The fact that Mass Effect never bothered with any sort of 'tractor beams' has to do with the fact that Eezo is really fucking expensive and that the inverse square law is a bitch and a half. Making artificial gravity at short distances? Easy as pie and relatively affordable. Projecting a similar effect at a distance? Highly impractical. It'd be much, much, much cheaper just to push that ship around conventionally with fusion torches.
Part of what makes the Normandy such a revolutionary design is that the eezo core can project a gravwell the ship can 'fall into.' This required a massively oversized eezo core.
Part of what makes the Normandy such a revolutionary design is that the eezo core can project a gravwell the ship can 'fall into'. This required a massively oversized drive core
About twice for the SR-1 for a ship it's size, then x3 for the size of the SR-2.
The drive core of the Normandy is weird : We are told that eezo cannot perform mass increase while performing mass lightening.
You wouldn't need mass lightening if you use a gravity well based drive because the math normally used in rocketry doesn't work, because a gravity well doesn't care how much mass your ship is.
It only cares if you can fit inside the gravity well.
The Drive core of the Normandy SR-2 should actually be smaller than it is, because all you would need is enough eezo to use the FTL drive, because gravity works in 3D, so as long as you build upwards/downwards, it's perfectly fine up to a point....considering the length of the ship....it should be fine to ignore it's height for something like that.
You would only need to account for the increased length....but that might be more for the FTL drive, considering that the back end is just going to be engines with no living people there.
So the 'expotential increase' should be somewhat lesser than it's made out to be, only to take into account it's doubled mass (for FTL) and it's overall increased length.
Now, if they used it as a catapult around the ship or used actual spacetime warp
Blame Bioware for not actually bothering to give out numbers for Normandy sizes and deciding to fudge the system.
Eh, most of that is trying to come to grips with what the space magic actually means. I mean, it's one thing to say you have five gigawatts of power in a generator the size of your fist, but what can you do with that? It's less hard-SF and more trying to create an internally consistent magic system.
eh Clones are harder than one might think. I mean they only managed to make the one they planed to use for spare parts and well as you can see from that DLC they are FAR inferior to the real deal.
Though Clone tech might be something to look into later.
eh Clones are harder than one might think. I mean they only managed to make the one they planed to use for spare parts and well as you can see from that DLC they are FAR inferior to the real deal.
Though Clone tech might be something to look into later.
Body part cloning is a canon part of ME tech. You overhear a soldier and a doctor talking about getting the soldier new cloned legs, but that would take months. Any innovations to cloning on our end would have to involve cloning things faster, and more accurately.
Body part cloning is a canon part of ME tech. You overhear a soldier and a doctor talking about getting the soldier new cloned legs, but that would take months. Any innovations to cloning on our end would have to involve cloning things faster, and more accurately.
Given that our Peak Human tech is basically a medical nanite tank, they probably already do this. I imagine it's something like providing a scaffold to 3D-print cloned tissues on.
[ ] Artificial Substrate Conversion - By far the most radical enhancement on this list, this is a nanotech treatment that gradually replaces every neuron in your brain with a microscopic computer running an emulation program. Once the process is complete your brain runs entirely on electronics rather than electrochemical processes, allowing you to increase your subjective perception of time by a factor of up to a hundred at will. This also makes it much easier to integrate other mental mods, as well as more radical changes like uploading or conversion to an AI core. Of course, after this treatment hardly anyone would consider you human...
Maybe; this is all pretty much hidden behind Extremis, which our QMs have all been clear that Revy won't be able to solve on her own (just as Tony never could get the whole thing right on his own, no matter what the continuity).
The other thing to worry about it super-hacking, which is very much a thing in the ME universe. Hacking can, canonically, be done at range, potentially from thousands of kilometers away through the void of space if you have an AI at one end, and that's going to severely mess with any attempts to move humanity to a pure technological basis.
[X] Attack the mech in hit and run attacks, targeting its weapons. Try to analyze it for weakness. (Joints, sensors, etc) Priority is to reduce its firepower to allow a long enough repulsor attack to put it out of commission. Whittle down its ranged capability. If possible hit sensors if they are exposed.
-[X] Prepare the drones left in reserve, activate all 2200 drones and ready them for swarming the supermech. Have them move to ambush positions so that they can use repulsor blasts without being picked off from long range.
-[X] Draw the mech into closer confines of the buildings to make the most use of repulsors blasts of the suit and the drones, as well as hinder its line of sight and weapon arcs.
--[X] Try to draw it to a place where you could short a powerline into it from your industrial arc reactor. Only do so if this won't compromise the reactor or overall colonial defenses
-[X] Try to jam its sensors to allow the drones to move into position undetected.
--[X] Burst some sewage lines if convenient to cover it in sewage and hinder its optical sensors. If no such line is available, use paint. You should have paint lying around
-[X] If the mech refuses to be drawn into the ambush, deploy the drones en masse anyways to try to overwhelm its defenses by sheer numbers.
-[X] If all else fails, play cat and mouse until the orbital battle is finished so that it can be taken out via orbital bombardment.
-[X] Turn electronic warfare up to eleven. Use the computers in your labs to run EW VI and give it more processing power.
[x] Respond
-[X] "Plans for the galaxy? Who do you take me for, some kind of a super-villain? I just try to make life a little bit better for everyone one step at a time"
--[X] "I was thinking about solving heat death of the universe, though"
-[X] Divert the supermech's pilot into talking about either its tech, or its goals. Try to either trick it into revealing a weakness, or figure out who is behind it and its tech, because it obviously isn't Batarian.
--[X] "So, tell me, what are your plans for me? You obviously aren't going to kill me, so... What would you have me do? Who knows, if you present a compelling enough case, I might just go with you willingly"
--[X] "Or maybe you'll come work for me? How much are they paying you? Are the bonuses nice? We have a great dental plan!"
