#Launcher and receiver design

[horizontwinflames]

Horizon AU: Twin Flames - Isaac (Zero Dawn Act) final concept/design.

*texts' transcriptions under the cut after the images*

REPOST, EDIT/USE OR FEED MY ART TO AI ISN'T ALLOWED

Read about Aloy, Beta and Elisabet in this AU [here]

omg... I thought I would never finish this... BUT YAY! Here it is finally! Isaac's final design and concepts!

This AU has an ongoing fanfic! You can read on Ao3: [LINK]

Text transcription:

First image:

Isaac - Roughly 3.2m/10.4' -Unknown age (probably just a few months).

Isaac is an original machine character in this alternative universe.

Isaac is the loyal machine companion of the Sobeck family, serving as both a traveling and battle mount. The sisters unintentionally created him while trying to figure out a way to increase the machine override time. The process they applied in the -back then- simple Watcher rebooted their AI and programming back to its essential functions and disconnected them from their original master, HEPHAESTUS. Once he received his name from Beta, the three family members became his new masters, which he unthinkingly obey to.

Due to his blank AI, Isaac is developing his own sentience and personality by absorbing his masters’ traits and behaviors and learning their morals and concepts. He also downloaded all of the sisters’ Focuses’ data to have some initial communication and works as a backup, so he only knows what they know.

He can speak with anyone with a Focus through its text-to-speech function by sending text messages to them - thus, people who don’t have a Focus only hear his Watcher noises. He can still communicate with other machines normally, so he also works as an information gatherer to help in missions and studies.

Second image:

Once a simple Watcher, now a super advanced mount and best friend of the Sobeck family.

Isaac's customizable body can adapt him to travel in any terrain, even underwater. He's able to reach high speeds at a low energy and heating cost - he's also lighter than it seems. His sleek, almost snake-ish, body shape makes maneuvering more dynamic for his rider.

His propulsors give him the ability to do long leaps and high jumps, helping the sisters get to places they wouldn't be able to reach by themselves. But a repetitive use of said skills in a short timespan can drain his energy and overheat him quickly.

Like his owners, he's not adept at using one single type of weapon. Isaac's tail ranged weapons and armor can be changed to better adapt to the situation. However, he hasn't developed efficient battle techniques yet, as he's still learning with the Sobecks. Note that his Sawtooth's sabers aren't intended to be used to fight but to climb and carry objects.

Melee Tail Weapons: Thunderjaw's tail, Stalker's tail blade, Stormbird's tail (also used to swim), Frostclaw's front paws.

Ranged Weapons: Thunderjaw's Disk Launcher, Ravager's Cannon, Scorcher's Mine Launcher, Bellowback's Snout.

Armors: Nora (stealth), Carja (speed), Oseran (tank), Banuk (damage), Old World (mixed).

Isaac is a mount adapted for two people: One is the rider, and the other is the cannoneer. He syncs with them through their Focuses, so his responses to their commands are more instantaneous. The rider directs Isaac where to go and when and how to use the tail weapon. Meanwhile, the cannoneer controls the ranged weapons and propulsors.

Only those who have a Focus can see his holographic face. The images shown are a collection of emojis the sisters found in Old World Ruins (which they update when they find more). His three "horns" also can move solemnly to make him more expressive.

Being composed of many different machine parts makes Isaac the first machine chimera to exist - still keeping the base shape of a Watcher, but huge. He was customized by the Sobecks little by little through the Cauldrons they visited on their first journey.

He can still stretch his neck like a Watcher can normally do.

His eye received enhancements to better aid the Sobecks in their daily life and journeys - such as infrared, thermic, and ultrasound visions.

He also has in his head a sound device to play audio files, such as music from the Old World, and a holoprojector.

[ohnoitsz1m]

It him 👍

Furry Adrian Shephard :]

He's a sheep (mouflon x navajo churro)

Ramble below

So to be honest I really didn't like Opposing Force. It was kind of a chore and it's really not that well designed from just like a gameplay perspective. And to be fair neither is blue shift but blue shift is poorly designed in a way that's just kind of boring and lets you breeze through the game without much of a challenge- Opposing Force has the complete opposite issue at least in my opinion. Opposing Force has such a strange difficulty curve and really struggles to communicate concepts to the player.

But I did like one thing about Opposing Force. I like the silent protagonist. He gets so much characterization most of which I think is probably unintentional and me just reading something interesting into an uninteresting character. But like hear me out.

The game opens up with Adrian Shephard on his way to Black Mesa while the other people in his unit talk amongst themselves about how much they want to kill something and how irritating it is that they don't have their orders yet. Their helicopter is taken out and Shephard is now the sole survivor out of his unit. Following this he is saved by a Black Mesa scientist- had Shephard received his orders and made it to Black Mesa he probably would have had to kill this dude. However he doesn't know he's supposed to be killing scientists and security guards and is later forced to accept help from Otis a Black Mesa security guard 🎉 so already he's kind of doing the opposite of what he's supposed to be doing. Later in the game you start picking up little alien guns and whatnot and use them to get through the game, one of these being the spore launcher. This thing really made me open to the idea of caring about Adrian- I'm really fatigued by the whole army man shit. I like war movies don't get me wrong but there's only so many times I can watch full metal jacket before I get tired of it. So anyways. There's an idle animation that sometimes happens while you're holding the spore launcher where Adrian will pet it. And it responds to him. They didn't need to do this. Like they really didn't need to do this, but it adds so much to Adrian as a character that he's just.. compelled to pet this weird little alien that he's been using as a gun since he found it.

I just think like conceptually he's really interesting. Like this game demands you to rely on everything that you were primed to kill going in. Like in Half Life and in Blue Shift you have to kill soldiers, in Opposing Force the main like thing that makes this game special is that you are a soldier and you have to rely on other soldiers to help you through the game. Well okay you're a soldier so that means you're going to be killing scientists and security guards right? Not necessarily. Your first encounter with a scientist is him saving your life and trying to save the life of your comrades, your first encounter with a security guard is him opening a door for you after you run away from a zombie completely unarmed

So those are my thoughts on Adrian Shephard 👍 I think he's strange and very interesting

[boinkingbattlemechs]

Crusader

The Crusader was initially designed as a close combat BattleMech for the Star League Defense Force, but soon proved itself to be a very adaptable, multirole design. This reliable workhorse of the SLDF, while not excelling in any one job, was quite capable of accomplishing just about any mission, whether it be close assault, anti-aircraft defense, counterinsurgency, or even reconnaissance. Its versatility and large number of manufacturers ensured the Crusader its place as one of the most common heavy 'Mechs in the Inner Sphere.

