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General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: Killer Whale on April 22, 2009, 11:28:12 am

Title: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Killer Whale on April 22, 2009, 11:28:12 am
What classes of ships are there?
- canon -
GTF, PVF, GVF, SF - fighter
GTB, PVB, GVB , SB- bomber
GTC, PVC, GVC, SC- cruiser
GTCv, GVCv, SCv - corvette
GTD, PVD, GVD, SD - destroyer
SJ - juggernaut
GTVA, NTF - one of a kind flagships
GTS, PVS, GVS - support
GTG - Gas miner
GTSG, PVSG, GVSG - Sentry Gun
TAC, TTC - Container
GTI, PVI, GVI - Instillation


- fan made -
GTFg, SFg - Frigate
GTCa, GVCa, SCa - Carrier
GTSD, SOSD, GVSD, SSD - Superdestroyer
SODn - Dreadnought
TSJ, SSJ - Superjuggernaut
SH - Hive
GTL - Logistics
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on April 22, 2009, 11:35:27 am
Lots. You can find all :v:-made ships here (FS1, ST) (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/The_Great_War_Era_Craft) and here (FS2) (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/FreeSpace_2_Era_Craft), and many of the user-made ships here (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/User-made_Ships).

If you mean designations, you can make up anything that fits your ideas, as long as it's FreeSpacey.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Jeff Vader on April 22, 2009, 11:46:27 am
Uh, the Iceni is a frigate.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: IronBeer on April 22, 2009, 12:20:38 pm
I believe that "SSD" (Shivan SuperDestroyer) is a canon designation, conferred to the Lucifer in FS1.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Mongoose on April 22, 2009, 12:46:27 pm
I believe that "SSD" (Shivan SuperDestroyer) is a canon designation, conferred to the Lucifer in FS1.
Indeed.

Uh, the Iceni is a frigate.
Also indeed, though I was never completely clear as to whether or not the 'F' in "NTF Iceni" specifically meant "Frigate" or "Front."  It could probably go either way.  A few fan-made campaigns (most notably Derelict) have used 'Ff' as a designation for frigate.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Snail on April 22, 2009, 02:04:28 pm
I believe that "SSD" (Shivan SuperDestroyer) is a canon designation, conferred to the Lucifer in FS1.
Indeed.
Where.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Droid803 on April 22, 2009, 05:41:59 pm
I believe that "SSD" (Shivan SuperDestroyer) is a canon designation, conferred to the Lucifer in FS1.

In FS1, the Lucifer is just 'SD Lucifer'... :wtf:
I mean, it's definitely CALLED a superdestroyer, but the prefix is undeniably just "SD". Some fanmade campaigns use 'SSD', but that's just them. (Ok, why the hell am I talking like I didn't do that myself?)
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: eliex on April 22, 2009, 06:04:27 pm
I believe that "SSD" (Shivan SuperDestroyer) is a canon designation, conferred to the Lucifer in FS1.
Indeed.

By all rights the prefix for the Lucifer should be SSD but canonically it's just SD.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: NGTM-1R on April 23, 2009, 12:40:36 am
Quoth the Wiki!

Quote
Cruiser - Smallest combatant capital craft classification. Cruisers are at least several times the size of a fighter or bomber and possess mainly antifighter weaponry, with one or two (or in the case of the SC Rakshasa, three) anticapital weapons. The defensive fire of a cruiser is rarely capable of stopping a determined bomber wing, and most are vulnerable to even a well-handled lone fighter. Unable to carry fighters. Canonical examples include the Fenris and the Leviathan. In FS1, cruisers were deployed for both offensive and defensive tasks by all sides to any situation not requiring the attention of a destroyer. In FS2 Shivan cruisers are often deployed in mainline antiship and strike roles, while GTVA cruisers tend to be used as escorts and patrol craft.