"Plans for the galaxy?" you say amused, "Who do you take me for, some kind of a super-villain? I just try to make life a little bit better for everyone one step at a time," as you speak you call in your spare wing of drones. Quantity has a quality all its own and you have a large quantity of quality.
"I doubt some one as intelligent as you has not considered the long-term." The mech replies as you trade fire.
"I was thinking about solving heat death of the universe," you say as you duck for cover.
"A rather far off goal, and quite possibly impossibly without destroying the universe and remaking it in your image," the mech pauses thoughtfully, "Ironic how often the correct way forward is to destroy the old and reforge it," it adds while blasting your cover.
"So, tell me, what are your plans for me? You obviously aren't going to kill me, so... What would you have me do? Who knows, if you present a compelling enough case, I might just go with you willingly" you offer along side a repulsor blast.
"I would see you transcend what you are now to deal with more worthy and important problems then the small and childish ones you face now."
"Huh... that's not a bad off.." you begin just as a drone wing enters into the picture. The mech's laser lash out dropping several of the drones but their numbers are a bit much for a single defender. Massed repulsor blasts tear into the mech.
Research projects:
Unknown Mech Analysis 75RP
Regenerating Armor Study 50RP
Unknown Equipment 2 Analysis 50RP
After the alpha strike clears only the smoking corpse of the mech remains.
"Well that interrupted a conversation that might have gotten interesting... overwhelming force makes battle banter hard." you muse smugly, "Oh well."
It seems that the battle in space has concluded, one of your ships was forces to pull out but has all ready rebuilt its shields. A full two-thirds of the attackers ships are wreckage several of them dying to allow the rest to flee.
Even as you note that fact, the frigates are descending into Mindoir's atmosphere long ranged bombardment rounds striking the carrier. With their added support the enemy fighters are not going to be able to achieve much.
"Batarians v Revy round two... Revy remains the champion, next time It'll be on one of you asshole's planets." You say with massive amounts of smug.
A round hits the landed carrier as you watch and is quickly followed by a massive blue flash accompanied by a resounding thunder clap and the carrier goes dead. All that's left is an surprising intact but inert corpse. Its outer armor glowing cherry red. You abuse your implants to play back the familiar effect, "Hmm... photonic implosion, I haven't seen one that bad since... four and change years ago?" You think back to a slightly molten cave wall. Thankfully the ships antimatter pod have not breached.
It won't belong before the last remaining Batarian forces are destroyed.
Aftermath
The wreckage left behind shows the Batarian attackers have technology ahead of what anyone expected. It maybe an in-house development, or they may have found something or someone to give them a leg up. Unfortunately there are no clues in this direction. However, the is one piece of technology you are familiar with, Arc-Reactors. These are not your designs in fact there are rather inferior at a guess you'd say they had one-third to one-half the efficiency of your older model, in addition to inferior safeties. It would seem that metaphorical genie is out of the bottle.
Shortly after you receive news from the rest of the galaxy. The Batarian Hegemony has declared war on the Systems Alliance. Attacks occurred at both Arcturus and Sol as well as Mindoir. All were repulsed. Worryingly the Batarian forces seem to be able to bypass much of the known relay network. The Alliance believed it knew all of the connections the Relays that the Hegemony used could make. All of the attacking forces seem to have picked the relay closest to their target and arrived there, but left via more traditional routes.
Any last-minute details for the event?
[ ] Minor details
So I think I was planning on an interlude around now... So here's an advisory vote for the interlude (Feel free to vote for as many characters as you want):
[ ] Interlude for who?
-----
Yay, back for now... life has been a thing... stupid world running on money. Anyway that's that for that event. Well be back to your regularly scheduled empire business building next, just with the backdrop of a war. More details to arrive with the news segments. (Didn't even bother with combat rolls they didn't matter.) Also the dice were very tsundere on the stuff surviving... Armor sure.. other components? You can have one. (Though the power core didn't wreck everything so yay?)
The interlude vote is an advisory one I reserve the right not to do the highest voted one if I feel there is not a good reason to.
On a side note ages ago I was asked, "What effects would licensing our PMC in the Alliance have?" and I really couldn't think of one other then PR. I have thought of one now though. Feel free to object or add in details it's just the seed of an idea. In times of war the SA gets to hire the company for whatever they want and you can't really say no (baring some edge cases). They do have to pay reasonable amounts (Cost + Some reasonable % profit... IDK 5-10%?) and have to cover costs if they force you to default on a contract.
In addition they probably can force you to produce certain goods (in this case ships) for them. With the same general rules (must pay fair price, cover defaulted contracts etc). I'm thinking a combination of wartime powers + eminent domain sort of deal. Of course I'm glossing over a large amount of the background wheeling and dealing and maybe I'm crazy. Thoughts?
"So, tell me, what are your plans for me? You obviously aren't going to kill me, so... What would you have me do? Who knows, if you present a compelling enough case, I might just go with you willingly" you offer along side a repulsor blast.
"I would see you transcend what you are now to deal with more worthy and important problems then the small and childish ones you face now."
"Huh... that's not a bad off.." you begin just as a drone wing enters into the picture. The mech's laser lash out dropping several of the drones but their numbers are a bit much for a single defender. Massed repulsor blasts tear into the mech.
After the alpha strike clears only the smoking corpse of the mech remains.
"Well that interrupted a conversation that might have gotten interesting... overwhelming force makes battle banter hard." you muse smugly, "Oh well."
Let's call dibs on salvaging the Eezo cores.
Also, we need to start pumping out frigates as much as possible.
Hey. The Hannar like us right? If we asked for some help, you think they would be willing to battle test some of their fleets against an inferior enemy?
