[Solatar]

Tech room descriptions lead us to believe that large bombs were launched at planets to bombard them by Terrans and Vasudans (Harbinger) while the Shivans used what appears to be a beam cannon (it might be assumed the Terrans and Vasudans use them to the same end by Freespace 2). Launching ordinance at a planet could conceivably be done in a few ways: Firepower (bombs and other weapons) launched from capital ships in orbit; bombs dropped by high atmosphere bombers; bombers actually launching bombs from high orbit; or some combination.

How would the beginnings of a planetary attack proceed in Freespace - keeping in mind the differences that might be incurred by the discovery of beam technology? For this discussion, it would be prudent to focus on how firepower would be directed at the planet and possibly how troops would then be landed, but not to delve into how ground combat would occur.



I'm tempted to say ships like cruisers and Orions hovering in low orbit launching bombs and blobs. It looks like utter devestation, but a good missile defense system could probably destroy a Harbinger while it was still in the very upper atmosphere, minimizing its damage. Blob turrets, if aimed at cities or military bases, could actually be effective if they have the range to attack a planet. Laser cannons from large capital ships would most likely do severe damage to an area over time.

[blowfish]

Where in the tech descriptions does it say Terrans and Vasudans launch bombs at planets?  If they did, I would say the would be launched from warships, most of the bombers look unfit for atmospheric flight, though bombers could launch bombs from orbit.  Blobs could probably be devastating, though they seem to slow and weak (they are not actual lasers) to reach a planet's surface from orbit.  Both the Argo and the Elysium seem way to big an clunky to land on a planet, unless they and some uber-powerful bottom-facing thrusters, or can magically defy gravity.

[Gamma_Draconis]

They said Harbingers were reserved for planetary bombardments and the Ursa was the first bomber built to use them. This means Harbinger bombs were used only by large ships such as cruisers, destroyers, etc. This of course, brings up another question. If the capital ships we saw on FS1 could fire Harbingers, why didn't they use them against the Shivans, particularly the Shivan Lucifer? This might mean the GTA/PVN had special ships or bombers reserved for planetary bombardments.

[Solatar]

The issue with blobs is that they seem to lack any real range. I'm starting to doubt that an Orion could park itself in space with a small fleet, launch some fighters, and cripple a planet. Perhaps they have some sort of "artillery" type ship that launches a different kind of weapon.

Or maybe they just load up an Orion's large cannons with a different gun (internally, of course) and launch a ballistic artillery shell. Might not want to use them in space because they won't cause a lot of damage without oxygen (or other gases) to effectively explode with, but if you design them to specifically explode in atmospheres they could be very devestating.

[Mars]

Or maybe we're reading way too far into the gameplay and the blob turrets have a much greater range, you just don't see it in game

[terran_emperor]

There are 2 ways to achieve this off hand that i know.

1)Set up a Planet and the attacking ship
Place a SJD Sathanas "inbetween" the ship and planet and quite some distance from the ship - The little triangle must be invincible and radar invisible.
Have the ship fire on the SJD Sath., preferably with beams and after a set amount of time use SEXPs to cause an explosion effect at the beams maximimum range.

2) Use the Surface plate model from TBP to create the planet's surface
Set up the targets on the surface and the attacking ship high above the surface
Have the ship hold position and attack
 

[Cobra]

I don't think they're talking about FREDing it.

[achtung]

There are 2 ways to achieve this off hand that i know.

1)Set up a Planet and the attacking ship
Place a SJD Sathanas "inbetween" the ship and planet and quite some distance from the ship - The little triangle must be invincible and radar invisible.
Have the ship fire on the SJD Sath., preferably with beams and after a set amount of time use SEXPs to cause an explosion effect at the beams maximimum range.

2) Use the Surface plate model from TBP to create the planet's surface
Set up the targets on the surface and the attacking ship high above the surface
Have the ship hold position and attack
 

How would that prove anything within canon?

[terran_emperor]

Erm way to Fred the Lucifer laying the Smack-down on Vasuda Prime?

opps should read thread properly first.

Id say that they bombard the tagets with Harbingers.

[TrashMan]

Hey, don't take the in-game ranges as canon. Have you checked the range on beam weaponry (including the Lucifer weaponry from both FS1 and FS2)?

There's no way Lucifer could have preform orbital bombardment. 6km isn't enough (and the .ani show it in high orbit)

[Mustang19]

But then again- 1) we never see the Lucifer firing it's side beam, and 2) we never see an object out of range of the Lucifer's guns, so the 6km range might just be an arbitrary gameplay limit, not what Volition intended.

Also note that beam weapons continue into space forever if they miss a target. The in-game range limit may just have to do with accuracy, not actual maximum range. You also have to consider that the Lucifer may use a different sort of power train for planetary bombardment. For example, the Colossus can apparently overcharge its beams to get an LRBGreen. The beam we see hitting Vasuda Prime is much more massive than anything we see in-game, anyway. It's large enough to swallow a city.

[blowfish]

Hey, don't take the in-game ranges as canon. Have you checked the range on beam weaponry (including the Lucifer weaponry from both FS1 and FS2)?

There's no way Lucifer could have preform orbital bombardment. 6km isn't enough (and the .ani show it in high orbit)

Actually the Shivan Super Laser has 30km range, but that's still not enough, even for low orbital bombardment.

And if a beam were large enough to swallow a city, even a small one, wouldn't it be wider than the Lucifer itself?  (think - Lucifer = 3km, its beam cannot even come close to 0.5km in width)

[Kie99]

The ingame Limit is 30,000km, after that the beam just stops.

[Woolie Wool]

But then again- 1) we never see the Lucifer firing it's side beam, and 2) we never see an object out of range of the Lucifer's guns, so the 6km range might just be an arbitrary gameplay limit, not what Volition intended.

The FS2 intro cutscene was created by Interplay, not Volition, and even displays incorrect firing points for the Manticore. The Lucifer has no broadside beams.

[Mobius]

Orbital bombardments can be found in original mission concepts by me

[Stealth]

but we remember that animation after Vasuda Prime got bombarded by Lucifer.  It clearly shows a beam hitting the planet (and as it does, a few ships are flying away).  But there's no real 'scale'.  You can't tell how big the beam is, but it's clearly the Lucifer's, as it says the Lucifer bombarded the planet... also the beam is the same color .  But the Lucifer is pretty damn big... a small city i'd say, so one of its beams hitting the planet would be pretty devastating, plus it "bombarded" the planet, meaning it didn't just fire one beam at it... it kept firing.

Another thing to keep in mind.  Beams in the vacuum of space are one thing, but perhaps atmospheric conditions on a planet would affect it?    now take that and run with it...

[Snail]

Orbital bombardments can be found in original mission concepts by me

Original? Hah!

[Koth]

Orbital bombardments can be found in original mission concepts by me

There is no such thing like an original mission concept.

EDIT: Damn you, Snail.

[Mobius]

They're original...I don't remember other attempts...

[Dysko]

They're original...I don't remember other attempts...

Shrouding the Light: Origins. In a mission, you can see Lucy bombing Vasuda Prime.