Corvette - Middle ground combatant capital craft, falling between the cruiser and the destroyer in size and capablity. Equipped with between two and four anticapital weapons and considerably more impressive antifighter armament than a cruiser. Corvettes are capable of defending themselves adequately against a small number of enemy fighters or bombers. With the exception of the SCv Moloch, corvettes are unable to carry fighters of their own. Corvettes appear to handle most of the antiship and strike duties for the GTVA fleet; Shivan corvettes are extremely rare and have only been deployed against GTVA destroyers canonically. Whether this is their role or not is guesswork.

Destroyer - Large combatant capital craft, combining the functions of destroying enemy ships and transporting fighters. Destroyers vary wildly in armament and effectiveness against different types of targets. They will have at least one heavy-calibur anticapital weapon and probably several more, plus a number of cruiser-corvette anticapital weapons. Destroyers tend to need fighter cover more than corvettes; some of them actually mount fewer antifighter weapons, and all have much larger amounts of surface area that needs to be defended. Any situation with the direct involvement of a destroyer-class ship is by definition serious.

Superdestroyer - Bigger, meaner, and tougher than a destroyer, yet too small for the juggernaut classification; first applied well before the juggernaut classification came into existence. Only the Hades and Lucifer have canonically been given this classification. The nature of the canonical superdestroyers was such that any appearance by them indicates the major effort by the controlling side. Their success is often decisive for that system, while their failure is a blow that is difficult to recover from.

Juggernaut - The pinnacle of combatant capital craft, a juggernaut is capable of making mincemeat out of an enemy fleet singlehanded and is superbly equipped to combat other capital craft. Due to its large surface area its defenses against fightercraft attack are generally somewhat thinly spread, but a juggernaut's sheer ability to absorb damage means that only another juggernaut or a mass attack by corvettes and destroyers is capable of destroying one in anything like a timely manner. Only the SJ Sathanas has canonically been given this classification, though the Colossus could also be classified as juggernaut. The presence of a juggernaut, like a superdestroyer, indicates the controlling side considers the mission absolutely essential; decisive for the system if not the campaign or the entire war.

Installation - A space station, described as "installation" because of its size, self-sufficiency, and permanence. The only installation class canonically known is the Arcadia. The GTVA's naming system for installations generally includes something indicating their nature. Installation Riveria, Tombaugh Station, Enif Station, and the Vega Installation are examples.

Frigate - Semi-canonical ship class, both the Hippocrates and the Iceni have been referred to as frigates; the normally accepted role of a frigate is that of a pocket destroyer, lacking a fighterbay and fighter support facilities/crews enabling the ship to be shrunk down to only slightly bigger than a corvette.


 
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: louiswuenator on April 23, 2009, 08:38:32 am
Whenever I see SSD I always think of Super Star Destroyer
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Dilmah G on April 23, 2009, 11:34:24 am
Hippocrates as a Frigate, Hippocrates the medical ship! WTF!
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Blue Lion on April 23, 2009, 12:11:55 pm
They were called "medical frigates" in the last mission?
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Snail on April 23, 2009, 02:05:33 pm
SSD is non-canon. Just say it. Nyargh. :P
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Scotty on April 23, 2009, 05:21:34 pm
Blahdy-Blah F = Fighter
"" C = Cargo
"" AC = Armored Cargo
"" SG = Sentry Gun
"" EP = Escape Pod
"" B = Bomber
"" Dr = Drone
"" Fr = Freighter
"" G = Gas miner (SSG Rahu not to be confused with a sentry gun)
"" C = Cruiser
"" Cv = Corvette
"" F = Frigate (Iceni)
"" D = Destroyer
"" I = Installation
"" J = Juggernaut

Lemme know if I missed any.

