Federation Command (Old) Light Cruiser
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R02: FEDERATION PROPOSALS:
Federation Command (Old) Light Cruiser
At present, there are a number of Alpha Octant empires which have "command" and/or "leader" variants of their Middle Years light cruiser designs. Indeed, even the "lost empire" Paravians and Carnivons in Module C6 have such units.
So, at the risk of it sounding like an obvious variant, I wondered whether or not the Federation - with so many Texas-class old light cruisers to hand during that same era - might have considered developing a command/leader variant of their own.
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What might not be so obvious would be where the changes to such a design might be made.
No doubt a slight enlargement of the base CL hull would provide room for a Flag bridge, as seen on the later CLC.
Beyond this, perhaps one option could be to borrow from the playbook of the Federal Republic of Aurora, and give the ship a centreline prow-mounted photon torpedo - for a total of three photons overall.
Or, one could upgrade the 360-degree phaser-3s to phaser-1s, or perhaps add room for a second drone rack, among other things.
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Indeed, it might be possible for such a design to go both "backwards" and "sideways" in implication.
As in, one could offer W- and/or Y-era iterations of this concept, for use back in the Early Years.
And also, no doubt the FRA would consider such a design over in Omega.
Perhaps one could see a divergence in design on either side of the Void: as in, the Federation version would add a second drone rack, while the FRA would go with adding a third photon on the prow instead?
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So, might there be room in the game system for a would-be "CCL"; and, if so, how might it be made to function here?
Respectfully, Gary, because the Federation already has their CC, I doubt they would consider the notion. That ship was already declared as a vessel from which Admirals would command their fleets in peacetime.
Outside of that, it is possible that there would be a need on rare occasion for a CL to serve as a command ship for a small flotilla, but even then, a standard CL has an adequate F&E Command Rating to fill that duty.
On the other hand, what about a modified version of the Terran CL serving as a sort of way-in-the-back administrative flagship, in a manner similar to the Hydran Royal Flagship (Pegasus variant)? Replace the Photon Torpedoes with Special Sensors, maybe reduce the Lab to two boxes, and use the space cleared up from there (and possibly from the room available if the ship doesn't warrant the refit) for the Flag Bridge, some additional Shuttle, or perhaps Cargo (if I remember what the Royal Command Pegasus has 
)?
Gary since there have been rumors of a Command Frigate, my thought is yes there my be s Command OCL but I would look to the CA to CC conversion and not the Wartime NCL to CL.
The CA to CC simply add 2 Flag and 2 Phaser 1s that's it as far as I remember. No power upgrades.
The OCL to CL? might Add just one Flag Box and bump the forward phaser bank to 3 possible??? A 4th but I fell that would be pushing it.
Dal,
I don't think that's quite correct about no power upgades. The Fed CA has a YIS of Y130, at which time it generates 34 power (plus 4 reserve power). The CC is introduced in Y143 and gets 36 power, 2 more than the CA. The CA gets its "+" refit in Y165, which (among other improvements) adds 2 reactors, bringing the power into parity with the CC. The CC+ (also Y165) gets several improvements but does not get additional power.
So when the CC was first introduced it did have a power upgrade over the CA and it was not until the "+" refit that the two ships were equal at 36+4 (generated + reserve) power.
According to the R-section entries for the "lost empire" Paravian and Carnivon light cruiser leaders in Module C6, these ships are used for a number of roles: to lead squadrons of light cruisers; to command medium-sized task forces comprised of smaller ships; and sometimes to go on independent patrols.
Naturally, one would rather be a flag officer aboard a command cruiser. But, there are only so many of those to go around, not least when admirals appropriate their daily use during peacetime...
Of course, this concept is greatly expanded upon once war cruisers - and war cruiser leaders - enter the equation. But, it is not entirely unknown in the Middle Years era.
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For a class-for-class comparison, both the Paravian and Carnivon light cruiser leaders follow a similar upgrade path from each respective light cruiser "base hull".
Each adds another heavy weapon box (a fourth QWT in the case of the Paravian CLL, or a second heel nipper on the Carnivon CLL); a modest increase in shielding; a pair of impulse boxes; some more crew units and boarding parties; plus a bump in Command Rating from 6 to 7.
