Short Story
Sometimes you really wonder and ask yourself how you became accustomed to this.
In a room with dim lighting, silent except for the quiet humm of ventilation, you stare intently at the array of screens along with a few other men who are with you. Grids of green status lights provide comfort in microscopic amounts to you and the others. Despite this, the tension in the room is unbearable, because you know you could be vaporized at almost any moment. Your chair squeaks as you lean back a bit, breaking the silence momentarily. As you look around not one head turned towards you, everyone on your bridge is still staring at the screens and status lights. You expect nothing less than such obsession from your mildly experienced crew.
"It has been too long" you say.
The newest officer is startled when you speak for the first time in hours.
"The sensor drone should have picked them up by now; they must have diverted."
Your tactical officer and right hand man onboard nods and offers a possible explanation.
"Perhaps a scan picked up our drone and scared them off, Captain?"
You rub your chin thoughtfully. You then council the officer in an unoffending tone of voice.
"Don't assume too much. Do we have a scan ready?"
"Almost Captain, it is at 98% charge. Another 2 minutes at most."
At the appropriate time, you order a scan well beyond the range of the sensor drone you deployed earlier. Although cautious to avoid overconfidence, you are secretly hopeful your tactical officer is right and that the scan will reveal the enemy stealth vessel. The tell-tale electrostatic followed by a rapid pinging noise raises the axiety of you and the crew. You tell yourself it's impossible, but you swear you can sense that they're all watching the screens even more intently, even more obsessed.
A moment stretches to infinity, and dissapointment sets in. The less experienced crew now exhale and catch their breath.
"Just a destroyer followed by a cruiser Captain, a fairly modest patrol."
The fact of the matter is that you do not know where the enemy is, and this is most troubling to you. On the outside however, you remain very calm to set an example to your fine crew. You are confident that most of them will serve well in the future. Assuming you all survive that long. You concentrate on the task again and resolve to find where your clever opponent went.
"No reports from our sister ship?"
"None."
"And the spies in the main fleet, or the outpost?"
"Nothing substantial, sir."
Again you rub your chin thoughtfully. It makes you look pompous but it's a long formed habit.
Every captain must appear calm to their crew, but when appropriate, precautions must be taken in this new form of space combat. You order the crew to disengage the safety on your ship's particle burst. You hate doing that because it makes the crew more nervous as they speculate about your own uncertainty of the enemy's actions, but you know your reasoning is justified.
"Set course for Resupply Base number Two" you order.
"Aye aye, turning about now Captain!".
The helmsman almost fails to hide his eagerness to return the ship to a base. Inexperienced crews always feel safer while docked, despite the true stories of some infamous missile hits occuring right in Headquarters' back yard. Not long into the voyage, a large status light goes from green to yellow, and seconds later to bright red. A quiet audible alarm also engages.
"We've been detected! Enemy sensor drone dead ahead Sir!"
"Hard to starboard!" you bark.
The ship turns and begins distancing it's self from the damning sensor drone. Soon another green status light turns to yellow, and then red. This time a loud alarm engages.
"Missile approaching vector two-five..."
You do not wait for the officer to tell you every detail about the missile. At this point everyone is speaking and doing their job as frantically as they can, including you.
"All stop! Fire the particle burst!"
The tell-tale rapid pinging of a Scan is heard as the resonant energies travel through the hull and cause vibrations in your ship's interior atmosphere. The missile is closing directly now thanks to the Scan. Your ship is powering down it's engines as necessary to fire a Particle Burst. For a moment everyone on the bridge is quiet except for the alarm. The Particle Burst status light turns red and a second later the usual sound of collosal energy release is heard. It shakes the ship so hard you think it will destroy it's self without the help of a missile but soon all is steady and quiet. Most status lights return to green.
A quivering wreck of a voice begins to speak.
"Particle Burst successful. Missile destroyed. The scan has expired and we are out of range of the sensor drone."
The officer stutters a few words and, while delayed, does not forget to add:
"Sir."
Having narrowly escaped destruction, and knowing that you were outmaneuvered by an equally capable and amazing Stealth Starship, you begin to ponder your next move while also evaluating your own sanity. You lob one of your own missiles at the offending sensor drone and maneuver your ship to safer territory. Back at the resupply base you disembark to get a few upgrades performed on your ship in addition to the usual re-stocking of missiles and so on. On your way to the airlock you overhear two junior officers talking, just barely above a whisper. It's about the recent near death experience. You pause before leaving the ship to listen.
"How does he stay so calm like that? I almost broke down and crawled under my console."
"Captain knows what they're doing. As for me, I do think about my loved ones, but I hold on to the
fact that they will remember me for what I did for them and for everyone by entering the service."
