Solomani Confederation (Military)

[BigDogsRunning]

Well, Traveller is basically "Age of Sail in Space"...

Just communications, nobody is prancing around in knee breeches and pancake makeup; that is one of the biggest mistakes of how people see traveller, imo.

Except for some of the nobility of course. Not the ones doing the work generally, but the ones who don't have actual jobs.

[dragoner]

Well, Traveller is basically "Age of Sail in Space"...

Just communications, nobody is prancing around in knee breeches and pancake makeup; that is one of the biggest mistakes of how people see traveller, imo.

Except for some of the nobility of course. Not the ones doing the work generally, but the ones who don't have actual jobs.

It's one thing I have eliminated from my current Traveller game, no space nobles and space empire like it's the 18th century. Frilly lace in spaaace!

It's all dead in the normal timeline anyways.

If I play Traveller again after my current game ends, I'll house-rule Soc to be like Social Skills or Social Intelligence:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_intelligence

To make it more useful, adding the stat DM to Leader, Deception, Persuade; things like that.

[Condottiere]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcURYMLJxgs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-pHOfT_o3g

[dragoner]

[BigDogsRunning]

Just communications, nobody is prancing around in knee breeches and pancake makeup; that is one of the biggest mistakes of how people see traveller, imo.

Except for some of the nobility of course. Not the ones doing the work generally, but the ones who don't have actual jobs.

It's one thing I have eliminated from my current Traveller game, no space nobles and space empire like it's the 18th century. Frilly lace in spaaace!

It's all dead in the normal timeline anyways.

If I play Traveller again after my current game ends, I'll house-rule Soc to be like Social Skills or Social Intelligence:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_intelligence

To make it more useful, adding the stat DM to Leader, Deception, Persuade; things like that.

I agree with you on the applicability of Soc. I'm in a game, and ref'ing a game, and in both, Soc is, is a measure of chutzpah, poise, confidence, charisma, and related characteristics. Generally people who are used to exercising power or privilege act like it. Not necessarily in a "lording it over others" sort of way, but they expect that things will happen in a certain way, and people react to that sort of thing, So often in fact that people of wealth and privilege often behave quite badly when they aren't treated with deference. Which would suggest that their Soc isn't quite as high as they think it is.

[dragoner]

Except for some of the nobility of course. Not the ones doing the work generally, but the ones who don't have actual jobs.

It's one thing I have eliminated from my current Traveller game, no space nobles and space empire like it's the 18th century. Frilly lace in spaaace!

It's all dead in the normal timeline anyways.

If I play Traveller again after my current game ends, I'll house-rule Soc to be like Social Skills or Social Intelligence:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_intelligence

To make it more useful, adding the stat DM to Leader, Deception, Persuade; things like that.

I agree with you on the applicability of Soc. I'm in a game, and ref'ing a game, and in both, Soc is, is a measure of chutzpah, poise, confidence, charisma, and related characteristics. Generally people who are used to exercising power or privilege act like it. Not necessarily in a "lording it over others" sort of way, but they expect that things will happen in a certain way, and people react to that sort of thing, So often in fact that people of wealth and privilege often behave quite badly when they aren't treated with deference. Which would suggest that their Soc isn't quite as high as they think it is.

As it stands, it often gets used as the dump stat. The way Social Standing is written sort of precludes people being important from lower social strata, which is a troubling thing to have to explain why it's that way, and not that way naturally today. It has low relevance as a character stat in game, even without it, you could still say someone is X personage in game, or a Mafia Boss, it doesn't matter. I think with adventurers, on a wild frontier, high social standing might make someone a target, they are safer back in the Core. Plus they won't run out of wig powder.

[Condottiere]

Ranking and influence.

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Star Destroyer

Star Destroyer was a term used to describe both a certain type of medium-sized[1] capital ship[2] used by the Galactic Republic, the Galactic Empire, the New Republic, the Imperial Remnant, the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, the Alliance-in-exile, the Fel Empire and Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire, as well as heavily armed warships in general.[3]
The term originated with the idea of a warship powerful enough to destroy entire star systems, and did not necessarily indicate a destroyer type vessel.[3] Despite this, Star Destroyers were sometimes referred to as destroyers themselves. One such Star Destroyer was the Venator-class Star Destroyer of the Galactic Republic. In the Anaxes War College System, any warship that was between 1 and 2 kilometers in length qualifies as a Star Destroyer, excepting cases where the vessel, despite its length matching that of a heavy cruiser or battlecruiser, had less or more armaments than their class or role. Examples include the 900m Victory-series of Star Destroyer and the 2.2km Secutor-class Star Destroyer. Ships with a dagger profile that fall into the Battlecruiser or Dreadnaught classes are referred to as Super Star Destroyers.

Star Destroyers are capital ships in the fictional Star Wars universe. The Imperial Star Destroyer, which first appears in the first seconds of Star Wars (1977), is "the signature vessel of the Imperial fleet".[2] The term "Star Destroyer" also refers to other vessels in the franchise.

A Star Destroyer was a dagger-shaped line of capital ships that were used by both the Galactic Republic and Empire,[1] as well as the First Order.[2]
Notable examples of Star Destroyers include the Imperial-class Star Destroyer and its predecessor the Venator-class Star Destroyer.[1]
According to Everi Chalis, Star Destroyers were the most resource-intensive ships the galaxy had ever seen, and only Kuat possessed shipyards capable of supporting and maintaining more than a handful at a time.[3]


Originally a rag-tag collection of Naval ships drawn from member states in the Solomani Sphere, the original “Solomani Autonomous Region Navy” embarked on a rationalization and upgrade program to reduce costs, simplify maintenance issues and retire outdated ships. This effort was led by Naval officers from the Wuan Technology Association and Bootean Federation. New ship classes were designed but construction of these ships did not begin in earnest until after the establishment of the Solomani Confederation Navy in 871.

