[Spaceships] TL10^ Arsenal Ship

[Cernig]

My Space campaign is very roughly based on Traveller IW, but I'm using Spaceships for ship design and developing some home rules for things like EW, variant missiles etc.

Here's a first pass at a TL10^ Arsenal Ship (per my asides with Molokh), for my first Spaceships post to the forums.

CVA-1 “Hope” Class Arsenal Ship

Systems Table

Front Hull
[1] Hardened Nanocomposite Armor/Tertiary Battery ! (15x 10MJ VRF PD Lasers, turreted)
[2] Tactical Array (Lvl 13 sensor suite)
[3] Defensive ECM (Lvl 13 Hi-power ECM/ECCM suite - double cost)
[4] Tertiary Battery (30x VL 40cm missile launchers, fixed, with 30 missiles each, various types.)
[5] Tertiary Battery (30x VL 40cm missile launchers, fixed, with 30 missiles each, various types.)
[6] Fusion Reactor (2pp)
[Core] -

Central Hull
[1] Hardened Nanocomposite Armor/Fuel Tank (2,500 tons)
[2] Control Room (C10 computer, Lvl 11 Sensors, 20 Control Stations)
[3] Hangar Bay (3,000 ton capacity, 500 ton/min launch. 100 various SM5 30 ton drone fighters and drone PD VRF laser platforms)
[4] Tertiary Battery ! (15x 10MJ VRF PD Lasers, turreted, 15x VL 40cm missile launchers, fixed, with 30 missiles each, various types.)
[5] Tertiary Battery (30x VL 40cm missile launchers, fixed, with 30 missiles each, various types.)
[6] Tertiary Battery (30x VL 40cm missile launchers, fixed, with 30 missiles each, various types.)
[Core] Habitat (600 cabin equivalent: 35 single cabins, 3 bed automed bay (3), briefing Room (1) Kitchen and dining room (2), Gym (1), Wardroom (1), Ship’s armory (1), Steerage cargo (2,780 tons)

Rear Hull
[1] Hardened Nanocomposite Armor/Fuel Tank (2,500 tons)
[2] Fuel Tank (5,000 tons)
[3] Fuel Tank (5,000 tons)
[4] Jump-2 Super Stardrive !!
[5] M-Drive Hot Reactionless Thruster ! (1G)
[6] M-Drive Hot Reactionless Thruster ! (1G)
[Core] Fusion Reactor (2pp)

Spacecraft Table

TL: 10^
dST/HP: 300 Hnd/SR: -2/5 HT:13 Move: 2G SM: +12
DDR: 50h / 50h / 50h LWt: 100,000 tons ( 20,000 Dton displacement)
Occ: Crew: 20 Control + 15 workspaces, Others: 0
Load: 2,780 tons cargo.
Air performance: 0
Annual Operating Costs: $ 5% cost plus fuel.

Design Switches: The class has artificial gravity, gravity compensation, stealth hull, chameleon skin, high automation.

Cost: $17,390 million

The Arsenal Ship is designed to provide massive missile fire support to a task group and usually has a couple of small EW escorts as extra protection. All of its missile systems can accept target designation from other fleet vessels through a distributed data network. It gives the firepower of a carrier without putting all those highly-trained pilots or a large crew in danger. It has fuel for a "jump 2 to battle, jump 1 to safety" tactic.

Critiques welcome. Also anyone who wants to take a bash at designing variant missiles (partially-stealthy "coast-and final boost", EW/Decoy, MIRV, MIRV-PD etc.), drone fighters or drone PD platforms please do so :-)

Regards, C

EDIT - Altered power point requirements, added one tertiary battery and revised steerage cargo.

[Cernig]

A point defence drone for the Arsenal Ship:

DB1 “Pentad” Class Defense Drone

Systems Table

Front Hull
[1] Hardened Nanocomposite Armor
[2] Major Battery (1x fixed 100KJ VRF Laser)
[3] Major Battery (1x fixed 100KJ VRF Laser)
[4] Major Battery (1x fixed 100KJ VRF Laser)
[5] Major Battery (1x fixed 100KJ VRF Laser)
[6] Major Battery (1x fixed 100KJ VRF Laser)
[Core]

Central Hull
[1] Hardened Nanocomposite Armor
[2] Medium Battery (3 turreted 20cm VRF Railguns, 1,000 round each)
[3] Tactical Array (Lvl 6 sensor/communication array)
[4] Defensive ECM (Lvl 6 ECM/ECCM suite)
[5] Fusion Reactor (2pp)
[6] Fusion Reactor (2pp)
[Core] Engine Room (Maintenance access only)

Rear Hull
[1] Hardened Nanocomposite Armor
[2] Fusion Reactor (2pp)
[3] Fusion Reactor (2pp)
[4] M-Drive Hot Reactionless Drive !
[5] M-Drive Hot Reactionless Drive !
[6] M-Drive Hot Reactionless Drive !
[Core] Control Room (full automation, C6 Computer brain)

Spacecraft Table

TL: 10^
dST/HP: 20 Hnd/SR: 0/4 HT:13 Move: 3G SM: +5
DDR: 7h / 7h / 7h LWt: 30 tons ( 6 Dton displacement)
Occ: None
Load: None
Air performance: 0
Annual Operating Costs: $ 2% cost.

The class has gravity compensation, stealth hull and chameleon skin.

Cost: $9.7 Million

[thtraveller]

Arsenal ship observations

Note that missile launchers are not high energy systems (Launcher Types p29), so you can save yourself a reactor or so.

