 February 22, 2014 - 4:59pm | Was looking into one thing on the net and ran across a reference to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Athene_%28AKA-22%29 http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/02/02022.htm During WW2 the US built and deployed Attack Cargo Ships this is really a KHs freighter with guns but I found it an interesting read. Perhaps some Frontier governments laid down the hulls for AKAs during the onset of the SW1. They got into action only to deploy troops to Pale after most of the fighting in space was over. some remained in militia service for awhile but most were decommissioned shortly after the war. A decommissioned AKA has hard points for gun mounts and slightly higher hull points than a typical civlian ship. many have atomic engines but some had their engines swapped for ion when decommissioned. Perhaps the Gullwind was one such attack cargo ship, since its a significant design break with the standard freighters from the KHs game? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 February 22, 2014 - 6:57pm | Check out the House Rules project here for my Paramilitary Freighte rules. As for the Gullwind, it follows the KH civilian ship rules as the single LB does not affect performance, but adding the RB carried in the hold would have been an ADF or MR loss. The only rule bending in that module was the ADF:+1 Pan Galactic "Eurekas". |
 February 27, 2014 - 5:13pm | Also a classic WW2 novel, "Away all boats" by Kenneth Dodson. That one covers an APA (troop-cargo transport), but the similarities are good. As you say, I don't see why the various governments or even the UPF shouldn't have something like this. When not at war, the government could mothball the ships, demilitarize them and sell them off, or even lease them to a shipping line, with a string that means they could call it up at anytime. Some of the corporate-dominated governments might even run their own shipping lines. Or, a planetary government could nationalize its shipping line, and the crew are partly naval reservists, who might also dabble in espionage, er, keeping their eyes open, when they visit other worlds and ports. Before WW2, the Soviet Union used its merchant fleet as part of its espionage agent-- using ships for couriers and for carrying agents. |
February 27, 2014 - 5:35pm | Or, a planetary government could nationalize its shipping line, and the crew are partly naval reservists, who might also dabble in espionage, er, keeping their eyes open, when they visit other worlds and ports. Before WW2, the Soviet Union used its merchant fleet as part of its espionage agent-- using ships for couriers and for carrying agents. This Sounds ideal for Inner and Outer Reach, also Terledrom's militia is serious about smuggling thus vrusk company ships might keep their eyes open and report back to the government. After all the government of Terledrom is made up of vrusk companies and elected dralasites, the government wouldn't really need to nationalize the private shipping lines. Vrusk companies might be willing to do this especially if their was an incentive from the government (companies vote for the incentive to pass and then take advantage of it to lower operating expenses). Thus merchant ships flagged to Terledrom, while not direct agents of the government, are indirect agents of the government and as they ply the trade routs of the vrusk loop (the upper right hand void jump loop on the map they naturally watch and report back. Inner Reach probably also keeps a close eye on all shipping in the system as much as it can. Come to think of it all ships owned by a mega corp will do the same for their company as well. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 February 28, 2014 - 3:38am | Before WW2, the Soviet Union used its merchant fleet as part of its espionage agent-- using ships for couriers and for carrying agents. In the Cold War period, they also used shipping (such as trawlers) for various types of surveillance (sonar, acoustic, electronic, etc). |
February 28, 2014 - 3:40am | Before WW2, the Soviet Union used its merchant fleet as part of its espionage agent-- using ships for couriers and for carrying agents. In the Cold War period, they also used shipping (such as trawlers) for various types of surveillance (sonar, acoustic, electronic, etc). PGC in a Streel held system. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
March 1, 2014 - 9:31am | Another take on the armed haulers: |
