Design : S.T.E.P Up (Average Difficulty)4+4 = 8: Unexpected boon
Drawing from the pool of already trained personnel and the new combat veterans trickling back from the front for instructors and ideas, the S.T.E.P. Up program proves to be an astonishing success, even if the limited pool of qualified teachers prevents large scale outputs, though the amount of troops coming through it is still greater then anyone originally expected. The new Octling Elite is ready, steady, strong and proud, and it shows. They're really in the zone when they enter combat. Able to make rapid and effective split second decisions and otherwise building upon the already existent foundational skills and strong sense of teamwork from the Home Guard Program. Meanwhile, the intense physical training of the S.T.E.P. program makes them faster and stronger then any Octoling that came before, able to use heavier weapons with increased ease, or maintain more advanced mobility with lighter weapons and gear. There's even sword drills for the Krakenblades!
Actually, the increased physical conditioning has proven so effective that some, less intense, parts of that program are being extended out to the overall Home Guard, whom take to the new training with... well, not exactly enthusiasm, but they still do it. This increased level of fitness can only do good things for their effectiveness.
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.
Specials- Krakenblade : A average sized blade of raw Ink and Ink Energy, stabilized by an anchoring hilt and internal spine. Takes a moment to form and is only effective at melee range, but does hold the power to splat anything you get a direct hit on. The blades lasts for around fifteen seconds before loosing cohesion, and also allows the user to rechannel the Ink Energy to power a hyperspeed dash forwards three to four yards. This dash can either be done as a blade dash, where the user swings the sword as they dash, striking everything between their starting and stopping point but also burning through the rest of the special's energy. Or it can be utilized as a normal dash that merely uses up most of the energy and allows for up to five seconds of continued use after the dash.
Expensive - Cost : 0 Plastic, 2 Super Sea Snails.
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. Now have improved physical conditioning from a new exercise program.
- Octoling Elite Agent: An Octoling graduate of the S.T.E.P Up Program, they are harder, faster, better, and even stronger then normal Octoling Guardsmen or Guardswoman. They also come with advanced tactical training, but their primary and greatest advantage is simply that they are all highly physically conditioned and drilled until responses and tactical calls are, if not genius, pretty much instant. The program for training them was suprisingly effective, so instead of being Rare these agents are Uncommon.
- Giant Octoling : A subspecies of Octoling which, as the name suggests, commonly reaches sizes far greater then the average Octoling. Their additional strength and endurance makes them natural heavy weapon experts, but also reduces their speed and makes them easier targets for enemy fire.
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. Now has an improved exercise program derived from the S.T.E.P. program's training.
- S.T.E.P Up : The Superior Trained Enlisted Personal initiative is an upgraded training program based on the older weekend warrior program. It scopes the best of the best out of the Home Guard Program and puts them through continual and dedicated training. Afterwards, what returns are Elite Octoling Agents, skilled and drilled to the max. Unexpectedly, they've managed to put many more Octolings through the training program then originally anticipated, and parts of their exercise regime has made it to the Home Guard.
Society For Prevention of Biased Species Interaction : A group of sign waving fanatics whom are against treating any subspecies of Octoling differently in any way, shape, form, or ink. This represents a noticeable issue with any attempts to train Octolings to use their subspecies specific advantages to their, well, advantage.- "Born This Way" Initiative : An art, music, and radio based initiative designed to show SFPBSI's repressive and chilling effects on Octoling subspecies. Caused a great reducement of SFPBSI's membership rolls, and also now allows subspecies with proper training and recruitment programs designed to be, well, recruited.
SuperweaponsSo far, no Superweapons have been developed.
Heroes- Dofley, Sketch Artist with a Big Gun : A Giant Octoling, equipped with a custom giant Splattling Cannon, custom giant Ink Tank, custom giant Krakenblade, and a second old style hilt only Krakenblade strapped onto his Spattling Cannon. A well trained wrecking ball of brute force, whom also does scroll art between combat missions as part of a failed PR scheme. Has unusually great control over his own personal Ink Energy, allowing him to use Krakenblades with unusually efficency and also allowing snap activations or deactivations when needed or desired.
Author
Topic: Octoling Development Facility - Splatoon Arms Race (Spring, Year 3) (Read 26563 times)