Special thanks to Iqbal Bhatti (iqbal@seas.ucla.edu) for pictures for and help with this design.

ALIEN STAR SHIP ONE
(pre-crash SDF-01 MACROSS stats)

(Version 1.0 - Last modified: Friday, 18-Jan-08 02:58:59 PST)

RPG Stats by DAVE DEITRICH (deitrich@mcs.net)
Background info provided by the MACROSS ONLINE COMPENDIUM

BACKGROUND

Initially the UN Spacy knew very little about the ASS-1, even after 10 years of study. The spacecraft was an interstellar warship of some kind and contained a great deal of advanced technology that was far beyond what humanity had even speculated. Furthermore, the ASS-1 contained accommodations for what seemed to be two different humanoid races; one human-sized, and one over 50 feet (15 m) tall! The advanced technology (called Over Technology) was therefore used to develop weapon systems capable of combatting a race of giants, eventually leading to the Variable Fighter and Main Battle Robot combat mecha.

Following the end of Space War 1 Earth formed an alliance with the Zentraedi, and Zentraedi minister Exedore Formo was able to provide more clues as to the origin of the ASS-1. The crashed ship was one of a class of fold-capable battleships used by the Inspection Army, a force of protocultures who engaged the Stellar Republic in a galactic civil war which eventually led to the destruction of nearly all protocultures in the galaxy. The Inspection Army were actually protocultures whose minds were controlled by the Protodeviln, a race of super-powerful beings possessing trans-dimensional powers. Although Exedore referred to the ASS-1 as a "late model" battleship, most stellar archaeologists feel that the design of the fortress pre-dates the emergence of the Protodeviln and the mental takeover of the Inspection Army forces, as ships later used by the Protodeviln in the UN Spacy/Varuta war differed greatly from the ASS-1's original design.

Assuming that the ASS-1 is one of the original battleships used by the Inspection Forces and not a reproduction, the ship would be between 350,000 and 400,000 earth years old. The history of the ship between the fall of the Inspection Army and its crash-landing on Earth is a mystery. When the ship arrived at Earth it was being pursued the Zentraedi Vrlitwhai Fleet, which had been tasked with finding any remaining traces of the Inspection Army forces and eliminating them. The Vrlitwhai Fleet detected traces of the ASS-1's defold reaction and came to Earth to investigate. Upon the fleet's arrival the ASS-1/SDF-01 automatically opened fire on them, leading to the start of Space War 1. Whether the ASS-1 was being used by descendants of the Inspection Army or another humanoid race somewhere in the galaxy prior to its crash on Earth is unknown.

During the UN Spacy's Zentraedi Factory Satellite recapture operation in July, 2012, Vrlitwhai Kridanik's flagship detected a spacewreck of a ship very similar in design to the original ASS-1. Although Captain Misa Hayase argued for investigating the wreck at the cost of delaying the mission, Vrlitwhai decided to ignore the ship, fearing that it may be a trap set by rogue Zentraedi forces. A UN Spacy task force dispatched later to salvage the ship failed to find the wreck after extensively searching at and near the coordinates Vrlitwhai reported. The location of the wreck (if it even still exists) is currently unknown. Since 2012 no UN Spacy colony missions or combat fleets have reported encountering any craft (wrecked or otherwise) similar to the original ASS-1.

RPG STATS

Vehicle Type: Super Dimensional Battle Fortress (Original Designation: Inspection Army Gunboat)
Government: Inspection Army (Protoculture)
Manufacturer: Inspection Army
Crew:

Estimated 15,000 Protocultures and 4,000 full-sized Zentraedi. Exact complement and breakdown of crew are unknown.

Notable Ships of Class:

• Alien Starship 01 (original construction date unknown, crashed on Earth on July 1, 1999. Rebuilt by UN Spacy and renamed SDF-01 Macross.)
• Alien Starship 02 (unofficial name for a similar starship wreck detected by Vrlitwhai Kridanik's flagship during the Factory Satellite Capture Operation. Location of wreckage currently unknown.)

