Attempting to Fulfill the Plan: GDI Edition

[DecaffeinatedOwl]

Also, they are gigantic island chains, and I'm pretty sure MARVs aren't amphibious.

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Putting some math to that:

A Crawler-Transporter, which we might generously take as representative of a Super MARV, is 40 meters long by 35 wide by 6 tall, or 4,000 by 3,500 by 600 centimeters, for a rough (cubic) volume of 8,400,000,000 cubic centimeters. And weighs 2,721 tonnes, or 2,721,000 kilograms, or 2,721,000,000 grams.

2,721,000,000 g/ 8,400,000,000 cm^3 = 2,721/8,400 g/cm^3 = 0.323 g/cm^3 < 1 g/cm^3

So I think it is reasonable to argue that a Super MARV could, in theory, float on water. Unless I've screwed up the math again.

Of course, theoretically having low enough density to float on water and actually being amphibious are two different things altogether.

 

[F0lkL0re]

I think the term we're looking for with regards to the MARVs is obsolescent because though their not obsolete yet their on the way to getting there.

 

[Crazycryodude]

The original MARV is obsolescent, the SMARV is pretty much fine for today but probably won't last the decade (like the Predator and Firehawk). We don't need to replace the SMARV quite yet but in like 5 years it'll start to be real long in the tooth so we might want to at least put it on our long-term radar.

 

[Nottheunmaker]

If we want we could also extend their life expectancy with a couple refits. Add some light lasers for missile defense and couple more shooty guns, shimmer shields for extra tankiness, maybe even the tendrils, though those should probably wait for the replacements. Could get a couple extra years out of them that way, plus would be a way to test that tech on a MARV platform.

Putting some math to that:

A Crawler-Transporter, which we might generously take as representative of a Super MARV, is 40 meters long by 35 wide by 6 tall, or 4,000 by 3,500 by 600 centimeters, for a rough (cubic) volume of 8,400,000,000 cubic centimeters. And weighs 2,721 tonnes, or 2,7121,000 kilograms, or 2,7121,000,000 grams.

2,7121,000,000 g/ 8,400,000,000 cm^3 = 2,7121/8,400 g/cm^3 = 0.323 g/cm^3 < 1 g/cm^3

So I think it is reasonable to argue that a Super MARV could, in theory, float on water. Unless I've screwed up the math again.

Of course, theoretically having low enough density to float on water and actually being amphibious are two different things altogether.

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Or make them hover. Then it can go anywhere and we don't have to think about it.

 

[Model DC.14F]

So apart from the Hover Chassis factory and the Harvesting Tendril, are there any other projects we should complete before developing the new MARV designs?

 

[Nottheunmaker]

So apart from the Hover Chassis factory and the Harvesting Tendril, are there any other projects we should complete before developing the new MARV designs?

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I wrote up a wishlist.

Drawing attention to this. It's definitely not something to worry about for the duration of this war, it'll take to long to spin up the technologies needed for it, and as noted Nod still doesn't have a counter for them. They have been a solid investment and will be for a while.

But our technology is quickly advancing and the Super MARVs are going to fall behind. So in that vein I'm going to spit ball some technologies I think would be good to develop for the next generation, the Mega MARVs.

First is the military tech, obviously. We've got lasers and plasma, now we just need to get used to working with them and get them to the point they become no brainer integrated weapons. I feel the Mastodon would be a good starting point for this, but any refit or deployment project would work. The more the better, naturally.

Hover is next. The less a MARV has to touch Tiberium, the better. Right now we've only got some prototype hover trucks, but we need to start somewhere. We'll just have to chip away at that one.

I've read something about Scrin Harvesting Tentacles being in backend development. Sounds good to me. Can't say more until it becomes available, but hopefully that isn't too far off.

Might also want to develop Inhibitor Technology as well. Even just something that covers the MARV could extend the lifetime of its components significantly.

I still believe there's a place for Wingman style drones for ground forces, and having some robot mini-MARVs guarding and supporting Mega MARVs sounds amazing to me. Even just some paired robotic Railgun Harvesters would be a huge boon. They would also allow a single MARV to work multiple patchs, with the minis going after spots that would be hard for the MARV to reach or are just small enough to be inefficient to put a full sized MARV on.

