Approved Starship Taera Class Swarm Drone

[Darth Empyrean]

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[SIZE=9pt]OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION[/SIZE]

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  [SIZE=9pt]Intent: To provide a closed market with a rugged, adaptable, and capable droid fighter.[/SIZE]
  
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  [SIZE=9pt]Image Source: Here.[/SIZE]
  
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  [SIZE=9pt]Canon Link: N/A[/SIZE]
  
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  [SIZE=9pt]Restricted Missions: N/A[/SIZE]
  
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  [SIZE=9pt]Primary Source: Shadow Droid | Droid Tri-Fighter[/SIZE]
  

[SIZE=9pt]PRODUCTION INFORMATION[/SIZE]

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  [SIZE=9pt]Manufacturer: Jaeger Solutions │ Aegis Systems[/SIZE]
  
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  [SIZE=9pt]Model: Taera Class Swarm Drone[/SIZE]
  
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  [SIZE=9pt]Affiliation: [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Closed-Market [/SIZE]
  
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  [SIZE=9pt]Production: [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Mass-Produced.[/SIZE]
  
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  [SIZE=9pt]Material: Reinforced Duraplast[/SIZE]
  

[SIZE=9pt]TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS[/SIZE]

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  [SIZE=9pt]Classification: Droid Starfighter[/SIZE]
  
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  [SIZE=9pt]Length: 3.5m[/SIZE]
  
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  [SIZE=9pt]Width: 1.8m[/SIZE]
  
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  [SIZE=9pt]Height: 1.5m[/SIZE]
  
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  [SIZE=9pt]Armament:[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Very [/SIZE]Low
  
  [SIZE=9pt]​2x Solar Ionization Cannon (1/6th the power of Standard Blaster)[/SIZE]
  
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  1x Warhead Launcher With Single Payload Option:
  
  ​4x Vindicator XM-15 "Brilliant" Missile
  
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  4x Disruptor Torpedo
  
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  4x Discord Missile
  

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[SIZE=9pt]Defenses: [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Very Low[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Average [/SIZE](When At Full Power)

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  [SIZE=9pt]​SG-1012 “Waveform” Starfighter Shield[/SIZE]
  

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[SIZE=9pt]Squadron Count: 24 Ships[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=9pt]Maneuverability Rating: [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]High[/SIZE]

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Speed Rating: Moderate

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[SIZE=9pt]Hyperdrive Class: [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]None[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]SPECIAL FEATURES[/SIZE]

• [SIZE=9pt]Integrated Droid Brain w/ Heuristic Central Processor[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=9pt]Gabonna Memory Crystal Storage Unit[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=9pt]K-65 Targeting System[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=9pt]Gyroscopic Stabilizer[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=9pt]Aegis SH13LD & TunnelNet VPN[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=9pt]Hubris REED[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=9pt]Long-range Command and Control Node[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Strengths:[/SIZE]

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  [SIZE=9pt]Large Numbers - [/SIZE]
  
  [SIZE=9pt]Since the Taera is extremely small in its form, its entirely able to field a large amount of fighters with relative ease. Each squadron holds nearly thirty of each ship, and although small they are able to carry a powerful punch when working together. A cohesive leaning host is required to amplify their abilities, but when done they’re fully capable of overwhelming more traditional fleets and starfighters. [/SIZE]
  

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[SIZE=9pt]Intelligent - [/SIZE]

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  [SIZE=9pt]In regards to Aegis Systems, the Taera are capable of learning and adapting actively to any situation due to their Heuristic processors. This includes coming up against undefined enemies, tactics they have never before seen, and situations that are actively against them. It's a powerful ability, but one with its limits.[/SIZE]
  

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[SIZE=9pt]Remote Hacking - [/SIZE]

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  [SIZE=9pt]Within a certain range, each starfighter is capable of providing low level interference to surrounding enemy ships, ranging from a simple jostle or slowing of their control’s responses, to communication and sensory problems depending on the strength of the host ship. Should the host ship’s connection be lost, each remote hacking module would become useless as they are entirely dependent on the main ship for the operating system required to run the devices. This does have a notable cooldown of 45 seconds per 1 second of use, most notably because of the severe powerdrain of the device.[/SIZE]
  

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[SIZE=9pt]Agile - [/SIZE]

