Ghostking 666

Active member
So, I've recently read Babylon 5: A shipbuilder's manual, and it had a lot of very nice descriptions over how certain technologies work in B5 and many of the weapons and systems used by individual races.

Gravitic Shields for instance,
Originally designed by the defensive-minded Abbai, then also taken on by the Brakiri, gravitic shield generators are very effective deterrents to any hostile weapons fire. By forming an angled funnel of very high gravity, most attacks simply slow down to the point of stationary and burn out well before they ever get close enough to harm the ship. Missiles detonate, particles simply fade away and matter collapses in upon itself upon striking the field of massive force. High-output energy beams or sustained firing weapons can push past the buffer with little trouble, as the generators are simply unable to keep up the sort of output required to keep up with such a barrage.

Are strikingly similar to the kinetic barriers of Mass Effect, complete with a weakness to lasers and sustained firing weapons(weapons that fire "beams" instead of "pulses" like EA G.O.D cannons).

It also turns out that Hyach laser weapons have some sort of weird "sonic" component to them.
Considered to be the true masters of laser technology, the Hyach were toying with simple beams of coherent light long before they ever decided to stretch their influence to the stars. What other races consider to be ‘advanced’ laser technology is common household knowledge for the Hyach designers. It was their mastery over lasers combined with what they learned from their allies the Abbai that eventually created the ‘harmonic laser’.


Harmonic weaponry is solely of Hyach design and they protect it jealously. It combines sound and laser energies into a single beam of cooperating wavelengths, which weaken and then shatter the molecular bonds of a target. Harmonic weaponry is marvelled at by all who have ever seen the Hyach use it, especially the Brakiri – who covet the technology with unequalled hunger.

Based on the Hyach’s ingenious sonic/laser combination technology, the harmonic laser is their primary weapon on every craft they fly in their fleets. Ranging in size and damage potential, the harmonic laser is a devastating weapon system that combines focusing crystals and resonating chambers that are energised and funnelled into a single streak of barely visible energy. The beam fractures and melts the target all at once, ripping apart the structure so the damage can reach deeper inside the target much faster.

The use of such high-frequency and power sonic energy creates a massive burst of ultrasonic noise that interrupts most short-range communications for a moment. This sound is inaudible to all but the most sensitive of ears. It is called dak’a’pe by the Pak’ma’ra (who believe it is musical in nature) meaning ‘death’s holy voice’.

There are many varieties of harmonic laser available to shipbuilders with enough clout to obtain them. Each one takes up a significant amount of room on a starship, as they use their own power and energy supplies and are unable to use common varieties. The proof of this is the ‘focussed’ harmonic laser, which is built along the spines of many larger Hyach ships, earning it the nickname of a ‘spinal laser’. So much energy and gathering apparatus is required to use this weapon effectively that only Hyach-built ships are suited to do so.

They also have some sort of anti-laser shield system called Harmonic Shields.
There is not a true interception technique designed by the Younger Races that can stop or even slow down high-energy beams like lasers… save one. The Hyach, masters of laser technology, created a powerful wavelength-based shield that essentially balances the wavelengths of attacking energies. For every wavelength in the spectrum, there is an opposite wavelength that brings the two into balance – the nullification point. Through their advances in harmonic laser technology, the Hyach designed several safety measures that would cancel out laser wavelengths if experiments got out of hand or became unstable.

It was these safety measures that were then experimented on, creating a powerful shielding force that can actually cancel out a large portion of energy. It does nothing for weaponry that uses solid matter or charged particles, but with the addition of defensive turrets their threat is lessened as well. Note that the Harmonic Shield only applies its rating against Beam attacks.

Considering that the Dilgar have stolen and reverse engineered enough Hyach technology to equip their own ships with spinal lasers, I wonder if they've given all their laser weapons a "harmonic" upgrade, or if they use harmonic shields as well as gravitic shields for all around coverage of weapons types.
 
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Harlock

I should have expected that really
I'll be putting some background up now and then as I work on things, mostly just offering some details on elements that may be useful but not plot critical. Stuff like the history of the protectorate or some of the smaller nations on the EA border. That sort of thing





Notable ships

Earth Force

Olympus Epsilon
Standard Corvette and light escort of the Earth fleets. Respectably armed with pulse cannons, interceptors, light railguns and basic missiles it serves well as an anti fighter unit to bulk up the point defences of EA fleets. Very useful given the lack of small guns on the Nova class.
Borderline obsolete despite upgrades they soldier on until a replacement is commissioned.

