Ultra-Low Tech Science Team w/ Transport

[xenoscepter (OP)]

 - This is a concept design for a Fighter sized exploration craft. Designed to transport a Science Team and two GeoProbes, the Rockstar Class chas a round-trip range of up to 1 billion km and a deployment time of five months and three days. The geological probes will each generate 72 Survey Points over the course of two months. This ship and it's attendant ground formations are built using a Conventional Tech start with the lowest technology possible. Conventional Advanced Composite Armor, Conventional Engines, and Conventional Reactors means that this ship has lots of room to be improved upon. Which is fine, as it's only a concept design. This ship only requires a Maintenance Facility and Ordinance Transfer Station to Reload and Resupply, while it requires a Refueling Station to refuel. The ship based equivalents will work too, of course.

 - An alternative use of the Box Launchers would be to launch Sensor probes to ahead of the craft in an effort to root out any danger well ahead of time. However, the ship mounts a Passive Sensor Suite, which partially alleviates the need for this. The Planetary Scanner and the Launch Controller are properly paired with regards to range, so the Rockstar Class could serve as an improvised Missile Fighter in a pinch, or as a Missile Based Bomber / Landing Craft. The Rockstar could potentially be refitted to carry 15 Ton Fighter Pod Bays in place of the Launchers as well.

Rockstar Class Transport:

Code: [Select]

Rockstar class Transport      500 tons       7 Crew       31.7 BP       TCS 10    TH 2    EM 0
150 km/s      Armour 1-5       Shields 0-0       HTK 1      Sensors 1/1/0/0      DCR 0      PPV 0.6
Maint Life 7.52 Years     MSP 7    AFR 10%    IFR 0.1%    1YR 0    5YR 3    Max Repair 5 MSP
Troop Capacity 200 tons     Magazine 4   
Lieutenant Commander    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 5.1 months    Morale Check Required   

StarTech Model C (1)    Power 1.5    Fuel Use 108.93%    Signature 1.50    Explosion 7%
Fuel Capacity 6,000 Litres    Range 2 billion km (153 days at full power)

Class 2 Launcher (2)     Missile Size: 2.0    Hangar Reload 70 minutes    MF Reload 11 hours
Launch Controller (1)     Range 2.5m km    Resolution 1
Geological Probe (2)    Speed: 200 km/s    End: 60.5d     Range: 1,045.7m km    WH: 0    Size: 2.00    TH: 0/0/0

Planetary Surface Scanner (1)     GPS 4     Range 2.5m km    MCR 227.1k km    Resolution 1
Passive EM Calibrator (1)     Sensitivity 1.0     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  7.9m km
Passive TH Calibrator (1)     Sensitivity 1.0     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  7.9m km

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction
Geological Probe:

Code: [Select]

Missile Size: 2.00 MSP  (5.000 Tons)     Warhead: 0    Radiation Damage: 0    Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 200 km/s     Fuel: 750     Flight Time: 1,452 hours     Range: 1,045.7m km
Geo Sensor Strength: 0.05     Geo Points Per Day: 1.20
Cost Per Missile: 0.09     Development Cost: 9
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 2.0%   3k km/s 0.7%   5k km/s 0.4%   10k km/s 0.2%

Materials Required
Boronide  0.03
Uridium  0.05
Gallicite  0.01
Fuel:  750
Science Team, Geological Survey:

Code: [Select]

Transport Size: 200 tons
Build Cost: 6.8 BP
1x Geological Survey Vehicle
1x APC
4x Infantry, Assault Rifle
1x Infantry, MPAT
1x Infantry, MPAA

Science Team, Xenoarchaeology:

Code: [Select]

Transport Size: 200 tons
Build Cost: 6.8 BP
1x Xenoarchaeology Vehicle
1x APC
4x Infantry, Assault Rifle
1x Infantry, MPAT
1x Infantry, MPAA

Individual Ground Units:

Off-Topic: show

 Geological Survey Vehicle:
Transport Size (tons) 128     Cost 4.88     Armour 6     Hit Points 12
Annual Maintenance Cost 0.61     Resupply Cost 0
Headquarters:    Capacity 200
Geosurvey Equipment:      Geo Survey Points 0.1
Non-Combat Class

Vendarite  4.88   
Development Cost  244

 Xenoarchaeology Vehicle:
Transport Size (tons) 128     Cost 4.88     Armour 6     Hit Points 12
Annual Maintenance Cost 0.61     Resupply Cost 0
Headquarters:    Capacity 200
Xenoarchaeology Equipment:      Xenoarchaeology Points 0.5
Non-Combat Class

Vendarite  4.88   
Development Cost  244

 APC:
Transport Size (tons) 24     Cost 0.96     Armour 6     Hit Points 9
Annual Maintenance Cost 0.12     Resupply Cost 6
Crew-Served Anti-Personnel:      Shots 6      Penetration 3      Damage 3

