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[andrea]

Have you considered a possible backpack like reservoir for prolonged engagements?

[Madman198237]

I hope this doesn't negatively impact MAR's updates.

So we're solidly before the American Civil War, well before the advent of the needle rifle, unfortunately we're not even using metallic cartridges yet. However this gives me no basis for our actual technology because we're *also* kinda-sorta later in the 19th century due to the prevalence of rail lines? Is our military actually THAT badly outdated? Steam power and industrialization should give us the capability to quite easily mass produce cartridges and the like. Maybe the first thing we could do is produce a revolver? That gives a lot of close-range firepower while being capable of using black powder paper cartridges and percussion caps, and can even be easily upgraded to fire metallic cartridges with more conventional primers and whatnot.

"Finger Trap" Imperial Arsenal Revolving Sidearm
Mind your digits and count your bullets.
Our steam-powered industries are capable of churning out more complex devices by the thousands, and so our first order of business in modernizing our military is to provide them with something befitting that advantage. We have chosen to produce a sidearm capable of rapid, repeating fire for use on horseback, fighting from vehicles (trains, this means trains, at least for the moment), or in desperate situations.

This is a revolver, probably not the first of its kind because, really, this idea must've already shown up somewhere given our advanced technology. Anyway, it has five breeches in the revolving cylinder, each of which has a percussion cap stub on the back for the hammer to strike. The weapon is double-action for faster firing and because we've got the industrial might to produce the slightly more complex mechanisms to do it, and fires a .45 caliber bullet using paper cartridges. It's a large bullet for maximum killing power but due to the limitations of the cartridge and revolver it's low-velocity.

There, fills the "infantry weapon" qualification. Also has a bit of Destiny-style flavor text (and name) because I've been playing far too much D2 recently.

"Tortoise" Protected Train, Colonial Duty
Guaranteed to get where you're going, just slowly.
Some places just do not accept the eternal rule of the Empire or its infinite solidarity and strength and cohesiveness. These places tend to have problems with assaults on Imperial supply lines, mostly rail lines. Trains carry large amounts of valuable cargo and their loss hinders the bringing of the Empire's peace to new lands, and therefore to cut these absolutely-driven-by-jealous-foreign-enemies insurrections in the bud we will design armored cargo trains to supplement the unarmored ones that run within the totally peaceful and prosperous Empire.

These new trains are, of course, driven by means of steam power. Engines pulling more cars might utilize a Steam Core to possess the requisite power, others may simply use coal and their large boilers to drive themselves. The entire locomotive is armored against splinters and blast damage in addition to rifle fire, while the cars are armored against rifle fire, have connecting passageways between them (with flexible sections allowing the train to, y'know, move like a train dose while still keeping an enclosed, mostly armored passageway between cars and the engine), with firing ports all over the train and fighting positions inside certain compartments. Being a train, the system is completely modular, allowing some cars to be equipped with large guns in turrets and sponsons, or with machineguns pointed in all conceivable directions.

And the transportation request. Armored train fights, anybody?

[TricMagic]

Steam Titan

A Titan standing 20 feet tall, this Steam Core powered behemoth is controllable by any infantry inside it's torso's armored cockpit. For weaponry it uses a steam-powered Needlegun and a flat slab of steel sword easily capable of going through walls, vehicles, and people through sheer brute force and an edge. It's well armored too, and balanced. Truly, a work of engineering that could only be created by such a United Empire.



Might as well go for mecha since that game also died. Viva la mechs! It being difficult is no reason to relent, as we are Untied and it will not go wrong.(cause everyone gets the same thing.)

[Kashyyk]

@Andrea: I have, yes. However, I was concerned that it would be too encumbering for standard line infantry. We could likely do something like it, along with a cuirass and helm maybe for heavy infantry / shock troops?

[Madman198237]

Now, maybe Chief doesn't care so much for these details, but...how are you controlling this mech? How thick is its armor? Why are you, presumably, making a Thanos reference about "balanced" things? Do you even know what a "needle gun" is or are you assuming we're going to get the Needler from Halo and spray people with literal needles?

[Iris]

I will note that no one has suggested an infantry weapon yet, and because the empire will never fall, I think it'd be pretty safe to design everything using steam cores, cos we can always just make more if need be. Thus I offer you the following:

The majority of this continent uses primitive gunpowder firearms, notorious for belching obscuring smoke, poor accuracy and lethality beyond 100 yards, embarrassingly low rate of fire, and distracting muzzle report. However the [Steam Empire] has a better way, one given to us by the technological wonder that is the Steam Core.

The Bombardino Steam Rifle is of similar shape to a standard rifle, although the stock is actually a removable reservoir, holding the high-pressure steam that propels 1oz lead balls at over 500 feet per second. To ensure an ample supply of propellant, each equipped platoon will also be assigned a Steam Pump, utilizing a Steam Core to quickly fill reservoirs with compressed steam. Additionally, the lead balls will be stored in a spring-loaded ammunition tube within the weapon, allowing a soldier to action the attached bolt to move the next round into position for firing.

We will thus have an infantry weapon capable of shooting 20 rounds a minute, effective to over 200 yards, whilst near-silent, and emitting nothing more than lead death and a small puff of steam that will only fit with the character of our Empire.

This looks promising. Would it be capable of holding a bayonet or firing rifle grenades?

[evictedSaint]

I think we're getting a bit distracted here, guys.

What is the proper way to dispose of traitors?

[TricMagic]

Turn their bones to china and prosthetics?

[andrea]

We could bring back a tradition of ancient people, the blood eagle.

[Rockeater]

Use their bodies to fuel large steam engines?

[Man of Paper]

Food. They failed to provide for the empire in life, so they should do so in death.

[Shadowclaw777]

Food. They failed to provide for the empire in life, so they should do so in death.

Very Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang, the Human Hive of you. Indeed, while their carbohydrates could still be used as supplements and fuel for the engines, their capital punishment from the Empire should still be displayed to the masses to show the common citizens what happens to any form of treason. Also it should be done... slowly, gently; this is how a life should be taken for those who refuse the Empire.

[ConscriptFive]

I, for one, am a strong believer in the power of reeducation.  Proper ideological indoctrination coupled with the joy of physical labor can have transcendent effects on the most treasonous minds.

[Kashyyk]

@Iridium: It can absolutely hold a bayonet, I will add a note making it explicit. Can probably do rifle grenades too.

[evictedSaint]

Mark Ia "Theodore" Steam Thrower:

A weapon for a more civilized age, the Mk. Ia "Theodore" Steam Thrower is a tool which bellows forth a cloud of deadly super-heated steam in order to roast enemies of the Empire in a justly-deserved excruciatingly painful death.  The weapon features a truly frightening array of brass knobs, valves, and gauges to control the cone, temperature, and range of the steam cloud.  A reservoir of water and an appropriately-sized Steam Core is carried in a backpack with numerous hoses and wires feeding into the hand-held steam propulsion gun.  Due to the extreme heat and inherent danger of the device, users are required to wear sturdy and well-insulated suits with hoods, gloves, and boots covering them from head-to-toe.

We propose that the Mk. Ia "Theodore" Steam Thrower be used in place of rifles for the purpose of firing squads, as it is a more fitting tool for such a job.