In 2300AD terms this is the M1A2 MBT:
M1A2 Tank
Type: Tracked Battle Tank
Nation: America (pre-twilight war)
Crew: 4
Weight: 69.54 tons
Displacement Weight (like 2300 vehicles): 6.5 dTons
Armour: Front: 60 (90 on turret front), Rear: 24, Sides: 36, Top: 6, Bottom: 18
Armament: 120mm M256 crew served tube cannon; Aimed Fire Range: 1900m, Range Finder: +1(?), ROF: 1; Rounds Carried: 40, DPV: 37 (with APFSDSDU, doubled at close range) or EP = 15 tamped explosion (HEAT)
12.7mm machinegun; Aimed Fire Range: 1000m, Area Fire Range: 500m, Rounds carried: 900, DPV: 2.
2x 7.62mm Machineguns; Aimed Fire Range: 400m, Rounds carried: 12,000; DPV: 1
Signature: 7
Evasion: 0
Sensor Range: 3km
Cargo: none
Max Speed: 67kph
Cruise Speed: 48kph
Combat Move: 100 meters per round
Off-Road Mobilty: full
Power Plant: 1.125MW Gas turbine
Fuel Capacity: 1,460kg
Fuel Comsumption: 311kg per hour
Endurance: 4.7 hours
Cruise Range: 265 miles = 427km (Slight error shows on
my fuel consumption here)
Price: 4.3 million 1998 USD, approximately 1 million livre each for the IPM1, M1A2, due to the extra armour and electronics (the M1A2 has 9.5 tons of mostly extra armour worked in). Estimate the cost of a M1A2 is 1.3 Million Livre.
Sunday 14 October 2012
Sunday 12 August 2012
Donovan - what the hell?
Colin Dunn recently asked a question about the Donovan class fighter in SotFA. This deserves a special prize for being possibly the most non-NAM design in any official book.
2300AD starships were written from the illustration. The author got the artwork and made a starship to fit. Liberties were often taken. For example, where the hell are the weapons, target array and sensors on the Wespe? If anything that ship looks like an assault lander, not a starfighter. Same for the Udet (which, oddly for a German starfighter has a French tricolor and has the unfortunate design feature of choosing whether to power the weapons or the engines). This is the picture in SotFA:
Now, we have two sets of surface features we can size the design on. (1) The turrets are 6m in diameter (as all turrets are) and (2) the missile banks are 6m x 4m (Ritage-1 bays are 1x2m each). The overall size of the sphere can be calculated at 24m. Internal volume is ~ 7,238 m3 or in traveller terms 517 dtons (round to 500 dtons). This clearly is not a drawing of a starfighter, but it is in fact a much larger vessel.
What else can we tell about the vessel? In order:
1. It has 4 turrets, each apparently a double turret.
2. It has UTES (no visible TTAs).
3. It does appear to have 24 missiles in something like a space VLS.
4. I would suggest this is the aft of the ship and the major sensor clusters are in the two remaining forward "sections.
The technology level of the ship is way above the level the design date implies. In 2213 the 1st Rio Plata War has just finished and whilst missiles have been introduced they're frankly useless. The Brazilian AAS-2 and the Argentine EM-1 are examples of this early generation of missiles and both are true "unmanned fighters" with a power plant supplying a single laser. The earliest nuke mentioned (with a small 2x2 warhead) is the AAS-4 of the 2230's. The drive is OM. The engine is apparently a NM MHD. The sensors are current generation, making this a 2270's era ship at the earliest.
On another note, the tactical systems (and navigation sensor) take up ~368 m2, with pylons and other bits you physically can't fit the fit onto a hull less than ~ 12 m in diameter (about 65 dtons), which seems to be about the size of the design in SotFA. The profile seems to have had the RCS multiplier used on it, and the surface fixtures.
We're now faced with a series of options when redoing the Donovan, and the most serious is does the picture or the write-up have priority? I'm going to assume the write-up does and write this up as a fighter, because it's the more interesting option.
The next question is what about the 24 missiles? These are such a core feature of the design that I think we have to keep them. However the two man crew is silly, as they can't operate the vast numbers of weapons systems incorporated into the ship. Since the original had cargo space (!) the crew will expand to keep up with the guns etc. As part of this more missile directors will be installed.
Stats
British Donovan Class "Fighter"
The Donovan-class fighter was originally built to police the inner portion of the solar system. Fighters of this type were maintained at stations orbiting Earth and other inner planets; they have no planetary takeoff or landing capabilities. From these orbiting stations, Donovan-class fighters could be scrambled quickly to deal with acts of piracy or smuggling, and they packed enough of a punch to be of use in wartime as well. As the years passed and new types of fighter were built, many of the Donovan-class ships were scrapped. A good number were shipped to British colonies along the French Arm, however, where they served in security forces.
A few unusual features about this fighter are worth noting. First, each carries 24 missiles, in two groups of 12. Rather than provide each group of missiles with one exit port—the standard configuration for missile-carrying fighters—each missile on a Donovan-class fighter has its own, separate bay. This means that any number of the missiles, from one to 24, may be fired at once. Historically, when fighting in the company of larger ships, Donovan-class fighters would rush in close to an enemy, fire off their entire load of missiles, and retreat behind their larger allies.
A second unusual feature is the manoeuvring thrusters on the ends of extensible arms. With the increased leverage provided by the length of these arms, Donovan-class fighters are able to make very precise manoeuvres while travelling at very high speeds. For quicker, less accurate, manoeuvres, thrusters are also built into the main hull.
Another unusual feature is the 14 man crew. Most starfighters have 2 or 3 men, but each man can only do one task at any one time, so in a 2-place fighter like a Martel one officer pilots the ship and the other can either attempt a sensor lock with one of the two installed sensors, or maintain a weapons lock on one target. The decision with the Donovan to have a full crew means no compromise is necessary. In fact the crew of a Donovan can even abandon their combat stations for damage control if necessary (typically 2 teams are available with the usual tactical usage).
Currently the remaining Donovan's are deployed to several British orbital forts and as carrier based heavy strike fighters. Using nuclear conversions of the French Ritage-1 (called Chevaline, with a 7x2 warhead and no sensors - the French equivalent uses a smaller warhead but retained the sensors) they are an exceptionally potent strike arm. British planners major worry is that these ships carry so much heavy ordnance that the loss of one with before weapons launch (and typically all weapons are launched simultaneously with four controlled by the crew, other by other Donovans and the main fleet) is a major loss of combat power. The future of this type of ship in RSN service is either replacement with a better protected vessel for deep penetration into the enemies rear area (the Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance programme - TSR) or complete retirement.
Streamlining: None
Original Design Date: 5th June, 2273
First Example Laid Down: 6th August, 2275
First Example Completed: 29th February, 2276 (a leap year)
Fleets in Service: Britain
Number in Service: Unknown
Performance
Warp efficiency: 3.26 full engines with missiles, 2.43 all tactical systems powered up with missiles, 3.76 full engines after launching all missiles
Power Plant: 10 MW MHD Turbine Fuel: 14 tons (15 hours)
Range: N/A Mass: 575 tons fuelled, exclusive of 265.68 tons of ordnance commonly carried
Cargo Capacity: none Crew: 14 (Pilot, Commander/Navigator, Communicator,Computer, Active Operator, Passive Operator, 4 Fire Control and 4 Remote Pilots); Passengers: none
Comfort: 0
Emergency Power: -
Total Life Support: N/A
Cost: MLv19.9 without ordnance (4 TCs etc.)
Ship Status Sheet
Move: 5-8
Screens: 0
Radiated Signature: 3
Radial Reflected: 4
Lateral Reflected: 4
Target Computer: +1
Radial Profile: -1
Lateral Profile: -1
Armour: 4
Hull hits: 24/12/6 (standard rules)
Power Plant Hits: 20/4
Active: 10
Passive: 10
Other: Agility 7
Weapons
4x1+1 lasers in masked turrets with UTES (1238, 1278, 4567, 3456)
Ordnance Load
24 Ritage-1 type missiles (launch all in single turn)
Sensors and Electronics
Active-10, Passive-10, Navigation Radar
Crew Hits: Pilot, Commander/Navigator, Communicator,Computer, Active Operator, Passive Operator, 4 Fire Control and 4 Remote Pilots
Damage Control: See below
2300AD starships were written from the illustration. The author got the artwork and made a starship to fit. Liberties were often taken. For example, where the hell are the weapons, target array and sensors on the Wespe? If anything that ship looks like an assault lander, not a starfighter. Same for the Udet (which, oddly for a German starfighter has a French tricolor and has the unfortunate design feature of choosing whether to power the weapons or the engines). This is the picture in SotFA:
Now, we have two sets of surface features we can size the design on. (1) The turrets are 6m in diameter (as all turrets are) and (2) the missile banks are 6m x 4m (Ritage-1 bays are 1x2m each). The overall size of the sphere can be calculated at 24m. Internal volume is ~ 7,238 m3 or in traveller terms 517 dtons (round to 500 dtons). This clearly is not a drawing of a starfighter, but it is in fact a much larger vessel.
What else can we tell about the vessel? In order:
1. It has 4 turrets, each apparently a double turret.
2. It has UTES (no visible TTAs).
3. It does appear to have 24 missiles in something like a space VLS.
4. I would suggest this is the aft of the ship and the major sensor clusters are in the two remaining forward "sections.
The technology level of the ship is way above the level the design date implies. In 2213 the 1st Rio Plata War has just finished and whilst missiles have been introduced they're frankly useless. The Brazilian AAS-2 and the Argentine EM-1 are examples of this early generation of missiles and both are true "unmanned fighters" with a power plant supplying a single laser. The earliest nuke mentioned (with a small 2x2 warhead) is the AAS-4 of the 2230's. The drive is OM. The engine is apparently a NM MHD. The sensors are current generation, making this a 2270's era ship at the earliest.
