300 mega-ton fusion bomb? Are you serious? (GalNet)

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5c667ef723d8ab6ede7748b2

OK, some fluff about secret research outpost and stuff. And GalNet reports that a 300 mega-ton yield fusion bomb got stolen - "enough to level an entire city"

300 mega-tons? How big are cities in Elite Dangerous?

A reminder, the tsar bomb - the biggest H-bomb ever exploded in real world - had a yield of around 50-60 mega-tons. And that thing would have been enough to level a big city (circle of total destruction of 35 Km).

I understand that bigger is better in story telling, but that is a bit over the top. Even a 30 mega-ton fusion bomb would have been a really scary bomb. 300 mega-tons is a bit of overkill in terms of story telling (in my opinion).

 

[signal11th]

https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5c667ef723d8ab6ede7748b2

OK, some fluff about secret research outpost and stuff. And GalNet reports that a 300 mega-ton yield fusion bomb got stolen - "enough to level an entire city"

300 mega-tons? How big are cities in Elite Dangerous?

A reminder, the tsar bomb - the biggest H-bomb ever exploded in real world - had a yield of around 50-60 mega-tons. And that thing would have been enough to level a big city (circle of total destruction of 35 Km).

I understand that bigger is better in story telling, but that is a bit over the top. Even a 30 mega-ton fusion bomb would have been a really scary bomb. 300 mega-tons is a bit of overkill in terms of story telling (in my opinion).

and yet it still wouldn't be enough to see off a NPC bullet sponge Vulture...

 

[Talarin]

tbh surely it would have been a fusion device?

I'd always assumed that the power plants in our ships were mini-fusion reactors (hence relying on hydrogen for fuel).

 

[bicarbon8]

https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5c667ef723d8ab6ede7748b2

GalNet stories this this and the one about the Celebrity that disappeared from her ship just before docking seem like such a waste... There's no way to interact with these stories or to help out... why do we even have them?

I would fully support stories like this if there was an actual means to interact, for example... GalNet story like the above plays and then you get an option to accept a mission to track down the bomb. This would then involve tracing clues, fighting opponents, possibly infiltrating surface stations and scanning data beacons with completion resulting in a large amount of faction reputation increase. There needn't even be the actual finding of the bomb involved so as to allow for everyone to follow the storyline.

 

[Sooden]

does seem 'strange' writing

I would have thought and nuke was old hat in 3305. Surely near light speed or even FDS propelled Kinetic projectiles would be more desisting and harder to defend against.
As an EMP weapon, sure, it could work... if planets habitation arn't already heavery shielded against such attacks...

Maybe it wold have not hurt the nerd brains so much is they had said.. ''enough to take out a large fleet / station''.. maybe it was written in this way to get us thinking?

 

[Tifu]

Planet or moon buster? You don't suppose Nova Imperium is back for round 2?

There better be a Bubble to return to once I get back from DW2

 

[Judz]

It may have been designed to blow up the Thargymabob homeworld.

 

[Stealthie]

An official source attempting to downplay the seriousness of something?!

Shurely shome mishtake?

 

[Cmdr Delmonte[VR]]

GalNet stories this this and the one about the Celebrity that disappeared from her ship just before docking seem like such a waste... There's no way to interact with these stories or to help out... why do we even have them?

I would fully support stories like this if there was an actual means to interact, for example... GalNet story like the above plays and then you get an option to accept a mission to track down the bomb. This would then involve tracing clues, fighting opponents, possibly infiltrating surface stations and scanning data beacons with completion resulting in a large amount of faction reputation increase. There needn't even be the actual finding of the bomb involved so as to allow for everyone to follow the storyline.

^^^ THis so much this....... The stories are just that. Bit pointless and a wasted opportunity .....

 

[Dommarraa]

Asteroid (and non-ED ship) busters have to be ginormous due to the high relative speeds, and timing issues. Close needs to get a Cigar.

 

[moorison]

Planet or moon buster? You don't suppose Nova Imperium is back for round 2?

There better be a Bubble to return to once I get back from DW2

That would need a very good explanation how NI lost the battle for influence in the Empire but was able to get into a federal outpost. Not saying it is impossible, just improbable until more details are available.

GalNet stories this this and the one about the Celebrity that disappeared from her ship just before docking seem like such a waste... There's no way to interact with these stories or to help out... why do we even have them?

I would fully support stories like this if there was an actual means to interact, for example... GalNet story like the above plays and then you get an option to accept a mission to track down the bomb. This would then involve tracing clues, fighting opponents, possibly infiltrating surface stations and scanning data beacons with completion resulting in a large amount of faction reputation increase. There needn't even be the actual finding of the bomb involved so as to allow for everyone to follow the storyline.

At its core a good idea, but in a "living" world stuff happens even with no Cmdr around to play hero, so I don't mind these stories. People have a multitude of things to do in the game, CGs have impact on the "main story" (from time to time) and many choose to support a local faction or go on extended exploration trips. I don't know if I want to play a game of follow-the-breadcrumbs every week to keep up with current affairs. Other events with player participation were criticised for highlighting technical issues, or that their contribution was meaningless / they expected a different outcome.
I guess it is not possible to please everyone all the time.

