Archive through June 27, 2022
Star Fleet Universe Discussion Board: Captain's Log: New Fiction:
Advice to authors:
Archive through June 27, 2022
Anyone know what product the WVA is in? The source material/reference (YR2.32, Early Years Y2) for the WVL mentions 2 WVLs being assisted by a WVA and 2 WVFs in a battle against the Kzinti. I assumed it was the warp-refitted, Vulcan heavy cruiser, but have been unable to find one.
I would guess that it MIGHT be a reference to the Vulcan Early Cruiser (YVC). My logic (
) is that, in Module Y1, the Federation "National Guard" ships were identified as either "Cruisers" or as "Destroyers."
With Y2, we see the Terran National Guard getting their WCA (YR2.24) while all other founding Federation peoples National Guards get WCLs.
This implies an unspoken redesignation of what was presented in Y1 as "National Guard Cruisers" to, post Y2 publication, be recognized as "National Guard HEAVY Cruisers."
However, that IS just a guess, and goodness knows that my logic can be pretty poor
Randy.
The MSSB for the WVL says WVC and 2 WVF. The WVC Vulcan Early Cruiser is YR2.13.
There is no WVA listed in the MSSB.
Thanks Jeff!
Ryan, MSSB = Master Starship Book? Federation? I don't mind buying the electronic version, if that is the one I need. I just feel like that might be a good fiction story to work on, and need to get the Fed (Vulcan) side right. Seems.. logical.. ;)
Randy,
Correct. It's the Federation Master Starship Book.
It is available on the PDF sites. For some of the ships it does have some history for them.
Also the Star Fleet Universe Index, with references to all the mentioned historical references should be available in the next month or so.
Anyone heard of a software package called CAMPFIRE? I just saw an ad for it the other night. It's an application that allows authors to track characters with arcs and relationships, timelines and events, locations and maps, and all the background / world-building behind the story.
I want to get opinions before I jump into yet-another piece of software. If you've tried it, was it worth the time/money/effort??
Garth L. Getgen
Garth,
It's got a 10 day free trail offer through the end of the month.
I think for the one time purchase of $65, we've proabbly all spent more than than on stuff that didn't work.
Ain't that the truth, Ryan. Do you know how many different CAD programs I have owned??
Garth L. Getgen
Take the 10 day free trail and see if it works for you. I certainly looks prominsing.
There's a pretty good review of it by L. James Rice on mythic scribes . com, Garth. Looks like a useful program, with a bit of a learning curve.
A video from this channel popped up on my recommended list on YouTube: Diane Callahan - Quotidian Writer.
Garth L. Getgen
Would anyone want to take a stab at a ship list for a story that would revolve around a fleet battle between a Terran WDN (Mars) and a Kzinti WDN (Nobility). Either side would be fine, as I can extrapolate the opposing lineup at that point. Year 89. I also assume a Vulcan scout of some kind would be present. Any ships from Y1,Y2 or Y3 should be eligible, as long as they are in service at that time. But since the fleets are led by warp-refitted DNs, I would think there would be a preponderance of warp-refitted ships for the Kzinti and/or warp-refitted and National Guard ships for the Federation.
Thanks, in advance!
Not sure about what you're looking for, Randy, but the MSSBs have "Known names" for every ship.
Some Kzinti WCAs are Honor's Guardian, Pelt Taker, Pride of Snarl, and Ripping Slayer.
Some Kzinti WDDs are Fangs of Terror, Loyal Squire, Sheild bearer, Solemn Vow, and Stabber.
Some Terran WCAs are Christopher Point, Cydonia, Kirbuk City, Mare Serenitatis, and Napier.
Some Terran WFFs are Antietam, Rossbach, Trafalgar, and Thermopylae.
