[BloodEagle]

Why don't they just put subspace drives on asteroids?

Why don't they cover the nodes with Dyson sphere-ish objects?

Why is this thread starting to mimic another thread?

                       

[terran_emperor]

Well, i did read some where that Subspace Weapons like that were originally to be in to FS2, but due to time constraints, had to be cut.
*Same time constraints caused us to miss out on suface based missions as well* 
They may have been in a planned expansion pack, but as we know nothing came of that...

You do have to remeber that when FS2 occurs, the Meson  Bomb had just recently been developed...Kinda like when the States went after Japan in WWII...

But you point still stands...It could be workable...I'm sure someone somewhere has added an Engines subsystem to the MB.

Personally i say send 3/4.

[Hellstryker]

Actuall, has anyone ever noticed that there seems to be a front and back to the Jump Nodes?

They could position themselves so their behind the node, so to speak, insted of the front and give it to the Sathanas right up the Jacksie

That would mean turning the saths around within supspace. given their sheer size i dont think they would have enough time for that

[terran_emperor]

Not to metition that they have the manoverablity of a cow

[Dark Hunter]

I wonder... if you enter a node from the "bottom" in one side, do you exit from the "top" on the other?

I guess it's a moot point, since the nodes are totally symmetrical anyway and there is no up down or any other direction in space, but it does seem to me to be strange that all ships in FS happen to arrive on the same plane.

[Agent_Koopa]

Has anyone tested the in-game destructive power of a meson bomb? All we see it destroy in the main campaign is two wings of Dragons and a Knossos.

[Flipside]

Well, i did read some where that Subspace Weapons like that were originally to be in to FS2, but due to time constraints, had to be cut.
*Same time constraints caused us to miss out on suface based missions as well* 
They may have been in a planned expansion pack, but as we know nothing came of that...

At least until the SCP which, I believe, re-enabled the support for subspace weapons And (using some creative fredding) planet missions (and for the old-timers, yes, I know we technically had the ability to make planet-ish missions in Retail ).

I think it boils down to sheer mass, the GTVA Fleet was being ground down while the Shivan fleet was actually being reinforced, other than the Sathanas we simply cannot tell what else was coming our way, not that 80 Saths wasn't enough.

I personally think they would have just kept on coming, until the GTVA had too few ships to stop them.

[azile0]

This IS testable - Make a mission where you, and about 50 other wings (lawl) Pit it out against 50+ Sath's (warping in one after another, of course) While you have your 100+ Cruisers, Corvettes, Destroyers behind you. Spatter in a few hundred shivan fighters/bombers, BOOM. Test complete, problem solved. Im gonna go and research FRED 2 Techniques to do this!

[karajorma]

I just thought of something. Why don't the GTVA just put a small subspace drive on afew menson bombs or missles, then jump them  inside of th sathanas? The hull is moderatly damaged, half the crew dead... and a gaping hole in the ship.

To demolish the Knossos portal, we will detonate the meson bomb, an experimental new weapon under development at the Hideki Institute in the Vega system. Though its specifications are highly classifed, physicists claim the meson bomb has more explosive power than any other warhead in our arsenal, sufficient to destroy any small craft within a three-kilometer radius. The size of the bomb prohibits tactical deployment."

Not to mention the fact that after charging up it takes a good few minutes to actually blow up.

[NGTM-1R]

It prohibits tactical deployment at that time, anyways; a Meson bomb would need drives equivalent to those of a Triton, or a cruiser. Developing it into a functional warhead is no laughing matter and would have taken at least another three or four months. Also given its size it could have been targeted and destroyed with anti-capital beams, and I doubt it would function correctly when half of it's been turned to vapor.

It takes three or four Meson bombs to blow a Sath to bits, and we know that the GTVA had perhaps 60 of them at most; enough for the test, enough to stuff the Neried and Bastion full of them, and maybe a few more. Thus even counting the Meson bombs they didn't have the raw firepower, much less the ability to deliever it to the target.

[BengalTiger]

and above position for Hecates.

