Revision : Functional Nozzles (Normal Difficulty)4+4 = 8: Unexpected Boon
In a burst of inspiration, Octoling engineers completely rebuild the nozzles of the Bamboozler line of inkarms. This causes ranges to increase by an astonishing 15%, an improvement 50% greater then what was estimated when the project begin. And then, not satisfied by that, they go back to the Bamboozler Mk.2 and rework some of the inkarm's more glaring flaws, such as having the leaky air chamber replaced with a not leaking air chamber and rebuilding some of the internal valves so that they're no longer a jam risk when the gun is struck with concussive force.
Basic Resources
Plastics : 2
Super Sea Snails : 1
Advanced Resources
Zapfish : 2
Primary Weapon- Bamboozler : A compression powered ink gun that was recently invented before the Great Turf War. It charges somewhat slowly, is hard to charge on the move, can not store a charge, has limited maximum range, has low ink usage efficiency hampering repeated use before one must refill their ink tank, and can not be fired while uncharged. In other words, a revolutionary improvement over all that came before. Despite being shaped somewhat like a hammer, it is not advisable to use it in melee to hit someone over the head with. Recent advances in Ink Tank pump speed have increased the Bamboozler's charging speed by around 5%, and an additional redesign of the nozzle and front half of the gun has increased ranged by an astonishing 15%.
Cheap - Cost : 2 Plastic, 0 Super Sea Snails. - Bamboozler Mk.2 : A reconstructed version of the Bamboozler that replaces the old ink compressor and awkward trigger/plunger set up with an entirely new selection of complicated gearing and valves, using a two tank air/ink pressure system to achieve greater range, charging speed, and ink usage efficiency then the Mk.1 Bamboozler. In return the Mk.2 is overly complicated to build and maintain as well as wasteful of its materials, all signs of its extremely unpolished design. This lack of polish degrades its effectiveness in several ways, but the most immediately noticeable one, (a leaky air tank) has been reworked and no longer effects the gun. Lastly it is still not advisable to use a Bamboozler Mk.2 as a melee weapon, despite it being shaped like a hammer. A recent redesign of the front end has increased its viable range by an astonishing 15%.
Very Expensive - Cost : 3 Plastic, 0 Super Sea Snails, Complex.
- Splatling Cannon : A large crank operated automatic ink cannon. Has short range, extreme weight and size, and equally extreme inkpower. Can be operated at either a low firing speed, which actually has accuracy, or a high firing speed which can suck dry an entire ink tank in under thirty seconds using the higher pump speeds made possible by the Rotodynamic Pump but in return can barely hope to hit the broad side of a barn due to the crank and the pump knocking the weapon around as it fires as well as the increased recoil.
Expensive - Cost : 3 Plastic, 0 Super Sea Snails.
Sub Weapon- Balloon Mine : A large balloon, inflated close to bursting with ink. Being sturdy enough to avoid accidental discharges means it requires some amount of focused firepower to detonate, and it takes around a minute and a full ink tank to deploy in the first place. Covers a large area with friendly ink when it does detonate, however, and has an optional automatic pump to allow for deployment without manual operation.
Cheap - Cost : 2 Plastic, 0 Super Sea Snails. When used with the Automatic Pump, gains the Complex tag and therefor becomes Expensive.
SpecialsNo Specials start out designed.
AbilityNo Abilities start out designed.
Personnel- Octoling Guardsman/Guardswoman: An Octoling member of a volunteer weekend warrior association, where they train in basic military skills and teamwork. The association consistently turns out professionalized militia with consistent if not outstanding fundamental skills as well as a well honed sense of squad wide mutual trust and teamwork.
Cultural ArtifactsSo far, nothing has been invented that makes your side Fresher then the other side. You may feel properly ashamed of that fact now.
Other Gear- Mark 1 Ink Tank : A basic ink tank, invented by the same inventor that invented the Bamboozler, and designed to work with the Bamboozler. A quarter of its mass is taken up with the complicated gearing that connects it to a Lings primary weapon and the generator for the subweapon, limiting how much ink it can store. Still better then having to produce ink manually whenever you need a refill though.
Cheap - Cost : 2 Plastic, 0 Super Sea Snails.
- Rotodynamic Ink Pumps : A new rotational pump for the Ink Tank. It's smaller size and more efficient form allows for an increased ink reservoir as well as faster pumping, both for refilling the tank and for output to weapons. The increased tank pumping speed for refills is partially countered by the increased tank size however, and ends up only being somewhat faster.
- Octoling Home Guard Program: A volunteer training organization that meets twice a week to train with weapons and with working together. Beyond the teamwork and unity drills, each meeting addresses a different subject of military life, from weapon certification and recognition to maneuvering in Ink Form to theoretical tactical studies, with specially formatted programs meant to drill the basics into the skulls of civilians. And it works. The Home Guard may not be legends nor cutting edge professionals, but they learn the basic skills they'll need to survive a war. And more importantly, they learn to trust one another.
SuperweaponsSo far, no Superweapons have been developed.
HeroesSo far, no Heroes have been recruited for the greater glory of something or another.
As expected, as Fall wains and the leaves find themselves exiled from the trees, intermittent and unauthorized violence breaks out between Inkling and Octoling hotheads. Random skirmishes mostly, often just a few friends working themselves up into doing something stupid before they have time to think twice about it. Usually meaningless in the larger scale, besides in how it helps accelerate the increase in tensions. 95% of the time, it's just fools with a Bamboozler and a lack of planning.
Except, of course, for that 5% of the time when it's actual Octoling and Inkling agents testing each other, seeing how secure each side's hold on their territory is, and trying to draw out enemy secrets before they are seen on the battlefield. In order to maintain the element of surpris, only basic Bamboozlers are supposed to be deployed in these small spats. Inevitably, however, some real equipment gets dragged into the splatterzone. While the exact details are unclear due to a general lack of successful capturing of said real equipment by the other side, in those fights when modern equipment gets dragged in it is obvious that both sides have upgraded their Ink Tanks in some way, at the very least holding more ink then the basic module. As well, a few times the Inklings have shown of some sort of rapid fire mode, unleashing two shots in rapid succession, and the Octolings in return have demonstrated a firing range that extends farther then a basic Bamboozler is able to ink.
A few, more vaguer reports mention some sort of spinning gun used when an team of Inklings foolishly attempted to penetrate Octo-Valley and escape with samples of the enemy's works, as well as well as some sort of bursting device dropped on the heads of a few Octolings caught trying to sneak through Moray Towers, but the details on those are excessively unclear. Still, it is obvious the other side hasn't been slacking off, and will be unlikely to be surprised by the planned spring offensive. Still, with your superior preparations, confidence is high. Surely victory won't take more then a year or so, right?
The Design Phase of Winter, Year 0 has begun.
Author
Topic: Octoling Development Facility - Splatoon Arms Race (Spring, Year 3) (Read 26100 times)