Khasidel's Starship/Station Design Sequence

🚧 This article is a work in progress; It is currently not approved as canon.

This is a possible alternative to the old starship design aid using stat tables found here and here. The ultimate goal is to depict the different ship classes, sizes, capabilities and the divergent technology of each civilizations level of advancement more realistically.

The critical first step is to determine the ultimate role for a vessel or station. Which species does your creation belong to? How advanced are they? Is it a civilian freighter? A warship or a science vessel? This guide is also intended for use in designing space installations, so perhaps you want to design a research station, a shipyard or a orbital mineral refinery, etc.

After determining the purpose for the ship or station, select a class designation; for this you can take inspiration from the intended role of the ship. A warship's name might have military connotations, i.e. Battleaxe-class destroyer, or Destier-class cruiser (named for medieval warhorses). A science vessel might be named something like Discovery-Class survey vessel. Alien species might have their starship classes named in their own language with a translation of the class name into English listed within the relevant wiki article.

Next is the tech rating. The tech rating for starships and stations within this design guide is currently divided into five categories. It is a measure of a species technological advancement; determining the performance level of technology, while restricting certain types of technology from appearing within their ships and stations until the civilizations tech rating is high enough.

The tech ratings are:

These ships and stations belong to a civilization that is pre-FTL and hasn't yet developed the more exotic technologies like shields, gravity control, faster-than-light drives, reactionless slower-than-light drives, FTL sensors and communications etc. They are still more advanced than 21st century humanity and have technology like fusion torch drives, nuclear fusion power plants, and basic energy, missile and projectile weapons coupled with comparable armor and materials science. They are essentially on the cusp of joining the galactic community, but haven't quite made it there on their own yet.

The Tech-1 rating refers to those civilizations that have only just joined the galactic community; they have at least developed a working stardrive and begun to utilize the more exotic technologies like energy shields, particle weapons, anti-matter power, reactionless drives, gravity control, etc. This is the 'standard' category where new player factions introduced to the setting typically begin.

Civilizations of the Tech-2 rating still utilize most of the same basic technologies acquired when they attained the level of Tech-1, but they have become more refined and efficient. Tech-2 civilizations do still have access to a few new technologies, engines and weaponry classes that were too advanced for a Tech-1 race to possess. This is the 'advanced' category where player factions that have been part of the setting for a few years typically reside.

The Tech-3 civilizations are the SARP settings power factions; they are sufficiently developed to utilize aether-based weaponry and power systems and typically have the most advanced defences, materials science, sensors, comms and drive systems widely available in the setting. This is the old 'very advanced' category for player factions.

The Tech-4 rating is largely conceptual; no existing factions have technology within this tier as yet; though some historical factions may qualify, i.e. the Black Claw Star Empire. Technologies included in this category include transgalactic stardrive tech, efficient matter/energy conversion, world building, star crafting, advanced teleportation and generally anything too game breaking or overpowered to be widely available under the present circumstances. Tech-4 systems and ships can be used for plot elements, i.e. alien relics, derelicts and foes, but normally cannot be reverse-engineered and incorporated into a factions tech. Player factions may in the future be permitted to rise to this level – or at least possess some limited fourth tier technology – but this would be subject to moderator approval.

Select are starship/station type. Starships and stations are typically categorized in a wide variety of 'types', or 'subtypes' depending on their intended role and function. There are types which are exclusively military, exclusively civilian, and some that are used by both elements of a civilization. The following list is not all-inclusive and other types and subtypes are possible.

Fighters are the basic military small craft; typically used to combat other small craft or harry larger ships, installations and ground-based targets. They come in a few subcategories depending on their intended role, which can be further divided into light or heavy subcategories; i.e., light interceptor, or heavy assault fighter, depending on their relative size and tonnages compared to other fighters built for the same role:

