[Space/Spaceships] TL9 nomad fleet - playable?

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I'd build the 'basic' flagship somewhat differently. My choices are heavily influenced with not being used to 1/3 systems. Here's my take:

TL 9^
dST/HP 700
HT 14
Hnd/SR -4 / 5
setting)
Move 0.1G/c (can be improved with more/better drives)
LWt 1,000,000 (assuming SM+14)
Load 175,114 (given by ss.xls)
SM+14 (scaleable, but taken 14 in case there is no artificial gravity generators in the
Occ 1,140+0SV (assuming SM+14 yadda yadda)
dDR 150
Range 1x
Cost around $83.01 B (excluding two systems that are left unspecified)

Front:
1. Armor - Advanced Metallic Laminate, 150dDR
2. Control Room, Computer: C9 Comm/Sensor: 12 Stations: 40 [2]
3. Habitat, 6,000 Cabins [2] (unspecified; need to figure out the ratios and life support; either way, at least 3k people should live there)
4. Cargo Hold (primarily for food and other necessities), 50,000 Tons
5. Unspecified
6. Unspecified
Center:
1. Armor
2. (!)Weapon Battery - Medium 3 Weapon Mounts (or whatever, but need at least some weapons) [2]
3. Cargo Hold, 50,000 Tons (raw materials and/or parts for smaller craft, but also other stuff depending on needs)
4. (!)Factory - Fabricator $50,000,000/Hr (general-purpose) [2]
5. Hangar Bay Launch: 2,000 ton/min / Cap.: 30,000 Tons (linked to factory!) [2]
6. External Clamp (for docking ops)
Rear:
1. Armor
2. Fuel Tank 50,000 Tons of Hyperspace Fuel
3. (!) Reactionless Engine - Rotary or some other appropriate 0.1G [2]
4. (!) Stardrive - Hyperdrive or some other, FTL-1 [2]
5. (!) Mining facility (for fuel and other stuff) 5,000 Tons/Hr [2]
6. (!) Refinery 15,000 Tons/Hr (for fuel and other stuff) [2]
Core:
1. Open Space, 100 Areas (5 Acres) [2]
2. Power Plant - Fusion, 2 Power Points [2]

So, things I'd change other than turning some of those systems into miniatures...
-You don't need a lot of cargo for food storage. The ship is self-sufficient for food. Some stockpile is good, maybe, but not so much.
-You really don't need a full SM+14 battery for a civilian ship! Make it a tertiary or at most secondary battery with most of the weapons stripped out. Then it replaces one of your cargo bays.
-External clamp? What possible circumstances would make it a good idea to use that?
-Probably put some habitat or the control room in the core and the open space outside, but YMMV.
-I'd definitely offload the mining role onto parasite craft.

Also, I definitely think downsizing the control room and refinery is a good idea. You've got 3 times as much refining capacity as your mining system can feed, and this barge doesn't need the handling or the bridge stations.

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Note that unless modified with another reactor, such a ship can only operate two of the following systems at a time: STL, FTL, weapons, Mining, Refinery, Factory. Not a big deal outside emergencies, but there might be situations where either the first three or the last three need to be active at a time. It's would also be very convenient to refine the materials, build stuff, and accelerate simultaneously after a mining operation.

I wouldn't design a very civilian craft for combat jumping, personally. And picking two of the refinery, factory, and engines doesn't sound bad. You've convinced me on a full reactor, though.

Oh, and if you fit a reduced STL drive, refinery, and weapons bay, and make the obvious recognition that one full PP = 3 1/3PP, you can run any of the combinations you want to off of a single full fusion reactor. Though you may regret the reduced STL if you're getting this thing into fights.