Approved Tech ICM-001 - Ion Space Mine

[Darth Bellum]

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OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create a hyperspace jump denial zone for use by The Sith Empire to prevent enemy ships from making jumps to hyperspace while within the affected area.
• Image Source: [ Half Life - Roller Mine ]
• Canon Link: N/A
• Restricted Missions: N/A
• Primary Source: EMP-X1 Field Array

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: The Sith Empire
• Model: ICM-001
• Affiliation: The Sith Empire
• Modularity: N/A
• Production: Minor
• Material: Durasteel, Combat De-Ionizer, Blast Energy Sink, Optical Shield

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Space Mine
• Size: Ship Deployed
• Length: 3m
• Weight: 200 kg
• Ammunition Type: Power Core
• Ammunition Capacity: 30 seconds of active Ion Field generation
• Effective Range: Battlefield [500m]
• Rate of Fire: Single Activation

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Ion Field Generator
• Sensor Jammer
• Cloaked
• Thrusters
• Faraday Cage

Strengths:

• [Ion Field] - The ICM-001 is in essence, a floating generator that creates an ionized field in space. Any ship that passes through it suffers from varying degrees of severity based on their resistance to ion fields, though the end result will usually result in hinderances to ship functions that prevent them from operating at peak efficiency or make systems more prone to malfunctions. As a result, when afflicted by ion weaponry, specifically to engines that prevent jumps to hyperspace. This affects a 500m radius for thirty seconds before running out of power.
• [False-Positive] The ICM-001 has a dual layer of defense to prevent being located and avoided easily. The first layer of defense is its cloaked nature which enables it to remain hidden from sight. The second layer of defense is a jamming sensor that floods enemy sensors with false positives, marking over a dozen points where the ICM-001 could be.

Weaknesses:

• [Indiscriminate] - When triggered, the effects of the ICM-001 are indiscriminate. Any ship, whether they are friend or foe, will be subject to the effects of the ion field radius and be left without full engine power.
• [Nuisance] - While built to pose as much of a nuisance to enemy ship systems as it can, the ICM-001 lacks any real destructive force as a space mine. It in no way shape or form provides the full destructive force of any other produced space-based mine currently on the market.
• [Clearance] - The ICM-001 only affects whatever ships are directly within its radius. Anything outside of the field will not be affected or hindered whatsoever.

DESCRIPTION

The ICM-001 is a mine designed and manufactured by the Sith Empire meant to be deployed in space engagements, providing a two-fold function; the disruption of an enemy's retreat or to provide a line of defense to cover the retreat of the Sith Empire's vessels. The ICM-001 is designed to be difficult to locate and target, forcing enemies to either attack all false positive signals that fill their sensors in the hopes of hitting the mine to disable it or finding an alternate way around ICM-001 minefields.

The ICM-001 is encased in a reinforced durasteel shell around a faraday cage, forged in a honeycomb-like structure around a delicate interior. Rods can extend out from the main body of the ECM-001 to allow for the Ionization field to be deployed. The activation system is primed once the mine is deployed, either via a remote detonation sequence or proximity based sensors. The ICM-001 is typically cloaked before deployment to avoid being spotted immediately.

ICM-001's are programmed with IFF receptors and will not trigger in the vicinity of any ship marked as one under The Sith Empire, but once a signal that is not registered comes within range, their cloak is dropped and the power is diverted to thrusters that cause the mine to move into detonation range. Once in range, the ICM-001 is activated and deploys an ionization field over a large radius of 500 meters.

 

[Gir Quee]

Under Review.

 

[Gir Quee]

I'd recommend using the ranged weapon template for this submission.

Cloaked

What kind of cloaking device is this? (Hibridium, stygium, sensor mask, etc)

[Ion Field] - The ICM-001 is in essence, a floating generator that creates an ionized field in space. Any ship that passes through it suffers from functional loss of usual ship functions when afflicted by ion weaponry, specifically to engines that prevent jumps to hyperspace.

How big of an area of effect does this field have? How long is the duration of the field once the mine is triggered?

For reference, here are the statistics pulled directly from the game itself for the EMPX1 Field Array:

Component Id="-8170819501756439627">

<Fqn>sys_rep_scout_emp_field_scs.rep_scout.speed_a</Fqn>
<Name>EMP Field</Name>


<Description>
GSI's EMP-X1 field array emits an electromagnetic pulse-wave that disables all hostile drones and ships' system components within its ample radius for a moderate duration. The pulse-wave will obliterate mines, batter drones, and reduce the effectiveness of starship sensors and targeting systems.
</Description>




<Ability Id="16141054345204932562">

<Fqn NodeId="16141054345204932562">abl.spvp.systems.emp_field</Fqn>
<Name Id="3362078924472320">EMP Field</Name>


<Description Id="3362078924472321" OldValue="Causes an electromagnetic pulse around your ship that will damage and disable all hostile mines and drones in a 4500m radius for 15 seconds. Hostile ships caught in the pulse will have their accuracy reduced by 10%, their sensor and communication range reduced by 5000m, and their system ability disabled for 15 seconds. ">
Causes an electromagnetic pulse around your ship that will damage and disable all hostile mines and drones in a 4500m radius for 10 seconds. Hostile ships caught in the pulse will have their accuracy reduced by 10%, their sensor and communication range reduced by 5000m, and their system ability disabled for 10 seconds. Additionally, your ship's evasion is increased by 10% for 4 seconds.

