Star Fleet Times #18 has five Joser SSDs.

By Ken Kazinski (Kjkazinski) on Saturday, June 20, 2026 - 07:36 am: Edit

the ship descriptions for the ships that do not have SSDs did not say how to change the published SSD's so you could use the ships, which is the reason for my question.

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 11:25 am: Edit

Is there a set of compiled 'general pod' SSDs anywhere?

(R1.24A) mentions that Mobile Bases would commonly have cargo pods - this seems to be (R2.11) in Basic Set, even though that identifies itself by a Federation R-number. However it also states "...most often self-defense or repair, but any type of pod could be used except as noted below."

That "repair pod", for example. Where is that SSD?

Pg. 8 of the Federation MSSB lists "ADDITIONAL FEDERATION PODS" with:

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Quote:

(R2.22) HEAVY CARRIER POD (P-CVA)
(R2.52) REPAIR POD (P-R)
(R2.53) TROOP TRANSPORT POD (P-T)
(R2.54) SELF-DEFENSE POD (P-SD)
(R2.57) LIGHT CARRIER POD (P-CVL)
(R2.58) LIGHT BATTLE POD (P-LB)
(R2.72) PF TENDER POD (P-PF)
(R2.101) F-111 TRANSPORT POD (P-FCF)
(R2.135) SCOUT POD (P-SC)
(R2.136) HEAVY FIGHTER POD (P-HVL)

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By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 01:54 pm: Edit

Xander: product locations:

(R2.22) Advanced Missions
(R2.52) Module R2
(R2.53) Module R2
(R2.54) Module R2
(R2.57) Module R2
(R2.58) Module R2
(R2.72) Module R2
(R2.101) Module J2
(R2.135) Module R11
(R2.136) Module R11

Per (R1.34), "any tug or LTT can carry a civilian cargo pod (replacing a standard cargo pod), but Federation tugs and LTTs cannot dock pods to civilian cargo pods or dock civilian cargo pods to other pods." No mention is made of doing so with civilian non-cargo pods; as such, I'd gather that they could only be carried by a tug as inactive cargo.

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 02:26 pm: Edit

Yes, not really thinking about tug or LTT usage, so much as Mobile Bases, which SEEM - per (R1.24A) - to be able to "use" any of these pods. Indeed, R1.24A mentions the impact on weapon arcs from pods containing weapons (obviously not only cargo pods, then), tractor beams on pods, etc.

Thinking about things like a Prospecting Base with a pair of cargo pods, a work pod and a prospecting pod.

Or a Hospital Station with a pair of cargo pods and pair of Hospital pods. Maybe with a Sciences Module and Hangar Bay Module.

Etc

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 03:54 pm: Edit

Xander Fulton:

An orbital, or just a deep space hospital station does not make much sense to me. Sure, there are hospital freighters, but if someone is going to go to the trouble of building an immobile hospital in space it just makes more sense to co-locate with defense installations such as star bases. Sure, a hospital freighter cannot run very fast, but it can run. It also has the advantage that it is not tied to one location but can move where it, or one of its ilk, is needed.

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 04:29 pm: Edit

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Quote:

co-locate with defense installations such as star bases

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By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 05:02 pm: Edit

Xander Fulton:
Pardon, but a hospital freighter IS a MASH.

As to why have a mobile base when you could have a star base, because you have a mobile base where you plan on eventually having at least a battle station, but possibly a star base. Because a mobile base takes at least two months to build, a battle station nearly a year, and a star base at least two years. If you do no have a mobile base as the seed for that star base you are going to take longer to build it. Being able to rapidly deploy mobile bases enabled empires to extend their logistics chains into enemy space or newly liberated space, or just repair gaps in their own chain or defensive bases. There are not enough credits to build all the star bases you might want for your empire, which is part of the reason they have all those battle stations. If funds and time are not a factor they might all eventually be star bases, but there is also a need to keep the civilians happy with freebies back home, which also takes credits.

