The latest from the $DIETY of War, The Ares Borealis Gunship Options

[BRodda]

Looks like I'm back from my little exile folks. Its not a big one, but someone asked for this in another thread.

Ares Borealis Gunship

The Ares Borealis Gunship is a heavily-armed ground-attack aircraft outfitted with the one of the largest laser weapons known to man. With the extra advantage of height the Mercury Ship Laser gets a substantial boost to range (the limiting factor being the horizon.)

It is also outfitted with several other weapons systems; primarily the four Ares Helmdall missile drones. These drones add to the precise nature of the Borealis attacks and allow for surgical removal of enemy combatants or assets.

The Borealis has a crew of 8:
3 Pilots/Riggers (2 on, one off)
2 Electronic Warfare/Hacker Specialist (1 on, 1 off)
3 Gunners (2 on, 1 off)

Total Cost: 5.8 Million (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif)

Stats:
Hand: -1
Accel: 35/120
Speed: 500
Pilot: 3
Body: 30
Armor: 15
Sensors: 5
Device Rating: Special See Below
Avail: 30F

Std. Upgrades:
Life Support 2
ECM 6
Lock-On Countermeasure
Missile Defense System
Signature Masking 2
8 Sleeping quarters equal to a coffin hotel

Weapons:
1 Heavy Turret (Winter Systems Mercury Ship Laser; Belly)
2 Large Turrets (Ares Vigorous Assault Cannons; Side mounted)
4 Small Drone Racks (Ares Helmdall)
4 Ares MP-LMG (2 side turrets, 2 rear turrets)
2 Fleche Hail Barrage Rocket Launchers

(Below thanks to Sabs)
Device Rating: Special

This Vehicle/Weapon system is outfitted with the latest in Computing Technology.
It sports a Ares 7 Nexus that is skinlinked to the entire airship.
Response: 7
Signal: 3/7 (Satellite Uplink for External Communications)
System: 7
Firewall: 7
Persona Limit: 20
Processor Limit: 50

The system Boats

TacNet 4 Support - This vehicle is capable of maintaining and running a Military Grade TacNet involving Support Aircrafts, both piloted and drone, as well as coordinating with ground forces.

1 Commander Pilot 7 - Adaptability 3, Chaser 5
5 Gunners Pilot 6 - Adaptability 3, Targetting 6
2 Matrix Security Agents

[Neurosis]

<3

[Marcus]

What no Gauss Cannons?
"Largest Lasers Weapons known to Man" Really?
You really think Ares doesn't have a super laser cannon satellite in orbit by now?

[Yerameyahu]

I think this demonstrates how the vehicle rules don't really scale at all: the AC-130 has 4 guns, but this has 7 ungodly turrets, plus cruise missiles and bloody rapid-rockets. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) And it has a 'ship' laser; I hope it has the nuke to support it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Doc Chase]

What no Gauss Cannons?
"Largest Lasers Weapons known to Man" Really?
You really think Ares doesn't have a super laser cannon satellite in orbit by now?

Lasers burn off a lot of energy firing from LEO. Easier to mount it on a plane and fly over the target area than try to retask a satellite and make it go zot.

[BRodda]

What no Gauss Cannons?
"Largest Lasers Weapons known to Man" Really?
You really think Ares doesn't have a super laser cannon satellite in orbit by now?

I tend to write things in my flavor text like in a press release. I doubt that Are's would admit to having an orbital death laser.

[TommyTwoToes]

I tend to write things in my flavor text like in a press release. I doubt that Are's would admit to having an orbital death laser.

That's not a moon...

[Marcus]

Lasers burn off a lot of energy firing from LEO. Easier to mount it on a plane and fly over the target area than try to retask a satellite and make it go zot.

It's true. But sometimes you have just have to have Sharks With 'friggen laser beams on their forheads.
Tropes and all that. SR with out the threat of killer satellites just doesn't seem worth it to me. I split the difference and accept
Kinetic Astroid Strike? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Doc Chase]

THOR Shot. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[sabs]

Dev ice Rating 3?
REALLY?
A good Hacker with a Signal 6 commlink can pwn that thing into oblivion.