On another note, the tactical systems (and navigation sensor) take up ~368 m2, with pylons and other bits you physically can't fit the fit onto a hull less than ~ 12 m in diameter (about 65 dtons), which seems to be about the size of the design in SotFA. The profile seems to have had the RCS multiplier used on it, and the surface fixtures.
We're now faced with a series of options when redoing the Donovan, and the most serious is does the picture or the write-up have priority? I'm going to assume the write-up does and write this up as a fighter, because it's the more interesting option.
The next question is what about the 24 missiles? These are such a core feature of the design that I think we have to keep them. However the two man crew is silly, as they can't operate the vast numbers of weapons systems incorporated into the ship. Since the original had cargo space (!) the crew will expand to keep up with the guns etc. As part of this more missile directors will be installed.
Stats
British Donovan Class "Fighter"
The Donovan-class fighter was originally built to police the inner portion of the solar system. Fighters of this type were maintained at stations orbiting Earth and other inner planets; they have no planetary takeoff or landing capabilities. From these orbiting stations, Donovan-class fighters could be scrambled quickly to deal with acts of piracy or smuggling, and they packed enough of a punch to be of use in wartime as well. As the years passed and new types of fighter were built, many of the Donovan-class ships were scrapped. A good number were shipped to British colonies along the French Arm, however, where they served in security forces.
A few unusual features about this fighter are worth noting. First, each carries 24 missiles, in two groups of 12. Rather than provide each group of missiles with one exit port—the standard configuration for missile-carrying fighters—each missile on a Donovan-class fighter has its own, separate bay. This means that any number of the missiles, from one to 24, may be fired at once. Historically, when fighting in the company of larger ships, Donovan-class fighters would rush in close to an enemy, fire off their entire load of missiles, and retreat behind their larger allies.
A second unusual feature is the manoeuvring thrusters on the ends of extensible arms. With the increased leverage provided by the length of these arms, Donovan-class fighters are able to make very precise manoeuvres while travelling at very high speeds. For quicker, less accurate, manoeuvres, thrusters are also built into the main hull.
Another unusual feature is the 14 man crew. Most starfighters have 2 or 3 men, but each man can only do one task at any one time, so in a 2-place fighter like a Martel one officer pilots the ship and the other can either attempt a sensor lock with one of the two installed sensors, or maintain a weapons lock on one target. The decision with the Donovan to have a full crew means no compromise is necessary. In fact the crew of a Donovan can even abandon their combat stations for damage control if necessary (typically 2 teams are available with the usual tactical usage).
Currently the remaining Donovan's are deployed to several British orbital forts and as carrier based heavy strike fighters. Using nuclear conversions of the French Ritage-1 (called Chevaline, with a 7x2 warhead and no sensors - the French equivalent uses a smaller warhead but retained the sensors) they are an exceptionally potent strike arm. British planners major worry is that these ships carry so much heavy ordnance that the loss of one with before weapons launch (and typically all weapons are launched simultaneously with four controlled by the crew, other by other Donovans and the main fleet) is a major loss of combat power. The future of this type of ship in RSN service is either replacement with a better protected vessel for deep penetration into the enemies rear area (the Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance programme - TSR) or complete retirement.
Streamlining: None
Original Design Date: 5th June, 2273
First Example Laid Down: 6th August, 2275
First Example Completed: 29th February, 2276 (a leap year)
Fleets in Service: Britain
Number in Service: Unknown
Performance
Warp efficiency: 3.26 full engines with missiles, 2.43 all tactical systems powered up with missiles, 3.76 full engines after launching all missiles
Power Plant: 10 MW MHD Turbine Fuel: 14 tons (15 hours)
Range: N/A Mass: 575 tons fuelled, exclusive of 265.68 tons of ordnance commonly carried
Cargo Capacity: none Crew: 14 (Pilot, Commander/Navigator, Communicator,Computer, Active Operator, Passive Operator, 4 Fire Control and 4 Remote Pilots); Passengers: none
Comfort: 0
Emergency Power: -
Total Life Support: N/A
Cost: MLv19.9 without ordnance (4 TCs etc.)
Ship Status Sheet
Move: 5-8
Screens: 0
Radiated Signature: 3
Radial Reflected: 4
Lateral Reflected: 4
Target Computer: +1
Radial Profile: -1
Lateral Profile: -1
Armour: 4
Hull hits: 24/12/6 (standard rules)
Power Plant Hits: 20/4
Active: 10
Passive: 10
Other: Agility 7
Weapons
4x1+1 lasers in masked turrets with UTES (1238, 1278, 4567, 3456)
Ordnance Load
24 Ritage-1 type missiles (launch all in single turn)
Sensors and Electronics
Active-10, Passive-10, Navigation Radar
Crew Hits: Pilot, Commander/Navigator, Communicator,Computer, Active Operator, Passive Operator, 4 Fire Control and 4 Remote Pilots
Damage Control: See below
Wednesday 1 August 2012
Colonial Populations (1): Introduction and Neubayern
I have issues with the Colonial Atlas, or rather with a few of the articles in it. Specifically two writeups don't follow what is written elsewhere and make little sense, whilst another two don't fit descriptions but are less problematic. In fact there is also a systematic problem which I'll address, and I'll address that first.
1. No-one dies.
GDW wrote some fairly sensible rules about population growth. The population of a colony naturally inflates at 4% per year for the first 50 years and then 2% per year thereafter. This is reasonable as it starts to assume people start dying of old age (in fact I'd argue that after 100 years this should drop to 1%). However the tables supplied don't follow this rule for light and heavy efforts. The population keeps expanding an no-one dies.
Kevin Clark noticed this a long time back. Kudos to him.
The compound interest effect of this is huge, and is the root cause of our next problem child:
2. Neubayern
85 million people? Frankly I'm gobsmacked and call "bullshit" on that one, especially in light of the nature of the planet (a tidelocked hellworld with a small livable peninsula). It's worth noting that Neubayern in both the DG and CA is mentioned to be a sparsely settled agricultural world supporting some (largely defunct) insystem mining with food. The primary export is textiles from a local wool.
I can see how this figure was reached. The author of the article (Loren K. Wiseman) set up Neubayern as a "heavy effort" colony and kept inflation at 4%, even past 100 years, the end of the table. If we correct the "4%" error the population of Neubayern the population drops to ~ 18 m.
In fact I'd go further. Several times with population the simple mistake of putting adding a zero was made by GDW (Manchuria especially, whose 2.7 billion implies the population has grown 22 times. Nice, but all the fertile livable land is actually in the 2300 nation of Canton). This would make Neubayern a respectable colony of a little over 8 m people. This is a reasonable fix. In fact I posted my notes on the colony to 2300noncanon ten years ago:
Niebelungen: Bavaria’s First National Colony
Niebelungen was the first colony established independently by Bavaria in 2169, only 2 years after
the establishment of their portion of the ESA claim on Tirane. Bavaria took great pride in this world, found
by the AR-I in 2142, it has parts as almost as habitable as Terra. Even better, tantalum was found on
one of the other worlds in the system, and Bavaria made vast sums of money by charging the various
nations and corporations who came to mine the precious metal for services. Today, Niebelungen is a colony of the new Germany, but fiercely independent, pledging alligence but brooking no interference from Berlin.
The world of Niebelungen
Niebelungen is the first world of the Neubayern system, and is tidally locked to Neubayern. His
presents many problems for human colonisation. Physically, Nibelungen is just under 8,000km in
diameter, with a density roughly equal to Earth. The atmosphere is quite thin, roughly 60% of that of
Earth, and the partial pressure of oxygen is only 0.09 atm, making it only bearly breathable for people who haven’t adapted. Non-natives need respirators.
The geography of the planet is strange, consisting of 6 distinct regions: Hotside, Coldside, Westmeer,
Eastmeer and the 2 Icecaps. The two Oceans occupy most of the habitable belt of the planet, where liquid
water can exist freely, while the separated from each other by the icecaps. The hotside is a vast desert,
with an indentation at the equator where the Ostmeer extends into the region. The coldside is covered by a vast icesheet, and rarely reaches temperatures above –40 centigrade. The environment is similar to
Antarctica on Earth.
The colony
The Twilight Zone is where most of the colonists live. There are two separate livable areas, the Ostmeer and Westmeer, and most Terran life lives on the islands in these two seas or on the shores of it. The colony is situated in the Ostmeer area, the Westmeer is essentially uninhabited.
The Ostmeer is a roughly rectangular sea around 1,000 km across and about 6,000 km from North to South, almost cut in half by the Grosshalbsiel, a huge peninsula jutting out of the Hotside creating by far
the largest living area on the planet, where the main colony site is located. The colony is situated in a
vast grassland used to grow Wollgrasse, Niebelungen Cotton which is the colonies main export, growing on the Eastern and Northern shores, while much of the Southern shores and interior are used for grain and cattle.
Minerals, unfortunately, only exist in quantity on the coldside, where Vulcanism forced them to the surface, only to be buried under a kilometre of ice. This has stopped much of the industrial progress made by the colony, which has never had much of a manufacturing base (which has built mainly on Tirane and Hochbaden) beyond textile processing and tantalum extraction on Wiesbaden, a failed core. It is a rich world though.
Local military presence
Niebelungen currently has no major naval bases, and no DSKM squadron is stationed there (Invasion), the
colonists have a very active militia though.
The people
The inhabitants of Niebelungen look quite strange compared to the terrestrial norm. Their average height
is 7 feet and their chests are enormous, a consequence of the low partial presence of oxygen which requires a much larger lung capacity. Their skins are also quite dark, giving them a Mediterranean look.
Currently, of the 8,500,000 population, 11% are white South African Afrikaners.
Monday 23 July 2012
Old Posts (4): Sachsen
A classic design in SC but one utterly breaking the rules as established. When I took it apart and remade it it was a lot more game balanced.
