Difference between revisions of "Terminology:Shields"

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==Available shield systems==
 
==Available shield systems==
The systems below are build in the ship when it's procuded, so changing between them isn't an option.
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Different ships need different shield configurations, and modern defense systems design offers two approaches: Double and Quadruple generators. In both schemes, the emitters are radially distributed around the horizontal plane of the ship and protect the correspondent spheric section ('slice'.) Preference for either lies on key factors such as energy output (which is often considerable) and mass/space (since emitters are comparably massive devices.)
 
 
Note that the 'sphere' mentioned here sometimes is not really a sphere in the existing shield systems. It's just the common term to describe the shield-bubble build up by the shield emitters.<BR/>
 
In real life the manufacurers try to make the shields form-fitting with the ships hull.
 
  
 
===Standard double shields===
 
===Standard double shields===
 
''Double''- or ''2 Emitter''-shields
 
''Double''- or ''2 Emitter''-shields
  
This shield system uses only two shield emitters to build up the shild. This is a necessity because of the huge space required for the emitters and therefore this system is perfect for smaller ships.<BR/>They normally are located at the '''front''' and the '''back''' of the ship. They each cover up one half (front/back) of the shield-'sphere'.
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In this scheme, shield generators are normally located at the '''front''' and the '''back''' of the ship. They each cover up an hemispheric section of the ship.
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'''Advantages''':
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*Reduced energy consumption
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*Reduced total ship mass (resulting in greater maneuverability and acceleration rates)
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*Greater availability of cargo/vital spaces.
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'''Disadvantages''':
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*Half the damage resistance of quad-emitters of equal rating
  
 
===Standard quad shields===
 
===Standard quad shields===

Revision as of 06:51, 2 June 2005

thumb_arrow_up.png Terminology

Shields

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FIXME WRITEME (general description)

Technology

Combining heavy local space warping via gravitic effects with magnetic deflection for lighter charged particles, a vessel is protected from external sources of injury by what are colloquially known as "shields"

Firing through

You may now ask

"If the shield protects me from external damage, how can i still fire through it?"

Short version

"You know how space has been locally warped - an adversary will not.
You can time the creation of holes and thin points in your own shields."

Long version

This problem first presented itself during World War I, when dutch aircraft designer Anton D. Fokker devised an interruptor that allowed bullets to be fired through the open spaces between propeller blades.
In modern, space-faring times, control of a volume of warped space depends on more complex mechanisms. There are two basic methods for allowing fire-through:
  • You see, your adversary doesn't: Vectored Spatial Distortion. Basically, the projected field of a shield can be assembled as a 'one-way door', allowing selective passage of energy/matter depending on its vector.
  • Timed creation of 'holes': Shields are very complex to produce and cannot be controlled manually, requiring vast computational power to coax the emitters into assembling volumetric fields. Using additional algorithms, the field can be shaped to not to compress/expand space in the trajectory of the energy, projectile or missile.

Available shield systems

Different ships need different shield configurations, and modern defense systems design offers two approaches: Double and Quadruple generators. In both schemes, the emitters are radially distributed around the horizontal plane of the ship and protect the correspondent spheric section ('slice'.) Preference for either lies on key factors such as energy output (which is often considerable) and mass/space (since emitters are comparably massive devices.)

Standard double shields

Double- or 2 Emitter-shields

In this scheme, shield generators are normally located at the front and the back of the ship. They each cover up an hemispheric section of the ship.

Advantages:

  • Reduced energy consumption
  • Reduced total ship mass (resulting in greater maneuverability and acceleration rates)
  • Greater availability of cargo/vital spaces.

Disadvantages:

  • Half the damage resistance of quad-emitters of equal rating

Standard quad shields

Quad- or 4 Emitter-shields

Bigger ships have more space available and therefore they can have the quad shild system build in. They normally are located on the left,right front and back of the ship.
They each cover up approximately a quarter of the shield-'sphere' around the ship.

See also