Ri'ess VIA Satellite

[Saera Willamina Savan]

Image Credit: AF Answerer :: Armored Core: For Answer :: FROM Software
Intent: Meh, trying my hand and building something that doesn't fly for once. I was told something on this scale and production wouldn't need a dev thread; it was Ayden who suggested I bump it up 500 meters for the HVG, so hoping for the slip here.
Development Thread: N/A
Manufacturer: Ri'ess Regal Drives
Model: Tidal Orbital Installation RR-00x V.I.A. Satellite (RR-001 & RR-002)
Affiliation:

• RR-001 V.I.A. - RRDI (Member of TU, Subgroup of CIS)
• RR-002 V.I.A. - Techno Union Navy (CIS)

Modularity: [Current List of Modular Capabilities]

• Compatibility with IBIS Framework and AI systems

Production: Unique - Two
Material: Durasteel, Titanium-Desh Alloy, Transparisteel, Duranium, Kalestat CEC (Laser Weaponry), Tungsten Carbide (HVG Slugs)
Description: Ri'ess Regal had never made capital satellites or space stations before, so the development of even the unique VIA was a large step forward for the galactic naval military-industry. The VIA is an incredibly difficult construct to create, and took a large, visible portion of RRDI's production resources in order to design and craft. It had been a project since the migration to the Pii ring during the time when the Mnenchei split off into the CIS. In those couple of years, the VIA project was slowly but steadily completed in the background. Unique to the VIA orbital structure is a maximized heavy long-range hypervelocity cannon which runs spinally down the height of the craft, aimed down and intended primarily for planetary bombardment and defense. Opposite of the muzzle are four large dish-like structures attached to two long blocks, which serve as the hub of the installation. It is in these four dishes that massive cluster cannons are held, capable of potentially wreaking havoc on a star destroyer at full fire. However, these two weapon systems are incredibly difficult to aim, as angling or redirecting the installation's facing and vector can take minutes; this problem is not faced on the planetary level, as the slightest adjustments create a vast difference within the same hemisphere of the world it orbits. While VIA was intended to be an orbital installation, it is also capable of functioning independently of any center of gravity - this is impractical however, as it requires semi-frequent maintenance and resupply, and will not serve its role in the latter environment. Another unique innovation, there is no bridge; the VIA has several observation decks and is controlled autonomously by an array of internal flight computers which regulate its orbit. While it is capable of moving into and out of position, it is in no way capable of traversing space efficiently without tugboats. It also includes a hyperdrive core which's sole purpose is to allow it to be transported by a towing vessel to other worlds, though this still takes considerable time. The assistant hyperdrive core cannot be sliced and will not activate without four points of authorization; The Chairwoman Saera Savan, the RRDI Rear Admiral, the Commanding Officer of the VIA installation in question and the XO Flight Officer onboard. Without these, VIA is incredibly difficult to move through space and virtually impossible to transport on the galactic scale. Hanging from VIA are exactly fifty two giant power cell batteries, capacitors which hold and retail both solar light and ionic energy which VIA can operate on when not in line with a sun. At full capacity, functioning at optimal output, the VIA may drain these in approximately thirty (30) days. Lastly, because the latest update was over ten thousand droid brains to facilitate the vast requirements and systems onboard, a contingency system has been installed in the form of fixed EMP charges that can be detonated via the bridge with the Commanding Officer's keycard, or conversely be done with an encrypted signal formed through the same requirements of activating the hyperdrive. This is to prevent the incredibly capacitative droid brains fro growing a hive mind and commandeering the satellite; theorized by engineers to be an uncertain plausibility that mandated a simple contingency plan.
Hyperparticle Cannon: A massive approximate two-hundred-fifty meter ionic particle cannon made from four heavy long-range quad cannons coupled together, it is capable of not only causing extensive electronic damage but kinetic impact from the acceleration of particles down a stream. All four equipped are usually fired together, like a battery, and are capable of causing the equivalent damage of over a hundred turbolaser and ion cannon blasts, and can fire hundreds of kilometers away.
(1 Turbolaser, *4 Quad=4, *5 Long-Range=20, *2 Heavy=40, *2 Rinse and Repeat for Ion=80, *4 Unofficial Battery=320)
Classification: Assault Heavy Cruiser Space Station
Role: Tidal Orbital Installation
Height: 1,338 m.
Width: 1,398 m.
Length: 1,473 m.
Power Core Generator/Reactor:

• Primary - [ 2 ] Superheavy Solar Ionization Reactor (Panels in Wings)
• Secondary - [ 52 ] Crystalline Power Cells (Under Chassis)

Hyperdrive Rating: 10.0
Minimum Crew: 2,800 (baseline for all-human crew)
Optimal Crew: 16,400 (most of which are dedicated droid brains)
Armaments:

• 720 Capital Arms
  ( -40 for +80 Point Defenses )
• [ 6 ] Heavy Quad Ion Cannons - Wings (48)
• [ 32 ] Fast-Mount Heavy Ion Cannons - Platforms (64)
• [ 32 ] Fast-Mount Heavy Turbolaser Cannons - Platforms (64)
• [ 1 ] Heavy Long-Range Hypervelocity Gun - Spine (100)
• [ 4 ] Hyper Particle Cannon [In Description] (320)
• ( 636 Capital Arms used )

[*]80 Warhead Launchers

• ​( -40 for +80 Point Defense )
• [ 40 ] Concussion Missile Launchers (40)
• [ 20 ] Heavy Carbonite Missile Driver (40)

[*]160 Point Defenses

• [ 60 ] Z4E Phalanx Autoturrets (120)
• [ 40 ] Fast-Mount Beam Flak Cannons - Topside (40)

Hangar:

