Ultra counterinvasion transport

[AlphaMirage]

I've always fluffed it that the recharge cables have small RCS packages on them just like the Zero-G transport containers. Also a Jumpsail deploys far from its Jumpship on its own cabling so its not like its necessarily right there. Traffic around the station will have to divert slightly to avoid entanglement but that's a separate issue

[Lagrange]

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Sounds good. 

I added a bit of discussion about capacities and varied loadouts.  It turns out you can hit about 5x a Vengeance if half of your ASF are medium or light, and furthermore you can deploy them in a continuous stream.  Also, the Ultra seems to make an exceptional vessel for enabling boarding ops due to the combination of smallcraft and plentiful life support.

[Hellraiser]

I think there was a rule/comment way back in the books where recharging from a station could be done via a really long extension cable.  This would allow the station to keep its sail deployed, and the Jumpship/Warship could deploy its sail as well.

But this sounds like a good question for the main boards, asking how a Jumpship can deploy its sail while docked with a Recharge station, and not resulting in any tangling.

Or put up the Cray signal   ;)

From another thread you can charge 2 ways from an Olympus station.

1.  Direct Connect Cable  (Takes the place of using your own Engine/Fuel)
2.  Microwave Beam to the Jumpsail  (Takes the place of using your sail to collect at a slower stellar rate)

[Lagrange]

From another thread you can charge 2 ways from an Olympus station.

1.  Direct Connect Cable  (Takes the place of using your own Engine/Fuel)
2.  Microwave Beam to the Jumpsail  (Takes the place of using your sail to collect at a slower stellar rate)

I believe everyone is in agreement on this.

[Daryk]

Concur!  :thumbsup:

[Lagrange]

I tweaked the Ultra design to include more ASF bays while reducing the smallcraft bays to 12.  This has a minor effect improving the maximum deployable ASF force and slightly decreases the overall price.  Otherwise the mission remains the same: jump circuit in to repel invasions with maximal force in minimal time.

[Lagrange]

Another minor update---tweaks to the weapons layout following a suggestion from Daryk in the Brood thread.  The 3x AC2 arrays provides a minor but reliable way to poke opponents (like light ASF) which can actually manage to track down the Ultra.

[Daryk]

Thanks for the credit, good sir! :)

[Lagrange]

Given the cargo in bays rule change, I tweaked the design to upgrade all the ASF bays into Smallcraft bays. 

This effectively nets an extra 5400 tons of cargo capacity increasing short term deployment capacity up to 240x 100-ton ASFs or even longer term missions.  Furthermore, if an ASF is stored as cargo in Smal Craft bay, presumably there is no need to move it before prepping for launch, enabling a potentially continue stream of ASF launches at 18/minute.

Overall, it's impressive that a jump circuit can drop a Thera-scale ASF complement in a system.

[DOC_Agren]

Given the cargo in bays rule change, I tweaked the design to upgrade all the ASF bays into Smallcraft bays. 

This effectively nets an extra 5400 tons of cargo capacity increasing short term deployment capacity up to 240x 100-ton ASFs or even longer term missions.  Furthermore, if an ASF is stored as cargo in Smal Craft bay, presumably there is no need to move it before prepping for launch, enabling a potentially continue stream of ASF launches at 18/minute.

Overall, it's impressive that a jump circuit can drop a Thera-scale ASF complement in a system.

I am glad to see that Cargo in the Bays are allowed.  Means my Swift Fighters have a bunch of cargo available in with them.

[Lagrange]

I am glad to see that Cargo in the Bays are allowed.  Means my Swift Fighters have a bunch of cargo available in with them.

Or that you can cram 4 of them into an ASF bay.

The rule shifts the game away from "100 ton space superiority fighters for the win" towards "maximum bang per ton", although not all the way because the increased crew requirements and prep time are an issue.

[Hellraiser]

I am glad to see that Cargo in the Bays are allowed.  Means my Swift Fighters have a bunch of cargo available in with them.

Or that you can cram 4 of them into an ASF bay.

I submitted a question to TPTB about these changes.

Since each bay still only says ONE ASF/Shuttle.
And the fact that they are denying use of Maintenance & Drop Troops rules is making me think that you can't "Launch" from them as an ASF either.
It's the same concept as "Drop Troops" only that is for Mechs/Vees v/s ASF/Shuttle. 

I'm thinking their intent is to allow extra cargo at the PENALTY of use of the Bay for its normal functions.

[Daryk]

The extra prep time definitely increases the value of jump point ambushes.

[Lagrange]

I submitted a question to TPTB about these changes.

Definitely interested in the answer.

My understanding is that walking out of a cargo stuffed mech bay is allowed, and that launching an ASF from a cargo stuffed bay is an equivalent action. 

The only other place where this comes up is the compact quirk which disallows maintenance or repair.  The advantage of the quirk over these rules is that both units can be ready to go at the same time.

[Wolf72]

keep in mind your consumables rate for life support will shift ... depending on how many extra crewed units you cram in, that could be a major factor.

[Lagrange]

keep in mind your consumables rate for life support will shift ... depending on how many extra crewed units you cram in, that could be a major factor.

Consumables certainly matter, but there are 1800 quarters and quarters only consume 1/200th a ton per day.  That's 15 passenger quarters per smallcraft bay.   So, in the ASF-max configuration for example,  you could have 2 pilots and almost 2 full tech teams per ASF.  The 1800 passengers would consume 9 tons/day, implying you could easily do a 3 month deployment even with the relatively small cargo bays.

[Wolf72]

point to OP, I totally forgot there was a unit specified! You're right, I got distracted and was thinking across the board ... what trees? all I see is this forest.