Location: Omicron Gamma, Planet Crete
Sender: Trueno Benitez
Recipent: La Familia
Hermanos y Hermanas,
i have good novedades, aftter all these set up and delivery problems whe had ...not to forget all the pesetos they ate....the scientific crew on board the Penelope -finally- has some results to share with us. It has been a long way, but the head of the science commitee personally assured my that they do have multiple sets of armaments with different setups in a workable prototype state and condition.
Thus i ordered to have these new prototypes installed in different Corsair fightercraft, this process should be done and bueno in the coming days.
Each of you will get personalized access keys handed out complete with a logbook. What the familia needs you to do is test these ships to their limits and comment on their performance after each flight, so those hombres in their labcoats know what the pilotas need, si? Bueno!
I expect the reports in this folder, so improvements can be steamlined ...oh, and before i forget- all ships will be equipped with improved self destruction devices so no technolgy can leak IF - and i don`t want that to happen- one of the experimental ships gets destroyed or captured. Do not dock these ships anywhere but on Corsair bases or there will be fireworks and months of work lost!
As soon as the complete ship listing is available i will let you know, so prepare those flightsuits!
Location: Omicron Gamma, Planet Crete
Sender: Trueno Benitez
Recipent: La Familia
Hermanos y Hermanas,
the deed is done - the scientists and tech crew on board the Penelope research ship have set up a score of fightercraft fully equipped with sets of our new prototypes.
For exact flight instructions review your mission board! IT is mandatory to collecte as much and especially complete data on the ships usage and the different performances! Therefore, please take this form as a guideline:
Piloto: Benitez-Prototipo numero: Test duration and location: Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Personal Performance Review:
For any questions or feedback please direct your questions back to me as the science staff had some loco complains about wanting to work in peace and quiet...
Now go out there and get those ships to the limit!!!
Piloto: Trueno Benitez-Prototipo numero: Tres Test duration and location: Omicron Gamma, 30 min Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Counter-raid Personal Performance Review:
The Titan performed well-all systems were stable and normal. Energy capacitators worked fine even in the prototype state . Gun synching was impossible due to a severe difference in projectile speed. The new guns were vastly superior to aim in quick maneuvers and made up single shot damage by a rapid refire. No gun overheating noticeable.
Engagement was ended before combat was over to not damage the new ship.
Piloto: Trueno
Benitez-Prototipo numero: Uno
Test duration and location: Omega 47, 30 min
Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Patrol
Personal Performance Review:
The installed guns had a perfect match-up with the Coladas and showed a good efficiency in head on charges, though on prolonged chases the guns overheated and had a bit of energy loss- all in all they didn't fulfill our requirements on patrol duty, unreliability on long treks is a no go. for the use in battle a review is still needed.
Piloto: Trueno
Benitez-Prototipo numero: Dos
Test duration and location: Omega 47, 30 min
Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Patrol
Personal Performance Review:
These loco scientists!! Didn't they make a trial run? The core energy transmitter almost melted down with these, i had to lower the energy transfer severely making my ship almost defenseless in a huge furball. Proceed with caution- maybe usable in duels of honor- the sound is brutal and frightening.
Piloto: Trueno
Benitez-Prototipo numero: Tres
Test duration and location: Omicron Gamma, 45 min
Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Patrol
Personal Performance Review:
The second run on this ship showed that while it performs bueno on unshielded targets, the mismatch of projcetile speeds makes deshielding quite tough. One there the damage slow and steadily eats up the target as wished. Against gunboats, the damage output is absolutely insufficient and not recommended.
Piloto: Trueno
Benitez-Prototipo numero: Cuatro
Test duration and location: Omicron Gamma, 45 min
Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Patrol
Personal Performance Review:
What a charm- against Manta patrols the mismatch between the Coladas and the Prototypes was low enough to deshield rapidamente- and the Prototypes pack enough punch to chew up those gringos very fast. The core was stable, no action was required on my part.
Piloto: Trueno
Benitez-Prototipo numero: Seis
Test duration and location: Omega 47, 45 min
Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Patrol
Personal Performance Review:
The Gladiator could make good use of these rapid firing guns, it makes it much more agile and reactive in combat. Downside is the lack in deshielding capacity so far- the installed Razor helps yet i am not sure how to balance these weak biting guns to make a proper job when equipped with a shieldbuster.
Piloto: Trueno
Benitez-Prototipo numero: Siete
Test duration and location: Omega 47, 45 min
Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Patrol
Personal Performance Review:
While having a huge damage potential these guns have severe problems with their energy to heat ratio, overloading the supply conductors- only workable if we find out where this problema comes from.
