Earth Systems Alliance Starting Ships

[Execrated1 (OP)]

These are the starting designs for the Earth Systems Alliance.  None of them are anything special, as the idea is that they will have to "learn" what is best.  As such, my fighting ships are only armed with ASMs.  This is to reflect the fact that the Alliance has never met anyone else in space.  Common sense tells them they need a Navy to police their systems, but they aren't even thinking about hostile alien races.  The lack of jump capable military vessels is down to funding.  They just don't feel that they can afford to field them, and so they plan to go the jump gate route.


Up first: My Geo-Survey ship.  It's just a standard GEV, commercial parts to save on maintenance and overhaul needs.  The ships are named after minerals.  Currently there are two in service: MSV Amber and MSV Sapphire

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Discovery class Geological Survey Vessel    9,350 tons     80 Crew     501.2 BP      TCS 187  TH 480  EM 0
2566 km/s    JR 1-25(C)     Armour 1-39     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/2     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
MSP 34    Max Repair 100 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 18 months    Spare Berths 7    

Tokyo Electric M220-S50 Commercial Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 11000 tons    Distance 25k km     Squadron Size 1
Benckiser A120 Commercial Ion Drive (4)    Power 120    Fuel Use 6.07%    Signature 120    Exp 4%
Fuel Capacity 750,000 Litres    Range 237.8 billion km   (1072 days at full power)

Geological Survey Sensors (2)   2 Survey Points Per Hour

This design is classed as a Commercial Vessel for maintenance purposes


Next is the GSV.  Again, just a standard design.  Neither the GSV or GEV ships have weapons or defenses.  None are planned until either they run into a hostile NPR, or the Alliance expands enough to warrant protection from "pirates. " Ships are named after explorers.  Currently two in service: MSV Leif Ericson and MSV Amerigo Vespucci.

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Napoleon class Gravitational Survey Vessel    5,450 tons     137 Crew     783.45 BP      TCS 109  TH 270  EM 0
2477 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 1-27     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/2/0     Damage Control Rating 6     PPV 0
Maint Life 6.04 Years     MSP 539    AFR 39%    IFR 0.6%    1YR 25    5YR 380    Max Repair 105 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 18 months    Spare Berths 11    

Tokyo Electric M150-S25 MJD     Max Ship Size 7500 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Gemini Power A135-ECO Ion Drive (2)    Power 135    Fuel Use 33.12%    Signature 135    Exp 7%
Fuel Capacity 1,000,000 Litres    Range 99.7 billion km   (465 days at full power)

MHill Tek R120-MR69 Sensor Suite (1)     GPS 12600     Range 69.0m km    Resolution 120
Gravitational Survey Sensors (2)   2 Survey Points Per Hour

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes


The Indigo class Corvette is my first attempt to create ships that fit into classes based upon size and role.  Corvettes in this game are currently no more than about 4000 tons.  Corvettes will be used as small support and patrol craft.  They're named after animals.  Six are in service: SSV Velociraptor, SSV Viper, SSV Walrus, SSV Wasp, SSV Weasel and SSV Werewolf.  Everyone wants to be the CO of the SSV Velociraptor, nobody wants command of the Walrus or Weasel.

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Indigo class Corvette    4,000 tons     121 Crew     699.8 BP      TCS 80  TH 240  EM 0
3000 km/s     Armour 2-22     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 2     PPV 20
Maint Life 3.21 Years     MSP 219    AFR 64%    IFR 0.9%    1YR 32    5YR 480    Max Repair 168 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 9 months    Spare Berths 6    
Magazine 80    

Gemini Power A120-M Ion Drive (2)    Power 120    Fuel Use 72%    Signature 120    Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres    Range 31.3 billion km   (120 days at full power)

Type 4-A Missile Launcher (5)    Missile Size 4    Rate of Fire 40
Prism Industries A151 Fire Control (1)     Range 151.2m km    Resolution 100
Lionhead Mk1 Anti-Ship Missile (20)  Speed: 18,000 km/s   End: 97m    Range: 104.8m km   WH: 4    Size: 4    TH: 84/50/25

MHill Tek R120-MR110 Sensor Suite (1)     GPS 20160     Range 110.4m km    Resolution 120

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes


For those of you that don't know, Littoral-Combat Ships are smaller vessels designed to operate in shallow waters where larger ships can't safely maneuver.  My LCS classes are designed for near-planet defense and interceptions.  They will probably continue to have more speed than other ships of a comparable size.  The reasoning behind them is that the Alliance wanted a fast class of ships to perform interdiction operations between Earth and Mars.  The Epsilon is the first such ship.  These ships are named after breeds of dogs.  There are four in service: SSV Afghan, SSV Airedale, SSV Beagle and SSV Whippet.

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Epsilon class Littoral-Combat Ship    7,100 tons     233 Crew     1233 BP      TCS 142  TH 720  EM 0
5070 km/s     Armour 4-32     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 4     PPV 40
Maint Life 3.6 Years     MSP 434    AFR 100%    IFR 1.4%    1YR 52    5YR 776    Max Repair 168 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 9 months    Spare Berths 4    
Magazine 160    

Gemini Power A180-P1.5 Ion Drive (4)    Power 180    Fuel Use 198.41%    Signature 180    Exp 15%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres    Range 6.4 billion km   (14 days at full power)

Type 4-A Missile Launcher (10)    Missile Size 4    Rate of Fire 40
Prism Industries A151 Fire Control (1)     Range 151.2m km    Resolution 100
Lionhead Mk1 Anti-Ship Missile (40)  Speed: 18,000 km/s   End: 97m    Range: 104.8m km   WH: 4    Size: 4    TH: 84/50/25

MHill Tek R120-MR110 Sensor Suite (1)     GPS 20160     Range 110.4m km    Resolution 120

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes


PDCs in this campaign can be thought of as military bases instead of bunkers.  Though I currently only have the one design, I plan to create a different class to fulfill any new roles that pop up.  There will be fighter bases, missile bases, troop barracks, fuel depots and so on.  This one has the CIWS because the RNG gave me Fire Control Speed Rating 6250 km/s at the start.  Which is kinda nice, but at the same time that's a lot of RP that went into one single technology.  I just figured I'd roll with it.  These are named after forts.  Currently there is only one: Fort George.