"Does he have a family too?"
"Nobody knows. Either way the Captain is quite a hard-ass, and you better be too if you ever want to command so much as a destroyer."
At this you grin devilishly and continue about your business of upgrading and resupplying your ship.
Captains are human beings and they feel emotions just like everyone else. Hope, fear, anxiety, despair.
These things are not alien to you. However, as Captain, you do not have the luxury of showing them. Discipline on the ship cannot slip if you want to come out of this war alive. You constantly restrain yourself and keep your emotions beneath the crew's detection threshold.
Detection Threshold is a game that features stealthy search & destroy type gameplay.
There are two teams facing each other. Each team is made of 1 Computer + 1-3 Humans. The Computers players play the role of the bases and regular spawn units, similar to many AoS games.
The Human players play the role of "Stealth Starships", new ship designs using revolutionary stealth technology to render themselves invisible to ships of older design, as well as troops and bases. These new ships are small, fragile, and deadly. They are capable of sneaking up on obsolete conventional ships and destroying them en masse with ancient Particle Burst technology. To maintain stealth, these ships do not use rapid-fire weapons like many old conventional ship designs. Instead, they fire single Ship-Killer Missiles which guarantee destruction of a target can be controlled mid-flight to change course and mask the direction that the Missile came from. The designers knew that enemy factions were simultanously in a race to develop the same stealth technology, and so Stealth Starships are equipped to fight other Stealth Starships. They have advanced sensors that pierce through the veil of stealth, as well as deployable (if perhaps clumsy) Sensor Drones, as well as a long range Scanner. Now the Stealth Starships must be ever watchful to make sure that they detect enemy Stealth Starships first and destroy them, lest the reverse should happen.
Game Objective:Eliminate the other players by making them run out of Lives
..............OR...............Destroy the enemy Headquarters Nexus
Map Layout: 
Stealth Starship Abilities:Missile (Zerg Scourge) - A ship-killer Missile is the long range weapon of the Stealth Starship. If it reaches the target, target survival is unlikely. This ability uses Missile Ammo, which costs 10 Minerals.
Bomb (Protoss Scarab) - A Bomb effective at damaging base structures, although they can soften up ground troops to a very limited extent as well. This ability uses Bomb Ammo, which costs 10 Minerals.
Sensor Drone (Zerg Overlord) - A slow-moving, unarmed drone with the ability to detect nearby Stealth Starships. This ability uses Sensor Drones, which cost 20 Minerals.
Deploy Spy (Zerg Queen: Parasite) - A spy is sent aboard another ship or to mingle in a squad of ground troops, providing map vision. This ability uses up Spies, which cost 5 Minerals.
Load / Unload Troops (Zerg Mutalisk Morph/Cancel Control) - The Stealth Starship can ferry ground units, using its stealth to create surprise ground troop assaults.
Scan (Terran Comsat Scan Ability) - The Stealth Starship has a long range scanner to allow a missile to hit a fleeing enemy or to check on far away map information.
Particle Burst (Toggled With Zerg Hydralisk Morph/Cancel Control, Fired By Stopping Movement Of Your Protoss Observer) - The Particle Burst is an ancient weapon which is very deadly but fell out of use because of it's extremely short range. Stealth Starships are equipped with them because they can sneak up close to conventional obsolete ships and take advantage of this technology. It is also possible for a very skilled Captain to defend his Stealth Starship from a ship-killer Missile by timing a Particle Burst to destroy the Missile just ever so slightly before the Missile would normally destroy the ship.
Stealth Starship Upgrades and Shop Stuff:Upgrade Missile Range [125 Minerals] Default = 6 seconds. Each upgrade is +1.5 seconds. Max upgrade level is 12 for a duration of 24 seconds.
Upgrade Missile Capacity [100 Minerals] Default = 3 missiles. Each upgrade is +1 missile. Max upgrade level is 12 for a capacity of 15 missiles.
Upgrade Bomb Capacity [100 Minerals] Default = 3 bombs. Each upgrade is +1 bomb. Max upgrade level is 12 for a capacity of 15 bombs.
Upgrade Sensor Drone Capacity [175 Minerals] Default = 1 sensor drone. Each upgrade is +1 sensor drone. Max upgrade level is 5 for a capacity of 6 sensor drones.
Upgrade Spy Capacity [175 Minerals] Default = 1 spy. Each upgrade is +1 spy. Max upgrade level is 5 for a capacity of 6 spies.
Upgrade Troop Capacity [100 Minerals] Default = 3 units. Each upgrade is +1 unit. Max upgrade level is 12 for a capacity of 15 units.