Oh, and some of the comments about the invasion of Bavaria. I always took canon as clear that the War of German Reunification was a German annexation of Bavaria, which fought back with French assistance. The Germans "mobilised to bring Bavaria into the Union" or somesuch (roughly from memory) means mobilising tanks, not a whist drive.
--- Original Post at
German Sachsen class Point Defence Frigate
The Sachsen was conceived as a fleet defence vessel in the emergency period when German (Hannoverean) special forces were engaged with French forces on Joi, and it was possible that not all the German states would agree to union (as indeed happened, prompting a military invasion of Bavaria).
The ship was designed to be built at Hannovers civilian specification shipyard at Sol, it was based
on salvaged 3MW stutterwarp drives from bulk merchants, and 25MW fission plants salvaged from
longhaulers. These were placed in a hull based on Krupps 1157 class shorthaul insystemer merchant ship,
but constructed of advanced composite materials (the vessels most advanced feature), and armoured to an extremely high level for a vessel of this size.
For the fleet defence mission, it was necessary to install a large array of smaller weapons. No less than
20 lasers are carried, arranged in 10 turrets, all equipped with UTES (which was standard for all smaller
Hannoverean ships, as it allowed twice the number of weapons emplacements to be carried, despite the extra expense, and problems directing missiles). For engagement at longer ranges an external missile pack was installed. During the war itself a wide variety of packs were carried, including the SR-9. Glowworm, Ritage-1, Silka and whatever else the desperate newly formed DSKM could get their hands on. After the war enough captured Bavarian missiles were available for conversion to SR series weapons.
The Sachsen is not designed for long term deployments. The lack of spin habitatation (attempts to spin the
hull were only partially successful, as the radius is just too small) is a major problem, and one shared
with the US Hampton class corvette. Sachsens were generally only boarded by their crews when it was
necessary to fight. In fleet deployments, crews would often cycle through larger supply ships, which did
have spin.
While the DSKM is developing a general purpose frigate to supplement and eventually replace it (one, DSS
Komet was building in 2301), this mission generally fell to the remaining Aconit class frigates in the
DSKM inventory. Sachsens were held at Earth, while 6 were moved up arm to the Kafer frontier. The remaining frigates on the French arm were Aconits (armed with SR-9).
Ship specifications
Warp efficiency: 1.53, unloaded but fully armed
Power Plant: 25 MW fission
Fuel: none
Range: 7.7 light years
Mass: 2,563 tons (unloaded)
Cargo Capacity: 1,128 cubic meters
Crew: 60 (22 Bridge, 15 TAC, 22 Engineering, 1 Science, 2 Medical)
Passengers: none
Comfort: -2
Total Life Support: 60 for 90 days
Cost: MLv42.43 (without ordnance)
Ship Status Sheet
Move: 3
Screens: 0
Radiated Signature: 5
Radial Reflected: 5
Lateral Reflected: 6
Target Computers: +1
Radial Profile: -1
Lateral Profile: 0
Armour: 4
Hull hits: 42/21/11
Power Plant Hits: 32/7
Active: 7
Passive: 3
Other:
Weapons
12 x1+1dbl lasers in external turrets with UTES (2x 1234, 2x 1678, 1238, 3x 4567)
Ordnance Load
12 SR-9 missiles in an external missile pack, 3 communicators
Sensors and Electronics
Spherical Active-7
Spherical Passive-3
Navigation Radar
DSS
Gravitational
Crew Hits
Bridge: Captain, Navigator, Helm, 2 Communications, 4 Computer
TAC: 10 Fire Control, 3 Remote Pilots, Active Operator, Passive Operator
Damage Control: 11
Notes: This is as close a fit to the book Sachsen as I can get. I got nearly everything bang on, excepting
signatures (all of which have been increased by 1 in the book, apparently), the x2's are x1's (otherwise
the required power plant is massier than the ship) and most importantly, the comfort rating.
The Sachsen appears to fall into the trap of being a travelleresque artifical gravity design. I did get one
with the 0 comfort, but it was much heavier. This is a much better fit.
Oh, and I dropped the 1 point of screens.
Oh, and some of the comments about the invasion of Bavaria. I always took canon as clear that the War of German Reunification was a German annexation of Bavaria, which fought back with French assistance. The Germans "mobilised to bring Bavaria into the Union" or somesuch (roughly from memory) means mobilising tanks, not a whist drive.
--- Original Post at
German Sachsen class Point Defence Frigate
The Sachsen was conceived as a fleet defence vessel in the emergency period when German (Hannoverean) special forces were engaged with French forces on Joi, and it was possible that not all the German states would agree to union (as indeed happened, prompting a military invasion of Bavaria).
The ship was designed to be built at Hannovers civilian specification shipyard at Sol, it was based
on salvaged 3MW stutterwarp drives from bulk merchants, and 25MW fission plants salvaged from
longhaulers. These were placed in a hull based on Krupps 1157 class shorthaul insystemer merchant ship,
but constructed of advanced composite materials (the vessels most advanced feature), and armoured to an extremely high level for a vessel of this size.
For the fleet defence mission, it was necessary to install a large array of smaller weapons. No less than
20 lasers are carried, arranged in 10 turrets, all equipped with UTES (which was standard for all smaller
Hannoverean ships, as it allowed twice the number of weapons emplacements to be carried, despite the extra expense, and problems directing missiles). For engagement at longer ranges an external missile pack was installed. During the war itself a wide variety of packs were carried, including the SR-9. Glowworm, Ritage-1, Silka and whatever else the desperate newly formed DSKM could get their hands on. After the war enough captured Bavarian missiles were available for conversion to SR series weapons.
The Sachsen is not designed for long term deployments. The lack of spin habitatation (attempts to spin the
hull were only partially successful, as the radius is just too small) is a major problem, and one shared
with the US Hampton class corvette. Sachsens were generally only boarded by their crews when it was
necessary to fight. In fleet deployments, crews would often cycle through larger supply ships, which did
have spin.
While the DSKM is developing a general purpose frigate to supplement and eventually replace it (one, DSS
Komet was building in 2301), this mission generally fell to the remaining Aconit class frigates in the
DSKM inventory. Sachsens were held at Earth, while 6 were moved up arm to the Kafer frontier. The remaining frigates on the French arm were Aconits (armed with SR-9).
Ship specifications
Warp efficiency: 1.53, unloaded but fully armed
Power Plant: 25 MW fission
Fuel: none
Range: 7.7 light years
Mass: 2,563 tons (unloaded)
Cargo Capacity: 1,128 cubic meters
Crew: 60 (22 Bridge, 15 TAC, 22 Engineering, 1 Science, 2 Medical)
Passengers: none
Comfort: -2
Total Life Support: 60 for 90 days
Cost: MLv42.43 (without ordnance)
Ship Status Sheet
Move: 3
Screens: 0
Radiated Signature: 5
Radial Reflected: 5
Lateral Reflected: 6
Target Computers: +1
Radial Profile: -1
Lateral Profile: 0
Armour: 4
Hull hits: 42/21/11
Power Plant Hits: 32/7
Active: 7
Passive: 3
Other:
Weapons
12 x1+1dbl lasers in external turrets with UTES (2x 1234, 2x 1678, 1238, 3x 4567)
Ordnance Load
12 SR-9 missiles in an external missile pack, 3 communicators
Sensors and Electronics
Spherical Active-7
Spherical Passive-3
Navigation Radar
DSS
Gravitational
Crew Hits
Bridge: Captain, Navigator, Helm, 2 Communications, 4 Computer
TAC: 10 Fire Control, 3 Remote Pilots, Active Operator, Passive Operator
Damage Control: 11
Notes: This is as close a fit to the book Sachsen as I can get. I got nearly everything bang on, excepting
signatures (all of which have been increased by 1 in the book, apparently), the x2's are x1's (otherwise
the required power plant is massier than the ship) and most importantly, the comfort rating.
The Sachsen appears to fall into the trap of being a travelleresque artifical gravity design. I did get one
with the 0 comfort, but it was much heavier. This is a much better fit.
Oh, and I dropped the 1 point of screens.
Old Posts (3): Hamburg
I could never get the Hamburg quite right in NAM. I assumed with the general crapness of the ship that they basically threw something together as they were at war with France and needed ships *now*.
The submunitions dispenser of course has utterly changed SC design, at least where there is more to use it. The other thing which we never really used but was within the rules was ammunition consuming laser weapons. The Ritage-1 etc. pack five x1 shots into a fairly small package. Roughly per shot a fusion powered ship can have ~ 300 laser shots (turns of laser fire) for the same reactor mass as the 1MW needed to power it. Ergo in reality realistic ship design would have culled the powerplant powered energy weapons idea long ago.
--- Original Post at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/etranger/message/8837 ---
German Hamburg class Light Missile Cruiser (War Emergency Build)
The Hannovereans built 2 Hamburg class vessels as an emergency war measure, managing to construct them in less than 2 years by using the major engineering of 2 battle damaged CESA II class Destroyers
The Hamburgs are slow, but have reasonable protection and are fairly heavily armed. Their 12 particle beams can seriously maul any large vessel in a close range broadsides engagement, but are very inaccurate and have problems defending him* against missile strikes or smaller fighter craft. For this reason Hamburg usually travels with a Sachsen class ship to defend it.
The offensive armament is based around 24 SR-10 missiles, delivered in salvoes of six, a sufficient
number that some will penetrate the defences of a lone cruiser. German ships tend to operate in battlegroups, stacking up their defences and their offensive missile fire to provide mutual support. This has worked very well against the French, who often acted with a great deal of elan and allowed their forces to become separated. The French have learnt from this experience, and made a much better showing during the 2nd invasion.
