Ship Design Philosophy

[ProfGrizzlyJon]

I think firmpoints in preference to hardpoints is a specific case, since you can only convert one of them to a turret, assuming you could do that per hardpoint.

For everything except missiles (and torpedoes), you have range shrinkage, combatwise, arguably a laser for point defence, or a drill laser, since range is capped for it anyway.

The other aspect is to separate fire control, which removes the penalty a mixed turret has.

My point is that civilian ships don't need the same firepower that a military or paramilitary vessel does.
Firmpoints add flexibility (although, I would also change the rule to have a firmpoint for each full 25dtons, rounded to the nearest 25: <25=1, <50=2, <75 =3, <100 = 4 and allow turrets on any firmpoint on a vessel over 100dtons), yet the range modifiers are proper (again, for defense).
Yes, three mining lasers on a firmpoint fixed-mount have some added mercantile benefit, without being overpowering in combat.
Yes, torpedoes and missiles are a way to upgrade the offensive power (as they should be)
I loved the armed privateer, and armed merchant model. I have no issues with the concept of having increased firepower. In my immature gaming days, I used to go full max weapons and a'pirating we would go.
I just like the roleplaying aspect of this; an older ship may have double or triple turrets that were permitted because of service during wartime. A Jump-2> vessel might have improved weapons because of the exploratory need (Detached Scouts would fall into this category).
I also used to have my government bureaucrats get suspicious with any vessel with greater than Thrust 4, if it helps shape the thought process.

 

[ProfGrizzlyJon]

Spaceships: Torpedo Boat

1. The torpedo boat provides a small and evasive delivery package for lethal torpedo weapons. Properly used and defended, torpedo boat squadrons are a danger to much larger ships. With its small size and manoeuvrability, it is extremely difficult to hit and even if several are destroyed en route to their target, all it takes is a portion of them to get close enough to do immense damage.

2. The torpedo boat presented here was deliberately designed at TL12 so that it can be built and supported at more shipyards within the Imperium. More advanced versions of up to TL15 are also manufactured. Any tonnage gained is usually used to improve its sensors or store more torpedoes.

3. Torpedo salvoes suffer an additional DM-2 on their attack rolls against ships smaller than 2,000 tons.

4. I'm going to guess they meant to be used in mass against fleet units.

5. Acceleration factor six would indicate it's meant to keep pace with modern capital ships, not really close with them.

6. I would guess that the heavy armour is more to provide ruggedness against fighter screens and missile intercepts.

7. Thirty torpedoes indicate an anticipated hour's worth of engagement.

8. This is a little prolonged, so you would need a fighter escort to keep the other side from getting theirs to take you out.

9. I think this would be more of a planet based force, since fifty tonne launch tubes are too small, and launching directly from the hangar(s), or docking clamps, is a little slow and awkward.

Very definitely: swarms of torpedo boats help offset a lower budgeted navy against an invader with very large, capital ships.

 

[ProfGrizzlyJon]

Are you sharing your personal perspective, or is this from the content creation team? Not challenging, but I will interpret the content differently from another user than I would the author.

 

[Condottiere]

This is pretty much my perspective, and in these cases, lays the groundwork when I present my next updated vision of the Solomani Confederation Navy, rationalized and homogenized.

 

[Condottiere]

My point is that civilian ships don't need the same firepower that a military or paramilitary vessel does.
Firmpoints add flexibility (although, I would also change the rule to have a firmpoint for each full 25dtons, rounded to the nearest 25: <25=1, <50=2, <75 =3, <100 = 4 and allow turrets on any firmpoint on a vessel over 100dtons), yet the range modifiers are proper (again, for defense).
Yes, three mining lasers on a firmpoint fixed-mount have some added mercantile benefit, without being overpowering in combat.
Yes, torpedoes and missiles are a way to upgrade the offensive power (as they should be)
I loved the armed privateer, and armed merchant model. I have no issues with the concept of having increased firepower. In my immature gaming days, I used to go full max weapons and a'pirating we would go.
I just like the roleplaying aspect of this; an older ship may have double or triple turrets that were permitted because of service during wartime. A Jump-2> vessel might have improved weapons because of the exploratory need (Detached Scouts would fall into this category).
I also used to have my government bureaucrats get suspicious with any vessel with greater than Thrust 4, if it helps shape the thought process.

