With the Sigvirions launching a fresh wave of invasion on Shapeways, I was minded as to what additional hull types the Sigs might need in order to be more fully playable in a campaign.

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Firstly, I'd wonder what, if any, mission variants might be made of the new heavy cruiser and new frigate, during their time in the Nucian Cluster.

It might make sense for "new command cruiser", "new escort frigate", and/or "new scout frigate" hulls to appear - not least since all NFF hulls were new consruction by that point, which would make it logical for the Sigs to adapt the upgraded hulls they were now working with.

In the case of a would-be "new scout cruiser", however, it might make more sense for the Sigs to design such a hull for use in a fleet support role - say, by replacing the NCA's kinetic wave generators with special sensors. That might result in a ship less able to survive on its own, yet more successful at providing EW support to a Sig task force.

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Secondly, there is the question of what additional mission variants (and/or any "new" versions of such) ought to be made to exist.

It might seems reasonable for the Sigs to deploy a survey cruiser (and/or a later "new survey cruiser"), which would be more dedicated than the infestation cruiser at exploring, and infecting, new regions of space. Or, in the case of a would-be "NSR", at running as far as Alunda Host space once the Sig presence in the Nucian Cluster is eradicated.

However, given that all Sig ships can land on planets, have GAS shuttles as standard, and pack plenty of boarding parties, how much scope might there be for a dedicated commando frigate (and/or "new commando frigate")?

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Thirdly, it is noted that Sig fighters and carriers exist, along with a distinct fighter-mounted type of kinetic wave generator. However, it is not clear as to exactly when such units would appear.

It's worth noting that, prior to the Sig presence in the Nucian Cluster, the main large-scale infestation was in Probr space, where the Probr undertook a major anti-Sig campaign between Y144 and Y150. That said, it's unclear as to whether or not these Sigs relied on captured Probr hulls (placing the campaign somewhere between a civil war and a police action) or if the Sigs were using ships of their own design. If the former, one might not expect to see "true" Sig fighters and carriers until the Second Great War; if the latter, they might have been fielding early attack shuttles against their uninfected Probr counterparts.

As to the types of fighters themselves, I could picture superiority types armed with pulse emitters (and/or improved pulse emitters); an alternate anti-fighter type armed with wide-angle phaser-3s; and one or more fighters armed with fighter-type kinetic wave generators.

Given the time by which the Sigs are defeated in the Nucian Cluster, they probably wouldn't have gotten around to fielding any size-2 fighters, however.

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Fourthly, there is the matter of bases.

With the light mobile base being the size of an invasion frigate, perhaps the Sigs also built a "heavy mobile base" the size of an invasion cruiser? And might the Sigs in the Nucian Cluster have fielded "new" versions of either (or both) base types?

Since these bases were intended to move under their own power (albeit very slowly), there may not be too much of a demand for Sig "frigate transports" or "heavy tugs" - or "new" versions of these units - but then again, there are other types of missions which such units could be set to.

Plus, there would likely be larger (and presumably immobile) base types to consider, though it might be more likely to find them in the old Sig territories than in the likes of the Nucian Cluster.

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And of course, there may need to be some sort of "civilian" Sig units, used in lieu of the "Mæsron-type" transports operated by several other Omega Octant empires.

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So, are there any thoughts on the above suggestions, or any other thoughts as to what the Sigs might need so as to be campaign compatible?

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Tuesday, March 05, 2019 - 01:47 pm: Edit

I should also note that, according to (OFP3.151), any would-be Sigvirion "volatile warp" gunboats could use light kinetic wave generators, but not heavy types.

Historically, by the time "volatile warp" gunboats were entering service, the Sigs were busy trying to help the Mirn get "Sig-Tech" Alunda Host ships up and running. But, even as a purely simulator exercise, a flotilla of Sig PFs might be interesting to consider - though it's unclear as to whether such craft would possess Sig secondary shields or not.

That said, given the turmoil to be found across the Omega Octant during the Seventh Cycle, and the likely trouble heading its way in the as-yet-unrevealed Eighth Cycle, perhaps there might be an as-yet-unrecorded wave of Sig infection somewhere or other, in which one might find historical Sig PFs... or even Sig first-generation X-ships?