Ship Class Guide

[Fromikeable]

Are you using ships in your thread? Fantastic; Star Wars is nothing without the "Star"! With that said, tech mods past, present, and future have cooked up a small guide on the basics of starship classification as they're used here on SWU. This is a reference to help you know what the different ship classes are, and what they mean. As a general rule, it is normally assumed that for military classes, ships of a particular class are outmatched by larger classes one-on-one. Enjoy! Military Classes Starfighters Interceptor: Light, lacking hyperdrives and sometimes lacking shields, these quick and nimble craft typically launch from carriers, bases, and starports. As such, they are used as the primary pursuit craft of your average navy. They often only carry a single pilot and nothing else. Strike/Multi-Role: A general purpose class in between the capital ship-busting Bombers and the nimble anti-starfighter Interceptors, Strike and Multi-Role starfighters make up the bulk of any fleet's starfighter contention. They're capable of attacking both other starfighters and light capital ships, and typically carry 1 to 2 pilots and little more. Bomber: Being medium-to-heavy starfighters, bombers have the thickest armor and shields of any starfighters. This comes at great cost, as bombers typically suffer from a lack of maneuverability, sometimes relying on turrets to diminish their vulnerability to other starfighters. Bombers typically require crews of 2 or more, and are designed to hold large amounts of munitions. Assault: These starfighters are primarily used in conjunction with or in lieu of Bombers, focusing less on self-defense and carrying far more guns of their own. While slightly more maneuverable, they tend to be slow and carry crews of 3 or more, retaining far smaller amounts of munition. Gunboat: Though not strictly a starfighter, these light freighter-sized craft are nonetheless just capable of easily evading heavy capital ship weaponry as starfighters. They often sport a blistering number of weapon mounts for their size and excel at outgunning what they cannot catch while outrunning what they cannot outgun. Gunboats can be configured for anti-starfighter, anti-capital, or general purpose combat, but are most commonly seen in the support role for installation assaults and escort missions. Their numerous weapon mounts require a large crew, often in excess of 5 or more. Capital Ships Patrol: Primarily used for anti-fighter and anti-pirate operations, Patrol ships are light "in-system" warships. Generally between 70 and 180m in length and often lacking hyperdrives, Patrol ships utilize enough speed to match assault fighters and shielding systems far superior to any starfighter. Patrol ships typically require at least 20 sailors. Corvette: Technically the lightest of all military warships, Corvettes--measuring anywhere from 100m to 280m--are most commonly used as patrol, recon, or essentially the capital classes' form of a fighter. They usually require at least 100 crew to operate fully. Frigate: Bridging Corvette and Cruiser-class warships, Frigates can be found filling a diverse number of roles. Fast and nimble for capital ships, their size ranges anywhere from 250m-400m. While excelling mainly in anti-starfighter roles, they also see use as fleet support and system defense units. Frigates often require upwards of 600 sailors. Only Planetary-scale factions and larger have access to Frigates. Destroyer: A partner class to the Frigates, Destroyers are designed to be used in anti-capital "wolf packs". They carry heavy capital ship weaponry that allow them to be a threat to ships many time their own size. They are, however, extremely vulnerable to concentrated heavy fire and bomber strikes. Being of similar size to Frigates, they also typically function with at least 600 sailors. Only Planetary-scale factions and larger have access to Destroyers. Cruiser: The mainstay of any fleet, the Cruiser runs the gambit from specialized bombardment ships to anti-starfighter and front line warships. The lightest Cruisers tend to be 320m in length minimum, while the largest ones can easily reach 600m or beyond. Due to this size, Cruisers are the largest ships capable of landing on planets, and only then, at dedicated facilities. None operate effectively without at least 1,000 sailors. Only Regional-scale factions and larger have access to Cruisers. Battleship: Heavy warships measuring up to 1500m in length, Battleships form the main line of any heavy combat fleet, slinging torpedoes and turbolaser bolts at long range and devastating any large vessels that comes in reach of it's main batteries. Due to their immense size, Battleships demand multiple thousands of sailors, with none needing less than 3,000. Only Regional-scale factions and larger have access to Battleships. Battlecruiser: The counterpart to Battleships, Battlecruisers are designed to charge into the heart of the fray and carry a suite of armament to tackle almost any kind of enemy ship. Though of similar size and armor, Battlecruisers lack the endurance of a Battleships and are generally regulated for flanking attacks and calculated charges. This also typically requires them to bear crews of 3,000 sailors or more. Only Regional-scale factions and larger have access to Battlecruisers. Dreadnought: Measuring more than one and a half kilometers in length at their smallest, Dreadnoughts form the core of only the largest galactic fleets, armed and defended heavily enough to give any enemy pause. Aside from concentrated fire from an entire fleet, the only true match for a dreadnought is another dreadnought. Their unmatched size demands constant funding that few factions can afford, as well as crews of well over 15,000 sailors. The mere movements of dreadnoughts are often news-worthy events. Only Galactic-scale factions have access to dreadnoughts, and only with admin approval. Carriers Escort: Fast patrol carriers are loaded to the brim with anywhere between 20 to 80 interceptors and strike fighters. Escort carriers are also typically tasked with the transportation of