REF Cyclops as a long range scout for the fleets.

[The Artist Formerly]

"Space, it seems to go on and on forever. But then you get to the end and a gorilla starts throwing barrels at you. And that's how you play the game." -Phillip J Fry.

One of the issues that REF Fleet command must contend with is the vast amount of space that their fleet ships must contend with. Now if there was nothing out there, then their wouldn't be an issue. But cranky Invid, early alert drones built by the masters, remainate Zentraedi ships, Sentinel allies, floating chunks of rock, spacial anomalies, and all the floatsem and jetsem brought on by a star spanning empire. All of these things could pose a threat to the fleet.

The REF needs a reliable way to gather information before putting the ships of the fleet at risk. At the core of this effort a fold capable ship, likely a Ikazuchi SFC-7000 Command Carrier, configured for exploration and information gathering. Basicly as normal, though reduce destroid compliment by half, eliminating all of the MACs and replace with 8 additional Cyclops units, and the special equipment needed for deployment, repair, rearming, recovery and everything in between.

Likely a pair of Garfish HSTC-27s would back this effort, able to bring their impressive speed into play for intel gathering. Zip close to a large target, like a planet, record data then escape away before the Invid or other hostile opponets could formulate an armed respond. Remove all destroids from the mix, add two Legios fighters (well, 2 Alphas and 2 Betas).

And at the outer edge of this information gathering web we have the Cyclops Recon Destroid. Well armed, solid armor, excellent sensor package. Perfect for investigation of targets in the same format as the old Catseyes ships. Used for checking in on an asteriod belt, poking around a floating hulk of a ship, apparent construction efforts on a airless moon, reconing an abandoned Master's base or whatever else you want, the Cyclops is the perfect vehicle for this deep space role.

The crew is limited to six, with a field Scientist (who also acts as a medic), a BME, the two pilots, a mission commander (who is trained as part of the REF's diplomatic corp) and a REF Intel agent or communications specialist. The rest of the crew accomidations and space usually reserved for the other six people of a Cyclops team is given over to additional equipment, resources and sleeping arrangements for the crew. This is done to allow the Cyclops a much greater service range as they could be inside the cyclops for weeks at a time.

The primary duty of the crew is to investigate potentially hazardous conditions for the REF Fleet they are assigned to, as well as gather real time data for combat operations once the Fleet has arrived. All crew members should be Cyclone trained and the Cyclops will carry cyclone veritechs for each member other then the BME (who would likely have a personal transport of his own.

Cyclops recon could be operating independantly or as part of a larger operation, with an emphasis on gather information and feeding it back to the fleet command. Once combat operations have begun these units would likely see action as Battle Damage Assement (BDA) craft. Finally, these men and women could well be the first point of contact with new alien races and peoples. This would make them an important aspect in developing a rapaport with new speices and possible allies/trading partners.

[Colonel Wolfe]

The REF needs a reliable way to gather information before putting the ships of the fleet at risk. At the core of this effort a fold capable ship, likely a Ikazuchi SFC-7000 Command Carrier, configured for exploration and information gathering. Basicly as normal, though reduce destroid compliment by half, eliminating all of the MACs and replace with 8 additional Cyclops units, and the special equipment needed for deployment, repair, rearming, recovery and everything in between

Putting one Cyclops in an Ikazuchi is near impossible, much less 8+


Ikazuchi-class Cruiser Dimensions:

Length: 608m (main hull), 702m (including engine shields).
Width: 154m.
Height: 177m.


Theatre Scout Recon (Quel-Quallie) Dimensions:

Dimensions:
Length : 126.7 m
: 84.9 m (legs extended downwards)
Width : 57.8 m
Height : 29.8 m (radar pod retracted)
: 38.2 m (radar pod extended)
: 90 m (legs extended)

The Cyclops is 1/4th the Lenght, and a 1/3rd as Wide as the Ikazuchi. With no Docking bays Large Enough to Hold a Cyclops I dont see it being anyhitng more than a Possible Ecsort vessel:
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/images/Ikazuchi_ACGp91.gif
http://www.robotech.com/images/content/MEC_33_1_6459.gif

Look at the Size of them Neutron-s Missiles:
http://www.robotech.com/images/content/MEC_33_7_9501.jpg

[The Artist Formerly]

Putting one Cyclops in an Ikazuchi is near impossible, much less 8+


Ikazuchi-class Cruiser Dimensions:

Length: 608m (main hull), 702m (including engine shields).
Width: 154m.
Height: 177m.


Theatre Scout Recon (Quel-Quallie) Dimensions:

Dimensions:
Length : 126.7 m
: 84.9 m (legs extended downwards)
Width : 57.8 m
Height : 29.8 m (radar pod retracted)
: 38.2 m (radar pod extended)
: 90 m (legs extended)

The Cyclops is 1/4th the Lenght, and a 1/3rd as Wide as the Ikazuchi. With no Docking bays Large Enough to Hold a Cyclops I dont see it being anyhitng more than a Possible Ecsort vessel:
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/images/Ikazuchi_ACGp91.gif
http://www.robotech.com/images/content/MEC_33_1_6459.gif

Look at the Size of them Neutron-s Missiles:
http://www.robotech.com/images/content/MEC_33_7_9501.jpg

REF Cyclops Reconnaissance Pod.
Height: 110 feet (without the telescoping legs).
Width: 160 ft.
Length: 400 ft.
Robotech II, Sentinels, Pages 73-74.

REF Ikazuchi SFC-7000 Command Carrier.
Length: 2832 feet.
Height: 766 ft.
Width 480 ft.
Robotech II, Sentinels, Pages 99-106.