I'm also thinking about Liquid Tiberium power development. Controversial, but think about this. If a theoretical Mega MARV could refine Tiberium into Liquid Tiberium on it's own, that would mean it's able to provide power to itself during operations, meaning more time in the field and less pressure on existing infrastructure.

That's my wish list. Anything I've forgotten?

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[bigking321]

So apart from the Hover Chassis factory and the Harvesting Tendril, are there any other projects we should complete before developing the new MARV designs?

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Those do seem to be the two big ones.

Not sure if Modular Rapid Assembly System Prototypes meshes well with MARVs or not.

And that anti missile laser defense would be nice as well.

 

[HousePet]

The Hubs themselves might need some adjustments.
We've seen in the past that they become a bit of a rallying point for refugees, and they are also a bit of direct outreach for the GDI.
So it might be a good idea to include more accommodation and some food production, along with a larger clinic and a civilian aid warehouse.

If the Chicago example is anything to go by, Litvinov will be interested in whether Hubs can be expanding into full cities.

 

[Hazard]

The Hubs themselves might need some adjustments.
We've seen in the past that they become a bit of a rallying point for refugees, and they are also a bit of direct outreach for the GDI.
So it might be a good idea to include more accommodation and some food production, along with a larger clinic and a civilian aid warehouse.

If the Chicago example is anything to go by, Litvinov will be interested in whether Hubs can be expanding into full cities.

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Hubs have already been adjusted by GDI to account for this.

 

[Happerry]

[X] Plan Sunrise

 

[Vista]

[x] Plan Sunrise

 

[Cerazor]

[x] Plan Sunrise

 

[Bharatavarsha]

[X] Plan Sunrise

 

[Travler66]

[x] Plan Sunrise

 

[Simon_Jester]

Putting some math to that:

A Crawler-Transporter, which we might generously take as representative of a Super MARV, is 40 meters long by 35 wide by 6 tall, or 4,000 by 3,500 by 600 centimeters, for a rough (cubic) volume of 8,400,000,000 cubic centimeters. And weighs 2,721 tonnes, or 2,7121,000 kilograms, or 2,7121,000,000 grams.

2,7121,000,000 g/ 8,400,000,000 cm^3 = 2,7121/8,400 g/cm^3 = 0.323 g/cm^3 < 1 g/cm^3

So I think it is reasonable to argue that a Super MARV could, in theory, float on water. Unless I've screwed up the math again.

Of course, theoretically having low enough density to float on water and actually being amphibious are two different things altogether.

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A space shuttle crawler transporter isn't loaded down with hundreds of tons of armor plate.

I'm pretty sure a MARV would sink in water unless you equipped it with the world's most amazing water wings.

If we want we could also extend their life expectancy with a couple refits. Add some light lasers for missile defense and couple more shooty guns, shimmer shields for extra tankiness, maybe even the tendrils, though those should probably wait for the replacements. Could get a couple extra years out of them that way, plus would be a way to test that tech on a MARV platform.

Click to shrink...

I think the shields and tendrils would be difficult refits because they involve 'deep' redesign. The lasers would be easy refits if the MARV has an onboard nuclear reactor for power; I honestly don't recall if it does.

Or make them hover. Then it can go anywhere and we don't have to think about it.

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My impression is that hover tech is harder to implement as the vehicle gets more massive, and ain't nothing more massive than a MARV.

The Hubs themselves might need some adjustments.
We've seen in the past that they become a bit of a rallying point for refugees, and they are also a bit of direct outreach for the GDI.
So it might be a good idea to include more accommodation and some food production, along with a larger clinic and a civilian aid warehouse.

If the Chicago example is anything to go by, Litvinov will be interested in whether Hubs can be expanding into full cities.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, but that's not a technology problem- it's not a thing where we need to invent stuff, we just need to be thinking of the hubs as centerpieces for miniature planned cities.

 

[BOTcommander]

Squid-QM has confirmed hover MARV is in the cards, it may be too cool to not make it happen.

 

[Nottheunmaker]

I think the shields and tendrils would be difficult refits because they involve 'deep' redesign. The lasers would be easy refits if the MARV has an onboard nuclear reactor for power; I honestly don't recall if it does.

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Could get around power problems with Mirco Fusion Cells. Would cost STUs, but it's a solution.

My impression is that hover tech is harder to implement as the vehicle gets more massive, and ain't nothing more massive than a MARV.

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Possible. It'd probably be better to come up with some kind of Hover Harvester Hub.

