PROJECT PROMETHEUS TEASER

I was going to be disappointed if you didn't know it.

 

Princess will become self aware?

 

Wait... I don't get it. Is it supposed to be Tatooine?

 

Yes... and no.

 

In stark contrast to the peace that the so-called 'Golden Century' granted, the following era, the Political Century would be racked with turmoil. The requisite three generations that Kerensky had mandated for the Clans to finally return to the Inner Sphere had long since past and many in Clan society called for change. Nascent ideological rifts began to grow, eventually coalescing into the Crusader philosophy, which wanted to return to the Inner Sphere and reinstate the Star League, and the Warden philosophy, whose adherents felt the Clans were still not ready to return. Interpreting both these ideologies as false, Clan Snow Raven chose to follow neither path. They chose the best of both worlds: the Crusaders' drive, and the Wardens' patience, and have done so to great effect. Moreover, the Snow Ravens - as a politically 'neutral' Clan - could contract their services to either a Crusader or Warden Clan with minimal difficulty.

Near the middle of the Political Century in 2979, Snow Raven Khan Ewan McCorkell would strike a bargain with Clan Blood Spirit, trading a Galaxy of second-line BattleMechs for three of the Blood Spirits' WarShips. He would execute this deal after pondering the future and realizing the Snow Ravens would destroy themselves attempting to unseat one of the dominant Clans. He opted for the long road, setting his Clan up to be a primary provider of transport and cargo escort services to the distant edge of the Inner Sphere, while also cultivating an alliance for his Clan with a highly reclusive Clan that shared a mutual respect. All of these decisions would prove to be very prudent choices when, fifty years later, the calls for invasion were answered. (1)

For many years the Snow Raven touman contained the largest naval force of any Clan, with forty WarShips and a near-stranglehold on shipbuilding facilities. Its fleet was divided into five-ship naval Stars organized around either a central combatant, such as a battleship or carrier, or an armored transport, such as a Potemkin or Volga. Each naval group was accompanied by large numbers of assault DropShips, as many as a Cluster's worth of Aerospace Fighters, and a number of Elemental marine Trinaries. Such was the Raven fleet's size during this time that it allowed them to maintain a "two-Clan system," whereby they could simultaneously fight major space engagements with two other Clans and be reasonably assured of victory. These naval forces not only served to protect the Ravens but also as a source of revenue: in addition to ship facilities, elements of the fleet were contracted out to other Clans to fight at their side, though such practices declined as the disparity in fleet sizes began to lessen.

Such an emphasis on aerospace and naval assets greatly affected its ground forces, which in total numbers of BattleMechs was less compared to other Clans. Most Elementals, and even some 'Mech pilots, were trained in zero-G operations, making them equally effective fighting within a ship, on it's hull, or free-floating in space as they were on solid ground. These forces were also more heavily reliant on the fleet to perform aerial reconnaissance and close air support, making their absence in a fight potentially debilitating. A tradition of assigning a naval Star to each Galaxy posed its own problem, as the ranks of Star Admiral and Galaxy Commanderwere equivalent, resulting in arguments over authority and occasionally hampering operations. Only rarely would the Khans intervene and appoint a senior officer, typically the Galaxy Commander, and only in truly problematic instances, as the two supreme leaders were suppose to be impartial to internal politicking.

In other instances the chain of command was clearly spelled out in what was know as "the list." Recording all officers and their qualifications, "the list" established a clear line of precedence in the case of a superior officer's incapacity or death. Such a mechanism avoided a problem found in other Clans which over-relied on senior officers and let a Snow Raven warrior know their status within the Clan. Promotion was also handled differently compared to other Clans: to achieve the rank of Galaxy Commander required the warrior to earn the Order of the Raven, and only Galaxy Commanders or Star Admirals could be elected as Khan, saKhan or Loremaster. Likewise, each Galaxy was primarily responsible for one world and as the official representative of that world, each Galaxy Commander reported directly to the Khan. In essence, those elevated to this position were the de facto head of their respective planetary government.