• Reconnaissance Fighters or 'scouts' are designed for stealth behind enemy lines and identifying threats; they typically have oversized passive sensor packages, fast engines and superior stealth systems, but as a consequence are also lightly armed, armoured and shielded.
• Interceptors are defensive craft designed to quickly 'intercept' incoming missiles, torpedoes, bombers and fighters targeting larger ships; they are incredibly fast, but suffer from a lack of armor and are typically glass cannons.
• Assault Fighters are slow but heavily armed and armoured dogfighters built to take a beating and rip other fighters to shreds on a one-on-one basis. They are good escorts for bombers, which typically have comparable speed, aiding and protecting those ships during assaults on capital ships and installations.
• Superiority Fighters are your middle ground; they don't not really excell in any one category but their performance is such that in a pinch they can fight in almost any role. With a medium level of speed, armor, shields and weaponry, they generally are used as dogfighters and in a fighter/bomber intercept role.
• Modular Fighters are a rare type that are refitted with different equipment packages to suit a specific role; changing from an interceptor, to assault fighter or bomber as needed. Most civilizations forgo this type of fighter and build craft dedicated to a specific role as these designs usually require specialized facilities to switch out equipment packages between missions.

Bombers are a variety of small craft designed to engage targets with missile and torpedo ordinance; often the amount of firepower a bomber carries is disproportionate to their size and a significant threat to any capital ship, installation or ground-based target – however most bombers lack the manoeuvrability and performance of fighters and are vulnerable to interception.

Like fighters, there are a number of bomber subcategories which are further subdivided into light and heavy depending on their relative size and tonnages to other bombers in the same role:

• Strike Bombers are usually aerospace craft designed to engage ground-based targets, often in support of troops, tanks and other friendly forces deployed upon a planet. When a commander on the ground calls for an airstrike, this is the bomber type used for the role. Compared to other bomber categories, strike bombers are usually more lightly armoured and faster, have better atmospheric performance, and carry large quantities of lighter missile or bomb ordinance used to take out troops and tanks instead of torpedoes suited to destroying massive starships or space installations.
• Tactical Bombers are mid-sized and moderately armoured torpedo and bomb carrying aerospace craft designed specifically to engage and damage capital ships, space installations and planetary installations; their payload is typically a devastating threat to any large target or facility, but they are slower than strike bombers and are much more vulnerable to fighters.
• Strategic Bombers carry the most devastating torpedo and bomb payloads available to a given faction; weapons that can devastate entire cities and are significant threat to even the largest and most powerful targets. Usually their payload is limited in number and they are also typically the slowest and most heavily armoured bomber category.
• Stealth Bombers are specifically designed to minimize their sensor, power plant and drive emissions so that they might approach as close as possible to their target before detection. While stealth bombers might be designed to carry ordinance from any other bomber category, they typically sacrifice significant amounts of performance and durability to obtain their stealth advantage.

Some civilizations utilize mecha as a form of combat vehicle; these are typically large bipedal or pseudo-humanoid shaped vehicles that can operate on the ground by walking in addition to being able to operate in the air and in space using some form of drive technology. Some mecha are also capable of reconfiguring themselves into a more efficient aerospace fighter/bomber configuration when they are operating in air or in space.

Mecha are more prevalent in Tech-0 or Tech-1 civilizations with non-existent or limited anti-gravity tech; the development of which makes large 'walker' type weapons platforms less efficient and common. Mecha subcategories are typically fighter/bomber analogues depending on their intended role and also come in light and heavy variants:

• Reconnaissance Mecha or 'scout' mecha fill essentially the same niche as a scout fighter, with the only significant difference being that the mecha variant can also serve as a recon platform while stuck on a planetary surface. Scout mecha are typically more lightly armoured and shielded, with better passive sensors and stealth technology than other mecha.
• Mecha Interceptors are fast and nimble defensive vehicles designed to supplement the point defence of a facility or starship; like their fighter equivalent they are designed to 'intercept' and destroy bombers, missiles, torpedoes, fighters and other mecha before they endanger their home base, carrier or other mission objective, but their design usually lacks the heavier armour and defences of other mecha and fighter types.
• Assault Mecha are usually larger and more heavily armoured and shielded types built to engage other small craft and win the engagement, or serve as an escort for slower mecha or other vehicle type carrying heavy ordinance. They typically lack the speed and manoeuvrability of most mecha, but have superior firepower to most as well.
• Superiority Mecha like their fighter craft analogue are a mid-range dedicated anti-mecha type, designed with a range of capabilities that do not excel in any specific category, but allow them to perform adequately in most combat roles.
• Strike Mecha are designed for a support role and typically carry significant missile or bomb ordinance, usually to engage and destroy troops, tanks or when in space to take out other fighters and mecha quickly and efficiently.
• Tactical Mecha are designed to engage starships and facilities; they are usually armed with oversized beam weaponry, artillery or warhead ordinance capable of posing a threat to most large targets. They lack survivability in direct combat against other mecha or fighter craft.
• Strategic Mecha carry weaponry of an extremely powerful type, but usually limited in quantity. They are capable of posing a threat to strategic targets like cities, star fortresses and the largest ship types available, but are usually extremely vulnerable to other mecha and fighters.
• Modular Mecha designs are more common than their fighter equivalent given their usual humanoid form; many of the basic mecha subcategories are at least partially modular, but mecha which switch subcategory entirely from mecha interceptor, strike mecha or assault mecha with a change of hardware are prevalent amongst the civilizations that use mecha at all.
• Reconfigurable Mecha designs are a variant of the other mecha categories; these are capable of changing to and from an aerospace fighter/bomber configuration with typically superior performance in air and space.