The Crusader received its baptism of fire during the Reunification War and remained a common fixture in the regiments of the SLDF for many centuries. Even after the fall of the Star League, the various Successor States continued to field large numbers of Crusaders in their armies, thanks to factories located on Tharkad, Oliver, Asuncion and Bernardo. House Steiner in particular was a notable Crusader user, thanks in part to their well-trained technicians who could have damaged units turned around and ready to fight in a single day. A variety of new production variants and field modification kits were turned out for the Crusader after the recovery of the Helm Memory Core, just in time for the Clan Invasion.

In the wake of the Clan Invasion, one of the first new Crusader variants was built by the Cosby BattleMech Research Firm, the (in)famous producer of the No-Dachi 'Mech. Hoping to overcome the lack of prestige of their previous design and win the favor of the Coordinator, the company acquired manufacturing rights to the Crusader through the hostile takeover of another company and unveiled an updated variant of the 'Mech around the start of the FedCom Civil War. Additional variants would continue to be produced in the years since, including models utilized by the Word of Blake during the Jihad.

The primary long-range weapons on the Crusader were two Magna Longbow-15 LRM-15 launchers, providing the Crusader with long-range fire support capabilities that can compete with the Archer and Catapult. These were supplied by two tons of reloads split between the side torsos. For short-range combat, the 'Mech carried two Harpoon-6 SRM-6 launchers and two Intek medium lasers. Finally, to deter infantry attacks against the Crusader, two M100 Heavy machine guns were mounted on the 'Mech. One ton each of SRM and machine gun ammunition was carried in the center torso.

Each arm was equipped with an LRM launcher, laser, and machine gun, while the SRM launchers were built into the legs and mounted at hip height to provide a stable firing location and avoid interference with the LRMs' flight path. Early Crusader models had issues with the arm-mounted launchers and lasers overheating and causing stress to the actuators and internal structure, but this was rectified with the additions of the now-distinctive collars which deflect hot gases away.

The Crusader was well-protected with twelve tons of armor, particularly around the legs, which made it a good hand-to-hand combatant. A thirteen and a half ton fusion engine allowed the Crusader to achieve a decent cruising speed of 43.2 km/h. One disadvantage to the Crusader was its inadequate heat management system, carrying just ten standard heat sinks to handle all the waste heat produced by its weapons and equipment.

[itstimewehavesomesoliddick]

I swear every single Half Life 2 weapons animation modder misunderstands the AR2/pulse rifle

"oh look it keeps pulling out a new power cell after each shot like it's a futuristic belt fed machine gun isn't my animation cool" screw that, the entire point is that one of those tiny cells is an entire magazine and that whole housing for more cells? That's not a magazine, that's a combine soldier's entire combat load, that's why they don't have ammo pouches, that's how advanced the Combine are, their soldiers carry all their ammo in something that is roughly the size of an MG belt box already on their weapon and the gun does the reloading for them in just a fraction of the time it would take a human soldier to reload a conventional rifle, so turning the AR2 into what is basically an energy Maxim gun is just stupid, detracts from the incredibly advanced technology of the Combine and most modders are dummies that fumble the ball the second there's subtext for anything

"hurr but the one bad thing about Half Life 2 are the weapon animations they're too simple" they don't need to be fancy or with exaggerated movements, they get the job done and even manage to tell a little bit of worldbuilding through the aforementioned AR2, meanwhile animators keep overdoing it trying to one up each other instead of making an animation that works and doesn't try too hard, and that's when they're not busy making overly jittery tacticool weapon animations that look like the shooter has an incredibly bad case of Parkinson's whenever he shoots anything as big as a bb gun

PS: you know I'm right because that's exactly how they work in Half Life Alyx as well, where it's shown the combine SMG is nothing but a trigger, grip, receiver, bolt, firing pin and one of those energy cells (additional ones being housed in a similar setup when upgraded) while the AR2 being the same but with a stock and longer features (and what is either a radiator or an underbarrel energy ball launcher), showing that when it comes to weapons for its human and transhuman forces, all they did was strip down the workings of a human firearm to its bare functional essentials while coupling it with their incredibly advanced technology, which is exactly what they also did to their transhuman troops and synths, boom, more worldbuilding just from two combine guns, which really shows that when it comes to design and subtle worldbuiling, Valve knew what they were doing

[shunin-gumis]

As Master Joe Wishes - Track 06

Seasonal Team Event - L4mps

Location: Manor – Large Parlor

Joe: Oh my, tomorrow morning? This is the first I’m hearing of this.

Yodaka: Tomorrow morning… This really is short notice.

Samejima: Sorry about this. It’s not that we don’t trust you, but we were taking precautions against any information leak. As it is, we’re limiting the discussion of the situation with involved parties only.

Toi: Um… If the transfer has already been confirmed, does that mean our orders have changed as well…?

Samejima: I’m glad you’re quick on the uptake. As you guessed, the next 12 hours will be the most dangerous yet.

Samejima: Our troops are stationed in the gardens, as well as the surrounding houses, but– 

Samejima: As we are aiming to lure in the target to arrest them, we’ve decided to deploy only the bare minimum within the manor, so as to not arouse suspicion. That would include a couple of us from command, and all of you. 

Hiramei: If we pack too many folks in here, they’d figure us out immediately and get away… 

Ryui: Wha–

Ryui: (Ain’t no fuckin’ way, it’s way too dangerous. That said, might be worse if we try to get outta here now…) 

Samejima: I suppose it’d be too much to ask for you to spend the next 12 hours doing the same as usual… But of course, I hope you avoid doing anything dangerous. 

Ryui: (They’re aiming for that spoiled brat of a bear. If I can just keep Toi away from her, I should be able to protect him even if they come down on us…)

Nagi: In a development like this, they’re all but guaranteed to come to us.

