[Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

Orion SOMP
This is a heavy interceptor/weapons platform, intended to serve the same role as a naval strike craft. With 24 hours life support, 18 hours power for energy weapons, and a fusion pulse engine, the Orion can operate out to 81 thousand miles from the mother ship, far enough to engage threats before they can fire on the carrier.

Its 3/2 point defense to missile ratio makes it highly survivable against equivalently armed units.

TL: 9
dST/dHP: 50
Hnd/SR: -3/5
HT: 12
Move: .04G/10 mps
LWt: 300 Tons
Load: 18.7 Tons
SM: +7
Occ: 182 SV
dDR: 30/20/10 (hardened)
Cost: 23.65M

Front
[1-3] Advanced Metallic Laminate (30dDR, hardened)
[4-5] Tertiary Battery (30 5-shot 16cm missile turrets each)
[6!] Tertiary Battery (10 5-shot 16cm missile turrets, 19 VRF 30KJ lasers, 2 spare missile, .3667 ton food)
[Core] Control room (3 control stations, C5 network, level 5 sensors)

Middle
[1-2] Advanced Metallic Laminate (20dDR, hardened)
[3-5!] Tertiary Battery (30 VRF 30kJ lasers each)
[6] Fuel Tank (15 tons rocket fuel)
[core] MHD turbine

Rear
[1] Advanced Metallic Laminate (10dDR, hardened)
[2] MHD turbine
[3-4] Fuel Tank (30 tons nuclear pellets)
[5-6] Fusion Pulse Drive (.04G)

23.467 tons of missiles
1512K fuel per mission
New and warloaded: 48,629K, plus an optional salvo of nukes at 3.5M.

Crew: 1 pilot and two optional bridge crew, plus 179 turret gunners. Alternatively, bridge crew plus gunnery expert systems, possibly with an augmented ship's network.

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

Hi Ulzgaroth,

Nice ship. An intersting variant would be to drop the mssiles and the mixed battery, redistribute systems some and arm it with a spinal improved laser. That gets you a weapon system immune to PD that does an average of 52.5 damage per hit, which is enough to blow through even the front armor on it's sisters while still having almost the same anti-missile survivability. Mix a few of those into your attack wing to give the opposition a rude surprise.

I'd love to see a design for the mothership. Big enough to carry these in hangars or are they riders?

Regards, C

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

The spinal mount only has range S/L as a laser, and even as a UV only range L. The laser doesn't get through on average at L. The UV does pose a threat at L against nanocomposite, but it still has to make it to L. It would still be pretty threatening, because you could swap over completely and maybe keep alive through the entire missile storm, then pick off the disarmed survivors.

By the rules, only a very limited set of non-superscience drives give enough thrust to keep the 16cm missiles from having X range. (Those rules kind of worry me, but I don't have a fix.). An EPP-drive counter-unit could really give these ships some problems, though it would have a few of its own.

A carrier will be forthcoming. Big enough for internal carry, I think, especially for the crewed version.

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

Akron class Carrier

This is a carrier designed for the Orion parasite warship (in a no-AI setting), though potentially able to carry other small craft. It has an operational radius of almost 2 AU and a standard complement of 5 small craft.

The Akron class does not carry fuel or missile reloads for the parasites. If multi-sortie capability is needed, it may be accompanied by a tender. This is very much a cut to the bone, wartime design optimized to throw a single punch, then bring any survivors home.

TL: 9
dST/dHP: 150
Hnd/SR: -5/5
HT: 13
Move: .005G/86.4 mps
LWt: 10,000 Tons
Load: 2010.2 Tons
SM: 10
Occ: 932 ASV
dDR: 30h/0/0
Cost: 257.3M

Front
[1] Advanced Metallic Laminate (30dDR, hardened)
[2-3] Fuel Tank (1000 tons hydrogen)
[4-6] Habitats (180 bunkrooms)

Middle
[1-5] Hangars (each 300 tons, launching 100 tons per minute)
[6!] Tertiary Battery (1x100MJ laser, 1x 10MJ RF laser, 6x30KJ VRF laser, 417 tons cargo)
[core] Fission reactor

