Post by: Herr Burt on February 08, 2003, 01:15:52 am
Second, Chuut raises an interesting question: "What are drogues? Are they some kind of rogue drone?"
Well, obviously someone hasn't purchased ADB's new Star Fleet Battles supplement, module J2: Heavy Fighters. It was released in Oct of 2002, I believe, and should still be in your favorite hobbey store. Still, Chuut hit it on the head first try. In Day of the Eagle (Coming "soon" to a D2 near you) there will be a chance each time you fire a drone that it will go "rogue" and target your own ship. You will need to watch your defenses closely, so you can pick off any drones you fire that might turn and begin tracking you. This will add a great deal of excitement and risk to combat on the D2.
For Day of the Eagle, the chance of a drone going rogue will be small; about 30% chance per drone. I'm thinking of really kicking it up a notch though (bamn!) , and making the chance 70% for my next server: Death of the Kitties.
<crickets chirp>
<cats hissing angrily>
What, no one is laughing? Oh, you kitties have no sense of humor.
Well, gather 'round, best beloved, and I'll tell you all about the real answer. Drogues are towed weapons arrays, dating all the way back to submarine warfare in WWI. They were first invented for use on starships by the Klingons, who wanted to find something that could match Kzinti drone launch rates without having to rely upon scatterpack shuttles. Of course what the Klinks could invent the Cats could copy, so in the end the Klinks still lagged behind in drone launch ability.
What the Cats could copy everyone else could copy as well, and by the time the Kzinti got around to offering drogues to the Federation the wiley flatheads had already created their own. (The Freds claimed their drogues were superior, best beloved, because their workers were paid fair union wages. But that is neither here nor there.) More drogues soon followed as each race in the galaxy found a need to supplement their starships' firepower.
So What Kind of Drogues Are in Day of the Eagle, coming soon(er or later) to a D2 near you?
Never fear, best beloved. Your favorite race of the three will get their fair share of droges. Current models include:
1) The phaser drogue: Armed with a phaser 2 and a phaser 3, this towed array offers general purpose firepower supplementation. All races use the phaser drogue. Shooting the enemy is just too much fun not to.
2) The drone drogue: Does the galaxy not have enough cheese? <long-suffering sigh> The drogue is used only by the Flatheads and carries two six-drone vollyes of short-ranged warp homing drones.
3)The AWS drogue: Invented by the Gorn (who just love ground combat) this drogue carries six gravity sleds which can carry an anti-matter warhead to important places. Important place like where all those annoying pointy-ears live on that planet you want dead. This drogue was quickly copied by the Roms who immediately fell in love with planetary bombardment of civilian populations. The Flatheads felt this weapon offended their sensibilities so they never use it, but that's THEIR problem.
4)The Plas-D drogue: The Feds use a lot of nasty, pointy-tipped drones on their ships and (most especially) their fighters. This caused the Roms a lot of bother, since drones are not something their fleet is well designed to counter. One solution was the Plas-D drogue, which could carry 8 charges in stasis cannisters before needing to be hauled in and reloaded. This drogue was quickly copied by the Gorn, when they realized just how many icky Gladiator fighters the Roms could carry on their Vulture Heavy Carrier. (That many Gladiataors wasn't something the luggage fleet was designed to face.....)
5)The HEAVY drogue: Looking for further ways to enhance the firepower of their line cruisers, the Rom and Gorn both developed a drogue capable of housing three type F torpedos. Who invented it first is a matter of debate, with both sides blaming the other of "escalating" first. Not to be outdone, the Feds invented a Heavy drogue capable of carrying 12 type 1 drones, though its launch rate was limited.
HOW DO DROGUES OPERATE?
Drogues operate from your shuttle bay, and are hooked by a special tractor tether. This means you give up one of your shuttles. When in the shipyard, you will have the choice of trading in one of your shuttles for a drogue. You may only change in one shuttle.
The equipment needed to operate the tether and service a drogue replaces the equipment needed to convert a shuttle to either a WW or a suicide, so the bay can no longer be used for that purpose. If you keep your shuttle, it can thus only be used as a standard shuttle. Your fleet high command has decided that this tradeoff is worth the extra firepower you can get from a drogue. And who are you, best beloved, to question High Command? Now get out there and die for the Emperor (or racial equivalent).
