With any or my FanFictions, particularly ones that I cannot bring myself to share to light of day, I like to do research. Where I can I like to ground in familiar threads more than making things up willy nilly. I spend copious hours studying TFWiki.
This obsessive curiosity presented me with a question that had to run down. In my particulsr canon, Metroplex is playing the role of "Autobot Flagship" and I wanted to know, really know, what that might entail. Understanding the ship meant I could maybe better shape the crew. Rather than just picking random Autobots I like (which is still a large portion of the casting) I could see how the dynamics might work together. It also keeps me from going over overboard on too many Autobots (which I am close to already)
To start with, I needed to know a size. T30 Metroplex tends to look a lot like an Aircraft Carrier, so that was my initial adsumption
But I needed more certainty. A cursory look online didnt show much consistancy though, so I turned to the figure itself. Specifiaclly, the Collarbone Bridge window.
There are 2 Autobots present in the Bridge, Ultra Magnus, which TFwiki tells me is roughly 22' tall (which seema small to me given a 53' trailer but mayne the length compacts that much) and Arcee. Most Autobot Cars average about 15'-18'. Ultra Magnus is roughly 2/3 as tall as the window, so a good approximation is that the Control Bridge has a floor to cieling height of roughly 30'.
So now out comes Mr. Tape Measure. And wouldnt you know, the collarbone bridge button is almost 1" tall. So now I ha e a scale of 1"=30'
This is interesting, becaude it means that Metroplex is roughly 630' tall to his head. Two things happen here:
[list=][*] Thats not far off of the G1 Comic height of 698' and given the estimates its close enpugh to me for Government work.
[*]surprisingly, Metroplex is not actually that big. 630' tall, and not all of that height translates to length in Carrier Mode,eans that Metroplex is more in line with the US Navy Arleigh Burke
Destroyers than an Aircraft Carrier. (Yes, I am a
Last Ship fan, why do you ask?)]
[/list]
See how size matters?
So, with scale in hand, I determine that Metroplex id roughly 8 decks or 240' tall, 210' feet wide, and and has a habitable space of. 630' long (not including the flight deck extensions). I estimate a crew complimwnt of 33 infantry bots, plus officers, visiting Dignitaries, and Slammer Scamper and SixGun's personal space. Mefroplex's head is tall enough to constitute 2 decks, but I am not counting that as a full deck, I figure the Head is a Cockpit, and reserved access to only Slammer Scamper Sixgun and Optimus Prime. Maybe Windblade, but I prefer the RID15 take on her as "Warrior Princess" and if I were to ever write my stuff down there is something I would rather do with Vicrorion as the first Camien to make contact, so I dont think we need her as a CitySpeaker here. I also figure that much of his head probably collapses into the lower half to housr the Bridge/Ops Center.
In my head canon, I am assuming that Metroplex is dormant but aware of his status and envirn. Ship's functions and automated systems run as part of his own subconscious subroutines. Meanwhile an artifical Teletraan-like Computer interface operates as an overlay, and Metroplex himself relies on Scamper, Slammer, and SixGun to make decisions and execute actions. But even in a detached state, they probably still hear him, and I suspect if Prime ever asked for a Consult he would be there, and it wouldnt take much to rouse the Titan if thr time ever required.
Now, I am taking some liberties with Metroplex, arguing that the rather anatomic torso on T30 Metroplex collapses or fills out into a more useful box shape, and that the arms collapse a bit more than the toy can and does. For now, the sketches very loosely cover assigned areas, and I don't nexcesarily have any idea what internal guts Metroplex would be required to have, so this is as much general Autobot vessel as it is Metroplex.
This is a work in progress, so I VERY MUCH want to hear suggestions on what you think a ship like this needs. Remember it IS a Warship, but it is also Prime's Flagship. So feel free to speak up.
Box grid is 1 box=15'
Without further ado...
UPDATED AUGUST 9TH Version1 has been moved to a Spoiler Tag. Below is my Revised V2 design.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/CRA5QUl.jpg[/img
[img]https://i.imgur.com/SmyRZTq.jpg[/img
[img]https://i.imgur.com/lmttzET.jpg[/img
[img]https://i.imgur.com/lmttzET.jpg[/imgDeck 1 is the command deck. The main area is broken up into war rooms for the Galactic, Fleet, and Local Fronts, with Prowl serving as Chief Strategist, Ultra Magnus's Duties as City Commander encompassing the other vessels in the Convoy (I couldnt help my self) and Skids serving as Overwatch for teams in the field. There is also a space alloted for "Communications", but I dont have a bot in that role right now.
In Metroplex's left shoulder is a staircase to the helipad seen on his toy, and quarters for Humanoid Organic species (split into two decks to make use of the vertical space), as well as a split level room where Humanoids and Autobots can meet eye to eye across a table. (humans on second story, Autobots on standard level) there are Quarters for Prowl on this deck, as I figure he will want to be near the action in case of emergency.
