Year 1913 AC Hot Season, Design Phase
Proposal: GBC-13 Gavrillium Bunker Cannon 'Scylla'
GBC-13 Gavrillium Bunker Cannon 'Scylla'
Named for the Greek monster with incredibly fast and hard-hitting bites from above, the GBC-13 is a 105mm emplacement weapon designed to be built into bunkers and used to deny large swathes of (open) terrain to the enemy. The gun fires a variety of rounds including Gavrillium incendiary (based on the M2 grenade) and HE as well as solid shot (can be deployed to defend coastlines against hostile naval activity). It is basically a field gun, firing at high velocities on direct lines, incapable of indirect fire. It uses the same alloys and Gavrillium gunpowder as the GA1b, though we can, of course, utilize rounds without Gavrillium powder if it is necessary to fire more rounds in a shorter length of time. The gun itself is not terribly complicated, the main difference from the GA1b being in the high velocity projectiles rather than the low velocities of a howitzer. The largest bunkers equipped with GBC-13s also make use of a central Gavrillium generator, which provides power to electric lighting, heating (where necessary), and generous numbers of fans where cooling is required. These generators are truly there, however, not to comfort the troops, but to produce a source of cold. A water system pipes water to all the GBC-13s in the bunker, running through water sleeves around the barrel and breech and then back to the generator, keeping the generator at operating temperature and cooling the cannons to allow them to fire faster.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Result: 7 (6+3-2) =
AverageAsk and ye shall receive. At least, that is the case for the
Scylla. It is a 105mm cannon designed for direct fire using HE and solid shot (we attempted GavShells but were restricted by time). The system has a maximum range of 10/15 kilometers (regular/gavpowder) provided there is direct line of sight. The bunkers the
Scylla is deployed in are equipped with a single (relatively) massive 20-Rod GavGenerator (GavEngine? Interchangable at any rate) to supply power to the bunker's life "support" and QoL equipment. The Generator is stored in an insulated room called the "Ice Box" which contains pipes that circulate water to rubberized tubes connected to the water sleeve wrapped around the barrels of the
Scyllas. These provide cooling for the barrel while also providing the heated water to the Ice Box to help keep temperatures cool. Ambient temperature in the room will continue to drop regardless as the Gavrilium rods deplete. Once they near depletion there is a window where the circulating water is still warm enough to keep from freezing and the water at the guns cool enough to keep them from overheating when the rods must be replaced. A small backup generator provides power to the creature comforts should the 20-Rod fail. With access to circulating water or without GavPowder the gun can be continuously fired at 5-8 rounds per minute depending on skill of the crew.
As the design calls for
Ore,
Gavrilium, and
Chemical Compounds the
Scylla is
(Expensive) and
[complex] without a source of
Chemical Compounds.
------------
Proposal: LEA-13 Lifting Engine Aircraft
LEA-13 Lifting Engine Aircraft
Some of our scientists were experimenting with Caelium augmentations to Gavrillium engines, and discovered something strange. They didn't quite manage to make a better engine, as their only prototype for the "better engine" concept was smashed into the ceiling. Like good Salviosi engineers, however, they tested the new phenomenon until realizing that a properly heat-treated sample of Caelium (called Gravite because it's cooler that way) can be placed in the middle of a set of Gavrillium rods rotating around a common center, and will then produce a force relative to the strength of gravity---regardless of its altitude (unlike Caelium). This force always goes in the same direction relative to the piece, so a piece of Gravite held upside down inside the rotating rods will provide a downwards force, and a lifting engine turned slightly to the side will provide a force that both lifts the engine and moves it sideways.
To capitalize on this we have constructed the Lifting Engine, comprised of a Gavrillium motor and its heater spinning the rods-and-Caelium assembly to generate lift, bundled up into a neat package conveniently labelled "UP, NO REALLY, THIS WAY IS UP. DO NOT INVERT IF YOU LIKE YOUR BONES INTACT".
The LEA-13 is a simple contraption, using one of these new Lifting Engines attached to part of the neighbor's lawn chair collection a simple basket from a civilian hot-air balloon. A Ceramah radio is installed in the basket (powered by an alternator on the Gavrillium engine, saving the weight normally used for its generator), and a set of cute binoculars plus a camera are handed to the soldiers who offended their superior officers willing volunteer pilots, who can then use the high altitudes attained by the balloons to survey enemy positions, dispositions, and radio down to their commanders or (every soldier's favorite) their accompanying artillery battery, to deliver extremely accurate fire support. Well, extremely accurate on the second shot, anyway...Regardless, the LEA can be used tethered to the ground, or, by the daring pilot, untethered. Untethered LEAs can reach great heights and see very, very far, but of course it gets cold and breezy, and nobody likes calling in the Salviosi Merchant Marine's Rescue Division just to pick up a wayward LEA-13 and pilot when they inevitably drift really far off course.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Result: 4 (4+2-2) =
PoorThe first step towards becoming airborne was designing a device capable of providing the ability to lift things, and so we began working with Caelium. What we found was that when molten Caelium was rapidly cooled within a strong magnetic field the side of the bar facing magnetic North during cooling became "dominant". The Refined Caelium (or "Gravite" as some have called it) pulls towards to direction of the Dominant side when exposed to a strong enough magnetic field and will hold it's position so long as the core is set to it's neutral upwards position and a small amount of power (much smaller than Caelium requires) is supplied. The power needed to maintain position is constant regardless of altitude, unlike Caeliums fluctuating requirements. However, during the process of forming Gravite it lost some of it's lifting power in regards to objects it is attached to. As a result an object "flown" with Gravite will require a greater initial energy supply to lift while requiring less to maintain altitude. Of note is the fact that, while power requirements for lifting against gravity drop as the core gains altitude, the engines will currently Overcool, lock up, and fail above 10km thanks to the very low ambient temperature, though we can't really deploy men that high up anyway. Reparations were paid for damage done to property by plummeting test engines. Also of note is that the Gravite core is currently fixed into position and so the whole engine must be shifted to change direction.
