X-Form

Starship Databank Entry

Flexibility is the key to survival. The robotic Mmrnmhrm understood this concept, as proven by their agreement to join the Chenjesu in their "Process", and their warships have integrated this concept wholly and fully. The Mmrnmhrm X-Form, also known as the Mmrnmhrm Transformer, could quickly transform from the slow but powerful X-Wing form to the quick, stinging Y-Wing form.¹

Propulsion

X-Wing

The X-Wing form has an excellent turning rate, allowing it quickly to bring its formidable weaponry to bear upon its opponents. Its top speed is very low.

Y-Wing

The quick Y-Wing form relies on the concept of "If you can’t hit me, you can’t kill me". One of the fastest ships in the game, the Y-Wing form is hampered by its slow rate of turning. In this form, the ship can quite effectively evade enemy shots if flown by a skilled pilot.

Armament

Primary

X-Wing

The X-Wing form is equipped with a powerful twin-laser array that deals enormous damage at a short range. This weapon rapidly depletes the modest energy store of the Transformer, so use the laser array with care.

Y-Wing

The Y-Wing form uses long-range twin missile launchers with fair tracking systems. While the missiles cause little damage individually, their range when correctly mixed with the Y-Wing form’s immense speed can slowly demolish a ship, causing slow but constant attritional damage from a safe distance. Being able to outrun most ships, the Y-Wing form is vital to winning any battle.

Secondary

The secondary ability of the Transformer is to switch between the X-Wing and Y-Wing modes. This is a fairly intensive process, and will fully deplete the combat batteries of the Transformer.

Tactical Overview

When piloted skillfully the Transformer can prove a lethal adversary to most ships, either by attrition or by short and deadly laser-blast. An experienced pilot can use the flexibility of the versatile Transformer to overcome most ships. However, the Transformer can struggle in battles where speed and maneuverability are simultaneously required.

An effective tactical use of the X-Form's transformation capability combines the strengths of both forms in a repeated hit-and-run strategy. The Y-Wing Form's high acceleration and top speed are effective at rapidly getting out of range of an enemy to recharge combat batteries. Once out of range, the X-Wing Form's high maneuverability can be used to quickly rotate around to face the enemy. Another quick switch to the Y-Wing allows the Transformer to attack with the long-range, homing missiles and to retreat again when the enemy gets too close.

Transformation (by itself, without thrust) does not influence the X-Form's velocity, leading to another effective tactic. The Y-Wing form can be used to build up speed before transforming to X-wing form and strafing the enemy. This allows you to do high damage and then retreat quickly, and can work well when this attack is not expected. It is imperative that while in X-Wing form that you do not press the button to accelerate, as your speed will drop to the top speed of the X-form. You also have very little ability to maneuver, so make sure there are no planets nearby, as they will kill your crew and stop your movement.

Minutiae

• VUX limpets will affect the two forms separately — limpets that attach to the ship while it is in X-Wing form will only affect its maneuverability in X-Wing form, and the same is true of the Y-Wing form.²

Notes and references

¹The names for the two forms are found in the Star Control II manual, p. 85 (PC) or p. 36 (3DO).

²From a mail by Paul Reiche III to a Star Control II player:

I should probably come up with some good rationale, but game-design-wise I think we were looking for ways to encourage the player to shift forms. When play-testing the Mmrnmhrm we noticed that more advanced players would engage in a very slow and (to some) boring strategy of remaining at long distance, constantly shooting missiles. By allowing the limpets to be negated in the alternate form, the player would be more likely to shift in order to avoid the limpet slowdown.

So for a rationale, hmm... Perhaps the Mmrnmhrm ship has total redundancy between key functional systems for its 2 forms, including hull plates. That way damage, besides loss of crew, would not affect the functionality of the alternate form.

3DO Mmrnmhrm X-Form Basic stats Crew: 20 Value: 19 pts Battery: 10 Batt. Regeneration: 0.29 / 0.14 units/frame Armament Primary: Laser cannons / Missiles Secondary: Switch forms Refire delay: 0 / 20 frames Refire delay: 0 frames Energy use: 1 / 1 units Energy use: 10 units Propulsion Max speed: 20 / 50 world units/frame Turn rate: 0.33 / 0.07 facings/frame Acceleration: 2.5 / 10 units/frame Mass: 3