In my old group, we had lots of fun with tweaking Orion ships to fit a particular flavor, and used to allow some really bizarre salvage rules...all purely illegal as hell, but we were just kids and applied a serious role-playing bent to our games. To a group raised on the D&D philosophy of "if you die, we're splitting up your stuff", raiding ships for goodies was second nature, and led to some distinctly fun - even if gleefully illegal - battles with customized ships.

Well, I don't guess you can really do that sort of thing these days...but remembering the old Hammerfield gave me the idea for a new sort of subject for a Captains Log that parallels the Anarchist articles; Brothers of the Hammerfield, or short articles about special or unique Orion ships and the captains that command them.

Just for kicks, and to get some talk started, I'm posting this SSD of an X-version of the Hammerfield, the Hammerfield 2.

R8.?? Orion Custom Advanced Cruiser Hammerfield 2

If O'kay had ever returned from wherever it was he dissapeared off to in Y177, this is what the Hammerfield might have looked like with similar upgrades to what it had before; bigger center warp, a bit more shielding, and those extra drones.

Anyone got any ideas for a cool, Hammerfield like ship they want to post? Might be a fun excercise in selectively and tastefully breaking the rules.

By Mike Dowd (Mike_Dowd) on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 04:02 pm: Edit

Nice use of the Circinius Federation logo there Mike

By John Erwin Hacker (Godzillaking) on Wednesday, September 01, 2004 - 05:08 pm: Edit

Mike Raper:
You have done it again. Just when I think that a ship couldn't get any scarier you come up with a barn burner. This one is just down right nasty. I love it and all (don't get me wrong) but an Orion ship of the stature of the Hammerfield with X-Technology thrown onto it is just evil. Deth O'kay must be reveling in himself right now. The Pharoah must be wondering if he can control Deth anymore. And about your other post as to whether you can't do an SSD right the first time "HOGWASH", you have done them all right.
UNTIL NEXT TIME AMERICA, JOHN.

By Bennett Eugene Snyder (Planner) on Sunday, September 05, 2004 - 11:01 pm: Edit

Why would Deth want to burn a barn? (Heh, heh, heh.) I liked that color pirate insignia on the SSD as well, Mike. Maybe you can come up with a "bomber's art" article for a Captain's Log. Illustrations of ship "artistic mascots" that could be based on a ship's name or nickname.

By Richard K. Glover (Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 01:49 pm: Edit

That has two center engines, mounted above and below the hull, right?

If so, then shouldn't it at least lose it's ability to land on planets?

F`

By Mike Raper (Raperm) on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 01:59 pm: Edit

Dunno. Seems like I copied that line right off the CX SSD.

By Bennett Eugene Snyder (Planner) on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 10:21 pm: Edit

I remember that the original conjectural Orion DN was supposed to be able to take off from a planet when being launched, but couldn't land again. Think it was in R5. Maybe there was an engineering change that enables it to land now?

By Mike Raper (Raperm) on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 08:18 pm: Edit

Well, I do have another couple of unique Orion ships.

The first is a modified Battle Raider. I played this ship a long time ago, back before the new x-rules came out. I had modified it in our game from a standard BR. Again, like the Hammerfield, it is unique and breaks the rules to some degree.

R8.?? Orion Customized Advanced Battle Raider O.P.C. Ghost

It was a GREAT ship to get in close with.

The second came up in the Scary Ships thread a while back. It's like the OK6; well, sort of.

R8.?? Orion Customized OK9 O.P.C. Luca Brasi

Fun stuff. Illegal, but fun. I always liked the custom ship art for Orion ships, too, and like to include stuff on my SSD's...even if I copy it from somewhere else!

By Bruce A. Campbell (Ltlsoup) on Friday, September 10, 2004 - 08:43 am: Edit

Mike I have been a fan of your work for several years. The OK9 is just sick, i'll have nightmares about that for weeks now. BTW where does the center engine mount?

By Bennett Eugene Snyder (Planner) on Sunday, October 03, 2004 - 11:24 pm: Edit

I would think it's on top of the deckhouse. Could also be under the Orion section, but the deckhouse seems more likely.

By Wayne Borean (Wayne9999) on Thursday, May 31, 2018 - 03:33 pm: Edit

I’d really like to see those SSDs but the site no longer works.

By Steve Zamboni (Szamboni) on Thursday, May 31, 2018 - 03:55 pm: Edit

I'm sure I have them somewhere, let me dig through the pile.