To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest)

[OneirosTheWriter]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X][PERS] Commodore Zrai ch'Shennaryth

2314.Q4


Starfleet Security officers check your biometrics again before letting you into the inner sanctum of the complex that houses Tactical Command. If there was one thing Vice Admirals Sulu and Linderley could agree on, it was a certain paranoia about the need for physical security. With every uncovering of a Lecarre infiltrator, another security measure comes into play. Prudent, of course, but at the same time increasingly irritating. Your entourage is decidedly slimmer than Admiral Kahurangi's used to be, but even then it still takes time to clear checkpoints!

When you arrive inside, you see a number of Starfleet's finest, poring over such reports on Licori ships as are available. Harriman, Thuir, and T'Lorel back from Orion peacekeeping. Saavik is present as well, guiding the others through a sensor readout of the Licori cruiser's warp signature. And overseeing it all, calm and grandfatherly, is Vice Admiral Sulu. He spares you a wry smile as he spies you walk in, and you can see in it a little of the man who once stormed the bridge of the Enterprise with a sword.

"Admiral Sousa!" you hear. Rear Admiral Pragur, Sulu's newest Chief of Staff, approaches from the side. "Welcome back to Starfleet Tactical Command."

==============

Current Required Ship Roles, as identified by Starfleet Tactical:

Heavy Explorer
Component Needs: FYM-Capable, need Explorer Frame, Medium+ Operations Frame
Stat Needs: Must have 5+ Science, Presence, 4+ Combat.
Scale Needs: No max-size or crew, minimum 2.2mt.
Intention: To conduct Five-Year-Missions, be capable of extended unsupported missions, handle severe science anomalies and conduct high-level diplomacy.

General Cruiser
Component Needs: Cruiser Frame
Stat Needs: 4+ stat average, minimum 4 Defence
Scale Needs: 1-1.5mt,
Intention: To form the backbone of the fleet when in battle, and to be the first-line of response to sector events.


Garrison Frigate
Component Needs: Frigate Frame, < 80SR
Stat Needs: Minimum 2+ all stats, 3+ Science, Presence
Scale Needs: Any
Intention: Bolster ability to protect and manage sectors within Federation space. Designed to be capable of responding competently to most events.

Combat Frigate
Component Needs: Frigate Frame, Large Tactical Frame, < 60 SR, 1+ Torpedoes
Stat Needs: 3+ Combat, 2+ Defence, 2+ Shield
Scale Needs: Any
Intention: Bolster fleet's ability to compete in combat.

Science Frigate
Component Needs: Frigate Frame, Medium+ Operations Frame, Small Tactical Frame, < 100 SR
Science Lab, LR+Nav Sensors
Stat Needs: 5+ Science, 3+ Presence, Max 2 Combat
Scale Needs: Any
Intention: A ship to replace the Oberth as a more capable, all around platform for science and short-range exploration.

=========================================


What type of ship do you believe Starfleet is currently lacking?
[ ][ROLES] Do Nothing [2.0x Weighting on this vote]

[ ][ROLES] Suggest something else

[ ][ROLES] A Garrison Cruiser to cheaply anchor home sectors
[ ][ROLES] A Light Explorer to supplement the Excelsiors
[ ][ROLES] A high-presence courier escort
[ ][ROLES] Update the Combat Escort requirements (+2 Militarisation)

Roles that you decide upon will be added to the list of available ship design projects that you can request from the Council. Roles need to have some concrete sign of being filled within five years to avoid Council action.

==========================================

Wargames

Pick a Scenario you would like to see occur:

[ ][WG] A 1v1 with any two Ships, including member world ships (Nominate two ships)
[ ][WG] A 2v2 with any Ships, including member world ships, (Nominate ships)
[ ][WG] A Fleet Battle (Cost 2pp/Explorer, 1pp/Cruiser, 1pp/2 Escorts)

==========================================


Member World Coordination Office


Ships Commenced
Vulcan - 1 Miranda Refit
Betazed - 1 Civilian Freighter
Tellar - 1 Engineering Ship
Caitian - 1 Cargo Ship
Caldonia - 1 Engineering Ship
Orion - 1 Prospector

 

[Briefvoice]

I think we would call a Borg Cube a "Pride of Kadesh-class ship" right now.

