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1

Lore, Fan Media & Fiction / Broadsword

« on: September 09, 2012, 04:50:49 AM »

I love broadswords - IMO, best fighter. They're like a spacebound A-10.

----------------------------------Part One: Xyphos

It's nice being in an independent fleet - It's a lot more relaxed than a military one. I should know.

My time in the Tri-Tachyon fleet was short and horrible. I didn't volunteer, obviously. I was drafted, rescued from an easy, comfortable life as a taxi pilot. I was taking a corporate officer up to the station at Corvus IV when a pirate Talon attacked us. I took evasive action, and the officer recruited me as soon as we docked at the station. I didn't believe in cliches until then. He looked me in the eye and said, "Son, you're in the army now."

I don't like the Xyphos - It's too complex, too many systems and sub-systems. The control panel is ridiculous - it has three flight sticks, for god's sake! I was shot down on my fifteenth sortie, after the detachment I was in was sent to attack the Hegemony station.

Well, when I say "shot down", I mean "landed on their carrier and defected". The engineers looked at my Xyphos, and a pilot had a little try at flying her. Of course, if my bird was too complex for a trained Tri-Tach pilot, it was way too complex for Hegemony cannon fodder. They took her, stripped her down and used her to repair and upgrade a wing of their Talons. Then they gave me one of the upgraded ones.

Now, the default Talon is okay - it's fast, simple and unlikely to break down. So fusing it with EW and fire control systems from one of the most complex pieces of equipment in the most high-tech fleet in the system was bound to screw something up. And it did.

The other pilots in the upgraded wing never made it back from that sortie. They had no experience with the Xyphos systems, some of them could barely fly an unupgraded Talon. We had to wait half an hour for the one with the thrust control from the Xyphos to take off, and that was with me giving instructions over the radio. Our mission was an escort - get this VIP to this asteroid, and if he complains about the quality of the ride, you'll be facing a firing squad within the hour. Of course, seeing as our birds were the best, we'd be leading the way.

At least they had the good sense to make me the wing leader - I knew which birds had which systems, but I knew nothing about the quality of the pilots. I was wing leader with the Corporation, because I could manage my wing effectively. Over 50% of radio traffic in the wing was mine, giving specific instructions to the others in my wing. (I flew in a wing of six, instead of the default two.)

We got hit by a Lud raiding party in orbit around the destination - they'd already attacked and destroyed the base, which was later revealed to be a research base. I don't know what was more surprising - the surprise Lud attack or that the Hegemony were doing some original work. Either way, we fought, the Taphos (Copyright Tom Sykes) wing was almost entirely destroyed due to incompetence, by both the pilots and the engineers that worked on them. One of the Taphii (?) was in perfect position to wreck an enemy talon, but the weapons system just refused to work. I can still remember him shouting "It's not working! It's not WORKING!" over the comms. That's one of the worst things that can happen to you - getting killed because of a mechanical failure.

Hegemony engineers aren't the best, but they do try. Unfortunately, none of them had ever seen anything like the Xyphos before. They tried to make a square peg fit a round hole, and for the most part, it worked. Occasionally.

I managed to make it out alive, and took some of those Lud b------s with me (23 of them, the Xyphos systems made a massive difference). The Valkyrie carrying the VIP vanished as soon as we arrived. Whether it was destroyed or flew away, I don't know. We weren't told about it, and I was reassigned to a different Hegemony wing. I got to keep the Taphos, to my relief. They got my callsign from it - Toffee. I was now Flight Lieutenant Tom Sykes of the Hegemony 6th Fighter division, the number 2 on a wing with a brilliant leader, and I had a fighter made from the best parts of two entirely different planes. Things were looking good.

2

Discussions / Higgs Boson

« on: July 04, 2012, 01:01:47 AM »

Looks like CERN just found a new particle - Could be the Higgs Boson!

