Difference between revisions of "Infinite Sky: Units"

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=Naval Units=
+
''[[Infinite Sky]]''
−
==Pre-Dreadnought==
+
 
−
The decades following the widespread introduction of the Luftum Torus were heady times in the field of naval innovation. Nobody had any idea what they were doing or where ship design would end up next. The proliferation of explosive shells had made war both on land and in the sky a deadly serious business and military shipwrights responded with rapid escalation in size and protection. After half a century of experimentation, counter-experimentation and outright lunacy, the most advanced continental navies reached a consensus of design. These ships were the main fleet combat unit of the first half of the Continental War and large numbers survive in service today, up to half a century after they were first commissioned.
+
=General Rules=
 +
*Everything takes exactly one year to build.
 +
*Everything takes exactly one year to reconstruct.
 +
*Budget, building and unit completion happen at the ''start'' of every quarter.
 +
*Newly finished units can be used immediately.
 +
*Any upkeep is paid at the beginning of the quarter, ''including'' for units that are newly finished.
 +
*Any unit that isn't given upkeep loses abilities that require them.
 +
*Units that need Luftum that don't get Luftum can only point defend.
 +
*What matters in an enhancement is its ''effect'', not the details or fluff of how it is accomplished.
 +
 
 +
'''Variations''' are major modifications of a unit's basic performance and role. They never cost anything and multiple templates can be applied to a single unit so long as it complies with compatibility rules noted on the variation templates themselves.
 +
 
 +
'''Regular Upgrades''' are built into the unit when it is constructed or reconstructed. They can be enhanced (generally significantly) through the use of an appropriate Strategic Resource.
 +
 
 +
'''Alchemical Upgrades''' are those that ''require'' expending Strategic Resources during construction of the unit.
  
−
The pre-dreadnought battleship is the traditional arm of decision in naval battles – a matter settled by robustness of armour and weight of broadside. In contrast to the preceding era of transitional ironclads, even the oldest, least modern pre-dreadnoughts share critical systems – redundant and compartmentalized toruses, electrical power, face-hardened armour and armour piercing naval artillery. Most sailed with a main battery of four heavy guns, though a few had only two. Each also had large batteries of smaller guns at various sizes intended to pepper opponents into submission as range closed.
+
'''Alchemical Boosts''' are one-shot upgrades that require the expenditure of Strategic Resources. Alchemical Boosts are usually cheaper than Alchemical Upgrades and can be applied to any existing unit at the start of a quarter, lasting until the start of the next quarter.
  
−
While powerful and surviveable to a point, pre-dreadnoughts are not ''modern'' – not by any stretch of the imagination. Most pre-dreadnoughts were built expecting to fight for and against Continental states, so range and stormworthiness were not priorities. As torpedo tactics became prominent, the protection scheme of the pre-dreadnought faced increasing challenges. In the modern sky, the exposed propulsion and antiquated artillery and fire direction of pre-dreadnoughts make them vulnerable to even significantly smaller ships.
+
=Naval Units=
 +
==Battleship==
 +
The battleship is the traditional arm of decision in naval battles – a matter settled by robustness of armour and weight of broadside. They are the most powerful and expensive ships a country can build. Modern dreadnought battleships, owe their existence to the original ''Dreadnought'', a famous warship finished in 11904, just before the start of the Continental War. Although best known for her unified battery of high caliber guns, the dreadnought had numerous other advances such as the "tunnel drive" protecting once exposed propeller assemblies and a since standard system of gyroscopic gimbals that allows its torus assemblies to correct for some degree of listing.
  
