 May 16, 2013 - 12:18am | I was thinking about the use of unmanned Fighters in the game. The logic is that a living pilot is a liability on a Fighter, as one would take too much space with a cockpit and life-support systems, the inability to deal with high-Gs, and it is a highly expendable position to begin with. So my idea is to mount a (level 3-5) robot in place of a pilot, and replace all that cockpit area with a nuclear bomb! Basically, this system would be an automated attack drone with self-destructive capability. The Drone Fighter is deployed from a ship, where it has a MR & ADF of 5 each, and cannot be launched defensively (MPO, LTD). It can be set to target a ship with a list of other ships to target, in case the first one is destroyed, but higher Robot Levels would allow it to change targets freely. It will move at full-speed towards the target ship, but its top speed maybe lowered or capped so it won't fly off the map. Such commands are usually issued by its host ship before deployment, as it is more secure then remote-control. They are treated as missiles with regards to anti-missile systems (like ICMs), and can be shot at as a normal Fighter craft, but with 5 HP (it dose not need as much shielding). They fire Assault Rockets as a level 1 Gunner for Robot Level 3, plus 1 level of Gunner per additional Robot Level. Each rocket can be used to target an enemy ship for added firepower, or to clear an incoming ICM (to clear its way to the target ship). Drone Fighter may return for rearming (ideal, if you don't want to waste a good drone on a weak ship) or fly kamikaze-style into an enemy ship. A kamikaze Drone Fighter will hit a ship with a 75% chance to hit (+5 for each Robot level over 3; +15 vs Stasis Screen; -10 each ICM), and will do 5d10 damage, with a -20 modifier to the Ship Damage Table. Given the time and energy, I would redo the whole weapon systems from the ground-up... Hell, I would redo the broken Knight Hawks rules, if I used it all that much! This not likely something I would implement anytime soon for proper play-testing, so if anyone is interested, then by all means, use and/or rearrange it as you see fit. |
 May 16, 2013 - 6:11am | Great idea. I mean if the US government is using drones to catch guys for cattle theft in 2013, why can't the frontier have some kind of drone? Perhaps an IFF program would have to be included in the robotic pilot's programming. |
 May 16, 2013 - 3:39pm | Check out the Mechanon fighter in my Liberation of Volturnus game in the recent SFman. |
 May 16, 2013 - 4:29pm | Article today on a full size drone being launched from the USS George H.W. Bush. Was specially designed for aircraft carrier operations. Look it up for some real life ideas. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
 May 16, 2013 - 5:48pm | Article today on a full size drone being launched from the USS George H.W. Bush. Was specially designed for aircraft carrier operations. Look it up for some real life ideas. Alright, call me dense but I didn't know they named ships after people who were still living? Putting that aside I like the bit about its call sign being Avenger-thats kind of cool- idea stollen. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
May 16, 2013 - 7:21pm | I'm guessing that prior to budget cuts there was a luxury of building ships fater than Presidents could die. Granted the budget cut can be a double edged blessing, considering there haven't been any decent Presidents worthy of naming a naval ship after since Reagan... |
May 17, 2013 - 1:42am | Try Kennedy...  I used to think that ship names applied like coins and postage stamps, until the USS George H.W. Bush (although, I later found out that the USS Carl Vinson and USS Ronald Reagan where christened a few years before their respective namesakes died). For some reason, I don't like the idea of naming ships after living people. I find it somewhat poetic that something of significance should happen posthumously. |
 May 17, 2013 - 11:07am | I think that it's an old sailor superstition that it's bad luck to name a ship after someone living. If they die while the ship's at sea, the evil spirits might get confused and grab the ship, too. I suspect politics trumps superstition & tradition anymore. FWIW, Jimmy Carter has a missile submarine named for him, since he was once a nuke sailor. |
May 17, 2013 - 2:31pm | Since that President was a Veteran Combat Naval Aviator I believe they decided to honor someone who served along with being President. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
May 17, 2013 - 4:22pm | Presenting the USS Barrack Obama |
May 17, 2013 - 8:51pm | You forgot the USS Bill Clinton (note: thats not fog!): With Clinton-approved uniform:  And the USS George W. Bush (just after christening):  |
 May 19, 2013 - 5:22am | You forgot the USS Bill Clinton (note: thats not fog!): That would be awesome, except for the fact that women aren't permitted to serve on sea vessels, which leaves one to ponder over "Clinton's navy" and the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. <shivers /> With Clinton-approved uniform:  View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
May 20, 2013 - 2:25pm | Ah Ascent have you never watched NCIS? Female sailors have been on sea going vessels for like decades. They have also be slowly moving on to the combat vessels in more recent years. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
May 20, 2013 - 6:34pm | Ah Ascent have you never watched NCIS? Female sailors have been on sea going vessels for like decades. They have also be slowly moving on to the combat vessels in more recent years. the PBS documentary on US air craft carriers made it clear that women were on the carrier. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
May 21, 2013 - 9:34pm | Wow. I guess I'm a little behind on that. I knew everything else. Just not the sea vessels. Well, then, so much for my joke. :P View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
May 22, 2013 - 2:13am | Well, if it makes your feel better, I cant even remember the topic of this post, or who even made it in the first place, and I made it! Hell, I don't think anyone remembers anymore?  |
May 23, 2013 - 8:11am | Presenting the U.S.S. George W. Bush II: 0-10 knots in 62.1 seconds. When motoring, reportedly sputters "misunderstimated-misunderestimated-misunderestimated". View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
May 23, 2013 - 3:40pm | The USS Barack "You didn't build that, I did" Obama: |
May 23, 2013 - 7:39pm | Oh, now you're just making stuff up. ;P View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