Piloto: Trueno
Benitez-Prototipo numero: Ocho
Test duration and location: Omega 47, 45 min
Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Patrol
Personal Performance Review:
Madre mio !! Who set this ship up?? The Decurion is barely able to even scratch someones shield. SI- you CAN hit constantly with these guns...but what use is it if it only tickles your opponent?? Give me something bigger and better!
Piloto: Trueno
Benitez-Prototipo numero: Ocho
Test duration and location: Omicron Gamma, 20 min
Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Unintended
Personal Performance Review:
I tried to bring this heap to its developer...seems some gringos sneaked into Omicron Gamma, so i did my best to help bringing the trash out. That meant taking CD duty and trying to annoy those hessian scumbags. I came away unscratched the enemy defeated, still this ship is ridiculous.
Piloto: Trueno
Benitez-Prototipo numero: Nueve
Test duration and location: Omega 47, 45 min
Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Patrol
Personal Performance Review:
This Centurion performs similar to the Gladiator equivalent, fast and sleek, the combination with the energy tame guns makes a muy bueno set up, worth delving deeper into.
Piloto: Trueno
Benitez-Prototipo numero: Cuatro
Test duration and location: Omicron Eta, 1h min
Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Raid
Personal Performance Review:
As this was one of the more promising setups i took this bebito to Omicron eta, with the support of proud warriors of the Brotherhood and the CC. Our sortie was aimed at one of those Stations our cowardly brethren have there...where we promptly found a fighter squad. We engaged caused havoc and fled as the tides were turning. As on the patrols, this military engagement profited from the agility boos the whole titan receives due to these rapid and fast guns. Very promising.
Piloto: Valeria Benitez-Prototipo numero: Nueve Test duration and location: Omicron Gamma, 30 min Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): (Gamma-) Raid Personal Performance Review:
The centurion is already fun to fly but with those travelling and fast firing weapons it because sooo much easier to aim. It honestly is a world of difference. Suddenly those agile hessian ship became easy to hit the only down side was that the prototype weapons lacked any serious damage potential. But when refined these look very promising. Then most important thing projectile speed making the real difference here.
That or we have to refit our salamancas again to travel faster in favor of some firepower. When flying the prototype I realized that with the current developments in engine tech or fighter maneuverability our weapons are simply too slow to keep up. Maybe if they were powerful plasma cannons that really pack a punch when they hit like the rheinlanders use or the distant liberty navy, but ours are none of that sort. We have semi fast firing neutron cannons and those have to be faster than plasma cannons which seem to be the slowest you can get.
At any regard these prototypes look very promising and should we be able to create a working version might solve the problems we have with the projectile speed problems we have with our current weapons.
Piloto: Trueno
Benitez-Prototipo numero: Tres
Test duration and location: Omicron Theta, 15 min
Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Patrol
Personal Performance Review:
While on a routine patrole i encountered a Corsair in distress, being attacked by aGolden Chrysantemum flagged independent pirate. I jumped in for the assist and as in the previous tests chasing down an enemies craft is a cakewalk. The deshielding was provided by the other Corsario so i didn't ahve to struggle with messed gun speeds. The independend pirate was destroyed, test sucessful.
Piloto: Tiberio Benitez Benitez-Prototipo numero: Nueve Test duration and location: 40 min. O Gamma, O 41 and O47 Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended):
Patrol, Batleship Fes defense wing against an unexpected Red Hessain incursion
Personal Performance Review:
As you may know hermanos, i never piloted a Titan. I'm an interceptor and support wing, This is why i preferred to do the testing with "prototipo" 9.
I was recording data to the onboard computer when a small red Hessain patrol detected me and the rest of the Battleship defense wing Nº 4. So i had to stop recording and engage as fast as I was able. Since the prototipo ship received some butllets part of the data was lost, but what i can say you are a pair of things;
First one: The speed of this weaponry is amazing, but need some fixes. The cadence was arrhythmic, I never saw such situation before, I supose this is due the "prototipos" are still not finished?
Second one: Dunno the performance with Titans, but this equipment mounted in Centurions are too powerful in terms of energy consumption. I know these are only prototypes, but my sugestion would be to work also for a second line. Pherhaps weaken but most eficiency (in terms of energy) guns for light ships in order to make aviable this new weaponry system for interceptors and light crafts.