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  [SIZE=9pt]These ships are fast and dexterous, a needed requirement considering their close knit ‘swarm’ formations and otherwise low defensive and offensive nature. To compensate, they are fully pushed towards being able to avoid collisions with others of their kind, and outpacing enemy vessels of different sorts.[/SIZE]
  

[SIZE=9pt]Weaknesses:[/SIZE]

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  [SIZE=9pt]Fragile Individuality - [/SIZE]
  
  [SIZE=9pt]When separated from their formations, the Taera drone loses a large margin of its combat effectiveness. It’s unable to rely upon their mechanical compatriots for shield support and flanking maneuvers. [/SIZE]
  

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[SIZE=9pt]Low Offensive Capacity - [/SIZE]

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  [SIZE=9pt]Possessing low armament capabilities, the Taera only fields twin solar ionization cannons a sixth the strength of traditional blasters and a singular warhead launcher. While very functional in its own capacity, it's severely lacking in offensive firepower when compared to most modern starcraft.[/SIZE]
  

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[SIZE=9pt]No Hyperdrive - [/SIZE]

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  [SIZE=9pt]They’re entirely carrier dependent. Seeing Taera drones away from their hosts is an uncommon sight and removes a sense of independent operations from the grand scheme of things.[/SIZE]
  

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[SIZE=9pt]Slaved - [/SIZE]

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  [SIZE=9pt]The Taera-class Swarm Drones are entirely dependent on their host carriers. Many of them depend on Command and Control systems, so severing that connection with signal jamming or destroying their host ship ruins their cohesiveness. While still able to fight, they lose a considerable amount of combat efficiency.[/SIZE]
  

[SIZE=9pt]Description: [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]--Overview--[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]A long time coming, the Taera Swarm Drone is the full culmination of Jaeger’s starship experience, and Aegis Systems capacity to make excellent robots. A droid fighter focused entirely on niche tactics and fringe technology to better allow it an advantage in the changing environments of warfare across the galactic playing field; most notably in any carrier dominant fleet setup. Although fragile, the droid is fully able to commit itself to war with the best of them so long as it can remain in formation; outpacing more traditional starfighter fleets with ease.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]--Design--[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]The design of the Taera was one meant to create the perfect small form droid fighter in a mass production form factor. Cheap, reliable, and deadly, The Taera is a droid fighter on pair with the best of them; and a dangerous opponent for anyone who would hope otherwise. Every piece of this vessel was made with combat in mind, with no room to spare.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Beginning with the engines, a production version of the legendary P-SZ9.7 Twin Ion Engine was put on each vessel to better allow it to commit itself to the various maneuvers and speeds required of it. Creating one of the fastest ‘swarm’ droids available, the only limitations was the fact that the engine had to be downsized to better accommodate itself to the miniature form factor of the Taera and its equivalent price tag. Regardless of this however, it is still an exceptional ship considering its size and tactical ability in combat.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Past this, there was a number of high tech systems put aboard the Taera for its combat potential; but the most important by far was its long range connection to the ‘host’ ship. Domineered by a ‘Master / Slave’ connection, each droid is subjected to the whim of a droid operational center on the carrier or ship that it came from originally. This allows for complex maneuvers with relatively little experience on the heuristic processor, but also a glaring weakness should the vessel ever be cut off from said host by way of signal jamming or the loss of the original vessel. Should this happen, each ship would be reliant on its experience and knowledge alone, meaning that if they are relatively young droids then there would be an almost empty memory base to pull from; creating dumb vessels incapable of the strategic maneuvers and tactics meant to keep it up to par with traditional starfighters. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]--Armament--[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Relatively little can be said about the Taera’s disappointing armament, but enough to be considered reasonable. Armed with twin Solar Ionization Cannons, the Taera is capable of perpetrating sustained damage on any vessel it sees fit; able to bypass most shields entirely. This is a needed ability, as the actual power of the cannon itself is relatively low due to the need to adapt it to a separate form factor, so extra shots would otherwise be required to take down ships of moderate defensive capacity. In addition, it does hold a single warhead launcher with an ammo capacity of four backup warheads, depending on [/SIZE]load out[SIZE=9pt]. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Defensively, it is given a so named SG-1012 ‘Waveform’ Shield to better allow it to defend itself with its complicated and close knit formations preinstalled in the operating system of the droid. By themselves, each shield is relatively weak and unable to handle the concerns of war very much, however when they are kept in their predetermined formations and within proximity to each other, they create a dispersion field capable of handling heavy damage. This is entirely reliant on their ability to not be separated, and should this be done then they would cease to hold onto this value. In addition, all shots that are sent to them create a repulse of standard energy able to strike back at capital ships and starfighters alike, with a heavy blaster equivalency. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Its true power is its ability to shoot from many vessels at once at the same ship in question, creating a deadly onslaught for would be enemy squadrons. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]--Support Systems--[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Perhaps the true bread and butter of the droid starfighter lies within the many support systems riddled in its creation by Aegis Systems. With them being in charge of its many processor pieces, there was a certain level of ingenuity they were required to commit themselves to, to be truly proud of their creation. It was in this, they became truly proud.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]While it may hold many defensive measures against ion strikes and hacking attempts through VPN’s and the like, the real substance of the systems lies in the Hubris Reed, a remote hacking device capable of effecting a number of ships in the swarms path. Able to connect to enemy vessels with a ‘Command & Control’ structure, they are able to manipulate their controls and systems in ways that they would not otherwise be able to commit themselves to. This creates an electronic warfare aspect to an already strong combatant ship.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]This ability however does have a glaring weakness; its reliance on a host computer to process all hacking information. The Hubris Reed may be able to connect the starfighters to their enemies, but it's the host that actually alters the coding and uploads injection commands to overtake them in their entirety. Should this connection ever be cut off, the Hubris Reed would be completely useless in the grand scheme; creating useless weight on an otherwise small formed starfighter.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]--Summary--[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]To finish, the Taera is a starfighter capable of serious punishment, but it is a glass cannon. Although powerful, there are a number of restriction that keep it balanced, yet ahead of the game in many aspects. As the galaxy moves into an era of war once more, it will be Jaeger and Aegis bringing them the next weapon to kill their enemies with, all the while making a significant profit off their hatred.[/SIZE]

