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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
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Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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 Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2018 5:25 pm Post subject: Concept: Imperial Sky Fort |
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So, I don't have stats for this one, but the idea has been rattling around in my head for a bit.
What I'm picturing is a mobile base that floats in the skies over a planet as part of an occupation. Think a smaller version of the mothership from the original V series, a disc ~250-300 meters in diameter. It's not hyperspace capable, and is deployed from orbit into a planet's atmosphere, but moves effortlessly - if slowly - to any point over a planet's surface. It is heavily armed, armored and shielded against attack, and carries both TIE Fighters for defense and patrol, and heavily armed airspeeders for troop deployment. Ground troops and vehicles can also be deployed and recovered directly through the use of tractor chutes.
I have really decided what route I wanted to take with this; it could be as simple as a modified Prefab Garrison Base that just happens to be able to fly, too. Either way, an ominous flying castle hovering over a city, popping out TIE Fighters and stormtroopers on flight-packs with little or no warning has a certain appeal. For now, I just wanted to get the idea out there and see what people think.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
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Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:49 pm Post subject: Re: Concept: Imperial Sky Fort |
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| CRMcNeill wrote: | So, I don't have stats for this one, but the idea has been rattling around in my head for a bit.
What I'm picturing is a mobile base that floats in the skies over a planet as part of an occupation. Think a smaller version of the mothership from the original V series, a disc ~250-300 meters in diameter. It's not hyperspace capable, and is deployed from orbit into a planet's atmosphere, but moves effortlessly - if slowly - to any point over a planet's surface. It is heavily armed, armored and shielded against attack, and carries both TIE Fighters for defense and patrol, and heavily armed airspeeders for troop deployment. Ground troops and vehicles can also be deployed and recovered directly through the use of tractor chutes.
I have really decided what route I wanted to take with this; it could be as simple as a modified Prefab Garrison Base that just happens to be able to fly, too. Either way, an ominous flying castle hovering over a city, popping out TIE Fighters and stormtroopers on flight-packs with little or no warning has a certain appeal. For now, I just wanted to get the idea out there and see what people think. |
We have Cloud City so this concepts sounds Star Warsy, but I don't really see the need for this. If the garrison itself doesn't need to be mobile, drop the ground (or aquatic) garrison. It can still launch air and space vehicles from it. If the Empire needs to have the forces of a garrison be more mobile, then just fly a ship around as needed. Imp star destroyers can hover above cities and they have everything in a garrison since they have garrisons. If the Empire doesn't want to have leave an entire star destroyer, they could have smaller ships that have all the stuff a garrison does. I just don't see a need for a floating garrison that has major repulsorlift tech but doesn't also fly to and from space.
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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
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Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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I think it would have a powerful psychological effect, as well. In particular, mid-to-low-tech planets would be particularly impressed / cowed by an actual physical thing in the sky. A ship in orbit won't have that same effect. And while a ship could have that effect by simply operating in the lower atmosphere where it can be clearly seen from the ground, it's not the use a ship is designed for. Something like this would be deployed to a planet long-term, and wouldn't need the added expenses of ion drives, hyperdrives, and so on and so forth.
I'm not thinking it should replace garrison bases, but I do think there be niche niche missions it is ideally suited for.
EDIT: The Empire already has the Mobile Repulsor Base, which is 200 meters long and has 450 crew (including 300 troops), and can achieve the stunning maximum altitude of 3 meters. This would basically be an enlargement of this concept, with the added mobility of not being stuck so close to the ground.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
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Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2018 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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| CRMcNeill wrote: | | I think it would have a powerful psychological effect, as well. In particular, mid-to-low-tech planets would be particularly impressed / cowed by an actual physical thing in the sky. A ship in orbit won't have that same effect. And while a ship could have that effect by simply operating in the lower atmosphere where it can be clearly seen from the ground, it's not the use a ship is designed for. Something like this would be deployed to a planet long-term, and wouldn't need the added expenses of ion drives, hyperdrives, and so on and so forth. |
I guess. So just slap a repulosorlift on a existing garrison and boom, sky fortress.