Nagi: Maybe we should set up some traps to drive away the intruders, like in that one famous Christmas movie.*

Joe: Oh my~ What a splendid idea! I am quite fond of that film myself~

Toi: I love it too! Although, I do feel bad for the robbers at the end of it… 

Daniel: If yer gonna do it, make sure ya don’t half-ass it and have your allies end up in the cross-fire instead. 

Daniel: Anyways, I’m gonna go lie down. Back’s still sore and all. 

Yodaka: He’s got a point. While there’s some appeal to setting up classic traps, I’m worried about being unarmed against a group of thieves… 

Ryui: Oi, old man. Tell ‘em they oughta give us a proper guard, or at least give us somethin’ to protect ourselves with. 

Samejima: Hmm… Maybe I could get permission to get us some batons… 

Daniel: Batons… Well, better than nothin’ I guess. We don’t have much time, so you should—

Netaro: Ask and you shall receive~ ! Drumroll please! There is no need to worry your little heads~ A kawaii and cool arms dealer has arrived~ 

Netarobot: Yes indeedy we have weapons indeed~

Nagi: That scared me… weapons?

Netaro: Tada!

Ryui: T-This is… 

Yodaka: From handguns to rifles… There’s even a grenade launcher… These are all elaborately crafted airsoft guns, aren’t they?

Toi: So cool! Just like in an action movie…! Did you design all these yourself, Netaro-san?

Netaro: Roh’s the one who designed the exterior~

Yodaka: Oh? Sakujiro did?

Netaro: Remember when Ryui oh-so-cruelly rejected the servant clothing that Roh had designed? Well, he said we should at least have some weapons on us and came up with these designs one after the other! 

Yodaka: I see. Now that you’ve said it, I can tell these weapon designs were made in mind to match the butler and maid uniforms he had shared before… Put them together, and the design would leave a deep impression on a certain subgroup of people… 

Nagi: Could I use this one as a blunt weapon?

Netaro: Gii, if you mess with that, you’ll get blown away, along with the entire manor.

Nagi: Eh… 

Netaro: Roh may have designed the exterior, but the interior execution was done by yours truly~ They’re equipped to overkill any band of thieves (or anyone, really)!

Toi: So, they’re like the real deal? 

Netaro: I am an arms dealer after all~

Ryui, you can have this one.

Ryui: Woah, aight.

Daniel: –An assault rifle huh. A mid-ranged weapon that can be used in both offensive and defensive formations. From the looks of it, it’s semi-automatic too, perfect for beginners to use.

Netaro: I’ve adjusted the recoil so it won’t shatter Ryui’s shoulder. Once you’ve strapped on the ammo belt over both shoulders, you may shoot to your heart’s content like Ramboo!*

Ryui: Got it.

Netaro: This one’s for Toi!

Toi: W-woah! It looks really cool but, can someone like me even use it…? 

Daniel: Sniper rifles are long distance, meaning you won’t be targeted as easily. It’s plenty enough if you can just calmly assist your allies from out of sight.

Toi: I can protect Ani-sama with this!

Netaro: Gii gets hand grenades!

Nagi: Thank you… I don’t get a gun, huh. 

Daniel: The hand grenade is considered one of the most powerful weapons because it can reduce a wide area to ashes in an instant. Nagi doesn’t have much of a presence, and he’s real fast. Might be surprisingly suited for a vanguard. 

Nagi: I should be careful not to pull the pin on accident… 

Ryui: (Not sure if we should trust him with that thing… )

Netaro: Yoda can have this one~

Yodaka: A revolver, huh.

Yodaka: (Hm… How strange, feels like it fits right in my hands… )

Daniel: Revolvers are standard equipment for JPN police. Although the bullet count is limited, it’s the easiest to maneuver in close combat, right after the assault rifle. 

Nagi: Buchi-san, how come you know so much about these?

Daniel: … Who knows. 

Netaro: And finally, I get to have everyone’s favorite grenade launcher! The grenades come in seven different colors and seven different abilities and pop out one after the other for great efficiency~ That’s all!

Daniel: … What about me?

Nagi: You’ve got your muscles, Buchi-san.

Netaro: If you must have one, here.

Daniel: A magnum? 

Netaro: I considered scrapping this extra-large caliber gun since it would dislocate the shoulder of any of the other weaker-bodied humans but… Your dynamite muscular frame should be able to handle it no problem~

Samejima: Um, I’m technically still a police officer here, so seeing this blatant violation of the Firearm and Swords Control Law right in front of me is a bit… Well, I’ll still grant you permission, of course.

Hiramei: I’ve been recording the whole thing so, if push comes to shove, it’ll only be Samejima-san’s neck on the line!

Joe: Being middle management must be quite the difficult job indeed~

Samejima: Yeah... Please take me in if I get fired for this.

Samejima: With that being said… I’m sorry to ask this of you after all you’ve done to help already, but until the transfer is complete, please be–

Toi: Um, this is only a suggestion, but… Could we hold a farewell party for Joe-sama now?

Joe: Toi…!

Samejima: Be–

Toi: I’d like to make some more memories with Joe-sama! I can’t believe we’re parting in just 12 hours… 

Joe: Oh my, I am so very happy to hear you say that~!

Samejima: –Be on your guard and as we prepare a wonderful party.

Toi: Yay! It’s decided then!

Note:

The famous Christmas movie Nagi is referring to is the 1990 film Home Alone.

Ramboo is a reference to Rambo.

[theweirdowhowantstobeamangaka]

Cult of the Lamb: Resident Evil

Hello, I secretly was thinking of this CotL AU.

Be careful! This post is long as shit!!

This AU is the mixture of Cult of the Lamb and Resident Evil (and Yakuza: Dead Souls).

In this AU, Lamb, Goat, Narinder, Leshy, Heket, Kallamar and Shamura (and Sozo and Yarlen) fight zombies and the Cult by the name of Umbrella, with the help of Leon, Chris, Jill and Ashley who came from US.

