First, let me apologize for the delay in replying; work sometimes sucks. [blank]
I would keep the collars-- a jump ship is pretty immobile, so any fighter bays on the ship are going to rapidly cease to be useful if the combat moves away. Better to just detail some dropship carriers, which have the added advantage that you can send them elsewhere if you need to.
Personally, I feel that the main use for jumpships is solely moving dropshiops-- anything that cuts down on docking space, is, IMHO something that harms the design.
I did offer a quantifier; it is unfair to take single sentences out of context:
In warship-free or warship-light environments, there really is no need to transport large squadrons of PWS.
This presumes a situation similar to that in the IS, where not only are true warships extremely rare, but where full-on PWS are equally rare. In such an environment, nobody is transporting "squadrons" to battles.
Additionally, tactical doctrine in BT aero combat centers around relatively small numbers of major combat vessels (which for these purposes includes PWS). This precludes specialized designs for this specific purpose.
I have found great success in using an Invader or Tramp to carry a single PWS, a cargo dropper (Buck or Mule) and a third combat dropper; either a CV (Leopard or [for major invasions] Vengeance) or a jumpship-defense assault dropper like an Avenger.
With that in mind, for my use, I'd remove 2-3 collars and replace them with fighter bays (for defense), marines (for anti-boarding defense), fuel (for long endurance, even for recharging the battery while the sail recharges the main drive), cargo (for supplies) and a few capital missiles for anti-fighter defense and stand-off capability.
Note that the second paragraph is dependent on the first one. Essentially using a relatively large standard-core jumpship to carry 3-4 dropships as part of a cohesive unit under the command of a single officer.
The fighters are there specifically to defend the jumpship when the PWS is away; if the battle moves away from the jumpship, the fighters have fulfilled their purpose and stay with the jumpship. These fighters are in addition to those of the PWS (if any), which will not be available while the PWS is away from the jumper, or those of the CV, which might be tactically used to support the PWS instead of remaining behind.
The capital missiles are there specifically to provide anti-fighter capability for the jumpship in support of the secondary assault dropper. It also provides stand-off capability: this means that an enemy ship can't just park itself outside of the jumper's/Assault Dropper weapon's range and force a surrender. Keep in mind that there are all sorts of useful things that can be done with capital missiles; like bearings-only launches and using them as dormant "seeker mines". Combine this with the fact that detection ranges are very long and that a station-keeping drive can bank thrust over five turns to gain a point of velocity and chances are good that lesser raiders will give such a military jumper a wide berth.
Why concern oneself with this? Remember that a PWS's weakness is its dependence on a separate jumpship; a completely unarmed jumpship is just begging for an enemy's attention. Every dropship assigned to protect the jumper is one less assault dropship that can be used in the attack and one less collar that can be used for something else... plus a large collars-only jumper the size of a Monolith will definitely attract attention on its own.
OTOH, if the jumper is part of a dedicated group including its own dedicated PWS, Assault Dropper and supply ship... with additional dedicated defense assets, then it serves as a sort of surrogate warship: the users need not worry about diluting their forces by designating defenders; just add the jumper and its attendant droppers as a single unit.
In warship-free or warship-light environments, there really is no need to transport large squadrons of PWS.
I disagree, if the other guys are fielding squadrons of PWS then you might want to be able to match them.
Like I said earlier; this presumes an environment where squadrons of PWS are not doctrinally employed.
OTOH, using this system, both sides could be similarly equipped; a large armed dropper could carry 1-2 PWS, 1 dedicated defense assault dropper or CV and one dedicated supply dropper. An assault could field several such units on each side.
I have found great success in using an Invader or Tramp to carry a single PWS, a cargo dropper (Buck or Mule) and a third combat dropper; either a CV (Leopard or [for major invasions] Vengeance) or a jumpship-defense assault dropper like an Avenger.
Not a bad option, but not really a major naval force either, and it lacks LFBs.
The goal w/ the MkII was to be able to move a Naval Squadron around rapidly.[/quote]
A dedicated jumper desighn could be easily equipped with LFB's. Your comment seems to imply that non-LFB-equipped jumpers are not useful for "major naval forces"; the definition of which is created by the environment in which they operate; You could have "first-rate" PWS units with full-on super jumpers with LFBs, "second-rate" PWS units with full-on non-LFB-equipped super jumpers and "third-rate" PWS units riding conventional jumpers; offering strategic flexibility without breaking the bank.
With that in mind, for my use, I'd remove 2-3 collars and replace them with fighter bays (for defense), marines (for anti-boarding defense), fuel (for long endurance, even for recharging the battery while the sail recharges the main drive), cargo (for supplies) and a few capital missiles for anti-fighter defense and stand-off capability.
All of that can be on dropships attached to those 2-3 collars.
For 3000 tons of Collars you can have an Intruder, Vengeance, & Mule to get all that you suggest & have the advantages of being larger & being mobile.
I would keep the collars-- a jump ship is pretty immobile, so any fighter bays on the ship are going to rapidly cease to be useful if the combat moves away. Better to just detail some dropship carriers, which have the added advantage that you can send them elsewhere if you need to.
Personally, I feel that the main use for jumpships is solely moving dropshiops-- anything that cuts down on docking space, is, IMHO something that harms the design.
My thoughts exactly. If I'm going to the trouble of building a Jumpship I'd like it to carry as much as possible.
Sure, for commercial jumpers or troop transports; there are some significant advantages to having fewer collars, like emergence signature or sheer cost.
Also, the damn things are so comparatively fragile that ANY attempt to arm them of make them hard targets is practically inviting an enemy to go out of his way to whack the damn thing, if only to deny you your pseudo warship carrier.
You forget that this is the means used by a squadron of PWS involved in a major attack... and a major jumpship in its own right; it will be a target of the enemy regardless of how its armed; take out the jumper and an entire squadron on PWS is stranded in-system, requiring other jumpers to jump out.
Giving it a well-though-out defensive doctrine, you will force your enemy to use more than a token force to take you out.
I would rather use a larger unarmed jumpship that can be off doing other things when it isn't hauling half a dozen PWS/Assault/Carrier droppers around, and worse comes to worst, you give them standing orders to simply surrender. That way you eventually get your people back, who are highly trained, and you can always plan a recovery, or steal one of his the same way you ended up losing yours. You make it too good at resisting, and he kills it instead, costing you the ship and its crew.
Which works great in the 3rd SW, but still causes you the loss of the jumper and the stranding of your squadron of PWS in other eras.
Think about it: are you willing to strand 5-6 PWS in a hostile system during a major assault? That will happen if the single jump transport gets captured.
Instructions to surrender? That means a single Avenger just stranded six PWS more effectively than if it had engaged them in direct combat.
Even with "smaller" (fewer-collar) jumpers, you can make it so that the enemy can't take out your KF assets with impunity; use sufficient assets or leave it alone - either way, either you keep your ship or the bad guys lighten pressure on your line forces; good results all around.
