 April 22, 2015 - 7:52am | Watching a documentary on WWII submarines in the Pacific theater. They talked about submarine tenders. These were surface ships which acted as mobile repair and resupply bases for subs. This helped to eliminate the need to travel more than 1000 miles back to base especially after being damaged. Since Assault Scouts require an overhaul after each jump and do not have storage space for long patrols then a ship built to do these things would be a natural in the UPF Space fleet inventory. Anyone think they can design one? Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
 April 22, 2015 - 12:27pm | I have HS:6 Supply/Repair Vessels in my game. Armed with numerous engineer work stations and workpods they can use their DCR in conjunction with another ship's DCR to assist damaged vessels in deep space repairs. Refueling is also possible as they carry fuel reserves in their holds. |
 April 22, 2015 - 1:01pm | On top of the overhaul issue, the limited capacity of assault rockets is another major issue with Assault Scout ships. A Patrol Group support ship would have to be able to help affix repairs and overhauls, as well as to hold spare fuel rods, rockets, repair parts and personnel. I just started a group to help with this topic called the Spacefleet Auxiliary Corps. So check it out. |
 April 22, 2015 - 6:58pm | In my SFU they turned into Assault Carriers to tend AS's and Fighters Randy |
April 22, 2015 - 11:26pm | I was looking through some issues of Frontier Explorer and Star Frontiersman for some auxiliary ships, and I found info on UPF Supply & Fast Combat Support Ships in Frontier Explorer #8. The UPF Protecteur class Supply Ship is a HS 8 ship with an A/DF and MR of 3, and an ammo capacity of 680 cubic meters. And the UPF Supply class Fast Combat Support Ship is a HS 4 ship with an A/DF and MR of 4, and an ammo capacity of 340 cubic meters. They both carry a lot of ammunition and they come with a additional crew that can help in repairs, overhauls and medical assistance. A single Supply class Fast Combat Support Ship could help an entire Patrol Group. |
April 23, 2015 - 12:10pm | I'll have to look it up but I'm pretty sure rearming is also possible with my supply/repair vessel. And the UPF Supply class Fast Combat Support Ship is a HS 4 ship with an A/DF and MR of 4, and an ammo capacity of 340 cubic meters. They both carry a lot of ammunition and they come with a additional crew that can help in repairs, overhauls and medical assistance.
A single Supply class Fast Combat Support Ship could help an entire Patrol Group. Yet the size 4 ship uses the same A drive a scout does and is also hampered by the same overhaul issues... |
 April 25, 2015 - 12:46am | I think HS 5 is (or 6) is good as the ship would find grapples (minimum HS 5) handy for snagging and drawing in a damaged Assualt scout. It should have a bay prossibly non pressurized that aids in repair and resupply. I also think that the ship should have the ability to act as a jump tug delivering a certain number of Assualt scouts to a system then quietly stoodging around servicing their needs outside of combat. Space Fleet would have a purpose designed vessel but there would be a cargo container design that would allow a standard freighter to become a tender that would have more appeal for a militia. Edit: This vessel would be ideal for a KHs submission to the zine as we always try to have some KHs scenarios one way or another. All that is needed is a set of stats, a brief write up and 2-3 scenarios involving the tender. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
April 25, 2015 - 6:55pm | Jed one of the problems with KH is the very limited ship range. Obviously the game was kept simple since the target audience of SF was young. But we don't need to limit ourselves so here is a list of ships that support the Assualt Scout. Training Carrier---Lightly armed and armored this type of ship remains in safe areas usually where a space station is located. Trainee crews are brought to the ship after they have passed basic space training and examinations on a planetary surface. Here they begin actual space training and ship familiarization. After many hours of logged flight time are they allowed to land and take off on a planetary surface. Initially docking is accomplished by the instructors until students have shown sufficient progress to allow them to try it themselves. Transport Carrier---What many civilians fail to understand is that in war beings die and are wounded and equipment is lost. Replacements are then needed for both to continue the war. These replacements are brought in on transport carriers. Ships which are lightly armed and armored and have most of their space dedicated toward their cargo. They are not intended for combat. Assualt Scout Tender---As discussed this ship maintains and supplies the Assualt Scouts in the combat areas. As such it has some defensive capabilities and armor but also has a great deal of specialized equipment to perform almost all repairs needed on other ships and to scrap those to badly damaged for further use except as spare parts. Lifeguard Ship---Not intended for combat but used in a combat zone they are fast and stealthy and equipment with extensive medical bays. Their puropose is to go in and rescue crews from damaged or destroyed ships. Tenders can recover the ships later but there is a time limit on how long a crew can survive in space. Crews are considered elite. Assualt Carrier---This is a warship. Designed to enter a combat zone and launch and recover smaller ships but to also be able to conduct offensive operations on its own. (Which defer from defensive). Two notes first all these ship types could work with Assualt Scouts but would equally apply to the most numerous UPF ship type Fighters. Second when designing a ship remember the trade offs of cargo, armor, armaments, crew size and intended purpose for a ship is particually vulnerable to the old adage "jack of all trades, master of none". Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
April 26, 2015 - 12:15pm | I like the idea of the assault boat tender. And of the lifeguard ship (though not the name though the name Lifeguard could be the name of branch of service for its crews). Because the SAR mission is usually time critical I expect this boat to be fast. Perhaps corvette szie would allow for substantial med facilities and speed as well as a couple of work pods and a launch.