Squid-QM has confirmed hover MARV is in the cards, it may be too cool to not make it happen.

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On the other hand I want this. It isn't a MARV if it isn't the most over engineered thing on the planet. Give it everything.

 

[Simon_Jester]

Could get around power problems with Mirco Fusion Cells. Would cost STUs, but it's a solution.

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My impression was that the maximum efficient size for micro-fusion is smaller than we'd need to power a whole MARV. For that, you'd need, like, a milli-fusion reactor. There's apparently a gap between the sweet spots for our current (very large) fusion reactors and the micro-fusion power the Scrin use, where the energy demand is too great to make it efficient to just use a shitload of micro's, but where the platform is too small to use our existing first-generation reactors.

Plus, they're large enough that an actual onboard nuclear reactor becomes a viable option, plus they operate in environments so horrible that a nuclear accident doesn't really make things worse.

Now, if what you're proposing is a "bolt-on" laser turret self-powered by its own independent set of micro-fusion reactors, then that would make sense.

 

[Nottheunmaker]

My impression was that the maximum efficient size for micro-fusion is smaller than we'd need to power a whole MARV. For that, you'd need, like, a milli-fusion reactor. There's apparently a gap between the sweet spots for our current (very large) fusion reactors and the micro-fusion power the Scrin use, where the energy demand is too great to make it efficient to just use a shitload of micro's, but where the platform is too small to use our existing first-generation reactors.

Plus, they're large enough that an actual onboard nuclear reactor becomes a viable option, plus they operate in environments so horrible that a nuclear accident doesn't really make things worse.

Now, if what you're proposing is a "bolt-on" laser turret self-powered by its own independent set of micro-fusion reactors, then that would make sense.

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That last one, yes. Though considering Nod uses these kinds of lasers on buggies, they can't be that power hungry. Or Liquid Tiberium power scales down extremely well. Either way I don't see power for laser refits to be much of a problem. Big part of the appeal for me there.

 

[BOTcommander]

There have been no competing plans, so I will roll early
[X] Plan Sunrise
-[X]Earthside Facilities (Unlimited Dice)
--[X]Isolinear Chip Printer (Phase 1) 5 dice 75C, 50IP 79%
(15 Capital per Die 0/200)
(Phase 2)(0/50 IP)(Enables Iso Projects)
--[X]New Johnson Training Center (25 Capital per Die 38/400)(+1 Astronaut Team per Plan, +2 Astrotech Team per year) 7 dice 175C 46%
--[X]Tanegashima Space Cente(20 Capital per Die 88/500)(+50IP) 10 dice 200C 84%
-[X]Earth-Orbit Facilities
--[X]Enterprise Orbital Assembler (Phase 1 of 4)(0/100 IP)(+30 IP) 1 IP
-[X]Lunar Facilities (1 Die available
-[X]Fusion Craft Landing Platform (0/4 Foundation Parts, 4C and 4IP per Part)(0/65)(+1 Lunar Die) 1 Lunar die, 16IP 16C
(Phase 2)(0/65)(-1 Astrotechs)(+1 Lunar Die)
-[X] Martian Facilities (13 Pathfinder days):
--[X] Mars Gate Station 0/5 1 fee part
-[X]Assembly 25IP 12C
--[X]Lunar Base Hard Case Space Suit Outfit(0/25IP, 0/12C)(+1 Lunar Die)
-[X]Development (7 Dice) +20 (Outside Dev Dice cost an extra 25C/Die) 12 dice = 5 outside = 50C
-[X]Leopard Mk II Development 0/275 (6C/Die+6IP/Die) (High Priority) 4 dice 24C 24IP 55%
-[X]Craterscope Structure Development 0/600 (6C/Die)(Required) 8 dice 48C 33%
-[X]Space Command Mission Planning (4 Dice) +5
-[X] Manned Landing (Ceres) 0/100 2 dice 61%
-[X] Manned Landing (Europa) 0/100 2 dice 61%
-[X] Asteroid Belt (16 Pathfinder days)
-[X]Pardus Mission-Luna 4IP 2C
-[X]Jupiter (23 Pathfinder days)
--[X]Surface Scan - Callisto(5 Pathfinder days)
120/120 IP
561/1053C rest is reserved for the carterscope later phases