A Solomani design over a century old, the Victory class battlecruisers have emerged from an extensive refit program in the last decade which saw their old TL-12 weapons, computers and power plants upgraded to TL-13 standard. This has extended their service lives considerably – the oldest Victory class ship has been in service for 117 years, outlasting virtually every crewmember who has served on her. In keeping with the Navy’s offensive doctrine, the Battlecruiser packs a tremendous offensive punch with a Meson Gun spinal Mount backed up by 50 particle accelerator bays


I'm not sure what the author's intent was in making the major line of battle units of the Solomani Confederation Navy resemble Imperial Star Destroyers, unless it was to establish a distinctive configuration to distinguish them from the Imperium Navy's preferred designs and/or reproduce the ambiance engendered by the Evil Empire.

We could assume that the Victory class battlecruiser was the harbinger of this design philosophy, ironically, also the name of a variant smaller Star Destroyer class.

We use traditional Terran naval terminology to categorize warships, and since the Party wants, possibly needs, to establish a link to past glories, will likely to continue to use these terms, so grouping them together under the banner of Star Destroyer seems out. Possibly, Disney still has the copyright on it.

So, let's assume that the Victory is actually an upscaled model of a successful Solomani design, that actually came from the destroyer category.

[baithammer]

Its because the ships are used under similar usage and it makes it easier to transition training methods and command setups.

[Condottiere]

That would be more relevant to Mongosian design, since sixty tonne bridges are default for all ships over two kay tonnes.

[Condottiere]

Space Cadets

Space Cadets is a movement that aims to support young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society, with a strong focus on the outdoors and survival skills, that might be needed on a colonized world.

The Space Cadet movement also includes teaching of Solomani principles. Opponents of the Solomani Movement claim that this is a form of indoctrination.

Membership of the Space Cadet movement is officially optional. However, membership provides many benefits, so the vast majority of children typically join the movement (although at different ages). Millions of Space Camps were built exclusively for Space Cadets, which were free of charge, sponsored by governments and the Party. There were many vtrivlogs and eZines published for Space Cadets.

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Star Destroyer

So we're looking for a ship that would be ubiquitous throughout the Confederation, being the embodiment of it's ideals. And a reminder that Big Brother is watching.

Ten thousand tonnes is an interesting starting point, since it's more than enough to crush ships from the Adventure category, and while equally vulnerable to spinal mounted warships, enjoys a dice modifier of minus four to hit if fired upon by said mount; pop a turret, and you are only are subject to critical from medium and large bay weapon systems.

Warships should have ten to fifteen percent of their volume assigned to their primary weapon system, on this case, two five hundred tonne bays running along the wedge sides, that permit them both to shoot forward, though not backwards, unless they're equipped with missile weapons. Large bays should pose a threat to light cruisers, and a flotilla to more heavier armoured cruisers.

You'll have a marine contingent, probably platoon sized, and a squadron of light fighters.

The latest variants would have factor four parsec performance, and likely factor five acceleration; some might be tasked with deep strike missions, which means they'd have jump five performance.

[baithammer]

With an all in one design its best to increase estimated size. A good range for this sort of thing would be 50K-100Kdt as it would allow a spinal, heavy fighters and a troop complement without hitting battleship size.

[Condottiere]

I saw two possible interpretations here, equally valid.

The first one would be literal, since Empire Star Destroyers are capital ships built as pure intimidation, fire power, armour and endurance, and that would place them neatly above hundred kay tonnes, also fits in with the cruiser gap.

The second one was semantics, making them large destroyer leaders, within the context of Traveller.

The second seems more digestible at the role playing level, and chances are I could eventually get to mapping it without being overwhelmed.

[baithammer]

Most of the Star Wars "Star Destroyers" are more Star Cruisers via the loadout.

[Condottiere]

If I interpret the material correctly, whether canon or legendary, really heavy armoured cruisers and battleships.

And then it becomes inflationary, sort of the Death Star syndrome.

[Condottiere]

The Resurgent-class Battlecruiser, also known as Resurgent-class Star Destroyer was an iconic model of battlecruiser of the Star Destroyer line built by Kuat-Entralla Engineering and used by the First Order Navy during its conquest of the Unknown Regions sometime after the signing of the Galactic Concordance. Based on the Imperial-class Star Destroyers of the Old Empire, it featured advanced weaponry and represented the might of the First Order military throughout the galaxy. It was still considered a new model shortly before the assault on Starkiller Base.

The problem with the term starcruiser is that it sounds cheesy, and it could be almost any jump cable vessel with a decent acceleration.

[baithammer]

Star anything can be called cheesy and a military ship with cruiser in its name is different from the same designation under civilian usage.

[Condottiere]

Death Star is cool.

Star Destroyer is cool.

Starkiller Base and Luke Starkiller aren't; it almost feels like Disney was trolling us.

[Condottiere]

Spaceships: SPUD VI Light Fighter

The SPUD VI is the latest iteration of a rather venerable Solomani fighter design, that had it's origins in the earliest Interstellar Wars that the Solomani contested with the First Imperium.

Manufactured by the Society for the Promotion of Universal Defence, though the fighter itself was de-acronymed as Self Propelled Unstreamlined Debris, though most trace it's lineage to the ten tonne light utility Potato class planetoid.

While the SPUD VI is really more a series of engineering standards and performance minimums, that can be manufactured by individual Solomani spaceyards, the most common variants are a long endurance light fighter, and a point defence interceptor.