Topic: Designing a new Andro

[Starforce2]

Based on what is already made and available here. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but the "instigator" is based on canon? I know the tub shaped one and the battleship (and it's simmilar variants) are based on taldrens design (I don't want to step on anyones toes using a ship as a base design) though anything I build will be like relating the TMP enterprise to the 1701-C or D.

Anyways, to get on with it, I'd like to know a little more about what's what on an andro ship, even though some parts (mainly weapon related) I'll probably do differently, I want to get the main components down because i don't want to go atolm on them (and probably couldn't if I tried).


http://drs.battleclinic.com/downloads/andromedan/obliterator_angle3.jpg

Take the above for instance. What is the purpose of those blue manifolds seen in that image? I assume the large sails are either impulse or warpdrive (perhaps both) and then there is that large area between the sets of red manifolds that is giving me issues on just how I keep the design close yet advance it as much as everything else. Do andros use conventonal warp (obviously they have impulse based sublight, I'm thinking conventional warp, and then they'd need some kind of either transwarp, slipstream or coaxial drive to go intergalactic, unless they got here by wormhole in TOS/TAS?

What other major parts of the ship represent characteristic items that would be required on any andro design in some form that would make them clearly indentifiable without markings?

Anyone up for some technobabble?

[Starforce2]

I placed a thread at DRS but no answers yet..lots of views so someone is interested. Hopefully someone decides to respond to one of them.

[Czar Mohab]

Instead of shields they use Power Absorber panels. The PA's convert the energy from weapons into useable energy that they can use to power their own ships (there are limitations to this, but I don't have the rulebook handy to quote ) What energy they don't use can be stored temporarily, and ultimately either used up or slowly vented back into space (there is a huge restriction on that, something like one point/turn... again, no book so no 100% quote). IIRC, power can be transferred between their forward and aft banks to a limited extent, but it has been so long... and with no book... well, you get the idea.

They use the equivalent of Ph-2's as their primary weapon. It isn't known if they just suck in the phaser department or they prefer the weapon or if something more powerful just doesn't fit with thier very unique power grid.

Secondary weapons are Tractor-Repulsor beams. Basically, a TR beam acts as a tractor beam that occilates between pull and push in a rapid manner, causing damage to their target. The TR can, and is, used as a standard tractor beam.

Andromedan ships more or less have three classes: Mothership, Intermediate ships, and Sattelite ships (read: Large, Medium and Small). Sat ships are not capable of independant operations for extended periods and are usually (I say usually because there are scenarios that depict sat ships operating on their own) found with a mothership. The Motherships have a rather large bay dedicated to storing, repairing and deploying these sat ships, base components, and other pods, such as an energy pod (basically a giant capacitor used to dump PA panel energy into). Intermediate ships are those that are too large to be sat ships, motherships without the ability to carry sat ships, or redesigned sat ships capable of independant operations. In this case, "Medium" doesn't fully encompass the class as a size. Andro vessels do not carry shuttlecraft.

Do the Andros use conventional warp? For SFB purposes, yes. And, no. They are perhaps the most unconventional beings in SFB. They travel in senarios using conventional warp/impulse speeds, their SSD's have clearly labeled "WARP" and "IMP" boxes, so in that regard, functionally it is conventional. Anything else on that would most likely be speculation, but I'm OK with saying its close enough to be conventional that it is. As for their other "half":

These guys have installed on their larger ships a Displacement Device. A DisDev acts essentially as a giant transporter, able to move ships including themselves within a given distance and with a certain degree of accuracy (sometimes, its just random). Can also be used to deploy or retrieve sat ships.

They also make use of a Rapid Transit Network. The RTN has similar functionality to Borg transwarp corridors, however, I don't believe it is ever said that they are the same means of transit, or if one is superior to the other.

I'm really not familiar with the design in the picture with regards to placement of systems vs. how the SSDs look. The red "parts" could be for the warp drive, the green for impulse and the blue as an unknown; but then again the blue could be warp, the red impulse and the green the unknown. I really can't help you there. IMHO, the red "fins" look dumb, and something a little smaller would probably have looked better.

If you do jump into modding these fellas, I'd look into picking up a copy of Module C-3 from SFB (or looking through it on the web, I don't have a link handy either ). There are plenty of pictures to go from in there, although they are top down shots. Unless they changed that.

Czar "Hopefully helpful," Mohab

[marstone]

Mohab covered it fairly well.  Just pointing out there is no canon Andro's.  They are like the ISC fully done by ADB for SFB.  I do not think there is any other source of information since they are their creation.

Hit starfleetgames.com and see what you can find.

[Starforce2]

so it looks like I might actualy hafta make up some tech on them too, since they aren't canon and sfb hardly is. I had originaly interpreted the hull energy absorbtion issue to be like Babylon 5, where the excalibur absrobed X percentage of energy weapons hitting it to reduce hull damage. It sounds like if you can only vent it off slowly or use it up you could in theory use the B5 style or even sg1, since if you hit the stargate with enough energy it will overload and detonate. However it works, I am mainly concerned with physical appearence, because it wont work ingame anyways. And the sails stay, they'll be reworked though.

[MajorRacal]

http://www.majorracal.com/pdf/SFB/C3%20-%20New%20Worlds%20III.pdf

You can get module C3 at that link if you want more specific info on the Andros.  Hope it helps you.

[Starforce2]

I've removed acrobat reader so no pdf's. I am going to talk to some people and see if I can come up with something. Does anyone think the adro's would use a projectile weapon like a torpedo? The borg use them, and one would assume the andro ships carry replication tech, which is all you need to build simple missles. I've even heard andro ships replicate the smallest satships rather than carry assembled versions?

[Czar Mohab]

Module C2 has a good Andro-in-action picture on the cover, and a colored top down pic on the back. C3 has top-downs of 2 Andro bases (base and battle station). I can't now for the life of me remember where the good top-downs are... probably in the R- modules...

And MajR; Thanks for posting that link... I really needed to read SFB material instead of doing productive things. And since I don't have to get up to get the book, well, I'm happier.

Czar "Spirits happy, butt numb," Mohab

[FoaS_XC]

I don't understand.
you plan to design a whole new fleet of andromedans, when you don't model, you don't texture, and you don't even kitbash. Not to mention, you apparently don't even know anything about Andros...

I don't get it. Are you hoping someone models out your design based on descriptions you give them?

Btw: what do you mean by going "atolm" on something, and do you even know what a manifold actually is?

[Starforce2]

What I meant was something that is completely radical, like atolm would design. While there is nothing wrong with his design methods, it's not what I am looking to do. And yes, I already have a couple people lined up, one even to make "junk meshes" that can be thrown together quickly and changed or tossed if a design idea doesn't work. Just because I am not an artist doesn't mean I can't come up with an idea for a design. Just means I can't get it out of my head so others can understand it very well.

And foas, I already got a basic shape to work with. The ones WZ did based on the taldren design. That's all I need for the shape. Then from there, details get added in. I know what I want to do I just need to sit down with someone who can spin one together.