Only frontline cruisers may carry drogues. Carriers, auxiliaries, and command ships may not. Carriers and auxiliaries alreayd have enough special equipment to keep track of. As for command ships, their extra firepower is not for use on in combat but for use in protecting their valuable command and contorl facilities. High command has decided that an extra WW (just in case) is far more able to protect these assets than would be a drogue. Again, who are you, best beloved, to question High Command? (No, no, don't make faces. It might freeze like that.)
Drogues aren't especially easy to use, can only withstand about 10 points of damage, cannot manuever themselves, and will slow down your cruiser when you tow them. However, when used properly they can prove a valuable asset. Hopefully they will prove to be fun. They will at least be a new toy to play with. (Along with the Rom and Gorn carriers, Heavy Bombers, and real Flathead fighters.)
Happy Warmongering!
-Herr Burt
Post by: Corbomite on February 08, 2003, 01:35:30 am
Post by: J'inn on February 08, 2003, 02:37:56 am
Quote:
First, apologies to Moggy and Chuut. I haven't been home much this week, and thus it has taken me forever to see your notes.
Second, Chuut raises an interesting question: "What are drogues? Are they some kind of rogue drone?"
Well, obviously someone hasn't purchased ADB's new Star Fleet Battles supplement, module J2: Heavy Fighters. It was released in Oct of 2002, I believe, and should still be in your favorite hobbey store. Still, Chuut hit it on the head first try. In Day of the Eagle (Coming "soon" to a D2 near you) there will be a chance each time you fire a drone that it will go "rogue" and target your own ship. You will need to watch your defenses closely, so you can pick off any drones you fire that might turn and begin tracking you. This will add a great deal of excitement and risk to combat on the D2.
For Day of the Eagle, the chance of a drone going rogue will be small; about 30% chance per drone. I'm thinking of really kicking it up a notch though (bamn!) , and making the chance 70% for my next server: Death of the Kitties.
It what would later show on the episode "COPS: Crimes of Irony" J'inn never reads the rest of the post but quietly gets in his car with his trusty Louisville Slugger and starts to drive towards Virginia.
Post by: KATChuutRitt on February 08, 2003, 03:29:06 am
Quote:
Second, Chuut raises an interesting question: "What are drogues? Are they some kind of rogue drone?"
Well, obviously someone hasn't purchased ADB's new Star Fleet Battles supplement, module J2: Heavy Fighters. It was released in Oct of 2002, I believe, and should still be in your favorite hobbey store. Still, Chuut hit it on the head first try. In Day of the Eagle (Coming "soon" to a D2 near you) there will be a chance each time you fire a drone that it will go "rogue" and target your own ship. You will need to watch your defenses closely, so you can pick off any drones you fire that might turn and begin tracking you. This will add a great deal of excitement and risk to combat on the D2.
For Day of the Eagle, the chance of a drone going rogue will be small; about 30% chance per drone. I'm thinking of really kicking it up a notch though (bamn!) , and making the chance 70% for my next server: Death of the Kitties.
<crickets chirp>
<cats hissing angrily>
What, no one is laughing? Oh, you kitties have no sense of humor.
-Herr Burt
Of course what Herr Burt could invent the Cats could copy,................................
Don't Worry Herr Burt Prouges are under testing now. What are Prouges you ask?
Well rogue plasma torpedos my Scaley friend, 
, wonder if you can launch that Wild Weasel in time? 
BTW, this reasearch was funded by the Federation committee on PF abuse........................ 
Muhahahahahahaha..............
Post by: Daew Anahos on February 08, 2003, 07:30:37 am
<shudder>
Post by: Maxillius on February 08, 2003, 02:49:24 pm
Post by: TOCXOBearslayer on February 08, 2003, 07:18:23 pm
I mean as far as the shiplist/fighterlist is concerned.
Post by: TOCXOBearslayer on February 10, 2003, 05:30:15 pm
Post by: Herr Burt on February 10, 2003, 05:42:14 pm
Quote:
Basicly, these are modified shuttles? Is that correct?
I mean as far as the shiplist/fighterlist is concerned.
Think of them as (extremely) modified PF's, changed so that their stats match those of SFB drogues. Using the PF engine allows you to quickly climb into the drogue if it isn't fireing at a key moment that you want it to.
