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I've started to work on the BZ Armory.
I won't deviate near as much as I have with other models. I want to use it, and other more 'accurate' models for the purpose of promoting BZE, so I will attempt to be much closer to the game's models.
That said, I still want to be somewhat realistic as to scale in respect to the pilot's pod or canopy. I've written about the craziness of scale before, and the armory is as bad, or worse, than the offensive ships. For example, the Recycler is able to produce craft as big as itself, such as the Factory.
Also, the Armory is a pseudo trebuchet. I want to model something that at least appears functional.
Here is the first few minutes. I'm posting this to force myself to keep working.
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Ok, here's a another hour or so.
I said I wouldn't deviate too much from the in-game model. I think this may be a bit too much. The basic vehicle body is close, but the mechanism varies a bit. The in-game trebuchet more closely resembles a 'sling-less' trebuchet. I thought a lot about using that kind of design. . .and still may. . but that design is greatly handicapped, in that it completely ignores the added huge mechanical efficiency benefits of a sling (in red, last pic). My sling is bio-metal, and still a bit too short. The sling works a bit like your fingertips when throwing a ball, but provides a much greater mechanical benefit.
To be 'real', I estimate a fighting force would want to throw supplies, weapons, ammo and hull (energy packs) at least 5 kilometers, if not 15 km. Any closer, and some other, much more secure method could be utilized. To throw those distances, the sling end point has to reach incredible release velocities, in the order of many hundreds of meters per second, even on low-g worlds such as the moon. I'm trying to design something in that order of magnitude. To do that, a sling is really necessary, I would think. If a sling-less trebuchet were used, it would be necessary to put incredible g forces on the payload. A slinged trebuchet would still impart incredible release accelerations, but it would reduce the shock by a healthy percentage.
Keep in mind, there's a lot of mechanics missing in the model.
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Here's my estimation of the Armory size or scale in comparison to a soldier. Let me know if you agree. This is ~16m. The classified information is scant to non-existent on this vehicle. As I said before, there’s several components still missing.
As I estimated in previous posts, for the Armory to be 'necessary' and viable, you need a type of warfare that requires quick replenishment of many different supplies and weapons in a relatively small battle space (<20km radi) around high scrap concentrations. Much larger, and the invading entities will have too many logistic and support issues. And attempting to defend and protect an area larger would exceed the reach of any trebuchet. . .even with the advantages of bio-metal.
The Activision model is painfully simplistic to point of being basically nonfunctional. IF we assume Activison's Armory is a catapult and not a trebuchet, the acceleration phase is MUCH too short and MUCH too slow to fire an object little more than a couple hundred meters, even on the moon. Activision must have discovered through anecdotal accounts that a mechanical launch platform was used during the secret war and the modelers came up with what you see in the game. Another critical modeling failure is the Activision Armory appears to be only able to launch in a single plane. No matter where the command request is put on the map, the Armory launches the same, with the exception of a bit more movement of the launch arm.
A mechanical launch platform was chosen in the first place because it was simply too difficult to attempt to launch various shapes inside a cannon. My Armory trebuchet design provides a fairly long, thus low g acceleration phase compared to anything but a VERY long pneumatic or chemical combustion cannon.
well, another win for the fancy shmancy new 'unread posts' function. I'll have to be more careful next time...
, i hope to have an answer as soon as possible. by Omega_1