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This wing of our military branch focuses on quality at low prices, consequently ships of their design are used widely by fringe pirates and mercenaries, as well as the occasional standing navies of some planets. Cost reducing techniques by said company have prevented their lighter variations of ships from entering mainstream military service, though higher quality ships are used extensively and for the most part exclusively by our own defense fleet. We only plan to export certain models of our ships to serve as another source of income, so do not be alarmed when seeing unusual vessels upon entering the Taln Domain.
Commercial Models
Products intended for sale. Unless otherwise specified, surplus of these ships also find their way into Taln's Navy as well.
The Adamant is one of the many popular variations of Taln Shipyards's Companion chassis, combining the ruggedness consumers everywhere have learned to expect from Taln craft with hi-powered weaponry and nigh unlimited customization options. The strike cruiser boasts a hull length of 231 meters, and features a number of weapons platforms for Goliath I missile launchers or ETA-2 pulse laser cannons along its durable armor plated exoskeleton. In addition, a grand total of four Golan III maneuvering thrusters augment the EIY slipspace solution; a speedy combination that is undoubtedly the best propulsion suite on the market. Get yours today! Contact your nearest Taln reseller for details. *note: All gray portions of ship are areas for corporate markings of the buyer's choice.
Want a ship but can't seem to get the resources to build your own? Don't want to wade through overpriced 'pretty' ships, just want something that'll get you from here to there at a low price? Then the Pathos-C frigate is for you. This low-cost, economic, no-frills solution doesn't go out of its way to appease the eyes - yet isn't that hard on them just the same. But most importantly, it gets the job done without the hassle and cost associated with other so-called 'affordable' ships from other brands; the Pathos-C is by far the most versatile and cost-effective ship for the independent starfarer. The frigate mounts two ETA-I pulse laser installations for the weary adventurer, as well as two Expes ion drive tubes with an EIY Lite slipspace drive nestled comfortably in between. Interested in picking one up? Contact your nearest Taln reseller, and remember what color you want on it!
Military Models
Vessels exclusive to the Taln Defense Force; not for commercial resale.
The first Excelsior cruiser was laid down sixty years ago in the Century class shipyards above Hiigar, and ever since it has served as the Sovereignty's workhorse - patrolling its borders and serving in task forces alongside escort vessels. While the design has changed to adapt to technological advances throughout the decades, the core concept remains the same: a pocket cruiser mounting overwhelming firepower with the speed necessary to mediate conflicts along Taln's border swiftly and decisively. The ship is also equipped with a small forward hangar bay to service long range strikecraft as a means to defend civilian elements from pirates and to screen the cruiser's battlefleet against fighter threats when corvettes are otherwise occupied. A well-rounded ship with minimal weaknesses.
The Pathos frigates are not a new addition to Taln's fleet, and in fact have been serving in it for well over a dozen centuries. This particular model is but an upgrade of its ancestor, the now rebranded Pathos-C, boasting a third engine tube and advanced weaponry. From a fleet commander's perspective, the Pathos fills the role of a gunboat within a fleet, slow enough to realistically escort the larger cruisers, but nimble enough to evade threats to the ship itself. The frigate is used primarily to augment the firepower of its larger cousins, maximizing the damage output of a battlefleet at a single point in time, though in sufficient numbers it can threaten bigger warships without the need of cruiser support. The bread and butter of Taln's Navy.
Undoubtedly the most numerous vessel in the TDF, the Lithe is a minute 3-man vessel used for reconnaissance and more often than not, combat. It's a matter of consternation what class the ship *officially* is; some fleet personnel have noted that its bulk is very near to that which is considered normal for a frigate, others joking as to whether the Lithe is a pocket frigate or an oversized corvette. Regardless of what class it falls under, the ship serves as an effective interceptor for strikecraft threats and can easily slip into enemy battle lines to deliver devastating payloads on opposing capital ships. The Lithe also serves as an excellent patrol ship when in border integrity fleets, launching on remote scanning missions and reporting back to their respective battlegroups, greatly increasing the amount of space that can be covered within a single deployment of a patrol task force. It's low crew count combined with a stellar survivability rate and low manufacturing cost make it a welcome addition to the Navy.
