order to carry large amounts of equipment such as ammo and grenades. Entrenching tools are provided to all soldiers.
Vehicles (I guess?)
Transport Sled: A small platform used primarily to transport our machine guns and artillery, though it can aid in the general moving of supplies. Costs 2 Ore, 2 Gavrilium, and 1 Caelium. (CHEAP) [complex]
Armored Sled: A mobile man-driven armored firing platform utilizing Caelium Steel with a mounted G3-12 or LGG-12 that requires two men to maneuver from within. Can carry four additional passengers. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Gavrilium, and 2 Caelium. (EXPENSIVE) [complex]
ArC-12b "Kerata" Armored Car: A barely-functional troop carrier that acts as little more than mobile cover, and can be outran by a soldier on foot. Bounces wildly when going over uneven ground. Has been unofficially dubbed Errata. Costs 5 Ore, 2 Gavrilium, and 2 Caelium. (VERY EXPENSIVE) [complex].
Support
VTR-12 "Ceramah" Radio: Cumbersome wireless communications equipment with a range of 1.5km. A step in the right direction for reliable long-range communication.
Components
Gavrilium Engine: An engine run by extracting electromagnetic energy from Gavrilium rods and converting it to mechanical energy. Much more powerful and cost efficient than standard combustion engines. The engine's only flaw is overcooling in very cold environments as the rods freeze as their stored energy depletes, seizing the engine and shutting it down. The Depleted Gavrilium rods must be handled with proper protective equipment. Glows blue. Adds 1 Ore to the price of the base vehicle design and converts Oil cost into 1/2 the cost in Gavrilium
Caelium Steel: A Caelium-Steel alloy weighs half as much as similar volumes of steel without losing durability. Designs utilizing Caelium Steel adds 1/2 the cost of Ore in Caelium for any cost associated with the replaced steel.
Specialty Resource
Gavrilium: A wondermaterial with many unknown qualities. So far we know that low applied heat produces a slow burn with results similar to coal, a sudden explosive force agitates it until it becomes a molten blob, electromagnetic energy can be drawn from it, and depleted gavrilium has a dangerously low temperature.
Caelium: A metallic substance capable of affecting gravitational fields. When a current is applied it rises above the ground at a level proportional to the strength of the current, and will move if tilted. Can be used to make alloys with other metals.
Myomer: A synthetic fiber that mimics biological muscle, but with a much greater power-to-weight ratio.
Chemical Compounds: Represents the industry required to maintain a high demand of chemicals.
Salvios: 3 Ent., 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Gavrilium, 2 Myomer // 100% Control (Radio Coverage)
Lowlands: 1 Ent., 1 Ore (1/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Desert: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Plateaus: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Ore: 3
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Gavrilium: 2
Myomer:: 2
Caelium: 0
Chemical Compounds:: 0