-Herr Burt
Post by: TOCXOBearslayer on February 10, 2003, 06:28:35 pm
Post by: Herr Burt on February 10, 2003, 09:36:50 pm
Quote:
In that case, how will the non-PF races use them? I thought we had an issue with PF races getting fighters and fighter races getting PFs?
Patience, grasshopper.
We have the solution.It requires a lot of juggling and praying, and so far I've had to toss two virgins into a volcano. However, everything does seem to be working so far. The key is that there are only three races in this game, so I'm free to use others as donors. The way it works, the gamer should never notice.
So far so good in testing. If it all fall apart at the last minute, I'm drinking Drano.
-Herr Burt
Post by: KATChuutRitt on February 11, 2003, 12:51:54 am
Quote:
Patience, grasshopper.
It requires a lot of juggling and praying, and so far I've had to toss two virgins into a volcano.
-Herr Burt
So I take it G'Warlock and Agave wont be playing?...........
Boy glad sacrificing Hedonist doesn't give any Karma bonuses..............
Post by: SPQR Renegade001 on February 11, 2003, 11:14:33 am
Am I close?
Post by: KATChuutRitt on February 11, 2003, 11:23:30 am
Post by: SPQR Renegade001 on February 11, 2003, 11:30:36 am
Post by: TOCXOBearslayer on February 11, 2003, 03:12:08 pm
Thanks for answering the questions. I can't wait for this to be started. I am so bored right now!!!!
Post by: gornrule on February 11, 2003, 04:53:16 pm
Gwarlock
Post by: KATChuutRitt on February 11, 2003, 11:29:28 pm
Quote:
Thanks for clering that up, Herr Butt. But they looked much different in the movie 'A Clockwork Orange'. What is Malcom Macdowell's base BPV anyway?
Gwarlock
well I believe he is a Scot, so figure on him being cheap.........
Post by: Herr Burt on February 12, 2003, 01:22:08 am
Quote:
Thanks for clering that up, Herr Butt. But they looked much different in the movie 'A Clockwork Orange'. What is Malcom Macdowell's base BPV anyway?
Gwarlock
There is a difference here:
Drogue: A towed weapons array
Droog: mindless followers with a love for that old ultra-violence.
Oh, wait, you were right after all. My bad. Carry on, and cue the Ludwig Van.
There was me, that is Alex, and my three droogs, that is Pete, Georgie Boy and Dim. And we sat in the Korova Milk Bar trying to make up our rassoodocks what to do with the evening. The Korova Milk Bar sold milk plus - milk plus vellocet or synthemesc or drencrom which is what we were drinking. This would sharpen you up and make you ready for a bit of the old Ultra-Violence.
-Herr Burt
Post by: Herr Burt on February 12, 2003, 05:05:42 pm
Quote:
If I read your plans right, the only issue I can forsee is that the CVs will not be able to carry drouges, and the Feddie ships that have drouges available will have the Lyran sounds.
Am I close?
Letting CV's carry drogues would cause other things to happen, such as the ability of all cruisers to trade out a shuttle for a single fighter. (Which is possible in SFB, but brings its own problems since the cruiser is not able to service the fighter.) In any event I don't find this to be a limitation as I had already made a design decision to limit drogues to ships-of-the-line anyway. Command ships, auxilliaries, and carriers won't have drogues.
As for the Lyran sound problem, I seem to have that solved! At least, the problem hasn't been showing up in my tests. To be honest I'm not sure whatI'm doing differently from other shiplists that have had that problem. I'll have to download one of those lists and do a comparison some time.
But in any event, yes. I suspect you've got what I'm doing properly figured out. (Now please get your spyware out of my machine. Adaware tells me I am not authorized to remove it myself.)
-Herr Burt the Hopeful
Post by: Herr Burt on March 11, 2003, 09:39:34 pm
-Herr Burt
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on March 12, 2003, 01:28:58 am
Quote:
In answer to some questions I've seen lately about how drogues will work in DOE, I offer you my throat.
-Herr Burt
Post by: Herr Burt on March 12, 2003, 01:49:51 am
Quote:
<snip Tracey's debasing comments toward innocent Herr Burt>
Gah!!!!
Tracey, I really think you are in the wrong DOE thread. I'm sure that you (and your throat....) belong in the "DOE: Easy Escorts..." thread.
