The omen of death
The Banshee never made the impact that was expected during the 2nd Tiberium war.
Admittedly this is partly due to the extensive combined GDI & Forgotten attacks that focused on Nod's Banshee production facilities. But also, Nod's pilots never got the best out of the advanced 'alien' technology.
Well the dimensional rift has afforded Nod another opportunity, the Nod Banshee is back and this time Kane is determined to get the best out of this potentially fearsome piece of 'alien' technology.
The good news is that Nod's understanding of alien technology has greatly increased since the 2nd Tiberium war, thanks in no small part to the Scrin invasion.
Aircraft signature scan
The first example of this increased understanding is the fact that Nod are better able to utilise the remarkable target/threat scanning capabilities of the Banshee.
Nod scientist estimate that the Banshee is capable of identifying and prioritising 7 trillion different targets (at the same time) over a distance of 1 light year!
Naturally Nod tactical command are using a fraction of the full ability, however such is the intelligence gathering power of the Banshee, Kane himself has demanded that usage of the target scanner be restricted, if GDI somehow got their hands on this information it could be disastrous.
Using the target scanner will reveal all relevant aerial targets on the battlefield (through the fog of war) for a limited period of time.
Elite armour
While the nature of the present conflict means that the Banshees have been immediately deployed on the battlefield, steps are being takien with a view to providing an upgrade path for expected future discoveries.
One item that will be ready almost immediately is the armour that the elite guard of Kane had on their Banshees during the 2nd Tiberium war. This armour provides a nice boost in resistance against all damage types, and is available to all Banshee squadron commanders.
Transpulse plasma
Nod scientist working inside top secret temple facilities have made great progress in fully unlocking the secrets of the Banshee. Has expected the Banshee had several configurations (similar to earth aircraft) and these attack/defence and scout based configurations were adjusted has needed by the Scrin. In terms of the apparent Banshee 'successor' the Storm rider (yet another ridiculous GDI designation) the simple fact is that like earth based war weaponry, the Scrin like to constantly update and refresh their war machine. One hypothesis suggests that the reason for their apparent continuous change is that they do not want their army becoming too familiar with the weaponry in case of rebellion! Which frankly sounds far fetched, but would explain why they seem tactically ineffective despite their tremendous numerical and technological advantage.
One forsaken weapon that scientist have 'unlocked' is the Transpulse plasma. Apparently this weapon was used in a gunship type Banshee configuration. The Transpulse plasma can ricochet of larger targets which causes smaller burst of plasma to hit additional targets!
Difficult to capture in a still! The FX are not final!
How did the Scrin manage to get intelligent re-targeting of plasma, based on a fraction of the original burst? Nod scientist are still working on an explanation, although one theory suggest that the actual Banshee itself detects the ricochet burst and redirects it at a enemy target. Whatever the facts are, it works, and will soon be available for Nod Banshee pilots to use.
Future upgrades
While Nod scientist have been unable to recreate the Scrin force field technology, they have had limited success in accessing and enabling the locked force field on the Banshee.
Nod research on the Scrin force field suggest that its effectiveness in Scrin battles varies wildly and depends on a huge number of variables. In some arenas the Scrin force field is completely impervious, while in others it is so ineffective that they do not bother with it at all. Apparently the Scrin are surprised by the lack of effectiveness of their force field in solar system based battles.
Nod scientist believe that the ridged inflexibility of Scrin command, which includes their habitual 'locking' of Scrin vehicles and operators, prevents them from learning from battle experience and making the required adjustments. Again this is apparently done to prevent possible revolt, however Nod scientist have found that by allowing a pilot to gain extensive battle data with an unlocked Banshee, eventually a force field will be constructed which takes into account the various damage types experienced during battle! This force field has proved at least twice has effective in comparison to the Scrin capitol ships force fields!
"Now we ready!"
It goes without saying that this kind of 'growth' is the most interesting avenue when it comes to alien technology. Kane has demanded that full disclosure is maintained when it comes to future discoveries concerning Banshee abilities and additional configurations, we can only hope that that information makes its way to the battle field.
Listen to the wailing! look up and see the omen of impending GDI doom!
"Where's that GDI armour hiding!"
Edited by Madin, 07 August 2014 - 08:14 PM.
