[TML] Ship shapes

[Antony Farrell]

Merchants would be most worried about cost. What is the least amount I can
spend for a given return. Warship designers are worried about how many
offensive/defensive systems can I cram into a hull of a given type, how long
a spinal tube can I fit, stuff like that.

In FF&S1 though hull costs are not a major impost on the total price of a
starship it turns out that the cheapest hull configuration is actually the
box configuration (assumptions I made for simplicity was a TL10 hull with
hull armour 10 (1G drive) and streamlined configuration which eliminated
both the open and closed structure configurations.

At lower techs, say TL9 where overall mass is more important than volume
then civilian merchants may be spheres though cylinders arent too much
heavier for a given volume.

So in TNE style constructions I picture it thus
TL9 Civilian merchants will be spheres and cylinders
At TL10+ Boxes

Military craft in this system on the other hand want surface area and length
so at TL9 cylinders at TL10+ Wedges and Needles. At higher tech levels where
the spinal mount tubes do not have to be as long for a given range (Fire
control limitations make combat at the 80 hex extreme range highly unlikely)
Wedges probably come back again.

Of course this does not mean that other hull configurations will not occur
but as it says "Form follows function."

Incidently in univereses using FF&S (either edition) the worst configuration
for a large warship is the Sphere. The surface area is so bad that it is
physically impossible to fit all the systems you want/need. For example the
famous Tigress class funball. A FF&S1 version clearly shows why the vessels
are used for show the flag. They look great but as I could not fit any EM
masking and all of the other surface fixtures onto this hull it would show
up very nicely in enemy sensors. Even then I had to hybridise the
configuration to boost surface area.

http://www.skaran.net/banners/equipment/craft/imperial/tigress.html

Just my 3 credits worth (allowing for inflation)

Antony

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