Sorry, Jeff. What I am actually looking for, is fleet composition. Like a Terran WDN, escorted by a Terran warp-refitted cruiser, a Fed YCL, 2 Terran warp-refitted destroyers, 3 warp-refitted frigates, a Vulcan scout, and a couple of National Guard ships from the other races in SFB. Think to fit the F&E rule, I would need 12 ships per side. I'm centering the Federation Task Force around the old Terran WDN named Mars. Tasked with stopping the invasion thrust, not the big one along the main Kzinti axis of attack, which is being met by the cream of the Federation's fleet, but the one led by the old Kzinti WDN named Nobility. I know a lot of players are only interested in the newer toys, but to the crew-beings in Y89, they had the "new" stuff.
Not sure if I could use a smaller fleet. It's a lot easier to write about six ships per side, than twelve.
My opinion, for what (little) it's worth, is you should use the smaller fleets.
As to why, the Terran fleets weren't huge and there's a wide swath of space to keep an eye on. Even with allied ships helping, the region is vast.
Sure, Vulcan scouts could keep a watch over much larger areas than single ships from other peoples, but as I undertand Vulcans, they may not have seen the logical need to contain the Kzintis; if they had, then it would have been them, not the Terrans, who became the heart of the Federation (and Star Fleet).
Anyway, as I see it, High Command would have a sizeable group of high powered ships ready as a response force, once a picket encountered a major Kzinti element, but the shorter sensor ranges (as opposed to what was available during the General War era) and lack of base watchstations (due to that, literally, being only recently explored space, and there hasn't been time to build the base stations to watch the border) mean that a higher percentage of ships would be needed as lone pickets than what will be necessary during the main SFU timeframe.
Anyhow, that's my 0.002 Quatloos worth.
Jeff, thanks for your input! Six it is!
Say, what's the 411 on Kzinti naming conventions? Is the format: Cat-who-this's or Cat-who-that's pretty standard for SFU fiction? Can an author move away from this with a more Kzinti-Hillbilly name such as Bites-to-the-Bone?
Bites to the bone is fine!
Oh, that's very exciting to hear. Thank you!
A friend of mine from when we were kids came from a family who had a cat that always scratched the arms of their sofas, regardless of what sort of scratching posts they got.
When we played SFB, he came up with a Kzinti character to honor this (rather annoying) pet; "Cat-Who-Ruins-Your-Good-Furniture."
(I subsequently proposed that name may have gone to an exchange cadet after a high-spirited tavern brawl in which this visitor refrained from injuring his fellow students, instead favoring property damage.)
Silly student. Injuries like scratches, or even broken legs can heal; scratches or broken legs on furniture-- even repaired-- moves the furniture towards shabby.
In CL #12, page #9 it show a Kzinti captain 2nd grade would skipper a BC and a captain 3rd grade would do so for a CM or CL. My question is . . . multifaceted.
Let me see if I can put it all together intelligibly.
If, in Y168, you had a Kzinti captain, who was a veteran, even a hero, of the last Kzinti/Federation war, and was still serving aboard one of the last CS’s (Strike Cruisers) that hadn’t been converted to a BC yet, would it be fair to say that captain 2nd grade is a logical rank?
Is it even logical, or possible, that such an officer would retain his rank and ship assignment for such an extended duration? Could an effective background of war hero mixed with a political necessity allow for this kind of situation? Particularity if this ship and captain were both were slated for, shall we say, a quiet retirement?
And if so, (Holy Moly! I started this thinking it would be a short question, my apologies!)—
Anyway, if so, could I name this ship: Meteoroid? It’s not listed in the CS ship’s description in Basic, or in the Starship Name Registry, but similar names such as Comet, Meteor, and Planetoid are listed, and seem to be of a similar vein. But I’m not married to it, if an alternative option was suggested I would be entirely agreeable to it.
Lastly, as I’ve gone all in, are these appropriate questions for this forum or is there a preferred means of carrying on this discussion?
I know, I know, there are no stupid questions, just annoying people who ask them.
Note to self, I just discovered that CL #26 has a class history of the Kzinti CS's. I think I better order that one and answer some of my own questions.
In peacetime military forces it is not unknown for officers to remain in one post for far longer than normal.