−
==Dreadnought==
 
 
==Cruiser==
 
==Cruiser==
 +
 
==Destroyer==
 
==Destroyer==
−
The original ''Destroyer'' was secretly built in Sarland, a colony of the Kingdom of Jigash, by rebel forces. She came in the wake of two critical technologies – the Kleinssen Torus design that allowed unprecedented miniaturization of lift units for ships and the gradual development of useful rocket-propelled torpedoes. When completed in 11888, she weighed 2715 tons – almost all of it in its single lift unit and propeller arrays – and sank the battleship ''Gilgamesh'' as it held station off the coast. Although it would take many years for torpedoes to become fast and sophisticated enough to strike a moving ship and for the Kleinssen Torus to be further refined, the sensational sinking of a capital ship to a cobbled-together contraption a fraction her size put every major navy on notice. The Kingdom of Jigash itself became the first to commission a series of its own "destroyers".  
+
The original ''Destroyer'' was secretly built in Sarland, a colony of the Kingdom of Jigash, by rebel forces. She came in the wake of two critical technologies – the Kleinssen Torus design that allowed unprecedented miniaturization of lift units for ships and the gradual development of useful rocket-propelled torpedoes. When completed in 11888, she weighed 2715 tons – almost all of it in its single lift unit and propeller arrays – and sank the battleship ''Gilgamesh'' as it held station off the coast. Although it would take many years for torpedoes to become fast and sophisticated enough to strike a moving ship and for torus engineering to be further refined, the sensational sinking of a capital ship to a cobbled-together contraption a fraction her size put every major navy on notice. The Kingdom of Jigash itself became the first to commission a series of its own "destroyers".  
  
−
Subsequently, traditional destroyers shrank in size for a time and grew in speed maximize their chances of launching a successful attack while others were built to destroy other destroyers and were constructed to greater size with more and larger guns as a result. During and following the Continental War, destroyers generally grew in size once more, adapting to higher stormworthiness and gun stability requirements and filling many duties traditionally filled by small cruisers. Some major differences (besides smaller size) that continue to hold are a lack of protection and a lack of endurance, requiring the deployment of destroyers in groups with tenders.
+
==Military Transport==
 +
 
 +
==Modifications==
 +
===Variations===
 +
'''Battlecruiser''' (Battleships only)<br>
 +
A Battlecruiser has greatly reduced armour protection but a speed equal to a Battleship with (+2) Speed. A Battlecruiser with (+2) Armour likewise matches the toughness of a normal Battleship.
 +
 
 +
'''Fast Attack''' (Cruisers and Destroyers)<br>
 +
 
 +
'''High Altitude''' (Battleships, Cruisers and Military Transports)<br>
 +
Increased fuel consumption at normal altitude. Superior upkeep in the Tropics and option to reach the Desert at great cost.
 +
 
 +
'''Submarine''' (any)<br>
 +
Submarine ships trade firepower for the ability to survive the Sea of Storms.
 +
 
 +
'''Carrier Conversion''' (any)<br>
 +
Converts all heavy firepower into carrier aircraft.
 +
 
 +
'''Hybrid Conversion''' (Battleships, Cruisers and Military Transports)<br>
 +
Converts half of heavy firepower into carrier aircraft.
 +
 
 +
'''Pre-dreadnought''' (any)<br>
 +
 
 +
===Regular Upgrades===
 +
(+X) '''Speed'''<br>
 +
An important upgrade that makes ships move faster. All else being equal, a disparity of more than +1 in Speed almost guarantees that the faster ship can engage and disengage at will (though ''maintaining'' a specific range requires maneuverability as well). It helps avoid torpedo or even bomb attacks.
 +
 
 +
By default, Destroyers have about (+2) Speed over Cruisers who in turn have (+2) Speed over Battleships. Heavy weather, however, affects smaller ships more than large ones.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''Maneuverability'''<br>
 +
Maneuverability, which is often as much about having quick helm response as big rudders, is helps both to evade bomb and torpedo attacks as well as to conduct them.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''Torus Engineering'''<br>
 +
This involves having toruses robust enough to rapidly and repeatedly change altitude without bursting or being worn out. It is especially useful for Submarine vessels which can use it to rapidly ascend or crash dive. Ascending is slower, obviously; you can dive as fast as gravity but a ship with more than one level of Torus Engineering is physically capable of severely injuring or killing its own crew.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''Armour'''<br>
 +
Armour reduces damage sustained from attacks. Increasing armour protection has the greatest effect against ships close to the defender's size.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''Deck Armour'''<br>
 +
Concentrated armour protection from topside attack. This usually involves bombs or long range plunging artillery fire but sometimes diving torpedo bomber attacks as well.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''All or Nothing Armour'''<br>
 +
Protects critical systems. Reduces damage from larger ships' artillery and helps overcome Scaling.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''Damage Control'''<br>
 +
Increases redundancy, internal protection, firefighting, safety and other measures. Reduces the odds of critical hits or disasters.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''Blast Protection'''<br>
 +
Helps mitigate light attacks that don't penetrate armour as well as bomb and torpedo attacks. Mind you, this is not an invitation to get hit by the latter – they are very big explosions.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''Firepower'''<br>
 +
A modest, overall, generalized increase in firepower.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''Armour Piercing'''<br>
 +
Increases the caliber of main battery weapons or, less frequently, their muzzle velocity. This is a more specialized firepower upgrade that enhances ships' ability to punch at or ''above'' their own weight and helps overcome Armour and Scaling.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''Secondaries'''<br>
 +
Increases the performance of secondary batteries. This is a more specialized firepower upgrade that enhances ships' ability to punch below their own weight. Helps to cause losses in torpedo and bomb attacks.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''AA Battery'''<br>
 +
A specialized upgrade to anti-aircraft weapons and/or optics. This helps cause losses in aircraft attacks.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''Torpedoes'''<br>
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''Bombs'''<br>
 +
Bombs are dropped from an altitude advantage. It is usually difficult for ships to pull this off even with a massive advantage in maneuverability and speed but it tends to be unexpected for that reason and has better armour piercing than torpedoes. They are also very practical to use against ground targets.
 +
 