However, typically all ships on hand after a battle perform SAR operations- they all have scanners and the more eyes looking the better. For a fast sneak in and rescue the assault scout would be ideal in that its already in the fleet inventory in large numbers. The galley would have to become a makeshift sick bay. Still, I can see someone selling the lifeguard concept to space fleet and the fleet having a small handful. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
April 26, 2015 - 4:37pm | Lifeguard Ship, huh? Rescue Ship sounds better. I like that idea. A fast ship that can serve as an ambulance for the fleet. Also, don't forget a dedicated Medical/Hospital Ship. Where most sizable warships would have their own medical bays, a medical ship can help deal with greater casualties. Rescue Ships would likely work under, and in conjunction with, a Medical Ship as a Lifeguard Group. |
April 26, 2015 - 4:59pm | Thinking on the Lifeguard/Rescue ships I realized there is a current real world model. The Coast Guard cutter. Looking at history you would be surprised how often these ships get drugged into combat situations. Check out Coast Guard operations in Vietnam. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
 April 30, 2015 - 6:57pm | A lifeguard ship similar to the Coast guard cutters is how I envision the planet militia Assault Scouts, and is the running theme for the WoWL game I ran (and want to run again). A second thought: I recently read a sci-fi short story featuring a (Catholic) religious order of nuns, trained in space operations, who ran a charitable life-saving service in space, kind of like the medieval hospitaller orders. Wonder if one or more systems in the Frontier have something like this? It might try to move into systems in which the local government can't/won't (::cough:: corporate-owned systems ::cough::) operate basic lifesaving services for spacers. Going back to the subject, I was recently reading that the US Navy developed those sub tenders, as well as seaplane tenders, for operating in the Pacific Ocean. Due to a treaty, the US could not develop bases among the islands after WW1, but felt that it would need to cross the ocean, and forward basing would be a must. In the Frontier, an AS tender/carrier would be wanted for extended operations in systems without bases. Engine overhauls might be a big need, as well as crew rest and ammunition reloads. |
 May 4, 2015 - 7:14am | The Supply class FCSS was designed to keep up with those small patrols (1 Frigate and 2 Assault Scouts). Also it carries a large load of fuel for those ships. As for overhaulling...with 7 Engineers onboard - I think the timeframe would be minimal. The Protetuer class SS is larger and has twice the number of Engineers. The fuel load is the same size. These ships are meant for fleets and larger TFs. ***Side Note*** 1) I think that Space Fleet would have comissioned a few Supply class FCSS but, then discontinued them as the Protectuer class SS can out preform them. 2) You would not need a large pressurized bay to conduct repairs. That would not be the point of tenders. They are to conduct minor repairs to get the ships going and sea...er...spaceworthy. If major repairs were needed - it would have to return to drydock for repairs. EX: the USS Enterprise had to return to Pearl Harbor for over a month for repair and overhaul after the Battle of Midway. During the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands she received serious damage but, continued to fight ...due to the destruction of the USS Hornet. |
May 5, 2015 - 3:46am | I like the Protectuer Class vessel. 1.) I think it should function as a jump tug for assault scouts that it jumps them into a location and they go to work right away and not require the overhaul at that point. As a limitation its only Assault scouts that it can "tug" for or in other words its not a general tug being mission specific for the assault scouts. 2.) I question where a pressurized bay is actually required. Think of the ammount of atmosphere that would be required to be stored? There is no reason that the work can be done in vacuum and I think ther first order of business with most ship repair jobs is to seal hull breaches and repressurize the ship. This ship suddenly maked the 1 FF and 2 AS patrol groups spoken of in KHs make sense. Its not intended to go into combat so it doesn't actually have to be made to military spec and could be simply a civilian design with some increase in hull points. Thus these patrol groups are far cheaper than a cruiser and they have 3 ships which lets them spread out some. This ship will also have some med facilities to supliment the AS and a "Ten Forward" recreation area which also suppliments the AS. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
