Something on Wing Commander.

[Bob McDob]

As you may or may not know, over the past several days I have been compiling a weapons chart of WC yields (in KT) based on several sources and calculations. The labours of my fruits are below.

Code: Select all

Name	DU	Tungsten	MT	Temblor 	MT Max	Stupid 
1CM	1	0.05	10	44.58	4995	1.2E+11
Laser	1.8	0.09	18	80.25	8991	2.16E+11
Neutron	3	0.15	30	133.75	14985	3.6E+11
MDriver	4.5	0.225	45	200.625	22477.5	5.4E+11

Particle	4.3	0.215	43	191.7	21478.5	5.16E+11
TNeut	7	0.35	70	312	34965	8.4E+11
FlakWC2	1	0.05	10	44.58	4995	1.2E+11
PTC	100	5	1000	4458	499500	1.2E+13
AMG	30	1.5	300	1337.5	149850	3.6E+12

MAGun	1.5	0.075	15	66.875	7492.5	1.8E+11
MDCAR	2	0.1	20	89.17	9990	2.4E+11
TachAR	2.5	0.125	25	111.46	12487.5	3E+11
MDisrupter	3.3	0.165	33	147.125	16483.5	3.96E+11
IoPulseAR	3.3	0.165	33	147.125	16483.5	3.96E+11
MesonB	3.5	0.175	35	156	17482.5	4.2E+11
PhotonAR	3.7	0.185	37	164.96	18481.5	4.44E+11
ReaperAR	4	0.2	40	178.33	19980	4.8E+11
HPhoton 	7.4	0.37	74	329.9	236963	8.88E+11
TurFlakAR	5	0.25	50	222.916	24975	6E+11
TLaserAR	1.3	0.065	13	57.958	6493.5	1.56E+11

MDCPRIV	2.6	0.13	26	115.916	12987	3.12E+11
IonicPulse	5.4	0.27	54	240.75	26973	6.48E+11
TachPRIV	3.7	0.185	37	164.96	18481.5	4.44E+16
NGPRIV	6.2	0.31	62	276.416	30969	7.44E+11
MesonBP	3.2	0.16	32	142.67	15984	3.84E+11
FusCan	10	0.5	100	445.8	49950	1.2E+12


TurLas	2.5	0.125	25	111.46	12487.5	3E+11
ReaperG	3.5	0.175	35	156	17482.5	4.2E+11
Ion3D0	2.4	0.12	24	107	11988	2.88E+11
TL3D0	6	0.3	60	267.5	29970	7.2E+11
TPlas	6	0.3	60	267.5	29970	7.2E+11
MesBKS	1.8	0.09	18	80.25	8991	2.16E+11

IonGun	3.5	0.175	35	156	17482.5	4.2E+11
PartGun	6.7	0.335	67	298.7	33466.5	8.04E+11
Tachyon	7	0.35	70	312	34965	8.4E+11
Scattergun	15	0.75	150	668.75	74925	1.8E+12
LeechG	1	0.05	10	44.583	4995	1.2E+11
Stormfire	0.4	0.02	4	17.83	1998	48000000000
TMas	7	0.35	70	312	34965	8.4E+11
LTachyon	5	0.25	50	222.92	24975	6E+11
HeavyIon	5	0.25	50	222.916	24975	6E+11
HMassD	6	0.3	60	267.5	29970	7.2E+11

StrmMKII	2.1	0.105	21	93.625	10489.5	2.52E+11
PMassD	3.5	0.175	35	156	17482.5	4.2E+11
PPartC	4.2	0.21	42	187.25	20979	5.04E+11
TLPR	3.8	0.19	38	169.416	18981	4.56E+11
PlasCan	46	2.3	460	2050.83	229770	5.52E+12
PlasCan	60	3	600	2675	299700	7.2E+12
SKiller	1.25	0.0625	12.5	55.73	6243.75	1.5E+11
LPC	3.2	0.16	32	142.67	15984	3.84E+11
QuantumD	4.2	0.21	42	187.25	20979	5.04E+11
GorgonH	7	0.35	70	312	34965	8.4E+11
HMaser	3	0.15	30	133.75	14985	3.6E+11
HPlasma	20	1	200	891.7	99900	2.4E+12
Fleetkiller	1000*	50	10000	44583	4995000	1.2E+14

