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[RFC] Outlaw-Class Grappler Ship
[RFC] Outlaw-Class Grappler Ship
#1
Kinda surprised no one has really thought of using this one, so I'm
gonna snag it mainly for the Roughnecks - the Roughrider's construction
battalion.

Really, the shortest way to describe these ships is 'space tug' but that's a huge injustice.  For one, it's modeled after the XGP15A-II from Outlaw Star
Most models sold on the open market through Black Aeronaut Technologies
(BAT) resemble the basic version that is first seen in the anime.  The
basic models come in two varieties: one with two AI cores (one to handle ship
operations and another to handle navigation - especially the complex
nature of grappler operations), and another with a single AI core and a
standardized interface for infomorphs (the 'Melfina' setup).

The primary difference between what is seen in the anime and the
offering by BAT is absence of the counter-rotating etherspace drive
fins.  Instead it is capable of the Fen's normal FTL travel and, for
some, appears much more sleek without them cluttering things up.  The
engine nacelles are also marked as being longer and sleeker than those
depicted in the anime.  This is to support the Blackbird-style drive
system which include it's own self-contained reactors, making them
engines in a more true sense of the word.

With this kind of power, the Outlaw-class
is capable of hauling entire building kits, plus tools, and assembling
them on-site.  Of course, this also means that an appropriately
customized Outlaw can be taken to the asteroid races and put in a good
showing for itself.  While not the fastest ships in BAT's hangar, an
Outlaw will certainly get you there with an unburdened top speed of
0.1c.

Due to the nature of their intended jobs, these ships have shown to be
far more robust than most fen ships.  The alloy that composes the
vehicle frame and grappler arms is comparable to Gundamium alloy in that
it has a remarkably high tensile strength and temperature stress
tolerances.  It is also capable of flexing while resisting bending until
its stress tolerances are reached.

Basic Outlaws come with staterooms for eight crewmen with all the basic
amenities for comfortable living and work in space.  They are also built
with ease of maintenance in mind (the only exception, of course, being
the quad-helix ion focusing elements).  This makes them ideal for both
owner-operator businesses or corporate fleets.

Finally, Outlaws can be customized with any task in mind - construction,
search and rescue, combat, and even racing.  The grappler arms are
modular in construction, and in addition to the modular bays, it allows
an Outlaw to be repurposed at a moment's notice.  There will even be
mods for q-ship ops, but those will be highly restricted.

Thoughts?
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#2
Quote:Jet, looking pleadingly at the catalogue: "Well, we have been meaning to get some sort of aggressor spacecraft.... and something that can impress big-fish clients when we've got to go make a presentation. "

Ford: "Great... Another bank loan,"

Jet: "If the Stellvian contract's renewed, we can definitely afford it. We can carry sample gear aboard... and maybe scrounge up a pair of drone zigs...."

Ford (sighing) "Fine... and I suppose it's something else I'll have to fix,"

Jet: "Big Grin"

Ford: "And make sure it has the grapples fitted. The Dragon Wagon broke down again on my last recovery run. If we're getting this, I'm going to want to use it too.."

Frigga will acquire one in 2021/2... depending on how things go there. Ford uses it for recovery and salvage, Survival Shot uses it as the house attack spacecraft, Jet uses it when clients need to be impressed, and nothing works like showing up in a decent sized spacecraft along with some of your training equipment to touch and feel and test in person. It's used as the local workhorse because a dog-slow F-250 and a waved MiG with minimal storage capacity just weren't cutting it anymore.

It's specifically fitted out with a roomier cabin and a more open cockpit. Ford Sierra is its registered owner, naming it Dragon Wagon II. It is armed for self-defence, and with simulated attack weaponry, but that's about it.

And it's also a useful thing to have around when spare engine parts need to be ordered quietly for 'other things', they can be listed as For the Wagon.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
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#3
I think that Whistler is going to buy and use one or two of those as well. Very useful for recovery of debris, derelicts and ships in trouble. Maybe make good parasites for the Thrillmaster.
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#4
Spaceship with melee weapons? Wink
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#5
HRogge Wrote:Spaceship with melee weapons? Wink

Oh yes. Perfect for a bounty hunter. Grab 'em!
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#6
Dartz Wrote:
HRogge Wrote:Spaceship with melee weapons? Wink

Oh yes. Perfect for a bounty hunter. Grab 'em!