The second step was creating a device capable of carrying a pilot and of being attached to the engine. We
stole a lawn chair procured a basket used with balloons and secured the engine above it. Two cables hang from the engine to give the passenger easy access to activating and deactivating the engine. Pulling one will start or stop the engine while the other alternates between high and low power. A
LEA-13 with it's engine set for high power will continue to gain altitude until it reaches the end of it's tether (or the engine's current operating ceiling, but that'd be bad) or the engine is set to Low power, where the
LEA-13 will be able to hover. Due to the nature of the engine, the
LEA-13 rises faster the higher it goes, so the passenger needs to be mindful of where he is in relation to the Earth. The final appearance of the
LEA-13 is a small basket fixed to a spherical metal casing approximately a meter in diameter which houses the engine. While this smaller profile would be harder to spot were it not for the glare on the casing, the whole thing is rocked fairly easily by high winds.
The passengers are equipped with binoculars and a camera, but installation of the radio was put off due to funds needing to go to aforementioned reparations. The cameras tend to be useless in the swaying basket, so a notepad and pencil are provided as well.
The
LEA-13 costs
3 Ore,
2 Gavrilium, and
2 Caelium, making it
(CHEAP).
We have also discovered
Gravite, a Caelium-related material which is gravitationally aligned and will propel itself in the direction of the Dominant Side or Edge when sufficient power to overcome Earth's gravitational pull is supplied. [If that doesn't sound like what you wanted remember that we're mentally on the same page, it's just a little difficult to words when it comes to this wizardly resource stuff lately.]
------------
With the ability to rise into the skies and observe at a distance we have been granted an
Espionage Credit with Special Rules. This Espionage Credit provides "tiers" you can select, which dictate what information you go for as well as modifiers for the Abberan's roll. You have until the
End of the Revision Phase to decide how to utilize this. Results will be in the combat report. The options to choose from are as follows. Note that options have been reduced due to the
Poor result of the
LEA-13.
Peek: We opt not to hang around too long, gathering intel for a few minutes at a time so as to not give away our own positions.
Provides -1 to your espionage roll but -3 to Abberas.Light Observation: We have our
LEA-13s deployed on a regular, if brief, basis.
Provides no modifier to your roll, but a -1 to Abberas.Moderate Observation: The
LEA-13s are deployed more frequently at the risk of giving away our own positions.
Provides +1 to your roll but no modifier for Abbera.All results will reveal information on your opponents, with a high enough roll giving full knowledge of the opponent's armory. Information provided on lower rolls will be dependent on size of the design and frequency of use.
You have also successfully fulfilled our request for a large emplacement. As a result you now have
a total of three (3) Revisions this Revision Phase. Do note that, as you are also deciding on your Espionage Credit options now, any revision made to the
LEA-13 will not go into effect and alter the Espionage Credit retroactively.
IT IS NOW THE REVISION 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. (OBSOLETE)
--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]
GBC-13 Gavrilium Bunker Cannon "Scylla": A 105mm cannon utilizing HE and solid shot with bunkers using GavGenerators designed to aid in cooling of the weapon and powering of the bunker. Utilizes the same altered GavPowder and metal alloys the GA1b does. Can be fired out to 10/15km. Costs Ore, Gavrilium, and 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.
Ground 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)
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. (CHEAP)
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. (EXPENSIVE)
Aircraft
LEA-13 Lifting Engine Aircraft: A metal sphere containing a Gavrilium/Gravite engine attached to a basket to propel itself skyward. Meant for use as an observation platform, though swaying can make the job difficult. Definitely would never use a lawn chair. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Gavrilium, and 2 Caelium. (CHEAP)
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.
Gravite: A uniquely structured piece of Caelium which can create a gravitational field to pull itself in the direction of it's Dominant side.
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: 1 Ent., 1 Caelium (1/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Badlands: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Rolling Hills: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Volcanic Range: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Ore: 3
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Gavrilium: 2
Myomer:: 2
Caelium: 1
Chemical Compounds:: 0
Radio Coverage: Radio Coverage improves the ability to effectively defend a sector based on efficacy of the design.
Enhanced Fortification: Due to advancements in Salvios a sector can be brought to max Entrenchment with a Revision. Max Entrenchment Level has also been raised to four (4).
Poll
2 (14.3%)
Author
Topic: Industrialized Warfare: Salvios Thread / 1917 A.C. Cold Season (COMPLETE) (Read 100404 times)