Drones?

Vanguard · Post by **Vanguard** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:02 pm

Okay, here's a new question for everyone.

I've drawn the phaser emitters (based on the Desilu water heaters), the photon torpedoes, and all that .... but now, one weapon remains...

What does a Federation Drone actually look like?

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:10 pm

I think the art on the counters is as definitive as there is available. There was an article (maybe a "to question Why") in a CapLog that showed how drone racks work that had larger views of the various drone types. They've also been shown on art for scatter-pack shuttles.

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:36 pm

Every time I've seen a line art drawing of a drone, it has reminded me of a typical air-to-air missile:
long,thin cylindrical body - pointed nose cone, 3 or 4 large fins at the rear (or bottom) end of the drone body, and smaller fins up near the nose.

It's not a lot to go on, but I hope it helps.

Dal Downing · Post by **Dal Downing** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:09 pm

I seem to recall some where in the 80's reading that SVC said they look alot like Pheonix Air to Air Missiles, (which is why I always keep a eye out for a sutbaly scaled pack of accesories to use for my Drone Markers) but really it is a Missile so does it really matter what it look like

just draw some rocket looking thing and you have it.

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:18 pm

Dal Downing wrote:I seem to recall some where in the 80's reading that SVC said they look alot like Pheonix Air to Air Missiles, (which is why I always keep a eye out for a sutbaly scaled pack of accesories to use for my Drone Markers) but really it is a Missile so does it really matter what it look like just draw some rocket looking thing and you have it.

Dal, C-in-C Products makes a set of 1/285th scale Soviet Air-to-Air Missiles that I use for my drones.
They work pretty well, and at 20 to a pack for $5 - you can't beat the price.

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:40 pm

To pick up from what Scoutdad mentioned, the line-art for the drones does indeed look a lot like the old AIM-54 Phoenix missile (and the even older Falcon and Genie missiles). The body is "chubby" in proportion to the fins, in comparison to the more modern pencil-with-tiny-fins missiles like the AIM-120 AMRAAM or even the venerable AIM-9 Sidewinder.

Vanguard · Post by **Vanguard** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:46 pm

Can someone save me a whole heck of a lot of time and send me a scan of that line art (vanguard at pixelsagas dot com) . Also, if someone can post the max damage number the 'common' Feddie drone does, compared to the standard Photon Torpedo, I would be indebted.

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:47 pm

A standard, type-1 drone does 12 points of damage.

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:01 pm

Vanguard -

If you are doing damage output in RPG terms (Newtons, megatons, whatever), you'll need to do the math to compare the 12 points from a standard (SFB Type I) drone, versus 8 points from a standard-load photon torpedo. I'm assuming you already have the value in that equation for the photons (so you can find "x" for the drone).

Vanguard · Post by **Vanguard** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:25 pm

If the weapons functioned identically, it would be 37.5MT for the Standard Federation Drone, and 25MT for the Standard Photon Torpedo. The PT, though, has a 'field sustainment generator' that allows a short-period warp travel which draws heavily from the warhead's max yield.

Drones don't seem to be fast direct-fire, but slower 'seeking' weapons, moving at impulse... so there may be an adjustment in MT required. That's the trick between going from 'canon' ST to SFB/FC, the numbers aren't entirely the same.

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 12:06 am

As long as weapon damages work out about where they should in-proportion to each other, everything should be fine.

A Phaser-1, rolling-lucky, at range 1 should do the same raw damage output as a standard photon torpedo, as should an overloaded disruptor at range 2-4 (8 damage points = x Real World Value).

As long as x = a whole lotta hurtin', I'd believe any number.

The biggest fusion bomb I know of was the Czar Bomb, which was 100MT. 37.5MT with Trek-level targeting is scary enough.

Vanguard · Post by **Vanguard** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:28 am

Today's fun fact!

At warp 3.2, a drone travels 885 hexes per second!

Davec_24 · Post by **Davec_24** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:46 am

Nice. Do we get a fun fact tomorrow too?

Wolverin61 · Post by **Wolverin61** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:05 pm

Would a spaceborne drone have fins?

Maybe for planetary surface bombardment I suppose.

Just a thought.

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:20 am

Wolverin61 wrote:Would a spaceborne drone have fins?

Maybe for planetary surface bombardment I suppose.

Just a thought.

While not necessary for maneuvering, the artwork shows them as present... and since mankind has added stabilizing fins to it's missiles for hundreds of years... that's a lot of ingrained belief to overcome.
I vote, Yes. Fins would be present on the drones.