Deepnight Revelation Alternative Ship Designs?

[shammond42]

In the recent thread on Deepnight Endeavor Fuel Shuttles a number of people mentioned having alternative ship designs. Does anybody want to share their DNR tweaks and redesigns here? Sharing any issues that came up in play would also be useful when looking at alternative designs.

 

[MonsterX]

This is a good idea for a thread, but I have to admit I didn't actually do a redesign, but instead have just sort of glossed over the inconsistencies. One is refuelling, and refining, which I have set at 2 days even though it should take longer (how much longer depending on how far they intend to jump.

Since I ignore the 1000 diameter limit for maneuver drives I maybe should just take that out and use the tonnage for refineries.

 

[Geir]

I haven't tried a redesign since the new High Guard came out, but refining was one of those things that made it unable to keep the plot-assumed pace. I mean, either it took its time and refined, or it took its chances and didn't - the in between offered by the amount of refineries did neither (there should be some long-term wear and tear penalty beside the misjump chance for running unrefined all the time, though).

If you don't like the DSMS (or care about 1000D- that's the easiest 'fix' - even if I don't agree) you can add some r-drive pinnaces for at least finding fuel sources in deep space - or cross the rift using your construction deck to built a jump net and external collapsible fuel tanks (for temporary fuel storage). With a step-wise jump-and-discard sequence and enough starting fuel, I think I simulated 18 parsecs of crossing starting with enough fuel bladders to limit the ship to J-1 for the first few.

 

[EccentRick]

I keep wanting to, then sidetrack/derail myself by trying to sort out the Amara (and generally the entire Element Cruiser line) it began life as. Can't find the words to describe picking them apart and fighting the scaling issues as the sizes move up - which is where the fuel processors were missed the first go-round. Remember - for 2 day refueling you need processors equal to 2.5% of your fuel, which at J4 translates to 1% of your hull.

There is a very different campaign than described where Deepnight Revelation does take a week to refine its fuel, giving the Scouts time to jump to an intermediate system and perform a quick survey before meeting the Revelation at its next stop.

 

[MonsterX]

I keep wanting to, then sidetrack/derail myself by trying to sort out the Amara (and generally the entire Element Cruiser line) it began life as. Can't find the words to describe picking them apart and fighting the scaling issues as the sizes move up - which is where the fuel processors were missed the first go-round. Remember - for 2 day refueling you need processors equal to 2.5% of your fuel, which at J4 translates to 1% of your hull.

There is a very different campaign than described where Deepnight Revelation does take a week to refine its fuel, giving the Scouts time to jump to an intermediate system and perform a quick survey before meeting the Revelation at its next stop.

With a week minimum between jumps it takes a lot longer to get there and back. Also, with the FFW kicking off, those Zhodani cruisers from the Colonnade are going to have a much easier time catching a DNR that's sitting around for a week refining, as compared to one that quickly in and out, and then moving away at a steady jump 4. Not that I'd necessarily send Zhondani cruisers after them, but an occasional off-hand comment by a passing merchant about seeing some Zhodani ships, or a glimpse caught of a Zhodani patrol ship just before it jumps away will I am sure do much to make the players want to make their refinery work faster. So I'm retconning it by adding fuel processors in place of the deepspace maneuvering system.

 

[AndrewW]

With a week minimum between jumps it takes a lot longer to get there and back. Also, with the FFW kicking off, those Zhodani cruisers from the Colonnade are going to have a much easier time catching a DNR that's sitting around for a week refining, as compared to one that quickly in and out, and then moving away at a steady jump 4. Not that I'd necessarily send Zhondani cruisers after them, but an occasional off-hand comment by a passing merchant about seeing some Zhodani ships, or a glimpse caught of a Zhodani patrol ship just before it jumps away will I am sure do much to make the players want to make their refinery work faster. So I'm retconning it by adding fuel processors in place of the deepspace maneuvering system.

Alternately, you don't have to refine all the fuel to jump, just need enough for a lesser jump to get away.