This is more of hhhhrrrrrrrmmmmmm, I wonder if they can do this than a formal proposal.

Can the Lyrans put the HDW center section on DW* variants, on one hand you could have a HDWS with 5 special sensors, or you could have a HDW-SCS with 10 fighters and six PFs, or, at an extreme, a 20 fighter carrier?

By Stewart W Frazier (Frazikar2) on Friday, July 02, 2010 - 09:14 pm: Edit

think one can do a mini-cs with 6 PFs and 6 fighters, but no repair (for the PFs), IIRC...

By A. David Merritt (Adm) on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 07:49 pm: Edit

Stewart, What I am asking would be can I take the outer hull sections from, say a DWV, and put the center from the HDW in it.

By Stewart W Frazier (Frazikar2) on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 08:39 pm: Edit

Aaahhh, I see...

It might be doable, though I think it strains the Lyran 'Lego' system a bit too much...

By A. David Merritt (Adm) on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 08:43 pm: Edit

I think it strains play balance, but I thought I would at least ask.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, September 05, 2019 - 06:24 am: Edit

Steve P, please comment so I know where to file this.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Thursday, September 05, 2019 - 08:02 pm: Edit

The HDW uses standard Frigate side sponsons unchanged. There is no telling what structural things needed to be done to fit the enlarged HDW center section between them, and if you wanted to prevent this from being done that is where I think you would have to go. Otherwise, in game terms it appears doable and the "Heavy Frigate" (replacing the standard frigate center section with a larger although not "heavy war destroyer" center section also points to this being doable.

It would be questionable that it would be done principally from the standpoint that you could take an existing HDW and simply modify the side sponsons to be the same as the variant you wanted to use (like converting a standard DW to a DWV, just convert the HDW sides to a the DWV configuration).

The question would be why would the Lyrans do this? Why do they need a DWV that has an HDW center section, or a DWS that has an HDW center section? The point to the ship is that it can be configured for any mission, and building it such that it is already configured for a specific mission (scout, commando, minesweeper) in its side sponsons defeats the point and seems to be an unnecessary diversion of resources, i.e., the HDW center section is pretty much a limited build or all DWs would have been completed to that standard.

By A. David Merritt (Adm) on Thursday, September 05, 2019 - 08:57 pm: Edit

Thinking a bit more than the original "huh I wonder" questions a decade ago I doubt the Lyrans would bother with the DWV.

However, a Scout this size with 4 sensors would be a more capable Scout than either the DWS or a HDW set up as a Scout.

There may not be very many DW variants that would be worth the upgrade to a HDW hull, for an example; I suspect things like a PFT would just be more expensive, with little gain in capabilities, but some of the designs might appeal in the late war period.

By Stewart Frazier (Frazikar2) on Friday, September 06, 2019 - 07:47 pm: Edit

Hmmm, a DWV outer with the inner HDW with the PFT mode for at least 4 PFs could be seen as an SCS resupply ship (a full SCS resupply would be a PFT with a CVM center though that may lack some fighter stores and some replacement crew) …

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Friday, September 06, 2019 - 08:11 pm: Edit

The point would be to create a dual-use ship.

I believe an HDW could be configured with 12 fighters. Put that inside a DD-PFT and you get a full micro-SCS. (Full 12 fighters and full flotilla. I think you get two special sensors, too.)

Or, make the HDW part a full PFT inside a DD-Scout. Now you get a PTF with the same number of channels as a cruiser scout. Plus a full flotilla.

Basically, this is an opportunity to create specialist ships that have been specifically avoided to this point. True, the resulting ship is likely locked into its configuration, but that's OK because it is fundamentally overpowered. It's a way to make a ship that would otherwise be rejected.

At least, that's where I'd go with it.

By Stewart Frazier (Frazikar2) on Saturday, September 07, 2019 - 09:39 pm: Edit

Hmmm, but the HDW is usually with FF sponsons, not DD, though for that that of ship, maybe …

By Jeffrey George Anderson (Jeff) on Sunday, September 08, 2019 - 01:36 am: Edit

Ugly thought...

What about using the central hull of the HDW in place of the DN central hull that gave us the Golden Cub (DND, Module R5, IIRC)?