[FT] [Fic] AIP Press Release: GravComp FC

>From the Associated Interstellar Press hyperspace wire-service:

{Follow infolinks on highlighted terms for related AIP stories and
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For Immediate Release
Sept 15, 2192

Fire Control Technology Breakthrough to Aid Defense of Core Systems

(Gan Shloshim, Midbar, New Israel) -- RAFAEL/ROKAR Interstellar in
cooperation with Midbar Skunkworks announce development of a new
graviton
wave compensation coil that offsets the distorting and defocusing
effects of
high performance grav-drives on major weapon systems.  

A Shot From the Back -- The new Grav Compensation Fire Control (GCFC)
enables heavy, anti-ship weapons such as the standard Tuffley Particle
Beam
Projectors (commonly referred to as Beams) or the UNSC's Pulsed
Terajoule
Obliteration Reaction Plasma Energy Delivery Ordinance (Pulse TORPEDO or
P-Torp), to fire, albeit at reduced effectiveness, through the aft arcs
of
maneuvering ships even at high thrust. Until now, the distortions
created by
the graviton drives of standard and military-grade starships have always
prevented accurate fire while maneuvering. Exploiting this "hole" in a
ships' offensive capabilities is a standard tactic in deep-space combat,
but
no faction in any of humanity's three "Solar Wars" has been as effective
in
its application as the uncannily agile Kra'Vak fleets. It has become
common
knowledge that the heavier, less maneuverable capital elements of the
various human fleets are at greater risk form the alien threats than
ever
before. This new system may go a long way to plugging that hole.

Available to All -- RRI spokesperson Elana Shimron described the new
system
as "designed to give slower capital ships improved effectiveness against
the
superior maneuverability of alien drives," most notably the hostile
Kra'Vak
currently engaged in a major offensive into the heart of Human Space.
Shimron adds, "In light of the grave threat to humanity as a whole,
regardless of political or other affiliations, posed by Xeno-forces
[RRI] is
making the complete designs and specs of the [GCFC] available to all
governments in human-controlled space."

Come And Get It - Quickly! -- New Israel Defense Force official have
contacted and urged interested governments to get in touch with their
nearest New Israel Consulate to arrange military escort to Midbar for
obtaining plans and sample materials. As per UNSC Directive A90-764,
given
the increasing frequency and violence of Kra'Vak incursions towards the
core, no sensitive military/technological information will be
transmitted
over interplanetary distances, regardless of encryption. Complete GCFC
packages are available for purchase (at-cost until the current invasion
crisis is over) from RAFAEL/ROKAR, and production has shifted into high
gear
after successful preliminary flight tests. A production facility is also
under rapid construction in Earth orbit, to be dedicated to Core System
defense. Refit time depends on ship class and configuration, and
re-configuration of standard armaments may add to the time required.
Already
there has been concern raised that GCFC technology, while useful, may be
"too little, too late" to help in the defense of the Core. That remains
to
be seen.

"Never Stand Behind An Angry Mule" - Shimron relates that this phrase
became
the development team's motto as the focusing coil technology came to
fruition, piece by piece. "We hope this small contribution will help
give
all humanity the edge it needs as [the Xeno-War] continues to increase
in
intensity."

---

RAFAEL/ROKAR Interstellar is New Israel's largest Military ship
contractor,
producing, among others, the Yericho class Battlecruiser, Zva'ah class
Frigate, and (in collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan)
the
Maccabee/Ronin Escort Cruiser and Sharon/Samurai Light Cruiser.

Midbar Skunkworks is a top secret Israeli laboratory and test area
located
somewhere in the Avnet Sabra (the main asteroid belt of the Sabra
system).
The only secrets more heavily guarded than its location are the details
of
its many research and projects.

---
Translation to FT Game Mechanics:

Grav Compensation Fire Control (GCFC) - Specialized fire control
focusing
system that allows Aft firing weapons to fire effectively even if Main
drive
is being used. All weapons firing through aft arc add 12" to effective
range
if Main Drive is being used. GCFC can be used as a normal fire control
system for fire in the other 5 arcs. Cost: 2 Mass, 6 pts. SSD symbol
Firecon box with upside-down open triangle. 

[I gave the cost as 3x Mass rather than 4x Mass because having that last
arc
of fire is generally not a huge bonus in most situations. The extra mass
for
the system is quite enough of a cost for the capability, even without
accounting for the need for purchasing extra arcs (or altering existing
arcs) for many weapons that would take advantage of it. Alternative cost
could be 1 mass, 8-9 points per GCFC. Additional playtests should help
determine proper balance. And yes, the whole bit of Indy-style fiction
was
just dressing for introducing this new system for your consideration. At
least I think it's new - I don't recall seeing it elsewhere. it will be
up
in the NI Skunkworks web page when I can figure out how to upload stuff
to
the NBCi sites that usurped Xoom. -Noam]