1. You're not going to four firmpoints per hardpoint exchange.

2. I'll speculate that under five tonnes, there's no firmpoint.

3. Anything that requires, or benefits, from open sights aiming should be in the turret, of which you can only convert one firmpoint.

4. In theory, any weapon system that doesn't require energy to propel it's payload, like missiles, has no range restrictions.

5. I don't think it's been specified that sandcasters need to be pointed in direction of the incoming laser beam, so you should be able to place it in fixed firmpoints without penalty.

6. Missiles can change direction midflight, so also not an issue.

7. And we've run out of non energy options.

8. I'd stuff four light quarter tonne autocannons into the turret, or one that weighs a tonne or less, though I'm not sure if range really matters, considering their effective ones.

9. Acceleration for commercial spacecraft seems to reach factor five, so any paranoia would likely remain with local jurisdictions.

 

[Condottiere]

Very definitely: swarms of torpedo boats help offset a lower budgeted navy against an invader with very large, capital ships.

This is likely to turn out to be the Pacific campaign, which means mixed aerospace groups, at least to ensure that one group doesn't just get wiped out before contact.

 

[ProfGrizzlyJon]

1. You're not going to four firmpoints per hardpoint exchange.

2. I'll speculate that under five tonnes, there's no firmpoint.

3. Anything that requires, or benefits, from open sights aiming should be in the turret, of which you can only convert one firmpoint.

4. In theory, any weapon system that doesn't require energy to propel it's payload, like missiles, has no range restrictions.

5. I don't think it's been specified that sandcasters need to be pointed in direction of the incoming laser beam, so you should be able to place it in fixed firmpoints without penalty.

6. Missiles can change direction midflight, so also not an issue.

7. And we've run out of non energy options.

8. I'd stuff four light quarter tonne autocannons into the turret, or one that weighs a tonne or less, though I'm not sure if range really matters, considering their effective ones.

9. Acceleration for commercial spacecraft seems to reach factor five, so any paranoia would likely remain with local jurisdictions.

1) The math is easier at 25 tons, but that was more of a "wish list" item to compensate for the firmpoint barbette change (2 to 3).
2) That means zero options for fixed mounts on sub-5dton vehicles? Or just ground-scale weapons?
3) I am not sure I agree- turrets seem to be more about fire arcs than "open sight" aiming. The question is how much "wiggle room" does a fixed mount have. Is it locked in position, like the .50 cal and rocket pods on the OH-58D, or does it have some traverse (basically a pintel mount in a firing port)?
4) Agreed, that is my interpretation as well. Barrel length and the equivalent for energy weapons is smaller (this sort of matches the weapon design rules of the Field Handbook)
5) Agreed, that is my interpretation as well.
6) Agreed, that is my interpretation as well.
7) There are lots of options for close in defense. Not sure what the issue is here.
8) Sounds interesting. But, then again, I am the guy who would de facto spinal mount a 35-ton orbital defense cannon or hypervelocity cannon in a Fat Trader and call it a day.
9) Paranoia is good; especially in the absence of immediate gratification from ansible communications

 

[Condottiere]

1. Math might be, current rule set makes it five to thirty four tonnes for the first firmpoint; since you can't have a spacecraft hull below five tonnes, that sort of dictates the lower end of the range, helpful to remember if you have a hundred and five tonne hull.

2. See above; groundscale weapon systems have no set limitations, but actual mass translated to volume makes space usage very inefficient, so self limiting.

3. Open sight in the sense direct line of sight requirement, as opposed to guided manoeuvrable; you could have smart bullets, considering space ranges would allow that, but as I recall, ammunition costs would kill you.

4. At fifty kiloklix, slight variation would essentially be a very wide miss.

5. I've studied the potentialities of sandcasters; I'm not saying that I'm correct in real life function, just that the rules allow this interpretation.

