The title says it all: I'd like to throw out another perspective on the often debated 'personal carrier'. Ever since fleet carriers were first rumored, many commanders have voiced support of and opposition towards a large or 'extra-large' ship that could dock a commander's personal fleet in some form or fashion. Generally, the idea runs with certain caveats for the purposes of balance and not stripping valence from the fleet carrier feature idea itself.
To that end, I'm going to share my newest iteration of the idea. It happens to be based on real-world 'super-yachts', where it occurred to me some of the features we want or don't want in a personal carrier may be off-target. Without further ado...'The Support Ship':
The Support Ship (Panther Clipper is frequently cited as an ideal candidate, but I'll just use this name for the thread for clarity's sake)
Major Features Include...
General Design...
Shape (If not an already known model that could fit the toaster-rack)...
Support Ship Features
What's It For?
This is an important question any ship idea should be able to answer honestly (we're still looking for the answer in regards to the Alliance Crusader or Asp Scout). While a Support Ship certainly sounds nifty and has a sort of 'self-sufficient-nomad' feel to it, it also has obvious drawbacks: notably that it only carries two additional ships, and small ones at that. While a well-engineered Vulture is indeed a dangerous craft, the Support Ship is probably not what a combat-oriented pilot has in mind.
Why You'd Fly It...
The Support Services: Pending an unescapable ship death, the Support Ship's services allow vessels to remain in the field much longer before requiring fuel, ammunition, or repairs and thus a super-cruise or jump back to those services. Within civilized space, the Support Ship is merely an efficiency modifier for its docked ship(s) and their tasks.
In deep-space, the Support Ship allows explorers or miners to more easily move dedicated craft to an ideal region then use the Support Ship as a sort of 'mobile base' while these dedicated craft undertake their tasks. After acquiring riches (in data or minerals), the Support Ship can transport the dedicated craft back to civilized space.
While a Vulture is a far-cry from a fully engineered Federal Corvette, it is a very capable combat craft when dedicated to the role. That said, many combat pilots often require a planetary hangar or other support modules to complete unique tasks (such as cargo acquisition or station access). The Support Ship enables the mass acquisition of contracts, regardless of nature, such that a commander spends more time working the contracts than flying back to a home station to switch out ships. Two ships really is better than one, and that assumes the Support Ship itself isn't able to assist.
Traders will not find much use for the Support Ship except in the transportation of rare goods, which often are sequestered aboard outposts that do not support the docking of large vessels. While the Support Ship does not support the sort of cargo space a dedicated large vessel would (such as the Type-9), a trader could still make use of the extra space aboard it and its attendant ships, particularly if there were Type-6's built exclusively for cargo space. This makes the Support Ship a lucrative target, mind you, but an intelligent trader will handle the added risk easily.
How does it work (the hangars)?
First, it's important a major change occurs: ship cargo stays with the ship. That isn't in the game currently (heaven knows why) but it would be necessary to allow this sort of ship to work. Second, the ship functions similar to a SLF - if you're not in it, an NPC or auto-pilot is flying it. That said, it behaves more like your ship when you enter a SRV and dismiss the ship. This is detailed below:
When in the Support Ship
Launching from the Support Ship
Landing on the Support Ship
While Away from the Support Ship in an SRV or SLF
While Away from the Support Ship in a Small Ship
What Happens If "..." Gets Destroyed?
Other Questions...
That's my very long idea for the Support Ship. As for 'why only two hangars', it's simple really: I think you significantly harm the value of medium and large ships if they are easily transported as described above. Part of what makes large ships, well...large, is their incredible utility. Thus, I want to honor that utility with this suggestion. This variation of the Support Ship isn't intended to be a new 'end-all-be-all' or even a new class of ship. Instead, it is a role-centered large vessel with unique features much like a Keelback or Federal Gunship for their classes. Many commanders will see no utility in this ship, or to be more precise, see more utility in other ships. This is intended.
Thoughts?
Also, lots of text means errors...I'll edit as I am able.
To that end, I'm going to share my newest iteration of the idea. It happens to be based on real-world 'super-yachts', where it occurred to me some of the features we want or don't want in a personal carrier may be off-target. Without further ado...'The Support Ship':
The Support Ship (Panther Clipper is frequently cited as an ideal candidate, but I'll just use this name for the thread for clarity's sake)
Major Features Include...
- The Support Ship is a piloted large vessel
- The Support Ship can be outfitted, featuring several very large core internals and ten small or medium hardpoints located for maximum defensive coverage, and ample utility slots
- It features two small size hangars capable of docking any small pilotable ship
- It supports SLF hangars, if equipped
General Design...
