The thing about the Dralthi...

Eleazar

Eleazar

Rear Admiral
First let me introduce myself...

As you can see I am Eleazar (aka Lazarus). I'm a german WC-Fan for nearly a decade now, enjoying nearly every game, novel, CCG, TV and movie of this serie (Academy (the game)& P2TD were a challange to like - I did though).

And over the years many questions came up, which I tried to answer either by myself or with the help of the CIC Ships database. Although it is one of the best sources for technical information (there was an impressive russian site which was sadly far beyond my non-existing skill to read this language).

Maybe you're able to help me with a question which occupied my thoughts for a long time:

Does anyone understand the system by which they determine the Mark of the Dralthi?

I mean in WC1+SO1&2 we got the Mark I and II.
In WC3 the Mark IV
Which leaves the Dralthi's of WC Armada, Privateer, WC4 and WC5 (I don't count the movie).
I guess the ones from WC4 are the same as in WC3 -> Mark IV.
I asked Chris Reid and he told me that the Dralthi of Prophecy is probably not the Mark IV and the Privateer's may be the Mark VII. But how could that be? I thought Privateer played somewhere between WC2 and WC3 (due to crafts like the Gothri, Broadsword, Kamekh, Shok'lar (I can't believe that it's a Salthi).
Hope one of you can help me with this... ;)

Watch your six
Eleazar

PS: Where can I get Proving Grounds & Origin FX?
 
Ok well first Privateer takes place at the same time as WC3 and the mark 3 is probably from WC2. Also the ones in wcp and wciv I say are most likly just mark 4s, since the cats really are not allowed to build any new ships.
 
I agree with the opinion that the Dralthi in Prophecy is a Mark IV although Mr.Reid's answer. Still it leaves too many questions for me :)
 
There are at least 7 models of the Dralthi -- as evidenced by the "Dralthi VII" on the Academy box. The mark is changed when significant changes are made to the space-frame... the Prophecy and WCIV Dralthi are *probably* Dralthi IV's... and the RF Dralthi is *probably* a Dralthi VII (the Armada Dralthi, which is significantly different from the WC3 Dralthi, is as of yet unnumbered).

WC1 - Dralthi I
SM2 - Dralthi II
Armada - Unknown
WC3 - Dralthi IV
Priv - Dralthi VII
 
The Dralthi VII from Privateer much more resembles the 'old style' Dralthi I then the Dralthi IV from WC3, although they theoretically exist at the same time. I can think of two plausable reasons for this :
1. Gemini sector is a technically a backwater sector with only minor Confed/Kilrathi skirmishes. The Dralthi VII may be either a 'cheap' production model or refurbished Dralthi I's for use by the Reserve/Militia grade units patrolling the region.
2. You don't see any Kilrah carriers in Gemini, and the Dralthi I and IV are both short-range carrier aircraft (non-jump capable). The Dralthi VII may be a long-range model for use by Kilrah raiders.

I don't know why it's designated the Dralthi VII, since this implies that a Dralthi V and VI were identified between the two. I guess the Dralthi V and VI may have either be either models we don't get to see (recon?, trainer?) short-lived unsuccessful models, or new models aircraft incorrectly identified as Dralthis.

The Dralthis in WC4 and Prophecy are likely to be Dralthi IVs or at least upgrades based on the IVs airframe. We know from Casey & Hawks little argument that the Kilrathi renegades are flying clapped out war-time era ships. There's nothing to say that the official Kilrathi Battlefleet (of whom all we encounter is a few post-bug wrecks) don't have something a little more modern.
 
WC1 - Dralthi 1 - armed with 2 lasers + 4 HS + 3 mines
SM2 - Dralthi 2 - 2 massdrivers + 4 HS + 3 mines
WC2 - Drakhri - 3 lasers + 4 DF
WCPrv - Dralthi "2.5" - 3 lasers + 3 DF
PrvRF - Dralthi "2.75" - 2 fusion guns, 1 tachyon + 3 IR
WCArm - Dralthi 3 - 2 lasers + 2 DFs
WC3 - Dralthi 4 - 2 meson guns + 1 particle gun + 4 IR
WC4 - Dralthi 5 - 2 particle guns + 1 photon gun + 4 IR
WCP - Dralthi 6 - 2 lasers + 1 tachyon gun + 4 HS
 
Try this, under the belief that we have seen all major variants of the Dralthi, and that the Drakhri is truly a different class and not just a misnomer:
Dralthi 1 and 2: WC1 and expansions, no question there.
Dralthi 3: recon version for light homeguard/antipirate/militia work, as seen in Armada
Dralthi 4: WC3 (no question)
Dralthi 4 reviesed (4.5): WC4
Dralthi 5: WCP. Better armament, worse missiles, meant for raiding and cheap guard duty. No IR and nice similar toys, tachyon cannon and lasers probably salvaged off of capships or old junked war-era fighters.

WC: Privateer "Dralthi" ommitted from this list due to unusual similarity to the Drakhri (speed, gun armament, and such). Name attributed to either misnaming of the Drakhri or misidentification by mercenaries and traders who first encountered it. I class the Drakhri as the final development of the original Dralthi (Dralthi 2/2.5, class the Dralthi WC1 w/massdrivers as Dralthi 1.5 as the main change was new guns), before the Armada era reworked it into a rather fast recon fighter. Later design philosophy returned to the slower but more survivable fighter.

Or has this topic been beat to death?
 
No, you're treating the games as though they occured in the order they were released -- which isn't true... further, the WCP Dralthi is specifically stated to be a surplus war era fighter. I'll make a Dralthi list, give me a bit of time...
 
Originally posted by Bandit LOAF
There are at least 7 models of the Dralthi -- as evidenced by the "Dralthi VII" on the Academy box.
Click to expand...

Not neccessarily. They may have skipped numbers.

[Edited by steampunk on 02-22-2001 at 04:22]
 
Here's the general list, as far as I can figure it...

Dralthi-
(Version 1): "Obsolete" Dralthi from Lords of the Sky.
(Version 2): Standard Dralthi from WCA and WC1.
Dralthi II-
SM2 Dralthi... loses ejection seat, gains better shields and mass driver cannons.
Dralthi III-
Movie Dralthi.
Dralthi IV-
(Version 1): WC3 Dralthi
(Version 2): WC4 Dralthi
(Version 3): WCP Dralthi -- *not* an actual production version, simply an upgraded IV-1 or IV-2.
Dralthi V-
Armada Dralthi, light fighter variant.
Dralthi VII-
(Version 1): Privateer Dralthi.
(Version 2): Rightous Fire Dralthi -- upgraded gun.

Before you ask, we know that the post-war Dralthi (WC4) cannot be the Dralthi VI, because they were produced *after* the Dralthi VII...
 
I personaly think that the Armada Dralthi is the Mark III version - even it's only because of the other spaceships like the Wraith and the Jrathek (both Mark II I guess).
 
Timelinewise, the Armada Dralthi appears *after* the WCIII Dralthi... so it can't be the III -- wheras the movie Dralthi appears before the IV, so being the III makes the most sense (G)

(The Wraith and the Jrathek in Armada are the same ships as in Academy -- no new model numbers req'd).
 
about the movie dralthi

I looked it up in my tech guide, and it says it's class name is kf-100 dralthi. I hope that means anything to you.
 
I am not sure if there is a system how the Mark of a fighter is determined. See the Thunderbolt in WCP is still called Thunderbolt VII although its weapons loadout has completely changed and its shields have been strengthened.
And Eleazar, nice to meet another German WC fan who played the games from the beginning.
I am from Wiesbaden, where do you live?
 
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