Vulcan factory station and mining ship

[Vehrec]

Who here needs a giant space station for making Endo-steel?  That's right,  you do!

Code: [Select]

                    AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
                                  VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name:  Vulcan-class Factory station Vulcan 3
Tech:              Inner Sphere / 2750
Vessel Type:       Space Station
Rules:             Level 1, Standard design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              1,200,000 tons
Power Plant:       Standard
Safe Thrust:       0
Maximum Thrust:    0
Armor Type:        Standard
Armament:         
    6 Large Laser
   24 Small Laser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==Overview:==
Constructed by the Star league for large-scale production of high tech
materials, the Vulcan series of space stations reached it's climax in Vulcan
3, an asteroid-mining and ore processing station that gave full vertical
integration of the production of Endo-steel.  Paired with mining dropships,
the Vulcan can exploit the resources of any planet or asteroid belt to feed
the Star League's hunger for resources.  Raw ores are crushed, seperated, the
tailings crushed and smelted down into large blocks of slag that are then
allowed to crash into asteroids, planets and stars.  Meanwhile, the ores are
processed into precursor alloys before finally being smelted into high-grade
endosteel foam that can be cast and machined into the parts needed for
Battlemechs.

==Capabilities:==
Heavily automated, the entire factory portion of the station is operated by
less than a thousand people for an entire half-million ton production
facility.  Most of the facility is taken up by six major Machining bays, each
one dedicated to a particular Battlemech chasis design.  Three quarters of the
remainder is the actual endo-steel production areas, while the pre-production
refining takes place in a small but labor-intensive operation that must refine
raw ore to useable feedstock without clogging the production line with gagnue
and slag.  Monthly production from the factory line is sufficent to supply
enough endo-steel skeletons for ten regiments.

Twelve industrial mechs are used to clear blockages, move ore and slag, and
assist in docking and cargo transfer for dropships.  These mechs are able to
access both the station exterior and the vast cavernous cargo bays.  In order
to protect the station against rough handling, rogue asteroid impacts, and the
occassional outright low-speed collision, 3000 tons of armor clad it's
surface.  Smaller meteoroids can be targeted by a network of lasers, either
pushing them off course or outright vaporizing them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name:  Vulcan-class Factory station Vulcan 3
Mass:              1,200,000 tons

Equipment:                                                            Mass 
Power Plant, Drive & Control:                                       14,400.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 0
      Maximum Thrust: 0
Structural Integrity: 1                                             12,000.00
Total Heat Sinks:    214 Single                                           .00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps:                                                   3,264.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters:              1,200.00
Fire Control Computers:                                                   .00
Food & Water:  (788 days supply)                                     4,487.00
Armor Type:  Standard  (1,200 total armor pts)                       2,999.00
                           Capital Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Fore:                                200
   Fore-Left/Right:                  200/200
   Aft-Left/Right:                   200/200
   Aft:                                 200

Cargo:
   Bay 1:  Cargo (1) with 4 doors                                  500,000.00
           Cargo (1)                                                50,000.00
           Cargo (1) with 4 doors                                   50,000.00
   Bay 2:  BattleMechs (12) with 2 doors                             1,800.00
   Bay 3:  Pre-processing (1)                                       50,000.00
           Endo-steel production (1)                               150,000.00
           Endo-steel Machining (6) with 1 door                    300,000.00

DropShip Capacity:  24 Docking Hardpoints                           24,000.00
Grav Decks #1 - 4:  (350-meter diameter)                             2,000.00
Life Boats:  194 (7 tons each)                                       1,358.00

Crew and Passengers:
     65 Officers (61 minimum)                                          650.00
    300 Crew (220 minimum)                                           2,100.00
      5 Gunners (5 minimum)                                             35.00
    150 1st Class Passengers                                         1,500.00
    595 2nd Class Passengers                                         4,165.00
     24 Bay Personnel                                                     .00
Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Large Laser              Nose      1(8)   1(8)     --     --    8      5.00
4 Small Laser              Nose     1(12)     --     --     --    4      2.00
1 Large Laser              FL/R      1(8)   1(8)     --     --   16     10.00
4 Small Laser              FL/R     1(12)     --     --     --    8      4.00
1 Large Laser              AL/R      1(8)   1(8)     --     --   16     10.00
4 Small Laser              AL/R     1(12)     --     --     --    8      4.00
1 Large Laser              Aft       1(8)   1(8)     --     --    8      5.00
4 Small Laser              Aft      1(12)     --     --     --    4      2.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (2.00%)                                           24,000.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                               Heat: 72   1,200,000.00
Tons Left:                                                                .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        15,148,114,000 C-Bills
Battle Value:      21,713
Cost per BV:       697,651.82
Weapon Value:      8,112 (Ratio = .37)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 110;  MRV = 35;  LRV = 0;  ERV = 0
Maintenance:       Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 120,489
                   (46,399 Structure, 71,350 Life Support, 2,740 Weapons)
                   Support Points (SP) = 430,465  (357% of MPV)
BattleForce2:      Not applicable

