Jane's Astroforces of 5328

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In the tumultuous period of 5322-5328 A.E. the appearance of the Royal Ventrian Starforce on the galactic stage and the arrival of Ur-Real vanguard forces had introduced a number of disruptive technologies to interstellar warfare in the Large Magellanic Cloud. By the close of 5233 the Phoenix Empire, the Jardin Republic, and the Space Revolutionary Army had all produced extended range lasers equivalent to the Ventrian model by means of espionage, secret arrangements, and outright theft. A storm of new breakthroughs - including the triumphant reverse-engineering of key Ur-Real technologies - soon followed, resulting in a feverish arms race that outpaced even the impact of beam vectoring on traditional naval architecture of its day.

The turn of events occurred just as the three major powers fell on unforeseen windfalls of economic and social resources that permitted massive growths in military expenditures. Under the rule of Empress Mizuiru-Saria the Phoenix Empire was rapidly recovering from the damage of the Phoenix Republican Uprising and the Battle of the Starforge. New economic policies had restored a flagging economy in the Jardin Republic and the platform of the Desmond government urged militarization in preparation of the coming Ur-Real threat. The Free Star League, among other reforms, revitalized a deeply neglected Federal Navy. CoDominium and Transeisdzarian Commonwealth, new regional powers, were also making significant military investments.

First line ships launched even as late as the final months of 5327 had been obsoleted practically overnight in their original configurations, requiring substantial yard time to meet new standards. Many new hulls of all classes were commissioned while large numbers of older designs without the margins permitting upgrades were laid up in ordinary. Defense contractors and shipyards were in a frenzy of their own to capture the slew of lucrative new military contracts. Heroic efforts were made to draft blueprints and present prototypes for competition.

By the end of 5328 most of these developments were not yet universal. Beyond showcase designs commissioned as testbeds and technological demonstrators, most had yet to proliferate beyond special units and elite fleets. Nevertheless, naval architecture had changed almost unimaginably in the space of five years.

The Randgritiz Revolution

The Randgritiz became the predominant form of capital ship design in the era of the Long War, eclipsing the Dreadnought design that were the symbol of naval power in the late fifth and early sixth millennium. While technically third in its Class, it was the first Royal Ventrian warship to achieve general recognition in the Large Magellanic Cloud and the impression it had made was so tremendous that capital ships designed in similar style were identified as "Randgritiz-type" or "Randgritizae". Two new technologies in particular had converged which characterized the Randgritiz: a uniform main battery of Extended Range Vector Beams and 3rd Generation drive technology that granted unprecedented acceleration for tonnage & cost-efficiency. The Dreadnought style was never fully outmoded due to the sheer number of older capitals; the line between the two kinds of capital ship would later become primarily a matter of age as older ships were refitted much in the way Dreadnoughts themselves had only slowly displaced Pre-dreadnought capitals.

Production of Randgritizae became a crucial measure of the arms race among the powers of the LMC. Successive ships incorporated the latest and greatest innovations as they arrived. The NMS Randgritiz herself soon became a victim of the process, markedly inferior among its peers within the space of five years owing to the lagging resources of the Transeisdzarian Commonwealth which operated it. Tellingly, even in that state it was the most advanced warship of the Collective Cosmoforces which had yet to natively produce ER Vector Beams.

Design Competitions

Each of the military establishment ran design competitions. Each slot represents a design competitions classed unofficially by Janes, the actually classes may be referred to in whatever way the faction pleases. People put in design requirements they want (such as "Stealthy", "Fast", Armed with x and y, etc) for contractors (silence) to meet on the Talk page.

Fleet Capital

Any kind of ship larger than one hex, from the grotesquely oversized Marauders favored by the Black Brethren to hypothesized superheavy battleships. Each one is unique by default, being non-mass producable.

Capital

  • Randgritizi: Latest capital grade Ship of the Wall equipped with the full suite of the faction's relevant innovations. Rare and Expensive.
  • Dreadnought: The existing first-line capital ship, reengined and upgunned. Common and Expensive.
  • Faction Unique:

Cruiser

  • Heavy Cruiser: Self-explanatory. Common and Cheap.
  • Light Cruiser: Also known as Frigate Destroyers. Common and Cheap.
  • Faction Unique:

Light

  • Frigate: A reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and general patrol vessel. Rare and Expensive.
  • Dragoon: Sub-FTL combatant. Harder to hit and fights well above tonnage. Common and Cheap.
  • Faction Unique:

Ship Cost Guidelines

  • Modernize Frigates <80 points
  • Moderinize Cruisers 100-250 points
  • Modernize Battleship < 400
  • Modernize Dreadnoughts 800+

Total Fleet Cost = 34000

Shrike's suggestions

  • Modernized frigate: <25 points, <30 size
  • Modernized cruiser: 25-50 points, 30-75 size
  • Modernized battleship: 50-125 points, 75-160 size
  • Modernized dreadnought: >125 points, >160 size
    • Ships with stutterwarp drives will be substantially more than this, as well ones with particularly large amounts of advanced technology

Technologies

The stuff relevant to ship design. @Sil, what do they do? @Others, list needs to be corrected and mark which factions have what as this is mostly hazy guessing.

Ubiquitous

The more pedestrian, straight upgrades that at least three faction (including NPCs such as the Free Star League) possess. These may be abstracted as baseline. Factions without will probably take some kind of penalty.

  • 2nd & 3rd Generation Engines (assuming baseline is Ventrian BB speed)
  • Cruiser Spinal Guns
  • 2nd Generation Spinal Guns
  • Low observation hull theory
  • ER Lasers
  • Second Generation Vector Beams
  • Hard Shields.

Esoterics

Upgrades with unique gameplay elements or those only one-two factions posses.

  • Fortress Shields
  • Distortion Field (anti stutter warp)
  • Self healing armor.

Uniques

Only one faction can utilize these.

  • Plasma Weaponry
  • Stutter Warp .