ship design encyclopedia

[procyon]

The newer DDE's

DDE Rose , Lily 5XOb (XOB-Le/RcaM-ECW1) DDb/35HS
[3] S2 x12 A2 x10 Zb Hs Mgs Qa Rca (Ib) (Ib) Dcza Dcza Sra Ya ?a Qb (Ib) (Ib) [4] gig
(Rca x1 / Dcza x2 / Sra / ?a / Ya ) RcaM-ECM1 x10 , RcaM-AFM x12

The refit takes advantage of the surplus of Rca created by the refits of the cruisers. Not a real improvement in BASV, but better standoff range against ships if necessary. This reduced the A2 by a pair, and reduced the engine rooms to 4 (which matches speed with the carrier they maintain escort formation with). Added the Sra to give better durability against enemy sqn LRW salvos while downgrading the Ye to Ya to make room. This forces the DDE's to use the carriers Ye to target the Rca out to the end of their range, but avoids lightening the passives to keep the Ye. Also the S1 were upgraded to S2 to make the Sra even more useful.

[rincewind]

Why is it that it is the posts that i start that end up in the tens? On the design

DDE Rose , Lily 5XOb (XOB-Le/RcaM-ECW1) DDb/35HS
[3] S2 x12 A2 x10 Zb Hs Mgs Qa Rca (Ib) (Ib) Dcza Dcza Sra Ya ?a Qb (Ib) (Ib) [4] gig
(Rca x1 / Dcza x2 / Sra / ?a / Ya ) RcaM-ECM1 x10 , RcaM-AFM x12

I'd prefer to move either one of the Ds or Rs to the back, because just having engines in the back makes it useless late game. Since I haven't really played often because of my families current lack of intrests i'm sort of an armchair general, but if the opponet gets rid off the last Dcza they don't have to shoot at it anymore, which means that 6 ponts of damge is going to hit one of your other ships. Just a sugestion.

[AlexeiTimoshenko]

I too would move one of the Ds towards the rear. As a carrier escort I'd want my defensive weaponry available as long as possible.

[procyon]

I'd prefer to move either one of the Ds or Rs to the back, because just having engines in the back makes it useless late game. Since I haven't really played often because of my families current lack of intrests i'm sort of an armchair general, but if the opponet gets rid off the last Dcza they don't have to shoot at it anymore, which means that 6 ponts of damge is going to hit one of your other ships. Just a sugestion.

I too would move one of the Ds towards the rear. As a carrier escort I'd want my defensive weaponry available as long as possible.

In many fleets your suggestion would be wise, but not with my wife's tactics. You have to read the tactics and deployment she uses to understand it.

This fleet concentrates on sqn or long range engagements. The DDEs main job is to protect the carrier from sqn LRW volleys or the stray swarm ship - hence the rather light Rc armament. In fact, the Rca is considered fairly expendable. But it isn't the carrier's only defense.

You have to remember that the three Archangel Class BCs are in escort formation with the carrier and its DDEs. As long as the carriers and DDEs are in a link the main defense of the carrier falls to them. As soon as a single one in that link falls out - the considerable Dc suite of the BCs takes over. With the mod for escorting as -1, and the mod for Dz as -1, and that the two don't stack, the BCs do as good a job intercepting inbounds as the DDEs. So the need to 'bury' the Dc and Rc is lowered.
What is emphasized is ship survival. It is MUCH cheaper and faster to repair a ship than to replace it. And with the fact that the empires tend to be sprawling (the one hab per 40 systems effect...), a replacement may take a LOOONG time to reach a fleet. So if a DDE is knocked out of a link (which happens, as they are far more fragile than the BCs with their Zcb) - they wait until the enemy sqn/ships break off and then break off from the fleet. They go into LOD while still in the fleet so the 'flash' is not apparent, and then move off toward the 'hidden' ships of the fleet train - to include the repair ship.
There with the fleet train, the DDEs will recieve emergency repairs (bonus for the repair ship), and then either be returned to the fleet or stay on with the fleet train to act as additional security -depending on the situation.

So preserving the engines at the end of the ship is to facilitate its survival and repair following an engagement. A few extra shots from a stranded ship could be handy, but the slower it gets the less chance it has to survive. And if a replacement will take three months to reach a fleet and cost four to five times as much as repairing a damaged one - then with the limited incomes of the players they tend to focus on ways to preserve ships.

[Vandervecken]

I just love that what is good for a straight up fight, needs to be modified to maximize a ship's design depending on the campaign type being played. Years of being the Missile Queen, and having to play against her devilish Husband, have influenced the design of her vessels, that ... is ... so ... COOL!

[procyon]

I just love that what is good for a straight up fight, needs to be modified to maximize a ship's design depending on the campaign type being played.

So true.
Her design, in a straight 'to the death' table top test is less than ideal.
But in a campaign where the economics and logistics have a major impact - the 'table top ideal' can fall short.

Years of being the Missile Queen, and having to play against her devilish Husband,

The fact that I am alive after all these years is what impresses me....

[Vandervecken]

The fact that I am alive after all these years is what impresses me....

That's because the game doesn't come with real missiles, hehehe

[AlexeiTimoshenko]

Why not place the second D between the Qb and the aft engine rooms?

[rincewind]

Your wife must not be able to support many fleets with the cost of theese ships and her tatics. Smallcraft with capital missile ships cost quite the bundle.

[dazrand]

The fact that I am alive after all these years is what impresses me....

That's because the game doesn't come with real missiles, hehehe

Only because it does not ship with dice I am sure