EDIT: "" S = Support
        "" M = Medical (The Hippocrates)
        "" SC = Science Cruiser
        "" A = AWACS
        "" NB = Navigation Buoy
        "" T = Transport
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Blue Lion on April 23, 2009, 05:22:54 pm
M?
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Scotty on April 23, 2009, 05:28:07 pm
Got it!  :D
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: haloboy100 on April 23, 2009, 05:32:45 pm
Uh, the Iceni is a frigate.
Also indeed, though I was never completely clear as to whether or not the 'F' in "NTF Iceni" specifically meant "Frigate" or "Front."  It could probably go either way.  A few fan-made campaigns (most notably Derelict) have used 'Ff' as a designation for frigate.
I always thought the F in NTF Iceni meant Frigate.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Blue Lion on April 23, 2009, 05:40:29 pm
What is the designation on the Colossus?
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on April 23, 2009, 05:42:30 pm
GTVA Colossus. One-of-a-kind, so no real class designation, I guess. Same would go for the Iceni.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Blue Lion on April 23, 2009, 05:48:15 pm
You also forgot SC
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: haloboy100 on April 23, 2009, 06:03:52 pm
GTC, PVC, GVC, SC- cruiser
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Scotty on April 23, 2009, 06:07:04 pm
Got it. 

(Oh, wait, is this one of those instances I've heard about where people aren't actually talking to me?)
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Mongoose on April 23, 2009, 06:44:58 pm
SSD is non-canon. Just say it. Nyargh. :P
Okay, so I was thinking of the tech description instead of the in-mission designation.  But I feel like, if Command was going to go out of their way to label the thing a superdestroyer, they could have at least changed the tag. :p
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Blue Lion on April 23, 2009, 06:59:01 pm
What's the AWACs designation again?
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Scotty on April 23, 2009, 06:59:35 pm
A

Fixed

EDIT:  does the Nav bouy have a specific designation?
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: haloboy100 on April 23, 2009, 07:02:39 pm
GTNB
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Droid803 on April 23, 2009, 07:29:53 pm
"" D = Drone

Drone is Dr

You're also missing

"" T =Transport



Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Scotty on April 23, 2009, 07:40:48 pm
Got it.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Dilmah G on April 24, 2009, 01:41:11 am
What's the AWACs designation again?

Airborne Warning and Control System?
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: haloboy100 on April 24, 2009, 01:42:41 am
Advanced Warning And Control System

In terms of game, It's the GTA and GVA, respectively Terran and Vasudan, for the AWACS ships.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Dilmah G on April 24, 2009, 02:22:44 am
Advanced Warning And Control System

In terms of game, It's the GTA and GVA, respectively Terran and Vasudan, for the AWACS ships.

Yeah, however most Modern AWACS Aircraft of the present use the previous designation. I only just realized "Airborne" doesn't fit :P
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on April 24, 2009, 05:07:15 am
Obviously. There's not much air in space, you know.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Dilmah G on April 24, 2009, 05:13:55 am
Now I do  :D
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: haloboy100 on April 24, 2009, 09:14:04 am
We'll just throw him into an oxygen-filled nebula and leave him to his beliefs...
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: IronBeer on April 24, 2009, 02:43:14 pm
"SSD" isn't canon? Really? I could've sworn that the Lucifer got the SSD tag in the original FS1...
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Snail on April 24, 2009, 02:45:02 pm
"SSD" isn't canon? Really? I could've sworn that the Lucifer got the SSD tag in the original FS1...
It doesn't.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: IronBeer on April 24, 2009, 03:04:06 pm
"SSD" isn't canon? Really? I could've sworn that the Lucifer got the SSD tag in the original FS1...
It doesn't.
Phooey. Well, it should have.  :p
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on April 24, 2009, 10:22:45 pm
It doesn't, and we know the SSD designation isn't canon because of the GTD Hades. Note the lack of an S in the designation.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on April 25, 2009, 01:16:29 am
(Oh, wait, is this one of those instances I've heard about where people aren't actually talking to me?)
It is :)
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Mobius on April 25, 2009, 08:00:27 am
Why don't you guys use the FreeSpace Wiki? I mean,

The FreeSpace Wiki? (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/)

I always thought the F in NTF Iceni meant Frigate.

