Archive through March 08, 2025
Star Fleet Universe Discussion Board: Star Fleet Battles: Rules Questions:
Questions on Ships:
Archive through March 08, 2025
Ken, There is conflicting information and I'm trying to understand WHICH is the correct BPV.
Robert? A guess is that the BPV may have been updated. Which source has the most recent publishing date? That's the one that's most likely to be the correct value.
Why don't Orion Base Stations have six Phaser-1's like typical civilian counterparts of their era? It seems counter intuitive to me. Especially since I would think the only Orion interests capable of constructing and maintaining these bases would be the cartels themselves, and I'd assume those bases would be targets for competing cartels.
Also, Can someone please point me to where the Ship Description is for the Orion Base Station ?
My copy of R1 has the SSD but no matching description.
And my Module G3 says it was published in AM, but I can find nothing about it in AM.
Orions don't operate the way other empires do.
For most folks, their bases are logistical and administrative hubs with all sorts of signals going to and fro. For this reason, High Command can pretty much expect "Mister Bad Guy" is going to know where they are within a couple million miles, and in time of war, will try to take it/them out if they have sufficient force superiority.
By contrast, the Orion bases have to keep a low profile. If local authorities even have a guess as to the location of an Orion base, they'll frequently put together task forces to go after them in the hopes of putting a major crimp on pirate activities.
IF an Orion base IS discovered, even if it survives the first attack against it, it is still doomed. Undergunning it serves two purposes; first, the guns that might otherwise be deployed on one are expensive and serve a more useful purpose on the ships actually doing the raiding, and second, it serves to REMIND the people at the base that their only real protection is to remain undiscovered.
At least that's my guess (I am often wrong 
).
As to WHERE the description is, I wish I could help with that, but as a bit of a nutter, I've long remained in bliss in ignorance and of the opinion that if I have the SSD and a workable EA form, unless there's something weird about a ship in its description, I rarely make much use of them.
OH! A thought just hit me; perhaps the descriptions and write-ups you're looking for will be in the upcoming Orion MSSB (that I'm looking forward to getting) and if there ARE any special rules, you'll find them there.
One other thought just hit me; I don't think there're any rules against the Orions using civilian Base Stations, especially for "Front" operations.
If you'd like to use one in a battle, talk it over with your opponent, and if they're cool with it, have fun!
Rusman: the Orion base station is described in (R1.3A) in the Basic Set, as a note beneath the chart for modifications of the generic base station SSD.
SSDs for an Orion Base Station and Battle Station are in Module R1.
A related question...
The Orion bases (BS & BATS) have an abnormally high EPV (200/500 respectively). Why is this so?
When you're an illicit cartel, it's rather more difficult to undertake a major project like building a large base than it is when you're a legitimate government; sourcing things like the primary construction members -- the sort of things that, frankly, not much outside of government buy -- requires a lot of bribery, as does getting everything you need on-site without tipping off whatever passes for the local police.
That's more or less along the lines I was thinking. But was wondering if there was a formal ADB reasoning behind it.
Also, don't forget that taking out an Orion base, particularly one in operation before it can be evacuated, would be extremely valuable for the attacker. So, while it obviously hurts the Orions, it really helps the empire destroying or capturing it.
Can someone please point me to the location the Small Freighter history was published in?
I recall it was a Captains Log and it was a nice full page (maybe two) write up on the operations of the Small Freighter and Freighter operations in general.
According to the Captain's Log Index, your likely looking for Developmental History, Standard Small Freighter in CL23.
CL#23 had an article about the development of the freighter, including ducktails and skids. It also had deckplans for the Free Trader, making it something of a theme issue.
Many thanks, I dug out my CL#23 and there was the article I was looking for.
I'm reviewing Nick Blank's outstanding Deck Plans for the Free Trader on page 69 of CL#23.
Deck three shows a diagonal diamond like structure in the main cargo hold between the two elevators.
Anyone know what this is and its function?
It is a cargo transporter pad.
A question about Seltorian Tribunal use of advanced shuttles in the Alpha Octant:
Are such units only available to the Seltorians of the Torch expedition in Y184 - the same year that the other listed restrictions in (R15.1C) are lifted - or do they gain access to advanced shuttles at an earlier date?
Whereas the updated Seltorian SSDs refer to Y179, I might wonder if this would not necessarily apply here, as the Torch expedition was still "in transit" at that point in time. However, just as the Klingons provided samples of "hot warp" PF technology prior to Y184, I wondered if they had done the same with advanced shuttle technology or not.
Does anyone know the Bpv of theKlingon ship FWD ?
It is listed in CL 40S page 28 but it does not indicate the ship's Bpv.
Thanks.
Cheers
Frank
169.
Jessica,
wow, that is a lot.
I doubt my Admiral will want to pay that for the ship.
Do you have a reference for it please ?
Thanks.
Cheers
Frank
My apologies, Frank; I read that as FDW (the D5W variant).
There is no listed BPV for the FWD, as it's a "future F5W variant" that hasn't been published.
No worries Jessica, thanks for clearing that up.
SPP,
Would you happen to know the Bpv of the Klingon FWD ?
Thanks.
Cheers
Frank
looking at the differences between the F5 and F5D vs the F5W and FWD, 20-23 BPV will be close.
For now I would call it 120 BPV, until we get an official one.
Thanks David.
I will wait for the official Bpv value before making it available to my Klingon Admiral.
Cheers
Frank
One way to determine the BPV would be to take the BPV F5W 99 and apply Annex 8H updates. The difference between the F5W and the FWD is removing the range 22 disruptor bolt (2 x 4 BPV = -8), UIM (-5) and adding the Type B drone racks (4 x 5 BPV = 20), which would be 99 - 8 + 20 -5 = 106.