Snow Raven training also differed from that of many other Clans, influenced in part by their several near-extinctions during the course of their history. A heavy emphasis on teamwork, and putting the needs and honor of the Clan above even personal honor, began at basic training under the warders of the Ravenshead training ground and the McKenna Naval Training Facility. The Snow Ravens also utilized simulators as opposed to live-fire exercises to a greater degree than normal Clan training. Not only were their 'Mech, fighter and WarShip simulators among the most advanced, but their use avoided the wasteful expenditure of limited resources and allowed the bulk of equipment to be assigned to combat units. The result of this methodology was a relativity small but well-trained and well-equipped fighting force.

sources:

1. http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Clan_Snow_Raven#The_Political_Century_and_Operation_Revival
2. http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Clan_Snow_Raven#Military

 

sorry to keep teasing you guys. i have to keep this on the backburner until we resolve issues with the current campaign. i'm also waiting for some new art resources that are being custom made for this. i hope to have the final reveal by late Jan.

ok... I can't help myself. here's more teaser:

starting with this:


add a few cups of this:


a few sprinkles of this:


and this:


and a final healthy dose of this:


You will thank me later.

 

You're a bastard Magnus. The good kind, but a bastard nonetheless.

 

The Drop Pod



Following the costly 2449 BattleMech assault on the planet Kentares, a method was sought to deliver these new combat assets to the surface without exposing expensive converted transports (such as the Manatee class DropShip) to the perils of defensive fire. Smaller, armored delivery vehicles were considered, but the ability to only transport one BattleMech at a time was deemed too resource-demanding and limited the size of the assault force. In 2453, specialized jump packs were designed to be added onto non-Jump Jet equipped BattleMechs, allowing them to exit a stationary (but airborne) DropShip and control their descent to the ground. In roughly the same period, a cocoon of ceramic and metal was developed to encapsulate the 'Mech prior to ejection from an orbiting DropShip. The jump packs (if required) are installed prior to placing the 'Mech within the cocoon, which itself takes about 10 minutes.

The Drop Pod itself consists of an ablative and ceramic shell (the 'pod') that allows the unit to enter the atmosphere intact. The entire system consists of the pod, jets, parachutes, and flight computers (that enable the unit to land relatively close to the drop zone) and a cocoon of spun foam and a ceramic structure. At a pre-timed position, the pod explodes into five sections (with the possible benefit of distracting ground-based sensors), freeing the unit. The cocoon then melts away in the remaining heat. Once free of the effects of the Drop Pod, the BattleMech relies on jump jets, a jump pack, and/or specialized parachutes to land safely on the ground.

source: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Drop_Pod

======

"One day I asked myself... can we get a Drop Pod to work in reverse?

One day I discovered... yes... yes we could."

-Unknown Author

 

I must admit the prospect of flying a mech into orbit is both terrifying and very awesome!!!

the prospect of deorbiting should you miss a rendezvous in space would be rather less than ideal.

 

I need to go watch Robot Jox now. THANKS.

 

"It is a funny thing, really. Despite all of my father's various successes in weakening the nobility through his technological advancements, the greatest change came from one of the oldest innovations... democracy."

-Unknown Author

 

After substantial success with their dropship-based orbital insertion program, the Ravens expanded development to incorporate a warship sized platform. The idea was simple; without the need for large landing craft on a planet's surface, they could essentially cut out the dropship "middleman".

The first of these "Orbital Assault Warships" was the Harbinger Class. Not a true warship, but a "pocket warship", the Harbinger was built off old Conquistador Class dropships specially donated by the Federated Suns (who had shown great interest in the Ravens' program). The hull was expanded by roughly 20% and sub-compact warship drives and systems were installed. The cargo bay was left largely intact, but the conventional vehicle bays were removed and the aerospace bay was expanded to include four small drop shuttles for auxiliary support. Additionally, six drop pod launch chutes were installed on the ventral side of the ship. An efficient loading process allowed each of these to safely launch a mech every 5 minutes.

Thanks to advancements in AI technologies, the already small crew size of the venerable Conquistador was shrunk nearly in half. This allowed the ship to receive a massive improvement to its weaponry, structural integrity, and thrust output. Unlike the Conquistador, the Harbinger was well equipped with naval class weaponry; allowing it to engage and destroy other warships of significantly larger size or provide pinpoint orbital bombardment to ground forces below. To complete the package, not only was the ship equipped with a full set of advanced sensors and electronic warfare systems, but a small HPG system as well, allowing the ship to quickly communicate extended distances with a larger fleet. The end result was a one ship strike force that could strike faster than any traditional assault force. Any target too large to outright attack, it simply avoided until reinforcements arrived... which proved to never be long.

The Harbinger would expand upon the Ravens' already long reputation as an elite mobile fighting force. With their own borders being relatively quiet, they would need to sharpen their skills fighting abroad for others. This was nothing new for the Ravens. It would only serve to strengthen them while leaving little to risk politically or physically. True to its name, the Harbinger would be the first of a new breed that would change the doctrines of modern warfare forever.

source: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Conquistador