-Herr Burt the slighted
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on March 12, 2003, 01:56:07 am
Post by: KATChuutRitt on March 12, 2003, 04:58:07 am
Quote:
Gah!!!!
Tracey, I really think you are in the wrong DOE thread. I'm sure that you (and your throat....) belong in the "DOE: Easy Escorts..." thread.
-Herr Burt the John
Hey leave My Angels alone, they aren't easy escourts, just operating undercover.
Post by: Maxillius on March 12, 2003, 06:18:52 am
Quote:Quote:
Gah!!!!
Tracey, I really think you are in the wrong DOE thread. I'm sure that you (and your throat....) belong in the "DOE: Easy Escorts..." thread.
-Herr Burt the John
Hey leave My Angels alone, they aren't easy escourts, just operating undercover.
...they aren't EASY escourts...
You know how much it takes to keep Tracey happy? I've lost track of entire weeks.... oops, too much...
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on March 12, 2003, 08:20:36 am
Quote:Quote:Quote:
Gah!!!!
Tracey, I really think you are in the wrong DOE thread. I'm sure that you (and your throat....) belong in the "DOE: Easy Escorts..." thread.
-Herr Burt the John
Hey leave My Angels alone, they aren't easy escourts, just operating undercover.
...they aren't EASY escourts...
You know how much it takes to keep Tracey happy? I've lost track of entire weeks.... oops, too much...
By the way.... you're credit card is maxed out again...
Post by: Maxillius on March 12, 2003, 10:23:30 am
you know I.... wait... what's that truck doing.... F&M REPOSESSIONS?!? AAGH!! I was just kidding!!!! Dude!!! COPS?????? eep.... ...... .. .....
Post by: Goose on March 12, 2003, 01:33:52 pm
Quote:
In answer to some questions I've seen lately about how drogues will work in DOE, I offer you my throat.
On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on March 12, 2003, 05:51:27 pm
Quote:
Sorry Tracey, I can't resist.Quote:
In answer to some questions I've seen lately about how drogues will work in DOE, I offer you my throat.
On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?
Well, you took the words right out of my mouth...
Post by: Goose on March 13, 2003, 07:42:10 am
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on March 13, 2003, 08:41:41 am
Post by: Goose on March 13, 2003, 09:08:24 am
(takes a look at that signature pic again)
happy place happy place...
Post by: Dizzy on March 13, 2003, 09:16:12 am
I'll stick to my NCC Molly Hatchet... TY!
Post by: DH123 on March 13, 2003, 02:43:05 pm
Quote:
I'll stick to my NCC Molly Hatchet... TY!
So Dizzy and Marcus are flying Federation. PvP is gonna rock!!!
Hey Herr Burt, Cheap ships please. I'm think I'll need it
Post by: Marcus Smythe on March 13, 2003, 03:08:41 pm
Quote:Quote:
I'll stick to my NCC Molly Hatchet... TY!
So Dizzy and Marcus are flying Federation. PvP is gonna rock!!!
Hey Herr Burt, Cheap ships please. I'm think I'll need it
Aint no doubt about it, we were doubly blessed...
Post by: KRolling on March 13, 2003, 03:33:20 pm
Quote:Quote:
Gah!!!!
Tracey, I really think you are in the wrong DOE thread. I'm sure that you (and your throat....) belong in the "DOE: Easy Escorts..." thread.
-Herr Burt the John
Hey leave My Angels alone, they aren't easy escourts, just operating undercover.
UNDERCOVER!!!! HEH!!! Ms. Boobius Maximus wouldn't know anything about COVER!!! Even if it came up and bit her on the.... um... nose.
Post by: Goose on March 13, 2003, 09:00:07 pm
Quote:
Aint no doubt about it, we were doubly blessed...
We were barely seventeen and we were barely...
you know the last word.
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on March 13, 2003, 10:11:58 pm
Quote:Quote:Quote:
Gah!!!!
Tracey, I really think you are in the wrong DOE thread. I'm sure that you (and your throat....) belong in the "DOE: Easy Escorts..." thread.
-Herr Burt the John
Hey leave My Angels alone, they aren't easy escourts, just operating undercover.
UNDERCOVER!!!! HEH!!! Ms. Boobius Maximus wouldn't know anything about COVER!!! Even if it came up and bit her on the.... um... nose.
