[VPAC] NEXUS.IOUS V.S

More images!
Dev note: The proper acronine is: V.C-S
The NEXUS V.C-S is the core of Vertu's-WC project, able to control basic Creeper structures with ease and has multiple contingencies against Creeper rebellions should they disobey its commands.
The V.C-S is currently tasked with disrupting as many secured bases of Rift Lab users as possible across the quantum universe of CW4, being able to link the quantum parallels of a specific quantum instance of the CW4 universe in order for the destruction of the base to actually of happened.
The NEXUS.IOUS V.S is the only Clarketech¹⁾-level piece of technology deployed by Vertu into the CW4 universe.
In the event structural integrity is deemed too compromised (usually 75% integrity), the NEXUS will engage in a Quantum Jump via Quantum Entanglement to abort the current quantum reality of the mission, swap positions with another NEXUS so it may repair, and the new NEXUS to then jump to a new quantum reality of that mission. This results in a lot of energy released, creating a massive crater and a very dead Rift Lab but the V.C-S will consider the quantum reality a failed mission. This is a behavior designed to promote combat self-improvement.

Overview

Power generator.
100 HP
The heart of the VWC project and the V.C-S Intelligence itself. Multiple can be in a single mission.
Links the quantum parallels of a mission, allowing access to external power via the ESN and the mission to “have happened”. Note: Nexus is not needed to land on the map to cause the mission “to have happened”.
Absorbs Creeper to then “turn into” power.
Absorbs a meaningless amount of Creeper.
The amount of Creeper absorbed is capped and the displayed Efficiency of the Nexus is how close to that cap the current absorption rate is. When more Creeper is provided to the center of the Nexus than it can absorb, it will be at 100% efficiency.
Abducts ERNs to absorb them for additional power. (+1)
Can construct Lancers using a build beam that recharges after a minute from constructing a Lancer.
Has a Weaponized Singularity System which causes massive devastation around the Nexus. Usually not enabled in missions.
CAN BE STUNNED
CAN BE NULLIFIED
MOSTLY IMMUNE TO NULLIFICATION EFFECTS
IF IT ENTERS THE MISSION, IT MUST NOT BE “DESTROYED” OR CONNECTION TO THE ESN WILL BE LOST AND RESULT IN MISSION FAILURE. Note: Even if the Rift Lab is destroyed after the loss of the Nexus, the V.C-S will still consider the mission a failure.
Shot by Snipers and Missile Launchers. Also by a giant red laser which “Obliterates only very tough units.”, the R.V A-CS Laser.

Build Beam (constructing Lancers)

1 minute recharge after constructing a Lancer.
15 second prep up time before constructing a Lancer.
The Nexus must have Line Of Sight from the projected location of the SRU and the Lancer to be constructed.
The Nexus must not be directly moving, usually needing to be landed but can stabilize itself in mid-transit to construct the Lancer anyways.
If the Nexus is in range of a Lancer build plan but unable to construct the Lancer for what ever reason, a red laser will be projected between the SRU projection location of the Nexus and the chosen Lancer build plan.

[Click to view] Lore stuff!

The Nexus has a SRU (Singularity Rift Unit) which can access a “pocket dimension” which acts as a collective and easy to access inventory of mass. When the build plan of a Lancer is designated near the Nexus within the bright Cyan ring (shown when selecting the Nexus) the Nexus will operate its SRU to begin preparing the construction materials of the Lancer within the “pocket dimension” for assembly. Once all the components are ready for assembly, trillions of Nanites will rush out of the projected rift of the SRU to rapidly assemble these components into a fully functional Lancer. This process is effectively instantaneous. The time consuming prep-work is mostly from determining where the Lancer is going to be built. A bright-cyan designator laser transmits positional and environmental data to the SRU which then transmits processed data to the trillions of Nanites to prepare them for the massive environmental shift between projected space and a dimensional environment.

WSS (Weaponized Singularity System)

Upon activation (if it is available in a mission), it will pull in any unit that is able to move, causing massive amounts of damage as it gets closer to the Nexus while also within the radius, all Creeper is obliterated. Even units not being pulled in will sustain damage based on their distance from the Nexus but even then, frail Towers, Pylons, and other such units will still be destroyed when far from the Nexus. Even the tough weapons like the Cannon will most certainly be destroyed.
Upon finishing, a massive EMP will be released, stunning and nullifying the Nexus and all nearby units.
It takes about 10 minutes for the WSS to recharge. This also applies to when the Nexus initially enters the mission.
Don't forget! THIS WILL CAUSE FRIENDLY FIRE! All units within the influence of the WSS WILL sustain damage from its operation (with varying exceptions) INCLUDING FRIENDLY EMITTERS!