Artemis Delta
Standard EA heavy frigate. Surprisingly heavily armoured for a ship of its size the Artemis design predates First Contact and as such is fairly slow by modern standards. It is however well armed with rail guns making it extremely useful as long range support.
Not many made it through the Dilgar war, and fewer still the Minbari war.

Artemis Epsilon
Modern version swapping rail guns for light pulse cannons. While it now lacks real anti ship firepower it is one of the best point defence ships available. Has largely replaced the Olympus in escort roles.

Sagittarius Alpha
Standard missile ship, very good at area saturation attacks. Relatively rare and due to be replaced with the newer Apollo class.

Avenger Gamma
Standard fleet carrier of the EA. Very basic ship with limited power, it is designed to hang back, launch four squadrons of fighters, and then provide command and control. Latest models upgraded for Thunderbolts.

Oracle Delta
Standard ELINT ship for Earth Force. Showing its age and scheduled for replacement as soon as possible.

Hyperion Theta
Latest in the long and varied line of cruisers this version mounts pulse cannons and a pair of Narn heavy lasers. Still zero gravity and unable to be upgraded, this version is likely the last of this venerable design.

Nova Alpha
Revolutionary when built the initial Alpha model made its name in the Dilgar war. Armed only with mass batteries of lasers they are rare due to massive war losses.

Nova Beta
Extremely rare version using Dilgar particle bolt cannons. The bolters were a precursor to pulse cannons and research was discontinued once pulse cannons were perfected. Only a few prototypes exist.

Nova Delta
Rail gun Nova armed with batteries of rapid firing anti ship kinetic weapons. Staggeringly powerful but ridiculously expensive and complex to support. Initially very rare but performance against the Minbari led to new builds being ordered.

Nova Gamma
Standard version armed with dual role laser/pulse cannon batteries. The best balance between endurance, range, efficiency and destructive potential. Brought into service a few years before the Minbari war they suffered heavy losses in battle but proved extremely dangerous.

Nova Epsilon
Experimental version where the central crew citadel was replaced with an artificial gravity structure. Used mainly as a test bed the design saw deployment as long range enforcement ships.

Omega Alpha
First generation design built from experiences in the Dilgar war. Emphasises long range weapons and high operational endurance. A flexible ship armed with dual role heavy lasers/pulse cannons and secondary light dual role guns.
Currently the backbone of the fleet.

Omega Beta
Similar to the Alpha design but equipped solely with high rate of fire pulse cannons. While lacking the range of the lasers the greatly increased rate of fire makes them formidable at close and medium ranges

Omega Gamma
Command ship variant outfitted for flag officers. Superior sensors and communications. Otherwise armed as a standard Alpha model.

Omega Delta
Variant armed with the same rail guns as the Nova Delta. Like its older sister it has the flaw of rapidly expending its ammunition leaving the ship useless in most battles after a few minutes. However in theory any battle involving a squadron of Delta series ships would not last that long.

Omega Epsilon
Replaces the rotating section with a gravity positive crew compartment. Most ships also use first generation gravitic propulsion. Used mainly to test technologies for the Warlock class they were effective enough to enter series production.

Omega Zeta
Fairly rare Omega mounting the same heavy calibre laser/pulse batteries as the Warlock and Nova class. Commissioned as a gunship to carry the same firepower as a Nova on a more efficient hull. Designed during the Minbari war but not produced until later, largely superseded in role by the Warlock.

Warlock Alpha
First generation advanced warship utilising gravity technology. Faster, tougher, longer ranged and better armed than any other human ship. Considered superior to the Minbari Sharlin and represents the future of the EA fleet. Still uncommon but under mass production.

Poseidon Alpha
Supercarrier bringing eight squadrons to the battlefield. Surprisingly well armed with firepower equal to an Omega and a colossal number of missile launchers. Utilised as fleet command ships due to their extensive facilities.

Poseidon Beta
Supercarrier based on the original model but replacing the rotating sections with a gravity plated habitat section. Prototype stage.