MDC BY LOCATION:

(1) Forward 1/3 of Ship (Heavy Particle Cannon)                  10,000
(2) Middle 1/3 of Ship (Crew Quarters, Landing Bays)             15,000
(2) Rear 1/3 of Ship (Main Engines, Engineering)                 20,000
(3) Command Tower                                                 5,000
(3) Sensor Array (behind Command Tower)                           1,000
    Left Weapon Cluster                                           5,000
    Right Weapon Cluster                                          5,000
(4) Main Thrusters (6)                                            5,000 each
(4) Secondary Thrusters (12)                                        500 each
(4) Maneuvering Thrusters (48)                                       50 each
    Heavy Laser Cannons (4)                                       1,000 each
    Secondary Beam Turrets (8)                                      750 each
    Retractable Laser Turrets (100)                                  75 each
    Airlocks/Access Hatches (150)                                   200 each
    Armored outer hull (per 40ft area)                              300
    Interior walls (per 20ft area)                                   20
(5) Energy Barrier                                              100,000

NOTES:

1. Depleting the MDC of the forward 1/3 of the ship will destroy the main weapon of the battlecruiser, the heavy particle cannon. The cannon will cease to function when the forward part of the ship has taken over 5,000 points of damage. When the damage to the forward part reaches 10,000 MDC, the cannon is destroyed beyond any hope of repair.
2. Depleting the MDC of the middle 1/3 or the rear 1/3 of the ship will destroy the battlecruiser. All power systems, thrusters, weapon systems, and life support will fail, and (2d4x10)% of the crew will be killed instantly by explosions, debris, and loss of atmosphere. The ship will be an unsalvageable wreck (though the spacewreck may still be valuable because of the technology contained within the remains).
3. Destroying the command tower will instantly kill the command staff and deprive the ship of all forms of long range communications, radar and targeting. The range and targeting capabilities of the secondary systems are equal to that of a VF-11 Thunderbolt fighter. The ship can still operate, but is at -3 on initiative, -3 to strike, and number of attacks per melee of the weapon systems are reduced by half. Destroying the main sensory array on top of the command tower will have the same effect, but the command staff will not be killed instantly.
4. Depleting the MDC of the main thrusters will force the ship to rely on its secondary thrusters. Depleting the MDC of the main AND secondary thrusters will leave the ship adrift in space. In an atmosphere, the battlecruiser will still be able to land using antigravity engines but will not be able to take off again.
5. When activated, the Energy Barrier forms a sphere around the battle fortress that can absorb up to 100,000 MDC in a single round. If damaged or destroyed, the sphere regenerates at a rate of 2,500 MDC per melee round. See the Energy Barrier System entry below for details. The barrier will cease to function if either the middle 1/3 or rear 1/3 of the ship takes damage over 50% of its MDC capacity.

SPEEDS:

Speed (Sublight): 0.24 speed of light (38,400 miles per second)
Speed (Auxiliary Drives): Mach 2.0
Speed (Space Fold): 1 light year every 6 minutes
Planet bound:

Can land and take off if necessary but not designed to maneuver in an atmosphere for extended periods of time.

Maximum Range: Unlimited (estimated life span unknown)

STATISTICAL DATA:

Fold System:

Protoculture Fold System Cluster

Sublight Drive:

Protoculture/Inspection Army Impulse Drive Cluster

Gravity Control System: Internal
Auxiliary Engine:

