Games - Ship Classes of the Star Fleet Universe

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	Games - Ship Classes of the Star Fleet Universe

While there are vast number of different kinds of starship in the Star Fleet Battles Universe, most fall within a general set of categories.

==Pre-General War Hull Classes==

Dreadnoughts

The largest of the warships deployed before the General War, initially these were simply Command Cruisers built on hulls half again as large with increases in warp power and damage resistance but nearly no increase in weaponry. By the beginning of the General War, most races had upgraded their dreadnoughts to carry firepower 50% greater than their cruisers.

Dreadnoughts were the flagships of the major fleet elements of a given fleet, and as such, were heavily guarded in any formation, rarely operating alone. In an effort to further increase the firepower available to a fleet led by dreadnoughts, most races converted some to carry fighters (Armed Combat Shuttles) and were deemed Heavy Carriers. The advent of Fast Patrol Ships (PFs) led to some dropping half their fighter complement in order to carry a flotilla of PFs as Space Control Ships.

Just prior to the General War, some had thought that fast raiders would be the way to strike behind the enemy lines. One of the results of this was the Light Dreadnought, which massed approximately 15% less than the base design, but maintained the same engines. The fact that the stripping down of the ships meant that a significant reduction in firepower was dismissed by those promoting the potential speed of the ships. Unfortunately, the fast raider concept was mostly negated by the speeds the front lines changed during the war, and most Light Dreadnoughts found themselves where the reduced armament hindered them badly. Most were lost early in the war, and none were built after it began.

It should be noted that while in Earth's wet naval period, a dreadnought was the pinnacle of battleship design, in the Star Fleet Universe, Dreadnoughts were smaller than battleships. Of course, only two battleships were ever successfully built in the known Star Fleet history.

Notable Dreadnought designs are the Federation DN, Klingon C9, Romulan Condor, and Lyran Lion. Every major power in the sector deployed at least one.

Heavy Cruisers

The Heavy Cruisers were the backbones of the fleets. Most were built to accomplish a wide variety of missions and were expected to be able to operate independently for years at a time with minimal logistics support. As the General War approached, and unexplored space became sparse, the cruisers spent more time in battle lines than exploring new frontiers.

The most common variant on the heavy cruiser hull were the command cruisers. While most examples increased the combat capability of the ships to a small degree, the biggest change was the upgrade in command and control facilities on the ship, allowing it to lead larger groups.

Other common variants on the cruiser hull were carriers, exploration ships, and other types that could make use of the heavier hull.

Notable Heavy Cruisers were the Federation Constitution-class and the Klingon D7 battlecruiser.

Light Cruisers

Light cruisers could do anything that a heavy cruiser could do, almost. Light cruisers were meant to be less expensive versions of the heavy cruiser that could fill in for one, but most of the time the reduction in overall size prevented the ships from matching their larger brothers.

Light cruisers came into their own as variants such as carriers, fast patrol ship tenders, heavy scouts, and other needed designs that could have taken a heavy cruiser off the battle line.

Destroyers

Destroyers were sent everywhere there wasn't a cruiser available to be sent. Another workhorse design, destroyers often approached the heavy cruisers in versatility, but normally could only do about half as much.

Frigates

Cheap and reliable, frigates were used to flesh out every fleet. While too small to make good explorers, they made excellent pickets and could work well with any of their larger cousins. Unfortunately, by the middle years of the General War, frigates were best known for the fact that they were just big enough to be destroyed in a single volley in fleet actions.

Police Cutters

Smaller than even the frigates, these ships operated more in role analogous to 20th century Coast Guard vessels rather than naval warships or police cars. They were expected to handle most commerce monitoring, tariff enforcement, and light piracy patrols. Any major threat meant calling in the Navy.

The "War" Ships

Battleships

Nearly every race had a battleship design at least in the early concept stages, but only one nation actually even attempted to build one. Battleships were envisioned as vastly-expanded Dreadnoughts with firepower able to overwhelm any opponent. The simple fact was that Battleships were the top edge of warship construction, with price tags to match. They were designed for war. The Klingons started construction of four of the massive B10 hulls in the first years of the General War, but cost overruns and nearly constant redesigns resulted in the fact that the first one to leave dock fully assembled, ironically the second hull started, did so nearly 20 years after the first keel was laid. Only two were finished, the other two were deployed in a less than finished state and were destroyed before they could be completed.

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