ChainIon	2	0.1	20	89.17	9990	2.4E+11
Cloudburst	10	0.5	100	445.8	49950	1.2E+12
CharMass	30	1.5	300	1337.5	149850	3.6E+12
LBMaser	2.1	0.105	21	93.625	10489.5	2.52E+11
MIonCan	2.5	0.125	25	111.46	12487.5	3E+11
PBoltGun	3.7	0.185	37	164.96	18481.5	4.44E+11

VoltLas	2.5	0.125	25	111.46	12487.5	3E+11
StreamLas	2.2	0.11	22	98.08	10989	2.64E+11
SLasMKII	3	0.15	30	133.75	14985	3.6E+11
FluxBeam	3	0.15	30	133.75	14985	3.6E+11
FBMKII	3.5	0.175	35	156	17482.5	4.2E+11
KravMIV	4	0.2	40	178.3	19980	4.8E+11
TurretA	11	0.55	110	490.42	54945	1.32E+12
TurretB	20	1	200	891.67	99900	2.4E+12

WC12Mis	5	0.25	50	222.916	24975	6E+11
CSM	6000	300	60000	267500	29970000	7.2E+14
LeechAR	0.1	0.005	1	4.458	499.5	12000000000
Dumbfire	80	4	800	3566.7	399600	9.6E+12
IR	45	2.25	450	2006.25	224775	5.4E+12
FOF	25	1.25	250	1114.58	124875	3E+12
Mine	40	2	400	1783	199800	4.8E+12
MKIVT	800	40	8000	35666.7	3996000	9.6E+13
MKIIIT	200	10	2000	8916.7	999000	2.4E+13
Mace	100	5	1000	4458	499500	1.2E+13
Cne/StrB	10	0.5	100	445.8	49950	1.2E+12
FPack	6000	300	60000	267500	2997	7.2E+14
TorpPRIV	1800	90	18000	80250	8991000	2.16E+14
FrestrmHT	160	8	1600	7133.3	799200	1.92E+13
ValiantLT	80	4	800	3566.7	399600	9.6E+12
ELT	100	5	1000	4458.3	499500	1.2E+13
DFPod	10	0.5	100	445.8	49950	1.2E+12
Swarmer	15	0.75	150	668.75	74925	1.8E+12
2681HS	40	2	400	1783.3	199800	4.8E+12
2681IR	35	1.75	350	1560.416	174825	4.2E+12
2681FOF	28	1.4	280	1248.3	139860	3.36E+12
ELRIR	52	2.6	520	2318.3	259740	6.24E+12
MIRV	280	14	2800	12483.3	1398600	3.36E+13
HARM	60	3	600	2675	299700	7.2E+12
ELRHARM120	6	1200	5350	599400	1.44E+13
MinePR	800	40	8000	35666.67	3996000	9.6E+13

DU: The damage (in cm durasteel) a weapon does.

Tungsten: Calcs derived by SubCrid TC on the strength of WC armor based on the Tungsten armor in Privateer.

MT: The minimum amount of damage based on the WCIV quote that the Mark IV torpedo did "multimegaton" damage, in this case assumed to be 2MT.

Temblor: Assumes that the CapShip Torpedo does the same amount of damage as the fighter-mounted Temblor Bomb, rated in a WCIIIPC briefing at 267.5MT.

MT Max: Same as MT Torpedo, except subsituting 999MT. Absolute maximum for WC weapon yields.

Stupid: Using the stats that the Nephilim Fleetkiller plasma weapon does 1000DU damage, and the fact that it is alluded to in WCPSO Online Fiction that the Behemoth matches it in firepower. The Behemoth's firepower is 500,000,000 GW, or 120 TT (I think). Almost certainly wrong, but provided for your amusement.

*The Nephilim Fleetkiller plasma weapon does 1000 cm durasteel 'splash' damage to empty space. We have no evidence of why it does, or how much it does to actual ships, just this from the WC Prophecy guide from Origin.[/list]

[Bob McDob]

Blargh.

[SylasGaunt]

500,000,000 Gigawatts is megaton range man (500,000 terawatts, or around 119 megatons)

[Bob McDob]

500,000,000 Gigawatts is megaton range man (500,000 terawatts, or around 119 megatons)

Blame Iceberg, he did the calcs for me :p

[Bob McDob]

And . . .

http://www.geocities.com/bob_mcdob/wc.html

[Bob McDob]

Something new.