Corvettes or 'gunboats' are significantly larger than fighters, bombers and mecha, allowing them to pack in proportionately more crew and equipment of all types; armor, shields, drives, weaponry, etc, but are still categorized as a small craft. On occasion some vessels are designed to carry corvettes as a support unit, but most corvettes are equipped with their own stardrive and can operate independently. Routinely, corvette-type vessels are used as light escorts or for policing and customs duties – they are usually heavily armed enough and fast enough that they are more than an even match with most civilian vessels. Because of their larger size, some corvettes have enough interior space for specialized roles like boarding actions or small craft rearming and refuelling duties.

Corvettes are often designed – like most starships – with specific roles in mind. Subcategories include the following and are also further subdivided into light and heavy variants:

• Reconnaissance Corvette
• Assault Corvette
• Torpedo Corvette
• Missile Corvette
• Escort Corvette
• Patrol Corvette
• Support Corvette
• Boarding Corvette

• Frigates
• Destroyers
• Gunships
• Cruisers
• Battleships
• Dreadnoughts
• Flagships
• Repair Vessels

• Lifepods
• Launches
• Gigs
• Cutters
• Pinnaces
• Shuttles

• Passenger Liners
• Yachts
• Freighters
• Survey Vessels
• Mining Vessels
• Construction Vessels
• Colonization Vessels
• Terraformers

• Shipyard
• Fortress
• Warehouse
• Colony
• Refinery
• Research
• Production
• Agriculture
• Repair
• Defence Platform
• Communication
• Sensor

When designing a ship or station using this guide, every design needs a displacement value in cubic meters (m³); a measure of the volume or the amount of physical space that its structure occupies. For some ship and station types there may be a range or limit for the displacement value that determines whether a design fits in a specific category.

This value is important for determining how much equipment and how many compartments can fit inside a given design. Every compartment type and system has its own displacement value and once a design reaches its full capacity no more can be added.

• Light Fighters: 20-1500
• Heavy Fighters: 1501-3000

• Light Bombers: 20-1500
• Heavy Bombers: 1501-3000

• Light Mecha: 20-1500
• Heavy Mecha: 1501-3000

• Light Corvettes: 3001-35,000
• Heavy Corvettes: 35,001-70,000

• Light Dropship: 3001-35,000
• Heavy Dropship: 35,001-70,000

• Light Combat Drone: 20-35,000
• Heavy Combat Drone: 35,001-70,000

• Light Frigates: 70,001-225,000
• Heavy Frigates: 225,001-375,000

• Light Destroyer: 375,001-625,000
• Heavy Destroyer: 625,001-850,000

• Gunships
• Cruisers
• Battleships
• Dreadnoughts
• Flagships
• Repair Vessels

• Lifepods
• Launches
• Gigs
• Cutters
• Pinnaces
• Shuttles

• Passenger Liners
• Yachts
• Freighters
• Survey Vessels
• Mining Vessels
• Construction Vessels
• Colonization Vessels
• Terraformers

• Shipyard
• Fortress
• Warehouse
• Colony
• Refinery
• Research
• Production
• Agriculture
• Repair
• Defence Platform
• Communication
• Sensor

Khasidel created this article on 2016/04/05 05:40.