2000 Ton Support tanker WIP

[wbyrd]

this is a very basic, off the shelf tanker which is intended to be upgraded as needed by it's owner.

It has a bit more thrust, and extended jump range than most commercial Vessels. I intend for it to service the survey ships I am working with..so the final version will probably have a bit of armor, and guns.

It will take up station over a gas giant and deploy it's skimmer drones. Currently the drones are 20 ton drones but I plan on upgrading those. It can stay on starton until it's tanks are full and then move off to refuel ships it is servicing, or jump to a neighboring system to deliver it's cargo.

Part of it's duties, along with cargo ships assigned to a survey group, is to jump to designated locations and set up fuel bladders for other ships to use in an emergency.

Standard procedure for a tanker under attack, is to make an emergency jump as soon as possible. Using it's internal fuel, or it's stored fuel if needed. Escort craft will jump as soon as possible to it's fallback location, as will other ships in it's group.

to prevent hostile vessels from tracking the fleeing tanker, it will often jump between system. then jump again if it's escort does not arrive within a prescribed time limit, or a hostile vessel enters the area.

Since most vessels do not carry enough fuel for back to back jumps the fact the tanker has short jumped to an empty area is enough to discourage/prevent pursuit

Should the tanker be caught with its storage tanks dry, preventing a short jump, it will execute a standard jump toward the nearest friendly region.

For this reason the procedure is for the vessel to maintain a full internal fuel load, and as much fuel in it's storage tanks as possible. So that it can make back to back jumps, and refuel any escort, or sister ship jumping to it's location.

NOTEs: the stats are rough, and need a second pass to make sure i have my numbers right...and the model is on my list for textures, and some weathering.

any suggestions for tweaks would be appreciated..I already plan to do an armed version, with a touch of armor, to give it better odds of getting out of a hostile encounter without being shot full of holes.

I think I have finally figured out how to get smooth surfaces, and hard surfaces on the same object without a lot of odd distortions showing up...the first few tries mutated the second I tried to apply smooth surfaces next to hard flat surfaces.

 

[McPerth]

The J-drive and M-drive seem to be swapend in the first or second columns...

 

[wbyrd]

thought i fixed that....ugh

 

[Brandon C]

A few suggestions:

1) Streamline the ship, so it can perform wilderness refueling on it's own.

2) Add token defenses. I would consider 4 laser or sandcaster turrets about minimal.

3) Consider adding fuel processors. While ships the tanker will transfer fuel to probably have fuel processors, the tanker will have a lot of dead time t can use to refine fuel (and charge more for it).

 

[wbyrd]

A few suggestions:

1) Streamline the ship, so it can perform wilderness refueling on it's own.

2) Add token defenses. I would consider 4 laser or sandcaster turrets about minimal.

3) Consider adding fuel processors. While ships the tanker will transfer fuel to probably have fuel processors, the tanker will have a lot of dead time t can use to refine fuel (and charge more for it).

Good suggestions.

I'll probably add those to the "Bloc 2" upgrades. A more advanced, and more rugged version for "Frontier" use.

when I worked this up initially I had 500 ton, 1000 ton, and 2000 ton variants. As well as upgraded tankers that are more than engines and fuel cells.

As well as downgraded models with shorter jump, and lower thrust for more storage space.

I may work up a 10,000 ton Super/fleet tanker....

although I a still mulling over whether several smaller tankers would be more practical for fleet use. Yes expense is higher, but if one gets taken out the others are likely to be able to jump clear, retreat to behind their escort line before being destroyed.

also would it be more advantageous to build more refined tankers with better systems, and more guns, or just crank out lots of lower tech( TL-12, or even TL-10) tankers and put more tankers in space than the enemy can shoot down.

Tl-10 would cut available jump range..but would make the ship fairly inexpensive for it's size...it would give them fewer hull points..but a 1000/2000 ton ship has a few to spare unless you start firing bay weapons, and spinal mounts at it....which the average pirate/fast raider wouldn't have.

 

[whartung]

I see no reason to arm these. Their primary goal should be to be as efficient at carrying fuel as possible, because of the effect volume has on jump. Arming them isn't worth the tonnage for the weapons and crew.

If they're going any place remotely hostile, they should have ships dedicated to the task of defending them. But, arguably, they should never go in to a system that has not been pacified. They're the tail of the fleet, not the teeth.

I would escort them with small messenger ships matching jump and fuel capability (or better). If by doctrine they're supposed to "jump away" at signs of trouble, they should have a mechanism to help them reunite with the fleet. Ships they can afford to send back to inform Fleet command where they are if they need to be recovered. On the larger tankers, the ships can be hangared in the parent tanker. Or they can be completely separate and escorted only in times of war.

They should be refining their own fuel. By doctrine, they should fill their own tanks with refined fuel so that they can be jump quickly if necessary, then fill the main tanks.

There's no reason for a tanker with jump to carry unrefined fuel. An in system fuel shuttle, sure, but not with jump.

There's no guidance that I know of that shows the yield of unrefined -> refined fuel (80%? 90%?), but in theory there is some waste product being removed form the unrefined fuel, which means more wasted space in the tanks when they jump. Why carry dirty fuel through jump. The refining time I don't think is enough to warrant only refining it in jump.

 

[wbyrd]

I see no reason to arm these. Their primary goal should be to be as efficient at carrying fuel as possible, because of the effect volume has on jump. Arming them isn't worth the tonnage for the weapons and crew.

If they're going any place remotely hostile, they should have ships dedicated to the task of defending them. But, arguably, they should never go in to a system that has not been pacified. They're the tail of the fleet, not the teeth.

I would escort them with small messenger ships matching jump and fuel capability (or better). If by doctrine they're supposed to "jump away" at signs of trouble, they should have a mechanism to help them reunite with the fleet. Ships they can afford to send back to inform Fleet command where they are if they need to be recovered. On the larger tankers, the ships can be hangared in the parent tanker. Or they can be completely separate and escorted only in times of war.

They should be refining their own fuel. By doctrine, they should fill their own tanks with refined fuel so that they can be jump quickly if necessary, then fill the main tanks.

There's no reason for a tanker with jump to carry unrefined fuel. An in system fuel shuttle, sure, but not with jump.

There's no guidance that I know of that shows the yield of unrefined -> refined fuel (80%? 90%?), but in theory there is some waste product being removed form the unrefined fuel, which means more wasted space in the tanks when they jump. Why carry dirty fuel through jump. The refining time I don't think is enough to warrant only refining it in jump.

Thanks for the feedback..and the idea of a messenger/courier ship as part of the ships standard auxiliary craft/escort force.

As designed the ships skimmer drones carry processors, and transfer refined fuel to the tanker.

I am looking at which is more effective drones, or fitting the ship for skimming and processing on its own.

my thoughts are increasing the size of the drones to 50 tons, and giving them a gun so they can also act as escorts. This would require a larger flight deck..and increased tonnage for the tanker itself...