And by the way @OneirosTheWriter I kept going back through the logs to remember what they called their Mothership, and as far as I can see we haven't heard anything from the Stargazer since 2313.Q4M3... nearly a year ago!

Should we be worried?

 

[SynchronizedWritersBlock]

What about our last wargame?

 

[OneirosTheWriter]

I think we would call a Borg Cube a "Pride of Kadesh-class ship" right now.

And by the way @OneirosTheWriter I kept going back through the logs to remember what they called their Mothership, and as far as I can see we haven't heard anything from the Stargazer since 2313.Q4M3... nearly a year ago!

Should we be worried?

Click to shrink...

No, she's just been slipping my mind a little what with the pretty full dance cards we already have.

What about our last wargame?

Click to shrink...

I'll put them both out at the same time.

 

[Deathbybunnies]

We've hit Q4 - does this mean it's time for @Nix to release their Q3 map? There's a bunch of important changes this quarter!

 

[MTB]

No, she's just been slipping my mind a little what with the pretty full dance cards we already have.



I'll put them both out at the same time.

Click to shrink...

Stargazer is the sunshine breaking through all the dark clouds ...

 

[SynchronizedWritersBlock]

[X][ROLES] Do Nothing [2.0x Weighting on this vote]

With the five-year requirement we don't want any new designs. I can see a few areas that we might need flexibility on the existing, but none that are pressing.

We're still waiting on the 2v1 wargame result. I would say we want another asymetric game attempt, but I can't really say what off hand. Renaissance vs two Miranda to test LR doctrine?

 

[Briefvoice]

Combat Frigate
Component Needs: Frigate Frame, Large Tactical Frame, < 60 SR, 1+ Torpedoes
Stat Needs: 3+ Combat, 2+ Defence, 2+ Shield
Scale Needs: Any
Intention: Bolster fleet's ability to compete in combat.


What type of ship do you believe Starfleet is currently lacking?
[ ][ROLES] Do Nothing [2.0x Weighting on this vote]

[ ][ROLES] Suggest something else

[ ][ROLES] A Garrison Cruiser to cheaply anchor home sectors
[ ][ROLES] A Light Explorer to supplement the Excelsiors
[ ][ROLES] A high-presence courier escort
[ ][ROLES] Update the Combat Escort requirements (+2 Militarisation)

Click to shrink...

The only thing that really tempts me is updating the Combat Escort requirements to allow for a higher SR cost. We can't build anything better than a Miranda-A for only 60 SR.

But if these tactical reviews are going to be yearly (I thought they happened less often than that, which is why I voted to update science frigate requirements last time) then it can wait until we're ready to ask for a new design project.

Wargames

Pick a Scenario you would like to see occur:

[ ][WG] A 1v1 with any two Ships, including member world ships (Nominate two ships)
[ ][WG] A 2v2 with any Ships, including member world ships, (Nominate ships)
[ ][WG] A Fleet Battle (Cost 2pp/Explorer, 1pp/Cruiser, 1pp/2 Escorts)

Click to shrink...

Okay, here's an idea. We know both the Gaeni and the Licori use a special Tech-Ship combat doctrine, right? We ought to ask for a wargame with Gaeni ships so that we can learn how to fight that doctrine and what its risks are.

[X][WG] A 2v2 with any Ships, including member world ships - Gaeni Tech-Frigate and Tech-Cruiser versus an Excelsior [Excelsior] and a Miranda [Svai] with the explicit purpose of learning to counter a Tech-Ship doctrine.

 

[Katsuragi]

If the sheet stays as it currently is, don't we need an SR limit boost on some things?

 

[Nix]

We've hit Q4 - does this mean it's time for @Nix to release their Q3 map? There's a bunch of important changes this quarter!

Click to shrink...

Not all that many changes that have made it into the map so far...
I'm waiting for the Gabriel status page to be updated, no locations for the various Licori colonies yet so I can't place those, no info on what the sector situation looks like after the Seyek became advanced affiliates (Rethalia still isn't listed on the front page).