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[Gir Quee]

Under Review.

 

[Gir Quee]

Armament: Low ​1x Solar Ionization Cannon

--Armament-- Relatively little can be said about the Taera’s disappointing armament, but enough to be considered reasonable. Armed with a single Solar Ionization Cannon, the Taera is capable of perpetrating sustained damage on any vessel it sees fit; able to bypass most shields entirely. This is a needed ability, as the actual power of the cannon itself is relatively low due to the need to adapt it to a separate form factor, so extra shots would otherwise be required to take down ships of moderate defensive capacity.

I'm really hesitant about approving a mass-produced fighter armed with a solar ionization cannon, and then, just by its ability to bypass shields, I'm not really sure if we could use the low rating for this. I would like to hear more detail about its actual power. How would it compare to a standard laser cannon in terms of damage dealt against an unshielded target?

Squadron Count: 47 Ships

This seems a bit high to me. Let's consider the squadron count description:

The average squadron for any starfighter is 12, at lengths averaging 12.5 meters.

This means that an average squadron has something like ~150 meters of total meterage to work with(12 * 12.5 = 150). So if we divide the 150 meters by the Taera's length(3.5), we get ~43 ships.

SPECIAL FEATURES Integrated Droid Brain w/ Heuristic Central Processor Gabonna Memory Crystal Storage Unit K-65 Targeting System Gyroscopic Stabilizer Aegis SH13LD & TunnelNet VPN Hubris REED Long-range Command and Control Node

For ease of reference, could you please hyperlink these items to their submissions or wookieepedia articles?


Overall thought: Squadron count currently isn't factored into the ratings system, which can make ships that are really small (like the Taera) difficult to compare to more typical snubfighters for balance purposes. So while an individual Taera is probably close to being equivalent in ratings performance to a standard starfighter one-on-one, it doesn't account that for every normal starfighter
there are four Taeras. This creates an obvious balance issue

So with that said, I would a combination of one or more ratings being lowered and/or the squadron count being reduced.

I am also open to other ideas that you may have to help balance this out.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

I'm really hesitant about approving a mass-produced fighter armed with a solar ionization cannon, and then, just by its ability to bypass shields, I'm not really sure if we could use the low rating for this. I would like to hear more detail about its actual power. How would it compare to a standard laser cannon in terms of damage dealt against an unshielded target?

Understandably, a solar ionization cannon is reasonably scary on something like this. To balance that, the cannon does low damage to armor alone; and while able to still melt durasteel it certainly is unable to match up to any standard heavy blaster; let alone standard laser cannons. To put it into numbers, it is a 1/6th of the strength for the same duration of shot, requiring a full squadron to take on an otherwise well armed enemy starfighter squadron.

