Difference between revisions of "Skiff"

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==Overview==
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[[Image:Star_control_i_arilou_skiff_databank.png|thumb|306px|Starship Databank Entry]]
  
After the discovery of relativity by German-American physicist Albert Einstein in the early 20th century, [[Humans|Terran]] scientists were disappointed to discover that conventional physics cannot allow normal objects to travel faster than light in [[TrueSpace]]. Even after the discoveries of FTL (faster-than-light) technology and [[HyperSpace]] travel (thanks to the aid of the [[Chenjesu]]), they again encountered a second stumbling block on the limit of power produced by an engine. "If only we could control inertia...," the scientists complained again and again. Enter the [[Arilou Lalee'lay]] '''Skiff'''.
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Inertia has always been an impediment to maneuverability — and to the passengers' comfort. With most ships, if you have reached a certain speed, you have to pray that you will not suddenly stumble upon a superior enemy force, with no hope of braking and fleeing in time. It is not the case for the inertialess [[Arilou Lalee'lay]] '''Skiff''' — commonly known among the [[Human]]s as "flying saucers" —, capable of an immediate full stop and impervious to the effects of gravity. Piloted by the mischievous Arilou, the light blue Skiff is designed mainly for exploratory missions and boasts minimal offensive weaponry, but it has one envious quality: instant short range teleportation.
 
 
Utilized mainly as a means of conveyance in [[TrueSpace]] and piloted by the pacifistic [[Arilou Lalee'lay|Arilou]], the blue saucer-shaped Skiff is designed mainly for exploratory missions and boasts minimal defensive weaponry, but it has one envious quality: an inertialess drive.
 
 
 
 
 
==Speed and Control==
 
 
 
When not [[#Secondary|travelling at FTL speeds]], the Skiff flies, or rather glides, through [[TrueSpace]] at extremely fast speeds (though not as quickly as the nimble [[Spathi]] [[Eluder]], nee [[Discriminator]], or [[Pkunk]] [[Fury]]). Its inertialess drive gives it the smallest turning radius in the galaxy -- 0 m! -- and of course the turning rate itself can't be beat. No inertia also means instant acceleration (and deceleration), as well as no gravitational effects from planetary objects or anything else for that matter! Surprisingly enough, the helm contains no physical controls at all; the captain telepathically controls the ship, thus requiring only a skeleton crew to operate it!
 
  
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==Propulsion==
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When not engaging in a [[#Secondary|HyperSpace Shunt]], the Skiff flies, or rather glides, through [[TrueSpace]] at extremely fast speeds (though not as quickly as the nimble [[Spathi]] [[Eluder]] or [[Pkunk]] [[Fury]]). Its inertialess drive gives it the smallest turning radius in the galaxy — zero! — and of course the turning rate itself can't be beat. No inertia also means instant acceleration (and deceleration), as well as no gravitational effects from planetary objects or anything else for that matter!
  
 
==Armament==
 
==Armament==
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===Primary===
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The Skiff's main and only true weapon is a ventral 360-degree short range auto-aiming laser. Damage is minimal, killing only one crew member per hit, and technique and timing are crucial. However, a major drawback of the targeting system is that it tracks only the enemy ship and cannot be locked on another target.
  
===Primary===
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Particular skillful captains are able to minimize the shortcomings of the limited weaponry with carefully-timed firing and dodging and cunning [[#Tactical Overview|tactics]].
The Skiff's main and only true weapon is a ventral 360-degree short range auto-aiming laser. Meant to simply deter prowlers and pirates from seiging the ship and to surgically cease the roamings of stray space debris, it can be used as an offensive weapon with limited results. Damage is minimal and technique and timing are crucial. Two of the major drawbacks of the targeting system are that:
 
# it only tracks the ion trails from warp-drive capable exhaust systems thereby neglecting smaller craft such as [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] slave ships or [[Orz]] marines.
 
# it has a discrete firing pattern, limiting the direction in which it can fire.
 
Particular skillful captains are able to minimize the shortcomings of the limited weaponry with carefully-timed firing and cunning [[#Tactics|tactics]].
 
  
 
===Secondary===
 
===Secondary===
Utilizing the power of the inertialess drive, the secondary armament is a short-range [[HyperSpace]] shunt transportation device allowing instantaneous teleportation. While extremely useful in making a quick exit from a heated sortie, the range is limited once again to a single yet significant factor. Range is determined using fourth-dimensional [[QuasiSpace|QuasiSpatial]] movement, which is heavily distorted by FTL sub-spatial harmonics, particularly near starship warp drives. Thus Skiffs hardly have the ability to attempt a long-range teleportation when even a FTL-capable ship as small as a [[Umgah]] [[Drone]] is nearby. Additionally, the shunt is nearly impossible to guide due to the relatively minute range (on a galactic scale) that the Skiff is able to teleport when such an object is close by. Because of this, undesirable results often occur and, in the small chance of materializing inside of a planetary object or even another ship, can prove to be fatal. However, such catastrophic occurences are still extremely rare.
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The special ability of the Skiff is a short-range [[HyperSpace]] shunt transportation device allowing instantaneous teleportation. While extremely useful in making a quick exit from a heated sortie, the destination cannot be picked, and because of this undesirable results can occur, even materializing inside of a planetary object or another ship, which is instantly fatal. However, such catastrophic occurrences are extremely rare.
  
