Military Scoutship Design
- Thread starter Jame
- Start date
Ben W Bell
SOC-14 1K
In general such a ship wouldn't operate as part of the Imperial Navy, they use the scout service to provide much of this function. I don't think that the IN command and crew structure is capable of supporting small naval vessels on their own like this within the system, which is why Scouts are much more suited to the mission. Navy officers and crew aren't generally the type to perform the task. After all the IISS is taken into the Navy in times of need.
The Oz
SOC-14 1K
I suspect the answer is "Both."
We know that in time of war the IISS recalls its detached duty scouts and uses the personnel and ships to form the "scout squadrons" seen in the game Fifth Frontier War (FFW). Active-duty scout vessels are probably also assigned to these squadrons. I believe that these scout squadrons are used for strategic-level reconnaisance, going behind enemy lines to find their supply routes, convoys, and forward bases. This information is used to assign raiding targets for cruiser squadrons, and to help identify where the enemy might go next (if the Zhos are building up supplies in Querion subsector, they're likely to be launching an offensive into Vilis, for instance).
The ships forming these scout squadrons are active or detached duty scoutships, armed by the IISS, mostly small ships with one or two cruiser-sized IISS ships along. I imagine that they don't stay concentrated in one star system, but spread out to cover several. These scoutships need a decent jump capability and decent sensors, but above all they need numbers, to cover their area and allow lots of couriers to keep the information flowing.
The Imperial Navy probably has "scout" ships of its own. These are tactical and operational reconnaisance specialists. They jump ahead of the fleet, spy out the next star system on the list, and report back on what they found. They also move ahead of the fleet inside a star system (along with the fighter screen and remote sensor drones) to look for ambushes and find the enemy so the fleet can fight him.
These scouts need good jump ability (as good as the fleet), excellent sensors and stealth capability (to see without being seen) and enough acceleration and firepower/defenses to get out of any trouble they might get into.
As it happens, I have recently been working on a "scout" ship that fits the role of the Navy reconnaisance ship. It's a nice HG design, but it uses some house rules of mine and so might not be suitable for use in other TUs. I even have a rough deckplan.
I'd agree w/ Oz. NI would want some of there own resources for basic operations. They wouldn't advertise it though....anyhow.
I've been playing with the good old 1kt Scout/ X-boat tender. How very flexible the design must be with 1000's in the Imperium. I have about 12 versions of it (from corsairs to mining ships).
For an architect it would be easy to use up that large cargo bay for alternative activities. I've created several home rules to deal with towing, etc. but this version is rather vanilla.
Ranger class Scout Commander: M5, J4 with CIC.
http://www.angelfire.com/empire2/savage/1WorldOrder/tenders/Ranger_SC_Tender.html
Pulling into harbor it looks like any other Tender. When opening the bay doors the additional
structure is designed to look like cargo containers from the bottom.
It does have a couple extra turrets but those don't draw much attention. Many captains add them...so. If it helps you out, enjoy.
I thought about a missile bay instead of the
meson communications as yet another alternative.
Savage
I've been playing with the good old 1kt Scout/ X-boat tender. How very flexible the design must be with 1000's in the Imperium. I have about 12 versions of it (from corsairs to mining ships).
For an architect it would be easy to use up that large cargo bay for alternative activities. I've created several home rules to deal with towing, etc. but this version is rather vanilla.
Ranger class Scout Commander: M5, J4 with CIC.
http://www.angelfire.com/empire2/savage/1WorldOrder/tenders/Ranger_SC_Tender.html
Pulling into harbor it looks like any other Tender. When opening the bay doors the additional
structure is designed to look like cargo containers from the bottom.
It does have a couple extra turrets but those don't draw much attention. Many captains add them...so. If it helps you out, enjoy.
I thought about a missile bay instead of the
meson communications as yet another alternative.
Savage
The Oz
SOC-14 1K
Interesting. I also called my 200-ton Deep Scout the "Ranger" class. First ship is named "Mablung."
200-ton Ranger class Deep Scout (Type SU)
Using a custom 200-ton hull, the "Ranger" class Deep Scout is an older TL-13 design intended for missions beyond Imperial borders. It features Jump-4 drives, with 2-Gs of acceleration in normal space, and possesses the fuel scoops and purification plant needed for extended operations. Her crew have individual staterooms and the cargo bay can carry sufficient supplies for 5 months of operations without external support, if needed. The Model/5 computer gives excellent sensor coverage and ship support. Armed with two triple turrets, each equipped with a missile launcher, sandcaster, and pulse laser, the "Ranger" class can look after itself against most pirate vessels. Six tons of superdense armor protects the bridge, computer, turrets and engineering spaces at factor-4. One air/raft is carried as a ship's vehicle for ground operations, and the hull is fully streamlined for atmospheric flight.