BOTcommander threw 5 100-faced dice. Reason: Isolinear Chip Printer Total: 246

BOTcommander threw 7 100-faced dice. Reason: New Johnson Total: 320

BOTcommander threw 10 100-faced dice. Reason: Tanegashima Space Center Total: 406

BOTcommander threw 1 100-faced dice. Reason: Fusion Craft Landing Platform Total: 40

BOTcommander threw 4 100-faced dice. Reason: Leopard Mk II Total: 233

BOTcommander threw 8 100-faced dice. Reason: Craterscope Structure Total: 413

BOTcommander threw 2 100-faced dice. Reason: Manned Landing (Ceres) Total: 174

BOTcommander threw 2 100-faced dice. Reason: Manned Landing (Europa) Total: 110

BOTcommander threw 1 8-faced dice. Reason: Pardus Mission-Luna Total: 3

BOTcommander threw 1 4-faced dice. Reason: Luna Resources III Total: 3

BOTcommander threw 2 8-faced dice. Reason: Mars Prospecting Total: 7

BOTcommander threw 1 4-faced dice. Reason: Mars Resources II Total: 2

BOTcommander threw 1 3-faced dice. Reason: Mars Resources V Total: 3

BOTcommander threw 1 100-faced dice. Reason: Spooky Total: 46

 

[Vehrec]

UHHHHHHH, here's a SCED omake!

You Want A What?

"An Isolinear computer printer, how much?"
"You can't get one! Don't even ask!"
"What do you mean-"
"You can't! There's THREE in the entire world, they're boutique laboratory equipment, and two of them are tied up in research labs, while one is on life-support duty for an AI, there's no way to get one."
"Well can we get the plans? Maybe we can build our own-"
"What part of 'boutique laboratory equipment' do you not understand? There are maybe 20 lab techs in the entire world who understand how to run one of these things!"
"...are any of them willing to take a significant pay raise?"

 

[BOTcommander]

UHHHHHHH, here's a SCED omake!

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Hmmmm, it is...satisfactory.

 

[Lightwhispers]

SCED Mathpost:
Isolinear Chip Printer (Phase 1) 246/200
New Johnson Training Center Stage 6 358/400
Tanegashima Space Center Stage 5 494+6/500
Fusion Craft Landing Platform Phase 1 Complete, Phase 2 40/65
Leopard Mk II Development 313/275
Craterscope Structure Development 573/600
Manned Landing (Ceres) 184/100
Manned Landing (Europa) 120/100

Looks like SCED was able to bribe isolinear researchers with coffee enough to get the manuals and specs, at least, but earthbound manufacturing was a bit slower.
We have new Leopard designs, and plans for manned landings in the mid-outer system, but Lunar construction and development is lagging just a bit.

 

[Derpmind]

Tiberium Heist
Preparations for the heist had begun months ago. Carter and associates had carefully put together a team of experts to perform this delicate mission. Together they had developed the plan and overcome "the first stages of their characters arcs" as the Admiral had put it. Once all developments were completed and all equipment manufactured and delivered into orbit, the heist was on.

A few days later, Pathfinder arrived at Venus, quietly entering orbit due to its reactionless drive. Equipment was checked and the plan discussed one more time, before the first stage of the Heist began. Sonic bombs, courtesy of Zone Command, were dropped onto the Tiberium field beneath them. The explosions barely disturbed the apocalyptic storms of hot acid that waged eternally on the surface beneath them. Disposable probes revealed the first stage had been successful and thus stage two was on.

Quickly, a score of grabber probes were released from pathfinder cargo bay, high precision guidance modules directing them to where the bombs had dropped. Due to their simplicity there was not much actual control the teams had over the probes once they entered the lower atmosphere and they had to watch as many of them were blown off course by the strong wind.

Yet one of them made it through. Probe number fifteen landed perfectly, immediately scooping up a piece of Tiberium, before activating its balloons. The team went over to stage three, the extraction part of the heist was on.

Remote controlled from Pathfinder, the atmospheric drone circled above where the prize would rise over the acid clouds. They were slightly off, the drone controller being required to use the emergency fuel reserve before she hooked the probe container in the last minute of atmospheric operational time.

With the atmospheric fuel expended, the drone activated its rocket drive and sped upwards, away from the horrific hell beneath it and towards the stars. It took Pathfinder only minutes to match the orbit. The containment of the sample in the Tomb had been planned and trained for at length and it went ahead without a hitch. The Tomb was pulled back into the ship and connected to power systems in the cargo hold ahead of schedule and the team took a minute to say goodbye to the drone and probe that had brought them here, watching it slowly drift away from Pathfinder, on an orbit that would see it crashing back into the Veneran Tiberium field in a few hours.

