Design Challenge: Naval Arms Race in the Stone Era

[Daryk]

If the production problem is with the docking collars, Tramps become the go-to conversion targets.  Great idea! :)

[Giovanni Blasini]

If the production problem is with the docking collars, Tramps become the go-to conversion targets.  Great idea! :)

Doesn't really say, just that defects were found in the drive coils on the new ships back in 3052, which were traced to a faulty "mesh spinner and quickly rectified", but that it left lingering doubts about the ships, making them easy to acquire.  It's probably still workable to use as an argument, though, and they were conveniently produced in the FWL on Loyalty, which is only two jumps from the Wolf Empire.  For that matter, Interstellar Expeditions could easily serve as a go-between to allow Niops to license the design, to ensure it's produced somewhere other than on the border with the Wolf Empire, with civvie ships going to the open market, and defects getting used by the NAM.

[Daryk]

Excellent logic! :)

[Giovanni Blasini]

So, something like this?

Code: [Select]

Tramp JumpShip Armed Merchant Carrier
Mass: 250,000 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Introduced: 3125
Mass: 250,000
Battle Value: 3,182
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-F-F
Cost: 525,310,833 C-bills

Fuel: 500 tons (1,250)
Safe Thrust: 0
Maximum Thrust: 0
Sail Integrity: 5
KF Drive Integrity: 6
Heat Sinks: 122
Structural Integrity: 1

Armor
    Nose: 12
    Fore Sides: 14/14
    Aft Sides: 14/14
    Aft: 12

Cargo
    Bay 1:  ARTS Fighter (6)        3 Doors   
    Bay 2:  Small Craft (2)         1 Door   
    Bay 3:  ARTS Small Craft (2)    1 Door   
    Bay 4:  Fighter (12)            3 Doors   
    Bay 5:  Cargo (401.5 tons)      1 Door   
    Bay 6:  Cargo (401.5 tons)      1 Door   

Ammunition:
None

Dropship Capacity: 0
Grav Decks: 1 (140 m)
Escape Pods: 10
Life Boats: 5
Crew:  10 officers, 39 enlisted/non-rated, 10 gunners, 44 bay personnel, 34 passengers, 21 marines

Notes: Equipped with
    1 MASH Equipment (6 theaters)
    4 Space Mine Dispenser
134.5 tons of improved ferro-aluminum armor.

Weapons:                    Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat)              Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV      ERV    Class       
Nose (38 Heat)
2 ER Large Laser        24   2(16)   2(16)   2(16)     0(0)   Laser       
2 Laser AMS             14    1(6)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
FRS/FLS (54 Heat)
1 ER Large Laser        12    1(8)    1(8)    1(8)     0(0)   Laser       
2 Laser AMS             14    1(6)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
1 Sub-Capital Laser /2  28   2(20)   2(20)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
ARS/ALS (54 Heat)
1 ER Large Laser        12    1(8)    1(8)    1(8)     0(0)   Laser       
2 Laser AMS             14    1(6)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
1 Sub-Capital Laser /2  28   2(20)   2(20)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
Aft (38 Heat)
2 ER Large Laser        24   2(16)   2(16)   2(16)     0(0)   Laser       
2 Laser AMS             14    1(6)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         

Edit: Made a couple errors with crewing that I had to fix, which resulted in needing to drop the dual SCL/1s to single SCL/2s, but that got me back a little more cargo.  Also, I forgot to allocate the MASH unit.  Thought about a small naval comm-scanner, but that's 50 million before multiplier.

[Daryk]

That's great, and not much more than the half a billion you mentioned! :)