Needed Designs

[Wes]

Here's what we need right now (feel free to add to this list):

• <s>Military (automated) border monitoring stations, easily mass produced</s>
• <s>A ship that can carry and deploy the above stations, if no current ship can</s>
• More civilian ships, to include older models (Oberon power!)
• <s>A standard surface starport facility</s>
• More non-Star Army military ship designs (SMX, Elysian, Nepleslian)
• A lower-tech scout ship for exploring systems without using restricted tech - suitable for corporate, civilian or military use.
• More cargo ships, both military and civilian
• <s>Small mobile stations (think floating malls) to hang out with fleets</s>
• <s>Agricultural ships to hang out with fleets</s>

 

[Mike]

Some thoughts about these items...

Military (automated) border monitoring stations, easily mass produced
A ship that can carry and deploy the above stations, if no current ship can

If there's a freighter they fit in, use it, but you might need a small "tug" ship or two to go with it to deploy the station.
If they're too big for a freighter, consider a ship that is really just a set of modules that "straps on" to the station and moves it. If the station dimensions and masses are standardized, this becomes easy, and you might even be able to tie multiple stations together into one ship for transport.

More civilian ships, to include older models (Oberon power!)

Question: Does the Star Army retire their old ships? If so, could a civilian purchase an old, demilitarized SA ship? (This partly overlaps into the pirates thread.)

A standard surface starport facility

Modularity would rule here. Just design standard "base modules" that do certain things, and hook them up with tunnels. Then the GM just has to see which types and how many go into the base.

These modules can be used on moons as well, in which case they can be built underground to save building materials and to shield everyone from radiation.

A high-mobility space suit for Star Army personnel

Think Delta-type simplicity.

More non-Star Army military ship designs (SMX, Elysian, Nepleslian)

Question: For the Elysians, Neplesians, etc., how big are their drydocks, i.e. how big a ship can they deploy? How many ships can be supported at once by their economies?

A lower-tech scout ship for exploring systems without using restricted tech - suitable for corporate, civilian or military use.

Something like the Oberon with the necessary science packages added on? Sounds like something that would be a conversion of an existing civilian freighter, not necessarily a class in itself.

More cargo ships, both military and civilian

Remember to have the military buy civilian ships, too. The Air Force doesn't buy 747s for cargo transport because they have a low wing, which puts the cargo floor way off the ground. For aircraft that aren't transporting bulk cargo, the military will just buy civilian aircraft and pay extra for modifications (like air refueling gear); ref. C-135 series and the KC-10.

Small mobile stations (think floating malls) to hang out with fleets

How mobile? Will they travel with an advancing front-line fleet? (Not recommended; they'd make great targets.) Will they hang back in the reserves? If the front lines get overrun, can the station move or be moved to safety, or will it be abandoned and scuttled? Is it mobile like a ship, or is it something you shut down (possibly breaking it into components), ship it somewhere, and reassemble/reactivate it there?

Agricultural ships to hang out with fleets

Specialized? Could a modified freighter do the job, or are you looking for a dome ship with an orchard or three in it?

We probably should try to reuse stuff as much as possible for behind-the-lines tasks, in general. The most work on new designs are going to be going to the front-line military, since they're out there on the bleeding edge.

I've played too much Star Fleet Battles and Federation & Empire...

 

[Wes]

Question: Does the Star Army retire their old ships? If so, could a civilian purchase an old, demilitarized SA ship? (This partly overlaps into the pirates thread.)

Yes, it's common practice. ^_^

Question: For the Elysians, Neplesians, etc., how big are their drydocks, i.e. how big a ship can they deploy? How many ships can be supported at once by their economies?

I suppose, as large as needed. Most Elysian ships tend to be small, while Nepleslian ships vary as widely as their population does. Elysians can support around a thousand ships, while the Nepleslians probably have ten thousand or perhaps more ships of all sorts.

Something like the Oberon with the necessary science packages added on? Sounds like something that would be a conversion of an existing civilian freighter, not necessarily a class in itself.