Both Hamburgs were commited to a strike against French forces at Tirane (Alpha Centauri), in the company of a frigate.Their attack was repulsed with the loss of the Koln, an action which ensured Gartens security, and their transition to the free state of Freihaven.
The remaining vessel, Hamburg, was part of Kampfgruppe Bismarck in 2297, and served well at the Glorious 1st of July. Repaired, he remained on station on the frontier for 4 years until the 2nd invasion. Caught behind Kafer lines, Hamburg became part of Borodins Aurore Fleet, where his heavy particle beam armament was especially useful in broadside actions against Kafer Alpha and Beta class Cruisers.
Hamburg returned to Earth for refit. The drives are being upgraded to warp 2.4, giving superior battle
speed, six TTA's are being replaced with LHH-637 submunitions launchers, the screens upgraded to level
4 and the sensors upgraded to active-16, passive-10.
Ship specifications
Warp efficiency: 2.21, unloaded but fully armed
Power Plant: 50 MW fission
Fuel: none
Range: 7.7 light years
Mass: 7,602 tons (unloaded)
Cargo Capacity: 1,300 cubic meters
Crew: 80 (20 Bridge, 20 TAC, 37 Engineering, 3
Medical)
Passengers: none
Comfort: 0
Total Life Support: 80 for 180 days
Cost: MLv96.934 (without ordnance)
Ship Status Sheet
Move: 4
Screens: 2
Radiated Signature: 6
Radial Reflected: 7
Lateral Reflected: 9
Target Computers: +2
Radial Profile: 0
Lateral Profile: +1
Armour: 3
Hull hits: 61/31/16
Power Plant Hits: 60/12
Active: 13
Passive: 6
Other:
Weapons
12 x3-2 PBWS in masked turrets (2x 1278, 1x 1238, 3x 4567, 2x 3456, 2x 1234, 2x 5678)
Ordnance Load
24 SR-10 missiles in 2 external missile packs, 6 communicators
Sensors and Electronics
Spherical Active-13
Spherical Passive-6
Navigation Radar
DSS
Gravitational
12 Fire Control Radars (TTAs)
Crew Hits
Bridge: Captain, Navigator, Helm, Engineer, 2
Communications, 3 Computer
TAC: 12 Fire Control, 6 Remote Pilots, Active
Operator, Passive Operator
Damage Control: 17
Notes: This is as close a fit to the book Hamburg, except there is no way of getting the mass up to
12,223 tons, unless this is the mass loaded with metal ores. As it is, the Hamburg ends up as a light cruiser
in the Kennedys weight class. The small power plant and drive is the same as the CESAD II uses, hence the
backstory.
* While Britain, France, America etc. have female ships, German and Russian ships are male.
The submunitions dispenser of course has utterly changed SC design, at least where there is more to use it. The other thing which we never really used but was within the rules was ammunition consuming laser weapons. The Ritage-1 etc. pack five x1 shots into a fairly small package. Roughly per shot a fusion powered ship can have ~ 300 laser shots (turns of laser fire) for the same reactor mass as the 1MW needed to power it. Ergo in reality realistic ship design would have culled the powerplant powered energy weapons idea long ago.
--- Original Post at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/etranger/message/8837 ---
German Hamburg class Light Missile Cruiser (War Emergency Build)
The Hannovereans built 2 Hamburg class vessels as an emergency war measure, managing to construct them in less than 2 years by using the major engineering of 2 battle damaged CESA II class Destroyers
The Hamburgs are slow, but have reasonable protection and are fairly heavily armed. Their 12 particle beams can seriously maul any large vessel in a close range broadsides engagement, but are very inaccurate and have problems defending him* against missile strikes or smaller fighter craft. For this reason Hamburg usually travels with a Sachsen class ship to defend it.
The offensive armament is based around 24 SR-10 missiles, delivered in salvoes of six, a sufficient
number that some will penetrate the defences of a lone cruiser. German ships tend to operate in battlegroups, stacking up their defences and their offensive missile fire to provide mutual support. This has worked very well against the French, who often acted with a great deal of elan and allowed their forces to become separated. The French have learnt from this experience, and made a much better showing during the 2nd invasion.
Both Hamburgs were commited to a strike against French forces at Tirane (Alpha Centauri), in the company of a frigate.Their attack was repulsed with the loss of the Koln, an action which ensured Gartens security, and their transition to the free state of Freihaven.
The remaining vessel, Hamburg, was part of Kampfgruppe Bismarck in 2297, and served well at the Glorious 1st of July. Repaired, he remained on station on the frontier for 4 years until the 2nd invasion. Caught behind Kafer lines, Hamburg became part of Borodins Aurore Fleet, where his heavy particle beam armament was especially useful in broadside actions against Kafer Alpha and Beta class Cruisers.
Hamburg returned to Earth for refit. The drives are being upgraded to warp 2.4, giving superior battle
speed, six TTA's are being replaced with LHH-637 submunitions launchers, the screens upgraded to level
4 and the sensors upgraded to active-16, passive-10.
Ship specifications
Warp efficiency: 2.21, unloaded but fully armed
Power Plant: 50 MW fission
Fuel: none
Range: 7.7 light years
Mass: 7,602 tons (unloaded)
Cargo Capacity: 1,300 cubic meters
Crew: 80 (20 Bridge, 20 TAC, 37 Engineering, 3
Medical)
Passengers: none
Comfort: 0
Total Life Support: 80 for 180 days
Cost: MLv96.934 (without ordnance)
Ship Status Sheet
Move: 4
Screens: 2
Radiated Signature: 6
Radial Reflected: 7
Lateral Reflected: 9
Target Computers: +2
Radial Profile: 0
Lateral Profile: +1
Armour: 3
Hull hits: 61/31/16
Power Plant Hits: 60/12
Active: 13
Passive: 6
Other:
Weapons
12 x3-2 PBWS in masked turrets (2x 1278, 1x 1238, 3x 4567, 2x 3456, 2x 1234, 2x 5678)
Ordnance Load
24 SR-10 missiles in 2 external missile packs, 6 communicators
Sensors and Electronics
Spherical Active-13
Spherical Passive-6
Navigation Radar
DSS
Gravitational
12 Fire Control Radars (TTAs)
Crew Hits
Bridge: Captain, Navigator, Helm, Engineer, 2
Communications, 3 Computer
TAC: 12 Fire Control, 6 Remote Pilots, Active
Operator, Passive Operator
Damage Control: 17
Notes: This is as close a fit to the book Hamburg, except there is no way of getting the mass up to
12,223 tons, unless this is the mass loaded with metal ores. As it is, the Hamburg ends up as a light cruiser
in the Kennedys weight class. The small power plant and drive is the same as the CESAD II uses, hence the
backstory.
* While Britain, France, America etc. have female ships, German and Russian ships are male.
Old Posts (2): Updated Adm Brown
I was fairly interested in making interesting low end warships ca. 10 years back. All these horribly beweaponed behemoths probably never featured much in anyones games. If Suffren or Bismarck turns up your players aren't outfighting it. The low end seemed to offer more interesting possibilities. I was also playing with Attack Vector at the time, and it shows. Must get back to AV....
--- Original Post at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/etranger/message/7960 ---
Admiral Brown V class “fighter”*
The Adm Brown class has been through numerous changes. Indeed its century of service see the Browns being essentially a completely different ship, certainly the current Mk V is so radically different that refitting older ships to it is impossible to refit them to the current standard. Despite this, some older models do continue in Argentine service due to lack of resources to replace them.
The Adm Brown is typical of Argentina’s model of a spaceforce, which draws heavily upon submarine service and airforce traditions. This medium sized vessel is fairly fast, and carries heavy hull weapons, and a large missile complement (sing the extremely small drive EM-5 series missiles which use minimal amounts of tantalum). As usual for Argentina, the weapons systems stress a small number of high damage pulses, and indeed, in combat Brazilian starships often find their armour offers them no effective protection.
Indeed, the main Brazilian response to Argentine tactics of massing fair large “wolf packs” of smaller
but deadly vessels has been to disperse their combat power even more. Starfighters have become more
important in the Brazilian orbat.
Argentina is excellent at concealing ship numbers and locations. Given their strategic disadvantages, they
have acquitted themselves extremely well.
Statistics
Warp Efficiency: 3.17 (unloaded sprint speed), combat speed is still move =6
Mass: 1,950 tons
Life Support: 40 personnel, Comfort: 0,
Price: ~MLv47 for a new build of the current model
Ship Status Sheet
Movement: 6 Radial Reflected: 5 Radial Profile: -2
Screens: 0 Lateral Reflected: 6 Lateral Profile: 0
Radiated signature: 2(5) Targeting Computers: +2
Armour: 4
Hits
Bridge: Captain, Helm, Navigator, 2 x Communications, 2x Computer.
TAC: Active Sensors, Passive Sensors, 2 x Fire
Control, 2 x Remote Operators
Hull Hits: 24/12/6
Power Plant Hits: 20/4
Damage Control: 7 (3 teams)
Armament
2 x1+1 towers (12345, 15678)
1 x4-2 PBWS (nose mount, 1)
2 submunitions launchers (4 shots, 2x5 warhead)
2 EM-5 series missile packs with 8 missiles and 2
datalinks (current EM-5F is move 7, 2x5 warhead)
* current Argentine nomenclature for combat starships
labels these 5000 m3 offensive warships as
“fighters”**
** Shameless ripoff of a good AVT idea.
--- Original Post at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/etranger/message/7960 ---
Admiral Brown V class “fighter”*
The Adm Brown class has been through numerous changes. Indeed its century of service see the Browns being essentially a completely different ship, certainly the current Mk V is so radically different that refitting older ships to it is impossible to refit them to the current standard. Despite this, some older models do continue in Argentine service due to lack of resources to replace them.