Notably, these are by no means the same upgrade paths used by each "lost empire" for their respective war cruiser to war cruiser leader changes. So there'd be plenty of precedent for this proposed CL-to-CCL upgrade to stand apart from the course later taken bt the NCL-to-CLC upgrade path.
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I would agree that a single Flag bridge box is sufficient.
Beyond this, my preference would be to take a leaf from the FRA CLA, in terms of what could, or could not, be viable here.
Option 1 could be to add a third FX phaser-1 as suggested above, as well as to add a third APR to help pay for it.
While not nearly as fun as adding a third photon on the prow, it might still be a notable change.
Or, as an option 2, how about this instead: add the prow photon after all, and that third APR, and... add a third forward battery box?
I'd keep any shield upgrades to a minimum. Perhaps two boxes added to the #1 shield, and one each in the #2 and #6 facings?
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I am still minded of there being a difference between the Federation and FRA approach here.
While this would not be a factor for option 1, I did have an idea for option 2: have the FRA anticipate the CLA, by going with 2 FA photons on the prow, and placing two light photons (1 LF+L and 1 RF+R) on the sides?
So the same overall photon throw-weight, but arranged in a more conducive manner to what is known about FRA naval architecture.
As for high-ranking executive transports:
It's noted in the Federation Master Starship Book that the Federation prefers to use frigate VIP transports, not least in situations where the Klingons might send a diplomatic cruiser.
In this, there is a difference in posture.
The Klingons want (in public) to protect their travelling dignitaries, and also (without admitting it) to use the combat power of the diplomatic ship as a powerful inducement to cut a deal with the Klingon Empire.
In contrast, the Federation purposely sends their high-powered diplomats aboard frigate VIP transports as a means of demonstrating Star Fleet's power and security, without making an overt display of force in the process. Of course, there's likely a cruiser which has been conveniently placed not too far away that can be called upon for help, just in case...
There might well be a "Star Fleet One" (for the sitting Chairman, the active Federation "head of government") and a "Federation One" (for the sitting President, the ceremonial "head of state" for the UFP) assigned for travel in more secure areas.
However, there would be relatively few instances in which a sitting Federation Council Chairman would travel in person to a dangerous combat zone: the fateful incident at Olsen's Reach being, of course, a notable exception.
Dal and Jeff when you examine the Fed CC and CA remember the Feds did upgrade the command cruiser class with the CB. I wonder if in ADBs files if there is not a CA version that was just never published. (SVC: There is not one.)
Thanks Steve
Two things:
1) One of the very cool things about the early Federation is that they didn't have a command ship smaller than a CC. So, they obviously used the next ship up to lead others, or just appointed the senior captain of a uniform squadron. I believe this is a very cool thing about the Federation that sets them a little apart from the rest of the empires and is a uniqueness worth preserving.
Yes, when their war classes appeared, they were forced to adopt the pattern used by the other empires (with the DWC and CLC), but resisted it as long as they could. Again, this is a *good* thing.
2) If that is just not possible, then we should use the pattern set by the CA -> CC. So, add a flag box, add a phaser or two, and make the APR standard. (There would be no additional APR in the refit.) I'd have to think how to fit this in the ship, as, unlike the CA, there aren't vast sections of the SSD that are empty. It would be a very minimal upgrade, regardless.
This also means you'll have to add a command FF and a command DD, both of which I do not believe are good to add, nor are they needed. But, I feel I am a lone voice in the wilderness on this one.
The Federation usage of command and/or leader variants seems to have taken a somewhat round-about course over time.
As per Module Y3, the Terrans had warp-refitted frigate leaders and destroyer leaders to hand. Given how strongly the Andorians would stand on this matter, I suspect that a would-be "Module Y4" would need to find room for leader variants of their respective frigate and destroyer types, also.
Speaking of the Andorians, they are noted as insisting that the range of Y-era "saucer and nacelle" ships built for the unified Star Fleet be given an early command cruiser to match - something which the other Federation members later realized was a good idea, when the first YCC proved its worth during the first Federation-Kzinti war.
So any time the Federation (not counting the Andorians) ever allowed itself to be lulled into a false sense of security on that front, events would transpire to help focus minds on the Council once again.