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==Tactical Overview==
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Due to the difficulty in winning a dogfight through brute force, Arilou captains have been forced to devise more clever methods of vanquishing foes. The following are three of the most commonly used tactics:
  
==Ship Layout and Design==
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*'''Chain teleportation'''
Due to the telepathic nature of the [[Arilou Lalee'lay|Arilou]], few conventional devices other than a hull that can withstand [[TrueSpace]] and a weak laser are needed to produce the shell of the Skiff. However, the building and implementation of the inertialess drive and the [[HyperSpace]] shunt teleporter are beyond current [[Humans|human]] techonology, not to mention finding a superlative telepathic crew of midgets who can bond to the ship's internal systems. Still, the hull of the Skiff is as simple as it gets: tall enough for a 1.5-meter tall person; and perfectly round for uniform psionic harmonics; and blue -- very, very blue... oh, and headlights. The guts... well, that's a little bit tougher to explain.
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*:The Skiff is often not fast enough to flank an enemy conventionally, necessitating an alternative tactic. By teleporting repeatedly, the Skiff can eventually materialize behind an enemy, hit hard, and teleport out again. Unfortunately, this runs the risk of materializing inside the planet or an asteroid, which is instantly fatal.  
 
 
 
 
==Miscellaneous==
 
 
 
===Tactics===
 
Due to the difficulty in winning a dogfight through brute-force, [[Arilou Lalee'lay|Arilou]] captains have been forced to take more clever methods of vanquishing foes. The following are three of the most commonly used methods.
 
 
*'''Gun and run'''
 
*'''Gun and run'''
::Agility and speed are the two strongest attributes of the Skiff. Why not exploit them? Heading directly into enemy fire can be advatangeous given the opponent's barrage is slow enough and the Skiff's captain is nimble enough. Once close enough to the enemy ship, even the directionally-challenged auto-aiming laser can do its job without missing. Leave enough fuel for a quick jump, and >poof< the Skiff is out of harm's way!
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*:Agility and speed are the two strongest attributes of the Skiff. Why not exploit them? Heading directly into enemy fire can be effective if the opponent's barrage is slow enough and the Skiff's captain is nimble enough. Once close enough to the enemy ship, even the directionally-challenged auto-aiming laser can do its job without missing. Leave enough fuel for a quick jump, and the Skiff is out of harm's way before the enemy can bring its weapons to bear. Unfortunately, the Skiff cannot take much incoming fire, making this tactic very risky against ships with good turning rates.
 
*'''Planetary ambush'''
 
*'''Planetary ambush'''
::With no inertia, the Skiff is the only vehicle entirely immune to gravitational effects from nearby planets even when it's sitting right next to it! Letting the bloodlust overcome an adversary's judgment, the perceptive [[Arilou Lalee'lay|Arilou]] captain can capitalize on such egregious foolhardiness. Sitting on the far side of the planet as the enemy ship approaces, the opponent cannot both aim accurately and guide his ship to safe course (with some exceptions, eg. the [[Supox]]). Seizing such opportunities nets maximal damage to the opponent as he slingshots past the ambushing Skiff without ever having the ability to fire a single shot at the clever [[Arilou Lalee'lay|Arilou]]!
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*:With no inertia, the Skiff is the only vehicle entirely immune to gravitational effects from nearby planets even when it is situated right next to it. Letting the bloodlust overcome an adversary's judgment, the perceptive Arilou captain can capitalize on such foolhardiness. Sitting on the far side of the planet as the enemy ship approaches, the opponent cannot simultaneously aim accurately and guide his ship to safe course (with some exceptions such as the [[Supox]]). Seizing such opportunities nets maximal damage to the opponent as he slingshots past the ambushing Skiff without ever having the ability to return accurate fire. This tactic is not recommended against ships with long-ranged weapons.
 