This means that an average squadron has something like ~150 meters of total meterage to work with(12 * 12.5 = 150). So if we divide the 150 meters by the Taera's length(3.5), we get ~43 ships.

Apologies. I though I did my math right, and was sitting at 47; so after rechecking I'll correct it to the 43 mentioned.

So with that said, I would a combination of one or more ratings being lowered and/or the squadron count being reduced.

I can even it out to 40 on the squadron count and drop the armament or speed if you prefer. While squadron count is certainly not accounted for in the scheme of things, this is not meant to fight regular fighters one on one in terms of its defenses and armament; only in its speed and maneuverability. It is entirely dependent on others being around it to be able to perform even semi-on par, and would require 7 in any localized area to serve the equivalent threat of an interceptor.

At the end of the day though, the balancing is up to you. Anything else, or would you prefer something else changed? I'm more than willing to work on the rest of this if needed.

 

[Gir Quee]

[member="The Slave"}, I do apologize for the wait. I wanted to think about this for a bit and speak to other factory staff to get their input before moving on.



[QUOTE=The Slave] Understandably, a solar ionization cannon is reasonably scary on something like this. To balance that, the cannon does low damage to armor alone; and while able to still melt durasteel it certainly is unable to match up to any standard heavy blaster; let alone standard laser cannons. To put it into numbers, it is a 1/6th of the strength for the same duration of shot, requiring a full squadron to take on an otherwise well armed enemy starfighter squadron. [/QUOTE]
Put something to that effect in the description, and I think we can work with that. Essentially, it will allow the Taera to start immediately damaging craft right away, but it also less efficient time-wise in damaging or destroying things compared to traditional laser cannon weapons. I think that is a fair tradeoff.



[QUOTE=The Slave] I can even it out to 40 on the squadron count and drop the armament or speed if you prefer. While squadron count is certainly not accounted for in the scheme of things, this is not meant to fight regular fighters one on one in terms of its defenses and armament; only in its speed and maneuverability. It is entirely dependent on others being around it to be able to perform even semi-on par, and would require 7 in any localized area to serve the equivalent threat of an interceptor. [/QUOTE]
We may have to adjust the relatively strength of the Taera slightly then. The starship template has a cookiee cutter example for a droid fighter which gives a squadron count of 24 for something like the canon [URL="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Variable_Geometry_Self-Propelled_Battle_Droid%2C_Mark_I/Legends"]Vulture[/URL], which is close in size to this ship. Because of that, I would recommend dropping squadron count to 28. With that said, I would also add an additional weapon to the Taera's armament list(like a single laser cannon or small warhead launcher), which will also make it more competent against other fighters. It's arguable I think that the inclusion of the Hubris system could count as armanent, or at least partially offset some of this disadvantage as well. Let's talk about that.

Remote Hacking - Within a certain range, each starfighter is capable of providing low level interference to surrounding enemy ships, ranging from a simple jostle or slowing of their control’s responses, to full blown deactivations depending on the strength of the host ship. Should the host ship’s connection be lost, each remote hacking module would become useless as they are entirely dependent on the main ship for the operating system required to run the devices.

Hacking is one of those things that can be difficult to balance, because a successful infiltration can be far more catastrophic than any normal, conventional weapon. Fortunately, we sort of have a canon guide for this from Galactic Starfighter with their NEEDLE remote slicing unit. Based on that canon tech and the Hubris REED submission (which states that it's power hungry), I would like to see a cooldown built into its use. For reference, in Galactic starfighter, for base use, the cooldown appears to be 45 seconds for 1 second of use (reference is here). This will allow Taeras to occasionally and briefly cause minor system malfunctions in opposing ships at just the right time during a dogfight. I think that complete, full blown deactivations will not be possible given the number of these starships being fielded at this production level, especially with its high squadron size.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Put something to that effect in the description, and I think wecan work with that. Essentially, it will allow the Taera to start immediately damaging craft right away, but it also less efficient time-wise in damaging or destroying things compared to traditional laser cannon weapons. I think that is a fair tradeoff.

Done.

