Approved Tech Porkins heavy concussion missile

[Klesta]

Three Porkins heavy concussion missiles being loaded on a bomber

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To provide a heavy proton torpedo for use in bombers
• Image Source: Wikipedia
• Canon Link: Concussion missile
• Development Thread: N/A
• Primary Source: N/A

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Ringovinda Systems
• Model: Porkins-class heavy concussion missile
• Affiliation: Open-Market
• Modularity: No
• Production: Mass-Produced
• Material: Duraplast, tritonal, other high explosives, electronics, ion drive

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Concussion missile
• Size: Attack craft-mounted (vehicle-mounted if used on the ground)
• Length: 2 m
• Diameter: 203 mm
• Weight: 120 kg
• Ammunition Type: High explosives
• Ammunition Capacity: 1
• Effective Range: Standard capital ship proton torpedo range
• Rate of Fire: Single action

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Standard guidance system

DETAILED SPECIAL FEATURES

The standard (heat-seeking) guidance system allows the missile to home in on a target, in conjunction to the ion drive, fast enough to allow it to be used against other attack craft

Strengths:

• Can home in on a target
• Can be used against both attack craft and capital ships
• Greater firepower than a standard fighter-grade concussion missile

Weaknesses :

• Can only be launched from bomb bays: smaller craft with conventional proton torpedo launchers cannot launch them
• Fast cook-off time: if an attack craft catches fire or otherwise overheats with Porkinses still loaded, the launch platform will explode almost instantly
• Somewhat fragile: even a glancing blow from a quad laser can destroy it
• Its effectiveness decreases significantly when the target's speed rating gets below 5, rendering it much less effective against fighters (when contrasted against bombers or gunships)

DESCRIPTION

The Porkins was the brainchild of a Commonwealth pilot named Daisy Pammant and named after Jek Tono Porkins, who endeavored to make the proton rocket usable against other attack craft, while still having the firepower of a standard proton bomb, so that it can be used against both attack craft and capital ships. The final result was so massive that conventional fighters could not mount it, but attack craft that possessed bomb bays could, while nevertheless maintaining the ability to be used against attack craft. However, its ability to be used against attack craft diminishes significantly the faster or more maneuverable the target is, once one enters the interface between interceptors and regular fighters: it is going to be much less effective against fighters than against gunships or bombers, even though it is not entirely ineffective.

It also found use in anti-aircraft, ground-based batteries. The warhead contains roughly 50 kg of high explosives, containing tritonal, detonite as well as other high explosives. Due to its duraplast casing, while allowing it to retain the firepower of a standard proton bomb, and the speed/maneuverability of a fighter-mounted concussion missile, the Porkins also suffers from the drawbacks of being fragile and having a fast cook-off time. Once an attack craft catches fire or otherwise overheats with Porkinses still loaded, the craft will explode almost instantly. In addition even a glancing blow from a quad laser will destroy it.

Also, as with many concussion missiles, it is guided by infrared, that is, the missile is heat-seeking, which was more practical than sensor-guided guidance due to the short range of the missile.




Important note: Counts for 2 concussion missiles or 1 proton bomb/rocket when used in attack craft

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Hello, I'll be the factory judge reviewing your submission. If you have questions, please feel free to respond to this thread once we are underway.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Yula Knezevic"]

Bypassing a ray shield is not really a strength, because ray shields only work against radiation, blaster bolts and similar things. So you can safely remove that one.

Also add in the following weakness

• Can only be launched from bomb bays

That smaller ships, like fighters, bombers and the sort cannot carry these weapons as mentioned in your description here.

The final result was so massive that conventional fighters could not mount it, but attack craft that possessed bomb bays could, while nevertheless maintaining the ability to be used against attack craft.

I will also need you to explain how it accomplishes evasive actions, as you state in your strengths.

There is more, but I don't want to overload you with questions. So please follow the above things and then we will continue, if you have any questions yourself please let me know.

 

[Klesta]

[member="Tai Fa"] Removed two strengths (the ability to bypass ray shields and the ability of evasive action), but also that normal fighter-mounted flex-tube launchers cannot fire Porkinses.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Yula Knezevic"]

The main issue I can see with this thing right now is that a proton rocket/bomb has always been slow in canon. This thing is apparently fast enough to handle attack crafts and capital ships, but can also track both of them.

That's not really balanced by being fragile and having a fast cook-off time.

I will need you to remove its ability to track attack crafts and note that this isn't faster than a regular proton bomb/rocket. If you got an alternative suggestion that might make this more acceptable, you can let me know.

Other than that this is good to go.

 

[Klesta]

[member="Tai Fa"] For now the Porkins has no dev threads. Is there a length of dev thread that could seal the deal?

A fast cook-off time would mean that, once a bomber equipped with a Porkins catches fire, or otherwise overheats, its launch platform will explode almost instantly if the bomb bay still have any Porkinses when it catches fire.

Also, the AIM-9 Sidewinder, which is a real-world weapon that fills a similar role to the Porkins and is similarly-sized, is used to track attack craft using infrared guidance. As with canon concussion missiles fired from attack craft, it is also short-ranged enough to qualify as being fired from "standard capital ship proton torpedo range".

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Yula Knezevic"]

It's not really a matter of development.

It's a matter of inherent balance, so a PVP encounter stays fair. Canon warheads are either heavy and slow, or fast and light, you can't really have the best of two worlds.

If you can make it into something in between, I'd be fine with that. Either have it be slower, to be less effective against fighters and the sort, or less powerful than a regular proton bomb.

 

[Klesta]

[member="Tai Fa"] I could accept that the effectiveness decreases significantly past a certain target speed (without it being entirely negated)...

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Yula Knezevic"]

Alright, work that into the submission and I will see how it reads.

 

[Klesta]

[member="Tai Fa"] Done...

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Yula Knezevic"]

Put it at 5 and lower and I will stamp it now. Because at the end of the day you don't even need a heavy concussion missile for something as simple as a fighter, that's where your point defense and flak comes in.

Otherwise it's still too fast in my opinion.

 

[Klesta]

[member="Tai Fa"] Changed it back to 5...

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Awesome. Pending Admin Approval. Thanks! [member="Cira"]

 

[Hailyn]

Approved.