 

[Darth Bellum]

It's an optical cloak, that hides it from line of sight with the exception of any visual disruptions that might make it appear out of place against it is in front/behind. It hides from sensors due to the sensor jammer.

The area of effect is 500m since these are supposed to deploy in numbers. This is mentioned in the description. I probably should clarify that the time it lasts for is probably 30 seconds.

Would you prefer I make the change to ranged weapons format before continuing?

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

It's an optical cloak, that hides it from line of sight with the exception of any visual disruptions that might make it appear out of place against it is in front/behind. It hides from sensors due to the sensor jammer.

I'd recommend linking to the optical shield, holo-graphic image disguiser, other tech(Chaos or canon), or further flesh out the description of the system.

The area of effect is 500m since these are supposed to deploy in numbers. This is mentioned in the description. I probably should clarify that the time it lasts for is probably 30 seconds. Would you prefer I make the change to ranged weapons format before continuing?

Yes please. The rough size of this is likely going to have an impact on its abilities.

 

[Darth Bellum]

Edits have been made to accommodate. Is there anything else that needs clarification or editing?

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

Edits have been made to accommodate. Is there anything else that needs clarification or editing?

It looks like it's still in the general tech template instead of the ranged weapons template.

 

[Darth Bellum]

It looks like it's still in the general tech template instead of the ranged weapons template.

I was a bit perplexed at the need to use a ranged weapons template considering that it is a mine, which in essence is a bomb more so than it is a "ranged weapon". Is it necessary to be using that format?

 

[Gir Quee]

I was a bit perplexed at the need to use a ranged weapons template considering that it is a mine, which in essence is a bomb more so than it is a "ranged weapon". Is it necessary to be using that format?

If it was a handheld bomb, I could maybe agree. However, the concept of range (area of effect) is important to its use and relative power. Similarly, the size of this weapon is also going to be key to how it is deployed. This is probably why the last two approved space mines that I see (here and here) use the ranged weapons template.

If you feel uncomfortable with generating these fields, I can offer various suggestions for each, along with strengths and disadvantages of various options.

 

[Darth Bellum]

Technical Specs added to convert it to ranged weapon template added.

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

On to fine-tuning then.

Any ship that passes through it suffers from functional loss of usual ship functions when afflicted by ion weaponry, specifically to engines that prevent jumps to hyperspace. This affects a 500m radius for thirty seconds before running out of power.

I'm concerned that this will be interpreted as dictated damage, particularly the "functional loss of usual ship functions" kind of sounds to me that the ship loses of all functionality. Based on the ingame effects for the EMP-F1, we see reduced performance and the blocking of "special abilities" granted by ship components. This description also doesn't take into account ships that are designed with ion protection (ion shields, farraday cages, cap drains, etc). I'd probably word this as something like can cause malfunctions among various systems, to include the ship's hyperdrive/navicomputer. This continues to make it dangerous for a ship to jump (even a minor malfunction is dangerous for hyperspaee travel), but it gives writers room to take into account the various design features of their ship.

The second layer of defense is a jamming sensor that floods enemy sensors with false positives, marking over a dozen points where the ICM-001 could be.

Nothing wrong with this, but bear in mind that sensors will eventually cut through jamming by either duration, or by the sheer power difference between the sensor power of a large starship verses a small jammer carried by this mine.

 

[Darth Bellum]

Sorry about the repetitive nature of that initial sentence. Must have been having a brain fart and it just completely slipped past me. Edited the sentence in question to something a little more malleable as follows below.

Any ship that passes through it suffers from varying degrees of severity based on their resistance to ion fields, though the end result will usually result in hinderances to ship functions that prevent them from operating at peak efficiency or make systems more prone to malfunctions.

Addressing the second bit, I am aware that people are going to eventually be able to cut through the jamming and figure out where they are positioned. In fact, it is expected that they at the very least be doing so to avoid spending half a minute adrift inside of an ion field. It also usually goes without saying that vessels without specialized sensor equipment won't have any simple time detecting them either, regardless of difference. It's a very similar example with all the stealth ships I saw the SJO using during the invasion of Mirial where none of them were detected bypassing our fleet.

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

Awesome. Pending Secondary Approval. Thanks! [member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Ellie Mors]

Approved.