The ship layout is a flying wing with the fuel in the wings. The bridge, computer, and engineering spaces are built into a two-deck armored citadel in the center of the hull, with the bridge, computer, and jump drive on the upper deck while the powerplant, maneuver drives and fuel plant are on the lower engineering deck. The crew quarters are to port of the citadel, half a deck down from the bridge deck while the cargo and air/raft bays are to starboard, and also half a deck down from the bridge deck. Ramps connect the bridge deck with the crew quarters and cargo bay. Both turrets are dorsally mounted, one to port and one to starboard on the citadel.
Crews of the Ranger class report them as excellent ships, easy to handle and maintain. Their interior layout is said to be a little awkward. The designers only allowed six penetrations of the armored citadel: the accesses leading to the two armored turrets; two conduits for wiring/piping/cabling; and two personnel entries, both on the upper deck, one leading to the crew quarters and the other to the cargo bay. As a result, if anyone wishes to go to the lower engineering deck from the crew quarters or cargo bay, they must first go up to the bridge deck and then down to the lower engineering deck. All the exterior airlocks are outside the citadel and the main personnel airlock is in the cargo bay, forcing the crew to cross the entire habitable space of the ship just to go outside when landed.
The Ranger class is being replaced by a newer TL-15 design, and so these older ships (many Rangers are over 100 years old) are being made available to detached duty scouts with exemplary records. A few ships have even been sold, finding a niche market as high-jump-capable yachts or private couriers. They are not profitable in regular commercial service.
HIGH GUARD STATS
Ship: Mablung
Class: Ranger
Type: Deep Scout
Architect: Osmanski Designs, LIC
Tech Level: 13
USP
SU-2642451-030000-20002-0 MCr 169.030 200 Tons
Crew: 6
TL: 13
Cargo: 10.000 Fuel: 88.000 EP: 8.000 Agility: 1 Pulse Lasers
Craft: 1 x 4T Air/raft
Fuel Treatment: Fuel Scoops and On Board Fuel Purification
Architects Fee: MCr 1.684 Cost in Quantity: MCr 135.344
Detailed Description
HULL
200.000 tons standard, 2,800.000 cubic meters, Flattened Sphere Configuration
CREW
Pilot, 2 Engineers, Medic, 2 Gunners
ENGINEERING
Jump-4, 2G Manuever, Power plant-4, 8.000 EP, Agility 1
AVIONICS
Bridge, Model/5 Computer
HARDPOINTS
2 Hardpoints
ARMAMENT
2 Triple Mixed Turrets each with: 1 Pulse Laser (Factor-2), 1 Missile Rack (Factor-2), 1 Sandcaster (Factor-3)
DEFENCES
Citadel Armor (Factor-4) over bridge, computer, turrets and engineering spaces
CRAFT
1 4.000 ton Air/raft (Crew of 0, Cost of MCr 0.600)
FUEL
88.000 Tons Fuel (4 parsecs jump and 28 days endurance)
On Board Fuel Scoops, On Board Fuel Purification Plant
MISCELLANEOUS
6.0 Staterooms, 10.000 Tons Cargo
USER DEFINED COMPONENTS
Citadel armor (f-4) protecting bridge, computer, turrets, and engineering spaces (6.000 tons, Cost MCr 4.200)
COST
MCr 170.114 Singly (incl. Architects fees of MCr 1.684), MCr 134.744 in Quantity, plus MCr 0.600 of Carried Craft
CONSTRUCTION TIME
57 Weeks Singly, 46 Weeks in Quantity
Great minds think alike. I too have a number of 100yr plus vessels in my 1212 TNE campaign. And I'm also very fond of the flying wing designs.
I run ships through a mandatory 20% refit every 40years (given they weren't mothballed) to keep
them going. This version of the Ranger SCT is not
upgraded but many of MTU Commonwealth and Regency Navy ships have TL16 power plants. The governments are capable of mass production of this TL16 item... It shows maintenance activities to
the players so they don't take it for granted.
Of course, there is the refit problem or original wiring that they must contend with continuously.
Ship maintenance naturally goes up.
I've pushed Virus back to TL12-13 unless its an inherited device, and Vlani are at TL15 again.
Vargr range from TL14 and down...
***
I am fond of the Tenders and will continue with a few more Home Rule improvements. I believe they'd be more common than the MT 2kt and CT 1.8kt freighters.
Savage