[Colonel Wolfe]

SELF MODERATED

[Jefffar]

There have always been ridiculous statistics for the number of mecha that ships carry. I ignore them and just have fun.

[Jefffar]

I'm officially asking everybody to chill and play nice.


As for the veracity of stats, it's up to the individual GM to decide which stats he wishes to use. tehre are valid reasos for many of the choices. Please try to remmeber that we are dealing with a fictional universe so ther really is no truely correct answer becase nobody can get a Ikazuchi and measure it.


Use the stats that are the most enjoyable for you.

[Adam of the Old Kingdom]

while you do mention that the cyclops can perform similar work as the Catseye, and for extended periods.
what do you think of the cyclops also being used as an AWAC?

[Rabid Southern Cross Fan]

I think it could possibly fill a role as a recon/elint mecha....

As for the stats, here are the Official Stats from The Macross Compendium which are sanctioned by Big West and Studio Nue.

GOVERNMENT: ZENTRADI

MANUFACTURER: BOQUOMOUXY 2117334TH ZENTRADI FULLY-AUTOMATED WEAPONRY PRODUCTION

BOQUOMOUXY QUEL-QUALLIE
UNS CODENAME: BUG-EYE

COMMENT:
TYPE: Zentradi theatre scout pod.

CUSTOMERS: Zentradi Army.

FLYING CONTROLS: Quel-Quallie relies almost exclusively on vernier thrusters for flying controls.

POWER PLANT: Two 16.8 GGV class Boquomouxy thermonuclear reaction furnance. Two Boquomouxy medium-scale high-powered thermonuclear rocket nozzles.

ACCOMMODATION: Three. Boreregue emergency escape capsule.

AVIONICS: Super-long-range early-warning Doppler radar, gravity wave passive radar, optical systems, electromagnetic systems, passive and active particle system cluster.

ARMAMENT: Two double-barrelled long-range electron particle beam guns mounted forward on main fuselage. Twelve close-quarters self-guided missiles.

DIMENSIONS, EXTERNAL: (Cruise mode)
Length overall: 126.7 m [125.2 m]
Width overall: [57.8 m]
Height overall: [29.8 m]

MASSES AND LOADINGS:
Total mass: 2076900 kg

[Colonel Wolfe]

The REF did Construct its own Recon and Scout Vessles, The Garfish is Perfect for the Job and is Classified by the URRG as a Scout Ship.

Only the RPG indicates they Adopted Zent Designs or Remodled Old Zent Ships.

[glitterboy2098]

the RPG includes them becuse by its nature it could, and it's an interesting idea.

due to the chimerical nature of the show, it didn't have such things. but they are logical, and make for good gaming.

i imagine if HG was to create side story shows in those periods they too would use some refitted zent stuff. (why not, the macross sequals do.)

[Colonel Wolfe]

People her seam to Think the UGE would Rebuild an Exact copy of the Cyclops. When Designing a newer Ship and building it would be more Logical then Destroying several Thousand Items, only to Rebuild an Exact copy of what you destroyed.

[Colonel Wolfe]

(Note: I am using Dates Provides by the uRRG and Robotech.com)

when we Talk about the Assignment of the REF's Cyclops to an Ikizuchi, Were Assiging What would be a 10year old Ship to a State of the art Cruiser as of 2036, Rebuilding/refitting a Cyclops would be a perfect early expidition Ship, But by 2036, Most of these Would have been Decommisoned or Destroyed by 2036.
The Largest Number may have been Destroyed in the Final Assault by REF Forces in 2031 Against the Masters on earth. or a year Later during the Invid Invasion of 2031.

Instead of Being assigned to the (comparativly) Small Ikizuchi, The Cyclops Would be a better Assignment to the REF's (1100M) Tokugawa class of Ships.

the RPG Implies the REF Left with GarFish and Ikizuchi in Tow, but These Ships are not seen in the Show until the Returing REF in 2040's. the REF of 2030 Still Used the Tokugawa (as Shown by the Return of the UES Hannibal, in 2030, Also placing its Commison date in or arounf 2014-2015 per the "Home for 15 years" Remark).

[Rabid Southern Cross Fan]

This is one of the few areas that I disagree with the uRRG. We know there were Garfish-class light cruisers that returned at the end of the 2nd Robotech War (the old coots from Ghost Town). Also, the opening matte paintings in The Invid Invasion are implied to be the REF forces that arrived right after the Invid Invasion. This force is shown to include: 1 Ikazuchi (its on the far side of the MARS III Orbital Station), 2-3 Izum-10/Nergal replenishment ships (the uRRG originally had them as proto-Ikazuchi's, but we see one in the same shot), 8 Garfish and at least one Horizon. There also appears to be another ship type that no one can identify yet. The main fighters in the scenes are the only Fighter Configuration shots of the VF/B-5 Condor. Obviously, the Alpha's are stored in the launch bays on the Ikazuchi and Izum-10/Nergal's.

I think the Ikazuchi, Garfish and Horizon composed the Landing Force ships (Gator Navy is what PThomassen called it) while the Tokugawa's, Tristar's, Ardennes, Nelson's as well as the SDF-3 and SDF-4 were the mainline fleet ships that engaged in capital ship battles. The logistics end would be handled by the Izum-10/Nergal's and Cheyenne's. Light cargo duties would fall to the Gossamer Cargo Shuttle. Heavy escorts for fighters would be fulfilled by the Pegasus.

[RockJock]

I always go with the idea of using the shell of the old Cyclops is a decoy. If it is seen on a recon mission by the Invid, Masters, or whomever it is mistaken for a Zen scout.