Wing Commander Speeds FAQ
First Printing, Divine Temple of the Order of LOAF, 2789

1) What speeds are Wing Commander ships capable of? How are they propelled?
2) If that's so, why don't WC ships ever travel at that speed?
3) All right, then - what speeds can ships move at IN COMBAT?
4) Scoops off, what speeds can WC ships attain?
5) How do afterburners work?
6) In the Price of Freedom novel, the Vesuvius and St. Helens fought a running battle from Neptune to Earth in less than nine minutes! How is this possible, considering that the ships would have to be traveling faster than light?



Q1) What speeds are Wing Commander ships capable of? How are they propelled?

A: During the Terran-Kilrathi war, starcraft used gigantic, magnetic monopole-generated scoops many kilometers wide to scoop up hydrogen from surrounding space. This hydrogen was then fed into maneuvering thrusters. The main downside to this was the amount of drag generated by the humongoenormous scoops (space resistance, if you will), limiting speeds to around 500KPS for fighters and 200 for capital ships. Predictably, the larger the ship, the more hydrogen was required to maneuver it, and the slower its resulting speed. The faster the ship is moving, the more hydrogen is scooped up, and the faster the ship can move as a result.


Q2) If that's so, why don't WC ships ever travel at that speed?

QA: They do - just not in combat. Universe-wise, it's probably a maneuvering concern - the more hydrogen gathered, the better the ships can maneuver, but the slower they move as a result. Keep in mind the 500KPS stat is a cruising speed for a ship moving in a straight line under optimal conditions; and anyone who's flown knows that conditions are very rarely 'optimal'. Possibly hydrogen is less dense in some areas, requiring larger scoops; and of course maneuvering and combat requires even larger amounts of hydrogen, and thus larger scoops. In WCIII, the TCS Behemoth frequently dipped into the hydrogen of the gas giant Loki VI for fuel, and even then it took several hours to cross the system. In any case, it is by no means a constant; the speed the gauges display is akin more to a tachometer. In-Game, it's obviously a playability concern: moving at a constant, 500 kilometers per second would make the game very very difficult to play.


Q3)All right, then - what speeds can ships move at IN COMBAT?

A: If the game can be trusted - and there is no real order of canonity in Wing Commander - anything from 50 to 500 m/s. Origin has been rather consistant on this point - in combat, ships distances are in meters, while in flight the nav computer displays kilometers. When scaling ship speeds, it's usually a good idea to use the Prophecy engine, as it was the first to scale every ship properly.


Q3) Scoops off, what speeds can WC ships attain?

QA: Without scoops, ship speeds are limited only by relativity concerns; they have on more than one occasion acheived velocities of around .7C . The reason this is rarely done is that the lack of fuel means ships have to be very careful about their maneuvering, relying mainly on inertia and maneuvering in limited bursts, much like early rocket travellers. If a ship runs out of fuel it can take many weeks until it can even begin to accelerate (source: Action Stations by William R. Forstchen)


Q4) How do afterburners work?

A: Fighter afterburners work as "turbochargers", greatly boosting the amount of hydrogen fed into the engines and thus boosting speed considerably. In this sense they are similar to contemporary fighters afterburners. And like contemporary fighters, they can easily run out of fuel by consuming more than they take in. Because fighters are relatively small, the amount of hydrogen taken in is miniscule compared to larger vessels.


Q5) In the Price of Freedom novel, the Vesuvius and St. Helens fought a running battle from Venus to Pluto in less than nine minutes! How is this possible, considering that the ships would have to be traveling faster than light?

A: Short answer: We don't know. For all we know about Akwende jump physics, there is still a great deal we aren't aware of. In the Wing Commander Academy TV series, for example, the Tiger's Claw jump is perceived by the crew, as opposed to other instances where jumping is more or less instantanious. Fortunately, there are several possible explanations. The first is that the ships took advantage of "mini-jumps" scattered throughout the Sol System. Since the Firekkan System has many of these, and Blair takes advantage of one during the WCIV intro, we know it is possible. The second, somewhat more remote possibility is that the ships were equiped with D-drives, "miniature" jump engines invented in the early 2300s and first mentioned in Privateer II: The Darkening. They are similar to FreeSpace subspace drives that allow ships to make in-system jumps. In any case, both of them had a very good reason to make it to Earth as soon as possible, so anything is possible.

- LOAFan monk Robert MacDoblin