I'd like to see a new ship, actually, since the more non-overpowered ships there are around, the better. ^_^;

Remember to have the military buy civilian ships, too. The Air Force doesn't buy 747s for cargo transport because they have a low wing, which puts the cargo floor way off the ground. For aircraft that aren't transporting bulk cargo, the military will just buy civilian aircraft and pay extra for modifications (like air refueling gear); ref. C-135 series and the KC-10.

Star Army cargo ships would be rather heavily armed and armored and would take advantage of restricted technologies the civilian ship makers would have access to.

How mobile? Will they travel with an advancing front-line fleet? (Not recommended; they'd make great targets.) Will they hang back in the reserves? If the front lines get overrun, can the station move or be moved to safety, or will it be abandoned and scuttled? Is it mobile like a ship, or is it something you shut down (possibly breaking it into components), ship it somewhere, and reassemble/reactivate it there?

They'd hang out with battle fleets, but during battles, they' hang out in the rear, relatively far away from the battle. If they were captured, they would probably contain little of strategic value (pizza shops, clothes, movie theatres, etc).

Specialized? Could a modified freighter do the job, or are you looking for a dome ship with an orchard or three in it?

Specialized, designed to feed the fleets on the go. They'd need to be rather large and contain a number of special internal recycling systems.

 

[technococcus]

WIth respect to the Space Suit thing, someone recently developed a way to spray a net of fibers around a person's limbs and torso to provide exterior tension to prevent depressurization. They've coupled this idea with a small helmet-and-breastplate-thing rig to make a sexy little form-fitting spacesuit that actually works. All you'd have to do to make it what you're looking for would be to add a thin jumpsuit underneath of the spun-on suit (which could be recycled after stripping it off after a mission and reprocessed to be spun on again) to insulate the wearer from the frigid temperatures of deep space. Add a comlink to the helmet and give this thang a space-rated sidearm and an equipment belt/harness and you've got an all-purpose, lightweight, slimline, space suit for both the Star Army and civilians.

 

[Zack]

I think the NDI has been using a more advanced form of that tech for a while. Do you think you could write up some stats?

 

[Anonymous]

May I design and build...

An automated shipyard/shipdock, with ports for building non-SA vessels, pods, capsules, wepons, charges, and other useful materials.

The design will be property of me as will the station itself, but I will build as many as nessary to supply my clients and myself.

I can control the ststion from a platform inside my ship.

I will also need a grant for the space.

 

[Jadg Wolf]

If you do not accept this agreement and/or are under the age of 16, you may not access or use StarArmy.com or its services.

--http://www.stararmy.com/misc/policy_main.html

Sorry.

 

[Wes]

*Bans Super Baka for being 14, when the site requires one to be 16 to register*

 

[Zakalwe]

I am working on some of these ideas. NovaCorp is intrested, and ready to fill in the gap as always.

Emrys may be making some transports, it has been doing considerable research, and as such is likely to have more advanced technology. Not as advanced as NovaCorp, naturally, but I think enough to build a civilian transport. I'm thinking low range CCD or Hyper Space drive. Not certain.

Looking forward to this.

Edit: NovaCorp now wishes to know about the Military (automated) border monitoring stations, about what they are meant to do, how heavily armed they are required to be.

 

[Goose]

Hi I just signed up and still haven't really done that much but I was browsing and came across this and I saw this particular quote I had to comment on.

Wes wrote:
Agricultural ships to hang out with fleets

Mike wrote:
Specialized? Could a modified freighter do the job, or are you looking for a dome ship with an orchard or three in it?

If I read this thread correctly and you are designing some new types of ships/technology's then I would simply like to say that Dome ships just aren't right for supplying a fleet. Simplu put they are too inefficient. The whole premise of the dome is to create a sort of planetary feel to it, more recreational. Plus it's much larger and more expensive.

I feel that if an agricultural supply ship were created it would be similiar to a semi. Have a "cab" front for living quaters, control, engineering, basically ship runnings. Then behind it have some sort of compartment(s) where the food would grow. Most likely some sort of hydroponics with artifical sun lighting and automated watering system. That would work for smaller plants however if larger plants were required such as an apple tree it could be a dwarf that was pruned or possibly geneticlly altered to overproduce fruit.