3

Modding / Reichenlandic Space Armored Fleet

« on: June 27, 2012, 03:40:40 AM »

The Reichenlandic Space Armored Fleet (SAF)

Hailing from the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Reichenlandic SAF is currently on a mission of exploration and peacekeeping - they follow a code called the Reichenlandic code, a key tenet of which is the protection of the weak. They intend to keep the peace inside the Corvus system, by protecting independent units and destroying pirates, along with anybody who dares disturb the peace.

The SAF weapons are focused on rapid-firing, medium to low-damage energy weapons with low flux generation, and believe the words "Moar dakka" to mean "More lasers" - frontal firepower is the name of their game.

SHIPS

Spoiler

Scheitz - class Frigate

The Scheitz is a nimble yet powerful frigate, more of a needle than a hammer. D-AS lasers and S-AS missiles give it powerful anti-ship capabilities.

Reinecke - class Destroyer

Reichenlandic fleet commander Luitger Sankt once said that, if he were to be demoted and given command of a single ship, it would be a Reinecke destroyer. While it doesn't have the best specs on a ship, it's perfectly suited to patrolling sectors, with a large cargo bay and a flight deck, and plenty of space for weaponry as well.

Mayr - class Cruiser

The engineers of Corvus proclaim the Conquest to be the definition of concentrated firepower - until they met the Mayr. Mayr vessels May have a relatively low number of weapon slots, but the weapons that can be mounted are ones of such power that anything that so much as thinks of getting in the way of a Mayr will be completely and utterly annihilated. However, all of the Mayr's defenses and weaponry are pointed forward, so a quick-thinking fighter pilot could easily bring this behemoth to its knees.

Agrell - class Battlecruiser

The Agrell is a blend between a battleship and a cruiser, and is the size of the latter. With multiple forward-facing DB-AS lasers, and a few MMRV launchers thrown in, the Agrell is a staple of Reichenlandic fleets.


Bruch - class Command Vessel

The Bruch doesn't have the most weapons, nor the largest amount of hangars. However, what it does have, are unparallelled fleet control abilities - superior radar range mixed with ridiculously accurate fire control systems make this ship a flagship of choice for many officers. (This ship will only really become useful with .53)

Krebs - class Laser with an engine Exalaser platform

The Krebs is a massively long ship, but with only one weapon - the Exalaser. Two Super-Krebs were created for artificially creating supernovae, but this version is slightly more sensible. The immense power of the Exalaser means that it can, realistically, only be fired once in a battle. However, when it is fired, not even the shields of five Paragons can survive the energy released.


Schop - class Slightly smaller laser with an engine Support weapons platform

The Schop is more sensibly proportioned than the Krebs, but with a less powerful main cannon. However, this means that it can be fired multiple times, perfect for blasting a battleship that was about to take out your flagship.

Danzi - class Radar platform

The Danzi has no weapons, and a small shield. However, what it does have is a very powerful radar system, able to spot threats and report their location before they get anywhere near. (Again, needs .53)

[close]

That's all for now. Our bravest, smartest and most attractive team of artists, coders, monkeys and snack makers is currently underway making the ships, weapons and other fancy, pretty things.

4

Discussions / Infinite Space

« on: June 26, 2012, 01:39:51 PM »

I was wondering if anyone here had played a DS game called Infinite Space? It's a bit obscure, but very good.

5

Suggestions / Negative damage values

« on: June 26, 2012, 01:09:11 PM »

So, I had an idea for a mod, which would involve a command vessel of sorts that could heal ships, with weapons set to negative damage values. However, gunnyfreak said:

doesn't work, just makes 0 damage

Anybody want to see repair beams in the game?

6

Modding / Negative weapon damage

« on: June 25, 2012, 11:54:14 PM »

Quick question - would it be possible to create a weapon with a negative damage value, so that it works sort of like a healing beam? The weapon should heal durability more than armour, though.