Apollo Alpha
Heavy missile and bombardment ship using gravitic technology. Prototype.

Marathon Alpha
Cruiser class vessel designed alongside the Warlock utilising the same technology. Hyperion replacement, prototype stage.


Starfury, Aurora class
Standard issue fighter entering service just before the Minbari war. Iconic design and still has an edge in agility over more modern designs

Starfury, Aurora Wild Weasel
Twin seat version with expanded weapons fit. Designed to give more anti ship capability to smaller EA vessels.

Starfury, Badger class
Bomber that saw service in the Minbari war. Quite rare currently and largely replaced by superior craft

Starfury, Thunderbolt class
Latest generation of the Starfury. Atmosphere capable, superior engines and armed with an exceptionally potent gun. Can carry two crew in the strike role. Less agile than the Aurora and more expensive.






Minbari




Torotha assault frigate
Primarily a troop transporter the Torotha can also serve as a blockade runner or light attack ship. More common among Protectorate powers.

Tinashi frigate
Venerable design dating back to the era before Valen. Upgraded with modern weapons they serve mainly as escorts and raiders.

Troligan armoured cruiser
Very tough but also slow, these ships are line breakers. Very popular with Protectorate fleets they are best used in direct attacks by aggressive commanders.

Leshath scout
Standard Minbari ELINT vessel. Very rare but extremely effective.

Morshin carrier
Poorly armed and slow mostly used to ferry around four squadrons of fighters.

Tigara attack cruiser
Pocket Sharlin, good balance of speed and anti ship weaponry the standard multi role warship of the Minbari. Very common in the current navy and a favourite of more aggressive commanders

Sharlin warcruiser
Iconic symbol of the Minbari fleet. War losses tarnished its reputation but still extremely dangerous with massive firepower and heavy armour. Bedrock of the Minbari navy and still the lynchpin of most tactics and strategy.

Shargotti Battleship
Scaled up Sharlin with commensurately superior firepower and armour. Used as flagships they are very rare and currently unrivalled by any known warship

Neshaten Gunship
Based on the Earth Force Nova class which made a strong and lasting impression on the Minbari Navy. Tremendously well armed and protected they are slow but virtually unstoppable.




Tishat medium fighter
An older type retained for its superior speed and agility. More fragile than a Nial its pilots accept the danger in exchange for superior performance in dogfights.

Nial heavy fighter
Standard Minbari fighter, fast and agile it is well protected and powerful enough to threaten small ships. Very well balanced it is still very dangerous even without stealth
 

Harlock

I should have expected that really
They are on the wish list but as Earth is only 5 years ahead I think only Warlocks will be well represented. Maybe a Marathon or two :p
 

Harlock

I should have expected that really
Pretty much, while I do plan to cover about 4 years and have greatly expanded wars and conflicts I'm not sure we'll make it as far as those other ships.
Though they would be fully operational in time for any Drakh war, if such a thing occurs. Might not be enough Drakh left at that point in this timeline :p
 

Tryglaw

Well-known member
Pretty much, while I do plan to cover about 4 years and have greatly expanded wars and conflicts I'm not sure we'll make it as far as those other ships.
Though they would be fully operational in time for any Drakh war, if such a thing occurs. Might not be enough Drakh left at that point in this timeline :p

Will you see Babylon stations built, or will their worth go to MOAR Warships! :)
 

Harlock

I should have expected that really
Yes to Babylon stations as there is still a desire to build a place to facilitate diplomacy, but they will be even less successful this time round :p
But still good for trade and business which is why they keep them active. Same basic history too, exploded, exploded, exploded, vanished, cheap :p
 

mwkillkenny84

Well-known member
Though they would be fully operational in time for any Drakh war, if such a thing occurs. Might not be enough Drakh left at that point in this timeline :p


Or hell, there could be not a Drakh war, period. The Shadows could take a look at the current situation of the Galaxy and say "Naaa, this time let's stay calm and enjoy the show. Pass me the [beer] and [popocorn] please."
 