*'''Cyborg shimmy'''
 
*'''Cyborg shimmy'''
::With the reactions of a well-timed computer, an expert Skiff captain can sometimes approach an enemy vessel in a direction that it can't even fire! This feint requires split-second timing at the helm that no [[Humans|human]] could possibly match! It's even more devastating for the ship captain who can't quite catch his [[Arilou Lalee'lay]] opponent off-guard!
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*:With the infinite dexterity of a computer, an expert Skiff captain can sometimes approach an enemy vessel in a direction that it can't fire. This feint requires split-second timing at the helm that no human could possibly match. It's even more devastating for the ship captain who can't quite catch his Arilou opponent off-guard.
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{{ShipBox|image=Skiff_icon.png|link=skiff|race=[[Arilou Lalee'lay]]|crew=6|value=16|batt=20|regen=0.142|primary=Auto-aiming laser|prim-cost=2|prim-rate=1|secondary=Teleport|sec-cost=3|sec-rate=2|speed=40|turn=0.5|accel=40|mass=1}}
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[[Category: Ships]]
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[[Category: Arilou Lalee'lay]]

Latest revision as of 22:06, 20 June 2015

Starship Databank Entry

Inertia has always been an impediment to maneuverability — and to the passengers' comfort. With most ships, if you have reached a certain speed, you have to pray that you will not suddenly stumble upon a superior enemy force, with no hope of braking and fleeing in time. It is not the case for the inertialess Arilou Lalee'lay Skiff — commonly known among the Humans as "flying saucers" —, capable of an immediate full stop and impervious to the effects of gravity. Piloted by the mischievous Arilou, the light blue Skiff is designed mainly for exploratory missions and boasts minimal offensive weaponry, but it has one envious quality: instant short range teleportation.

Propulsion[edit]

When not engaging in a HyperSpace Shunt, the Skiff flies, or rather glides, through TrueSpace at extremely fast speeds (though not as quickly as the nimble Spathi Eluder or Pkunk Fury). Its inertialess drive gives it the smallest turning radius in the galaxy — zero! — and of course the turning rate itself can't be beat. No inertia also means instant acceleration (and deceleration), as well as no gravitational effects from planetary objects or anything else for that matter!

Armament[edit]

Primary[edit]

The Skiff's main and only true weapon is a ventral 360-degree short range auto-aiming laser. Damage is minimal, killing only one crew member per hit, and technique and timing are crucial. However, a major drawback of the targeting system is that it tracks only the enemy ship and cannot be locked on another target.

Particular skillful captains are able to minimize the shortcomings of the limited weaponry with carefully-timed firing and dodging and cunning tactics.

Secondary[edit]

The special ability of the Skiff is a short-range HyperSpace shunt transportation device allowing instantaneous teleportation. While extremely useful in making a quick exit from a heated sortie, the destination cannot be picked, and because of this undesirable results can occur, even materializing inside of a planetary object or another ship, which is instantly fatal. However, such catastrophic occurrences are extremely rare.

Tactical Overview[edit]

Due to the difficulty in winning a dogfight through brute force, Arilou captains have been forced to devise more clever methods of vanquishing foes. The following are three of the most commonly used tactics:

  • Chain teleportation
    The Skiff is often not fast enough to flank an enemy conventionally, necessitating an alternative tactic. By teleporting repeatedly, the Skiff can eventually materialize behind an enemy, hit hard, and teleport out again. Unfortunately, this runs the risk of materializing inside the planet or an asteroid, which is instantly fatal.
  • Gun and run
    Agility and speed are the two strongest attributes of the Skiff. Why not exploit them? Heading directly into enemy fire can be effective if the opponent's barrage is slow enough and the Skiff's captain is nimble enough. Once close enough to the enemy ship, even the directionally-challenged auto-aiming laser can do its job without missing. Leave enough fuel for a quick jump, and the Skiff is out of harm's way before the enemy can bring its weapons to bear. Unfortunately, the Skiff cannot take much incoming fire, making this tactic very risky against ships with good turning rates.
  • Planetary ambush
    With no inertia, the Skiff is the only vehicle entirely immune to gravitational effects from nearby planets even when it is situated right next to it. Letting the bloodlust overcome an adversary's judgment, the perceptive Arilou captain can capitalize on such foolhardiness. Sitting on the far side of the planet as the enemy ship approaches, the opponent cannot simultaneously aim accurately and guide his ship to safe course (with some exceptions such as the Supox). Seizing such opportunities nets maximal damage to the opponent as he slingshots past the ambushing Skiff without ever having the ability to return accurate fire. This tactic is not recommended against ships with long-ranged weapons.
  • Cyborg shimmy
    With the infinite dexterity of a computer, an expert Skiff captain can sometimes approach an enemy vessel in a direction that it can't fire. This feint requires split-second timing at the helm that no human could possibly match. It's even more devastating for the ship captain who can't quite catch his Arilou opponent off-guard.
Skiff icon.png
3DO Arilou Lalee'lay Skiff
Basic stats
Crew: 6 Value: 16 pts
Battery: 20 Batt. Regeneration: 0.142 units/frame
Armament
Primary: Auto-aiming laser Secondary: Teleport
Refire delay: 1 frames Refire delay: 2 frames
Energy use: 2 units Energy use: 3 units
Propulsion
Max speed: 40 world units/frame Turn rate: 0.5 facings/frame
Acceleration: 40 units/frame Mass: 1