The Adm Brown is typical of Argentina’s model of a spaceforce, which draws heavily upon submarine service and airforce traditions. This medium sized vessel is fairly fast, and carries heavy hull weapons, and a large missile complement (sing the extremely small drive EM-5 series missiles which use minimal amounts of tantalum). As usual for Argentina, the weapons systems stress a small number of high damage pulses, and indeed, in combat Brazilian starships often find their armour offers them no effective protection.
Indeed, the main Brazilian response to Argentine tactics of massing fair large “wolf packs” of smaller
but deadly vessels has been to disperse their combat power even more. Starfighters have become more
important in the Brazilian orbat.
Argentina is excellent at concealing ship numbers and locations. Given their strategic disadvantages, they
have acquitted themselves extremely well.
Statistics
Warp Efficiency: 3.17 (unloaded sprint speed), combat speed is still move =6
Mass: 1,950 tons
Life Support: 40 personnel, Comfort: 0,
Price: ~MLv47 for a new build of the current model
Ship Status Sheet
Movement: 6 Radial Reflected: 5 Radial Profile: -2
Screens: 0 Lateral Reflected: 6 Lateral Profile: 0
Radiated signature: 2(5) Targeting Computers: +2
Armour: 4
Hits
Bridge: Captain, Helm, Navigator, 2 x Communications, 2x Computer.
TAC: Active Sensors, Passive Sensors, 2 x Fire
Control, 2 x Remote Operators
Hull Hits: 24/12/6
Power Plant Hits: 20/4
Damage Control: 7 (3 teams)
Armament
2 x1+1 towers (12345, 15678)
1 x4-2 PBWS (nose mount, 1)
2 submunitions launchers (4 shots, 2x5 warhead)
2 EM-5 series missile packs with 8 missiles and 2
datalinks (current EM-5F is move 7, 2x5 warhead)
* current Argentine nomenclature for combat starships
labels these 5000 m3 offensive warships as
“fighters”**
** Shameless ripoff of a good AVT idea.
Old Posts (1): Sao Paulo class Frigate
I'm going to put a series of my old etranger/ 2300noncanon etc. posts online. This one was an attempt to work out what Brazil really needed in a combat starship. Might be a bit slow. Main inspiration from from Attack Vector.
--- Original Post at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/etranger/message/8250---
I'll admit some inspiration came from Kens AVT Sao Paulo, although it's a completely different design, although I used the uneven arcs as it's too cool.
Brazilian Sao Paulo class Cruising Frigate (1st Class)
Design Date: 2278
First Example Laid Down: 2278
First Example Completed: 2282
Fleets in Service: Brazil
Number in Service: unknown
The Sao Paulo is Brazils answer to the large and powerful Piedra Buena class operated by the Argentine forces. She is considerably more expensive, but much more capable.
Utilising a small nuclear power plant, the Sao Paulo can sustain warp 1.5 in cruise, and so keep up even
with MHD powered vessels, and is still faster than a Piedra Buena after it has dropped its drop tanks
(authors note, IMHO I have trouble with a 2000 ton vessel carting around 8,000 tons of fuel in combat and halving its speed. It doesn't even need this much as dialling back to 2MW gives 40 weeks endurance, let alone deploying a solar panel when cruising insystem. The PD can be a nice little ship if you take the fuel use with some salt), although the latest Argie frigates are slightly faster.
Weapons are based around a large battery of x2 Particle Beams all firing through the forward and port
arcs. A pair of double mount lasers gives some degree of sustained anti-missile defence (except in the rear
arcs), but the main anti-missile defences are the two Grapeshot launchers situated on the Starboard side.
Long range fire is provided by 6 AAS-5 series missiles and by the two carried fighter craft.
It is odd for such a small vessel to carry a pair of fighter craft, but this is the most cost effective way
of harashing enemy ships and engaging merchants at a distance. The two fighters are carried in slings
either side of the engineering section.
The hull is 70m long, consisting of a 6m wide, 40m long forward boom, housing weapons and electronics. A 18m wide, 10m long spin section housing the quarters and and 20m long, 12m wide aft section with
engineering, the cargo spaces and fighter craft access.
In terms of cost, this is perhaps the most expensive frigate in human space, the larger US frigates (Cayuga) excepted. However, they do show a degree of superiority over their Argentine equivalents and will
be potent units should another war come.
Brazil currently has 3 main elements in their space force. The first is the main force at Sol, which
contains all their vessels above frigate class, except for 2 old Espirito Santos. The 2nd element is the
colonial squadron at Paulo, consisting of two refitted Espirito Santo's, used as Defence Monitors for the
planet itself. Beyond this is the frigate arm, which is scattered around Terran space, 6 based at Tirane, 4
at Paulo etc. These are the primary space control arm of the Brazilian navy. Strategy is for the main force
to tie down the Argentine main force while frigates across Terran space hunt down and destroy detached
Argie units and merchant shipping.
Performance
Warp efficiency: approx. 1.50 with fighters and full cargo load (1.71 unloaded, sans fighters, cargo and
fuel)
Power Plant: 15 MW fission
Fuel: 450 tons (30MW-days operations for fighters)
Range: 7.7 light years
Mass: 2,918 tons (unloaded)
Cargo Capacity: 1,265 cubic meters
Crew: 60 (12 Bridge, 10 TAC, 6 Small Craft, 14 Engineering, 10 troops, 6 stewards, 2 medical);
Passengers: none
Comfort: 0;
Emergency Power: 1 week
Total Life Support: 60 for 180 days
Cost: MLv40.762, exclusive of small craft or ordnance
Ship Status Sheet
Move: 3
Screens: none
Radiated Signature: 2(5)
Radial Reflected: 7
Lateral Reflected: 8
Target Computer: +2;
Radial Profile: -1
Lateral Profile: 0
Armour: 2
Hull hits: 44/22/11
Power Plant Hits: 20/4
Active: 13 and redundant
Passive: 10 and redundant
Other: 2x Slings
Weapons
4 x2-2 PBWS in masked turrets (4x 1278)
1 x1+1dbl lasers in masked turrets (1x 1278, 1x 1238)
2 Grapeshot launcher (24 shots each, 1x1 warhead)
Ordnance Load
6 AAS-5 missiles in 2 bays
Vehicles
2 Fighters (10*6) carried in external slings
Sensors and Electronics:
Phased Active-13 with redundant antenna
Spherical Passive-10 with redundant antenna
Navigation Radar
DSS
Gravitational
Advanced Life
Advanced Cartographic
4 Fire Control Radars (TTAs)
Crew Hits:
Bridge: Captain, Navigator, Helm, Communications, Computer, Comms/ Computer
TAC: 4 Fire Control, 2 Remote Pilot, 2 Flight Control, Phased Active Operator, Spherical Passive Operator
Damage Control: 7 (plus 6 spares from bridge)
--- Original Post at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/etranger/message/8250---
I'll admit some inspiration came from Kens AVT Sao Paulo, although it's a completely different design, although I used the uneven arcs as it's too cool.
Brazilian Sao Paulo class Cruising Frigate (1st Class)
Design Date: 2278
First Example Laid Down: 2278
First Example Completed: 2282
Fleets in Service: Brazil
Number in Service: unknown
The Sao Paulo is Brazils answer to the large and powerful Piedra Buena class operated by the Argentine forces. She is considerably more expensive, but much more capable.
Utilising a small nuclear power plant, the Sao Paulo can sustain warp 1.5 in cruise, and so keep up even
with MHD powered vessels, and is still faster than a Piedra Buena after it has dropped its drop tanks
(authors note, IMHO I have trouble with a 2000 ton vessel carting around 8,000 tons of fuel in combat and halving its speed. It doesn't even need this much as dialling back to 2MW gives 40 weeks endurance, let alone deploying a solar panel when cruising insystem. The PD can be a nice little ship if you take the fuel use with some salt), although the latest Argie frigates are slightly faster.
Weapons are based around a large battery of x2 Particle Beams all firing through the forward and port
arcs. A pair of double mount lasers gives some degree of sustained anti-missile defence (except in the rear
arcs), but the main anti-missile defences are the two Grapeshot launchers situated on the Starboard side.
Long range fire is provided by 6 AAS-5 series missiles and by the two carried fighter craft.
It is odd for such a small vessel to carry a pair of fighter craft, but this is the most cost effective way
of harashing enemy ships and engaging merchants at a distance. The two fighters are carried in slings
either side of the engineering section.
The hull is 70m long, consisting of a 6m wide, 40m long forward boom, housing weapons and electronics. A 18m wide, 10m long spin section housing the quarters and and 20m long, 12m wide aft section with
engineering, the cargo spaces and fighter craft access.
In terms of cost, this is perhaps the most expensive frigate in human space, the larger US frigates (Cayuga) excepted. However, they do show a degree of superiority over their Argentine equivalents and will
be potent units should another war come.
Brazil currently has 3 main elements in their space force. The first is the main force at Sol, which
contains all their vessels above frigate class, except for 2 old Espirito Santos. The 2nd element is the
colonial squadron at Paulo, consisting of two refitted Espirito Santo's, used as Defence Monitors for the
planet itself. Beyond this is the frigate arm, which is scattered around Terran space, 6 based at Tirane, 4
at Paulo etc. These are the primary space control arm of the Brazilian navy. Strategy is for the main force
to tie down the Argentine main force while frigates across Terran space hunt down and destroy detached
Argie units and merchant shipping.