Well, that's odd Miss Titius Microscopius, I followed all your fashion tips that you gave me after telling me how well you were... errr... covered up, I even went to the same clothes store as you, and asked for exactly the same apparel. However, the saleswoman suggested that it would be better if the young girl I was buying for came in for a fitting herself... I have no idea what she meant by that...
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on March 13, 2003, 10:13:51 pm
Quote:Quote:
Aint no doubt about it, we were doubly blessed...
We were barely seventeen and we were barely...
you know the last word.
Well, it was a hot day...
what can I say...
Post by: KATChuutRitt on March 13, 2003, 11:16:55 pm
I'll give you an answer in the morning....
Post by: Marcus Smythe on March 14, 2003, 02:19:27 am
Post by: gornrule on March 14, 2003, 04:31:50 am
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEmmanuel Kant was a real pissant,
who was very rarely stable.
Heideggar Heideggar was a boozy beggar
who could drink you under the table.
David Hume, could out consume
good old Frederick Hagle.
And Wickenshartt was a drunken fart
who was half as sloshed as Schlagel.
There's nothing nature couldn't teachya
bout the raising of the wrist,
Socrates himself was permanently pissed..............
It is a Bruce thread after all.
Rule 7 - There is no rule 7.
"Well, I AM king."
"Oh, king, eh? Very nice. And how did you get to be that way? By exploitin' the workers. By 'anging onto outdated imperialistic dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society."
"The Lady of the Lake, her hand clad in the purest shimmering scamite, held aloft Excalibur, proclaiming I, Arthur, am sovereign of all England."
"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government! Supreme executive power derives in a mandate from the masses, not some farcical aquatic ceremony. If I was to go around, calling meself an emperor, just because some moistened bink lobbed a scimitar at me they'd put me away."
"We could build a large wooden badger."
Gwarlock
Defender of the Flames of Bruce
Post by: Mog on March 14, 2003, 04:51:23 am
"There's nothing nature couldn't teachya
bout the raising of the wrist,"
Nature should be Nietzsche.
Moggy happily watches warlock go flying into the chasm after getting that wrong
Post by: Maxillius on March 14, 2003, 06:50:42 am
"Chuut-Ritt of Kzinti"
WHAT is your quest?
"Tracey's leather bikini"
WHAT is your favorite color?
"Blue.... no, black...aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!"
Post by: FPF_TraceyG on March 14, 2003, 08:35:05 am
Quote:
Warlock,
"There's nothing nature couldn't teachya
bout the raising of the wrist,"
Nature should be Nietzsche.
Moggy happily watches warlock go flying into the chasm after getting that wrong
I prefer Satre myself... or is it Tantra...
Post by: Maxillius on March 14, 2003, 09:11:14 am
Quote:Quote:
Warlock,
"There's nothing nature couldn't teachya
bout the raising of the wrist,"
Nature should be Nietzsche.
Moggy happily watches warlock go flying into the chasm after getting that wrong
I prefer Satre myself... or is it Tantra...
Jaw drops in awe...
closes mouth before it gets him in trouble...
opens it again...
it really is too bad you're in Australia... really not fair too!!! . o O (especially if you look anything like the sig pic!!!)
Post by: Goose on March 15, 2003, 10:24:13 am
Quote:
*** We interrupt the Meatloaf sing-a-long to bring you this important message from the Bruces ***
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEmmanuel Kant was a real pissant,
who was very rarely stable.
Heideggar Heideggar was a boozy beggar
who could drink you under the table.
David Hume, could out consume
good old Frederick Hagle.
And Wickenshartt was a drunken fart
who was half as sloshed as Schlagel.
There's nothing nature couldn't teachya
bout the raising of the wrist,
Socrates himself was permanently pissed..............
John Stewart Mill of his own free will,
drank half pint of shandy when he was particularly ill.
Plaato they say could stick away
half a bottle of whiskey every day,
Aristotle, Aristotle, was a bugger for the bottle
Hoffs was fond of his dram,
Rene Descartes was a drunken fart
"I drink therefor I am!"
Sacrates himself will be particularly missed
A lovely little thinker but a bugger when he's pissed!
Boing!
ahem,
Ah Tracey,
Let me sleep on it.