 

[Erandil]

With the increased number of conflicts we have to face and the thus increasing likelihood of our EC explorer being drafted for high risk high reward combat operations (or even full time warships) I am actually tempted to go for the light explorer to have some cheaper and easier to ships for exploration duties. Though I admit that some of the proposed versions of the keppler were pretty much what I expect from an action here.

Edit:
Though this class of ship would probably have far less of an issue to justify some combat power...

 

[tryrar]

@OneirosTheWriter I remember us having discussion on carrier ops and skirmisher squadrons, which IIRC concluded that at the very least a squadron or two attached to a starbase is a good idea. Would this be an appropriate place o make it a vote for that?

 

[tryrar]

With the increased number of conflicts we have to face and the thus increasing likelihood of our EC explorer being drafted for high risk high reward combat operations (or even full time warships) I am actually tempted to go for the light explorer to have some cheaper and easier to ships for exploration duties. Though I admit that some of the proposed versions of the keppler were pretty much what I expect from an action here.

Click to shrink...

Yeeeaaah, about that, the problem with "Light Explorer" is that's pretty much an Excelsior. Even if we go for less stats, there's not that much room between a Rennie and an Excelsior

 

[Simon_Jester]

I would argue that the Excelsior-A IS going to be our 'light explorer' in the near future, if you use the Ambassador as the baseline. Conversely, when the stock Excelsior was the baseline, the "light explorer" design is/was the Constitution-B and its evolved/reimagined form the Renaissance.

With the increased number of conflicts we have to face and the thus increasing likelihood of our EC explorer being drafted for high risk high reward combat operations (or even full time warships) I am actually tempted to go for the light explorer to have some cheaper and easier to ships for exploration duties. Though I admit that some of the proposed versions of the keppler were pretty much what I expect from an action here.

Click to shrink...

Firstly, any such ship that we design now won't be available for roughly ten years.

Secondly, no one is planning to draft the Explorer Corps as full time warships. Recruiting them for specific military conflicts like the Biophage and the Licori War is an emergency measure that we do only when we're pretty damn desperate.

Secondly, a light explorer is at greater risk of being eaten by space gribblies. Conversely, a superheavy explorer is not efficient as a fighting ship for war zones. It makes far more sense to build light explorers that are intended mainly to fight and heavy explorers that are intended mainly to explore than the other way around. Indeed, that seems to have been what Admiral Rogers was trying to accomplish with the Excelsior/Ares mix, only he messed up the design of the Ares.

It is, in effect, exactly what we're planning to do with the Ambassador/Excelsior-A divide, too. The Excelsior-A backs up sector fleets and handles normal Starfleet operations (including combat). The Ambassadors, which will inevitably be few in number up through 2330 at the earliest, go exclusively into the Explorer Corps where need the strongest possible ship statlines just to ensure our ships even survive their five-year missions.

 

[Erandil]

Yeeeaaah, about that, the problem with "Light Explorer" is that's pretty much an Excelsior. Even if we go for less stats, there's not that much room between a Rennie and an Excelsior

Click to shrink...

True the renaissance is pretty much what I think of here stat wise , but it is less the stats I am interested in and more the fact that it should be 5ym capable which is I think not the case of with the rennie.

In short I want something to increasing the number of chances of generating diplomatic events and perhaps more importantly the rate of us discovering new colonies etc.

I don't want a ship for battle (4 comb should be enough to deal with the smaller threats and anything else it should simply run away from but in turn roughly the same science and presence stat of the ex) I want one for exploration and generating explorer events.

 

[chriswriter90]

[X][ROLES] Do Nothing [2.0x Weighting on this vote]

Starfleet Security officers check your biometrics again before letting you into the inner sanctum of the complex that houses Tactical Command. If there was one thing Vice Admirals Sulu and Linderley could agree on, it was a certain paranoia about the need for physical security. With every uncovering of a Lecarre infiltrator, another security measure comes into play. Prudent, of course, but at the same time increasingly irritating. Your entourage is decidedly slimmer than Admiral Kahurangi's used to be, but even then it still takes time to clear checkpoints!