By A David Merritt (Adm) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 05:31 pm: Edit

Separate bases for hospitals would make a lot of sense in some situations, due to the ease of quarantining them.

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 06:02 pm: Edit

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Quote:

...because you have a mobile base where you plan on eventually having at least a battle station, but possibly a star base.

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By Douglas Saldana (Dsal) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 06:29 pm: Edit

I think a hospital base might exist as a diplomatic/goodwill tool like in the classic Sector General (Space Hospital) novels. This seems like a good way for the Federation to exercise "soft power" with allies and neutrals.

A "mobile hospital base" would likely be more prestigious then a hospital freighter, better suited to long term deployments (say several years), and less provocative than a hospital ship converted from a warship. Such bases would facilitate medical/biological research which is likely big business in the Federation and somewhat of a necessity given its multi-species polity.

I could see such bases being deployed to Gorn and Kzinti space as part of a larger cultural/technological exchange or to a neutral zone where the base would serve an entire area of space (not just one system) for 2-3 years before relocating.

By Stewart Frazier (Frazikar3) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 08:54 pm: Edit

Given there are civilian Base Stations, it follows there must be (considerably more, and far more specialized given their smaller scale) civilian Mobile Bases.

Hmmm, what about the SAMS (R1.30) or CPL (R1.29) as the start of a civilian MB … [CPP (R1.40)??]

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 08:55 pm: Edit

Being well aware of how long-running some of my debates with SPP have been (LOL) - I'll just say that @Adm and @Dsal are both pretty much bullseye for my thoughts on the use of a Mobile Base as a Hospital.

Although I'm also tossing into the ring all the OTHER civilian-oriented-pods that could make up a MB. Prospecting is an obvious one, for an asteroid field far richer than a Prospecting Freighter justifies. But the R-section for the mobile base implies outright that "supply" or "repair" versions of the base are even more 'normal' - but no indication of how that impacts shields, crew, BPV, etc.

And what about - as has happened OFTEN in the "Franchise" series - long-term observation of a massive and significant stellar phenomenon? No question a Base Station is overkill for that - but a Mobile Base with a set of Cargo pods, Science pods, Commo Modules, Power Modules...

Et al.

Obviously the number of combinations already allowed by the rules are limitless - but are ill-defined. So, getting a better sense of how these things could fit together...would be very welcome.

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 09:01 pm: Edit

-deleted, dupe-

By A David Merritt (Adm) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 09:01 pm: Edit

Heck, picture a variant of a SAMS for the monitoring base, after all the one from TOS's The Empath only had a two man crew.

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 09:06 pm: Edit

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Quote:

Heck, picture a variant of a SAMS for the monitoring base, after all the one from TOS's The Empath only had a two man crew.

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By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 10:33 pm: Edit

SAMs and Commercial Platforms.

Imagine this; a Commercial Platform with the pod from an oiler on one side and the pod from a repair freighter on the other side.

"Floyd's Starship Service Station!"

And Floyd has his Salvage Tug, so if you're broken down anywhere within fifty parsecs, he can give you a good rate and have you fixed up in a jiffy...

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 - 04:02 pm: Edit

Xander Fulton:

I do not think I am overly focused on military installations, you own previous statement brought it up.

No one would build a STAR BASE as a hospital. They are huge investments. But if you are building a star base you may as well, to coin a phrase, "Festoon it with bells and whistles."

Mobile bases take time. You do not establish one on the spur of the moment. Consider that it would require a single tug as many as three (3) round trips to set up the base (trip #1 carry the two mobile base pods, trip #2 and #3 to deliver the four "legs" of the base. And a fourth to deliver the base augmentation modules. That is with a fleet tug. You could do it with a strategic transport (moving a LOT slower than even an LTT) or an LTT (could only carry one pod at a time, so six round trips (seven if it is delivering the augmentation modules as well). Sure, you can save time by concentrating your construction assets (three fleet tugs can Bring the whole base in one lift, assuming an LTT or strategic transport brings the augmentation modules). But there is more to the base than just the pods.The people to man it will require transport. And there is the time to "spin the base up".

