Sins II: Dev Journal 2 - Exploring the Kol-class Battleship

Welcome to the second dev diary and the first of a series of close looks at the key units of the TEC.

Thirty-five years into the war, much of the TEC fleet has evolved to adapt to changing combat needs, technological advancements, and resource availability. Many ship designs have been decommissioned, some have been progressively updated, and some have had massive redesigns. While it's gone through several variants over this time, the Kol continues to be a mainstay of the TEC fleet.

Originally designed as the TEC's first dedicated warship, the initial model can now only be found in the hands of rogue Pirate Lords. The latest version includes several key changes critical to keeping the Kol in its role as an essential frontline combat capital ship.

Major Updates to the Kol-class Battleship

Hangar Removal: As a frontline combat ship, the Kol was unable to properly support its flight crew and the open hangar bays proved to be an exposed vulnerability. In the current version, the previous hangar space has been adapted into a heavily armored storage facility for additional crew, repair materials, and munitions.
Improved Autocannons: Larger, more powerful autocannons based on the latest engineering have been added. While it's a significant improvement, it is still fundamentally a simple, reliable, easily supplied and repaired system.
2 x Dual-Gauss Cannons: Another reliable and simple system suited to the TEC's situation. The overwhelming effectiveness of the original, along with improved power generation, now allows for two dual-gauss cannons to improve the Kol's in-the-mix combat capability against heavier targets.
Experimental Beam Cannon: More powerful, stable, and protected than the original four-beam design of previous versions. A larger internal reactor emits a single beam down the central axis which is focused and controlled by four stabilizers integrated with the co-evolved repurposed pylons. The overall design is the product of continued reverse engineering of Advent beam technology - though it is still quite large and unstable by their standards.
Planetary Bombardment Cannon: An internal mechanism switches to block the beam cannon reactor and rotates planetary bombardment payloads into position for firing. This is a limitation in its capability, but as most commanders prefer to assign the Kol to clearing enemy gravity wells before commencing bombardment, it's not been a major concern.