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Raven Redstar
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2018 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Whill wrote: | | CRMcNeill wrote: | | I think it would have a powerful psychological effect, as well. In particular, mid-to-low-tech planets would be particularly impressed / cowed by an actual physical thing in the sky. A ship in orbit won't have that same effect. And while a ship could have that effect by simply operating in the lower atmosphere where it can be clearly seen from the ground, it's not the use a ship is designed for. Something like this would be deployed to a planet long-term, and wouldn't need the added expenses of ion drives, hyperdrives, and so on and so forth. |
I guess. So just slap a repulosorlift on a existing garrison and boom, sky fortress. |
Simple, yet effective. Just have to figure out a max altitude and in atmosphere speed.
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griff
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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The image of an inverted garrison came to mind when reading the first post.
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garhkal
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 2:25 am Post subject: |
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I like the idea, but i see a few gliches. As per the map in the ISB for a Pre-fab garrison, they have outer walls (like old castles), moats/ditches and the like, which i don't really see being feasable in a floating fort..
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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 12:33 pm Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | I like the idea, but i see a few glitches. As per the map in the ISB for a Pre-fab garrison, they have outer walls (like old castles), moats/ditches and the like, which i don't really see being feasible in a floating fort.. |
The aquatic and space-based garrisons don't have those either. I think the inaccessibility of being 100 meters or more up in the air would more than compensate for the absence of surface fortifications.
In fact, I think this is more plausible than the orbital garrison base. There are plenty of space stations that are more than capable of filling that role, and I doubt the Navy would look too fondly on the Army intruding on their bailiwick.
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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 12:35 pm Post subject: |
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| griff wrote: | | The image of an inverted garrison came to mind when reading the first post. |
I picture it more as a normal garrison, but resting on a platform equipped with drop chutes for deploying troops and vehicles, along with anti-surface weaponry.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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| CRMcNeill wrote: | | garhkal wrote: | | I like the idea, but i see a few glitches. As per the map in the ISB for a Pre-fab garrison, they have outer walls (like old castles), moats/ditches and the like, which i don't really see being feasible in a floating fort.. |
The aquatic and space-based garrisons don't have those either. I think the inaccessibility of being 100 meters or more up in the air would more than compensate for the absence of surface fortifications.
In fact, I think this is more plausible than the orbital garrison base. There are plenty of space stations that are more than capable of filling that role, and I doubt the Navy would look too fondly on the Army intruding on their bailiwick. |
IN that case, i'd say a 1,000f to 2,000f flight ceiling is more than sufficient. BUT i do agree with griff, invert it, so the weapons can fire downwards.
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nuclearwookiee
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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I like the concept. It reminds me of Rogue One with the ISD floating ominously in low orbit above Jedha City.
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CRMcNeill
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | IN that case, i'd say a 1,000f to 2,000f flight ceiling is more than sufficient. BUT i do agree with griff, invert it, so the weapons can fire downwards. |
What is this "feet" stuff? We deal in metric here.
And why a flight ceiling at all? One of my original points in the premise is that it should be able to deploy from orbit, and once you equip something with repulsorlifts, there's no logical reason to put an altitude cap on period, so long as it's properly sealed against the environment.
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garhkal
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:05 am Post subject: |
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| CRMcNeill wrote: | | garhkal wrote: | | IN that case, i'd say a 1,000f to 2,000f flight ceiling is more than sufficient. BUT i do agree with griff, invert it, so the weapons can fire downwards. |
What is this "feet" stuff? We deal in metric here.
And why a flight ceiling at all? One of my original points in the premise is that it should be able to deploy from orbit, and once you equip something with repulsorlifts, there's no logical reason to put an altitude cap on period, so long as it's properly sealed against the environment. |
If you are going to stay in orbit, just use a ship though.
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CRMcNeill
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:08 am Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | If you are going to stay in orbit, just use a ship though. |
It's not staying in orbit, it just can go up to low orbit to rendezvous with tug ships when it needs to get redeployed to a different planet.
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Urban Spaceman
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 4:27 am Post subject: |
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I like the idea. My first thought was "Why couldn't a Star Destroyer do that?".
But then I realised the point is what it represents.
A ship overhead says "We're here now", but they could leave.
A flying fortress/garrison overhead is an Imperial declaration that says "We're not going anywhere".
I'm going to use one in my game, for certain.
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