Classifications
Spoiler:
Tiel wrote:Corvette (20-80 blocks long)
As spacefaring races reached for the stars and managed to battle within them as well, they realized a need for an assault craft that wasn't as unwieldy as larger warships but packed more punch than traditional starfighters. The outcome was the swift, yet deadly, corvette classification of ship. Corvettes typically fill reconnaissance roles due to increases in maneuverability of the drives of conventional ships of the line, but still pack a mighty punch when organized into 'wolf packs', groups that have been noted to take down ships three times to size of their member craft. But for serious battles, typically fleets have a Combat Corvette classification (60-80 blocks) that weave in and out of capital ship broadsides to deliver a deadly payload of missiles and lasers. Whilst laden more heavily than their smaller cousins, they sacrifice little of the maneuverability, and also like their counterparts, crews only reach as large as 20 members at a time, with the sole pilot also acting as the commander of the vessel.
Frigate (80-250 blocks long)
A long used but stalwart and reliable class, they form the bulk of many fleets but oftentimes don't need the support to be combat effective. With multiple gun emplacements and speedy normalspace drives, frigates serve as the happy medium between the nimble corvettes and mammoth cruisers. While not as agile as the corvettes, frigates feature above average maneuverability with enough armor and shielding to get the job done. Job descriptions typically range from escorting larger vessels from corvette threats to carrying massive siege lasers that decimate enemy shields.
Crew is almost always upwards of 50 unless an Artificial Intelligence module is installed, though these are rare on smaller classes of ship. But while the frigate is a well enough asset on its own, fleet commanders soon realized their fragility due to their versatility and commissioned a variant commonly referred to as the Assault Frigate (150-230 blocks) designed to function more as a cheaper Cruiser than its former variety of roles. Assault Frigates cram many cruiser weapons into their small chassis, making for a very effective and non cost prohibitive alternative to larger ships, albeit having a shorter list of specializations.
Cruiser (250-425 blocks long)
A less common class, cruisers form the backbone of many a fleet. Commanded by seasoned crews of 100+ and correspondingly advanced weaponry, the class originated from a need for higher quality assault ship that would be guaranteed to survive long into engagements and even into additional battles without repairs or resupplying. Oftentimes referred to as 'ships of the line' due to their higher than average expense, cruisers function well as 'lone wolves' and can accommodate high ranking fleet officers; as a result many a battle has been fought with an admiral at the helm of one as opposed to larger but more bulky Carriers or Dreadnoughts that enemy ships know to concentrate fire on.
While not as maneuverable as Corvettes or Frigates, the class features an intimidating drive capable of elaborate evasive maneuvers. Cruisers carry a variety of heavy hitting weapons, but those equipped with the thundering higher caliber guns are often referred to as Battlecruisers (375-425 blocks), though they sacrifice most of their agility in order to produce the power needed to fire them. As a result, most Battlecruisers are designed with thick armor plating to make the most of this disadvantage.
Juggernaut (425-600 blocks long)
Smaller classes are vulnerable. Juggernaut laughs at their pitiful excuses for weapons and armor. The second largest ship ever fielded by any known fleet, Juggernauts feature tremendous thickness of armor plating just in case the entire enemy fleet manages to punch a hole or two in their equally powerful shields. Second only in cost to the massive Dreadnoughts, they are reserved for the commanding officers of large fleets who desire the protection afforded by the humongous craft crewed by well over 200 experienced staff members; not including a corresponding marine attachment for capturing enemy vessels or defending the ship from being boarded itself. The lumbering vessel is a prime target for Combat Corvettes and the aforementioned boarding parties due to its almost nonexistent agility, but this shouldn't be a problem with a supporting fleet of frigates and/or cruisers.
The Juggernaut's primary role is the destruction of other ships of its class and cruisers that may pose a threat to the fleet it presides over. Most Juggernauts are equipped with an AI to take control of the multiple weapon banks, leaving only the heaviest weapons to gunnery crews stationed throughout the ship. Should the AI core be disabled by any means, a Juggernaut would be crippled. A variant is the Carrier (550-600 blocks) which exclusively uses starfighters as its only offensive capability. Though it mounts heavy cannons and a screen of flak turrets, the Carrier is designed to be stationed on the rim of the battle, and consequently relies on a supporting fleet more than the standard Juggernaut. Many fleet officers prefer being stationed on a Carrier because of its distance from the heat of the battle and its serendipitous ability to flee more quickly than any other ship participating in the battle.
Dreadnought (600-∞ blocks)
The rarest ship class in fleets, its introduction stemmed from the need to take on entire fleets at once and provide a negative psychological effect on enemy crewmen. Known to drain entire star systems of resources in order to be constructed, the sight of an enemy Dreadnought warping in usually signifies the beginning of the end for opposing warships. In fact, many admirals have been known to pull back entirely due to the class's reputation. Usually equipped with the best technology a faction has available, they are armed to the teeth with heavy weapons and an even larger network of smaller caliber guns for boarding craft, fighters, and the occasional pesky corvette. The massive reactors necessary for powering said weapons could prove a prime target, with catastrophic results.
