Ship design principles for OTU polities?

[TheDark]

Tying into the changing technologies bit, I looked at the three systems I had conveniently at hand (CT High Guard 2, MT, and MgT1) and noted what Tech Level each weapon is available at. CT and MT are essentially the same - MT has a "particle turret" one TL earlier than CT, but it's a super-heavy turret that's effectively the Particle Barbette from CT, which was available one TL earlier. Mongoose, by comparison, has earlier missiles, meson guns, and particle weapons, and later beam lasers and plasma turrets. Mongoose also gets rid of some weapons (fusion turrets, repulsors, plasma bays) while adding new ones that aren't on this list (torpedoes, rail guns, 100-ton fusion bays). A couple of these changes I agree with (the 50-ton missile bay being 3 TLs higher than both the turret and 100-ton bay was weird, and the PLaser before the BLaser makes sense). Others I don't (particle turrets at TL8 and meson weapons at TL11?). I figured I'd just note the changes ahead of looking at anything from the Mongoose era (or doing any conversions to that system).

Lowest TL	CT (HG2)	MgT1
Missile Turret	7	6
Sandcaster Turret	7	7
Pulse Laser Turret	7	7
Beam Laser Turret	7	9
Plasma Gun Turret	10	11
Fusion Gun Turret	12	Not Available
Particle Accelerator Turret	15	8
Particle Accelerator Barbette	14	8
Meson Bay (100 ton)	13	11
Particle Bay (100 ton)	8	8
Repulsor Bay (100 ton)	10	Not Available
Missile Bay (100 ton)	7	6
Meson Bay (50 tons)	15	11
Particle Bay (50 tons)	10	8
Repulsor Bay (50 tons)	14	Not Available
Missile Bay (50 tons)	10	6
Plasma Bay (50 tons)	10	Not Available
Fusion Bay (50 tons)	12	12
Particle Accelerator (Spinal)	8	8
Meson Gun (Spinal)	11	11

 

[ady]

Early (in publication history) Vargr ships seem to go for cone or egg shapes with lots of spiky bits and sickle wings, like the Type VP or Rrazaaghz or (to a lesser extent) the Farrou.

True, most of the ones in the Vargr alien module and later MT publications are like that. Though there is a dispersed Structure Vargr 'Trade Ship' (similar size, config and stats as the unstreamlined pirate ship stats given in Book 2) in IISS ship files. That book also explains that each individual clade or political group tends to it's own thing - there generally is no standard design for the entire Vargr Extents because its a boiling soup of ever changing factions, alliances and family groups, each with their own tech level, styles and fashions. The pointy egg with fins only seems to be a popular image with the Imperials as Vargr because that is the type of ship that was mostly used by Vargr raiders and invaders during the Interstellar wars.

 

[ady]

Tying into the changing technologies bit, I looked at the three systems I had conveniently at hand (CT High Guard 2, MT, and MgT1) and noted what Tech Level each weapon is available at. CT and MT are essentially the same - MT has a "particle turret" one TL earlier than CT, but it's a super-heavy turret that's effectively the Particle Barbette from CT, which was available one TL earlier. Mongoose, by comparison, has earlier missiles, meson guns, and particle weapons, and later beam lasers and plasma turrets. Mongoose also gets rid of some weapons (fusion turrets, repulsors, plasma bays) while adding new ones that aren't on this list (torpedoes, rail guns, 100-ton fusion bays). A couple of these changes I agree with (the 50-ton missile bay being 3 TLs higher than both the turret and 100-ton bay was weird, and the PLaser before the BLaser makes sense). Others I don't (particle turrets at TL8 and meson weapons at TL11?). I figured I'd just note the changes ahead of looking at anything from the Mongoose era (or doing any conversions to that system).

Lowest TL	CT (HG2)	MgT1
Missile Turret	7	6
Sandcaster Turret	7	7
Pulse Laser Turret	7	7
Beam Laser Turret	7	9
Plasma Gun Turret	10	11
Fusion Gun Turret	12	Not Available
Particle Accelerator Turret	15	8
Particle Accelerator Barbette	14	8
Meson Bay (100 ton)	13	11
Particle Bay (100 ton)	8	8
Repulsor Bay (100 ton)	10	Not Available
Missile Bay (100 ton)	7	6
Meson Bay (50 tons)	15	11
Particle Bay (50 tons)	10	8
Repulsor Bay (50 tons)	14	Not Available
Missile Bay (50 tons)	10	6
Plasma Bay (50 tons)	10	Not Available
Fusion Bay (50 tons)	12	12
Particle Accelerator (Spinal)	8	8
Meson Gun (Spinal)	11	11

That's a useful comparison. Doesnt mongoose also add a load of extra weapons and technologies? I havnt looked into it myself (Mostly a CT fan), but I have heard about star wars style photon torpedoes, 'energy' cannons', etc. Also, how does Mongoose combat stack up against Highguard 2ed? Do the weapons have roughly the same performance on hitting a ship, penetrating armour/screens and doing damage, or is it a different? These are factors that will effect ship design and styles.

 

[Condottiere]

Ship design tends to reflect doctrine, biases, preferences, presumptions, prejudices, and industrial base.

The Confederation Navy does believe in hit and run, while seeking a Mahanian decisive battle, which would explain their sudden appreciation for missiles and torpedoes.