Each Vulcan required a constant supply of resources, and what better way to get them than direct delivery?  For this purpose, the heavily over-engined Centralia Dropship is frequently used.

Code: [Select]

                    AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
                                  VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name:  Centralia-class Mining Dropship
Tech:              Inner Sphere / 2750
Vessel Type:       Spheroid DropShip
Rules:             Level 1, Standard design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              12,500 tons
Length:            52 meters
Power Plant:       Standard
Safe Thrust:       4
Maximum Thrust:    6
Armor Type:        Standard
Armament:         
    2 PPC
   24 Small Laser
    5 Large Laser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==Overview:==
Designed for asteroid mining, the compact Centralia class Dropship has
powerful engines and a rugged frame to stand up to the massive vibrations,
uneaven loads, and hard decades-long use that they must endure.

==Capabilities:==
Designed for heavy loads, the Centralia seldom carries it's listed cargo of
5000 tons, instead relying on the strength of it's spaceframe to hold the load
steady even as thousands of tons of ore fill the hold.  In theory, the
structure is able to support up to 20,000 tons of ore at a single G, but the
size of the bay means that unless uranium ore is being loaded, 12,500 tons is
a more reasonable limit.  Twenty mining exoskeletons and two mining mechs
preform small extraction jobs, but the main bussiness end of the ship is the
nose-mounted extraction drill, which crushes, screens and shifts ore into the
main holding bay.

The over-large engines permit another use for the dropship-high G Super-Earths
can be exploited for their resources.  Though the actual resource extraction
must be done by robots and loaded via special remote-operated hardware, the
Centralia is one of the few dropships rated for this extreme pressure and
gravity regime.  However, it is far more common for the ship to instead
grapple itself to an asteroid using it's towing adaptor, and drill the rock to
pieces, shoveling processed ore into it's hold.  Because of it's loose nature,
the hold's cargo is kept contained by a large bladder like that used in
airships to keep load-shifting to a minimum.

The weapons and armor are more for defense against asteroids and
spectrographic sampling of target rocks than they are for combat, but the nose
mounted PPCs are as effective as those on any other dropship, and the large
lasers still function perfectly well.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name:  Centralia-class Mining Dropship
Mass:              12,500 tons

Equipment:                                                            Mass 
Power Plant, Drive & Control:                                        3,250.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 4
      Maximum Thrust: 6
Structural Integrity: 13                                             1,575.00
Total Heat Sinks:    72 Single                                            .00
Towing Adapter:                                                        100.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps:                                                   1,701.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters:                 94.00
Fire Control Computers:                                                   .00
Food & Water:  (302 days supply)                                        62.00
Armor Type:  Standard  (368 total armor pts)                            23.00
                           Standard Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Fore:                                105
   Left/Right Sides:                  92/92
   Aft:                                  79

Cargo:
   Bay 1:  Cargo (1) with 2 doors                                    5,000.00
   Bay 2:  BattleMechs (2) with 1 door                                 300.00
           Battle Armor Points/Squads (4) with 1 door                   40.00

Life Boats:  7 (7 tons each)                                            49.00

Crew and Passengers:
      2 Officers (2 minimum)                                            20.00
      4 Crew (4 minimum)                                                28.00
      6 Gunners (6 minimum)                                             42.00
      1 New Crew/Passenger Type                                          5.00
     28 Bay Personnel                                                     .00
Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 PPC                      Nose     2(20)  2(20)     --     --   20     14.00
4 Small Laser              Nose     1(12)     --     --     --    4      2.00
1 Large Laser              FL/R      1(8)   1(8)     --     --   16     10.00
4 Small Laser              FL/R     1(12)     --     --     --    8      4.00
1 Large Laser              AL/R      1(8)   1(8)     --     --   16     10.00
4 Small Laser              AL/R     1(12)     --     --     --    8      4.00
1 Large Laser              Aft       1(8)   1(8)     --     --    8      5.00
4 Small Laser              Aft      1(12)     --     --     --    4      2.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (0.48%)                                               60.00
1 Mining Drill                                                         100.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                               Heat: 84      12,500.00
Tons Left:                                                                .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        251,833,904 C-Bills
Battle Value:      3,322
Cost per BV:       75,807.92
Weapon Value:      3,292 (Ratio = .99)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 104;  MRV = 37;  LRV = 0;  ERV = 0
Maintenance:       Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 169,327
                   (159,313 Structure, 8,550 Life Support, 1,464 Weapons)
                   Support Points (SP) = 13,730  (8% of MPV)
BattleForce2:      MP: 4,  Armor/Structure: 6 / 6
                   Damage PB/M/L: 4/2/-,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: DL;  Point Value: 33
                   Specials: sph