I would go with something like this:

Device Rating: Special

This Vehicle/Weapon system is outfitted with the latest in Computing Technology.
It sports a Ares 7 Nexus that is skinlinked to the entire airship.
Response: 7
Signal: 3/7 (Satellite Uplink for External Communications)
System: 7
Firewall: 7
Persona Limit: 20
Processor Limit: 50

The system Boats

TacNet 4 Support - This vehicle is capable of maintaining and running a Military Grade TacNet involving Support Aircrafts, both piloted and drone, as well as coordinating with ground forces.

1 Commander Pilot 7 - Adaptability 3, Chaser 5
5 Gunners Pilot 6 - Adaptability 3, Targetting 6
2 Matrix Security Agents

Support for up to 20 Military Virtual Support and Command Personelle.

I would also give the thing the Increase Sensor Package Modification and fill the thing with every conceivable sensor known to man.

[Marcus]

Dev ice Rating 3?
REALLY?
A good Hacker with a Signal 6 commlink can pwn that thing into oblivion.

DON'T tell him! We could have made off with Millions!!!!

[BRodda]

Dev ice Rating 3?
REALLY?
A good Hacker with a Signal 6 commlink can pwn that thing into oblivion.

I would go with something like this:

Device Rating: Special

This Vehicle/Weapon system is outfitted with the latest in Computing Technology.
It sports a Ares 7 Nexus that is skinlinked to the entire airship.
Response: 7
Signal: 3/7 (Satellite Uplink for External Communications)
System: 7
Firewall: 7
Persona Limit: 20
Processor Limit: 50

The system Boats

TacNet 4 Support - This vehicle is capable of maintaining and running a Military Grade TacNet involving Support Aircrafts, both piloted and drone, as well as coordinating with ground forces.

1 Commander Pilot 7 - Adaptability 3, Chaser 5
5 Gunners Pilot 6 - Adaptability 3, Targetting 6
2 Matrix Security Agents

Support for up to 20 Military Virtual Support and Command Personelle.

I would also give the thing the Increase Sensor Package Modification and fill the thing with every conceivable sensor known to man.

I'll admit that that hacking is my weak spot. I can see about adding this stuff as it looks to make sense.

[sabs]

For Flavor:

Maybe a couple of 'intelligence analyzing agents'
with
Profession: Military Strategy
Profession: Data analysis

Should probably give all those pilots 'Fuzzy Logic' was well

And I would not be surprised to hear that a system like this has a resident AI.

[BRodda]

It's true. But sometimes you have just have to have Sharks With 'friggen laser beams on their forheads.
Tropes and all that. SR with out the threat of killer satellites just doesn't seem worth it to me. I split the difference and accept
Kinetic Astroid Strike? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Ha.... Sad thing is I have already stated out Sharks with Lasers on thier heads...

I got grief about lasers firing underwater...

Still think that the Mutant Sea Bass is a better, more cost effective option.

[Neurosis]

Dev ice Rating 3?
REALLY?
A good Hacker with a Signal 6 commlink can pwn that thing into oblivion.

I would go with something like this:

Device Rating: Special

This Vehicle/Weapon system is outfitted with the latest in Computing Technology.
It sports a Ares 7 Nexus that is skinlinked to the entire airship.
Response: 7
Signal: 3/7 (Satellite Uplink for External Communications)
System: 7
Firewall: 7
Persona Limit: 20
Processor Limit: 50

The system Boats

TacNet 4 Support - This vehicle is capable of maintaining and running a Military Grade TacNet involving Support Aircrafts, both piloted and drone, as well as coordinating with ground forces.

1 Commander Pilot 7 - Adaptability 3, Chaser 5
5 Gunners Pilot 6 - Adaptability 3, Targetting 6
2 Matrix Security Agents

Support for up to 20 Military Virtual Support and Command Personelle.