Knowledgeispower

Ah I love the smell of missile spam in the morning
Yes to Babylon stations as there is still a desire to build a place to facilitate diplomacy, but they will be even less successful this time round :p
But still good for trade and business which is why they keep them active. Same basic history too, exploded, exploded, exploded, vanished, cheap :p
Yeesh I assume that their construction was mandated in the treaty that ended the war in this timeline as well otherwise I rather doubt anyone would build willing to build more than a couple
 

Tryglaw

Well-known member
Yes to Babylon stations as there is still a desire to build a place to facilitate diplomacy, but they will be even less successful this time round :p
But still good for trade and business which is why they keep them active. Same basic history too, exploded, exploded, exploded, vanished, cheap :p

You could always make the Minbari cough up the dough for them as part of peace settlement. :)
 

Harlock

I should have expected that really
Could do :)
Branmer is open to the idea of some sort of diplomatic effort, he's got his eye on building an alliance for the Shadow war, but his popularity is very wobbly by the time of the story so the Minbari may see it a bit like the Centauri. Dead end assignment.
 

Ghostking 666

Active member
They are on the wish list but as Earth is only 5 years ahead I think only Warlocks will be well represented. Maybe a Marathon or two :p
5 years ahead is why I mentioned the Delphi Scout and Cronos Attack Frigate. You might want to go and take a look at when the EA started unveiling it's next gen class of ships. Outside of the Warlock class, which first entered service with the EAS Titans in December 2261, with the rest following in 2262, we have the other ships coming in the same general time period.

The most advanced vessel – electronically speaking – in the Earth Force navy, the Delphi has revolutionized scouting practices since its emergence in 2261. Using a fully tachyon-enhanced communications array like those found on military stations, the Delphi can stay at extreme ranges well beyond those of a normal warship and fully scan entire systems without even triggering the long-range scanners of the enemy.

Due to the nature of its role in a military intelligence gathering aspect, Delphi vessels tend to be well protected and held in extremely tight reserve during an actual encounter. Also the first Earth Alliance warships to be equipped as standard with a dual-jump drive for emergency exits from ambushes or battlefield errors, the Delphi has been known to simply jump into a system, have a look around, then jump right back out again with everything that the awaiting attack fleet needs to know.

The Oracle, Earth’s original hyperspace exploration ship, was developed after the arrival of the Centauri. Based on a new hull constructed specifically for the purpose of interstellar travel, it was the most capable vessel of its day. The first Oracles were corporate ventures that braved hyperspace to locate nearby systems for colonization and survey missions that would reap huge dividends in the decades to come – seven of which were owned by the mega corporation Interplanetary Expeditions. If there had been no Oracles, there would be no Proxima, or Orion, or Deneb, or any of the other extra-solar colonies. Only those few who left to form the Belt Alliance would have amounted to a colonial investiture. Earth would have likely been little more than yet another member of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds.

Since the time that the original Oracles sailed the stars, great leaps have been made in Earth Force sensor and scanning technologies. It did not take long for the Oracles to be converted for use as electronic support platforms in a fleet environment. The Oracle bears a particular resemblance to the later Hyperion, as they were designed by the same design company, and many of the systems employed on the scout were later used for the Hyperion.

In 2262, the Oracle had mostly been replaced by the even higher technology of the Delphi-class scout. Rather than decommissioning the old standbys, Earth Force uses them for smaller engagements and patrolling home space – where the slightly less advanced cruiser can still make a great difference.

One of the newest Earth Force ships built after their joining to the Interstellar Alliance, the Apollo was supposed to be superior in every way to the Sagittarius missile cruiser. It uses some of the best technologies that both Alliances could offer. Faster and more durable than its predecessor, the Apollo’s main focus is upon the advanced missile systems that can hurl volleys of deadly EA missiles at a much greater rate. With its dual phase Fairspace Industries jump drive, the Apollo can appear tactically wherever its deadly hailstorm of warheads are needed without having to rely too much on fleet support. It can deliver a massive onslaught of offensive power, but still requires some escort craft or patrolling gunboats to keep it from being overwhelmed by smaller ships able to get around its field of fire.

Called a ‘bombardment cruiser’ due to the threat such a ship would pose in a planetary siege, the classification was designed by the Joint Chiefs under President Luchenko in order to hopefully strike fear in the hearts of those who might have taken advantage of the chaos in the Earth Alliance in 2262.