The F in NTF Iceni stands for Front... :nervous:
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Blue Lion on April 25, 2009, 08:53:29 am
Because it's fun this way?
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Pred the Penguin on April 25, 2009, 09:27:13 am
And "NewTerranFrigate" makes sense in what way?

Ah well, that's why we have the Wiki to correct our mistakes. =/
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Snail on April 25, 2009, 10:30:46 am
The F in NTF Iceni stands for Front... :nervous:
It could stand for frigate.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Blue Lion on April 25, 2009, 10:45:23 am
It could, but why would they have a designation for it if it was the only one?
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Snail on April 25, 2009, 10:49:09 am
TBH, it's more likely to mean the faction name (Front) than frigate, seeing as how the Boadicea is clearly not a frigate, and the Colossus sure as hell ain't an AWACS.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on April 25, 2009, 10:54:02 am
The Boadicea also has the NTF designation.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Snail on April 25, 2009, 11:01:42 am
Yes, that's what I meant Captain.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Scotty on April 25, 2009, 12:42:57 pm
Why do we assume it isn't "F for Frigate?"  As far as I can see, it is the only combat frigate, which may account for the designation.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Blue Lion on April 25, 2009, 01:19:22 pm
Because it's the ONLY combat frigate.

The medical ships have M even though they were called "medical frigates"
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Snail on April 25, 2009, 01:50:00 pm
That information comes strictly from the model file name, which is dubious info at the best. I mean, the Bakha, a bomber, was called a fighter, and the Colossus is called a Soup.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Droid803 on April 25, 2009, 01:53:29 pm
According to the model file name, the Iceni is a corvette.
Which does make some sense.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Aardwolf on April 25, 2009, 07:43:28 pm
Perhaps you missed the reductio ad absurdum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof_by_contradiction) in which it was pointed out that according to the model file name, the Colossus is a soup.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: eliex on April 25, 2009, 07:58:28 pm
I mean, the Bakha, a bomber, was called a fighter, and the Colossus is called a Soup.

 :wakka:
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: ssmit132 on April 25, 2009, 10:38:46 pm
It's a frigate.

Quote from: Loukakis
Intelligence has tracked Admiral Bosch's command frigate, the NTF Iceni, through subspace.

Although I doubt the F stands for frigate, as F already stands for fighter.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Blue Lion on April 25, 2009, 10:48:42 pm
It's a frigate.

Quote from: Loukakis
Intelligence has tracked Admiral Bosch's command frigate, the NTF Iceni, through subspace.

Although I doubt the F stands for frigate, as F already stands for fighter.

I don't think anyone argued it wasn't a frigate. But why would it even be bothered to be named as such if it was the only one?
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on April 26, 2009, 12:45:33 am
In the same logic as the GTVA Colossus is the only ship.

That contradicts the GTD Hades and SD Lucifer, though.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Mobius on April 26, 2009, 05:21:38 am
The Sathanas was supposed to be a one-of-a-kind ship, but yet still it was designated "Juggernaut".

As for the F standing for Frigate - I doubt it, because F already stands for Fighter and prefixes are never, ever mixed up. We have Fr for Freighter and I don't quite understand why F would also stand for Frigate. Hence, I think the non-canon Fg designation is the most appropriate one (but it's non-canon, discussing it here is threadbare).
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: ssmit132 on April 26, 2009, 05:52:42 am
The Sathanas was supposed to be a one-of-a-kind ship, but yet still it was designated "Juggernaut".
It was still a unique designation at the time. It would be a bit hard to give it a designation like those of the GTVA Colossus and NTF Iceni. I suppose they could have designated it 'flagship', but we don't know if the Shivans have flagships like we do. It would be a similar case for the Lucifer (sans the unique designation part), but the Hades would be tricky. GTI wouldn't work, because it could be confused as meaning it was an installation.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Mobius on April 26, 2009, 06:17:30 am
S Sathanas could have been an option.