Upgrade Scan Cooldown [150 Minerals] Default = 60 seconds. Each upgrade is a decrease of about 1/6th with a Max upgrade level of 12.
[60, 50, 41.7, 34.7, 28.9, 24.1, 20.1, 16.7, 14.0, 11.6, 9.7, 8.1]
Upgrade Particle Burst Cooldown [150 Minerals] Default = 30 seconds. Each upgrade is a decrease of about 1/6th with a Max upgrade level of 12.
[30, 25, 20.8, 17.4, 14.5, 12.1, 10.0, 8.4, 7.0, 5.8, 4.8, 4.1]
Buy a Spare Ship (Extra Life) [500 Minerals] - Spare Ships (Lives) are shown as a Leaderboard at the top left of the screen.
Buy a Base Builder (Protoss Probe) [50 Minerals] - Probes build structures which have various uses. See the structures section. Touch a pylon to gain control of it. Probes have very little combat potential.
Buy a Missile Ammo [10 Minerals]
Buy a Bomb Ammo [10 Minerals]
Buy a Sensor Drone [20 Minerals]
Buy a Spy [5 Minerals]
Ship Types:
DestroyerA fast, inexpensive patrol ship. A weak ship but fairly effective against Stealth Starships with its rapid fire. Also it must be noted that it deals splash damage, sometimes damaging stealth starships in battles regardless of wether or not it is a friendly.
Shields: 50
Damage: 2 (+50 vs. Stealth Starships)
Speed: Fast
Build Time: 1 Shipyard Cycle (~23.4 Seconds)
vs. Stealth Starships if Detected: Dangerous, sometimes even to Friendlies!
vs. Conventional Ships: Weak
vs. Ground Troops: Harmless
vs. Structures: Harmless
CruiserA moderate, well balanced ship. Effective against Stealth Starships and Ground Troops, but limited base destroying capability.
Shields: 120
Damage (Air): 8 (+100 vs. Stealth Starships)
Damage (Ground): 3 (+50 vs. Ground Troops)
Speed: Moderate
Build Time: 2 Shipyard Cycles (~46.8 Seconds)
vs. Stealth Starships if Detected: Dangerous
vs. Conventional Ships: Moderate
vs. Ground Troops: Dangerous
vs. Structures: Weak
BattleshipA large ship based around a "big shields, big guns" design philosophy. Battleships were once the most dominant fighting vessel seen in space. They are now secondary but still valued for their considerable firepower, fleet leadership, and structure destroying capability. They are clumsy and shoot slowly however.
Shields: 210
Damage: 20 (+50 vs. Stealth Starships, +15 vs. Ground Troops)
Speed: Moderate
Build Time: 3 Shipyard Cycles (~70.2 Seconds)
vs. Stealth Starships if Detected: Weak
vs. Conventional Ships: Dangerous
vs. Troops: Weak
vs. Structures: Dangerous
CarrierCarriers are kings of space and fear only the dreaded Stealth Starships that have recently been devestating conventional fleets. Their fighters provide superior attack range and versatility. Carriers are the what displaced Battleships from their position of power.
Shields: 300
Damage: 5 per interceptor (+50 per interceptor vs. Stealth Starships and Ground Troops)
Speed: Slow
Build Time: 4 Shipyard Cycles (~93.6 Seconds)
vs. Stealth Starships if Detected: Omg-Deadly
vs. Conventional Ships: Omg-Deadly
vs. Ground Troops: Dangerous
vs. Structures: Dangerous
Stealth StarshipStealth Starships have only recently been developed and are available in limited quanitity. They employ Stealth Technology to provide a completely new style of warfare, and are feared by all military personnel.
Shields: 1000 (these shields are very "soft" compared to conventional ships' shields although they can be upgraded)
Damage (Missile): Destruction of Target
Damage (Particle Burst): Destruction of all Targets in Range
Damage (Bomb): 75 + 5 per Bomb Upgrade to Structures, 125 + 5 per Bomb Upgrade to Ground Troops for a Direct Hit (splash damage can be 50% or 25%)
Speed: Slow (can be upgraded to Moderate)
Build Time: Special (Limited by "Spare Ships" Lives)
vs. Stealth Starships: Omg-Deadly
vs. Conventional Starships: Omg-Deadly
vs. Ground Troops: Weak*
vs. Structures: Moderate*
*These values really depend on bomb & troop capacities, bomb upgrades, and your strategy in general.
Base Structure Types:All structures are built with a Base Builder (Protoss Probe) for a mineral cost.
Headquarters' NexusYour team must have a Nexus to continue the war effort. You start with one, but extra Nexii can be built. A Nexus also acts as a Resupply Base.
