Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

Can it? That makes an enormous difference.

I suppose by the letter of the rules that is definitely true, since Hold Course only says you must accelerate. I had assumed that "enough to gain an acceleration bonus" had to be implied, because otherwise an infinitesimal acceleration is not merely acceptable, but encouraged.

That's silly, but perhaps less so than my previous interpretation. Interesting.

That makes the TL10 UV spinal version of the Orion more interesting...though the entire design needs a re-thing to be leveled up like that

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

With the basic game-mechanics clarified, I'll field one last carrier design. My next line of ships will make this bunch very obsolete...

Vakhmistrov Parasite Transporter
This is a carrier designed for the Orion parasite warship, under the assumption that all gunnery tasks can be handled by dedicated AI/expert systems. Its standard load is 5 300 ton parasites, with no provision for resupply.

The Vakhmistrov's external carry system is not very adaptable to smaller parasites, posing a threat of obsolescence, but is extremely cost effective. Resupply capability for the parasites can be provided by exchanging one of them for a 300 ton cargo/tankage module. The entire ship may be outfitted for combat, albeit with very limited damage-tolerance, by replacing the parasites with weapons modules.

TL: 9
dST/dHP: 100
Hnd/SR: -3/5
HT: 13
Move: .01G/ 156.8 mps (89.6 mps loaded)
LWt: 3,000 Tons
Load: 44.5 Tons
SM: 9
Occ: 20 ASV
dDR: 0
Cost: 89.7M

Front
[1-6] Fuel Tank (900 tons hydrogen)
[core] Control Room (4 control stations, C6 network, level 7 sensors)

Middle
[1] SM+8 fission reactor + SM+8 battery (30 MJ laser, 3 MJ RF laser, 10x 30KJ VRF laser, 10 tons food) + Fuel Tank (50 tons hydrogen)
[2-6] External Clamps
[core] Habitat (10 cabins, 15 chair briefing room, 2 bed sick bay, 32.5 tons steerage)

Rear
[1-3] Fuel Tank (450 tons hydrogen)
[4] Engine Room
[5-6] Fusion rockets

Crew: 8+10
1 captain
1 XO
1 chief engineer
1 doctor
2 junior officers
2 engine room technicians

10 parasite bridge crew

2.8M fuel load

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

Orion SOMP
Move: .04G/10 mps
-- If I'm not mistaken this should be 15 mps (5 mps per tank).

Load: 18.7 Tons
-- Huzzah I get the same thing (sacrificing 1 tertiary weapon for 0.5 tons cargo and -$50K).

Occ: 182 SV
-- I usually record this sort of thing as 3+179SV but I'm wierd :)~

-- I get the same results as you do for cost, weight, etc.

Akron class Carrier
Load: 2010.2 Tons
-- I get substantially different results from you. I get Load 1,923.2
Hangar +1500 tons
Occupants +93.2 tons (I use maximum occupancy so treat the captains quarters as 2 man for this thing but it doesn;t matter really).
Tertiary Cargo +330 tons (you sacced 22 weapons and only get 15 tons back each).

dDR: 45h/0/0
-- 30h you mean?

Cost: 260.3M
-- I get a higher cost, $269M. $313M for the hull systems, minus $44M for the uninstalled tertiary weapons.

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

Thanks for the review!

The Orion only has 2 tanks of nuclear pellets. The other tank is a (probably unnecessary) tank of fuel for its chemical power plants.

I'd reserve split occupancies for passenger seating, myself.

The turrets mounted are much, much smaller than standard for an SM+10 tertiary battery. I'm only counting the 6 point-defense mounts at the half-ton and 50K price you'd pay on a ship with batteries that size. I think that accounts for the cargo, and possibly the price as well. (Built as: Tertiary battery, -28 mounts, + 6 PD turrets)

You're absolutely right about the DR. Um. I'll go fix that.

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

Sirius LSOMP
This is a lighter successor to the Orion. With the observation that the Orion could discharge all its weapons long before any opponent could approach it, and that few weapon strikes were usefully degraded by the Orion's armor, the Sirius was proposed. Its higher crew density (without AI gunners) requires that only 5 be substituted for one Orion on some carriers, which limits their advantage, but even so they hold a substantial advantage in degradation under fire.

If AI gunnery is available, the Sirius can be substituted for the Orion at 10 to 1 on most hangar-based carriers, providing an overwhelming advantage per shipload.

TL: 9
dST/dHP: 20
Hnd/SR: -2/4
HT: 12
Move: .04G/10 mps
LWt: 30 Tons
Load: 4.1 Tons
SM: 5
Occ: 36 SV
dDR: 0
Cost: 2.52M

Front
[1-5] Medium Battery (3 5-shot 16cm missile turrets each)
[6] Medium Battery (2 5-shot 16cm missile turrets, 6 spare missiles, 0.2 ton food)
[Core] Control room (1 control stations, C5 network, level 3 sensors)

Middle
[1-6!] Medium Battery (3 VRF 30kJ lasers each)
[core] MHD turbine

Rear
[1-2] MHD turbines
[3-4] Fuel Tank (3 tons nuclear pellets)
[5-6] Fusion Pulse Drive (.04G)

6.07 tons of missiles
150.9K fuel per mission
New and warloaded: 8,740.9K, plus optional nukes at 850KM per serving

Crew: 1 pilot and 35 turret gunners

Probably can upgrade network to C6 for 49.9K (Genius option from UT, applied to apparent small computer), allowing numerous dedicated AI gunners to replace humans.

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

I get a lower ASV (784) on the Macon and a lower Hnd -3 on the Vakhmistrov.

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

Right on both counts, but I get 792. Did you count the cages?

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

No. I never noticed that cages had life support before you mentioned it. I assumed ships wouldn't plan to travel with them occupied.

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

The carrier wouldn't, most of the time, but a prison ship or slave ship would likely keep a lot of people in cages for their entire time aboard.