Thread: Prime Base
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Old 07-11-2012, 01:22 PM
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Originally Posted by DigTw0Grav3s View Post
Hey all.

Apologies for the resurrected thread, but I figured it would be better to consolidate my questions here instead of starting fresh.
I don’t mind this has been a great thread. Any inputs is a better game.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DigTw0Grav3s View Post
Has anyone considered modernizing Prime Base? Technology is a lot more advanced now than it was in 1987, and I subsequently believe that Prime could get a great deal more "bang for its' buck", even if you keep it confined to three modules.
I generally play the canon date of 18 November 1989. As we know what technology and events were happening at the time. This is the GMs call completely, the rules are a framework so tweak it if that makes it more exciting.
As for the technology, well fusion power, Man portable laser, powered exoskeletons, digital maps, and Damocles….. I treat the technology available to the Morrow Project as 10-20 years ahead of that in use by the Federal Government and others. The Council of Tomorrow is comprised of successful businessmen in a variety of fields comprising the industrial capacity of multinational conglomerates.
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Originally Posted by DigTw0Grav3s View Post
Computers would get much, much smaller. This could either free a great deal of the space in Ops, or give the base room to double-down, and install larger systems, possibly cloud-based. A cloud system could be used as a centralized processing resource, which could be dynamically allocated to whichever department needed it most.
I re-designate the space as Data Centers. Holding the knowledge and scientific achievements of all of the Pre-War cultures for the rebuilding effort.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DigTw0Grav3s View Post
Flight Operations is fine conceptually (ignoring the tunnel thing), but could definitely benefit from modern technology. The V-22 Osprey's S/VTOL capability and long(er) legs make it a practical shoe-in for the hangar. Some kind of UAV like the Fire Scout would be great for maintaining situational awareness around Prime, and assisting any patrols that get in firefights nearby.
I was thinking instead of an electro-magnetic catapult to launch drones with a short dirt runway and disguised elevator on the roof for recovery. The Osprey is not a little bird, but I am not excited by the Flight ops in Prime Base either.
My solution to Flight Ops is to turn it to Drone ops, and move Flight Ops out of the Cylinders with access by subway train from the Ops cylinder. Maybe move it to Gerlach, Nevada. The Playa there is big enough to land 747s in the dry season.
I think a drone would call to much attention to Prime Base. It would be like vulture circling a kill and be visible to radar for miles, and miles. Not to say one would not be launched to look around, but I think Prime Base would have fixed sensors that are passive or short ranged like Closed circuit cameras, LIDAR, and phased array radar in a low power setting. Most would be semi autonomous and alert a human operator when something in their area changed. Modern CCTV does this now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DigTw0Grav3s View Post
The exposure modules could probably use some growth, too. Perhaps a third dedicated module with area search radars would be wise; the project had the air base planned for some time, and it never hurts to know what's in your area.
I think that make a great side adventure for the Team to locate and get into operation sensor modules that are off the Prime Base and out of the area. Prime Base is hidden and a RADAR is an active radio transmitter that can be tracked back to its source. Prime would either need to give up their deception and go public, or use systems off site that can transmit back to Prime. An AWACS UAV perhaps, or a series of RADAR stations that relay their signals to Prime through MPsat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DigTw0Grav3s View Post
I love some of the ideas floated. A fourth cylinder would be really cool to design from the floor up, as would a dedicated industrial capability. In my mind, both life and support would be much different.
I agree. I am not satisfied that Prime can do the Mission in the original write up. Though this was very advanced for the time the Module was written so kudos to the authors for what was put together. Nitpicking is easy, creation is hard!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DigTw0Grav3s View Post
Life should probably be converted over to entirely housing and living facilities. All agriculture should be moved into a separate module that can take advantage of a dedicated vertical farming design. Using gravity to manage water flow would be great for the agricultural viability of the base. If you make it a full cylinder, you also have tons of room for an ark-like seed bank and genetic storehouse, which is a cool set piece. Thematically, more cryo-tubes fit here. Biochemical reactors could be useful for growing and deactivating microorganisms for the purpose of medicine. You could also put a secondary fire station here.
I don’t know why agriculture was so overlooked. Any computer models of the fallout patterns for a nuclear exchange showed the major crop producing regions of the US covered in highly radioactive isotopes. Bad juju. I think agriculture is going to be important but probably further out from the main cylinder as the whole process is a bit stinky.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DigTw0Grav3s View Post
Support should get a workover as well. Whether or not you move industrial gear to a different part of the base, you're going to get a lot of space in here either way. Technology has scaled down quite a bit. Printing, for example, no longer needs a dedicated level for the same output that the Project wanted. I think a good chunk of that space should be dedicated to 3D Printing technology. Imagine the applications of a small, robust, intelligent system that can make a three-dimensional copy of anything you have a CAD file for. I would also like to see support (or a hypothetical industrial cylinder) get a limited petroleum / ethanol refinement facility, if that's possible.
I think you will still find printing to be large scale. Making books, and informational news papers is large equipment. I don’t think of this as say a Kinkos copy center but, as a print plant for a major book distributor capable of 100,000 school textbooks a month or a week.
With Daedalus, and Lasers I don’t see why not the Support can not have that and more CNC machinery. Just be careful what you dole out to players.
I think a refinery is essential to the Project but not inside Prime. It is to dangerous, and toxic, plus better suited to be built where the oil is, or where a pipeline can be tapped into.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DigTw0Grav3s View Post
What do you guys usually put in the space that was left unallocated for the Phoenix Project?
I treat the Pheonix as Frozen Watch. There are back up personnel there, that were never activated because of the contagion, most will be too old for field work but excellent Science and Operations staff personnel. Alternates for the Projects Regional field and supply bases. This way I can have a low level functioning Prime Base and send the Players back into the field.
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