7

Lore, Fan Media & Fiction / Valantin

« on: June 17, 2012, 10:53:48 AM »

So, I have a save called Valantin. I'm playing with Uomoz's Corvus and the Confederacy of Free Stars, and Valantin just flies around in his Sovereign, the Corsair. I came up with a little bit of backstory to him, and I'm going to write it here. Captain Schneizer is the Mercenary 3 portrait (The awesome one), and Khrushchev is the guy in the white uniform, the first portrait in the list.

Part one - Corvus

Spoiler

The bridge of the Empire was busy, ready to enter the Corvus system. Admiral Khrushchev was ready to make a speech, ready to inform the fleet what they were doing in this backwater system.
"Sir! IP communication from the flagship."
"On screen." Captain Schneizer had entered the bridge just in time to see Khrushchev give his speech.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen of the Confederacy, to the Corvus system.
Now, no doubt you have heard the stories from the Confederacy's borders, of the horrors of the Scourge. Look out from your bridges, at that asteroid. It is called Theta-B."
Murmurs filled the bridge. Most knew of the asteroid, knew that beneath the surface lived a terrible, terrible infection.

"Our orders, ladies and gentlemen, are to contain the Scourge infection by any means necessary. To do this, I have devised a few steps.
One: We surround the sector, and stop all ships going in or out.
Two: We establish an orbital station around Corvus 1. We could refit the old facility there, but it would be faster to temporarily convert the Belisana.
Three: After completing these, we defeat the Scourge swarms as they surface, and then use the Sovereigns to destroy the asteroid."

Schneizer glanced over to his artillery officer, Lieutenant Sankt.
"Sankt, are the Phased Array cannons working?"
"Yes, captain. That lump of rock won't know what hit it."

Khrushchev continued on the screen. "Your official orders will be sent to your ships in 5 hours. Dismissed."
"Captain, Khrushchev has sent us a message. Sovereign groups 1,4,7,9 and us are to dock with the flagship for a conference." The Empire was the only Sovereign not saddled with a partner.
Schneizer frowned. Khrushchev hated physical contact with others -He occasionally  gave orders in private, but this was unheard of.
"Bring us alongside the Belisana, and dock with airlock 2."

As the Empire sailed through space, it began to cruise past a colossal engine. The Belisana was the Confederacy's pride and joy, the only ship of its type. 20 kilometers from bow to stern, this ship could shoot an orbital station straight into oblivion. It came equipped with the largest flux vent made by the Confederacy - it was almost one and a half times bigger than all five of the flux generators. A broadside from her antiparticle lances would tear even a Sovereign to pieces.

Schneizer boarded the colossal vessel, following the blue line painted on the corridors. They were incredibly shiny, polished so much that it made even the most zealous soldier's boots cower in shame.
"Captain Schneizer?" An ensign was waiting outside the conference room. "Admiral Khrushchev is in here. We're still waiting for group 7 to arrive, but everyone else is there."

Schneizer entered the room to see six other captains and the admiral sat around the table. The captain quickly saluted - breaches of protocol made the admiral very angry.
"At ease, captain. Take a seat." He sat. "Is group 7 here yet?"

As he said that, the door burst open and two unkempt, untidy, and unpunctual captains spilled into the room.

"Good evening, admiral!" they chanted in union.

Ah. The Schmidt twins.

Bastian and Dietrich Schmidt were legendary in the confederate military - They were brilliant captains, able to pull off even the most daring tactics, maneuvers and heroic feats. However, they had a habit of being reckless, forgetting protocol and ignoring orders.

"...Welcome, captains. Take a seat." The admiral said. If lasers could be eyeball-mounted, the twins would be melt-y puddles on the floor.

Schmidts one and two sat on either side of Schneizer, and were about to start a conversation, when Khrushchev practically shouted "Now, gentlemen, I have called you here to give you your own orders.
"You will not be tagging along with the rest of the fleet. The scourge is not our main objective, but it makes for a useful cover for our main objective." A bright, white star appeared on the screen at the head of the table.
"This is Corvex."