Performance
Warp efficiency: approx. 1.50 with fighters and full cargo load (1.71 unloaded, sans fighters, cargo and
fuel)
Power Plant: 15 MW fission
Fuel: 450 tons (30MW-days operations for fighters)
Range: 7.7 light years
Mass: 2,918 tons (unloaded)
Cargo Capacity: 1,265 cubic meters
Crew: 60 (12 Bridge, 10 TAC, 6 Small Craft, 14 Engineering, 10 troops, 6 stewards, 2 medical);
Passengers: none
Comfort: 0;
Emergency Power: 1 week
Total Life Support: 60 for 180 days
Cost: MLv40.762, exclusive of small craft or ordnance
Ship Status Sheet
Move: 3
Screens: none
Radiated Signature: 2(5)
Radial Reflected: 7
Lateral Reflected: 8
Target Computer: +2;
Radial Profile: -1
Lateral Profile: 0
Armour: 2
Hull hits: 44/22/11
Power Plant Hits: 20/4
Active: 13 and redundant
Passive: 10 and redundant
Other: 2x Slings
Weapons
4 x2-2 PBWS in masked turrets (4x 1278)
1 x1+1dbl lasers in masked turrets (1x 1278, 1x 1238)
2 Grapeshot launcher (24 shots each, 1x1 warhead)
Ordnance Load
6 AAS-5 missiles in 2 bays
Vehicles
2 Fighters (10*6) carried in external slings
Sensors and Electronics:
Phased Active-13 with redundant antenna
Spherical Passive-10 with redundant antenna
Navigation Radar
DSS
Gravitational
Advanced Life
Advanced Cartographic
4 Fire Control Radars (TTAs)
Crew Hits:
Bridge: Captain, Navigator, Helm, Communications, Computer, Comms/ Computer
TAC: 4 Fire Control, 2 Remote Pilot, 2 Flight Control, Phased Active Operator, Spherical Passive Operator
Damage Control: 7 (plus 6 spares from bridge)
Friday 13 July 2012
Starship fleets, some thoughts
Now, we've a bit hamstrung when deciding the strength of our fleets of combat starships by the numbers in "Invasion", and also the reference in "Ships of the French Arm" (SotFA) about the French Arm being far more militarised than the others due to the standoff between Germany and the Conservative Powers (France, Japan, maybe Britain) and the ongoing Kafer threat which pulled very significant fleet elements onto the arm to defend themselves against an alien invasion (which they did in Invasion, after a fashion).
Combat starships aren't in the same price bracket as a modern wet navy frigate, and indeed prices in 2300AD are deceiving. I'll expand on this.
2300AD gives us three sets of data. The first is a general conversion of cost of goods vs the 1980's USD (then $3 = Lv1, now on the order of $6 = Lv1). It also gave wages, and the very high end skilled workers are earning on the order of Lv10,000 per annum. Finally E/CS (Earth/Cybertech Sourcebook) says employment levels are very low, as most jobs are automated. When we sum these together national incomes are surprisingly low, typically on the order of MLv100,000's. a MLv100 frigate/destroyer is an investment on the level of a Nimitz class Supercarrier to the US. Only truly rich nations can afford the things at all, and then not many.
This isn't that surprising. The primary long range weapons used are miniature automated starships with nuclear warheads. Consider this quote from the 2300AD core rules:
Missiles and Drones are, of course, miniature stutterwarp ships in their own right. As such they are extremely expensive pieces of equipment.
The two tend to be used in conjunction with one another in combat. A vessel will send out drones to detect the enemy at a distance so that it can send its missiles to attack without having to approach the enemy itself.
This means that drones are often targeted during combat. Sometimes this is because they are mistaken for missiles, but more often the enemy simply wants to deprive the missile ship of the information the drones transmit, forcing the ship to close distance itself.
When considering the fact that every time a detonation missile explodes or a regular missile or a drone is destroyed by fire, another small stutterwarp engine is lost, it becomes obvious that such battles are very expensive, even if the main military vessels themselves are never hit.
This is why nations built non-detonation missile weapons, however the probability of them surviving multiple rounds in close contact with is pretty low since any hit is an automatic disabling hit. Apparently the rules were written with the expectation of armoured missiles. Nothing really stopping armouring of missiles except their low surface area: volume ratio meaning the mass of armour to get reasonable protection is large compared to the missile mass (armour 5 would typically more than double the missile mass and slow it down). Hence the apparent supremacy of detonation missiles.
Possibly one way of stopping this being such a problem would be adding a rule giving a to hit penalty vs fast moving targets. Regular missiles would act as fighters, making fast passes. Anyway, enough digression.
When designing our fleets we have to think about what we want them to do. Arguably there are only two functions we need to worry about, the battle fleet and trade warfare. Planetary defence is very much the province of fighters, minefields (in wartime) and a battle fleet (if available).
The battle fleet is entirely relative. There are no concerns about areas of space to be patrolled or absolute minimum numbers to cover colonies and trade routes. It simply has to be capable of taking on and defeating the enemy fleet. If a nation has no hope of building a battlefleet capable of defeating the projected foe then there is no logic in trying. Why should, say, Argentina spend vast resources building a couple of capital ships (cruisers say in 2300AD terms) for a potential war with Britain when the British have over a dozen such heavy ships and will simply defeat them in no time flat. The resources would be better spent on trade warfare. Even the USA has gone down this route, none of the ships presented in canon (which are pretty exhaustive) are designed for a fleet to fleet encounter. The Kennedy is definitely a high end trade warfare ship. In canon only three nations seem to possess full battlefleets, France, Britain and Germany. The Japanese and Ukrainians have a few capital ships but both are solid French allies, and the ships are French built. This is an example of French burden sharing rather than Japanese or Ukrainian imperialism.
The lack of battlefleets works because of the French Peace. The French say "no-one can drop nuclear warheads on Earth from orbit" and have their battlefleet there to prevent it. Their allies Britain, Bavaria (before the German annexation), Japan* and the Ukraine backed them up in this. Invasion gives 19 heavy capital ships (exc/ German, who whilst being one of the revisionist powers may still contribute here) in Earth space. Even if only a third are in Earth defence orbit at any one time then any starship approaching to deliver a nuke will be smashed, and any ballistic missile launches will be shot down (and conversely they can deliver nukes without challenge should a nation contrive to drop a rock on another). If the French peace broke down then a totally different power dynamic would occur, with the great powers preparing for a massive melee in the area of Earth, but this would push the powers to deploy large numbers of "Sentinels" (nuclear mines) in Earth orbit. Assumidly the conservative powers do the same at Tirane (which stops an Argentine-Brazilian arms race in Tirane orbit).
This means warfare conducted between great powers is restricted to trade warfare. These need more ships, and smaller ones suffice. As far as a colonial planet is concerned if a nation has a single reasonable frigate/ destroyer standing off it then it is blockaded. They can mount self-defense quite cheaply with sentinels, and might be able to drive off a frigate with a group of starfighters, but such vessels are more vulnerable than full starships, and liable to destruction if pulled away from a planet (for example, a frigate could bait patrolling starfighters into Sentinel fields quite easily). Earth is highly dependent on imports from the colonies (4 tons imported for every ton exported), mainly minerals and even foodstuffs and so denying an opponent access to imports is a good war strategy, but blockading Earth is complicated by transshipment (what if colonial produce is shipped to a neutral nation on Earth on neutral shipping?). Thus blockading an enemies colonies and taking their merchantman is probably the main effort between great powers off Earth (unless full blown invasions of each others colonies is possible).
To accomplish this we need large numbers of reasonably sized ships with sufficient armament, protection and endurance (which means having a large cargo bay, "life support" in SC is atmosphere only). This means prettymuch a typical trade warfare ship (either defensive or offensive) needs either a MHD turbine and a really big gastank (and solar arrays) like the small US ships, or a nuke plant (with ~ 50 MW being the high end, at 75 MW a 150 MW fusion plant takes over as more mass and crew efficient, and you've got a different beast). The ultimate expression of the trade warfare type are the "light cruisers" of the Kennedy or Ypres class. It's no coincidence that many smaller colonial nations (like Australia) have a Ypres as their "flagship".
At the very bottom end merchantman may be fitted for their own self defense. Installing combat systems on a starship isn't a huge issue (although the electronics is more problematic). At the high end longhauller merchantmen like the Shenyang is armed would make a pretty darned effective frigate. These ships are shown to be quite common in the scenarios in SC.
Hence, outside of the major battlefleet nations there is no need of big capital ships. Unless critical mass is achieved (which involves challenging the French and allied conservative powers) a big cruiser or battleship is an absolute waste. The leading non-battlefleet power, America, is now building extremely powerful trade warfare raiding ships like the Kennedy. These can overwhelm any smaller cruising ship and (hopefully) outrun heavy units but will come to no good if they accept battle with a heavy unit (as USS Sanchez found out). When designing fleets not detailed in canon (say Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Manchuria etc.) the need to stick to a raiding strategy should be emphasised.
* By canon the Japanese force at Elysia is the bulk of their force. Looked at from another PoV it is essentially a French fleet by the backdoor as a counterweight to Germany in a place where the French can't legitimately deploy forces.
Combat starships aren't in the same price bracket as a modern wet navy frigate, and indeed prices in 2300AD are deceiving. I'll expand on this.
2300AD gives us three sets of data. The first is a general conversion of cost of goods vs the 1980's USD (then $3 = Lv1, now on the order of $6 = Lv1). It also gave wages, and the very high end skilled workers are earning on the order of Lv10,000 per annum. Finally E/CS (Earth/Cybertech Sourcebook) says employment levels are very low, as most jobs are automated. When we sum these together national incomes are surprisingly low, typically on the order of MLv100,000's. a MLv100 frigate/destroyer is an investment on the level of a Nimitz class Supercarrier to the US. Only truly rich nations can afford the things at all, and then not many.
This isn't that surprising. The primary long range weapons used are miniature automated starships with nuclear warheads. Consider this quote from the 2300AD core rules:
Missiles and Drones are, of course, miniature stutterwarp ships in their own right. As such they are extremely expensive pieces of equipment.
The two tend to be used in conjunction with one another in combat. A vessel will send out drones to detect the enemy at a distance so that it can send its missiles to attack without having to approach the enemy itself.