Why do I have to think about this?

[img]http://static.schlockmercenary.com/comics/schlock20051217.png?1297712544]
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#7
Actually.... I may have a story for the Dragon Wagon

Ford gets wind of a bounty on someone who stole a Blackbird

Goes out with Dragon Wagon to catch them. Anika begs to come too, looking for something new to do.

They first meet a contact in some belter den who gives some information, before roaring out after the stolen bird

Things of course, do not go to plan....
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#8
I'm quite sure the Trekkies have workbees, which are single person craft with arms used for heavier construction (sort of like mini-subs). So teh concept isn't too new in Fenspace. Just scaling it up like the Outlaw Star.
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#9
*ahem*

http://drunkardswalkforum...112/RFC-Construction-Bug
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-

NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children
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#10
Awesome! Glad everyone likes this. Smile

HRogge: Why do I get the sneaking suspicion you've never watched Outlaw Star before? Wink For you and anyone else that hasn't seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it. For being only one season long, it's pretty damn good space opera. It's got all the right ingredients: pirates, assassins, a mad scientist, a shadowy evil overlord, ultimate power in the universe, epic space combat, epic fight scenes, and (of course) hot girls. Trust me, it's worth it.

Oh, and Dartz? Got a link with more info on that story? BTW, by that time Ben's probably set-up an interest free line of credit at BAT for Jet... just so long as he makes regular payments and doesn't abuse the privilege. Wink

Waringer: ain't she a bit big for a parasite? Wink Ah well, if anything it'll make for an improved thrust-to-weight ratio.

Anyhow, I'll get to work on a proper wiki write-up later on.
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#11
Here we go

Trying to see if Ford and Anika can support a story. It's still in rough outline form (IRC text mostly), but it's coming up. Suggests/comments are welcome in the doc. It's edit enabled.
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#12
I took a look at it, interesting thus far. (I was the Anon you asked about, I wasn't logged in at the time.)
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor
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#13
Hmm, cute. Rockhounds will probably buy a handful of these for towing rocks around. Smile
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.
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#14
blackaeronaut Wrote:HRogge: Why do I get the sneaking suspicion you've never watched Outlaw Star before? Wink For you and anyone else that hasn't seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it. For being only one season long, it's pretty damn good space opera. It's got all the right ingredients: pirates, assassins, a mad scientist, a shadowy evil overlord, ultimate power in the universe, epic space combat, epic fight scenes, and (of course) hot girls. Trust me, it's worth it.
I will see... Smile
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#15
Added my own two cents to the story, Dartz. Remarkable what I can pull out of my ass that actually makes sense when the setting is right.

The idea is how is an Outlaw gonna catch a supposedly faster Blackbird? Answer: proper firmware. As a safety measure to help keep Boskonians from gaining an edge, Ben made sure that newer model Blackbirds and other models with similar engine systems have firmware controls for the quad helix arrays that need to be updated on a regular basis to continue functioning. Only the ship owners have the login to BAT's site to update the firmware. Otherwise, it drops as much as 30-60 percent in efficiency. Sure, there's some hacks out there, but they don't quite do as good of a job because the people that wrote them are mostly Mads or don't understand the arrays.

Thoughts?
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#16
That's great, thanks. I can work with this....

Even if I frigging hate DRM >
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#17
Eh, not so much DRM - the firmware is proprietary but it's not like that. It's more like a contingency similar to what Ingen did to their dinos in Jurassic Park by making them lysine deficient (of course, that didn't work out too well since you can find lysine in many readily available plants). After all, you don't just let anyone run around with what is one of the fastest ships in Fenspace at that size-class.
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#18
blackaeronaut Wrote:Eh, not so much DRM - the firmware is proprietary but it's not like that. It's more like a contingency similar to what Ingen did to their dinos in Jurassic Park by making them lysine deficient (of course, that didn't work out too well since you can find lysine in many readily available plants). After all, you don't just let anyone run around with what is one of the fastest ships in Fenspace at that size-class.
As long as Ben mentions it in the documents the buyer can read before he buys the craft everything should be fine... *G*
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