That would actually allow all 5 beam cannons to fire a broadside on a big S sized target

This IS testable - Make a mission where you, and about 50 other wings (lawl) Pit it out against 50+ Sath's (warping in one after another, of course) While you have your 100+ Cruisers, Corvettes, Destroyers behind you. Spatter in a few hundred shivan fighters/bombers, BOOM. Test complete, problem solved. Im gonna go and research FRED 2 Techniques to do this!

To have 100+ cruisers, simply make a wing of 5 cruisers, and set it to 20 waves (the only problem is with naming them). Same thing with the Sath- make it a wing of 1 ship and set 50 waves.
After that give everyone an initial order to attack the enemy, beam-free-all, and have fun watching.

[TrashMan]

90#msg1024990 date=1196549107]

IIRC, Shivans don't have Meson bombs.

They took a very good long look at the ones the GTVA deployed.
And given how quickly the GTVA managed to copy Shivan designs and even improve on them it's taking a big risk to assume the reverse isn't possible.

Shivans were never hinted to be adapting anyone elses tech. For the sake of pure reasoning, lets stick we the tech and forces we KNOW each side has.

I guess it's a moot point, since the nodes are totally symmetrical anyway and there is no up down or any other direction in space, but it does seem to me to be strange that all ships in FS happen to arrive on the same plane.

Well, if subspace is a tunnel, then logic dictates that you can only exit it by going straight, no?

[TrashMan]

It takes three or four Meson bombs to blow a Sath to bits, and we know that the GTVA had perhaps 60 of them at most; enough for the test, enough to stuff the Neried and Bastion full of them, and maybe a few more. Thus even counting the Meson bombs they didn't have the raw firepower, much less the ability to deliever it to the target.

IIRC, there was absolutely no number given for the amount of meson bombs. It could have been barely enough  for node collapsing or maby they had 10000 more. I wouldn't be surprised if they did have more, given the size of the GTVA and the manufacturing abilities.

As for the delivery...park it infront of a node when a Sath comes.

[karajorma]

Shivans were never hinted to be adapting anyone elses tech. For the sake of pure reasoning, lets stick we the tech and forces we KNOW each side has.

Why? No one else is.

The Mjolnir was experimental as was the meson bomb yet everyone is talking about defensive strategies that involve having lots of them.

[TrashMan]

but we KNOW the GTVA had those 8we don't know in what numbers) And honestly, while I can see why a Meson bomb would be expensive and difficult to make (like a nuke), beam cannons have been standard for a while in the GTVA, so I doubt a Mljonir is.

Even so, who ever mentioned defensive strategies with 1000' of meson bombs and RBC's? You don't even need those for a good node blockade (alltough they help)

[Mobius]

The firepower discharged from a Mjolnir is considerable. The fire delay is very limited, have you ever noticed it? Also, remember that a Mjolnir is supposed to have multiple anti-fighter turrets. All these weapons need energy. The Mjolnir is definitely an advanced and expensive sentry gun.

[Ryan]

but we KNOW the GTVA had those 8we don't know in what numbers) And honestly, while I can see why a Meson bomb would be expensive and difficult to make (like a nuke), beam cannons have been standard for a while in the GTVA, so I doubt a Mljonir is.

Even so, who ever mentioned defensive strategies with 1000' of meson bombs and RBC's? You don't even need those for a good node blockade (alltough they help)

Didn't they fill the Bastion with Menson bombs before the "Nuked" the jump node?

[TrashMan]

The firepower discharged from a Mjolnir is considerable. The fire delay is very limited, have you ever noticed it? Also, remember that a Mjolnir is supposed to have multiple anti-fighter turrets. All these weapons need energy. The Mjolnir is definitely an advanced and expensive sentry gun.

No more than a cruiser for that matter. The Mljonir is a beam cannon with a reactor. GTVA knows how to make both as they have been doing it for years. It might be expensive, but then again so are cruisers and the GTVA has a lot of them.

[azile0]

Well, the Mjlonir would be, I think, less bothersome, and possibly Easier to make mobile than theMeson, because, it already has its own reactor. Now, if this could be adapted to run an Engine, than it could stratiegically place itself around a node for an ambush, whilst the rest of the fleet can position themselves, as well.

[TrashMan]

Mobile? You jsut tow it into position with a transport - it's allready mobile enough. Why add additional cost and complexity with engines when you allready have enough transport ships?