This means that drones are often targeted during combat. Sometimes this is because they are mistaken for missiles, but more often the enemy simply wants to deprive the missile ship of the information the drones transmit, forcing the ship to close distance itself.
When considering the fact that every time a detonation missile explodes or a regular missile or a drone is destroyed by fire, another small stutterwarp engine is lost, it becomes obvious that such battles are very expensive, even if the main military vessels themselves are never hit.
- Page 78, 2300AD Directors Guide, 2nd edition
Possibly one way of stopping this being such a problem would be adding a rule giving a to hit penalty vs fast moving targets. Regular missiles would act as fighters, making fast passes. Anyway, enough digression.
When designing our fleets we have to think about what we want them to do. Arguably there are only two functions we need to worry about, the battle fleet and trade warfare. Planetary defence is very much the province of fighters, minefields (in wartime) and a battle fleet (if available).
The battle fleet is entirely relative. There are no concerns about areas of space to be patrolled or absolute minimum numbers to cover colonies and trade routes. It simply has to be capable of taking on and defeating the enemy fleet. If a nation has no hope of building a battlefleet capable of defeating the projected foe then there is no logic in trying. Why should, say, Argentina spend vast resources building a couple of capital ships (cruisers say in 2300AD terms) for a potential war with Britain when the British have over a dozen such heavy ships and will simply defeat them in no time flat. The resources would be better spent on trade warfare. Even the USA has gone down this route, none of the ships presented in canon (which are pretty exhaustive) are designed for a fleet to fleet encounter. The Kennedy is definitely a high end trade warfare ship. In canon only three nations seem to possess full battlefleets, France, Britain and Germany. The Japanese and Ukrainians have a few capital ships but both are solid French allies, and the ships are French built. This is an example of French burden sharing rather than Japanese or Ukrainian imperialism.
The lack of battlefleets works because of the French Peace. The French say "no-one can drop nuclear warheads on Earth from orbit" and have their battlefleet there to prevent it. Their allies Britain, Bavaria (before the German annexation), Japan* and the Ukraine backed them up in this. Invasion gives 19 heavy capital ships (exc/ German, who whilst being one of the revisionist powers may still contribute here) in Earth space. Even if only a third are in Earth defence orbit at any one time then any starship approaching to deliver a nuke will be smashed, and any ballistic missile launches will be shot down (and conversely they can deliver nukes without challenge should a nation contrive to drop a rock on another). If the French peace broke down then a totally different power dynamic would occur, with the great powers preparing for a massive melee in the area of Earth, but this would push the powers to deploy large numbers of "Sentinels" (nuclear mines) in Earth orbit. Assumidly the conservative powers do the same at Tirane (which stops an Argentine-Brazilian arms race in Tirane orbit).
This means warfare conducted between great powers is restricted to trade warfare. These need more ships, and smaller ones suffice. As far as a colonial planet is concerned if a nation has a single reasonable frigate/ destroyer standing off it then it is blockaded. They can mount self-defense quite cheaply with sentinels, and might be able to drive off a frigate with a group of starfighters, but such vessels are more vulnerable than full starships, and liable to destruction if pulled away from a planet (for example, a frigate could bait patrolling starfighters into Sentinel fields quite easily). Earth is highly dependent on imports from the colonies (4 tons imported for every ton exported), mainly minerals and even foodstuffs and so denying an opponent access to imports is a good war strategy, but blockading Earth is complicated by transshipment (what if colonial produce is shipped to a neutral nation on Earth on neutral shipping?). Thus blockading an enemies colonies and taking their merchantman is probably the main effort between great powers off Earth (unless full blown invasions of each others colonies is possible).
To accomplish this we need large numbers of reasonably sized ships with sufficient armament, protection and endurance (which means having a large cargo bay, "life support" in SC is atmosphere only). This means prettymuch a typical trade warfare ship (either defensive or offensive) needs either a MHD turbine and a really big gastank (and solar arrays) like the small US ships, or a nuke plant (with ~ 50 MW being the high end, at 75 MW a 150 MW fusion plant takes over as more mass and crew efficient, and you've got a different beast). The ultimate expression of the trade warfare type are the "light cruisers" of the Kennedy or Ypres class. It's no coincidence that many smaller colonial nations (like Australia) have a Ypres as their "flagship".
At the very bottom end merchantman may be fitted for their own self defense. Installing combat systems on a starship isn't a huge issue (although the electronics is more problematic). At the high end longhauller merchantmen like the Shenyang is armed would make a pretty darned effective frigate. These ships are shown to be quite common in the scenarios in SC.
Hence, outside of the major battlefleet nations there is no need of big capital ships. Unless critical mass is achieved (which involves challenging the French and allied conservative powers) a big cruiser or battleship is an absolute waste. The leading non-battlefleet power, America, is now building extremely powerful trade warfare raiding ships like the Kennedy. These can overwhelm any smaller cruising ship and (hopefully) outrun heavy units but will come to no good if they accept battle with a heavy unit (as USS Sanchez found out). When designing fleets not detailed in canon (say Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Manchuria etc.) the need to stick to a raiding strategy should be emphasised.
* By canon the Japanese force at Elysia is the bulk of their force. Looked at from another PoV it is essentially a French fleet by the backdoor as a counterweight to Germany in a place where the French can't legitimately deploy forces.
Tuesday 10 July 2012
French Aconit class Frigate (redux)
French Aconit class Frigate
Late in 2279 the French commissioned the first Orage class
Frigate, a slow nuclear powered vessel based around a 15 MW fission plant and
toting a heavy gun armament (6 double turrets), but slow (driven by a 1 MW twin
coil drive) and initially lacking any missile armament (missile packs were
rapidly installed). It quickly became evident that the Orage was too slow, even
after her lack of missile armament problem was solved but inspired the German
Saschen class, another heavy gun ship but sufficiently fast to meet the minimal
fleet speed of warp 1.5. The MSF already had an alternate hull design, and fit
the reactor of the Orage into it, powering a 10MW single coil. The price was a
reduced armour belt and gun armament, and the streamlining required for a non-orbital
build (utilising ground based industries allowed for greater speed) meant that
spin-gravity could not be installed.
The Aconit performed very well in combat, and was supplied
to co-belligerent nations in the war against Manchuria, with both Bavaria and
Russia receiving many vessels. It was a Bavarian Aconit that was first to see
combat, when the Manchu frigates Tunghu and Ilu attacked a convoy escorted by
Kassel. The battle was decided by the number of missile communicators. Kassel
had two, the two Manchu ships had six between them. The exchange left Kassel
dead and the two Manchu frigates badly damaged and sans ordnance, forcing them
to abandon their raid up the French arm.
At Barnard's Star three Russian Aconits chased down and
attacked two larger Manchu frigates (Chien-Lung and K'ang-Sai) and both sides
were badly damaged in the exchange, again forcing the Manchu ships to withdraw
to Earth. The Aconit class saw further action at several battles of the Central
Asian War and emerged with a high reputation, which has only been furthered by
subsequent wars. The Aconit is currently the largest single class of combat
starships ever built.
Date of design: 2279
First example laid down: 2279
First example completed: 2280
Number built: almost 50 (not all survive)
Fleets in service: France, "Bavaria", Freihafen,
Germany, Japan, Russia, Ukraine
Performance, as built
Warp efficiency: 2.29 (standard load) (2.38 unloaded)
Power Plant: 15 MW fission
Fuel: nil
Range: 7.7 light years
Endurance: atmosphere (life support) for 40 for 180 days,
270 tons stores (~ 90 days for full complement)
Mass: 2,518 tons (standard load, 2,248 tons unloaded)
Cargo Capacity: 1,400 cubic meters
Crew: 40 (14 Bridge, 8 TAC, 12 Engineering, 1 Security, 4
Stewards, 1 Medical); Passengers: none
Comfort: 0;
Emergency Power: 1 week
Total Life Support: 7,200 man-days atmosphere
Cost: MLv24.025 exclusive of stores and launched ordnance
Ship Status Sheet
Move: 5
Screens: 0
Radiated Signature: 4(5)
Radial Reflected: 5
Lateral Reflected: 6
Target Computer: +1;
Radial Profile: -1
Lateral Profile: 0
Armour: 2
Hull hits: 34/9/17
Power Plant Hits: 100/20
Active: 7
Passive: 5
Agility: 0
Other:
Weapons
4 x1+1 lasers in masked turrets w/ UTES(1238, 3456, 4567,
1278))
Ordnance Load
2 Ritage-1 launchers each with 4 missiles
Plumbing for 1 Ritage-1 type missile pack (8x Ritage-1 or 2x
Ritage-2)
1 Magnetic sling with airlock for carried small craft (no
maintenance or fuelling facilities)
Sensors and Electronics:
Spherical Passive-5
Directional Active-7
Navigation Radar
DSS
Gravitational
Crew Hits:
Bridge: Captain, Navigator, Helm, 2 Communications, 2
Computer
TAC: 4 Fire Control (Laser Turrets), 2 Remote Pilot, Passive
Operator, Active Operator
Damage Control/ Troops: 18 (6 DC teams)
Performance, as typical in 2301
Upgrades to keep the Aconit effective have mainly been
electronic, and the most costly upgrade was the 4 target computers to the
current model (+2 instead of +1). 4 LL-2 were installed, which have destroyed
the streamlining and a Ritage-2 pack is installed as standard. The drive was
left single coil.