By A David Merritt (Adm) on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 - 04:51 pm: Edit

Perhaps a OAL would be a better mobile hospital.


As far as a mobile base is concerned, I would think it would be more economical to send an LTT and a convoy of military engined freighters carrying all the parts for the LTT to assemble, send it in one go. Have a trained and formal group assigned to this would be a good idea for efficiency, and likely be small in number, 1-3 depending on Empire.

Tholians, LDR, Orions, Jindarians, and Andros need not apply for these.

By Ken Kazinski (Kjkazinski) on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 - 07:14 pm: Edit

Instead of a SAM for monitoring, you could use the (R1.923) MOBILE LISTENING POST FREIGHTER (F-LP)

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 - 08:35 pm: Edit

Petrick: Mobile bases take time. You do not establish one on the spur of the moment.

How much time? Let's assume you have all the components in the system, with a tug or two. You see the enemy fleet approaching from several hundred light-years away, so you know you need extra defenses quickly. How much advanced warning do you reasonably need to throw the thing together?? A few hours? A day? More??


Garth L. Getgen

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 - 08:37 pm: Edit

Quote: No one would build a STAR BASE as a hospital.

True, but I think I would build a hospital inside the Star Base.


Garth L. Getgen

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 - 11:14 pm: Edit

Quick question on the Tholians ...

Is it really the case that the only Tholian ship with a full 24 fighters is the venerable CVA? They have a DNV, but it only carries 12. They have an NSCS, but there is no NCVA. So, unless I am missing something, there are no Tholian ships besides the CVA that has 24 fighters.

Which, if true, is kinda disappointing as the CVA is, uh, not very good. It is great as a CA-carrier. It sucks as a DN-carrier replacement.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Thursday, July 09, 2026 - 12:44 am: Edit

The Tholian CVA is really the equivalent of an "interdiction carrier" rather than a DN-based CVA as used by other empires. And speaking as a player whose favorite empire is the Tholians, I don't want any of my few dreadnought hulls used as the basis for "true" CVAs. The Tholian fighters, though their very low cost makes them cost effective in some limited, specific roles, just aren't good enough as "general purpose" fighters to justify wasting one of my very limited number of dreadnought hulls in such a role.

The NSCS is an excellent ship for the Tholians. But it is excellent because of the ship's own characteristics and its flotilla of excellent PFs. The fighters are much less important. And in my opinion, the Archeo-dreadnought-based DNV^* is not nearly as useful for the Tholians as the DP, and certainly not as useful as the DPW. Nor would it be particularly effective even if it carried 24 fighters. If for some reason you do want to field a large Tholian fighter force in an "open space" battle, use a CVA (i.e., interdiction carrier) and some CW-based carriers. The Tholians just can't build many DN hulls. Save the ones you do have for DN roles.

^*If for some reason I were going to build a DN-based carrier in the context of a strategic campaign, I would ditch the single-space fighters completely and deploy a squadron of six Spider-VM fast, heavy megafighters. But even here, I would generally be better off deploying that same Spider-VM squadron from a CW-based carrier and build the dreadnought as a DP or DPW.


If Mike (or anyone) disagrees, I think the "Tholian Tactics" thread would be the appropriate place to continue the discussion.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Thursday, July 09, 2026 - 12:52 am: Edit

By the way, the Tholians do have a heavy-freighter-based auxiliary carrier with 24 fighters. All the fighters are Spider-IIIs so the entire fighter force has only phaser-IIIs for weapons.

It is, admittedly, a cheap way of getting a lot of phaser-IIIs to the fight and can be useful in some roles. But to continue the previous theme, I'm not wasting a dreadnought hull on it.