[close]

Part two - Motives

Spoiler

Schneizer watched the image for a few seconds, wondering what the confederacy could possibly want from a small, insignificant dwarf star.

Bastian Schmidt evidently thought the same.
"So, admiral, what does the Confederacy want with this star? It's rather pretty, but there's a much bigger one not so far away."
"I agree with Schmidt - unless you wish to create a Dyson sphere around it, I see very little value in this star." Schneizer spoke out.

"Unfortunately, I cannot tell you why, for I do not know myself. However, my superiors have ordered it, and so we must obey. Now, you may pick up your official orders on your way out. Dismissed."

Everyone rose simultaneously. Schneizer was about to leave when Dietrich shouted something similar to his name.
"Hey, captain Snidder-thingy!"
"I assume you mean me?" He turned to face the literary abomination.
"Yeah, you. Can we hitch a ride on your ship for a bit? Our sovereigns have..."
"Well... They exploded."

Schneizer stood there, shocked. "They what? You lost two Sovereigns? How the hell did I never hear of this?" He exploded, an angry ball of rage at these imbecilic, moronic buffoons.

"Well, the Confederacy didn't want this getting out, but apparently we need to tell you."
"We were out on patrol for the Scourge, when, somehow, a few spores got onto our ships."
"Ah." Schneizer saw what had gone wrong.
"Yep. To stop the contamination, we blew them up. Couldn't let the Scourge have a Sovereign." explained Dietrich.
"And the bigwigs didn't want news of that getting out." chipped in Bastian.
"Well, in that case, we're docked on airlock 2. We're setting off in half an hour. Collect your orders and get over there."
The twins saluted in unison, deadpan expressions on their faces. Schnei grinned, shook his head, and left.

The same ensign who was minding the door now had the order sheets.
"Captain Schneizer? Your orders are here." He held out a bundle of papers several centimeters thick. Schneizer took it with a reserved manner, thanked him, and left. The page was exactly like any other sheet of orders he had received - his full name printed along the top, followed by information about where to go, what to do, what to take, and what he might be facing. However, this page was left blank for once.

ORDERS FOR CAPTAIN VALANTIN SCHNEIZER
Potential adversaries:

Following that was a blank piece of paper, no information whatever. He flipped it over, flicked through the rest of it, hoping to gleam some information about what was guarding that bright white star. However, the information was not there, almost as if it had been carefully extracted and removed, like a tank of liquid taken from a hole, carried carefully so as not to spill any on the surrounding pages.

Half an hour later

The bridge of the Empire was busy, ready to set off for Corvex. The Schmidt twins entered the bridge just as the captain gave the order to set off.

"Hey, Schnei-Schnei!" Bastian shouted. Valantin turned, sighing. "Hello?"
"In your orders, was there anything about what was guarding Corvex?" Dietrich was serious for once.
"No, absolutely nothing. Apparently, I'm supposed to head to Corvex and secure the asteroid belt around it, but there's no information about what to secure it from."
"That's what we thought. It looks like we're going to have to fin-" He was interrupted by a shout from an ensign.
"Captain, IP communication from Khrushchev."
"On screen."

Khrushchev's face appeared on the screen once again. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to set off. We are to be absolutely transparent for the Hegemony - we hide nothing from them, tell them everything they ant to know about our operation. We could crush them in an instant, and they know that, but we need to be courteous nevertheless."

Oh, so you'll be transparent with them, but not your own personnel... Very well. I'll take this challenge on board, and carry out whatever the hell it is that you want me to do. Khrushchev looked directly at Valantin - impossible, given that the message was a broadcast for the fleet, but in that moment, he was certain that the admiral had heard his thoughts.

The engines flared, and the 5 sovereigns began to sail out into the vast gulf of space.

[close]

8

Modding / Migrating fleets

« on: June 10, 2012, 02:22:57 AM »

I played a save with Uomoz's Corvus 14, but now that I've upgraded to 15 and with some other mods I'd like to migrate my fleet to the newer version. Solutions?