[Click to view] Lore and in-depth details of the WSS.

The Nexus uses singularity related technology for wireless power, construction of Lancers and some other misc things currently not accessible by any V.C-S user. This is done by creating a stabilized rift or “boundary” between the external environment and the projected rift. This is also known as a S.R.U²⁾ and is a form of technology Vertu has significant interest and development in. Part of the challenge of making a SRU applicable is ensuring the created rift does not trigger unwanted consequences such as creating a vacuum within an atmosphere to create 50m/s (180km/h) winds as the atmosphere collapses into the created rift.

Of course, this can be weaponized by purposely destabilizing the SRU's safety systems. To prevent collateral damage, this destabilization has to be controlled and methodical. As fun as it would be to just pop open a SRU without stopping the local atmosphere from bolting into the rift, it would cause massive amounts of unwanted collateral damage.

Instead, the Nexus has the ability to create an unstable rift from its SRU and the barrier preventing the atmospheric or atomic median from rushing into the rift would glow a rather dim orange rather than a bright blue as the energy contained within the containment barrier is far less than in a fully stable SRU projection. This allows the projected rift to act like a black hole if in atmosphere as the atmosphere collapses into the rift in a controlled manner, dragging anything with it that is not thoroughly secured in the ground.
Mean while, as with all SRU's, the projected rift enters a storage “pocket dimension” completely managed by Nanites. It is even theorized that a large portion of the “dimension's” mass is in these Nanites. These Nanites have been programmed for the Nexus's WSS based on informational stimuli released and detectable by the phenomenon of the destabilized projection by the Nexus's SRU. This tells the Nanites to act as a “weapon”. For whatever comes too close to the SRU's projection is swiftly torn apart and obliterated by a Nanite swarm which rapidly deconstructs the construct, even Vertu units and systems (though failsafe's are present for plenty of conditions. If a VGPSF finds itself next to the unstable SRU projection, it can tell the Nanites to not deconstruct it and they wont. The Fighter will then “play” as though it was taking damage and either “remember” this damage after engaging a micro-jump to escape the situation or exit the area via a proper teleportation jump much like when enough Light SAMs cause enough insignificant damage. In the end, the VWC project is more of an experiment than an actual weaponization project). When out of atmosphere, these same Nanites will drag unsecured constructs towards the SRU's projection to essentially mimic the affects of what would happen in atmosphere. This is also why constructs far from the SRU still withstand damage and why certain constructs don't take damage (unless unwantedly dragged into the SRU projection in which the Nanites must deconstruct it).

After the SRU has been active for long enough, it will swiftly turn off (in which the Nanites outside the SRU projection will very hastily return to the “pocket dimension”) and due to the forces going on at the time (including those “mimicked” by the Nanites), the sudden absence of the SRU projection will trigger a high energy event, releasing a massive Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) which stuns and nullifies plenty of units in a very large radius. Of course, at the same time nothing has survived the influence radius of the weaponized SRU projection, including Creeper and AC (which would of been aggressively deconstructed to prevent Creep and or AC from contaminating the “pocket dimension”).

Abducting ERNs

The Nexus can abduct ERNs from the skies and underground. Once an ERN is successfully abducted and absorbed, it will increase the amount of accessible Wireless Energy by 1.

[Click to view] Even more lore!

The Nexus can abduct ERNs!! It just grabs them out of the sky and ground using a laser designator to tag the ERN Crystal (yes, even through the ground X-Ray style) so the Nanites within the “pocket dimension” accessed by the SRU can move forth and attempt to pull it into the “pocket dimension” for disassembly. ERN Crystals, although peculiar in use for Rift Lab Users, contain an intriguing crystalline structure as well as identifiable complex components, making it valuable from the perspective of Vertu. Although Vertu has a material that acts as a super battery for just housing potential energy in the form of stable matter, the composition of ERNs contain complex and delicate compounds with useful properties that would be energy intensive and difficult to fabricate in an artificial manner, making the ERN Crystal one of the few items within the CW4 Universe that holds value to Vertu, who can disassemble the structure of the ERNs Crystal and use its compounds and their properties else where.

ERNs can even be used for energy related uses, including energy storage. This is why whenever the Nexus successfully abducts an ERN, an additional unit of wireless power is obtained. The single ERN “pays for the additional power” in a logistics scheme to ensure the V.C-S is macro energy efficient much like the macro operation of the Summoner.