 +
(+X) '''Mines'''<br>
 +
Floating mines. Set an equilibrium altitude by adjusting seed content. Mines are easiest to lay (obviously) at lower altitudes.
 +
 
 +
===Alchemical Upgrades===
 +
 
 +
 
 +
===Alchemical Boosts===
 +
(+1) '''Adamant Munitions'''<br>
 +
Requires Adamant. Enhances main battery armour piercing for one quarter. Works best on ships with heavy guns.
 +
 
 +
(+1) '''Incendiary Munitions'''<br>
 +
Requires
  
 
=Army Units=
 
=Army Units=
 +
==Infantry Brigade==
 +
==Armour Brigade==
 +
==Tactical Armour Brigade==
 +
 +
=Air Units=
 +
==Fighter==
 +
===Variants===
 +
'''Interceptor'''<br>
 +
 +
'''Strike'''<br>
 +
 +
==Medium Bomber==
 +
==Heavy Bomber==

Latest revision as of 04:37, 7 June 2013

Infinite Sky

General Rules

  • Everything takes exactly one year to build.
  • Everything takes exactly one year to reconstruct.
  • Budget, building and unit completion happen at the start of every quarter.
  • Newly finished units can be used immediately.
  • Any upkeep is paid at the beginning of the quarter, including for units that are newly finished.
  • Any unit that isn't given upkeep loses abilities that require them.
  • Units that need Luftum that don't get Luftum can only point defend.
  • What matters in an enhancement is its effect, not the details or fluff of how it is accomplished.

Variations are major modifications of a unit's basic performance and role. They never cost anything and multiple templates can be applied to a single unit so long as it complies with compatibility rules noted on the variation templates themselves.

Regular Upgrades are built into the unit when it is constructed or reconstructed. They can be enhanced (generally significantly) through the use of an appropriate Strategic Resource.

Alchemical Upgrades are those that require expending Strategic Resources during construction of the unit.

Alchemical Boosts are one-shot upgrades that require the expenditure of Strategic Resources. Alchemical Boosts are usually cheaper than Alchemical Upgrades and can be applied to any existing unit at the start of a quarter, lasting until the start of the next quarter.

Naval Units

Battleship

The battleship is the traditional arm of decision in naval battles – a matter settled by robustness of armour and weight of broadside. They are the most powerful and expensive ships a country can build. Modern dreadnought battleships, owe their existence to the original Dreadnought, a famous warship finished in 11904, just before the start of the Continental War. Although best known for her unified battery of high caliber guns, the dreadnought had numerous other advances such as the "tunnel drive" protecting once exposed propeller assemblies and a since standard system of gyroscopic gimbals that allows its torus assemblies to correct for some degree of listing.

Cruiser

Destroyer

The original Destroyer was secretly built in Sarland, a colony of the Kingdom of Jigash, by rebel forces. She came in the wake of two critical technologies – the Kleinssen Torus design that allowed unprecedented miniaturization of lift units for ships and the gradual development of useful rocket-propelled torpedoes. When completed in 11888, she weighed 2715 tons – almost all of it in its single lift unit and propeller arrays – and sank the battleship Gilgamesh as it held station off the coast. Although it would take many years for torpedoes to become fast and sophisticated enough to strike a moving ship and for torus engineering to be further refined, the sensational sinking of a capital ship to a cobbled-together contraption a fraction her size put every major navy on notice. The Kingdom of Jigash itself became the first to commission a series of its own "destroyers".

