OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: A direct-fire self-propelled artillery vehicle for the New Imperial Order.
- Image Source: Vadim Sverdlov
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Massive Mobility
- Affiliation: New Imperial Order
- Model: Hypervelocity Artillery Platform (HARP)
- Modularity: No
- Production: Minor
- Material: Doonium
- Classification: Mobile Artillery
- Role: Artillery
- Size: Very Large
- Weight: Very Heavy
- Armaments: Extreme
- Capital ship grade hypervelocity gun
- Heavy particle cannon
- Antipersonnel blaster turret
- Defenses: Low
- Deflector shield
- Maneuverability Rating: Low
- Speed Rating: Low
- Propulsion: Wheels, emergency repulsorlift
- Minimum Crew: 2
- Optimal Crew: 5
- Passenger Capacity: None on paper, but a couple dozen troopers could ride on top or hang onto the sides pretty easily.
- Cargo Capacity: Average (significant ammunition stocks)
- Resistant to gravitic/magnetic anomalies and technological disruptions that would ground a repulsor vehicle.
- Ninety-degree elevation range.
- Advanced targeting systems.
- Can shoot any target within line of sight.
- Hypervelocity sabot round travels extremely fast (0.01c).
- Can put a hole in essentially anything that doesn't have serious shields.
- Can only shoot in the next best thing to a straight line (direct fire). Horizon is a barrier.
- Hypervelocity round tends to just go right through things, sometimes leaving tidy holes. That's why the second barrel is a heavy particle cannon (range 5km), which is often a better choice for straight-up demolition.
- Low and simple defenses; definitely requires protection, even more than the average artillery platform.
- For the love of all that's holy, do not try to shoot a moving target.
The Hypervelocity Artillery Platform (HARP) answers the NIO's request for a direct-fire self-propelled artillery option with a hypervelocity cannon. The resulting vehicle sacrifices an awful lot for the electrical power and systems capacity to run a full-sized HVC. The HARP has no bells nor whistles, and requires significant protection (e.g. air cover, area shield generator, defense against infantry). It doesn't even have a full-time repulsorlift system, relying instead on high-durability multi-terrain wheels. This makes it slow and clumsy by the standards of repulsorlift artillery vehicles. But, again, all these sacrifices are one hundred percent worth it for the capability to put a hole in the horizon or, with appropriate targeting support, reach out and touch some jerk in orbit.