PLOT(This may contain mild spoilers):

Kallamar, Shamura and Sozo Arc: Shamura received a threatening letter saying that Webber had been kidnapped. They take Kallamar and Sozo and go on a crusade. On the way, they meet a woman who calls herself Zoe, who leads them to Silk Cradle's Baker farm. The three are safely reunited with Webber at the Baker residence and attempt to take him home, but they're attacked from behind by a mysterious figure and loses consciousness. When they eventually wake up, they see the Baker family members sitting around a table with a horrific meal on top! Trapped in the mansion by the family, Kallamar, Shamura and Sozo attempt to escape from the maddened Baker family mansion with the help of Zoe, who haunts different parts of the mansion. (This arc is based on Resident Evil 7: Biohazard) (Poster)

Leshy and Yarlen Arc: While on a picnic with his wife Yellow Cat (Emily) and their children in Darkwood, the site of his temple, Leshy witnesses a mysterious beast attacking members of the old faith, and then a zombie attack. He successfully kills all the zombies and tries to return home, but Emily and her children have disappeared, so he stands up to rescue them, and he meets up with Yarlen, who's looking for Jalala and Linor along the way. (Poster)

Heket Arc: Kallamar, Shamura, Sozo, Webber, and Zoe, who had escaped from the Bakers' mansion and were surrounded by zombies, meet up with Heket and fight off the zombies with her. They ask her to accompany them, but she refuses, saying that she's afraid that she's in part to blame for the incident and wants hold herself accountable. Prior to this incident, Heket had received an invitation to return to Old Faith from Leviathan, a former acolyte and now the second Bishop of Famine. When she refused his invitation, he handed her a map pointing to the mansion of Anura, telling her to come back if she changed her mind. What is waiting for her there? (Poster)

Lambert, Goatie and Narinder Arc: Lambert and Goatie head to Crusade to Anura with Narinder after receiving a threatening letter from someone who kidnapped Aym and Baal while they were visiting their mother, Forneus. They join forces with Chris, Jill, Leon, and Ashley from the U.S. and kill all the zombies. When Chris and the others say they need better weapons, Lambert says he knows a genius blacksmith, and they explore the mansion, kicking zombies around and finally meeting up with Kudaai, Clauneck, and Chemach. (Poster)

Cult of the Lamb Arc: Lambert and his team arrive at Kudaai's place, where they are joined by Leshy, Heket, Kallamar, Shamura, Sozo, Yarlen, Webber, and Zoe, who receive powerful weapons from him, including machine guns, shotguns, and grenade launchers. Leshy is fitted with a high-performance prosthetic eye, and Sozo, Yarlen, Webber, and Zoe stand by. After refusing to go with Chris and the others, he leaves Kudaai's place, saying that from this point on, it is a holy war for the seven gods. Can they rescue Aym and Baal, and put the end of this bloody masquerade?

So, I have a request for you all. Please take a look at this comic and write many assignments for writing AU comics in this post (e.g. Practice the background, don't put too many onomatopoeia, when coloring, try and make it so the lines are going on the same direction, etc...). JUST PLEASE BE CAREFUL NOT TO BE RUDE🙏

And I'll put some character design sheets someday.

[thelancer27]

Part 1/2 {Union NHPRO team “Five man Band” lands on site.}

WARNING! SEISMIC ACTIVITY DETECTED!

Alright team, this is it. Scans are giving us nothing but more Horus. Possible Balor, and multiple Manticores likely on site. Stay. Together. Pick off the Manticores first. Understood? Ravens and the rest are here to clear us a path to the primary target. We need to be fast, but careful. Whatever this freak has in store, we need to be ready, and together.

- Command received. Primary target: Manticore class frames.

Sir yes sir!

{Five man band moves out, the base is close, a massive entrance is visible. Before the two manticores appear, having been cloaked and waiting. The entrance screeches open, a Gorgon clambers out, hissing as the enemies begin their attack} Christ the Buddah- that thing's huge. Sevak! You and Lemon take the gorgon down! Prism I need you to drop the Manticores before they reach us. They cannot get into range of anyone! Ash, me and you stick together, once Prism takes down the Manticores we finish them from range. DO. NOT. ENGAGE IN MELEE. Kill from range, and do the same with the Gorgon Ash. Thats for Sevak and Lemon. {Whitehorse loads his Everest "Thumper's" grenade launcher, and chuckles}

Haven't dropped like this since '92. Lets dance! {Sevak and Lemon seem to almost effortlessly rip into the Gorgon, as it's monstrous frame is knocked around by Sevak, only for Lemon to close any gaps and rip chunks out with every attack.} {ENEMY COMMS INTERCEPTED} [Cortex: What the FUCK!? This Enkidu's ripping me to shreds! Fucking- Get the beast out here! Windvale!] [Windvale: DO NOT RUSH ME!! I'll get it out soon. But you know how that... thing, is. Stay alive a bit longer, be grateful your dealing with the misfits and not the Ravens. Remember our objective. Keep them busy, so the Horizon Needle can charge.] [Decimal: We know, hell I designed that thi- FUCK! Windvale the AP is seriously pinning us down! I know the Hydra is waiting for it's chance. But are you sure that thing isn't ready to go?] [Windvale: Just give me some more time. Remember this thing's a rabid dog. I'm getting the nanites set now. Once it gets set loose, nothing gets left. Remember to keep distance.] {ENEMY COMMS LOST} Good lord! To think I had thought these things tough! Reloading! Yeah Sev, I guess we all did. Lemon how you doing? I... I am fine. Enemy forces mean nothing. Are nothing. Keep. Going.

{WARNING! PILOT BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE RISING. CONSIDER STIMULANT ADMINISTRATION}

Lemon. You want me to do it? It's your call.

N-No. Not yet. I am me, and I do not need it.

Understood. Prism! Anything else waiting for us?

-Negative. But something is lurking. Be aware.

Alright, that doesn't sound goo-

{A loud screeching noise. A HYDRA Class frame unveils itself, as multiple rocks reveal themselves as Tempest and Assassin drones. Whitehorse is knocked down, and the Hydra unleashes a swarm to keep him down.}

WARNING! SEISMIC ACTIVITY DETECTED!

{ENEMY COMMS INTERCEPTED} [Windvale: Alright, the freak's en route. If you two haven't Castigated, do it or get out of the blast zone. The rest of you? Just keep this up. The Horizon Needle is at 31%. We. Can. Do this. Don't let Cortex die for nothing. Remember what Union took from you.] {ENEMY COMMS LOST}

WARNING! SEISMIC ACTIVITY DETECTED

-Something is coming.

