Velok the Younger
When I Was A Young Warthog
Intent: An alternative warhead type
Development Thread: No
Manufacturer: Iron Crown Enterprises/Akure Executive Interstellar
Model: QQ-C4M
Affiliation: Lords of the Fringe, Tion Hegemony and select customers
Modularity: No
Production: Minor
Material: Durasteel, hypermatter, hypermatter containment electronics, drive components
Classification: Missile
Size: Ship-Mounted
Length: Comparable to a standard assault concussion missile or heavy rocket
Weight: Comparable to a standard assault concussion missile or heavy rocket
Ammunition Type: Phased hypermatter
Ammunition Capacity: Single explosion
Effective Range: Comparable to a standard assault concussion missile or heavy rocket
Rate of Fire: Comparable to a standard assault concussion missile or heavy rocket
Special Features: Anti-shield effect comparable to a standard assault concussion missile or heavy rocket. Anti-hull effect involving partial or whole forced extrusion into hyperspace.
Description: The QQ-C4M has a highly variable effect on unshielded targets. Broadly speaking, its damage is proportional to the size of the target, within reasonable limits. This is because its phased hypermatter core is designed to push a relatively small area of the target into hyperspace for a handful of seconds at an equivalent to Class 10, a process which takes roughly three seconds and which can stack. The simplest way to explain might be with a series of examples.
A starfighter, if it happened to run into a QQ-C4M Hyperlance, would be shoved into hyperspace for a short blind jump at Class 10 speeds. Though this might damage the starfighter's hyperdrive or run it into an astronomic object, the ship would be otherwise unharmed, and would likely be able to jump back to the battlefield in short order, once new coordinates were transmitted by its fleet. The Hyperlance, like an assault concussion missile or heavy rocket, is not designed to track starfighters. For a vessel this small, shields would be overwhelmed.
A small corvette or large freighter might have the same experience as a starfighter, though not all of its hull might fit inside the burst hyperfield depending on the angle of attack; extremities might get left behind, causing structural damage. As Hyperlances amplify each other's burst hyperfield, two or three impacts within three seconds will send the entire vessel into a short blind jump, intact. For vessels this small, shields might be overwhelmed.
An increasing number of Hyperlance impacts is required to send part, most, or all of a larger ship into hyperspace. For a full-sized command ship or flagship, a really improbable number of impacts would have to take place within three seconds in order to send the entire ship into hyperspace intact. When warheads strike a large target, alone or on groups, the impact is focused and piercing, as a small portion of the ship attempts to jump to hyperspace. Whether it gets very far depends on what's behind it. A Hyperlance impact can punch a hole through a wide thin surface, such as a Mon Calamari cruiser's wing. Against a thicker vessel, repeated and/or combined localized impacts would be required to do that much piercing damage.
It is important to recognize that a Hyperlance warhead does a very similar amount of damage to a standard assault concussion missile or proton rocket. The best analogy would be to a spearhead versus a warhammer, piercing damage versus bludgeoning. A Hyperlance does deeper damage from a smaller surface area. Even if it succeeds in driving into an unshielded target, it may miss anything vital, rendering the impact much less effective than a standard warhead impact. The Hyperlance is outfitted with somewhat better targeting systems than a standard ACM or heavy rocket, in keeping with its much higher cost and much smaller production count.
A note on planetary bombardment and use within a gravity well: AEI/ICE's physicists do not ascribe to the notion that any hyperspace collision can crack a planet; any little tramp freighter is not a superweapon if wired correctly. Hyperlance impact against a planet will create earthquake damage comparable to an assault concussion missile or proton rocket. As proven by Palpatine's Force storms on Coruscant, hyperspace distortions can occur deep within a gravity well; however, the spacetime turbulence would be such that even a target which would normally be 'hyperchucked' intact might well be torn apart.
APPROXIMATE IMPACT REQUIREMENTS FOR INTACT HYPERLAUNCH
SUMMARY
(+) Deeper damage against unshielded targets, potentially piercing through targets depending on number and timing of warheads involved.
(-) Affects smaller area of hull than standard warhead.
(-) Even successful strikes are less likely to affect anything vital unless they hit very precisely.
(~) Same speed as standard warhead.
(~) Same overall effective damage as standard warhead.
(~) Same effect on shields as standard warhead.
(-) May cause zero damage to small vessels.
(-) Much more expensive than standard warhead.
(-) May cause zero damage to targets if a high enough number of warheads impact.
(-/+) On average, good against big ships, bad against small ships.
(+) If a high enough number of warheads impact, and the target is in front of, say, a planet or a star, ow.