Also, I don't quite understand the need of using the "xSD" designation for superdestroyers. It's pretty much like pretending to use "SSC" for the Lilith and/or any ship belonging to a certain category that is slightly bigger than the others belonging to the same category.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Snail on April 26, 2009, 07:28:44 am
I doubt it, because F already stands for Fighter and prefixes are never, ever mixed up.
A can stand for both AWACs and Alliance
C can stand for both Cargo and Cruiser
M can stand for both Missile and Medical ship
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Mobius on April 26, 2009, 09:37:49 am
AWACS and Alliance are used in two separate contests so mentioning them is not useful.

The cargo designation is used in conjunction with specific prefixes, like TC and TAC. There's no way to confuse them with GTC. Shivan cargo units are a bit meh.

Missile and medical ship? Same as for AWACS and Alliance.


Overall, there's a coherent convention.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Aardwolf on April 26, 2009, 11:31:29 am
M can also stand for gas Miner.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Droid803 on April 26, 2009, 12:11:09 pm
Uhm...where did that ever occur?
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Mobius on April 26, 2009, 12:11:57 pm
The Miner designation is a bit messed up... *points to the Rahu*
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Droid803 on April 26, 2009, 12:14:24 pm
Yeah, but it's only ever been G and in the case of the Rahu, SG (Super Gasminer?)
It has never been M.

Even if you take fan-made ships into account, the only one that's close is the GTMv Krom, and that's Mv for Mining Vessel.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Snail on April 26, 2009, 12:54:17 pm
Shivan cargo units are a bit meh.
:doubt:
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Aardwolf on April 26, 2009, 08:52:45 pm
Heheheh

Hey Snail, how exactly did you get that custom title?

Edit: also, it appears I mis-remembered something when I said that thing about gas miners.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Mongoose on April 26, 2009, 10:43:26 pm
Also, I don't quite understand the need of using the "xSD" designation for superdestroyers. It's pretty much like pretending to use "SSC" for the Lilith and/or any ship belonging to a certain category that is slightly bigger than the others belonging to the same category.
Except that the Lilith is the exact same size/shape as another cruiser, while the Lucifer and Hades are significantly larger than anything with a plain "destroyer" designation. :p
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: haloboy100 on April 27, 2009, 12:08:18 pm
Heheheh

Hey Snail, how exactly did you get that custom title?
I think it has something to do with a shivan cargo container named "Escargot".
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Mobius on April 27, 2009, 03:14:41 pm
Except that the Lilith is the exact same size/shape as another cruiser, while the Lucifer and Hades are significantly larger than anything with a plain "destroyer" designation. :p

Dimensions aren't that important when discussing prefixes. Compare the Triton and Ursa to the Poseidon and Artemis, respectively - their differences in terms of dimensions are much more significant than those of the Lucifer/Orion, yet still they aren't designated "GTSFr Triton" and "GTSB Ursa".

Heheheh

Hey Snail, how exactly did you get that custom title?
I think it has something to do with a shivan cargo container named "Escargot".


A Shivan cargo container named Escargot...? :wtf:

Escargot is French for Snail, so:

Es-cargo-t. S-Cargo. Shivan Cargo. SC 5 (a weirdly shaped Shivan cargo). This is the explanation. :)
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Dilmah G on April 29, 2009, 08:28:56 am
Wow. Genius.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Blue Lion on April 29, 2009, 09:01:23 am
It's like playing a really lame game of "Telephone" with yourself.
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: haloboy100 on May 01, 2009, 11:23:20 am
A Shivan cargo container named Escargot...? :wtf:

Escargot is French for Snail, so:

Es-cargo-t. S-Cargo. Shivan Cargo. SC 5 (a weirdly shaped Shivan cargo). This is the explanation. :)

I still don't get it...
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: Snail on May 01, 2009, 11:25:41 am
K, if you don't get it, just think of the SC 5 as a Snail-shaped cargo container. :P
Title: Re: what classes of ships are there?
Post by: haloboy100 on May 01, 2009, 11:27:17 am
K, if you don't get it, just think of the SC 5 as a Snail-shaped cargo container. :P
oh.