Vendarite  0.96   
Development Cost  48

 Infantry, Assault Rifle:
Transport Size (tons) 3     Cost 0.06     Armour 3     Hit Points 3
Annual Maintenance Cost 0.0075     Resupply Cost 0.25
Light Personal Weapons:      Shots 1      Penetration 2      Damage 2

Vendarite  0.06   
Development Cost  3

 Infantry, MPAT:
Transport Size (tons) 16     Cost 0.32     Armour 3     Hit Points 3
Annual Maintenance Cost 0.04     Resupply Cost 6
Light Anti-Vehicle:      Shots 1      Penetration 6      Damage 9

Vendarite  0.32   
Development Cost  16

 Infantry, MPAA:
Transport Size (tons) 20     Cost 0.4     Armour 3     Hit Points 3
Annual Maintenance Cost 0.05     Resupply Cost 2
Light Anti-Aircraft:      Shots 1      Penetration 3      Damage 6      AA Value 0

Vendarite  0.4   
Development Cost  20

[Jorgen_CAB]

Really cool little teams... I rarely find much use for xenoarchaeology teams this early on though, but perhaps you have been lucky to find something interesting.

I also like to experimenter with all kinds of utility vessels.

[Barkhorn]

Those ground-based survey teams are really anemic.  There's pretty much no fight in which they'll survive for more than a couple rounds, so you may as well not bring the guards.  You could either save the money or bring survey equipment.

Same idea with the sensors on the transport; given it's low speed, ~7mkm is way too close for comfort, especially considering that's for a 1000 strength signal.  You'll have even less warning for smaller ships.  There's just no situation in which the warning is useful.  Without the sensors, you die with no warning.  With the sensors, you get to watch the enemy close in for the kill.

I really like the idea of tiny science team shuttles though.

[xenoscepter (OP)]

 - The Res 1 Sensor is a Planetary Surface Scanner, it's used as a navigation system for landing. Aurora doesn't require me to use one, but I like it for Role-Play. The Passive EM/TH are calibration sensors, they help the Surface Scanner figure out what it's seeing.

 - The escort is in case of ruins... they sometimes are guarded. The guard isn't there to let them win, it's there to let them evac. One or two rounds is all I'd need since the game just allows me to pick them up under fire.

[DeMatt]

Geological Probe:

Code: [Select]

Missile Size: 2.00 MSP  (5.000 Tons)     Warhead: 0    Radiation Damage: 0    Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 200 km/s     Fuel: 750     Flight Time: 1,452 hours     Range: 1,045.7m km
Geo Sensor Strength: 0.05     Geo Points Per Day: 1.20
Cost Per Missile: 0.09     Development Cost: 9
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 2.0%   3k km/s 0.7%   5k km/s 0.4%   10k km/s 0.2%

Materials Required
Boronide  0.03
Uridium  0.05
Gallicite  0.01
Fuel:  750

A couple thoughts on the survey missile:

• Making it a two-stage missile, a buoy with the sensor and then a booster stage, would mean it could run forever.  Or at least until it finished surveying.
• Continuing with the buoy idea, if you could then cram some thermal sensitivity in, it'd provide population detection too... but that'd probably take more than Conventional-level research.
• If I've reconstructed it right, the engine's 0.3 MSP and 100% power, with 0.3 MSP of fuel?  The rule of thumb I learned for the "optimum" engine-to-fuel ratio was 5:2.  If you switched to a 0.45 MSP/70% engine (and 0.15 MSP of fuel), it'd go farther (1562m km) and a hair faster (157.5 km/s vs 150 km/s).

[xenoscepter (OP)]

DeMatt Geological Probe

Code: [Select]

Missile Size: 2.00 MSP  (5.000 Tons)     Warhead: 0    Radiation Damage: 0    Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 200 km/s     Fuel: 375     Flight Time: 2,169 hours     Range: 1,562m km
Geo Sensor Strength: 0.05     Geo Points Per Day: 1.20
Cost Per Missile: 0.09     Development Cost: 9
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 2.0%   3k km/s 0.7%   5k km/s 0.4%   10k km/s 0.2%

Materials Required
Boronide  0.03
Uridium  0.05
Gallicite  0.01
Fuel:  375
Yup. That'll do 'er.

No need for Thermal on the missile, the ship carries it already. I don't know how to make buoys yet, and did not know until about two days ago that buoys had that behavior in relation to geosurvey anyway. I intend to do a redesign that makes this missile smaller, like a size 1.5 or less, as I read that on a separate thread. This is already TN Tech, but Conventional Start... the idea is to get things going early. I've learned that Construction Ground Units now work properly as Factories too, they were bugged in a previous version. So that's on the to-do list as well.

However, Fighters can't unload Colonists, despite supposedly being able to land... That bug needs to be fixed first...

[vorpal+5]

I really like the whole approach, optimized or not, I think that's fun. This pioneer vibe it gives. Meager tech and budget, do what you can boldly ...

If you have similar low tech designs, I want to see them!