Warp efficiency: 2.26 (standard load) (2.34 unloaded)
Power Plant: 15 MW fission
Fuel: nil
Range: 7.7 light years
Endurance: atmosphere (life support) for 40 for 180 days,
270 tons stores (~ 90 days for full complement)
Mass: 2,617 tons (standard load, 2,207 unloaded)
Cargo Capacity: 1,400 cubic meters
Crew: 40 (14 Bridge, 8 TAC, 12 Engineering, 1 Security, 4
Stewards, 1 Medical); Passengers: none
Comfort: 0;
Emergency Power: 1 week
Total Life Support: 7,200 man-days atmosphere
Cost: MLv35.528 exclusive of stores and launched ordnance
(new build, older Aconits had a refit of MLv15 each)
Ship Status Sheet
Move: 5
Screens: 0
Radiated Signature: 4(5)
Radial Reflected: 5
Lateral Reflected: 6
Target Computer: +2;
Radial Profile: -1
Lateral Profile: 0
Armour: 2
Hull hits: 34/9/17
Power Plant Hits: 100/20
Active: 7
Passive: 5
Agility: 0
Other:
Weapons
4 x1+1 lasers in masked turrets w/ UTES(1238, 3456, 4567,
1278)
4x LL-2 submunitions launchers (each 5 shots, 3x1 warhead)
Ordnance Load
2 Ritage-1 launchers each with 4 missiles, all D type (as
R-1, but 5x2 nuclear warhead)
Ritage-2 pack carried as standard (4 missiles total)
1 Magnetic sling with airlock for carried small craft (no
maintenance or fuelling facilities)
Sensors and Electronics:
Spherical Passive-10
Directional Active-13 (requires 5 MW, so either power
diverted from turrets or engine)
Navigation Radar
DSS
Gravitational
Crew Hits:
Bridge: Captain, Navigator, Helm, 2 Communications, 2
Computer
TAC: 4 Fire Control (Laser Turrets), 2 Remote Pilot, Passive
Operator, Active Operator
Damage Control/ Troops: 18 (6 DC teams)
Crew Structure at Quarters
Bridge
Command Station: CO (Capitaine de frégate)
Navigation Station: 1st Lieutenant (Premier lieutenant de
frégate)
Helm: 4th Lieutenant (Auxiliary lieutenant de frégate)
Communications (2): 2 Passé Aspirants
Computer (2): 2nd and 3rd Lieutenants (both Premier lieutenant
de frégate)
TAC
Active Operator: Passé Aspirant
Passive Operator: Passé Aspirant
Gunners: 4x Aspirants
Remote Pilots (2): 2x Enseigne de 2ème Classe
Medical
Ships Doctor (Auxiliary lieutenant de frégate)
Engineering
Drive Team (2): Chief engineer (Auxiliary lieutenant de
frégate), drive master (Enseigne de 1ère Classe)
Reactor Team (2): Reactor officer (Enseigne de 1ère Classe),
1x aspirant
Power Grid Team (2): Power officer (Enseigne de 1ère
Classe), 1x aspirant
DC/ Boarding Teams
Alpha: Assistant drive master (Enseigne de 2ème Classe), 2x
aspirants
Beta: Assistant reactor officer (Enseigne de 2ème Classe),
2x aspirants
Gamma: Assistant power officer (Enseigne de 2ème Classe), 2x
aspirants
Delta: Assistant navigation officer (Enseigne de 2ème
Classe), 2x aspirants
Epsilon: Life support officer (Passé Aspirant), 2x aspirants
Zeta: Security officer (Passé Aspirant), 2x aspirants
Ranks onboard
Capitaine de frégate: 1
Premier lieutenant de frégate: 3
Auxiliary lieutenant de frégate: 3
Enseigne de 1ère Classe: 3
Enseigne de 2ème Classe: 6
--- Commissioned ---
Passé Aspirant: 6
Aspirant: 19
Notes on MSIF Rank
In the MSIF all shipboard personnel are on a Commissioning
track. To reach the rank of aspirant the officer cadet has already done
significant shore based service and served aboard non-stutterwarp ships etc.
Commissioning (as 2nd Ensign) usually takes 5-10 years from joining, and a
frigate captain normally has 25 years in service.
On larger ships the Lts and Captain are "de
vaisseau", ranks which interdigitate with the frigate ranks (in theory
officers should pass between the two). Smaller vessels are commanded by a
Captaine de Corvette, normally with a "lieutenant de corvette" (same
rank as an auxiliary Lt de Fg) as nav.
Warships definitions (1): frigates and destroyers
One of the issues I've spent a long time worrying over in the past is how we define our warships. This becomes an issue for balance, as the strength of navies is largely set in "Invasion", but in some cases there is little consistency in what even canon calls a "frigate" or "cruiser".
Taking "frigate" as an example, canon (and semi-canon) gives the following "frigates":
Piedabuena (Argentine) - 10 MW MHD (8,000 tons fuel), ~ 2,150 tons, 56 crew
Ipiranga (Brazilian, obsolete) - 7 MW MHD (1,400 tons fuel), ~ 1,600 tons, 12 crew (actually more as per the ship status sheet)
Aconit (French) - 7 MW MHD (1,400 tons fuel), ~ 1,200 tons, 34 crew
Tunghu (Manchu) - 4 MW MHD (800 tons fuel), ~ 600 tons, 32 crew
Sachsen (German) - 25 MW fission, ~ 2,600 tons, not stated (baseline requirement for engineering and combat systems is 64 crew)
Orage (French) - 5 MW fission, ~ 950 tons, 40 crew
Ypres-12 (French) - 150 MW fusion, ~ 12,500 tons, 100 crew
Exeter* (British) - 5 MW MHD (500 tons), ~ 900 tons, 16 crew (not enough even to man engineering and flight systems)
Hampton (American) - 15 MW MHD (3,000 tons), ~ 1,000 tons, 26 crew (used etranger version)
Cayuga (American) - 25MW MHD (2,000 tons, two plants), ~ 1,300 tons, 32 crew
Killiecrankie (British) - 25 MW fission, ~ 2,650 tons, 76 crew
Retief (American) - 20 MW MHD (902 tons, very short legs), ~ 500 tons, 19 crew (deliberately not a full crew)
* Called an SDB, but a frigate size vessel
Now the most obvious outlier is the Ypres-12. Her drive systems, mass, crew etc. are that of a completely different order of vessel putting her in the size class of a Kennedy or Hamburg. However, the French probably do call her a "frégate" as it fits the French notion of a frigate, which is different from the Anglo-Saxon meaning. However the reason for the naming is probably that the USN originally called it's missile cruisers (including the Ticonderoga) "frigates" reflecting the pre-1900 use of the phrase rather than the RN revival of the term for larger anti-submarine ships ca. 1940 (they also revived sloop, but that didn't stick). Ypres-12 just isn't a frigate.
Of the remainder the Sachsen and Killiecrankie are again massive compared to the others with about twice the typical "frigate" crew, a fact of their fission plants. Lets compare them to canon "destroyers":
Almirante Brown (Argentine, obsolete): 15 MW fission, ~ 4,000 tons, 40 crew (not fully NAM)
Espirito Santo (Brazilian, obsolete): 20 MW MHD (12,000 tons), ~ 4,100 tons, 40 crew
Chien-Lung (Manchu): 15 MW MHD (9,000 tons fuel), ~ 1,950 tons, 51 crew
Kiev (Ukrainian, ex-French): 50 MW fission, ~ 5,500 tons, 72 crew
Bunker Hill (American): 75 MW MHD (11,250 tons fuel), ~ 5,500 tons, 160 crew (due to ability to carry 100 marines) (of more dubious canonicity)
It's clear that the big Killiecrankie/ Saschen are larger and more capable than the Adm. Brown, Esp. Santo and C-L, with more power and bigger crews (the high mass of the first two is because Adm Brown is a non-NAM design that can't be made that badly in NAM and deserves a redesign, and the latter is simply having to push a huge gas tank, the volume of a Kennedy in fuel). By this measure they are "destroyers", by a long way.
Let us look at the non-canon French "destroyers" in the etranger site (by Laurent mainly, my original Paris was a slightly different beast):
Patrie/ Soldat: 35 MW fission, ~ 3,500 tons, 55 crew
Arcturus: 25 MW fission, ~ 3,000 tons, 55 crew
Marechel: 50 MW fission, ~ 6,000 tons, 73 crew
Paris: 50 MW fission, ~ 5,200 tons, 100 crew
The French, if they were sticking with classical namings, would call these frégates in their own naming schemes. I opted to call them "chasseurs" to reflect the fact that these are truly "cruisers". These new ships are interesting. The Marechel and Paris are large, capable cruising ships. The Patrie, Soldat and Arcturus are in the same class as the Killiecrankies and Saschens. There is a reason for this, they represent the minimum effective warship.
A combat starship needs to fulfil a number of functions, obviously it has to move (hence needs a stutterwarp and some power) and it must be capable of self-defense and offense. However, unless used as nothing more than an orbit based interceptor then it must be capable of sustaining movement for extended periods of time and the crew must find it habitable. This means spin gravity (something Saschen doesn't have, nor large quarters on backengineering, thus it should gave a -2 CQ penalty). The fuel is less of a problem as starships can deploy solar panels in system and "sail" for free. However to be capable of self-defense and offense the ship needs to have a certain level of combat systems, and this requires a certain size of hull and powerplant.
For any actual starship (as opposed to planet based interceptor) a fission plant is by far more mass efficient. The mass of turbine and 2 weeks fuel for the Aconit masses the same as a 25 MW fission plant, and this actually saves volume (1,500 m3 for the nuke plant vs 3,400 m3 for the turbine and fuel). The only issue is the engineering crew, but Aconit already has an oversized engineering crew (12 instead of 6, meaning she should have 3 full DC teams, not 2, plus spare bridge crew etc.), a 25 MW fission plant would require 10 extra berths (22), but a 15 MW fission plant only requires 12 (if you follow the Kennedy example regarding rounding up or down). A 15 MW fission plant actually fits better. So, a better Aconit will be covered in the next post.
Monday 9 April 2012
A start
Since 2300AD is back, albeit as a Mongoose Traveller expansion and my old website at geocities is now consigned to history I thought I'd blog a little about it. Here goes....
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