[FoxHound]

I just had an idea: ( a newbies idea mind you), why doesn't the GTVA keep going on meson bomb, and use remote freighters that nano-jump into the side of a sathanas (or other giant cruiser) and detonate a meson bomb? It'd only take one or two freighters to severely cripple a sathanas, and their speed of coming out of subspace would make them hard to hit.

Just an idea, wondering what you guys think

[DragonClaw]

Better to just send Alpha 1 to destroy it

Btw,
*Fire Control, target FoxHound.  Warm up the beam.  And... FIRE!*

Exits are to the sides and rear.  Personal flamethrowers are located beneath your seat in case of emergency or naughty disposition.  If you run into any Shivans while crawling through the ductwork, it's probably just Carl.  Give him your lunch, back away slowly, and you'll be fine.

[Zeronet]

Hmm, do those corvettes actually have beam cannons on their broadsides?

[Taristin]

I think that one is supposed to ba an AAAf...

[FoxHound]

hey, thanks for the... erm... warm welcome by firing a beam cannon at me... but I can't believe my first thread is already being hijacked

[DragonClaw]

Originally posted by Zeronet
Hmm, do those corvettes actually have beam cannons on their broadsides?

We've been through this already. Nothing is preventing a deimos from being modified to having beams on its side.

Now stop jackin off on his topic.

[DragonClaw]

Quick render

I'd much rather send this against the shivan forces mwuaha

[FoxHound]

do bright lights hurt the shivans?
do the shivans hate christmas?

is that why you're sending a giant green glowing christmas tree after them?  

[Solatar]

I think the cost is what is keeping the Meson bombs out of service so much.

[FoxHound]

Surely, meson bombs cost less than a collosus and a wing of bombers and another wing of fighters

[karajorma]

The reason why this wouldn't work are simple.

1) Freighters have crap jump engines. If you look at most convoy missions you'll notice that for some reason you always have to escort freighters from miles away from their intended destination instead of having them jump in exactly where required. The only explaination I can think of for this is that freighters have crappy engines and probably consider themselves lucky if they manage to get within a couple of miles of their intended target.
 Jump engines take several minutes to recharge after a jump. Freighter engines appear to take even longer. Once the ship had delivered the meson bomb it would have to wait around for a few minutes recharging. We all know that a freighter lasts for less than a minute when shot at with beam cannons.

2) If you don't have your own capships present why would the enemy be stupid enough to hang around waiting for a meson bomb to blow up? If you do they are also going to be hit by the blast.

3) Since this is obviously a suicide mission for the freighter crew I can't see the GTVA setting aside large numbers of freighters for it. Crews don't like missions which are certain death. They'd really hate joining a squadron of ships who's only purpose is to die in battle.

[Genryu]

Plus, as far as I know, Sathanas are still moving target, which means any jump where the ship jumping intend to ram it must be calculed very precisely, to take in the speed of the target, and they generally don't have the time to make this calculation. Meson bombs also aren't kept ready in freighters, and both the ships and the bombs have to be reconfigurated to be used this way => also take time the GTVA generally doesn't have.
Finally, nano-jumps, as far as I know, aren't very reliable for now.
Well, just adding my two cents opinions on this idea

[hobnob1978]

this has been discussed before.

Main comments are that the only real way to deliver a meson bomb into a moving corvette, SSJ ect is for the GTVA to create the

Meson rail cannon.

Specifically a hyper-magnetic accelerator coil desigined to propel the meson bomb into a ship. Plus comments have been that a shield generator would have to be equipped to prevent them being shot down.

This would be prohibitively expensive... however it would be a good idea to equip a new colossus or next gen hecate with it to combat possible SSJ juggernauts in the future.

[FoxHound]

Sorry, didn't know this was posted before (You can slap the newb now). Cool idea though, it'd be nice for this to be in a campaign, but I have a feeling it won't

[Havock]

Originally posted by Zeronet
Hmm, do those corvettes actually have beam cannons on their broadsides?

this one does, can't you see?

[Descenterace]

Hey, DC, you stole my GTC Porcupine idea...

[Atlur]

Why not make a subspace strategic missile armed with a meson warhead? It would be fairly simple, but extremely effective. It would basically be a heavy armor shell surrounding a single use subspace engine, sublight drive, guidance system and meson warhead.  The missile could be launched from a dedicated destroyer, or a distant installation, jump to subspace, jump out in proximity to the target and then dive into the it, using a heavy application of ablative armor and speed (burning out it's single use engine in the process). Could even take it a step further and install multiple independantly targetable meson warheads. If they could be produced in large numbers it could allow the GTVA to counter the huge numerical superiority of the Shivans. (Would make a really boring campaign though...)

[Taristin]

Hey! Get back to Fredding for Thor!

j/k - Someone target Atlur!

[FoxHound]

I was thinking it'd be cool to have a campaign where the shivans come through, and aren't blocked at capella, but it looks like technological superirority has a similar idea. I was thinking it'd be cool to have one thats a little more desperate, and they resort to that kind of warfare. but as you said, it'd probably end up being boring, might be cool to do an escort mission of it though, but you'd have to get out of the vicinity of the blast pretty f-ing quick

[Taristin]

Originally posted by Descenterace
Hey, DC, you stole my GTC Porcupine idea...

Look in the Volitionwatch archives for the GTC Domino... I made it ages ago, and it's nothing but beams...