A design developed before the liberation of the kingdom in Y134, but never produced beyong perhaps a prototype or two.

Uses the Paladiin hull form, fore and aft hull setup, etc.

Warp is 3x6, move cost 2/3. 2 APR 3 IMP, 2 BTTY, turn mode C.

Weapons are 3xFusion Beams (FAL, FH, FAR), 5xPh-2 (FAL FAR FH LS RS) 1PG (360), 6 fighters.

Thin shields (on par with the Pegasus).

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Analysis shows this ship would have been a bit slow. The Hydrans simply did not have the shipyard capacity at the time to build these ships, preferring the other new classes at the time. Later, the HR was designed, and though delayed until the onset of the general war, prevented this ship from ever entering general service.

By Douglas Saldana (Dsal) on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 - 10:48 pm: Edit

If the Hydrans wanted a light cruiser prior to Y134 why wouldn't they have used the same approach as the Horseman (a shortened Ranger hull)?

It's rare for the Hydrans to use the same hull form for two different size classes (or to use two different hull forms for the same class of ship) so having a CL with the same hull form as a DN doesn't feel right to me.

On the other hand, it might be interesting to imagine what the Hydran fleet would have looked like if they used a similar hull form across all size classes (which one would they have picked?).

Why do the Hydrans use so many different hull forms? Something to do with rivalry between the Guilds?

By Mike Dowd (Mike_Dowd) on Thursday, April 27, 2023 - 02:09 am: Edit

Squire was a proposed Fed reporting name I coined for the Hydran YDD, ands the WDD had the reporting name Armiger.

A shame that I was too late to get them attached to the hulls, but considering that the Feds never saw any (none survived the first Klingon War, unlike the Fusilier and Voltigeur), I can't blame ADB...

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, April 27, 2023 - 06:26 pm: Edit

I don't think they would use the same hull shape for CL and DN and I do not presently think they need a new hull shape.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Thursday, April 27, 2023 - 09:23 pm: Edit

Well, my proposal says they didn't. It might be that it was revisted and enlarged when the Templar was designed.

For hypothetical early DNs, no new hullform leaves larger versions of smaller hull forms (ie DD, FF, Pol), a CL version of the PG (which has been previously rejected if I recall correctly), or an early version of the existing HR hull (also previously rejected if my memory serves).

Perhaps the Hydrans just used their early years CA hulls for the role until the HR was developed.

But surely they'd have at least designed a hypothetical CL prior to that point, even if they didn't build it.

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Thursday, April 27, 2023 - 09:37 pm: Edit

Why? Given the extremely late introduction date of the CL versus the CA, DD, and FF, it would appear that the Hydrans never thought they needed such a ship until that point in time. So, they never had a CL in the Early Years and Middle Years because they never thought they needed that ship size until around the 4PW.

Not saying it has to be that way, but it does work and fits the current history.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Thursday, April 27, 2023 - 10:54 pm: Edit

Designing a ship is a lot less work and expense than actually building one. I'm sure they designed a CL in early years (along with a BB and lord knows what else) even if they never actually built one.

Everybody designs stuff that never gets used,

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 28, 2023 - 03:22 pm: Edit

I don't see anything publishable here. We seek creativity. It's not creative to just pick a historical truth and break it.