Shields: 3000
Cost: 300 Minerals
Build Time: 180 Seconds
Function: Game Objective/Requirement, Resupply
Resource AssimilatorResource Assimilators pay themselves off over time and create profit which is distributed evenly among your team.
Shields: 400
Cost: 75 Minerals
Build Time: 60 Seconds
Function: Generates Minerals
Power GeneratorPower Generators are required to be present nearby for other structures except the above Headquarters' Nexus and Resource Assimilators.
Shields: 200
Cost: 25 Minerals
Build Time: 20 Seconds
Function: Logistical Pre-Requisite
Resupply BaseResupply Bases are where Stealth Starship Captains can spend minerals for the various upgrades, ammo types, base builders and spare ships (lives).
Having multiple Resuppy Bases allows a Captain to move in a less predictable fashion, which is essential for a Stealth Starship.
Shields: 500
Cost: 50 Minerals
Build Time: 60 Seconds
ShipyardShipyards are the engines of war. They construct ships and that is all. Most Shipyards are still not equipped with the technology to assemble Stealth Starships. Instead, Stealth Starships are dispatched to territories in need of reinforcements as appropriate.
Shields: 700
Cost: 125 Minerals
Build Time: 100 Seconds
Function: Construction of Ships
Infantry GarrisonInfantry Garrisons are responsible for the ongoing training, housing, and deployment of Ground Troops. The number of Ground Troops that can be supported on a given asteroid or space-platform is equal to the formula: 3 + 2 * N where N is the number of Structures of any type on that asteroid or space-platform. This limit does not apply during the short times when enemies are present on the ground.
Shields: 500
Cost: 75 Minerals
Build Time: 60 Seconds
Function: Provides Ground Troops
Shield BatteryIt was realized that since Stealth Starships would be small, their shields would be soft compared to conventional ships' shields. For non-fatal damage, Stealth Starships are designed with heavy duty power connection equipment so they may interface with support facilities. Those support facilities are known as Shield Batteries.
Shields: 300
Cost: 50 Minerals
Build Time: 50 Seconds
Function: Non-Fatal Damage Repair (Fly over for control, needs a Pylon nearby)
Communications CenterA Communications Center is a strategic item. It provides information on grand scales. Stealth Starships must fly to this Center to take advantage of the information however, as communicating while in deep space would negate stealth.
Shields: 600
Cost: 200 Minerals
Build Time: 180 Seconds
Function: Surveillance / Info
Bomb Upgrade LabBomb Upgrade Labs refine your bomb warheads for a price.
Shields: 400
Cost: 100 Minerals
Build Time: 120 Seconds
Function: Upgrade Bomb Damage (Fly over for control, needs a Pylon nearby)
Shield Upgrade LabShield Upgrade Labs harden your shields for a price.
Shields: 400
Cost: 100 Minerals
Build Time: 120 Seconds
Function: Upgrade Shields (Fly over for control, needs a Pylon nearby)
Starship Upgrade LabStarship Upgrade Labs can develop two technology improvements for a team's Stealth Starships:
-Sensor Array [300 Minerals] Provides extra vision/detection range for the Stealth Starships.
-Gravitic Boosters [1500 Minerals] Significantly improves the propulsion system of the Stealth Starships.
NOTE: These upgrades are "team" meaning once researched by someone, the whole team can get them by flying to this lab for a moment.Shields: 500
Cost: 150 Minerals
Build Time: 180 Seconds
Function: Advanced Tech Improvements (Fly over for control, needs a Pylon nearby)
Ground Troop Types:
Trooper Squad HP: 500 Dmg: 25 (0.5 to Ships/Structures)
Sniper Squad HP: 450 Dmg: 51 (1 to Ships/Structures)
Grunt Squad HP: 600 Armor: 10 Dmg: 60 (Splash, and does 1 to Structures)
Gameplay Screenshots:Strategy
-Detect your opponent with a Sensor Drone, or a combination of Spies and Scan. NOT Your Ship. This way you can fire on their ship, and they can't retaliate.
-If you have sufficient Missile Range, fly your Missile "around on a flank" before flying towards the target. This masks the whereabouts of your ship by showing the enemy a false direction of missile origin.
-Spread out Sensor Drones to cover a large amount of the map area.
-Keep tabs on your bases to make sure they're not being attacked.
-Scan a random island once in a while to see if the enemy team has built structures, or if your structures are being attacked, or are already dead.
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SmE(Raitaki
Jan 30 2012, 1:04 am
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I'm looking forward to it 
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ClansAreForGays
Feb 3 2012, 3:09 pm
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- thought this was a misplaced SC1 Map Assistance thread at first.
.. as you Pee![[close]](/images/up.gif)
I'll try to find another hotspot when I hit Paris. 