Ominous, but okay.... The Manticores and Hydra are just... backing off, and I don't think there's much of the Gorgon left to run. What now?

Now? We keep moving. Sevak, Lemon, status?

{Gunshot, likely from a Cannibal shotgun}

The Gorgon is slain! I dare say we are modern day Heracleses.

Gorgon down. I am good. Enkidu Status acceptable, Reactor heat near danger, but acceptable.

Good, now we just need to-

{The recording struggles to capture the noise that comes next, as something begins to form itself amidst the team. A Balor, bigger then any other seen in the pattern group.}

What the fuck is that thing!?

Balor! Balor! Balor! Break contact! Keep your distance, we've trained for this people! Fuck whats it doing?!

-It is not done forming. Reading claims... Balor pattern group. Size three.

[agentoli]

Agent Donut (Flipflop AU)

(+bonus art, pfl info, and eta!!)

Thanks to @arrowsarchive for the donut req!!

Team Charlie's fun-loving leader who enjoys team building excersizes, positive reinforcement, and interior design, Franklin D. Donut! (Codename: Delano)

First OG Blood Gulch crew post for the au, so happy it's donut!! Also, realizing this is my first time drawing Donut!! :0

<-Fun facts/info under the cut!!!->

PFL's resident bomb tech! All things explosive are overseen, distributed, and even developed by Agent Donut. He was the one who gifted a rocket launcher to Doc following his mission with Team Alpha that left the medic unarmed and alone. Rest assured, Church and the rest of Team Alpha received a stern lecture from Donut afterward.

Received face scarring in a firefight back when he was in UNSC, where he was blasted by a grenade. It's actually what led the Director to recruit him in the first place.

Team Charlie is composed of Agents Donut, DuFresne "Doc", Lopez 2.0, and Kaikaina. They are support oriented, and are usually deployed on larger missions or tasks where Alpha and/or Bravo will encounter large firefights.

He and Kaikaina love to gossip about Alpha and Bravo agents.

He is paired up with the AI Eta, who loves creating visual effects for Donut

No, he did not dye his hair pink. It's lightish RED.

Theater kid. Anytime he has the aux, it's showtunes.

Always tanned somehow. PFL's current theory is that he has a tanning bed in his room. All attempts to confirm or dispell this theory have proven fruitless.

His staple meta bit is correctly guessing whatever outlandish scenario the cast has gotten into/are experiencing, but is always ignored. His catch phrase might as well be, "I told you so."

PFL info

Ff!Project Freelancer is still run by the Director, but it isn't Leonard Church. PFL is sectioned into three teams rather than a leaderboard, those being Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. Each team has a different focus, but Alpha and Bravo are able to function on their own.

Alpha: Church, Tucker, and Caboose

Bravo: Sarge, Simmons, Grif, Lopez

Traditionally, Charlie Agents don't function as an entirely separate squad, more as a pool of soldiers Alpha and Bravo can take from depending on the mission. When they aren't supporting the other two teams, Charlie Agents help the Director with clerical work or help assign missions.

(I'm trying to keep the AU plot kinda vague bc I want to turn this into a fic)

Bonus Art + Eta

(I really need to learn how to draw halo helmets/armor...)

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Proba-3 will use laser for millimeter precision in space

ESA's double-spacecraft precision formation flying mission, Proba-3, is due to be launched from India on 4 December. The spacecraft pair will employ a set of positioning technologies to keep formation in space and this image shows the most precise: a laser shone from one platform to a retroreflector on the other. The reflected laser beam will provide positioning precision down to a single millimeter.

This infrared view of the reflected laser beam was acquired during on-ground calibration testing performed by ESA, MDA and Center Spatial de Liège personnel which took place at Redwire Space in Kruibeke, Belgium, back in February.

The goal of the mission is to achieve artificial solar eclipses on demand, as Proba-3's Occulter spacecraft casting a precisely-controlled shadow onto its Coronagraph spacecraft for six hours at time.

To maintain the position of a shadow just 8 cm across on the Coronagraph satellite from the Occulter satellite around 150 m away, the two satellites rely on multiple sensors, including inter-satellite radio links, Global Navigation Satellite System receivers, visual imaging of LEDs and—for the most precise positioning at closest range—a laser metrology (or "measurement of measurement") system.

The laser is seen being fired from the Occulter spacecraft towards the Coronagraph's retroreflector, designed to reflect it back in precisely the same direction it originated from. In addition, a set of Shadow Position Sensors located around the coronagraph aperture will ensure the shadow remains in the correct position.

This mission is being put together for ESA by a consortium led by Spain's SENER, with participation by more than 29 companies from 14 countries. The Proba-3 platforms have been designed by Airbus Defense and Space in Spain and satellite integration by Redwire in Belgium. GMV in Spain is responsible for Proba-3's formation flying subsystem, while its main coronagraph instrument comes from Belgium's Center Spatial de Liège, CSL.

Proba-3 is due to be launched via PSLV-XL launcher by the Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO.

[bkh-s-7449]

** MARITAL GRATUITY DELIVERY. RECIPIENT : BKH-S-7449-938 [ENFORCER] || SENDER NOT FOUND SENDER NOT FOUND SENDER waitNOT FOUcrapND SENDER NOholdT onFO-**

** PACKAGE VERIFIED - SENDER ordis just put WHATEVER GEEZ **

** ITEM MANIFEST : its just a suitcase and totally not an entire rocket launcher :) **

OK

hey KNUCKLEHEAD i heard you got hitched and so im pretty sure you deserve a cool present

SO i got you something GREAT and youre gonna LOVE IT and itll be the *$&$#% BEST at keeping you and your life-bestie safe

oh yeah also watch out for the BLAST RADIUS these envoys can really kick

Val

Oh, my.

H.hello Val we have received your gift .!! It is

my goodness well

not what I was expecting.! This is from a tenet armory where in the system did you get this .?? Well actually never mind that. It is rather novel to get to see one up close… these are not usually permitted in the hands of someone at our station.

Also a a bit heavy

I am sincerely honored and flattered, Mx. Val. We are not usually much of a ., ahmm… very heavy weaponry handling … but this is a very special and kind gift.! And as well Highway might be very interested in using it. And it will keep us safe. If not look very handsome in our dormitory. We have heard the design of this one is special and a proprietary of the Founder we never thought we would see anything like it well I guess all tenet things are but this one looks like a briefcase .!!! Isn’t that exciting !