- The Support Ship is, as the name describes, principally designed as a flight-deck cruiser capable of supporting two small vessels. By providing two small hangars, the Support Ship is able to dock and fully service these small ships with repair, refueling, and restocking services from its reserves. It is also able to transfer cargo between the small ships and its equipped cargo bays, if necessary, as well as swap modules on the two ships via an outfitting service.
- The Support Ship utilizes a massive size 8 frameshift drive to mobilize its cargo across space. Given its significant mass, especially when two ships are docked within its hangars, the Support Ship relies on its FSD to reach reasonable jump distances of 20ly or so. While this feat is indeed impressive, the Support Ship's mass also makes it a dangerous vessel to fly near stellar bodies due to poor agility both in space and super-cruise. Fuel scooping is not possible as a result, and thus the Support Ship relies on station services or refueling limpets to maintain its own fueling needs.
- Designed with turrets in mind, the hardpoints of the Support Ship are spread throughout its hull to achieve defensive cover from virtually any angle. Large and slow, the Support Ship is difficult to mass lock for any would-be-attacker but equally difficult to pilot to safety: the oversized FSD has a longer spool up time than typical of most starships and poor agility practically guarantees unwanted interdictions succeeding.
- The heaviest of the heavies, the Support Ship is a devil to pilot into planetary landings and requires extreme caution when encountering anything greater than micro-gravity. That said, the ship is indeed capable of planetary landings and may deploy SRVs if equipped with them. A unique feature of the Support Ship is its ability to deploy SLFs and even its docked ships while landed: both sets of hangars deploy from the top of the ship, rather than its rear or underside like other vessels. This allows the Support Ship to remain in place on a planetary surface while a much nimbler craft scouts the local region - it also renders the risk of auto-pilot in super-cruise potentially wrecking the ship if dismissed or recalled on a world with greater than micro-gravity.
Shape (If not an already known model that could fit the toaster-rack)...
- Personally, I envision a bare-bones vessel akin to an even wider and longer 'pancake' like the Type-9 or Type-10. This allows the vessel to 'fit the slot' and still be a large dockable ship. Given the size of small ships compared to large ships, the restriction of two hangars allows the ship to realistically still employ its massive internal modules and any outfitted optionals.
- Given the size of the slot and its notably 'vertical restriction', it doesn't seem reasonable a large ship could deploy its small ships from the rear or front, which leaves the starboard and port sides...or the top and bottom. Since some small ships are quite tall (the Diamondback Explorer, as an example), side-deployment doesn't seem feasible except for SLFs. Given the heaviness of the ship, we'd also expect oversized landing gear or more numerous support stands (similar to how the Federal Corvette has five, given its mass). This means deployment from the keel is also unlikely so as to have room for hardpoints, cargo-bay/SRV deployment, utilities, and landing gear. Thus, that leaves the top of the ship for the two small hangars.
- Unlike station hangars, the hangars in the Support Ship do not rotate nor 'slide back' - they simply raise and lower into the ship's hull. Thus, they always take-off facing the bow and also land facing the bow of the Support Ship (as in approach from the stern to land).
Support Ship Features
- Two Small Hangars, allowing the docking and transportation of two small ships
- Repair, Refuel, and Restock services are pulled from 'stockpiles' each that can be replenished in the field via their respective methods or by paying a fee when docked at stations capable of 'topping off' these stockpiles. While the fuel tanks of the Support Ship are essentially 'shared' to its docked cargo, and thus represents its own fuel reserves, the repair and restock services are not able to resupply the Support Ship itself.
- The Refuel Service draws from the ship's enormous 256 ton fuel tank and any additional optional fuel tanks equipped. As the Support Ship is unable to fuel scoop, it must be refueled via fueling limpets - from its own docked cargo or any other supporting craft - or via station services whilst docked.
- The Restock service draws from a dedicated ammunition stockpile for its docked ships, allowing it to replenish the ammunition or limpet needs of its attendant vessels. This stockpile is replenished via the Support Ship's own synthesis module and requires several basic materials in large quantities to maintain it over long periods of time. The restock stockpile can also be replenished at station's capable of restocking for a fee.
- The Repair service draws from a dedicated stockpile for spare parts and materials, allowing it to repair the modules and hull of its docked ships. This stockpile is replenished similarly to the restock service with large quantities of basic materials or with the restocking service of a station for a fee.
- The Support Ship has its own optional modules such a shield or cargo modules, allowing it to be built to specification by the owning commander. The ship can be designed for deep space exploration or frequently encountering combat scenarios. While it cannot 'service itself' with its support functions, it can be equipped as a mostly-self-sufficient vessel similar to many deep space ships with repair limpets and/or AFMUs if desired. Alternatively, the vessel can be equipped for significant cargo hauling but will struggle to efficiently compete with ships dedicated to that task such as the Type-9 given much of its internal space is occupied with its support services and two dedicated hangars.
What's It For?