• ((Originally 12 Fighters, 30 Gunships, 15 Dropships, 12 H. Dropships))
• [ 36 ] Languor-Class Starfighters
• [ 24 ] LAAT Dirge Gunships
• [ 14 ] Onith-Class Transport Dropships
• [ 48 ] Arbitrator Drop Pods (8 Heavy Dropships)

Non-Combative Attachments:

• Luxury Penthouse Cabin
• Meditation Chamber
• Communications Array
• Encryption Network
• Escape Pods
• HoloNet Transceiver
• Redundant Ray/Particle Shield Generators
• Standard Detention Cells
• Standard Life Support Systems
• Standard Navigational Systems
• Standard Sensor Array
• Standard Targeting Systems (for a weapon satellite this size)
• Tractor Beams
• Hyper-Repulsorlift
• Internal Contingency EMP Charges

Passenger Capacity: Apx. 200
Cargo Capacity: 1,800 mt.
Consumables: 1 GSY
Sublight Speed and Maneuverability: 26.0

 

[Popo]

[member="Særa Ayña Savan"]
Mkay. Lots of issues here.

First off, I'm going to have to politely ask you to either remove the Hyperparticle cannon, nerf it substantially, or put the weapon through the Tech Forum. Also, because the Hyperparticle cannon is not listed in the description aside from the small entry at the bottom which only explains the weapon, not where it is located, this leads me to believe that the Hyperparticle cannon and the Hypervelocity cannon are the same or nearly the same weapon and so I'll say this: the weapon cannot be both a hyperparticle cannon (implying it fires charged particles/energy) and a hypervelocity cannon. The two weapon types have completely different internal components and while they are admittedly very similar, a hypervelocity cannon cannot fire charged particles. They're advanced railguns, not haydron colliders, and vice versa.

Second, you're gun count is very far off. You're toting 636 capital guns. A heavy cruiser with an Assault classification can carry 240 capital guns total. With the 50% increase as a space station, you'd be carrying 360 capital guns total. As you can see, you're carrying almost double the armament possible. That said, your total is 720 guns in your submission which matches an Assault class space station using the Light Star Destroyer basis. If this is the case, you're still over on your guns. Space stations receive the 50% bonuses because they don't have to power engines or hyperdrives. If you want those guns, drop the hyperdrive. If you want the hyperdrive, you'll need to adjust your weapons to the same armament as an Assault class Light Star Destroyer.

Third, you're off on your Capital Gun to Defensive Gun conversion. Capital guns are worth two Point Defense guns, which you have clearly stated. However, there is a 50% penalty in moving weapons from one area to another. Therefore, 40 Capital Guns won't become 80 Defensive Guns, but will instead become 40 Defensive guns after the 50% penalty.

Fourth, fast mounts are only available on capital guns that are single barreled or heavy mounted, they cannot be placed on defensive guns.

Fifth, your hangar space is over by 10. Drop pods to heavy drop ships are 6:1, which you have. However, breaking down everything in your hangar and taking into account the proper ratios of starships to gunships/dropships and drop pods to starfighters/gunships/dropships/heavy dropships, you have this:

Total hangar capacity for Assault Light SD: 84 starfighters​

Total hangar capacity for Assault Light SD Station: 126 starfighters​

Total Hangar for this submission:
​

[ 36 ] Languor-Class Starfighters
[ 24 ] LAAT Dirge Gunships
[ 14 ] Onith-Class Transport Dropships
[ 48 ] Arbitrator Drop Pods (8 Heavy Dropships)

Your total, taking into account the dropship/gunship to starfighter ratio and halfing the drop pods as one starfighter is worth two drop pods:

136 total, 10 fighters over your limit.

Again, however, you have featured hyperdrives on this station, so until those are removed, you are technically 52 starfighters over the limit.


Sixth, your description makes this weapon sound, whether unintentionally or intentionally, as if it is designed to be towed or emplaced over a world to bombard the planet. In fact, the redundant shield generators you have listed and the heavy armor normal to assault class ships and stations enforces this deduction as the station is able to apparently take the beating it needs to take to be placed in an orbital position over a planet. Coupled with the massive guns you've listed, there can really be no other use that I can see for this weapon, especially as the description states how hard it is to target ships but how easy it is to target the ground. This looks like a miniature death star, sans the superlaser and planet killing abilities.

Seventh, the EMP contingency you've listed is a problem. Yes, it is listed that it is for use in the event that the droid brains on board the ship can be disabled before they can rebel. However, detonating an EMP on a ship with so many charged capacitors, energy weapons drawing from powerful reactors, and so much electronic equipment that the station relies on to simply function and regulate itself would, more than likely, cause the station to destroy itself. While this isn't, in and of itself, a glaringly major issue, the problem arises that the EMPs can be detonated on board or by encrypted communications. It's basically the largest cell phone bomb anyone can conceive. Should PCs board it, the thing can be detonated and destroyed with all hands on board. You can see how this can be an issue. This needs to be massively toned down to specifically disable the droid brains. EMP bombs on board the station just aren't feasible and can be abused.

Eighth, your "unhackable" systems can be hacked. A skilled hacker with the appropriate equipment set up at all four points can slice the system, albeit over time. Can a novice or mid level hacker do it? Probably not. A master hacker might have issues, but will succeed over time. There are very, very few "unhackable" systems, both IRL and on Star Wars. This needs to be edited.



After reviewing all eight issues and how all of them, as a whole, affect the submission, I have to come to the decision that this station simply cannot be approved and has such a slim chance for salvaging that it's more or less impossible to do so appropriately. The potential for this station to be used as an orbital bombardment weapon/miniature death star and to be towed around the galaxy, regardless of the limits put in place, is just too great at this point.

Because of this, this submission is denied. You may second chance this if you'd like.