Anywho… Thank you, Val. And thank you for thinking of us.

[llepto]

Jean-Pierre | 21 y.o | 1.63 cm

The last one to join the L.o.S

| a few infos |

Arrogant sarcastic annoying little brat, he's the youngest member of the Legion. However he was humbled really fast by the other members. His mother taught him to play piano when he was a child. He was often sick as a child. He's terrified of boats. He only speak French and English. He knows Tape since they were 5. He's not really comfortable around dogs as one bitted off half of his left ear.

His natural hair color are brune but when he was 15, his started to grow blondish for some unknown reasons

He also despise the Orange color. He really does.

Weapons close-up

His red lense is here to help him calibrating the missile and lock the target.

The missile launcher in his back are retactable. You just have to close the controler lid to retract them. To launch the missile he just have to lift the fake colored pencils on the controller. To recharge the missile he just has to lower the pencils he lifted on the controller.

Backstory:

Before you proceed: Mention of: Bigotry and Loss of Close One.

Implied: Narcissistic and Parent

Grew up in a very traditional family with old school values. Raised by his father and grandfather. But in all honesty he was mostly raised by his nanny and grandfather. Jean is the son of one of the fifth general of the Colored Pencil Island.

The city where he grows in has always been very military oriented for the boys and arts for the girls. His dad's side is full with well known generals while his mother side is known for being famous art gallery owner. Unfortunately for him, he was always drawn to art but always had to do it in secret, unless it was weapons design.

His Birth name was actually Côme Raoul Aimé Yves Oscar Nicolas Siméon given by his mother as it was her family tradition. It was changed when she passed away, and was named Jean-Pierre as it was is father's family tradition.

Due to his family bigotry, he was closeted until he joined the Legion.

He met the Craftsman when he was 14 as he was the one sent to provide the 'paper guy' the craft supplies he needed. The Craftsman knew about his family life and always offered him help the day he needed.

When he was 17, one of the defense weapons malfuction which led to the Colored Pencils Island to be blown up. He managed to survive as he was far away from the explosion, retrieving material at the small harbour. However his father and grandfather didn't survive. The survivors decided to move to the nearest island while Jean decided to stay, waiting for his friends to return.

It's three years after that he decided to leave, after receiving Olly's letter, asking Jean-Pierre to work for him.

Clothes and Body particularities Slight nudity

Tw : scars [all scars are due to medical intervention or clumsy injuries]

[mariacallous]

In April, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law a trio of emergency supplemental spending bills, including one focused on the Indo-Pacific that is commonly referred to as the Taiwan aid bill. The new legislation seeks in part to address Taiwan’s roughly $19.7 billion backlog of arms sales from the United States—a hot-button issue given China’s increasingly provocative military activities around Taiwan and the perception among some U.S. analysts that Taiwan is not as much of a priority as Washington claims.

Taiwan relies on the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program for most of its U.S. weapons acquisitions, which typically requires manufacturing major weapons systems from scratch. All FMS sales above a certain threshold—$14 million in Taiwan’s case—must be notified to Congress, which can vote to block the sale, though it has never successfully done so. The bureaucratic FMS process is relatively slow by design, and some delay between congressional notification and delivery is to be expected. Yet Taiwan often finds itself waiting longer than other countries for the same U.S. weapons.

In June 2017, for example, Congress received notification of a sale to Taiwan of 56 AGM-154C joint standoff weapons—guided bombs that use onboard wings to glide to their targets. The contract to produce the bomb was awarded this February, nearly seven years after the congressional notification. By the time the bombs are expected to be delivered, in March 2028, it will have taken almost 11 years for Taiwan to receive the weapons that it purchased.

Delays such as this may not seem important in peacetime, but they could become dire in the not-so-distant future. The so-called Davidson window, when the U.S. Defense Department believes that China’s military will be ready to attack Taiwan, begins in 2027. Perhaps no munition will be more critical to Taiwan’s self-defense in this scenario than the anti-ship missile, which Taipei would need in large numbers to attack Chinese warships and civilian vessels that could bring an invasion force ashore. Ground-based anti-ship missiles carried by trucks are particularly valuable for Taiwan given their mobility, which makes it harder for China to target them.

In October 2020, Congress received notification of an FMS case for nearly $2.4 billion to deliver 100 truck-mounted Harpoon launchers and 400 missiles to Taiwan, which was followed by a September 2022 deal worth an estimated $355 million for 60 air-launched Harpoons. But it took two and a half years from the initial notification for Washington to award the first contracts for this work. Taiwan will likely receive these Harpoon missiles in tranches, but the weapons won’t be delivered in full until 2030—well after the Davidson window begins.

It is difficult to pinpoint the root cause of Taiwan’s weapons backlog with available data. Congressional notifications of arms sales are easy to find, but other steps in the FMS process are not consistently made public. Simply knowing the dates of the signed Letter and Offer of Acceptance (LOA), contract award, and the initial and final delivery of a particular FMS purchase would provide a more accurate picture of why delays occur. Any future reforms to the process should include transparency measures to help researchers and policymakers identify the sources of backlogs for FMS recipients.

U.S. bureaucracy alone cannot explain why Taiwan waits so much longer than other countries for the same weapons. It’s possible that Taiwan’s internal process for payment could be gumming up the works. Purchases of foreign military equipment must be approved by Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan before an LOA can be signed, meaning that legislative delays could create a ripple effect when finalizing contracts with U.S. companies.

Stress on the U.S. defense industrial base probably exacerbates the backlog, too. The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine shed light on bottlenecks and capacity shortcomings in the industry. This has already played out with Taiwan, which reportedly canceled an FMS case for Paladin self-propelled howitzers in 2022 due to production delays. The problem isn’t going away anytime soon, since many of the munitions in Taiwan’s arms backlog are in high demand from Ukraine and other FMS customers.

However, the recent Taiwan aid bill will make it easier to use the presidential drawdown authority (PDA), which allows Washington to take weapons out of its own military stockpiles and immediately transfer them to a foreign country. Because PDA transfers draw from existing stocks, there is no manufacturing wait time, allowing the United States to deliver more rapid support in times of need.

