AZ_GAMER April 24, 2008 - 6:08am | During the brief Site shutdown I visited a thread at SF.org that was discussing the general characteisitcs of UPF and Sathar ship design and recognition. While as a matter of strict game canon I think this was a good idea for standardized ship construction but as a creative referee of a long standing campaign I think that these characteristics are too limiting. For example (I dont remember the list verbatim) but one point I thought was rather silly was that all Sathar Ships use Spherical command modules and have engine nacelles mounted on pylon stalks. Ok, as a matter of original canon this is true, however I do not think that the Sathar have a monopoly on the use of Spherical module design or engine nacelles. The use of Spherical module design is universal and a very efficent use of space. Personally while I feel that having a standardized ship recognition is a good thing it should not be limited by a race specific geometry. Size, color scheme, technology, are all factors at work in starship design recognition. Obviously, common ship design would depend a lot on what shipyard(s) currently have the contract for designing and building the ships that are in current fleet service. However, as those ships are decommissioned with age, damage, or obsolete tech, new designs and configurations are bound to be seen in successive generations. In the recently submitted chits which are based on my warship designs contructed by a private mega-corp shipyard for use by UPF (or the highest bidder) a spherical module design is the construction norm employed by this shipyard. Now, I recognize that these are most definitely alternative non-canon designs they are based on the canon ship archetypes and concepts. In the future I am will be working on some Sathar designs that do not rely on the use of outboard exterior engine nacelles as these tactically provide a distinct target of oportunity. If ship shape and color was the sole design factor for recognition then the UPF would be in big trouble if the Sathar decided to build vessels that used stocky cylindrical designs with angular features and aft mounted engines. Imagine that conversation..."uhhh captain, that destoyer with the federation configuration, well it's is painted red and has established a target lock on us." As ship configuration often depends a lot on function and efficent use of hull space I think that we should take a page from our own millitary history. During the WWII era a distant vessel on the ocean horizon were just grey chunks of metal in the water until it could be identified friend or foe. Coloration, Flags, engine design, (and later during the cold war engine sound detected by sonar), weapon battery placement, intercepted radio traffic/code, draft in the water, etc. all went into consideration in identifying an enemy vessel. In the SF universe, with the exisitence of powerful detection technology, identification transponders, energy emission signatures, comm traffic, and even analysis of material construction are far more reliable means of ship recognition then a glimmering reflective hull silhouetted in the black of deep space. On a humorous note and in the words of one my friends' PC, "Don't matter if its shaped like cigar or an egg, if it shoots at 'ya it ain't friendly". |
AZ_GAMER May 2, 2011 - 4:17pm | That doesnt go with the SFKH rules, artwork, or setting. There is nothing that suggests that UPF or even frontier vessels are race specific. There is nothing in the canon rules that specifies that internal components are race specific, no price lists, equipment specifications, or tables. I'm not saying you dont have a good point thats worth exploring, there just isnt anything in the rules that supports it |
Captain Rags May 2, 2011 - 9:32pm | Holy Crap! You guys just gave me an idea for an adventure: An Ifschnit vessel, designed by Ifschnits FOR Ifschnits! "Yeah sure you big non-Ifschnit spacers; c'mon aboard and crawl through our ship if you dare!" [insert lilting maniacal laugh here] Maybe I can call the adventure , "Prone Alone" My SF website izz: http://ragnarr.webs.com |
thespiritcoyote May 3, 2011 - 12:29am | There is very little to suggest that it isn't the case however, as far too much of the frontier has gone sight-unseen. Several places where the flavor text does give fluff homage to the differences, but I agree there is not much rules support other than the slightly varied costs and styles of weapon and defence equipment, and the statements that Dralasites, Vrusks and Humans prefer different single-seater vehical styles, but Yazirians tend to use all the same equipment and architecture that the Humans have. What it comes down to as is, is whether you feel it is important enough to explore those aspects, or if doing so will distract from combat.
That is precisely the reason I explain that the Ifschnit have so often gone unmolested as smugglers in my games. They did after all, come in with their own trade vessels, and supposedly large ones at that. Large enough that Space Fleet were happy to give them 'right-of way' through Frontier space, as the first potential allies met in a long time. I also like the idea. of the central area of a torus being capable of holding a large can, or many small ones, facilitating trade without requiring anyone to board. The Canister shaped Tube Ships, work for this too, and can be carried in the same Torus Frigates. Disks could be used efficiently as very large mobile warehouses, or even traveling bazaars. With a large enough Torus, the hole can even carry a Disk within a ring of docked Canisters, making it a Trade Fleet Carrier and Traveling Circus. Back to reinforce my response to the original topic, however, I agree that standardized designs can reflect a 'typical' design philosophy, but shouldn't be considered an 'exclusive' design template, unless it is a material or technological feature, such as Dralasite Memory-Metal (which they likely share with their allies, at a cost), or Vrusk Drone-Controllers, or Human Atomic-Reactors.... Yazirian Transatmo Superiority Fighters.... etc.. If the UPF wanted to do so, and felt there was a need, they could build an Eight-legged Torus Lander, that carries a Bubble Pod full of B0P D-7 Transatmo Superiority Figters, but I wouldn't do that. Well maybe I would do that for the Ifschnit..... whatever... Oh humans!! We discover a galactic community filled with multiple species of aliens, and the first thing we think about is "how can we have sex with them?". ~ anymoose, somewhere on the net... so... if you square a square it becomes a cube... if you square a cube does it become an octoid? |
Captain Rags May 3, 2011 - 8:18pm | n/a My SF website izz: http://ragnarr.webs.com |