So I'm doing an altered version of SWB's plan.
[X] Plan Roles, Profile, and Ship Classes
Definitions
1. A "Role" is a mission type that Starfleet believes its ships must undertake. A Role should be filled by a ship Profile; unfilled Roles are indications of a lack of current or future capability. Roles become unfilled in one of two ways:
a. A new role appears that was not previously considered (rare)
b. As technology increases, the minimum satisfactory stat requirements for a role increase, and existing ship designs no longer fill the requirement when compared to the dangers of the galaxy and/or the ships of our peer powers (most common)
2. A "Profile" is a description of a ship which is meant to form one or more roles. Note that the Stat requirements of a Profile are determined by the Roles it needs to fill. However, a Profile may have other requirements in terms of maximum SR or crewing or frame types in order to set realistic constraints on the design process.
3. A "Ship Class" is a specific class of ship since as an Excelsior, a Renaissance, or a Miranda. For purposes of Tactical Ops, refits are generally considered to be distinct classes.
Ships classes under a profile will fall into two categories:
a. Meets Requirements:
b. Under Phase Out:
Ship classes that "Meet Requirements" fill all the existing stat requirements of the Role and any additional requirements of are the current most-modern design for the role and should be built whenever new construction is required for that profile. Ships under Phase Out are being gradually phased out of the Profile in favor of new designs (once available).
Flow Down of Changes to Fleet Needs
Changes may be driven by a change to Role or a Change to Profile.
1. Changes to Role are most commonly a change to Stat requirement minimum standard. Each Profile incorporating that Role is then considered, and it is determined if there is a Ship Class under that Role that Meets Requirements. If there is, there is no issue. If there is no Ship Class that Meets Requirements one of two things must occur:
a. Role will be removed from that Profile (rare)
b. Profile must be updated to allow for a new ship design or refit that will be able to meet minimum standards. In this case, current Ship Classes will be moved to "Under Phase Out" and a new design or refit project should be initiated to create a "Meets Requirement" ship class.
2. Changes to Profiles may be driven by new technologies and construction techniques that render existing ships inefficient. In this case the Profile may be adjusted directly to change requirements such as Frame, maximum SR, or Crewing.
The following Roles are what Starfleet believes are its responsibility:
Five-Year Mission - Execute five-year exploratory missions at long range with no support. Seek out severe anomalies, conduct high-level diplomacy, and discover and combat future threats.
Requirements: Explorer, All Stats 7+
Emergency Response (mandatory) - Distress calls of all sorts.
Requirements: S2, D2
Primary Border Response - Flagships that patrol and respond to important events in border zones, with the capability to respond to Events in neighboring Home Sectors via Mutual Support.
Requirements: Explorer or Cruiser, D6+, all other Stats 5+ (note, D may be enhanced by Doctrines to meet requirements)
Primary Sector Response - Flagships that patrol and respond to important events in established sectors, but are not expected to provide Mutual Support.
Requirements: Explorer or Cruiser, C4+, S3+, L3+, H3+, P4+, D5+ (note D may be enhanced by Doctrines to meet requirements)
Garrison Response (Science, Diplomatic, Combat) - Non-emergency exploration, diplomacy, patrol, and event response, broken further into expected duties.
Requirements: Cruiser or Frigate, C2+, S4+, L2+, H2+, P4+, D3+
Support Response - Support another responder.
Requirements: D2+
Survey - Regular mapping missions.
Requirements: S3+
Interception - Detect, intercept, and confront or tail potential unknowns, whether in peacetime or as part of a fleet
Requirements: C3+, S2+, H+L of 6+, D3+
Fleet Scout - Execute the scouting phase in battle.
Requirements: Frigate, S4+
Skirmish Line (and Minesweeping) - Achieve favorable positioning in the skirmish phase in battle. Skirmishers also detect mines for the fleet.
Requirements: Frigate, D4+
Vanguard Frigate - Fill out numbers in the Vanguard and Heavy Metal phases in battle, and deal and take damage in those phases. Enable frigate-specific maneuvers in those phases.
Requirements: Frigate, C4+, L+H = 4+
Vanguard Line - Deal and take damage in the Vanguard and Heavy Metal phases in battle.
Requirements: Explorer or Cruiser, C5+, H+L = 8+
Battle Artillery - Deal the most damage in the Heavy Metal phase in battle, while soaking hits with shields and avoiding hull damage that reduces capability.
Requirements: Explorer or Cruiser, C6+, H+L=10+
The Following Profiles are Current Designated
Heavy Explorer
Roles: Five-Year Mission, Emergency Response, Primary Border Response, Battle Artillery, Primary Sector Response, Survey, Interception
Requirements: No Size Limit, Explorer Frame, Medium+ Operations Subframe
Meets Requirements: Ambassador, veteran Excelsior-A
Under Phase-Out: non-veteran Excelsior-A, Excelsior
Light Explorer
Roles: Primary Border Response, Primary Sector Response, Emergency Response, Heavy Artillery, Survey, Interception
Requirements: Maximum 2.6mt, Explorer Frame, Medium+ Operations Subframe, C
Meets Requirements: Excelsior-A
Under Phase-Out: Excelsior
General Cruiser
Roles: Garrison Response (all), Emergency Response, Interception, Vanguard Line, Primary Sector Response, Support Response, Survey
Requirements: 1mt to 1.5mt, Cruiser Frame
Meets Requirements: Renaissance
Under Phase-Out: Constitution-B
Support Cruiser
Roles: Garrison Response (all), Support Response, Emergency Response, Interception, Survey
Requirements: Maximum 1mt, Cruiser Frame,
Meets Requirements: Renaissance, Constellation-A, Constitution-B
Under Phase-Out: None
Generalist Frigate
Primary Roles: Garrison Response (all), Support Response, Emergency Response, Skirmish Line, Interception, Survey, Vanguard Escort, Fleet Scout
Requirements: Frigate Frame, 80 SR or less
Meets Requirements: None (proposed Centaur-B refit and new Generalist Frigate Project)
Under Phase-Out: : Centaur-A, Miranda-A
Science and Courier Frigate
Roles: General Response (Science, Diplomatic), Support Response, Emergency Response, Survey, Fleet Scout
Requirements: Frigate Frame, Small Tactical Subframe, Medium+ Operations Subframe, Science Lab, LR+Nav Sensors, Max C2, 100 SR or less
Meets Requirements: Kepler
Under Phase-Out: Oberth
Combat Frigate
Roles: Support Response, Emergency Response, Vanguard Escort, Garrison Response (all), Skirmish Line, Survey, Interception
Requirements: Frigate Frame, Medium+ Tactical Subframe, 60 SR or less
Meets Requirements: None
Under Phase-Out: Miranda-A
During the Tactical turn, the options should be as follows, with a suggestion that generally only one role and one profile should be changed each turn (the exception being shifting a ship from one profile to another and modifying both sets of requirements to make it work):
Add a new Role.
Modify an existing Role.
Define a new Profile.
Modify an existing Profile.
Ships that lack roles may be retired at the discretion of Starfleet Command (likely itself a vote)
More seriously, the Generalist is gonna be a big frigate, but also one we're gonna want to mass produce. On the other hand, is P4 really that expensive on it's own terms?