ground forces, often capable of shuttling a few hundred soldiers as well. The average Escort carrier is no larger than a Frigate or Destroyer. Only Planetary-scale factions and larger have access to Escort carriers. Fleet: Comparable in size to Cruisers, Fleet Carriers are the mainstay battle carriers capable of launching large numbers of fighters as well as protecting themselves from most small capital ships capable of breaking through a assault line. Fleet Carriers tend to carry upwards of 100 starfighters, and possess primarily defensive armaments. They are also equipped to transport large numbers of soldiers, often numbering in the low thousands. Only Regional-scale factions and larger have access to Fleet carriers. Super: The largest of the Carriers, Super Carriers typically match Battleships in terms of size. These ships, for all intents and purposes, are able to bring their own fleet with them, often sporting upwards of 300 starfighters a piece. Beyond this, Super Carriers are capable of transporting entire armies. Only Galactic-scale factions have access to Super carriers, and only with admin approval. Civilian Classes Transports Shuttle: Shuttles are unarmed, starfighter-sized civilian transports that carry 1 to 20 people, typically. Usually only capable of intrasystem travel, they often lack hyperdrives and shields. Personnel: Slightly larger than their shuttle counter-parts (around 15-80m), Personnel transports usually carry a hyperdrive and are equipped for longer journeys. Sporting no armament, they are however equipped with shielding to protect them from radiation and, if need be, the lightest of firearms. Personnel transports typically carry 20 to 100 people. Yacht: Large transport ships that carry numerous people, yachts are generally seen in the ownership of tourist businesses, corporations, or extremely wealthy individuals. They vary in length from 90m to 200m. They sport hyperdrives, advanced shielding, and even light armament on occasion to discourage pirate attack. Depending on their design, yachts can carry anywhere from 100 to 500 people, the exact number often dictated by how much comfort is afforded by the designers. Exploration Vessels Ranging in size comparable to a personnel transport or larger, these ships are designed to travel unexplored deep space sectors or strange, cosmic phenomena. As such, they often carry advanced hyperdrives, shields, and sensor equipment. They often accommodate sizable research teams and must carry considerable food and air rations for prolonged voyages. They are very rarely armed, and crews range anywhere from a few dozen individuals to a few hundred. Cruise Liner: Cruise Liners are massive, lumbering pleasure craft ranging from 200m to 600m or more. They are never privately owned, but may be the property of a large corporation or galactic tour business. They contain lavish services for wealthy passengers and carry standard hyperdrives. They are lightly shielded for their size and usually either carry a basic defensive armament or none at all. They often have a compliment of shuttles, light transports, or even a fighter or two. Exact passenger counts are typically in the thousands, with none being economic to operate without at least 5,000 passengers. Freighters Courier Small, fast craft usually 10-30m in length, couriers carry small amounts of high-value cargo. Equipped with powerful engines, they sometimes also carry hyperdrives. While unarmed, their speed and maneuverability often gets them out of potentially dangerous situations. Couriers rarely operate with more than 2 crew members. Light: Light freighters are the mainstay of most private businesses. Small ships with size comparable to a Gunboat, their length ranges from 20m to 100m. While most hull space is devoted to cargo, many choose to sacrifice some of it to install weapon systems, shields, or extra engines. They are particularly sought after by smugglers, bounty hunters, and other more honest lines of work that keep an individual on the move a lot. Crew counts can typically range from single pilots to 12 individuals, depending on design and purpose. Medium: Medium freighters are commonly used by most freight businesses. They are burly vessels 100m-250m in length with impressive cargo holds, however they tend to lack speed, maneuverability, and any form of armament. They instead rely on their basic shielding and thick hulls to survive confrontation while an escort handles the threat. Crew counts are often kept small at around 20 sailors to cut down on living space requirements, with droids often being used to assist. Heavy: Heavy freighters are monsters 250m in length or more with cargo holds that could easily encompass their smaller counterparts. Their hulls are heavily armored and, unlike medium freighters, they often carry a small, defensive armament when traveling through potentially hostile sectors. They are, however, painstakingly slow. Heavy freighters travel in convoys and are generally owned only by the largest supply corporations, but many have been converted for all kinds of uses. Because of their whale-like maneuverability, they often rely on a compliment of smaller transport and courier vessels to dock at installations for business transactions. Most Heavy freighters sport crews of 40 to 100 sailors, who utilize large compliments of droids to keeping things running smoothly. Superfreighter Often larger than even the heaviest warships, superfreighters are perhaps more aptly called mobile installations. In fact, they are often called upon to transport and construct orbital stations and the like. They range in size from 600m up to 2km in length and often must be constructed in orbital shipyards, never touching ground in their considerable lifetimes. While they may carry basic defensive shielding and weaponry, their sheer size makes any sub-military attack essentially fruitless. Many operate as mining base ships, serving as a mobile stockpile of raw material that smaller mining vessels drop off when docked. Most are heavily automated, with crews of at least 1,000 sailors often being outnumbered 10 to 1 by droids.