T-280 space construction vehicle

"Have you ever dreamt of exploring distant planets and then working overtime there for minimum wage? Well, your dreams have been answered, pardner! It just so happens that the Dominion has a use for your undying loyalty and pathetic fear of the battlefield frontlines."

The T-280 space construction vehicle (or SCV) is a type of terran general-purpose engineering vehicle.

SCV pilots are called "SceeVees." Nicknames include "plas-jockey", "lug nut" and "wrench swinger".

Overview
"I'm locked in here tighter than a frog's butt in a watermelon seed fight."

- An SCV pilot The T-280 SCV is a reliable vehicle used to construct and maintain everything from remote outposts to space platforms as well as harvest resources and general reconstruction efforts. They are used by both military and civilian interests throughout the Koprulu sector for their versatility and reliability, and are regarded as a foundational unit for terran forces.

Hardware
The T-280 is a bi-pedal walker, the pilot's arms and legs extending into its exoskeleton. It stands just over twelve feet tall and is constructed out of neosteel. SCVs have been observed to be equipped with fusion cutters plasma welders, a power drill, utility clamp, and heavy-duty thrusters. the thrusters allow an SCV to hover. These thrusters were added after SCV prototypes proved unable to keep up with projected efficiency rates. Due to last minute integration, the thrusters were barely optimized for day-to-day operation, and are prone to overloading whenever they are set to high burn. The T-280’s manufacturer began work on new, more energy-efficient thrusters, but discarded the project upon learning that SCV races were popular in certain parts of the sector. As one would expect, this has not deterred the pilots from making "personal" adjustments.

Older SCVs had reinforced plating until the manufacturer decided to cut back on “unnecessary expenses”. This decision proved very unpopular among SCV pilots, and even spurred riots—which were quelled fatally by security forces—on one or two remote planets. Yet, the body count from the protests was dwarfed by the 58.8% increase in casualty rates due to flimsy vehicle plating.

Within a few months of the end of the, a new SCV model had been introduced, albeit still retaining T-280 designation. It features improved motivators, allowing smoother operations.

The scent of rig grease from SCVs can be used by the zerg to track them.

The Dominion Special Forces made use of SCVs with advanced hardware, including a stronger utility clamp and a laser extraction claw.

Systems
"COMFORTroller climate-control system regulates cabin air quality." "Good. Never met a driver who ate anything other than beans."

- A Dominion marine after reading information on the SCV

The SCV's cockpit is equipped with multiple displays that provide critical information to the pilot&mdash;fuel readouts, structural integrity data, and real-time 3D topography mapping algorithms. Designed to operate in hazardous atmospheres, all SCVs boast the latest version of the COMFORtroller climate control system, which regulates, cycles and purifies the air inside the cabin—allowing the vehicle to operate for up to two weeks in a vacuum. Nonetheless, it’s common to see jury-rigged SCVs successfully getting the job done, despite being held together with components as unusual as gardening equipment or beer cans.

SCVs are known to be outfitted with various feedback modules to help improve pilot feedback and performance. One such module is the onboard force feedback module (or OFFM, referred to as OFF ME), which allows the SCV pilot to move the SCV arms and generate a force proportional to the motions of the pilot, allowing for greater range of movement and greater combat effectiveness against close range attackers such as zerglings. Bill "Pearly" Bousquette developed a feedback module known as the biometric accumulator, which contains a learning heuristic that naturally adapts to the pilot's quirks and preferences.

Service
The T-280 model became prominent for its performance during the construction of Tarsonis' space platforms. It was widely adopted and became a staple in terran engineering by 2489

During the reign of the Terran Confederacy, volunteering to pilot an SCV appeared to be an alternative to military service. The PEB (Preferred Experience Base) was hostile environment engineering, with combat experience a plus.

Risks associated with SCV operation has had little impact on the Dominion's ability to recruit pilots who, fearful of the front lines, are willing to work overtime on distant planets for low wages.

In the Terran Dominion, SCV pilots are represented by the SCV pilot's union, who oppose the continued efforts of the Dominion Engineering Corps to replicate protoss probes.

StarCraft

 * For StarCraft gameplay information see: SCV (StarCraft).
 * For StarCraft in-game quotations see: StarCraft I SCV Quotations.

StarCraft: Ghost


SCVs could be controlled in StarCraft: Ghost. Their boosters could be used to make them hover. They could carry objects between their arms using an electric field. This including enemies.

StarCraft II

 * For StarCraft gameplay information see: SCV (StarCraft II).
 * For StarCraft in-game quotations see: StarCraft II SCV Quotations.

Heroes of the Storm
SCVs appear in the background of the map Braxis Holdout in Heroes of the Storm.

During the Machines of War special event, SCVs would occasionally spawn with a xel'naga artifact. Killing the SCV would give the player bonus gold, and progress toward a portrait.

Known SCV Pilots
"Be kind to a SceeVee; he might just be your dad!"

- Popular marine joke on the average age of SCV pilots


 * Lieutenant Chewitel "Choosey" Wsoro
 * Sergeant Bill "Pearly" Bousquette
 * Sergeant Marcus Jans
 * Petty Officer Wolfe
 * Corporal Liam Griffud
 * Engineer Jim Smith
 * First Welder Steiglitz
 * Addams
 * Blake
 * Cortez
 * Vigo "Tuna" Czark
 * Kobayashi
 * LeFleur
 * Dean Mozian
 * Nguyen
 * Patel
 * Pard
 * Pfaff
 * Corbin Phash (formerly)
 * Rieff
 * Eddie Rimes
 * Drew Roder
 * Dave Warner
 * Wenders
 * SCV (Unity of Races)

SCV Variants

 * Infested SCV
 * Specimen Collection Vehicle
 * T-270 space construction vehicle
 * T-285 space construction vehicle

Trivia

 * SCV action figures can be found scattered around in the Blizzard World map in Overwatch. When shot, the action figures will give the SCV death sounds as well as sped up StarCraft II SCV poke quotes.