Schall Tank Platoon

Summary

Adds different classes and tiers of tanks in-par with power armors, having vehicle equipment grid. Aims to fill the gaps the vanilla game should have. Not overhaul nor OP mod. Vanilla oriented and balanced.

Introduction

Balanced Tanks Series

Different classes of tanks are performing better in specialized roles, like in the real world (especially WWII period). This mod aims for preserving the realism, and balances with original vehicles. The original tank is unmodified, and almost the same as the newly defined "Medium Tank", which is the midpoint of the whole new tank series. Want a fast & agile light tank exploring the map (against biters and trees...)? Want a fast yet durable medium tank performing hit-and-run tactics? Want a more durable & strong firepower heavy tank leading the offense, covering friendlies as vanguard? Want a extremely durable super-heavy tank performing frontal assault, breakthrough biter nests? This mod provides such choices, and is especially suited for multiplayer servers:

• PvE: Tank commanders can find their own specialized tank which suits their playstyle well (hit-and-run, fire support, frontal assault, breakthrough, etc.). Now we can support each other and play as a real tank platoon! A more enjoyable group tank action!
• PvP: Massive PvP tank battle? (Like in World of Tanks) Now you can have similar experience in Factorio, with different choices of tanks!

Advanced Tanks MK1 & MK2 Series

Feel the tank become obsolete, when Power Armor MK2 comes out? Why are there not any modular tanks? No worries! Here we proudly presents the Tanks MK1 and MK2 series, utilizing technology & material in-par of the Power Armor & Power Armor MK2 respectively. While there are small stat upgrades, the true power of Tanks MK1 & MK2 series lies in the large vehicle grid (like the Power Armor)! Of course, if you feel this is too overpowered, you can turn the equipment smaller or off in the options.

Varied Cannons & Shells

The "penetrating" nature of original cannon shells is hazardous to friendlies in group combat, so it is changeable in options in this mod. A small variant of explosive cannon shells is introduced, exclusively for the low caliber autocannon of Light Tank. Two high caliber variants of tank cannon are also introduced for Heavy Tank and Super-heavy Tank, having longer firing range and using heavier shells, which has greater destruction power.

Destructive Incendiary Munitions

Ordinary incendiary munitions are introduced in autocannon ammo and rocket forms. The napalm bomb offers mass destruction power, creating cluster of long-lasting flame, to clear nests like the nuclear bomb.

Genocidal Chemical Munitions

Feel the vanilla poison capsule powerful but not convenient to use? Now it is introduced in rocket form too! Poison bomb releases poison cloud to a much wider area, thus very effective as an alien clearing munition! Combined with the fact that structures (e.g., turrets) are immune and vehicles (e.g., tanks and rocket artilleries) protect passengers from the poison cloud, poison bomb can easily be the "safest" area attack weapon!

Also wonder why the supposed nerve agent can be handcrafted? Should these manufactured in a properly sealed environment in chemical plants? Wonder why these chemical weapons do not use chemical ingredients at all? This mod allows changing the recipes to be using more proper ingredients (like acid instead of steel...), and thus need to manufactured in chemical plants.

Offensive Rocket Artillery Half-track

Currently, the rocket launcher and its conventional rocket ammunition are too weak. Need to get into enemy range, relatively low damage. I never saw them used by players on any multiplayer server in any serious sense. Firing nuclear rockets is the only reason why it still exists.

This mod revives the otherwise useless rockets. The explosive rockets can be crafted into packs, which will split into 7 explosives rockets when fired (like cluster grenades). A newly-introduced "Rocket Artillery" vehicle is dedicated to unleash this true power, with a much longer firing range in "Tactical Missile Launcher" firing mode. Also useful to fire atomic rocket because of its extended range over the handheld rocket launcher. An alternate "Multiple Rocket Launcher" firing mode is available, but beware it could waste your already expensive rockets with the high rate of fire!

Napalm bomb, together with explosive rocket pack and atomic bomb, can be fired as artillery shell in extension mod Schall Artillery.

Supplementary Portable Fusion Reactors

The transition of equipment modules, from Portable Solar Panel (1×1, 10 kW) to Portable Fusion Reactor (4×4, 750 kW), always looks too far to me. The large size of fusion reactor also prevents it to be used in lesser grids. Therefore, smaller portable fusion reactors are introduced, working with lower efficiency.

Dedicated Vehicle Equipment

For large size of vehicles (compared to human size), it is reasonable to have vehicle equipment. This mod introduced large capacity variants of vehicle-only energy shield and battery.

Curious, I always wonder why there is extreme high-tech fusion reactor giving free energy to the equipment, but no choices to power them by more conventional method like fuel cells? This mod now provide such fuel-powered options. Due to their size, it can only be installed to vehicles. A fission type power-generation equipment is also available.

Revised Defense Equipment

In vanilla game, personal laser defense has very high initial damage (75!!!), but no benefits from laser turret upgrades. This mod provides the option to switch the "ammo category" to the same one used by laser turrets. Initial damage is reduce