The crew capacity of most dreadnoughts scale upwards of 500 of the best the constructor's navy can offer. The exact number of these fearsome ships is unknown due to the various factions concealing how many they have built for a tactical edge in upcoming battles. It is, however, a rarity for more than one, if any, to exist in smaller realms. A Dreadnought can coordinate several fleets at once and has many destructive capabilities, so they are deployed sparingly.
Other classes:
Destroyer
A frigate cruiser with exclusively anti capital ship weaponry, which typically consists of a siege laser and heavy turrets.
Dropship:
In space, dropships are between a corvette and a small cruiser in size, and while lacking offensive capabilities of their own, they can land on the surface and deploy troops while the defending fleet is pre-occupied. (ie, Acclamator I in Star Wars)
Diplomatic Ship
Never larger than a frigate, Diplomatic Ships carry no weapons and must rely on enemy goodwill to survive. Many a conflict has been sparked by the destruction of one of these vessels.
Upcoming Tasks
Proponent class assault frigate (Companion MKII) REVISED!
Excelsior class cruiser (Proponent Re-design) FINISHED!
Champion class light cruiser (Crusader MKII) CANCELLED.
Pathos class light frigate FINISHED!
Whisper class strike cruiser FINISHED!
Templar class destroyer CANCELLED.
Aspiration class escort carrier IN PROGRESS
Ethos class luxury liner (Companion re-build) IN PROGRESS
Contention class Star Artillery PLANNING PHASE
Ascendant class frigate PLANNING PHASE
LJS-80 class commerce ship PLANNING PHASE
Redemption class fleet carrier PLANNING PHASE
Conquerer class destroyer PLANNING PHASE
Priority List
Rebuild Companion as Ethos Luxury Liner
Construct the Aspiration class Escort Carrier
Begin work on Contention Star Artillery (This is gonna be big, folks.)
Profit.
Last edited by Chairman_Tiel on Sat May 18, 2013 12:56 pm, edited 5 times in total.
For testing/debugging purposes, software rendering can be used through OSMesa (off-screen Mesa), by setting the "webgl.osmesalib" variable to point to the OSMesa shared library (typically /usr/lib/libOSMesa.so). Note that the OSMesa library is required to use "gl" prefixes, not "mgl".
You can also try setting the "webgl.force-enabled" variable to true if WebGL is not working. Variables can be accessed by typing "aboutconfig" in the address bar.
Safari
WebGL is supported on Mac OS X 10.6 in the WebKit nightly builds or in Safari 5.x and above
After downloading, installing, and the browser, you can enable WebGL through the Develop menu. To enable the Develop menu, go to Safari->Preferences and on the Advanced tab ensure that the "Show Develop menu in menu bar" checkbox has been checked.
Once the Develop menu is enabled WebGL support can be toggled with the Develop->Enable WebGL menu option.
Chrome / Chromium
WebGL is available in the stable releases of Chrome and Chromium for desktop platforms. Chromium is included in many software repositories for Linux based systems. Chrome for Mobile does not yet support WebGL due to known limitations with existing graphics drivers.
Please report issues you find to either the public WebGL mailing list or via the Chromium issue tracker.
Opera
WebGL is supported in Opera 12 beta but you must enable it in the user preferences. Enter opera:config in the address bar. In the User Prefs section set both Enable Hardware Acceleration and Enable WebGL to 1. Scroll to the bottom of the list of user preferences and click the Save button. Restart the browser.
Last edited by Chairman_Tiel on Fri Mar 29, 2013 9:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
Laserbilly wrote:Well that's just freaking awesome! How did you do that?? I want to try that for my ships!!
Edit: I also really enjoyed reading your OP, there's some fun stuff in there!
Thanks
The 3D thing is an online obj renderer that uses WebGL, which unfortunately it'd seem a lot of people don't have (it's a browser support thing, sorta like HTML5). I was going to make a tutorial for embedding showcases within the forum (and in fact that's the function of the 'objframe' bbcode) but as it would turn out even if you do have WebGL the browser tries to load all the models at once, making for a very laggy viewing experience. I figured it's best to just leave it optional so those who want to see the entire ship and interact with it can, without affecting the viewability of the thread for those who don't/can't.
Last edited by Chairman_Tiel on Fri Mar 29, 2013 9:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
[/spoiler]