[marauder648]

I really like both designs :) Very logical and a great write up too :)

[Vehrec]

Thanks!  I've never actually seen rules for Overloading a dropship, but in a 0-g environment I think you can get away with it, so you'd only be limited by the volume of the hold instead of it's deadweight.  Plays merry hell with the fuel calculations though I assume.

[marauder648]

You could probably overload it in a zero-g environment but it would eat into the ships speed and you'd probably want to be moving rather slowly when you did anything like turning especially if the holds are just full of loose rubble and yeah fuel consumption would be completely and utterly shot.

[David CGB]

Can the station be moved?

[Vehrec]

Saddly, the costs of moving a Vulcan station involve cutting it apart, packing it up into a few score of dropships, and putting it back together.   It's frequently cheaper for older stations to just build a new one instead of paying to replace all parts that will inevitably break in such a move.

[gomiville]

Saddly, the costs of moving a Vulcan station involve cutting it apart, packing it up into a few score of dropships, and putting it back together.   It's frequently cheaper for older stations to just build a new one instead of paying to replace all parts that will inevitably break in such a move.

Which raises an excellent hook for an old Vulcan station re-occupied by pirates, or used as a depot by intelligence services, special forces or mercenaries.

Do a rough retrofit with fighter bays, or more docking hardpoints.  Shoehorn in some passenger quarters.  Weld some armor plating on the outside, with some extra weapons.  Keep it unpolished and inefficient, not a slick factory upgrade.  A jury-rig battle station.

[Vehrec]

Which raises an excellent hook for an old Vulcan station re-occupied by pirates, or used as a depot by intelligence services, special forces or mercenaries.

Do a rough retrofit with fighter bays, or more docking hardpoints.  Shoehorn in some passenger quarters.  Weld some armor plating on the outside, with some extra weapons.  Keep it unpolished and inefficient, not a slick factory upgrade.  A jury-rig battle station.

It already has 24 docking hardpoints, 700 passenger quarters, and nearly the maximum tonnage of standard armor. That said, when the original endo-steel production facilities failed due to attack, sabotage, or lack of upkeep, the stations themselves are big enough to keep on going even without those parts of their structure.  And when you clear out the 500,000 ton bay for ore, there's a hell of a lot of space to bolt on guns.  Like, I went nuts and put 20 LRM20s on each arc and barely made a dent.  This thing could proper bristle with guns.

[idea weenie]

It already has 24 docking hardpoints, 700 passenger quarters, and nearly the maximum tonnage of standard armor. That said, when the original endo-steel production facilities failed due to attack, sabotage, or lack of upkeep, the stations themselves are big enough to keep on going even without those parts of their structure.  And when you clear out the 500,000 ton bay for ore, there's a hell of a lot of space to bolt on guns.  Like, I went nuts and put 20 LRM20s on each arc and barely made a dent.  This thing could proper bristle with guns.

True, space stations can bristle with guns, the problem is their low SI means anything that gets through the armor turns the space station into expensive confetti pretty quickly.

One way to limit turning a cargo station into a battle station would be to effectively use house rules where ballistic weapons cannot be mounted due to lack of structural support, plus if the cargo is used, it can only be used for ammo, not weaponry.  (But this would be along the lines of what rules should have been done, rather than what are the rules.)

Now what you could do is convert it to ammo/fuel storage, and put in a lot of Crew Quarters and ASF bays.

The other option would be using the NewGrange Yardship to transport it to a different system (Since Repair Bays can be used to Jump objects contained within them).  The Space Station transits from the planet where it was built to the Z/N jump point, where a NewGrange picks it up.  The NewGrange jumps, and if the Space Station is to be deployed locally, it will transit to the target location.  If not, it disconnects from the NewGrange, and the NewGrange recharges its Jump core.