In the left Pectoral region is a 2x2 (30' square) area marked "Lift". I wasnt entirely sure how Cybertronians handle moving between floors given the heights vary from the 8' tall Motorcycle Arcee to bots like Magnus, so an Elevator seemed the most practical, even though a single elevator doeant seem the most reliable on a warship, although one must remember this is a
living ship, so if someone knocks out the Elevator there are probably more pressing concerns anyway.
In Metroplex's Right Shoulder are offices and Quarters for Ultra Magnus. Along the back is an access to the red gun/Tower/Ship dock.
Speaking of those... The detail scale on those is way, way off. But following the 1"=30' scale these make nice deep space transports or blockade runners, the semis of Interstellar Travel, with the tower section becoming a 2 bot inline cockpit area. Ships like rhsese could probly whisk a dozen bots and their gear to a battlefield quickly. A fleet of ships like this zipping about the Galaxy means that Metroplex and potentially other Titans like Fort Max could be kept well armed as needed anywhere they go, no matter who is aboard them at the time.
For now, I do not have Metroplex's two gun ships assigned to teams, although if I were to give the Dinobots a larger vessel ot wpuld be this style. My expanded Protectobot/RescueBot Alpha 1 team is also probably flying a a ship of similar construction, only in different colors more in line with galactic Red Crossesque markings.
If I am being honest, I am not completely sold on the current layout of the various War Rooms. But thats why Version2 is in Pencil.
Metroplex's Forearms house the primary FTL Drivers on a sibgle deck strattling Decks 1 and 2.
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Dexk 2 is the SpaceBridge Deck, roughly corresponding to the glowy thing on T30 Metroplex. There is also a large briefing room in the Left Shoulder. Prime's Quarters and Ready Room occupy the Righr Shoulder, Jazz has a small office next to Auxilliary Bridge Control across the Room.
In the right Pectoral starting on Deck 3, ypu'll see a space holder for a large area marked "Lift". This is the Hangar Elevator. For runabout ships I estimated a cieling height of 60' (2 decks). While I dont intend for the lift to go to Deck 2 all th time, and there is not the cieling height usially budgetted, on occasion Metroplex could probably collapse the floor as needed and raise the Hangar Lift up into Deck 2 to quickly move Troops or Supplies to the Spacebridge, or supplies down to Storage on Deck8 or the Med Bay on Deck 7.
The Middle section of Deck 3 is reserved for the "Guts" of Metroplex, things like his Spark Core and fuel processing. In the left shoulder are quarters for Visiting Cybertronian Dignataries. I figure those to be representatives of unaligned Refugee colonies, pther mechanical lifeforms, and maybe the larger organic species sometimes seen. The right shoulder provides living space for Autobot Ambassador Crosscut and his Bodyguard/Mechanic/Confidante RoadRage. Otherwise, there is still a lot of untapped space here.
Deck Four is the Flight Deck and Entry Way. As youvwalk in, you'll find a Large storage room for flight deck equipment. Take the Hallway on around and one will find a Shrine and Reliquary, where Bots can mourn or remember those who have fallen, or meditate in hopes that Primus might whisper some valuable clue.
The Scribbled out portion on the bottom of Decks 3 and Four are spaces for Impulse Drive Thrusters and related hardware.
As we head below the Runway we gwt into the much larger habitable spaces of the Ship.
Deck 5 is the Quarters Deck for the main Autobot presence. Each room is approxomately 45' square, with one smaller room for the smaller Autobot Arcee -[Prime] there are 33 berths. Each room has a recharge slab and a desk. Since this os War, I doubt most Autobots have a lot of belongings, but they may have a few or simply wish a work space depending upon hobbies.
The Autobots in my cast include
[list=][*]Jazz
[*]Cliffjumper
[*]Tracks
[*]Crosshairs
[*]Hound
[*]Ironhide
[*]Bumblebee
[*]Rollbar
[*]Sideburn*
[*]Ratchet
[*]Bulkhead
[*]Kup
[*]Wheeljack
[*]Perceptor
[*]Arcee
[*]Grimlock
[*]Slag
[*]Swoop
[*]Snarl
[*]Sludge
[*]Slash
[*]Skids
[/list]
If those names seem familiar, my Castlist is botn oit of an idea of Ptime/Aligned Casts made up of Classics/Neo G1 characters with a few extras. SideBurn gets a pass as he was my first toy in 2001. I did not initially intend to include the Dinobots but as my storyboarding progressed, the story evolved into a Dinobots Story. So even though thry do not feature much eatly on I made sure to give them bunk space.