Rear
[1-4] Fuel Tank (2000 tons hydrogen)
[5] Habitat (49 bunkrooms, 8 cabins, 1 briefing room, 2 bed sick bay)
[6] Fusion Rocket (.005G)
[Core] Control room (10 control stations, C7 network, level 8 sensors)

Crew: 931
895 small craft gunners
13 workspace technicians
8 beam gunners
10 small craft bridge crew/engineers (2 per ship seems enough)
1 captain (private cabin)
1 XO
1 doctor
2 watch-standing officers

Fuel load: 6M

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

Macon class Carrier

This is a more hospitable, flagship-capable carrier designed for the Orion parasite warship. It has a standard complement of 4 small craft, and is otherwise similar to the Akron in performance. Unlike the Akron, it has space for crew amenities, a flag suite, and a brig, and carries additional fuel and munitions for the parasites, allowing up to 16 single-ship sorties.

Individual ships often have additional accommodations or other rooms replacing some or all of the steerage capacity.

TL: 9
dST/dHP: 150
Hnd/SR: -5/5
HT: 13
Move: .005G/86.4 mps
LWt: 10,000 Tons
Load: 2246.2 Tons
SM: 10
Occ: 792 ASV
dDR: 30h/0/0
Cost: 281.46M

Front
[1] Advanced Metallic Laminate (30dDR, hardened)
[2-3] Fuel Tank (1000 tons hydrogen)
[4-6] Habitats (180 bunkrooms)

Middle
[1-4] Hangars (each 300 tons, launching 100 tons per minute)
[5] Fuel tank (360 tons nuclear pellets) plus cargo (140 tons 16cm missiles)
[6!] Tertiary Battery (1x100MJ laser, 1x 10MJ RF laser, 6x30KJ VRF laser, 417 tons cargo)
[core] Fusion reactor (derated)

Rear
[1-4] Fuel Tank (2000 tons hydrogen)
[5] Habitat (9 bunkrooms, 2 cells, 12 cabins, 2 luxury cabins, 1 briefing room, 10 bed clinic, 10-office ops center, 1 gym, 50 tons steerage)
[6] Fusion Rocket (.005G)
[Core] Control room (10 control stations, C7 network, level 8 sensors)

Crew: 771
716 small craft gunners
12 workspace technicians
8 beam gunners
12 security/marines
8 misc. enlisted

8 small craft bridge crew/engineers (2 per ship seems enough)
1 captain
1 XO
1 doctor
2 watch-standing officers
1 security officer
1 technical officer

Optional:
1 admiral
8 staff

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

I assume you noticed the RAW bonus for ECM is crappy since none of your designs have ECM? It's just not worth it.

Here's the reason I asked about battle riders - you could place grapples instead of those hangars and launch in 1 minute instead, while still keeping the rest of your amenities in place - and for 12- 15% of the mass of your mothership extra for the engine to push, which isn't all that great. That way, you also get the benefit of some of the weapons and other systems on the riders while they're still attached. For my money, if you're going for a craft per system or thereabouts and you've no intention of ever touching atmosphere, use grapples and docking tubes.

Regards, C

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

ECM might actually be quite useful. Especially against beam weapons at range or against low-TL, low-skill missiles. If I were building a ship that had a tactical maneuver drive (so it could benefit from the dodge bonus), I would seriously consider (and analyze) the benefits of ECM units.

On the TL9 Orion, I'd be tempted to trade any ECM for another fuel tank, though, and the carriers are not combat units.

Fast launch is not a big factor here. The expected Orion sortie is about 11 hours out, so a couple minutes to launch is no problem. I'd rather get mass conservation and the other perks of internal carry. Especially since I may be designing some smaller parasite craft to go with these carriers.

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

Where are you getting this from? According to the chart on p.68 you need 32cm+ to get X range (unless you use warp missiles).

Jeff

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

It's stealthy, but just above that table there is a note saying that projectile weapons are +1 range category against drifting targets.

Re: [Spaceships] Missile combat vessel
 

I saw the note but still don't see the applicability, any ship that can accelerate can choose a Hold Course maneuver even if it can't achieve the reference acceleration.

Jeff

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.