 

[OldSchoolPlayer]

https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5c667ef723d8ab6ede7748b2

OK, some fluff about secret research outpost and stuff. And GalNet reports that a 300 mega-ton yield fusion bomb got stolen - "enough to level an entire city"

300 mega-tons? How big are cities in Elite Dangerous?

A reminder, the tsar bomb - the biggest H-bomb ever exploded in real world - had a yield of around 50-60 mega-tons. And that thing would have been enough to level a big city (circle of total destruction of 35 Km).

I understand that bigger is better in story telling, but that is a bit over the top. Even a 30 mega-ton fusion bomb would have been a really scary bomb. 300 mega-tons is a bit of overkill in terms of story telling (in my opinion).

I don't think they are thinking of leveling entire cities. I think they want to destroy whole planets!

 

[Ian Doncaster]

As an EMP weapon, sure, it could work... if planets habitation arn't already heavery shielded against such attacks...

Maybe that's why it needs to be so large - big enough to take out a city even from the *outside* of the shields.

Given the specific codename for it, I wonder if the original plan for it had something to do with Sirius Corp.

 

[Morbad]

https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5c667ef723d8ab6ede7748b2

OK, some fluff about secret research outpost and stuff. And GalNet reports that a 300 mega-ton yield fusion bomb got stolen - "enough to level an entire city"

300 mega-tons? How big are cities in Elite Dangerous?

A reminder, the tsar bomb - the biggest H-bomb ever exploded in real world - had a yield of around 50-60 mega-tons. And that thing would have been enough to level a big city (circle of total destruction of 35 Km).

I understand that bigger is better in story telling, but that is a bit over the top. Even a 30 mega-ton fusion bomb would have been a really scary bomb. 300 mega-tons is a bit of overkill in terms of story telling (in my opinion).

There are already largely contiguous urban areas on Earth with radii approaching 35km, and it's not hard to imagine vastly larger cities, or that areas now considered cities were would not be considered such in some locales in the future (I grew up in a 'village' that has more people than London did 600 years ago)...though many smaller weapons are far more effective on area targets than a single large one.

Fusion bombs can also be scaled up as big as someone cares to build them, resources permitting (and the ED setting has no shortages here). There were even some fairly serious plans for gigaton level devices to deflect asteroids and such.

Given the sort of defenses we see in ED, I would not be surprised if 300+ megaton devices were required to even ensure significant damage to hardened targets.

 

[Conch]

I dont see the issue, nuke them from orbit.. its the only way to be sure.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5c667ef723d8ab6ede7748b2

OK, some fluff about secret research outpost and stuff. And GalNet reports that a 300 mega-ton yield fusion bomb got stolen - "enough to level an entire city"

300 mega-tons? How big are cities in Elite Dangerous?

A reminder, the tsar bomb - the biggest H-bomb ever exploded in real world - had a yield of around 50-60 mega-tons. And that thing would have been enough to level a big city (circle of total destruction of 35 Km).

I understand that bigger is better in story telling, but that is a bit over the top. Even a 30 mega-ton fusion bomb would have been a really scary bomb. 300 mega-tons is a bit of overkill in terms of story telling (in my opinion).

Estimated yield 58 MT. 1st degree burns/blindness burns within 100 km.

Any weapon with a yield that large is a military waste.

But, we now have official proof that nukes exist....

I might still have a job.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

I don't think they are thinking of leveling entire cities. I think they want to destroy whole planets!

Rocks are better. Old argument in Traveller.

 

[Rob At Work]

It was Potter.

Well, it usually is.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

There are already largely contiguous urban areas on Earth with radii approaching 35km, and it's not hard to imagine vastly larger cities, or that areas now considered cities were would not be considered such in some locales in the future (I grew up in a 'village' that has more people than London did 600 years ago)...though many smaller weapons are far more effective on area targets than a single large one.

Fusion bombs can also be scaled up as big as someone cares to build them, resources permitting (and the ED setting has no shortages here). There were even some fairly serious plans for gigaton level devices to deflect asteroids and such.

Given the sort of defenses we see in ED, I would not be surprised if 300+ megaton devices were required to even ensure significant damage to hardened targets.

Cleaning out the center of a station might be a use- fly the weapon in on a ship. The insanely high yield for such a Tri-F weapon would be to overcome shields. Or, break the spokes on an wheeled station.

Still, rocks work better.

 

[Morbad]

Estimated yield 58 MT. 1st degree burns/blindness burns within 100 km.

Any weapon with a yield that large is a military waste.

Not on some of the inhabited planets in the Elite setting. Thicker atmospheres, especially if they had proportionally higher water vapor content, could easily make the shock wave/overpressure the only significant immediate threat to even completely exposed humans.

On Earth we are also limited to how deep we can bury/excavate bunkers. Too deep and air conditioning cannot keep up with the geological heat and even if it could, the mantle would be a hard limit. There are smaller terrestrial worlds out there that are solid, and cool, at vastly greater depths, so an attack may need to be effective through hundreds of km of rock.

Still, rocks work better.

Easier to see coming though.