Piloto: Valeria Benitez-Prototipo numero: Diez Test duration and location: Omega 47, 30 min Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Patrol Personal Performance Review:
These experimental still weapons need work. Their energy use is off the charts and the projectile speed is no better than that of our salamanca's or tizonas.
But apart from that this weapon is very promising. Not only does it sport a nice refire rate, it also is very powerful already considering how much work it still needs. Photon in nature, the color also was a very nice match for our craft. If this weapon is more refined it could become the next corsair weapon.
Piloto: Pavlos
Benitez-Prototipo numero: Diez
Test duration and location: Omega 47, 30 min
Field of testing(Patrol, Raid, Piracy or Unintended): Patrol
Personal Performance Review:
For some reason, hermanos, you cannot seem to tell the difference between the words 'to' and 'by'. Power output reduced 'to' 10% means that your powercore is 10% of normal. Power output reduced 'by' 10% means that the powercore is 90% of normal. This can make quite a difference.
I took instructions from the mission commission aboard Battleship Fes, restocked the mines (hmmm, not quite enough cash to fill her up) climbed into that prototype, and launched into space.
"Incompatible Technology Detected - Reducing power output to 10%".
Wishing myself luck, I flew off towards the waypoint. Apparently some bounty hunter has been a thorn in our side for too long, and I was there to teach him a lesson he wasn't going to forget. Ever. At the co-ordinates, one of his minions warned me that if I wanted the boss, I had to come through him.
"Okay", I said, but the rude gringo didn't even reply.
The shield busters installed were magnificent at reducing his shield to a fit of sparks, but, the remaining powercore was so low, when I switched weapons groups to fire the secondaries, I barely had enough power to fire one gun. Flying around for a while, to rebuild the powercore, I noticed that his shield was recharging faster, which meant that this was not a battle I could win with these tactics.
I switched to the shieldbuster weapons group, and dropped a nuclear mine in his face with a sense of timing that I rarely portray, but always admire - even if I'm on the receiving end of it.
The big bad bunter must have heard the dieing scream of his minion cut off in mid-choke by the explosive decompression engendered by the high-capacity payload of the mine, for no sooner had the echoes of his death-rattle faded away, a new voice piped up on local comms:
"You're no match for me".
"Quite possibly, but not in the way your febrile imagination has concocted".
This, like my earlier retort, was completely ignored. It's very hard to gain a psychological advantage if they do not reply.
The dogfight was quickly joined, and predicably, his shield dropped within seconds, but I was not able to scratch the hull. On the second attempt, his shield was stripped, and the mine was released, but the stupid cruise disruptor didn't detonate the mine. As soon as his electronics were back on-line, he retreated, and the mission commission helpfully supplied a way-point. I followed closely behind.
At the way-point, things got interesting: I was still facing the first wave of minions, as well as the escorts that arrived with the boss. Now there was a further wave of ships, bringing the total to 18 Vs 1.
"Fun times" I thought, and dove into the battle.
Now, please understand me, I hate fighting in asteroid fields at the best of times - your target is either hiding behind a rock, so your shots are wasted, or they blithely fly into a rock - strangely taking minimal damage - and all of your careful manoeuvring to get into position for the money shot has gone to waste. Of course, if you try to repeat the same pilot error, you rebound in a completely different direction with much more damage. Lastly, there is of course the possibility that you hit one of those tiny tiny asteroids that are so dense that you rebound of it, and not the other way around.
Which is how I broke the prototype.
I removed his shield, I lined up on him, I dropped the mine, I engaged thrusters, I flew into one of those pesky rocks, I rebounded backwards, I detonated the mine, I woke up in the emergency life pod - thank you so much for installing one of those by the way, it gave me a nice quiet place to write my flight report. If you send a repair ship out to C6, you should be able to recover the remaining pieces of the hull.
SUMMARY
1) Weapons
Plenty of hardpoints, and in good dispersal. However, for adequate testing of these weapons, either;
a) install a larger powercore/install them on a ship with a larger powercore
b) disable the ship's AI so it cannot identify these weapons as anything other than normal.
2) Powercore
See 1) Weapons
3) Agility
The agility of these craft is very impressive. I was able to easily swerve around weapons fire and asteroids - apart from one, of course.
4) Proportions
The wide, flat profile means that the 'Corsair Turn' is still possible
5) Hull
Weak resistance to mine damage arising from the stern - perhaps increase the armour plating here.
6) Emergency Systems
Excellent; of all the pilots who tested them, 100% are completely satisfied with their performance.