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Steadfast class Planetary Defence Centre    13,750 tons     469 Crew     2192.2 BP      TCS 275  TH 0  EM 0
Armour 14-51     Sensors 1/420     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 120
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Spare Berths 2    
Magazine 120    

CIWS-250 (4x4)    Range 1000 km     TS: 25000 km/s     ROF 5       Base 50% To Hit
Prototype GtS Missile Launcher (20)    Missile Size 6    Rate of Fire 30
Prism Industries A151 Fire Control (2)     Range 151.2m km    Resolution 100

Tokyo Electric Planetary Sensor Suite (1)     GPS 33600     Range 225.4m km    Resolution 80


This design is classed as a Planetary Defence Centre and can be pre-fabricated in 6 sections

My plan is to change the naming conventions in a couple of years.  I liked the idea of starting out with some terrible names, that will then be carried over as legacy names later on.  That idea might not come to fruition if enough time passes without me running into an NPR that wants to fight, but I'm gonna remain hopeful.  Regardless of that, however, I will probably be changing the names around year 85, as the result of a new PR campaign to "increase enlistment numbers. " By then the Alliance should be expanding enough to warrant the need for more people serving in the military.

[Execrated1 (OP)]

Also, suggestions are greatly appreciated. I've decided on 7 main classifications for my Navy. They are as follows:

Fast Attack Craft - Roughly 1000 tons, these ships will do exactly what their name suggests. They are intended to move in quick, release their offensive payloads, and then retreat again. Variants may include Anti-FAC, Point Defense and Scouting.

Corvettes - Between about 1000 and 4000 tons, these ships are intended to support larger ships and patrol duty in Alliance controlled systems. Variants may include dedicated missile ships, point defense, and troop transport.

Frigates - Ships of about 4000 and 7000 tons, Frigates are designed for offensive and defensive roles against other ships. Intended to operate in groups of 1 to 5, they will have to fill a number of roles. These will include screening of friendly capital ships as well as attacking enemy forces. They are also intended for patrol duty in less secure systems where the smaller Corvette might be out-classed. Frigates will basically be all the same, armed with anti-ship and point defense systems, though some of them might be designed with stealth activities in mind(Yay SSV Normandy!).

Littoral-Combat Ship - Ships in this class will be up to about 7000 tons. These are highly specialized vessels intended for near orbit interception and interdiction. They are equipped with more powerful, and more fuel hungry, engines than other ships of their size which gives them a higher maximum speed. They will be equipped with weapons designed to defend against and destroy smaller ships.

Cruisers - 7000 to 12000 tons. These are the main offensive vessel of the Alliance Navy. They are intended for operations in task forces which will include support ships, allowing variants to specialize in a specific role. Variants will include anti-ship, anti-missile and scout cruisers.

Battlecruisers - 10000 to 15000 tons. Tougher and more powerful than their cruiser cousins, Battlecruisers will be used as heavy offensive and defensive vessels. They are intended to be equipped with both offensive and defensive systems, allowing them to engage the enemy or support friendly vessels as needed.

Dreadnought - 15000 tons and up. These are intended to be the biggest and baddest ships under Alliance Command. They will be force projectors, equipped with devastating offensive weapons and dedicated point defense systems. The size and cost of these ships will limit them to much smaller numbers than other ships.

All of the ship sizes are, of course, only guidelines. As technology advances I might make the ships bigger to accommodate more systems, or smaller to make them faster and more agile.

[davidb86]

A quick note, your jump drives are significantly larger than the ships they are mounted on.   This means you have wasted space as the limit on jumps is the lesser of the drive rating or the size of the ship the drive is on.   Thus the Discovery can only jump ships up to 9,350 tons even though it has an 11,000 ton drive.   Using a 9,000 ton rated drive would save roughly 500 tons, allowing the discovery to come in at 9,000 tons and possibly add additional sensors as well as being cheaper to research and produce, and slightly faster for the same engines.   The same comment applies to the Napoleon which is 5,450 with a rated JD of 7,500.   A JD rated 5000 tons would save 625 tons, enough to get the ship back to 5,000 tons and still add fuel or sensors.

[Execrated1 (OP)]

You know what? I didn't even notice that. I use the instant button to create the initial designs for any components I plan on using right from the start, and those jump engines were made before I had even decided on what the ships would look like. For my next game, I'll have to design the ships before the jump drives. As for this game, I'll just have to pay more attention when I either upgrade those two classes, or design my next jump capable vessel. Thank you for pointing that out.

[MagusXIX]

"Next Game?"  What next game?  Doesn't this game go on forever?

[Execrated1 (OP)]

Nope, at some point I'm going to give you guys a drawn out and confusing ending and then make you wait months before clarifying it a little. I warned you I drew inspiration from Mass Effect. Hopefully the first few years will be up tonight. Nothing really exciting has happened, since its only the first couple years of a single faction start, but I've found that typing it up in a timeline has made things more fun for me.