Future Tank X-1

"A hulking, unmanned half tank/half walker vehicle equipped with twin Neutron Cannons and a Riot Laser."

- Info briefing on the X-1, post-WWIII

Future Tank X-1s are heavily armored, computer controlled combat vehicles, that are virtually unmatched on the ground. Their experimental Neutron Cannons can easily cut through even the toughest armor, while their Riot Laser special weapon can turn the tables on enemies attacking en masse.

History
"Advance."

- The X-1, given the order to attack

Too many brave men and women of the Allied Nations gave their lives in the war, in service to their nations, families, and friends. While the Allies may have prevailed against the Soviet Union and the Empire of the Rising Sun, the cost in blood and treasure was extraordinarily high. Now the Allies and all the nations of the world must find a way to move past this, while treasuring the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. FutureTech Corporation, the Netherlands-based technology firm behind many of the Allies' most advanced weapons, certainly appears to be doing its part. After all, FutureTech is hard at work putting the finishing touches on an advanced computer-controlled tank, which promises to revolutionize future warfare both by deterring violent situations and reducing the loss of human life. A public unveiling of the so-called "FutureTank" prototype is planned for next year, though early reports are as detailed as they are promising.

The FutureTank is based on proprietary technology developed by FutureTech Corporation, and is powered by one of the very same Collider fuel cells used in its most efficient drive trains and power plants. But unlike all the military-grade vehicles in the Allied arsenal, the FutureTank takes a few notes from the finest Soviet and Imperial vehicle designs. Specifically, with the FutureTank X-1 prototype, FutureTech Corporation sought to combine its own best expertise with the rugged durability and power of Soviet armor, and the advanced artificial intelligence (A.I.) found only in some of the Empire of the Rising Sun's forces. The result is a marvel of high-tech engineering, an all-terrain vehicle that achieves the long-sought-after goal of functioning without a live pilot. While this may sound unbelievable, more and more eyewitness accounts and hands-on demonstrations of the FutureTank continue reinforcing the idea that this vehicle truly is capable of operating and "thinking" on its own. It can even engage in conversation in more than 14 different languages, although the FutureTank is said to have a rather gruff personality.

Much has already been said on the topic of ethics and artificial intelligence, and FutureTech has anticipated concerns on this front. Because the FutureTank is capable of making decisions without human intervention, and possesses some of the most powerful anti-armor weapons ever made, one can begin to imagine the types of precautions and safety measures taken to ensure the FutureTank's compliance with international regulations. For starters, both Allied High Command and FutureTech Corporation possess instant-access codes that can permanently disable one or all FutureTank units in a situation where such a drastic action becomes necessary. More importantly, FutureTanks are programmed with a clear set of directives that they must obey at all times, which limit their use of lethal force only to situations in which they are significantly threatened, and prevent FutureTanks from crossing international borders without prior approval. These directives were co-developed by the administrators of the European Union International Peace Prize, the FutureTech Board of Directors, and councilmen from Allied High Command, under supervision from a third-party international council for ethical software development. At any rate, FutureTech Corporation claims its latest vehicle is far less fallible when it comes to combat-related judgment calls than human beings are. FutureTanks have friend-or-foe designation that all but eliminates friendly-fire incidents, and are naturally immune to battlefield stress and fatigue.

The FutureTank X-1 prototype may sound too good to be true, and indeed, the vehicle is still in development. Presently, FutureTech is working out the remaining kinks in the vehicle's dispositional A.I., its locomotors and pathfinding cores, and its overall production process (the prototype is prohibitively expensive for mass production). But these types of issues seem relatively minor in comparison to the incredible accomplishments apparent in the work-in-progress version.

FutureTech Corporation made a huge impact on the Allied war effort in the past, saving untold millions of lives. Judging by the progress demonstrated in the FutureTank program, the best is yet to come.

Notes from the field
"FutureTank, operational."

- X-1, emerging from the Armor Facility

Battlefield reconnaissance has revealed at least these facts about Future Tank X-1:

• Neutron scramblers -- The FutureTank's two "arms" are its primary weapons, massive devices called neutron scramblers. Using technology spun off from the Proton Collider, the neutron scramblers fire concentrated energy spheres that dissipate on impact, causing significant electrical and mechanical damage to anything in the blast radius. Friendly forces bearing encrypted frequencies are immune.

• Riot beam -- The Collider fuel cell powering the FutureTank generates excess heat and energy, which is stored in special reservoirs that power the neutron scramblers. By emptying these reservoirs through a focused array, the FutureTank can launch a devastating and concentrated attack with far more power than any conventional round, which when fully promoted levels even the most heavily armoured buildings like the MCV.

• Tough as nails -- The FutureTank is even sturdier than the Allied Assault Destroyer. It can withstand direct assault from virtually any known weapon and emerge relatively unscathed. Its processing systems and weapons are especially resistance to damage, and it automatically repairs outside of combat. It would take an overwhelming force to destroy a single FutureTank. However, Pacifier FAVs still deal significant damage to the FutureTank, destroying it in about 3 to 4 rounds from the Grand Cannons, and because of the low speed of the FutureTank, it may fall prey to the Pacifier.

• Premium value -- As the FutureTank is still in a prototype stage, it is very, very expensive, and only a handful of these units exist in the entire world. Only FutureTech's own Harbinger Gunship carries anywhere near the same price tag. FutureTech will have to find ways of cutting costs if it hopes to see the FutureTank replace modern tanks on the battlefield.

• Anti-Air -- When fully promoted, the FutureTank's Neutron Scrambeler's blast radius is large enough to encompass air units, even though they can't be directly targeted.

Trial and Exercise
"Enemy."

- Future Tank X-1 on targetting an enemy

Initial deployment of the Future Tank X-1 revealed that the Soviet Apocalypse Tank's twin Drakon cannons still had more fire power than the Neutron Cannons. Once the tank has reached veteran status, the Twin Drakons are also more effective than X-1s with the same status. However, in a one on one battle, the X-1's Riot Lasers tore the Apocalypse Tank apart before it could lock on to the Allied FutureTank with its Magnetic Harpoon. This lethal power of the Riot Lasers proved especially effective, even in a 2 on 1 battle where one FutureTank engaged two Apocalypse Tanks and easily disabled them.

The Neutron Cannons, in spite of their inferior power, have superior range and a immensely larger area of effect than the Twin Drakons of the Apocalypse Tank; they have the capacity to knock down wide lengths of battlements (walls) at the same time, as well as damage multiple enemies, rather than one. However, the pulsing orb that explodes out of the cannons have a brief ignition time, allowing faster enemies to simply out run the epicenter of the blast and avoid major damage.

X-1s fare well against most armor and infantry, with their ability to simply roll over most units. Like the Apocalypse Tank and the King Oni, they need anti-air support and are quite susceptible to attacks from lethally accurate Wave Force Artillery. Though its manual says that it is a computer-controlled tank, the Soviet Commando Natasha can disable it with her special pilot-killing ability, that allows a teammate to rewire it for their own use.