6. Upto one hundred eighty degrees; might be more of an issue in dogfighting.

7. Everything else needs external electricity to propel, except missiles and torpedoes; canisters fall into a grey zone.

8. See point two.

9. Probably.

 

[Condottiere]

Spaceships: Mustering Out Benefits and Ship's Boat

1. Nominally, free and clear with a net worth of seven and a half megastarbux.

2. Pinnace is nine and a half megastarbux, with maybe a twenty one percent mortgage.

3. Modular cutter a tad under twelve megastarbux, thirty seven percent mortgage.

4. Shuttle, with fifty five percent mortgage.

5. Wouldn't bother with a launch.

6. Interesting target cost to aim at for a smallcraft, that the mustered out character could pick.

7. Would need to have military applications in order to be eligible, since I think it's only available to Navy veterans.

8. Presumably, forty years old.

9. In theory, if you find a ten tonne jump drive laying about, weld together some spare hulls and you have a starship.

 

[ColinD]

Spaceships: Mustering Out Benefits and Ship's Boat

1. Nominally, free and clear with a net worth of seven and a half megastarbux.

2. Pinnace is nine and a half megastarbux, with maybe a twenty one percent mortgage.

3. Modular cutter a tad under twelve megastarbux, thirty seven percent mortgage.

4. Shuttle, with fifty five percent mortgage.

5. Wouldn't bother with a launch.

6. Interesting target cost to aim at for a smallcraft, that the mustered out character could pick.

7. Would need to have military applications in order to be eligible, since I think it's only available to Navy veterans.

8. Presumably, forty years old.

9. In theory, if you find a ten tonne jump drive laying about, weld together some spare hulls and you have a starship.

I used a version of number 9 a starting adventure a few days ago. The characters put together a starship from "Jane's Starship Junkyard".

 

[Condottiere]

The junkyard option is also pretty easy to exploit, so I wouldn't make it generic, but rather specific to a location, with lists of components and their conditions, and likely prices.

Having said that, unless there's some incompatible differences in manufacturing, there should have been millions of Alpha jump drives manufactured by now (or then).

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Mustering Out Benefits and Ship Shares

1. It's megastarbux, not much in scheme of things.

2. Would use it for upgrades and repairs, since you could assume increased capabilities will pay off in better results.

3. Laboratory Ship is the most valuable, also biggest overhead, so you really need it to generate revenue or get a patron.

4. Safari Ship and Yacht cost about the same, but the Safari Ship has a greater range - I would guess it would depend on the flavour of the campaign, grit versus soft power.

5. Scout/Courier, if all you need is cheap transportation.

6. Free Trader, jack of all trades, should be easy to convert for a number of likely missions that Travellers tend to embark on, possibly all at the same time; wouldn't try the influencer route, though, that's for the Yacht.

7. Most come with a seventy five percent mortgage, at around sixty to seventy megastarbux.

8. Let's say sixty, with thirteen megastarbux equity.

9. That's something to aim for with a more customized starship, which I'll have a go at, but spoiler, a ten tonne jump drive defaults at fifteen megastarbux.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Rockette Class

1. Hull - hundred tonne planetoid.

2. Gravitated.

3. Eighty tonnes usable volume.

4. Self sealing, since technological level nine plus.

5. Fifty hull points.

6. Natural armour class plus two.

7. One hardpoint.

8. Basic systems - eight to sixteen power points.

9. External cargo mount - nominally twenty tonnes at twenty kilostarbux.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Rockette Class

A. Jump drive Venture.

B. Technological level nine.

C. Budgetted/increased size.

D. Ten tonnes.

E. One hundred twenty parsec tonnes.

F. Nine megastarbux.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Rockette Class

G. Generic reactionary rocket.

H. Technological level seven.

I. Budgetted/fuel inefficiency.

J. Two tonnes.

K. Three tenths of a megastarbux.

 

[ProfGrizzlyJon]

Starships: Rockette Class

G. Generic reactionary rocket.

H. Technological level seven.

I. Budgetted/fuel inefficiency.

J. Two tonnes.

K. Three tenths of a megastarbux.

What is the source material for these? I can't seem to find a Rockette class starship

 

[Condottiere]

High Guard.

I'm starting to update my cheapest possible starship concept, within canonized material.

I could make a cheaper jump drive, but game legality would be highly controversial, besides the one shot jump drive.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Rockette Class

L. Early fusion reactor.

M. Technological level eight.

N. Budgetted/increased size.

O. One tonne.

P. Three tenths of a megastarbux.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Rockette Class

Q. Smaller bridge.

R. Six tonnes.

S. ... DM-1 for all checks related to spacecraft operations made from within the bridge ...

T. Quarter of a megastarbux.

U. After all, you're not going faster than one gee, or go further than a parsec.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Rockette Class

Q. Computer/five.

R. Thirty kilostarbux.

S. Manoeuvre, freebie.

T. Library, freebie.

U. Jump control/one, one tenth of a megastarbux.