Using Creeper for Power

The Nexus absorbs a meaningless amount of Creeper to then eventually “turn into power”. This is done at a limited rate based on how much Creeper is on top of the Nexus. This is depicted as the efficiency of power “creation”. If the Nexus can absorb at most, a depth of 75 Creep on top of it at any given moment, its efficiency will be based on how much Creep it has absorbed out of the maximum 75. 32.5 absorbed Creep at a moment will display the Nexus with an efficiency of 50%. 80 Creep will display an efficiency of 100% (and not over 100%). If maximum efficiency is desired, it is best to not have mesh under the Nexus as to allow Creep to pile up on top of it rather than quickly flowing around due to how it is about depth on top of the Nexus, not how quickly Creep can flow “into” it.
This also means that unlike the Forge, the Nexus is more of a long-term investment and doctrine, to ensure that as time goes on, you grow in strength and most importantly, for effectively no cost. This makes victory an inevitability, much like the original doctrine of the Creeper.
It is up to you to obtain victory more efficiently and sooner.

[Click to view] Power “creation” lore.

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Using the Nexus optimally

Since the Nexus absorbs a meaningless amount of Creep, it is best to instantly place it on the map so it can start “creating” power As Soon As Possible.
If there are any ERNs around whether buried and or docked to units or simply free roaming, (also, some Power Suppressors can release ERNs as designated by their purple outline [Only in versions past VPAC v2.7.3.0]), when you are about to take out a unit with a docked ERN, it is best to call the Nexus over to be ready to abduct the released ERN. Even if it is at 100% efficiency, it is well worth the downtime for the mere opportunity.
Important note: The TCML CAN DESTROY ERNs! It is such a devastating weapon that ERNs docked to a unit will be destroyed with the unit upon destruction by TCML.

Other than the occasional moveout to abduct an ERN, the Nexus is best located at the starting location of the incursion, where the first Invader Emitters touched down. If you wish to prioritize the return of additional power from the Nexus, place 4 Emitter Bases on each side of the Nexus and if you have the power to spare and the enemy has some heavy hitters, have an Advanced Emitter instead to ensure the backlines are saturated with Creep, just be mindful that this may work against you when there is a low Creeper Cutoff (Creeper limit). If power production is top priority however, having a Flow Controller pile Creep above the Nexus is a good way to ensure maximum efficiency, assuming you have the emission to spare. Please note that you may even want to not add Mesh as the efficiency is dependent on immediate depth, not flow rate. Be weary though that this will draw artillery fire which hunt deep Creeper. This can even be used to your advantage against the SML however, as well as the other types of heavy artillery.

If the WSS is available, occasional moveouts may be wise to exploit the devastating weapon rather than maintaining 100% “power production” efficiency.

Also, remember to keep the Nexus safe. Even a single Missile Launcher or Sniper in range can whittle it down over a long time and it can be difficult to notice it is happening with how noisy VPAC missions can get when things really heat up.

System Status Interface

Upon the Nexus entering the battlefield, a display will appear at the left-middle part of your screen. This display informs you of the Nexus's health, production efficiency, current power “creation” progress, build beam status, WSS status if it is enabled in the mission, and the detection of enemy Fighter Drones.
As the Nexus takes damage, the color of the display tailors towards a red shift, starting from ultraviolet (pink) and ending in red. This can make the Nexus's health more noticeable, such as when a long ranged Sniper or Missile Launcher has been harassing it.
You can also click the display to select the Nexus, which is useful when there are tons of Creep and structures around it, making it difficult to locate and select manually.

The display will not appear when there are multiple Nexi on the map, select them independently to view their status and other information found here.
When there are Fighter Drones on the map, the Nexus will display text above itself stating how many are detected, acting as a warning system to you, the user as well as within the display.
Progress is how close the Nexus is to “creating” additional energy.
“Energy Production Efficiency” is how efficiently the Nexus is “making power from Creeper”. The more Creeper directly on top of the Nexus's center, the higher the efficiency, up to 100%.
Total Integrity of the Nexus.
Number of Fighter Drones on the map.
WSS activation time (if it is enabled, if not, it will not be within the display).
Build beam status.

What power does the Nexus make?

It does not make power, it creates Acclaim. Acclaim is a quantifiable value which in higher quantities, warrants additional power to be drawn from the ESN. This is extremely similar or arguably identical to the Summoner's transaction doctrine.

VPAC CPACKs download location.
⇐ VPAC Wiki Page
⇐ Custom CPACKs & Units
⇐ Index

¹⁾

Technology so advanced it is “indistinguishable from magic”

²⁾

Singularity Rift Unit

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