Note also that a stealth hull wont benefit you against passive sensors when you are using a fusion reactor (Countermeasures p45)

Note that your habitat has 556 unused cabin spaces = 2780 tons steerage cargo.

[Diomedes]

Your missile launchers don't need power unless they're warp missiles. Other than that, here's my stab at a PD drone:


Protector Class PD Drone

Forward Hull
[1] Medium Battery ! (3x VRF Improved Laser Turrets, 30KJ)
[2] Medium Battery ! (3x VRF Improved Laser Turrets, 30KJ)
[3] Medium Battery ! (3x VRF Improved Laser Turrets, 30KJ)
[4] Medium Battery ! (3x VRF Improved Laser Turrets, 30KJ)
[5] Medium Battery ! (3x VRF Improved Laser Turrets, 30KJ)
[6] Fusion Reactor (2pp)

Midships Hull
[1] Defensive ECM (lvl 6)
[2] Tactical Array (C/S 6)
[3] Medium Battery ! (3x VRF Improved Laser Turrets, 30KJ)
[4] Medium Battery ! (3x VRF Improved Laser Turrets, 30KJ)
[5] Medium Battery ! (3x VRF Improved Laser Turrets, 30KJ)
[6] Fusion Reactor (2pp)
[Core] Fusion Reactor (2pp)

Aft Hull
[1] Control Room (C6 computer, Lvl 4 Sensors, 1 Control Station)
[2] Medium Battery ! (3x VRF Improved Laser Turrets, 30KJ)
[3] M-Drive Hot Reactionless Thruster ! (1G)
[4] M-Drive Hot Reactionless Thruster ! (1G)
[5] Fusion Reactor (2pp)
[6] Fusion Reactor (2pp)
[Core] Fusion Reactor (2pp)

TL: 10^ SM+5
dST: 20 dHP: 20 HT: 12
Hnd: 0 SR: 4
Move: 2/c

[thtraveller]

Pentad ship observations:

You are one power point short.

Ideally you should put PD weapons in the center hull rather than the front as that eliminates any bearing issues (Bearing p57)

[Cernig]

Diomedes - good design, I'll be using it if that's OK :-)

thtraveller - I like to give folks difficult choices to make and the design philosphy I use is the offer a choice to cut thrust or use less weaponry, with the plus being it can mount heavier or more weapons in the first place.

As to bearing, for a small PD drone it shouldn't be a problem. Since the Arsenal Ship can carry up to 100 of the things, and one can target a whole salvo as if it were one target, the fixed forward just gives it +2 to hit on its designated target.

I'll need to revise the designs as I'd missed the bit about missiles not needing power points. And the steerage cargo bit is just forgetful of me.

As to the Stealth Hull, I read it as being ineffective only if the signature+range modifiers were over 5. that means using one makes the difference between being easily detectable system-wide and at maybe 1AU, which is a lot of difference when tactics are considered. To me, it makes more sense that way - I don't believe our current TL sensors would automatically notice a fusion reactor out by Saturn, for instance.

Regards, C

[Cernig]

Diomedes, I cost the Protector PD Drone at $4.44 million with total automation, no armor, no stealth or chameleon etc. It makes a great close-defense drone but doesn't quite have the survivability of the Pentad, which I think would make a marginally better outer screen drone (or a lurk-until-needed type, powered down).

Regards, C

[Diomedes]

Originally Posted by Cernig

As to the Stealth Hull, I read it as being if ineffective only if the signature+range modifiers were over 5. that means using one makes the difference between being easily detectable system-wide and at maybe 1AU, which is a lot of difference when tactics are considered. To me, it makes more sense that way - I don't believe our current TL sensors would automatically notice a fusion reactor out by Saturn, for instance.

Regards, C

I believe the Stealth becomes inoperative if only the signature modifiers are over five. Otherwise it would be trivial to swamp the modifier with range penalties.


I went to Atomic Rocket, and plugged in the detection range for the given example: a spaceship the size of an Oscar- class submarine, with a fission reactor at 800K, and got 2.7 AU. It can't be seen from Saturn with current technology, but it can be seen from the asteroid belt.

[Cernig]

Hi Diomedes,

I've already got reactionless drives and jump engines. What's another handwave to restore some tactical variation for gaming? I'm keeping my house rule on stealth and range modifiers. :-)

It's a pretty small handwave, btw.

Take an SM8 ship using that power/drive combo as a first rough example.

Worst Case Sensor detection:

SM +8
Plain Sight +10
Deep Space +24
IR Signature +10 TOTAL signature mods: +56

Therefore Modifiers At Ranges:

Combat: Close :46, Point Blank: 26, Close: 22, Short: 18, Long: 14, Extreme: 10
Auto-detect at all ranges.
Astronomical: 1LS: 6, 5LS(1 million miles): 2, 100LS/0.1AU:-4, 1AU: -10, 10AU: -16, 75AU/whole system: -19

That's before you add in actively looking because you're expecting trouble, telescopic vision modifiers, sensor level bonuses etc.

Stealth and chameleon don't add much, but they do add a little using my house rule. In ideal circumstances, small craft (SM8 or less) can manage surprise at near to combat range. That makes piracy possible again, for one thing. If you have system-wide detection and reactionless drives, combat only happens if someone doesn't run and is very predictable when it does happen. :-)

Regards, C

[Cernig]

Come to think of it, if Stealth only works on signature modifiers under 5 and SM is a signature modifier, what was the point?

And what's the deal with the 152 ton loaded weight B-2 Stealth Bomber?

Regards, C