At first glance, PDA transfers seem to be an attractive option for reducing the size of Taiwan’s backlog. It’s clear that the U.S. government also sees them as such: In late 2022, Congress amended the Foreign Assistance Act to authorize $1 billion per fiscal year for PDA transfers to Taiwan, and the supplemental legislation passed in April allocates $1.9 billion for the Defense Department to replenish any stockpiles of weapons that it sends to Taiwan through PDA for fiscal 2024 and 2025.

But the impact of the new legislation will likely be limited, primarily because PDA does not allow Biden to transfer equipment that the U.S. military does not already have in its stockpiles. The three largest backlogged arms sales by dollar value—all done by the Trump administration and representing $12.4 billion, almost two-thirds of the backlog—consist of equipment that the U.S. military does not possess on hand. The largest of these is for 66 F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft, valued at $8 billion. The U.S. Air Force operates more than 1,000 F-16s, but this fleet does not include the variant that Taiwan purchased.

Similarly, the United States does not have any Harpoon coastal defense systems in its stockpile. When Washington announced in June 2022 that it was sending truck-mounted Harpoons to Ukraine, it did so via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative instead of PDA because there were no systems available for drawdown. (The United States has also used PDA to aid Ukraine, sending an estimated $23.8 billion of equipment through this method since August 2021.)

Washington might have better luck with Abrams tanks, which make up Taiwan’s third-largest backlogged arms sale at $2 billion. The United States has plenty of Abrams on hand, but the model sold to Taiwan—the M1A2T—has unique subsystems. Taiwan could receive less capable tanks sooner through PDA, but the first tranche of its newly built Abrams tanks are supposed to arrive later this year, so waiting a few more months is probably preferable.

The United States could use PDA transfers to reduce other parts of Taiwan’s arms backlog, but in many instances, Washington would find that its defense industry already has contracts to produce the weapons in question, as is the case for HIMARS rocket artillery launchers, MQ-9B drones, and multiple types of missiles and munitions. If Washington could use PDA to transfer these weapons to Taiwan now instead of waiting for defense industry to finish making new systems, it would raise difficult questions about what happens to those contracts. Would the U.S. military receive the contracted weapons instead of Taiwan? Or would the contracts be canceled?

Theoretically, Taiwan could benefit by double-dipping—getting weapons via PDA transfers in the near term while maintaining contracts to get more of the same weapons in the long term. This would be good for building up its military stockpiles, especially munitions. However, if Taiwan is still waiting for FMS cases to be fulfilled, the size of the arms backlog would not change.

It’s clear that PDA transfers may not be the most effective way to reduce the arms backlog. If deployed smartly, however, they can play a valuable role in moving Taiwan toward an asymmetric defense posture and improving its self-defense capabilities. Asymmetric defense, also known as a so-called porcupine strategy, uses large numbers of smaller, less complex capabilities to counter a stronger opponent. For Taiwan, less costly capabilities such as drones, anti-ship missiles, and surface-to-air missiles could prevent China from achieving the air and sea superiority that it would need to invade the island.

To that end, the United States should emphasize PDA transfers for certain categories of weapons. Taiwan needs more munitions and missiles of all types, but especially ground-based anti-air and anti-ship weapons. It is waiting on several types of missiles, including Patriot interceptors, Harpoons, and Stingers. Munitions are another contender for double-dipping, because Taiwan will inevitably need many reloads, and resupply would be difficult after a conflict begins.

But Taiwan has been hesitant to fully embrace an asymmetric defense strategy, and the balance of the arms backlog favors traditional capabilities. Washington can use PDA transfers to signal the importance of asymmetric defense to Taipei and send relevant capabilities that are not currently sold through the FMS system. Good candidates for such transfers include sea mines; the remote-controlled Navy Marine expeditionary ship interdiction system; and small uncrewed aerial vehicles, such as the RQ-7, RQ-20, and the Switchblade loitering munition.

The PDA funding in the Taiwan aid bill is not a silver bullet for Taiwan’s arms sale woes. Instead of viewing PDA transfers as a tool for reducing the backlog, policymakers should see them as an instrument for building up stockpiles of munitions and pushing Taiwan toward a more effective and sustainable defense strategy. Presidential drawdown authority could be a good Band-Aid for getting weapons to Taiwan, but fixing the long wait times that Taipei faces will require other solutions.

[usafphantom2]

Turkish Ministry of Defense receives letter of offer and acceptance for U.S. F-16 fighters

The US approved the sale of F-16 and modernization kits for $23 billion to Turkey in January 2024

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 03/02/2024 - 12:41 in Military

The U.S. Department of Defense has officially transmitted the "Letter of Offer and Acceptance" describing the terms for the acquisition of F-16 Block 70 fighters by Turkey to the Ministry of National Defense of Turkey.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed this in an official statement, stating: "In alignment with the requirements of our Air Forces Command, the 'Project Letters of Offer and Acceptance' sent by the U.S. regarding our request for the acquisition of 40 new F-16 Block-70, the modernization of the existing 79 F-16s and the supply of ammunition, materials and equipment were received by our Ministry."

Regarding the subsequent steps in the acquisition of F-16 Block 70 fighters by Turkey, the ministry stated that both the U.S. and Turkey will meet after the completion of the exams. Joint evaluations will take place, finalizing the agreement and starting the schedule. The prices, based on the list and the products, will be disclosed in the final phase of the agreement, which includes Turkey's proposal for production and modernization activities submitted to the US authorities.

On January 26, 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a foreign military sales (FMS) notification for the sale of F-16 Block 70 aircraft to Turkey. The notification covered the sale of 40 F-16 Block 70 fighters, 79 F-16 Block 70 modernization kits and a variety of follow-up equipment, with a budget totaling approximately US$ 23 billion. Among the 40 F-16 Block 70, 32 will be configured as single-seater aircraft and 8 will be configured as two-seater aircraft.