An attempt at revising and recreating the Olympus corvette, the Chronos was another of the late additions to the fleet after the advances Earth Force made due to their attachment to the Interstellar Alliance. It carries a very generous amount of advanced firepower to every arc, and few ships its size can maneuver quite like it. Since its release into the fleet as a standard vessel, the Chronos has filled the role of escort, flanking attacker and even patrolling cutter – hence its rather unimaginative title of ‘attack frigate’.

Large for a frigate, the Chronos was built on a much bigger frame to be able to house the copious number of weapons systems that the EA designers devised for the thick-hulled and rather agile warship. These ships were deployed only in small numbers at first in 2262, but by 2270 there were well over a hundred of them in the naval records.

The Marathon cruiser was created using a mix of some of the most advanced technologies that Earthside R&D have been able to glean from several varied alien technologies – including Drakh, Shadowtech and even Minbari. Pushed forward to replace the Hyperion after the Drakh attack in 2266, the Marathon was never fully tested before being thrown into field service. It still contains several experimental systems whose testing facilities were still on Earth when the quarantine was put into effect, making it very hard to work out any bugs they might find.

The ship, even though it might have a few quirks that are constantly bothersome to its crew, is actually very powerful in its own right. Tough, fast, maneuverable and fitted with hull-slicing neutron cannons, the Marathon is a match for ships twice its size. It uses a very intuitive artificial intelligence to keep its many opposed technologies in synch as best it can, but of the dozen or so Marathons that left the space docks in 2266 and ’67, no crew can report that their ship’s brain has functioned perfectly.

The Marathon class is actually the last of the new ship designs, not coming around until they got rushed into service to fight the Drakh in 2266, probably around a year or two sooner then originally intended in all honesty considering the lack of testing and the issues the class had with it's various experimental systems.

The rest of the "New Fleet" should be coming online right alongside the Warlock, plus or minus a few months.

Edit:
Actually, if I remember right, the Earth Alliance Factbook stated that the Warlock, Delphi, Apollo and Chronos were all part of the same development effort, with the Marathon’s name not being mentioned at all. Earth Force admirals probably figured that they could just use the Omega as a stop gap for a Hyperion replacement after designing and building the next gen replacements for the rest of the fleet, making the Marathon the EA’s first true post ISA design.

Edit2:
Found it, the Earth Alliance Factbook(which is placed pre-Civil War) called it "Project Zeus" page 112.
 
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mwkillkenny84

Well-known member
You could always make the Minbari cough up the dough for them as part of peace settlement. :)
Could do :)
Branmer is open to the idea of some sort of diplomatic effort, he's got his eye on building an alliance for the Shadow war, but his popularity is very wobbly by the time of the story so the Minbari may see it a bit like the Centauri. Dead end assignment.


Or Brammer could say "This war happened and ended like it did because we refused to talk with other races as equals, whereas our foes' connections with others helped them do something that only the Shadows and their thralls had managed to do before: nearly defeating us." to justify a joint EA/Minbari effort to make a Babylon Station so to have a 'place of contact' and avoid a repeat of the just recently finished mess.
 

wellis

Active member
Is the Warlock Alpha a sort of replacement for the Nova Gamma dreadnought?

Do you have ideas on its armament?
 

Harlock

I should have expected that really
Is the Warlock Alpha a sort of replacement for the Nova Gamma dreadnought?

Do you have ideas on its armament?

Yeah it would be the replacement for the role of primary capital ship which would free up the Nova class for support roles like planetary bombardment. The Nova is a tough ship but was built to the limit of tech so it is hard to upgrade them beyond their current design, cheaper to build a new ship. Too slow, expensive to operate and very short ranged. But even 30 years later they still have the best broadside in the fleet.

Warlock Alpha is your standard production model, twin particle cannons, three twin 16" rail gun turrets, eight twin laser/pulse turrets, 48 light pulse interceptor turrets, twin energy mine launchers, 12 long range strategic missiles, 14 anti ship missile tubes plus some reloads. 48 T-Bolts.
It has Grav propulsion and advanced sensors, plus an armoured citadel with refractive armour based on captured Minbari tech covering vital sections. Probably talking 50 or so in service but many more on the way.

Warlock Beta would be a command version with improved sensors and comms designed as a fleet flagship with facilities for a General and his staff. Delta would carry upgraded weapons, possibly Neutron cannons but that is a way in the future :)
 

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