I do not want to widen my cast any more as I feel like they would just be underutilized characters, but other Autobots I would include are Seaspray, Cosmos, Beachcomber, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Hot Shot (beacuse of the new Siege Toy) Slamdance (again, toy) would also cameo but I dont know if I would give him a bunk or one of the visiting suites on Deck 3, or if he would just live out of his ship.
Speaking of ships...
====================
Deck 6 is the primary Hangar Deck, in the back section, housing a dozen small to medium sized scout craft and runabouts based on the Jackhammer from TF:Prime, and troop transport ships similar in nature tobthe Quinjets of MCU, as well as the personal transports of Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Crosscut, and maybe the Dinobots, not decided on that yet. Additional visiting craft would pribably be kept outside on the flight deck, which even in space is probably protected by a force field.
The main part of Deck 6 houses the science wing. The MedBay is adjacent to the Hagar lift. In times of emergency, wounded can be brought through the Spacebridge and whisked en masse from Deck2 to the Medbay via the Hangar Lift.
Next to to the Medbay is a the Science Lab, handy for stydying what ails ya.
Adjacent to THAT is the Morgue, whrein the Lab can assist in the Autopsy and Dissection. Not sure how a Cybertronian Death in Space is handled. I imagine the body is eventually loaded into a torpefo and shot into space, but I imagine that any upgrades and sensative Technology would want to be stripped of the corpse, npt just because of the Decepticons but also to avoid spoiling the technological evolution of any other species who might find the body.
Next to the Morge is the Armort, with a firing range runningbthe width of the front of the ship. Given many Cybertonians have weapons integrated intobtheir body, it made sense to me that the Armory would need to be near the Medical. Removing an integrated weapon would be like Surgury.
Across from Medical are a number of Training Areas. At first I had nothing there, now I may have gone a tad overboard, but again, its in pencil for a reason.
To denote them, I marked the smaller training rooms by letters.
A: This small room is a close range targwt practice arean. One to two bots stand in the middle od the toom and hit as many targets as they can, all around them. Individually, this is both great Target Practive and Reflex training. With another Bot on your back, it also becomes a great tool for Teamwork.
B: Room Bs are designed for Immersive Vehicular Simulation. An Autobot walks in, Transforms, and becones supported by their wheels on suspended platforms with rollers, allowing them to move through or be moved by the Simulation. Kup intended to use them for Maneuvering Drills, but mostly the younger Bots use them for Racing Games.
C Rooms are holo assisted sparring rooms, and can be configured for a number of Rings, game courts, and the like.
The largest Holodeck functions as you might expect one would, and is often used by Ironhide to conduct Breaching Drills
Much of Deck 7 is dominated by the Mess Hall/Common Area. This is probably a common place for Autobots to hang out, talk, play Cosmic versions of Poker, whathaveyou. I reserved space for whatwver passes as a Galley, against the Flight Elevator so that goodgrade supplies can be moved in bulk grom the Basement levrl. Givwn most Autobot fuels are drank, I dunno what this space entails, other than stprage of food grade fuels and Energon. My guess is its probably automated, but maybe Metroplex has a Foodie side and studies Mixology? Otherwise I had thought about using the character Spinout, since his arc is pretty much my experience in the food world (although in my case, the guys above me didnt so much die as had the good sense to leave.
) At the far end of the Deck os Security, with 6 prison cells and a large Vault Space. Between Security and the Commisary is a Library Space with an Archival wing.
Ask Scamper or anyone, Deck8 is a danger zone. The scary Basement Dungeon.This is the Engineering and Fabrication Deck, home to Wheeljack and his many amazing inventions, after they have blown up a few times. Suffice to say this is not a place Scamper, who is responsible for the Titan, likes to think about. There is a second hangar dexk here, with stprage capacity, and Wheeljack keeps his "Jackhammer" ship down here, but largely the space is reserved for repair and upgrade work. On the occasion that I decide to use Skyfire (and why not, the Commander Class figure is amazing) or we get a Commander Skylynx, I built intovthe lower hanger their quarters. By my estimates, and the toy shelf I am using for this cast of Autobots, the cieling should be *just* high enough to accomodate the towering Skyfire, but I opted to give he larger bot more space, at least for his own private quarters.The rest of the deck is storage and freight.
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UPDATE July 29 2019: Added Side View Cutaway sketch.
The attachment BACC2DAD-DEE1-4D03-A62B-CB74DD3FB023.jpeg is no longer available
So there you have it. A Study of Metroplex, if you will. I feel there is still more to add, but once I am happy with the rough floorplan, my next plan is to maybe integrste this into some photoshop images of T30 Metro plex. I am not by any means an artist and I ha e tried to trace the outline of Metroplex, its not pretty, but maybe with Photoshop I can create an overlay. Thank you for reading this far.