This is an important question any ship idea should be able to answer honestly (we're still looking for the answer in regards to the Alliance Crusader or Asp Scout). While a Support Ship certainly sounds nifty and has a sort of 'self-sufficient-nomad' feel to it, it also has obvious drawbacks: notably that it only carries two additional ships, and small ones at that. While a well-engineered Vulture is indeed a dangerous craft, the Support Ship is probably not what a combat-oriented pilot has in mind.
Why You'd Fly It...
The Support Services: Pending an unescapable ship death, the Support Ship's services allow vessels to remain in the field much longer before requiring fuel, ammunition, or repairs and thus a super-cruise or jump back to those services. Within civilized space, the Support Ship is merely an efficiency modifier for its docked ship(s) and their tasks.
In deep-space, the Support Ship allows explorers or miners to more easily move dedicated craft to an ideal region then use the Support Ship as a sort of 'mobile base' while these dedicated craft undertake their tasks. After acquiring riches (in data or minerals), the Support Ship can transport the dedicated craft back to civilized space.
While a Vulture is a far-cry from a fully engineered Federal Corvette, it is a very capable combat craft when dedicated to the role. That said, many combat pilots often require a planetary hangar or other support modules to complete unique tasks (such as cargo acquisition or station access). The Support Ship enables the mass acquisition of contracts, regardless of nature, such that a commander spends more time working the contracts than flying back to a home station to switch out ships. Two ships really is better than one, and that assumes the Support Ship itself isn't able to assist.
Traders will not find much use for the Support Ship except in the transportation of rare goods, which often are sequestered aboard outposts that do not support the docking of large vessels. While the Support Ship does not support the sort of cargo space a dedicated large vessel would (such as the Type-9), a trader could still make use of the extra space aboard it and its attendant ships, particularly if there were Type-6's built exclusively for cargo space. This makes the Support Ship a lucrative target, mind you, but an intelligent trader will handle the added risk easily.
How does it work (the hangars)?
First, it's important a major change occurs: ship cargo stays with the ship. That isn't in the game currently (heaven knows why) but it would be necessary to allow this sort of ship to work. Second, the ship functions similar to a SLF - if you're not in it, an NPC or auto-pilot is flying it. That said, it behaves more like your ship when you enter a SRV and dismiss the ship. This is detailed below:
- You start out in the ship (because you just purchased it at a station) and you are now on a large docking pad like any other large ship.
- You can use the shipyard services to transfer a ship in the same station to your ship if it is a small ship and you have a free hangar.
- Outfitting, restocking, refueling...all the usual stuff for a normal ship is the same as usual.
- Ships docked inside the support ship are listed in the Role Panel and accessible from there. Ships can be transferred between the hangar and the shipyard via the shipyard UI of the station. The Role Panel only allows take-off, just like with the SLF or SRV. At planetary stations, the hangars can be used just the like the SRV. The SLF will launch vertically and at speed. The small ships will not launch, instead you will enter them and be able to use the role panel to perform functions detailed later.
When in the Support Ship
- You use the role panel to enter the docked small ship of your choice. If you have an NPC pilot, they take the helm. If not, the helm is under auto-pilot. In both situations, the ship will remain at full stop (or landed, if landed) and not undertake any actions (including defending itself) unless instructed to do so.
- Once inside the small ship, you will be in the hangar (not exposed) and will have three options just like a station: Support Ship Services, Enter Hangar/Return to Surface, Launch. When the Support Ship is docked you may enter the small ships but cannot launch them or return to the surface: they remain inside the hangar and you can only access the services of the Support Ship, not the station. To access the station services, you must do so from the support ship or you must move the small ship to the shipyard, transfer, then access services.
- Support Ship Services allows outfitting, but only from the available stored modules in the Support Ship and what is on the small ship currently occupied. The module storage of the Support Ship is capped at 20 modules. If the module storage is full, it can only swap modules of the same type as it will not be possible to detach a module with the storage full.
Launching from the Support Ship
- For SRVs, this can be done when the Support Ship is landed or docked at a planetary station. Th SRV will deploy as normal in these situations.
- For SLFs, launching is possible when the ship is landed, docked at a planetary station (but still on the surface), or in space. It cannot be done if the Support Ship is docked inside a space station or has entered the hangar of a planetary station. An error message will show in these two cases. The SLF will launch vertically from the Support Ship's topside, at speed. This can result in unintended crashes with debris, traffic, or overhead obstacles. Pilot discretion is advised.
- Small Ships must be entered from the role panel, just like SLF or SRV, and then commanded to return to the surface of the hangar to prep for launch. Selecting launch from within the hangar will cause the ship to automatically surface, then launch, as normal. Due to gravity, the ship may immediately impact the support ship if it is landed on a planetary body - the shields of both vessels may be affected, though negligibly so except in high-gravity scenarios. In high-gravity scenarios small ship launch, while possible, may be a recipe for immediate disaster. Pilot discretion is advised. The landing pad will cease launch sequence and be ready for landing sequence after 15 seconds.