We may have to adjust the relatively strength of the Taera slightly then. The starship template has a cookiee cutter example for a droid fighter which gives a squadron count of 24 for something like the canon Vulture, which is close in size to this ship. Because of that, I would recommend dropping squadron count to 28. With that said, I would also add an additional weapon to the Taera's armament list(like a single laser cannon or small warhead launcher), which will also make it more competent against other fighters. It's arguable I think that the inclusion of the Hubris system could count as armanent, or at least partially offset some of this disadvantage as well. Let's talk about that.

To compare, The Vulture drone has six to seven times (standard) as many weapons and standard shielding that'll better protect it in one on one combat. In addition, it is even capable of providing land support by landing and using its other weaponry. While they may have a squadron count of 28, for the Taera to even compare it would have to be significantly larger in the amount used. This was a weakness taken into account to better facilitate such a large number, being why its a 'Swarm' Drone.

Considering that, I'm willing to drop the Solar Ionization cannon and another rating in exchange for that higher squadron count, as it is pretty dependent on having a massive amount of ships to stand on par. Is there something that can be worked out in this regard?

Hacking is one of those things that can be difficult to balance, because a successful infiltration can be far more catastrophic than any normal, conventional weapon. Fortunately, we sort of have a canon guide for this from Galactic Starfighter with their NEEDLE remote slicing unit. Based on that canon tech and the Hubris REED submission (which states that it's power hungry), I would like to see a cooldown built into its use. For reference, in Galactic starfighter, for base use, the cooldown appears to be 45 seconds for 1 second of use (reference is here). This will allow Taeras to occasionally and briefly cause minor system malfunctions in opposing ships at just the right time during a dogfight. I think that complete, full blown deactivations will not be possible given the number of these starships being fielded at this production level, especially with its high squadron size.

Also done. The cooldown phase seems entirely reasonable, and I'll add it in.

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

To compare, The Vulture drone has six to seven times (standard) as many weapons and standard shielding that'll better protect it in one on one combat. In addition, it is even capable of providing land support by landing and using its other weaponry. While they may have a squadron count of 28, for the Taera to even compare it would have to be significantly larger in the amount used. This was a weakness taken into account to better facilitate such a large number, being why its a 'Swarm' Drone. Considering that, I'm willing to drop the Solar Ionization cannon and another rating in exchange for that higher squadron count, as it is pretty dependent on having a massive amount of ships to stand on par. Is there something that can be worked out in this regard?

At this time, I can unfortunately not permit a squadron count higher than 28.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

[member="Gir Quee"]

Understood. To rebalance the submission I put the prior changes for the squadron count back, and added a single solar ionization cannon and a single warhead launcher to each; since the number of fighters was cut by nearly half.

 

[Gir Quee]

We're solid on concept now, we just need to edit some areas to match what we've talked about.

Each squadron holds nearly fifty of each ship, and although small they are able to carry a powerful punch when working together.

This should be updated to the new squadron count.

to full blown deactivations depending on the strength of the host ship

This should also be changed to something else, like communication or sensor problems.

Low Offensive Capacity - Possessing low armament capabilities, the Taera only fields a single solar ionization cannon. While very functional in its own capacity, it's severely lacking in offensive firepower when compared to most modern starcraft.

Armed with a single Solar Ionization Cannon, the Taera is capable of perpetrating sustained damage on any vessel it sees fit; able to bypass most shields entirely. This is a needed ability, as the actual power of the cannon itself is relatively low due to the need to adapt it to a separate form factor, so extra shots would otherwise be required to take down ships of moderate defensive capacity.

I'd update these areas to talk about the increased armament.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

[member="Gir Quee"]

Updated all issues.

 

[Gir Quee]

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

 

[Ellie Mors]

Squadron Count: 28 Ships

Production: Mass-Produced.

A squadron size of 28 is too large for mass production, including with the ratings you've provided.

Here is one configuration of the maximum a droid fighter can have, ratings-wise, with a squadron size of 24 at mass production, as per our example in the template:

For additional clarity, 28 as a squadron size is considered the equivalent of an Extreme rating, which we do not allow in mass produced submissions for balance purposes.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

[member="Nadja"]

Updated squadron count once more.

 

[Ellie Mors]

[member="The Slave"]
Looking over your armaments listed, the amount of weapons you have matches a Very low rating. If you change the rating to reflect the contents of the submission it will round out the submission (no need to change the actual weapons) and justify the increased maneuverability. Following that this submission will be immediately approved.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

[member="Nadja"]

Updated once more. Everything look good now?

 

[Ellie Mors]

Approved.