For delivery and management of this system it could quite easily be automated. Most management wouldn't be required due to the fact that it is in a controlled enviornment without the effects of weather, insects, or other uncontrollable variables. Pruning however would require manpower. Once fruit was collected if it went through procesing or something (I haven't quite thought of that yet) it could be put into small automated cargo pods and programmed to go to a ship where they would be unloaded and then sent back.


This is what I came up with on my limited knowledge of the technology here and how things run but I hope I'm not taking up space with useless banter and that this may somehow help.

 

[Rei]

Hi I just signed up and still haven't really done that much but I was browsing and came across this and I saw this particular quote I had to comment on.

Wes wrote:
Agricultural ships to hang out with fleets

Mike wrote:
Specialized? Could a modified freighter do the job, or are you looking for a dome ship with an orchard or three in it?

If I read this thread correctly and you are designing some new types of ships/technology's then I would simply like to say that Dome ships just aren't right for supplying a fleet. Simplu put they are too inefficient. The whole premise of the dome is to create a sort of planetary feel to it, more recreational. Plus it's much larger and more expensive.

I feel that if an agricultural supply ship were created it would be similiar to a semi. Have a "cab" front for living quaters, control, engineering, basically ship runnings. Then behind it have some sort of compartment(s) where the food would grow. Most likely some sort of hydroponics with artifical sun lighting and automated watering system. That would work for smaller plants however if larger plants were required such as an apple tree it could be a dwarf that was pruned or possibly geneticlly altered to overproduce fruit.

For delivery and management of this system it could quite easily be automated. Most management wouldn't be required due to the fact that it is in a controlled enviornment without the effects of weather, insects, or other uncontrollable variables. Pruning however would require manpower. Once fruit was collected if it went through procesing or something (I haven't quite thought of that yet) it could be put into small automated cargo pods and programmed to go to a ship where they would be unloaded and then sent back.


This is what I came up with on my limited knowledge of the technology here and how things run but I hope I'm not taking up space with useless banter and that this may somehow help.

You're exactly correct. I was thinking about this class of ships the first time I saw this thread, and ideally it would be as you described, but maybe not with detachable sections. What I would think is there would be more than one output center. Each section for produce would be divided by enviroment or season. Keeping each section able to turn out the most produce with the least amount of people staffing is most important, and then being able to supply these items to the fleet in short order. I'll collaborate on one if you want, if not I look forward to seeing a design. ^^

 

[Zack]

Zakalwe already came up with a more efficent design than a box.

 

[Goose]

Zakalwe already came up with a more efficent design than a box.

Cool I look forward to seeing that, oh and a "box" design was just a first thought.

 

[Scott]

Wouldnt using the inside of a cylander be more efficient for travel and area reasons?

 

[Zack]

Depends on what your trying to do.

 

[Goose]

Do you have any more information on what Zakalwe's design is?

 

[Zack]

He posted it in this forum somewhere.

 

[Wes]

https://stararmy.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/v ... php?t=1600

 

[Andrew]

Something I was toying with:

Project : A.S.S.P. (Automated Stealth Scout Project)

I have been reveiwing the designs for some of the SA's scout ships. From what I have seen all of the ships require a crew. I was thinking that a good idea might be to use one of the hull designs already in service but create an automated long ranged stealth scout for recon and missions considered to be too dangerous for living personnel.

I was specifically considering using the Nozomi Hull Design since it already has very little personnel friendly areas.

The advantages of having a ship like this would not only reduce the risk to SA personnel but also allow for more sensory, weaponry and other mission specific devices to be installed instead of crew support areas, lifesupport systems and so on.

Anyway just an idea..

 

[Rei]

The difference between automated and a crew is command decisions. Even in the battle for Tami the slaved AI's were commanded by the Mikomi. Scouting is the particular design for the class, but it houses a powerful cannon, not to mention a smaller, more cost efficent drone or something could be made for low priority scouting? It's a big mess, anyway. There's a pro and con with that, I guess is my point.