In addition to the aircraft, the acquisition includes 48 F-110 engines, 149 AESA AN/APG-83 SABR radars, 168 integrated Viper electronic warfare suites, 858 LAU-129 guided missile launchers, 44 Vulcan M61 guns, 16 Sniper AN/AAQ-33 designator pods, 952 AMRAAM AIM-120C-8 air-to-air missiles, 96 AMRAAM orientation sections, 864 SDB GBU-39/B pumps, 96 AGM-88B HARM anti-radiation missiles and 96 Advanced Anti-Radiation (AARGM) AGM) AGM-88E. In addition, 401 air-to-air missiles AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles and several other systems will be purchased.

Tags: Military AviationF-16 Block 70Lockheed MartinTAF - Turkish Air Force / Turkish Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[boinkingbattlemechs]

Sentinel

The Sentinel is a medium BattleMech built by Defiance Industries as an infantry support and installation defense 'Mech, originally under exclusive contract for the Lyran Commonwealth. While initially pleased to have a then-Terran Hegemony controlled factory manufacturing the 'Mech exclusively for the LCAF, the Lyrans were less so when a Star League Council amendment in 2652 permitted the Star League Defense Force to purchase a highly advanced version of the design which Houses Steiner, Marik and Davion would not receive until years later.

The Sentinel was one of many designs to suffer from the technological decline of the Succession Wars era, with Defiance first losing the ability to manufacture its advanced weapon systems before discontinuing production entirely in 3014 due to lack of both parts and interest. Rather than disappear from the battlefield, the Sentinel now began to appear in increasing numbers thanks to ComStar and its massive stockpile of SLDF matériel, both providing the design to the Draconis Combine prior to the War of 3039 and using it to help outfit its Com Guards.

The Star League Sentinel carried a somewhat unique and highly advanced armament for its time. Its primary weapon was a Kawabata Weapons Industries UAC/5 developed especially for the 3L, and is capable of firing at double the rate of a standard AC/5 at the cost of slightly increased possibility of jamming the weapon until it can be overhauled. The Sentinel also mounted an advanced Defiance Streak SRM-2, the launcher designed to only fire if it gains a lock, saving ammo until the entire salvo is virtually guaranteed to hit. Unfortunately, the weapon's benefits were hampered by the companion small laser, the swap from the fragile Defiance A-1 for the sturdier Defiance B-1A moved the launcher's ammo feed by half a meter, resulting in ammo jams during abrupt maneuvers. Though MechWarriors discovered that they could clear a jam in the field by thumping the 'Mech's chest with its right fist, opponents quickly learned to concentrate fire on any Sentinel performing this, forcing pilots to retreat from battle anyway.

Ignoring its weapons loadout, the Sentinel was a relatively mundanely constructed 'Mech built on a standard Defiant V chassis and clad in five and half tons of Valiant Lamellor standard armor. A dependable Pitban 240 fusion engine gives the 'Mech a top running speed of 97.2 km/h, but when first manufactured the engine was also blamed as the cause for chronic overheating of the 'Mech. An investigation eventually found instead it was an issue with the heat circulation of the 'Mech's 10 single heat sinks, which required a field replacement program and redesign for future production.

With a powerful Targa-7, Vid-Com-17 targeting system and StarLink/Benicia Model AS829G communications package, the Sentinel was ideal for long-range patrols or mobile observation. Able to operate on multiple frequencies, it could not only closely monitor and command units operating under it, but also maintain contact with rear-area artillery for fire support.

[gunzlotzofgunz]

Spanish Mauser FR8 Calibre 7.62 Date: 1952

The FR 7 and FR 8 are bolt-action rifles adopted by Spain in the 1950s. The "FR" stands for Fusil Reformado in Spanish ("Converted Rifle" in English). The FR 7 is a variant of the "Spanish M93 Mauser" bolt action while the FR 8 is based on the Mauser 98 action.

Both rifles were modified to fire 7.62×51mm NATO Cartridge

The rifles were introduced in the 1950s when the Spanish military was already implementing the CETME automatic rifle, but did not yet have sufficient inventory to equip and train all troops. The rifles were made from existing stockpiles of Mauser bolt-action rifles. The FR-7 was a modification of the Model 1916 short rifle, which in turn was based on the Mauser Model 1893. These three rifles are often referred to as being "small ring" Mausers, as the receiver ring is smaller in diameter than the latter Model 1898 The FR-8 was developed from the Model 1943 short rifle, which was based on "large ring" Model 1898 Mauser action. FEATURES

The flash hider was designed to also function as a rifle grenade launcher, compatible with NATO-standard 22 mm rifle grenades. It also has notches in it s, that wire could be cut with it by firing a round. The under-barrel tube, which resembles the gas cylinder found on automatic weapons, actually serves as the bayonet mount and as storage for cleaning gear.

The rear sight is an elevation-adjustable rotary type with apertures for 200 m , 300 m and 400 m , as well as an open "V" notch for 100 metres. The front sight is elevation-adjustable via a special tool.

The FR 8 was used well into the 1970s by mounted Guardia Civil units.

[hefty-halo]

UNSC AI: ADT 6849-9 "Auntie Dot" Interaction Logs.

Interactions with Spartan Catherine -B320 "Kat":

22:50 Reach Local Time, February 22nd 2562:

"Noble 2, your interference with UNSC-issued M319 Individual Grenade Launch, serial designation R-1337-4206-9, has been logged as a violation of military protocol. Manufacturer "Misriah Armoury" expressly forbids field modification of their patented design. Per manufacturer official complaints, donuts are not intended as a payload for this launcher."

No response was received. Official record of Spartan Catherine-B320 updated with most recent case of unlicensed tampering.

23:10 Reach Local Time, February 22nd 2562:

"Noble 2, registering unapproved tampering with the armour systems of Spartan B312 "Noble Six". Bodyglove reads multiple breaches across the lower abdominal region and rear. Forced removal of armour systems detected. Elevated pulse detected. Do you or Noble Six require medical assistance?"

Garbled response received before armour transponders and communications systems deactivated at the source. UNSC Marine Corps Medical team dispatched. REPORT REDACTED BY OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

09:32 Reach Local Time, February 23rd 2562:

"Noble 2, the breakfast order requisition filed on behalf of Noble Six is seven times over the allotted daily calorific limit for a Spartan III. According to statistics, this has been your seventeenth consecutive daily reminder of this."

Response censored due to intense profanity and expletives from Noble 2, directed towards UNSC dietary regulations.