Military Transport

Modifications

Variations

Battlecruiser (Battleships only)
A Battlecruiser has greatly reduced armour protection but a speed equal to a Battleship with (+2) Speed. A Battlecruiser with (+2) Armour likewise matches the toughness of a normal Battleship.

Fast Attack (Cruisers and Destroyers)

High Altitude (Battleships, Cruisers and Military Transports)
Increased fuel consumption at normal altitude. Superior upkeep in the Tropics and option to reach the Desert at great cost.

Submarine (any)
Submarine ships trade firepower for the ability to survive the Sea of Storms.

Carrier Conversion (any)
Converts all heavy firepower into carrier aircraft.

Hybrid Conversion (Battleships, Cruisers and Military Transports)
Converts half of heavy firepower into carrier aircraft.

Pre-dreadnought (any)

Regular Upgrades

(+X) Speed
An important upgrade that makes ships move faster. All else being equal, a disparity of more than +1 in Speed almost guarantees that the faster ship can engage and disengage at will (though maintaining a specific range requires maneuverability as well). It helps avoid torpedo or even bomb attacks.

By default, Destroyers have about (+2) Speed over Cruisers who in turn have (+2) Speed over Battleships. Heavy weather, however, affects smaller ships more than large ones.

(+X) Maneuverability
Maneuverability, which is often as much about having quick helm response as big rudders, is helps both to evade bomb and torpedo attacks as well as to conduct them.

(+X) Torus Engineering
This involves having toruses robust enough to rapidly and repeatedly change altitude without bursting or being worn out. It is especially useful for Submarine vessels which can use it to rapidly ascend or crash dive. Ascending is slower, obviously; you can dive as fast as gravity but a ship with more than one level of Torus Engineering is physically capable of severely injuring or killing its own crew.

(+X) Armour
Armour reduces damage sustained from attacks. Increasing armour protection has the greatest effect against ships close to the defender's size.

(+X) Deck Armour
Concentrated armour protection from topside attack. This usually involves bombs or long range plunging artillery fire but sometimes diving torpedo bomber attacks as well.

(+X) All or Nothing Armour
Protects critical systems. Reduces damage from larger ships' artillery and helps overcome Scaling.

(+X) Damage Control
Increases redundancy, internal protection, firefighting, safety and other measures. Reduces the odds of critical hits or disasters.

(+X) Blast Protection
Helps mitigate light attacks that don't penetrate armour as well as bomb and torpedo attacks. Mind you, this is not an invitation to get hit by the latter – they are very big explosions.

(+X) Firepower
A modest, overall, generalized increase in firepower.

(+X) Armour Piercing
Increases the caliber of main battery weapons or, less frequently, their muzzle velocity. This is a more specialized firepower upgrade that enhances ships' ability to punch at or above their own weight and helps overcome Armour and Scaling.

(+X) Secondaries
Increases the performance of secondary batteries. This is a more specialized firepower upgrade that enhances ships' ability to punch below their own weight. Helps to cause losses in torpedo and bomb attacks.

(+X) AA Battery
A specialized upgrade to anti-aircraft weapons and/or optics. This helps cause losses in aircraft attacks.

(+X) Torpedoes

(+X) Bombs
Bombs are dropped from an altitude advantage. It is usually difficult for ships to pull this off even with a massive advantage in maneuverability and speed but it tends to be unexpected for that reason and has better armour piercing than torpedoes. They are also very practical to use against ground targets.

(+X) Mines
Floating mines. Set an equilibrium altitude by adjusting seed content. Mines are easiest to lay (obviously) at lower altitudes.

Alchemical Upgrades

Alchemical Boosts

(+1) Adamant Munitions
Requires Adamant. Enhances main battery armour piercing for one quarter. Works best on ships with heavy guns.

(+1) Incendiary Munitions
Requires

Army Units

Infantry Brigade

Armour Brigade

Tactical Armour Brigade

Air Units

Fighter

Variants

Interceptor

Strike

Medium Bomber

Heavy Bomber

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