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Just how big is a minidrone, anyways?

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ve4grm

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« on: <06-14-14/1616:54> »
So how the hell big is a minidrone or microdrone, anyways? I ask because information seems to conflict at times.

For example (all from SR5):

Horizon Flying Eye: "about eyeball-sized"
MCT Fly-Spy: "about the size and shape of a large insect"

Seems fine so far. But then we get this miniature preview:
http://cdn.shadowruntabletop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/turntable006.jpg?4713c7
and that Fly-Spy is the size of that dwarf's head.

.

It gets even weirder when you look at the micro-drones:

Sikorsky-Bell Microskimmer: "smaller than a frisbee"

A frisbee is about a foot across. Either this is the worst comparison ever ("it's the size of a penny, which is much smaller than a frisbee") or I have no idea how it could fit into a fingertip compartment.

So... a little help here?
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Xenon

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« Reply #1 on: <06-14-14/1724:14> »
micro drone is really small, easy to hide and leave almost no signature. body 0. they have a -6 modifier both to conceal and for signature and a 4 hit threshold to notice with perception.

mini-drones are also small, but they are more powerful, leave bigger signature and are harder to hide. body 1. they have a -2 modifier to conceal, -3 on signature and a 3 hit threshold to notice with perception.

none of them are big enough to take a weapon mount.



I would probably not use the miniature preview as a correct measurement of mini and micro drone size... ;)

Aryeonos

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« Reply #2 on: <06-14-14/1847:15> »
It could be that that was an exceptionally small Dwarf? Though, that Ingram looks a bit small in his pudgy little fingers.

When it came to the skimmer I always kinda thought of it as being plate sized, small serving plate sized, just very very thin and hard to spot/hear. But I can see where there is a discrepancy, as that's not going to fit anywhere on you person except under your shirt.
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Namikaze

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« Reply #3 on: <06-14-14/1951:15> »
The miniatures are built to scale of an artist's interpretation and should never be taken as gospel.  Not to mention there's a great deal of engineering that has to go into designing a flying miniature.  This means the drone in the miniature has to be larger to accomodate.
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Csjarrat

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« Reply #4 on: <06-15-14/1059:50> »
So how the hell big is a minidrone or microdrone, anyways? I ask because information seems to conflict at times.

For example (all from SR5):

Horizon Flying Eye: "about eyeball-sized"
MCT Fly-Spy: "about the size and shape of a large insect"

Seems fine so far. But then we get this miniature preview:
http://cdn.shadowruntabletop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/turntable006.jpg?4713c7
and that Fly-Spy is the size of that dwarf's head.

.

It gets even weirder when you look at the micro-drones:

Sikorsky-Bell Microskimmer: "smaller than a frisbee"

A frisbee is about a foot across. Either this is the worst comparison ever ("it's the size of a penny, which is much smaller than a frisbee") or I have no idea how it could fit into a fingertip compartment.
that was a weird one, 4e said it was about the size of a can-lid. i'd go with that (around 10cm across). large isnect i take to mean about the size of a dragonfly. (we have drones of today that are this size!)
don't worry about the models, the scale of them has more to do with the casting process and materials tolerances than proper scale.

So... a little help here?
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ve4grm

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« Reply #5 on: <06-15-14/1358:26> »
Alright. So the scale for the mini is borked (as I figured), and the Microskimmer is weird.

I think I'll have to houserule the microskimmer to be about quarter-sized when flying, folding up to dime-sized when stowed. It just doesn't make sense as a microdrone otherwise.

"Smaller than a frisbee", my ass. :P
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Tarislar

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« Reply #6 on: <06-15-14/1431:30> »
Think of it as one of those tiny frisbees that come come in a Happy Meal, the ones that are only 3 inches across.

That Wasp looking one I picture as someone mentioned as actually being a large dragonfly or even one of those Rhino-Beetle things in size but with wings.  So smaller than your fist but not by much.  Basically its as big as the frisbee/canlid skimmer but is also taller with the legs & such.

« Last Edit: <06-15-14/2148:03> by Tarislar »

Booze

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« Reply #7 on: <06-15-14/1435:31> »
About the Fly Eye, Is it writtien in 5th ed core that it uses directional thrusters rather than rotor, or isn't?
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Tarislar

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« Reply #8 on: <06-15-14/1436:31> »
About the Fly Eye, Is it writtien in 5th ed core that it uses directional thrusters rather than rotor, or isn't?

Omnidirectional Thrust Nozzles to be exact.

Booze

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« Reply #9 on: <06-15-14/1438:47> »
So this one from the model, that uses a rotor... is not a Fly-Eye, right? ;)
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Tarislar

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« Reply #10 on: <06-15-14/1526:06> »
Well it uses the basic Aircraft skill, like a Rotorcraft, but no, it doesn't use a Rotor for flight.

Actually, the nozzles let it "roll" along the floor it says in the fluff.  Something no Rotor would ever allow, heck it would snap them.  hehe.

ve4grm

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« Reply #11 on: <06-15-14/1716:37> »
About the Fly Eye, Is it writtien in 5th ed core that it uses directional thrusters rather than rotor, or isn't?

So this one from the model, that uses a rotor... is not a Fly-Eye, right? ;)

The "Flying Eye", yes, uses thrust nozzles, and is spherical, and has no guns. The rotor one from the mini seems to be an MCT-Nissan Rotodrone (or similar). Some sort of combat rotodrone, at least.

The "Fly Spy" (not eye) is the one I was talking about, which is the giant fly on the ground beside the dwarf in the model. It should be much smaller, about the size of one of his fingers.
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Tarislar

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« Reply #12 on: <06-15-14/2149:31> »
I've got it, the Dwarf is under the effects of a Shrink spell !!      ;)     (What?!?)