Primary Source: None
Development Thread: No
Manufacturer: Iron Crown Enterprises/Akure Executive Interstellar
Model: QQ-C4M
Affiliation: Lords of the Fringe, Tion Hegemony and select customers
Modularity: No
Production: Minor
Material: Durasteel, hypermatter, hypermatter containment electronics, drive components
Classification: Missile
Size: Ship-Mounted
Length: Comparable to a standard assault concussion missile or heavy rocket
Weight: Comparable to a standard assault concussion missile or heavy rocket
Ammunition Type: Phased hypermatter
Ammunition Capacity: Single explosion
Effective Range: Comparable to a standard assault concussion missile or heavy rocket
Rate of Fire: Comparable to a standard assault concussion missile or heavy rocket
Special Features: Anti-shield effect comparable to a standard assault concussion missile or heavy rocket. Anti-hull effect involving partial or whole forced extrusion into hyperspace.
Description: The QQ-C4M has a highly variable effect on unshielded targets. Broadly speaking, its damage is proportional to the size of the target, within reasonable limits. This is because its phased hypermatter core is designed to push a relatively small area of the target into hyperspace for a handful of seconds at an equivalent to Class 10, a process which takes roughly three seconds and which can stack. The simplest way to explain might be with a series of examples.
A starfighter, if it happened to run into a QQ-C4M Hyperlance, would be shoved into hyperspace for a short blind jump at Class 10 speeds. Though this might damage the starfighter's hyperdrive or run it into an astronomic object, the ship would be otherwise unharmed, and would likely be able to jump back to the battlefield in short order, once new coordinates were transmitted by its fleet. The Hyperlance, like an assault concussion missile or heavy rocket, is not designed to track starfighters. For a vessel this small, shields would be overwhelmed.
A small corvette or large freighter might have the same experience as a starfighter, though not all of its hull might fit inside the burst hyperfield depending on the angle of attack; extremities might get left behind, causing structural damage. As Hyperlances amplify each other's burst hyperfield, two or three impacts within three seconds will send the entire vessel into a short blind jump, intact. For vessels this small, shields might be overwhelmed.
An increasing number of Hyperlance impacts is required to send part, most, or all of a larger ship into hyperspace. For a full-sized command ship or flagship, a really improbable number of impacts would have to take place within three seconds in order to send the entire ship into hyperspace intact. When warheads strike a large target, alone or on groups, the impact is focused and piercing, as a small portion of the ship attempts to jump to hyperspace. Whether it gets very far depends on what's behind it. A Hyperlance impact can punch a hole through a wide thin surface, such as a Mon Calamari cruiser's wing. Against a thicker vessel, repeated and/or combined localized impacts would be required to do that much piercing damage.
It is important to recognize that a Hyperlance warhead does a very similar amount of damage to a standard assault concussion missile or proton rocket. The best analogy would be to a spearhead versus a warhammer, piercing damage versus bludgeoning. A Hyperlance does deeper damage from a smaller surface area. Even if it succeeds in driving into an unshielded target, it may miss anything vital, rendering the impact much less effective than a standard warhead impact. The Hyperlance is outfitted with somewhat better targeting systems than a standard ACM or heavy rocket, in keeping with its much higher cost and much smaller production count.
A note on planetary bombardment and use within a gravity well: AEI/ICE's physicists do not ascribe to the notion that any hyperspace collision can crack a planet; any little tramp freighter is not a superweapon if wired correctly. Hyperlance impact against a planet will create earthquake damage comparable to an assault concussion missile or proton rocket. As proven by Palpatine's Force storms on Coruscant, hyperspace distortions can occur deep within a gravity well; however, the spacetime turbulence would be such that even a target which would normally be 'hyperchucked' intact might well be torn apart.
APPROXIMATE IMPACT REQUIREMENTS FOR INTACT HYPERLAUNCH
Numbers vary according to cross section presented and timeframe of detonations. Numbers refer to detonations against an unshielded target within a 3-second timeframe.
Subcapital: 1-2 (shields generally irrelevant)
Corvette: 2-3
Frigate: 3-6
Cruiser: 6-10
Heavy Cruiser: 10-18
Light Star Destroyer: 18-30
Star Destroyer: 30-42
Command Ship: 42-56
Flagship: 50-150
Subcapital: 1-2 (shields generally irrelevant)
Corvette: 2-3
Frigate: 3-6
Cruiser: 6-10
Heavy Cruiser: 10-18
Light Star Destroyer: 18-30
Star Destroyer: 30-42
Command Ship: 42-56
Flagship: 50-150
SUMMARY
(+) Deeper damage against unshielded targets, potentially piercing through targets depending on number and timing of warheads involved.
(-) Affects smaller area of hull than standard warhead.
(-) Even successful strikes are less likely to affect anything vital unless they hit very precisely.
(~) Same speed as standard warhead.
(~) Same overall effective damage as standard warhead.
(~) Same effect on shields as standard warhead.
(-) May cause zero damage to small vessels.
(-) Much more expensive than standard warhead.
(-) May cause zero damage to targets if a high enough number of warheads impact.
(-/+) On average, good against big ships, bad against small ships.
(+) If a high enough number of warheads impact, and the target is in front of, say, a planet or a star, ow.
Primary Source: None
