Firecloud Class Cruiser

Firecloud Class Cruiser image from Planets Nu

Comments

The Firecloud Class Cruiser is one of the most important ships in Planets. The Firecloud allows for ships to cross up to 5000ly in one turn. More info on the chunnel is below. Because of this, players seek to destroy enemy Fireclouds immediately, lest the enemy chunnel in large battle groups.

Chunnel

Chunneling is the process where a Firecloud Class Cruiser uses a temporal rift in the subspace time continuum. This rift is a maelstrom of tachyon energy formed in the shape of a tunnel.

To open a Warp Chunnel a Firecloud needs to have at least 50 KT of fuel. It then selects its friendly code to the ID number of another Firecloud. This causes a targeting subspace signal to be generated. The Firecloud then projects a stream of accelerated tachyon particles that cause a rift in the subspace time continuum. The generation of this high energy beam uses up 50 KT of fuel from the projecting Firecloud. This rift is anchored to the destination Firecloud.

Once the Chunnel is generated the Chunneling Firecloud moves into the Chunnel. This causes the Chunnel to collapse. As the Chunnel collapses it pushes the Firecloud (and any other starships that were in the same point in space as the Firecloud) along in front of it as it collapses. This movement expends uses no fuel on the Chunneling starship(s), since they are being pushed along by the collapsing Chunnel (subspace temporal rift).

Needless to say, traveling through a high energy rift comprised of tachyon particles can have an adverse effect on your starship systems. Any starship completing a Chunnel will exit subspace with its shielding systems inoperative. The Chunnel, in effect, strips the starship(s) of their shields for that turn. By the next turn the shielding systems will be functioning again.

How to Initiate a Chunnel

To start a Chunnel, as stated above, the traveling (or initiating) Firecloud needs to set its friendly code to the ID number of the Firecloud it wishes to travel to. Both Fireclouds need to have their warp factor set to zero (0). If the warp factors are not set to zero or the ether of the Fireclouds are under tow the Chunnel will not occur.

For ID numbers 1 to 99 place leading zeros in front of the number. I.E. 001, 023, 099.

Chunneling happens as part of the movement phase of the host. It is the last segment of the movement phase. So it is possible for starships to move TO the Firecloud before it Chunnels and then move with it, shutting down the warp systems during the Chunnel.

Cloaked starships moving through a Chunnel will remain cloaked.

A ship belonging to a race other than the race of the Firecloud opening a chunnel at the same point in space as the firecloud must have a warp speed of 0, be cloaked, out of fuel or have a friendly code that matches the friendly code of the ship opening the chunnel to enter the chunnel (way point setting does not matter). The chunnel ship's race can enter the chunnel at any warp speed as can cloaked ships or ships with matching friendly code belonging to all races.

If fleet of enemy ships that warp onto a planet that is hiding a firecloud with its chunnel engaged only the enemy ships with a warp speed of 0 will enter the chunnel. The only ships that can move onto a planet with a warp speed of 0 are ships that are being towed. None of the ships that moved their under their own power will enter the chunnel, but any ships that they are towing will.

A pair Fireclouds can not use a chunnel if ANYSHIP with fuel locks a tow beam on it, the warp speed and waypoint setting of the ship locking the beam does not matter.

Minimum range of chunnel: 100 LY

Maximum range of chunnel: 5000LY

Built by

Cyborg only.

Hull specs

Name	Tech	Beams	T/F	En	MC	Dur	Tri	Mol	Mass	Cargo	Fuel	Crew	Abilities	Adv
Firecloud Class Cruiser	6	6	2/0	2	290	32	47	84	120	290	440	236	Chunnel	140

Addons

Stellar Cartography

• If the Firecloud opens a chunnel inside a debris disk, all ships traveling through the chunnel will be destroyed.