Click to shrink...

Getting a head start on the Changeling problem? Very good.

General Cruiser
Component Needs: Cruiser Frame
Stat Needs: 4+ stat average, minimum 4 Defence
Scale Needs: 1-1.5mt,
Intention: To form the backbone of the fleet when in battle, and to be the first-line of response to sector events.

Click to shrink...

The Renaissance. Did the math, comes out to an average of 4.3 repeating.

Garrison Frigate
Component Needs: Frigate Frame, < 80SR
Stat Needs: Minimum 2+ all stats, 3+ Science, Presence
Scale Needs: Any
Intention: Bolster ability to protect and manage sectors within Federation space. Designed to be capable of responding competently to most events.

Click to shrink...

Constellation Pacifist Refit.

Combat Frigate
Component Needs: Frigate Frame, Large Tactical Frame, < 60 SR, 1+ Torpedoes
Stat Needs: 3+ Combat, 2+ Defence, 2+ Shield
Scale Needs: Any
Intention: Bolster fleet's ability to compete in combat.

Click to shrink...

Miranda-A and Centaur-A.

Science Frigate
Component Needs: Frigate Frame, Medium+ Operations Frame, Small Tactical Frame, < 100 SR
Science Lab, LR+Nav Sensors
Stat Needs: 5+ Science, 3+ Presence, Max 2 Combat
Scale Needs: Any
Intention: A ship to replace the Oberth as a more capable, all around platform for science and short-range exploration.

Click to shrink...

Kepler, at least once the Design Thread finishes it.

I think we're good for roles and ships to fill them.

 

[tryrar]

True the renaissance is pretty much what I think of here stat wise, but it is less the stats I am interested in and more the fact that it should be 5ym capable which is I think not the case of with the rennie.

In short I want something to increasing the number of chances of generating post I've diplomatic events and, perhaps more importantly, the rate of us discovering new colonies.

I don't want a ship for battle (4 comb should be enough to deal with the smaller threats and anything it should simply run away from) I want one for exploration and generating explorer events.

Click to shrink...

Again, we'd only get one 8-10 years from now, and they don't build faster than Excelsiors. Heck, I doubt they'd be all that less expensive than one at that.

 

[SynchronizedWritersBlock]

True the renaissance is pretty much what I think of here stat wise , but it is less the stats I am interested in and more the fact that it should be 5ym capable which is I think not the case of with the rennie.

In short I want something to increasing the number of chances of generating post I've diplomatic events and, perhaps more importantly, the rate of us discovering new colonies.

I don't want a ship for battle (4 comb should be enough to deal with the smaller threats and anything else it should simply run away from but in turn roughly the same science and presence stat of the ex) I want one for exploration and generating explorer events.

Click to shrink...

I don't mind the idea of more lighter EC ships (although we've had people up in arms against it before). But I doubt such ships would be much different to the Excelsior-A.

And we'd need the final adjustments on the design sheet to say if a light explorer design is viable. They're pretty much always on the edge of usability.

 

[Glassware]

No, she's just been slipping my mind a little what with the pretty full dance cards we already have.

Click to shrink...

Huh. How often is Stargazer supposed to roll events, anyway? She's Explorer Corps, but also with the Kadeshi...

 

[Erandil]

Again, we'd only get one 8-10 years from now, and they don't build faster than Excelsiors. Heck, I doubt they'd be all that less expensive than one at that.

Click to shrink...

Shouldn't it be possible to do something like that as a modification of the existing rennie design? That should seriously cut done in the necessary time/research and seems thematically fitting.

But I admit I am no expert here. I just think that it would be nice to have a cheaper and quicker to built exploration vessel considering that most of the events there are non combat but high benefit. Plus it seems fitting for the federation to posses something like it.

And as I said before the keppler fits most of those bills but lacks the crucial aspect of being 5year capable which reduces it to responding to the rare sector events

 

[Briefvoice]

Worried that people might have missed this vote since no feedback on it yet.

