Federation Commander

gurps_gm · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 8:38 am Post subject: Federation Dreadought Names

The names of Fed Dreadnoughts sound uninspiring in my opinion. I know that the names are taken from the Franz Josef book. Has there been any thought to officially rename these ships?

djdood · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:25 pm Post subject:

You can name them anything you want in your own sessions, but the names in the SFU have all been established for over 30 years and are unlikely to change.
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Steve Cole · Site Admin Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 3821

Officially published names never change.
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

gurps_gm · Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 11:59 pm Post subject:

djdood · Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 12:02 am Post subject:

You're not the only one.

Even though he's one of the people who inspired me into my career, I'd love to have challenged him on the 'shuttlebay on the front of the dreadnought' decision.
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Steve Cole · Site Admin Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 3821

As an engineer, I thought that forward facing shuttle bay thing was wrong the first second I saw it.
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

ElizabethB · Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:06 pm Post subject:

I am not an engineer and I was like 10 years old when I first read the tech manual, but I have to acknowledge that the forward facing shuttle bay is just silly.

Sgt_G · Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 9:00 pm Post subject:

And yet, the police cutter has a forward-facing shuttle bay .............
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Garth L. Getgen

Master Sgt, US Air Force, Retired -- 1981-2007 -- 1W091A

mjwest · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 12:49 am Post subject:

Don't the Kzinti cruisers all have large forward shuttle bay doors?
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Federation Commander Answer Guy

djdood · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 3:05 am Post subject:

I believe the Kzinti have forward doors and underside hatches on a lot of them.

A forward-facing shuttlebay is totally "do-able" in a world where tractor beams exist. However, it doesn't pass the KISS rule of design (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

A rear-facing shuttlebay allows shuttles to make their approaches under their own power and completely unassisted, if need be, which is very useful in rescue and recovery situations with the receiving ship's tractors out of commission (or worse). The receiving ship can be completely passive.

A forward-facing bay pretty much requires some effort on the receiving ship's part, which could be a problem in some situations.
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ctchapel · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 4:00 pm Post subject:

That, and how the heck do you use droges with front doors?

djdood · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 4:29 pm Post subject:

It could be done (and apparently is done on the DN and Kzinti), but would involve complicated stuff with tractor beams and maybe even extensible booms.
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Sneaky Scot · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:53 pm Post subject:

With enough handwavium, anything is possible!
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Nothing is quite as persuasive as a disruptor pistol on slow burn and a rotisserie......

Sgt_G · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 10:25 pm Post subject:

gurps_gm · Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 5:09 pm Post subject:

I have tried to come up with something.
I think naming a prominent vessel "Federation" makes it a more tempting target.