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Although, in fairness, there aren't that many Alpha empires with Middle Years light cruisers, or at least with enough of them to warrant leader variants in turn.
The Klingons never got very far with the LD5, though they kind of cheated by continuing production of the D6 as a "secondary" cruiser type - and, by extension, of the D6C/L as a "backup" command variant.
The Romulans as yet have no Eagle (or Kestrel) ship of such a designation; in this sense, the SparrowHawk truly was the first of its kind in historical Romulan service.
Both the Kzintis and Gorns had light cruisers, and the former have a CLC in Captain's Log #20, though the latter - who, in fairness, always planned their light cruisers to be placeholders for "double-bubble" heavy cruisers - have yet to be given a "leader" variant of this class. (It would probably make more sense for the Gorns to do this in a "Mapsheet P" timeline from Module C6, however.)
The Tholians don't have a Middle Years warship with a Move Cost of 2/3, though their C is perhaps closer to a medium cruiser than a true heavy cruiser in size.
Further west, the Hydrans don't have a proper Middle Years light cruiser; the Pegasus was still a traffic control ship at that time, and would later prove to be a poor choice for a "line" variant. (Although at least one would be used as a Royal transport.)
While the Lyrans do have the Panther light cruiser, the nature of the Lyran feudal structure might make it unlikely that a given Count or Duke would want their subordinate captains getting any funny ideas. Unless... the King-Emperor saw fit to assign would-be light cruiser leader hulls to loyal Barons and Marshals, in the years prior to the development of the Royal Panther early battlecruiser? (Indeed, to whom do the captains of the General War-era war cruiser leaders owe their allegiances: to one of the Dukes, or to the King-Emperor directly?)
In the historical timeline, the ISC skipped the Middle Years for the most part. However, in a "\Mapsheet P" timeline, perhaps the appearance of the Paravian CLL on the coreward border might have encouraged the Concordium to have considered a light cruiser leader type of their own to match.
And, as noted above, both the "lost empire" Paravians and Carnivons (would have) had CLLs in service.
So, while I'd argue that a would-be leader/command variant of the Texas-class CL would make sense for the Federation, given how prominently this old Terran hull continued to serve the UFP during this era, I don't see it as detracting from what made Star Fleet unique in this time period.
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If "option 1" is about as far as the Terran (or Auroran) engineers can stretch the CL hull, without it becoming a different class entirely (as in, with a new Move Cost or some such), fair enough.
One other thing (for now):
As noted here, there are no fewer than 18 CLs in the Federation mothball reserve, by the onset of the Klingon invasion in Y171. Might it be a "logical" supposition that one or more of these ships were, in fact, of this proposed CCL class?
Bear in mind that, also as per the production schedule in that same OOB file, the Federation did not get to the point of building large numbers of NCLs - and thus, of CLCs to lead them - until well after the invasion was already underway. Gven how hard-pressed Star Fleet was in those critical years, it's possible that any CCLs still in service - mothball activations or otherwise - might have had one last set of trials to endure, before their duty to the Federation was completed.
Quote:The Tholians don't have a Middle Years warship with a Move Cost of 2/3, though their C is perhaps closer to a medium cruiser than a true heavy cruiser in size.
Gary, I'm not sure what you're trying to say here, but the Tholian C (Y147) does have MC 2/3 , as do the later CA (Y160) and CC (Y165). What the Tholians don't have until the Neo-Tholians show up is a cruiser with MC 1.
The original Tholian dreadnought is MC 1 but is still Size Class 2 and pays dreadnought "housekeeping costs" even though it pays cruiser movement costs.
Sorry, I was mixing up the Federation Commander and Star Fleet Battles versions of the ship in my recollection there.
I could have sworn that the Tholian C had a Move Cost of 3/4 in both game systems...
Speaking of the Tholians: I'm surprised that they seemingly did not make an attempt to weld two destroyer hulls together, in order to create a Move Cost 1 cruiser type. (I say an attempt, but not necessarily a successful one. Perhaps it's not possible to establish a stable warp field around such a combination?)
The Tholian C *did* have a move cost of 3/4 originally. This was changed for the Captain's Edition.