Inspection Army Rocket Motor Cluster

Sensor System: Protoculture Advanced Tracking Cluster

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. HEAVY PARTICLE CANNON: The most powerful weapon of the battlecruiser is a heavy particle cannon very similar to the one used by Zentraedi Nupetiet-Vernitzs command cruisers and other larger Zentraedi warships. The weapon fires a beam up to 120,000 miles (192,000 km) long and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide that essentially destroys EVERYTHING in its path. The disadvantage of the weapon is the tremendous power it consumes. Once fired, the cannon takes a full 5 MINUTES (20 melee rounds) to recharge.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Heavy Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Warship
   • RANGE: 60,000 miles (96,000 km) in an atmosphere. Double in space.
   • DAMAGE: Destroys EVERYTHING in its path, regardless of MDC and movement. The only way to avoid obliteration is to avoid being in the path of the beam! If used against a planet, the beam causes 3D6x1,000,000 MD (!), leaving only a radioactive crater 2D6x10 miles long and 3D6x100 feet deep. The resulting shockwave will also cause substantial damage to surrounding terrain for an additional 1D6x10 miles from the edge of the crater. (Note: A sufficiently strong force field can deflect/absorb the beam if necessary. Examples of such fields include multiple pinpoint barrier shields layered on top of each other and barriers generated by stronger Protodeviln beings. A force field must have AT LEAST 20,000 MDC capacity before it can resist a heavy particle beam of this magnitude.)
   • RATE OF FIRE: Once per 5 minutes (20 melees).
   • PAYLOAD: Effectively Unlimited.

2. HEAVY LASER CANNONS (4): As backup for the heavy particle cannon, the battle fortress is armed with four heavy laser cannons, also similar to those used on Zentraedi warships. These lasers were damaged beyond repair on the ASS-1, and were replaced with rail cannons during the rebuilding of the starship.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Warship
   • RANGE: 5,000 miles (8,040 km) in an atmosphere. Double in space.
   • DAMAGE: 1D6x1000 M.D.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Each cannon can fire once per round.
   • PAYLOAD: Unlimited.

3. SECONDARY BEAM TURRETS (8): The battlecruiser is armed with several large beam turrets at key locations along the hull, giving the fortress additional punch in close to medium ship-to-ship combat. These turrets can only fire along limited arcs, and only a maximum of four cannons can be brought to bear on a single target at any given time.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Anti-Warship
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Ship-to-Ship Defense
   • RANGE: 100 miles (160 km) in an atmosphere. Double in space.
   • DAMAGE: 2D4x100 M.D.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Each turret can fire once per round.
   • PAYLOAD: Unlimited.

4. RETRACTABLE LASER TURRETS (120): As a final line of defense, the battle fortress has retractable laser turrets mounted at various strategic places along the hull. These short-range lasers were apparently intended primarily for anti-aircraft and anti-mecha defense, but can do moderate damage against enemy spacecraft if they get too close. When not in use gun turrets are concealed within the hull underneath a sliding hatch. At most 20 lasers can be brought to bear on a single target.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Anti-Aircraft
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Defense
   • RANGE: 30 miles (48.2 km) in an atmosphere. Double in space.
   • DAMAGE: 1D6x20 M.D. each. Several lasers can be directed to fire in volleys of 3 or more. A volley of 3 beams does 3D6x20 M.D., a volley of 6 beams does 6D6x20 M.D., and so on. A full volley of 20 beams aimed at a single target does 4D6x100 M.D. (!) if it hits.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Each laser can fire once per melee, and can be combined in any volley combination of 3 or more lasers, up to 20 lasers. Volleys can be directed at different targets.
   • PAYLOAD: Unlimited.

5. OMNIDIRECTIONAL BARRIER DEFENSE SYSTEM: One unique system of the ASS-1 that the Zentraedi fleet lacked is an energy barrier defense system that completely encircles the battle fortress in a nearly-impregnable force field sphere. The disadvantage of the barrier system is that no weapons can be fired, nor any fighters/support craft launched or recovered while the shield is up.

   Although this system was nearly destroyed in the crash of the ASS-1, UN Spacy researchers were able to study and reverse-engineer the system, eventually leading to the development of the Pinpoint Barrier System that is now standard on most UN Spacy spacecraft and fighters. The engineers also succeeded in rebuilding the shattered barrier generator onboard the SDF-01, but unfortunately due to a flaw in the system the barrier overloaded during its first use, completely destroying the North American Ontario Quadrant. Because of this disastrous mishap and other problems the omnidirectional barrier system has not been approved yet for general use on UN Spacy spaceships.