I would also give the thing the Increase Sensor Package Modification and fill the thing with every conceivable sensor known to man.

The one that Major Gavilan is flying around in definitely has more like this.

[Marcus]

Ha.... Sad thing is I have already stated out Sharks with Lasers on thier heads...

I got grief about lasers firing underwater...

Still think that the Mutant Sea Bass is a better, more cost effective option.

Well you know some people have no evil villain in there souls. Besides haven't we come up with some kind of green laser or something that get around that? But i hear you on the sea bass, that is a mean fish.

[Yerameyahu]

It's important to not go crazy and build 'the ubership' when you're designing military items. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Doc Chase]

Well you know some people have no evil villain in there souls. Besides haven't we come up with some kind of green laser or something that get around that? But i hear you on the sea bass, that is a mean fish.

The ability of a laser to fire underwater is regrettably 'canon', as evidenced in one of the SR novels. I don't recall its name, only that it involved Gunderson Corp and the main character died rather ignonimously less than halfway through the book.

[BRodda]

It's important to not go crazy and build 'the ubership' when you're designing military items. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

There is a fine line between uber and realistic. Software is "relatively" cheap. I was really debating putting the autocannons on it, but I figured the laser was not enough. The LMGs are mainly there for the anti-missile defense. (This thing is REALLY good at shooting down nukes with the ship laser and the MDS).

Some things that didn't make the design becasue I thought it was to "Uber"

1) Armor of 20. I was going to do it, but I thought it would make it to heavy.
2) Large Drone Landing pads with some wing man drones. Not realistic in turns of what an escort wing should be.
3) Sparrow anti-air missiles. I figure that is what escorts are for in the first place.

Also this is a heavily modified Skytrain. I think it should really cost @3.5 million, but I thought it was to cheap.

[Yerameyahu]

Military vehicles are automatically Device 5, anyway.

I'm not saying you pulled out all the stops. I'm saying that you didn't make an AC-130 equivalent. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[BRodda]

The ability of a laser to fire underwater is regrettably 'canon', as evidenced in one of the SR novels. I don't recall its name, only that it involved Gunderson Corp and the main character died rather ignonimously less than halfway through the book.

I ended up addressing it as such.

But lets get RAW for a minute:per pg 41 in Arsenal.
QUOTE
For each range category beyond Short, decrease the weapon’s Damage Value by 1 (Medium –1, Long –2, Extreme
–3). Laser weapons are somewhat ineff ective in areas of reduced visibility, as the particles in the air reduce the weapon’s focus. In
areas of Light Fog/Mist/Rain/Smoke Visibility Modifiers (see p. 140, SR4), double all DV reductions due to range categories. In
areas of Heavy Fog/Mist/Rain/Smoke or Thermal Smoke, triple all DV reductions due to range categories.


So lets take RAW one step further and say that for underwater keep the ranges but put a (Medium –4, Long –8, Extreme –12). That means the DV9 for the laser goes to DC at medium, DV1 at long and its jsut a flashlight beam at extreme.

[BRodda]

Military vehicles are automatically Device 5, anyway.

I'm not saying you pulled out all the stops. I'm saying that you didn't make an AC-130 equivalent. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

"Mine goes up to 11..."

Actually the fact I had to have a laser on it made it less of an AC-130 equivalent then the other stuff. I could probably make a really close equivalent if you wanted to have a real 1-1 conversion.

[Yerameyahu]

I know you could, but you'd be holding yourself back. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) That's my point, regarding the vehicle rules (not your choices).

[Neurosis]

-Glitch-

[Neurosis]

I wanted an 'equivalent' not clone. It's 61 years in the future. We have laser pistols and laser satellites. Why would it NOT have a laser? : )

As a side-note, the only reason I didn't suggest the Mercury Systems Ship Laser was because I thought from the description it could only be mounted on blue-water ocean vessels.