[X][WG] A 2v2 with any Ships, including member world ships - Gaeni Tech-Frigate and Tech-Cruiser versus an Excelsior [Excelsior] and a Miranda [Svai] with the explicit purpose of learning to counter a Tech-Ship doctrine.

What do you think? The Gaeni make a good proxy for prepping to fight the Licori.

[X][ROLES] Do Nothing [2.0x Weighting on this vote]

 

[Nervos Belli]

I'm opposed to light EC ships, although that's mostly because I don't want us to fill the EC with as many ships as possible. It'll slow the game down dramatically if we have 6 or 7 EC events to write up every month. Also, it just seems wrong to me to send deliberately inferior green ships out on our most dangerous missions.

[X] [ROLES] Do Nothing [2.0x Weighting on this vote]
[X][WG] A 2v2 with any Ships, including member world ships - Gaeni Tech-Frigate and Tech-Cruiser versus an Excelsior [Excelsior] and a Miranda [Svai] with the explicit purpose of learning to counter a Tech-Ship doctrine.

​

 

[SynchronizedWritersBlock]

Worried that people might have missed this vote since no feedback on it yet.

[X][WG] A 2v2 with any Ships, including member world ships - Gaeni Tech-Frigate and Tech-Cruiser versus an Excelsior [Excelsior] and a Miranda [Svai] with the explicit purpose of learning to counter a Tech-Ship doctrine.

What do you think? The Gaeni make a good proxy for prepping to fight the Licori.

Click to shrink...

The problem is their ships suck. Make it a Connie-B instead of an Excelsior.

 

[Simon_Jester]

True the renaissance is pretty much what I think of here stat wise , but it is less the stats I am interested in and more the fact that it should be 5ym capable which is I think not the case of with the rennie.

Click to shrink...

Why would we ever want to send Rennies on five year missions when we can send Excelsiors? Wouldn't it make more sense to build (relatively cheaper, easier to repair, crew-slimmer) Renaissances for the regular Starfleet and send them into battle, while sending the Excelsior(-A)s into the Explorer Corps?

The size and capabilities of our Explorer Corps isn't limited by our ability to build ships. Not even our ability to build Excelsiors. It's limited by our production of Explorer Corps crew. If we had enough Explorer Corps crew we could be rolling out a new Explorer Corps ship or two every single year- and as our crew recruitment has improved we've gotten a lot closer to that standard. In 2301-05 we commissioned only one new Explorer Corps ship. In 2306-10 it was only one more... but in 2311-14 we've commissioned THREE. And we've had to repeatedly send Excelsiors into regular fleet service, where it would be more efficient to rely on Rennies and Miranda-As, because those high-powered explorers help with sector event response and because frankly we can't afford more Explorer Corps ships because we don't have enough qualified warm bodies to crew them all.

I don't want a ship for battle (4 comb should be enough to deal with the smaller threats and anything else it should simply run away from but in turn roughly the same science and presence stat of the ex) I want one for exploration and generating explorer events.

Click to shrink...

Explorer Corps ships roll Combat checks on a regular basis, and when they fail those checks they take heavy damage, the costs of which eat up pretty much the entire rewards of a five year mission.

Look at what happened to Courageous in '09 if you don't believe me- we lost half the crew, something like 100/75 resources on repairs, and took an opportunity cost hit of about a year in drydock, because the ship failed a Combat check. If our explorers didn't have Combat 6, that would happen a lot more often.

 

[Blackshard]

[X][ROLES] Update the Combat Escort requirements (+2 Militarisation)

This feels long overdue, especially given the current military climate. Also, we just had a bunch of relevant tech ding, so we're in a reasonable position to get started. I really don't think the five years thing will be a problem. In fact, if we haven't gotten started on a better combat escort in five years, I feel like we already have a problem.

[X][WG] A 2v2 with any Ships, including member world ships - Gaeni Tech-Frigate and Tech-Cruiser versus an Excelsior [Excelsior] and a Miranda [Svai] with the explicit purpose of learning to counter a Tech-Ship doctrine.

I'm on board with this. Let's get some practice in against Science!