   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Defense (the omnidirectional barrier system cannot be used as a weapon)
   • RANGE: The barrier generates a spherical force field with a radius of 3000 ft (910 m) around the exact center of the ship.
   • DAMAGE CAPACITY: Can sustain up to 100,000 MD in a single round. Regenerates at a rate of 2,500 MD per melee round.
   • PAYLOAD: Nearly inexhaustible. Will work as long as system is functional (see below) and engines are intact. If main engines are destroyed, the barrier will loose power and not function.
   • NOTE: The barrier can deflect a heavy particle beam attack, such as the one generated by the SDF-01 Macross, Zentraedi/Varuta command warships, and some Protodeviln. When hit by a heavy particle beam the shield will take 25,000 MDC damage, with the rest of the beam being deflected around the shield.

SYSTEMS OF NOTE:

• ANTIGRAVITY PROPULSION SYSTEM: The ASS-1 was equipped with an anti-gravity propulsion system used for planetary landings and liftoffs. The system is good for vertical ascent/descent only and can lift the ship at speeds of up to 1,320 feet (400 m) per minute. The system will function so long as the main energy system (in the rear 1/3 of the ship) can supply energy to it. (Note: The first time this system was used on the SDF-01 the antigrav generators tore away from the ship. The generators were later replaced and the areas around them were structurally enforced to prevent a repeat of the disaster.)
• HYPERSPACE COMMUNICATIONS: The original ASS-1 was equipped with a hyperspace communications relay allowing faster-than-light communication between the ships and other Inspection Army forces. This system was heavily damaged in the crash of the ASS-1 and could not be salvaged. The UN Spacy did not develop hyperspace communications until after the end of Space War 1 when scientists and technicians were able to examine similar systems aboard captured Zentraedi warships.
• LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS: The ASS-1 had sufficient life support to provide breathable air and comfortable temperatures for up to 70,000 people for up to 20 years (air was recycled). In an emergency the life support system could support up to 140,000 people at one time. The ship contained enough food and water onboard to support the crew for up to 5 years (with recycling).
• LONG-RANGE TRACKING SENSORS: The ASS-1 command tower was equipped with a complex sensor system that could track and identify up to 1,500 craft simultaneously. The system had a 2,000 mile/3,200 km range.
• SPACE FOLD SYSTEM: For FTL propulsion, the ASS-1 was equipped with an fold system capable of propelling the ship through hyperspace at speeds up to 3.28x10^10 mps (5.25x10^10 kmps), or 1 light year per 6 minutes. The range of the fold drive is theoretically unlimited except by the life expectancy of the spacecraft (which is unknown).
• SUBLIGHT ENGINES: As a backup to the Fold System, the ASS-1 was equipped with impulse engines that could propel the craft at speeds up to 0.24 speed of light (38,400 miles per second) in space. Note that these engines were mainly intended for rapid movement inside a planetary system and are not suited for long voyages between star systems. In a planetary atmosphere the ship is limited to speeds of Mach 2.0 maximum due to hull stress.
• SUBSPACE MASS SENSORS: As part of the ASS-1's sensor systems, the fortress was equipped with subspace sensors that could essentially instantly detect mass readings and movement of objects up to 1 AU (93 million miles) distant from the carrier. Readings taken with the subspace sensors are not very detailed (-25% penalty when trying to identify a detected object) and cannot detect objects of less than 60,000 kg (this includes most Zentraedi and UN Spacy mecha).

MECHA COMPLEMENT:

Unknown. The below numbers are estimates based on the assumption that the Inspection Army used Zentraedi mecha for combat like most protoculture military forces did. It is not known whether protocultures of the Inspection Army themselves engaged in combat, and if so whether they used mecha or not.

• Regult Tactical Battle Pods: 600
• Regult Light Artillery Pods: 60
• Regult Heavy Artillery Pods: 30
• Regult Scout Recon Pods: 30
• Glaug Officer's Pods: 10
• Nousjadeul-Ger Powered Armor: 60
• Fighter Pods: 60
• Shuttles and Support Craft: 90

REFERENCES USED IN THIS DESIGN

• "Doe's All The Worlds' Starship Guide: SDF-01 Macross Entry"
• Super Dimensional Fortress Macross TV series
• Hobby Hand Book 1: Macross Model World

http://www.mcs.net/~deitrich/index.html deitrich@mcs.net