The ride home and the transfer of the sample onto Thanatos Station was only noteworthy in the orbit Pathfinder took to get there, carefully approaching in the moon's shadow. The actual transfer was unproblematic, requiring only a switch of power and coolant pipes before Pathfinder returned to Earth.

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Orbit 106, Incident #60

?̸̡̡̮̣̽͛͜?̸̻̽͋?̷̧̩͈̝̼͇̺́͌̽?̸̤̭̍?̴͓̺̻̪̮͌̏̾͊͂̌͠͝: Minor damage detected. High vibrational explosions, cause unknown. Small shards of I/this broken off.

?̸̡̡̮̣̽͛͜?̸̻̽͋?̷̧̩͈̝̼͇̺́͌̽?̸̤̭̍?̴͓̺̻̪̮͌̏̾͊͂̌͠͝: Multiple unknown objects detected. Objects are metallic and self moving. One object appears to have taken a shard and lifted it above surface.

Shard-?̶̭̉?̶̈͜?̷̨̑?̶̢̀?̶̗͐: Unknown object is lifting I/this using multiple inflatable bladders.

Shard-?̶̭̉?̶̈͜?̷̨̑?̶̢̀?̶̗͐: Object has reached stable floating altitude.

?̸̡̡̮̣̽͛͜?̸̻̽͋?̷̧̩͈̝̼͇̺́͌̽?̸̤̭̍?̴͓̺̻̪̮͌̏̾͊͂̌͠͝: Unknown objects identified as machine drones. Appear to have depleted limited power supply, are no longer active and have ceased radiating encoded low-energy light signals. All material of drone's composition is inorganic. Purpose 74.443% likely to be probes.

Shard-?̶̭̉?̶̈͜?̷̨̑?̶̢̀?̶̗͐: Drone caught by flying drone of different design. Sudden acceleration upwards. Propulsion appears to be controlled chemical explosion.

Shard-?̶̭̉?̶̈͜?̷̨̑?̶̢̀?̶̗͐: I/this has left atmosphere.

Shard-?̶̭̉?̶̈͜?̷̨̑?̶̢̀?̶̗͐: I/this is approaching a large unknown object in orbit.

Shard-?̶̭̉?̶̈͜?̷̨̑?̶̢̀?̶̗͐: I/this is moving towards small object held by flexible metal rods from unidentified large metal object. I/this is being rapidly transfered from drone into obj- *CONNECTION LOST*

?̸̡̡̮̣̽͛͜?̸̻̽͋?̷̧̩͈̝̼͇̺́͌̽?̸̤̭̍?̴͓̺̻̪̮͌̏̾͊͂̌͠͝: 19 drones assimilated, data processed. Analysis: Primitive technology, hardened for operation inside deep atmosphere. Simplified silicon brain. Transmission data-stream was remote control directives with basic encoding. Purpose was to retrieve shards broken by unknown sonic weapon, then inflate bladders to deliver shard to orbit. Orbital object 89.111% likely interplanetary ship. Shard-????? was placed in container capable of disrupting connection.

?̶̨̨̹̮̩̬͙̠͙͍͈̖̯̺̐͒͊͋́̑͠?̵̡̡̡̠̭̞͓̣̤̫͖̥̹̪̌͗̆̄?̷̛̛̲̞̆́̎̃͒̈́͠?̸̨̛̳̞̳̞̗̫̙̖̟͍͗̋̽̾̃̄́̍̔͝?̸̯̙̥̻̳̺̝̓̀̿̿̃̆͒̑͊̒̊͜͠͠͠͝?̵̨̗̮͍̲͈̺̓̒ͅ?̵̨̧̨̘̭̦̘͇̹̼͎̥̲̮̠͉̗͛̉́̄̋?̸̧̧͍̺̼̘̼͖͑͒͒̾̊̌̋̓̈́̎̇͘: New main directive: Begin growth/adoption of observational elements in higher altitude. Seek data of other planets in star system. Predicted time to completion: 19 Orbits.

 

[TempestK]

Orbit 65, Incident #60

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Sapient Tiberium. Well, that's terrifying.