Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander
Can you explain this a bit better?
All materials required that are not ice will have to be imported by cargo blimp over the World Tree. I expect that only after the several months required to import the materials for the mooring mast and rails did the ASNs have a chance to move anything heavy.
What kind of retractible bridges were you considering and how heavy do you think they would be?
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Well, let me start by saying my field of expertise is psychology, not engineering, so this will be a little light in meticulous details, material knowledge and calculations, but here is a more detailed version of what I envisioned.
You mentioned that in addition to occupying one of the buildings the ASNs would also be doing expeditions down below, where there are magical icy caverns filled with horrors. The "oilrig" idea was meant as outposts in this subterranean icy exploration but for it to be viable several variables must be in its favor.
It needs solid ground to be attached to, otherwise ice shapers will have little trouble rendering it useless.
If they find solid ground, you could use the best cost-benefit materials to build some very tall supporting collums, and build a modest sized building on it, preferably big enough to handle one of these furnaces, if possible, as I imagine the Cold will be a major issue, and there wont be a steady supply of fuel coming into the structure.
For protection and perhaps insulation ice shaping could be used to create a hollow sphere of considerable size which would enable sentries to detect incursions with some advance notice, with MGs and good weaponry you would want to have the ice start as soon as they are able to land shots and im sure the ASNs would have most of the attack routes ranged and with firepower directed in its way. That should give them a better than 50/50 odds of survival
Since metals are so expensive, would it be possible to render the ice harder to be shaped by throwing salt or some other chemical on it? Maybe an alchemical mixture, if that was possible then they would be able to use it for the columns and the shell, and would gradually use it to secure tunnels from ice shaping hazards
I guess they will probably use a mix of alchemically treated metal and wood for the structure and just metal for the base (sorry for the lack of deph, I feel ignorant with regards to which materials are the best)
I imagined the bridges being very strong, capable of bearing your standard expedition team and more, after all I imagine some heavy loads will have to be carried thro it. The trap part is that I imagine them being able to open like gates letting whatever is on it fall, but in retrospect probably would be better to place a bomb on it
This much investment certainly is a lot but could be worth it for an important outpost from which further expeditions could be done.
With regard to the bridges, I imagine the bridges would work like a version of the fantasy cliche of a ballista shooting arrows with a bridge, but instead of a ballista, an engine does it. First it could extend the rail, perhaps with personel activelly introducing more and more rail to the machine as they need it, and then once it locks to a wall the plates in which things will be moved are placed
Now there are several ways in which this could be implemented. The machine could be set up to put ever more plates and build a complete bridge, which could later be retracted. Or perhaps the machine could be set up in a way that it moves a large plate over the rails like a transporter. Perhaps for longer distances (or just in general) the transporter would be favored because of weight considerations
The whole setup after properly implemented in the scale I first envisioned could end up weighting a dozen tons, but it can also be brought in modularly. First the engine, then rails and plates sufficient for initial needs, and then more rails and plates as the need arises.
The "oilrig" structure would not need more than one engine tho, but dozen tons of rails and plates.
Hope this clarified it, its a great setting I am really liking it =)