Hephaestus (Tier 3 Transport)

Tier-3 Transport Class

The original design contract for the Hephaestus called for a purpose-built salvage vessel aimed at scavenging wrecked installations along the Europan crust. However, as the dangers of the moon's seas became increasingly apparent, its architecture evolved to incorporate defenses and highly-modular systems. A ponderous, yet formidable deep-sea explorer, the Hephaestus can be adapted to multiple roles and is well-suited to the moon's harsh environment.

Overview: The Hephaestus is designed to fit in line with other vanilla subs present in the game, with a few unique elements that set it apart.

Features:

Four Hardpoints (Three small installed, one large uninstalled): The Haephaetus has a smaller armament but excellent coverage compared to other subs. The command deck sports small hardpoints at the center top and bottom that cover each half, along with a large hardpoint that can be installed later, covering the top right (Changed from bottom-right for better usage during abyss creature fights). Finally, there is a tailgun in the engine room with around 260 degrees of coverage.

The Jackrabbit Exploration Shuttle: Some fancy passive design and black magic wiring facilitated the creation of a small-profile shuttle useful as a staging point for exploring wrecks, ruins, and some caves. When attached to the main submarine, it operates off a separate wire relay, allowing it to be used as a bottom airlock. When detached, the airlock opens from top and bottom for easy egress/ingress. It's been tested thoroughly and should have no instances of accidental flooding. While lacking dive suits, it does provide oxygen, and also has a storage rack for crates. Finally, it sports an auto-feature, wherein the shuttle will automatically connect to the main sub when its hatch its in proximity to it.

Flood-Sensitive Doors: Doors on the Hephaestus remain open until water is detected in the hull, at which time they will close after a brief timer to reduce flooding across the sub.

Multi-Position Searchlights: It's nice to be able to see what's out there, and the captain's periscope has you covered. By clicking while using it, you can switch between multiple positions around the sub.

Powered by Passive Design: Navigating some submarines can be an exercise in madness, whether due to labyrinthine corridors, excessive machinery, or weird area placement. The Hephaestus is sane to get around in and designed to feel cozy without feeling cramped. Two central access shafts connect you to all areas of the sub and lead to the two ballasts. Extra bilge pumps are reduced through effective duct-drainage. The airlock/shuttle is connected into engineering to reduce running across the ship when salvaging. The electrical system is balanced to help reduce overvoltage and daisy-chained in the event a box fails. Dive lockers are strategically placed to reduce random suits lying around.

Quality of Life: Take advantage of the small things that make life easier. Each dive area has a charging rack for batteries so you don't go out with a dead flashlight. A status monitor in engineering lets repair crews manage sub maintenance and easily find stashed items. The captain's quarters sports private storage, and a couple of custom cabinets next to the fabricator provide easy access to tools and materials.

Lookin' Good: Most importantly, the sub is designed to look and feel fun to play in. Lighting is thematic and colorful. Have a drink in the crew bar, or nap on the engine room couch. Feel like you're in a real medbay, even if you're not getting treated by a real doctor. Get some work done in the captain's office, and keep tabs on power systems with the sub's command display.