Landing on the Support Ship
- SLF and SRV dock as normal. For planetary landings, SLF landings are overtaken by the auto-pilot as soon as within docking holographic perimeters. High-gravity environments may overwhelm the auto-pilot and result in crashes. Pilot discretion is, again, advised.
- For small ships, landing also utilizes the role panel to request docking permission. The landing pad will ascend and present a holographic perimeter for guidance. Once docked, the commander can use the service options to lower into the hangar, use the Support Ship's services, or launch again. The role panel will be used to exit the small ship and enter the other small ship (if docked), use one of the other vessels (if equipped) or return to the helm of the Support Ship. Returning to the helm of the Support Ship automatically lowers the hangar if it hasn't been already.
While Away from the Support Ship in an SRV or SLF
- Similar to a typical starship, the Support Ship will automatically launch and depart for Super-Cruise (if it is able) when deploying the SRV and then driving a fair distance away. It can then be recalled as normal.
- In an SLF, the Support Ship will follow orders as given. If significant range is gained from the Support Ship, connection can and will be cut out to the SLF as normal as tele-presence has been stretched too far.
While Away from the Support Ship in a Small Ship
- Similar to the SRV, you the commander have actually stepped into the small ship and left the Support Ship. The Support Ship, whether piloted by an NPC crew member or the auto-pilot, will behave much like when using an SLF, however. Below are the nuances:
- The Support Ship can be dismissed to super-cruise when using one of the small ships. This takes the Support Ship 'off the grid', like with an SRV dismissal. However, the support ship remains in that system if the piloted small ship leaves. This will be indicated on the galactic map, showing the Support Ship in the system it is currently. While dismissed, the support ship will still burn fuel but at a very slow rate.
- If the Support Ship is not dismissed, it will remain landed/in normal space until significant distance from it is made (regardless of it trying to follow or simply sitting stationary).
- The Support ship can be recalled by the small ship in normal space. If the small ship is landed on a planetary surface, it can be recalled to that planet and will attempt to land nearby. If unable to land due to terrain, it will attempt to hover nearby as normal. Gravity should be taken into consideration when recalling the Support Ship, as with any ship.
What Happens If "..." Gets Destroyed?
- A Quick Clarification: The Support Ship can only be recalled by the ship that last docked with it. In other words, if you leave it in a system and change to another ship (even if small) and try to recall it after returning to that system, it won't work. If the launching small ship was destroyed, the Support Ship is returned to the last station it docked at.
- If the Support Ship is destroyed (with you as the helm), you arrive at the rebuy screen. The Rebuy screen has tabs for each ship destroyed (as your docked ships would have also been destroyed). You can choose what to recover as normal.
- If the Support Ship is destroyed with an NPC at the helm, it is destroyed along with any docked ship aboard. The commander can return at any time to an insurance broker in systems where they are present to file a claim and attempt to rebuy their lost ship(s). They have 30 days to do so before the claim is void. Insurance claim process is just like the rebuy screen, but with a countdown of 30 days.
- Modules aboard the ship are not recoverable, similar to cargo. Modules carried should be carefully weighed against the risk of their total loss if not equipped to an insured vessel.
- If the commander is destroyed in a small ship that has been deployed, the Support Ship will return to the last station it docked at (which may or may not be the same as the last station the small ship docked at) and wait for the commander to retrieve it. If engaged in combat, the support ship will use the destruction of your ship to 'sneak out' and thus cannot also be destroyed post-your-destruction. You will arrive at a rebuy screen for your lost ship.
Other Questions...
- The Support Ship cannot dock friendly small ships due to conflicting commander programs, it can only dock small ships controlled by its owning commander
- The Support Ship can be ordered to fight alongside the small ship deployed, but a small ship cannot be deployed by an NPC pilot due to insurance liability stipulations
- The Support Ship cannot launch SLFs unless the owning commander is a SLF or piloting the Support Ship
- The Support Ship supports multi-crew, but only allows crew to access the SLF or the equipped modules of the ship - not its docked small ship(s)
That's my very long idea for the Support Ship. As for 'why only two hangars', it's simple really: I think you significantly harm the value of medium and large ships if they are easily transported as described above. Part of what makes large ships, well...large, is their incredible utility. Thus, I want to honor that utility with this suggestion. This variation of the Support Ship isn't intended to be a new 'end-all-be-all' or even a new class of ship. Instead, it is a role-centered large vessel with unique features much like a Keelback or Federal Gunship for their classes. Many commanders will see no utility in this ship, or to be more precise, see more utility in other ships. This is intended.
Thoughts?
Also, lots of text means errors...I'll edit as I am able.