Hull Classes, Sections, and Slots

[Cordane]

Looking at the idea of starting with all four basic hulls (Corvette, Destroyer, Cruiser, Battleship) unlocked from the start of the game, with only basic configurations for each section. Building from there would take a few different forms:

• Slots of different sizes (e.g., trading two S-slots for an M-slot)
• Slots of different types (e.g., trading a weapon slot for a utility slot)
• Adding slots (e.g., a Bow section goes from 2W/2U to 3W/3U)

Some of what I'm proposing is set up to accommodate some other changes I'm in favor of, but does not need those in order for this to work (e.g., PD/Flak or equivalent moving to utility slots, defensive Hangars in utility slots).

I'm following a fairly straightforward progression in line with the utility slots for vanilla Corvettes, Destroyers, and Battleships, meaning that the number multiplied by the size of slots gives a product that doubles as you go up to the next class. For example, a vanilla Corvette has 3 S-slot utilities (3 points), a Destroyer has 6 S-slot utilities (6 points), and a Battleship (two classes up) has 6 L-slot utilities (6 x 4 = 24 points). Because I'm making changes to the sections and such, I'm starting with a Cruiser exactly in line with that progression, versus starting with more utility slots and only doubling the number not size of the weapon slots.

For this discussion, I'm going to start with Corvettes at double the vanilla S-slots on both sides (6W/6U). This gives them a chance to have more than 3 different utility systems (if needed), especially if those slots get consolidated into larger sizes. I'm also going to center the slot sizes on each class, with S-slots being the starting values for Corvettes, M-slots for Destroyers, L-slots for Cruisers, and (for lack of a better term) X-slots (yes, turrets and utilities) for Battleships.

So starting out, all classes now would have three hull sections (Bow, Core, Stern) of equal size - this allows for the same rules below to be applied to each of the three sections, rather than separate rules for 1/6, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, or full length sections. Corvettes get two weapon and two utility S-slots per section, Destroyers have the same but at M-slots, etc.

Relatively early technologies can be researched that allow for a single larger slot (instead of the two standard slots) to be on a given hull section, but starting off only affecting one type at a time. For example, an Oversized Turrets tech could allow for L-slot weapons on a Destroyer, but the sections it unlocks still have only M-slots for utilities, versus a Concentrated Defenses tech allowing a Cruiser to have X-slot utilities while still only having L-slot weapons. An Integrated Systems tech would allow for sections with larger slots on both sides. These technologies would affect all classes at the same time, to reduce "tech choice bloat" - if there is room, they could impact just Bows or Cores or Sterns only at a time for all classes, although I would avoid single-class improvements to help avoid mono-fleets.

I would probably have specialization technologies either a little before then or at the same tier, that allow for moving either a standard slot from weapons to utilities or v/v, or to increase a slot size on a weapon or utility by losing a standard slot of the other type. For example, a relatively early Corvette could have a "Glass Jaw" Bow section with just one S-slot utility but both an M-slot and an S-slot weapon in that section.

Similarly, a-bit-later technologies can be researched that add a standard slot of one type to a section, starting with standard sections, then oversized by one type, and lastly oversize by both types; even-later technologies add standard slots of both types, in the same fashion. For example, an empire (at a given tech level) may be capable of designing Battleships that have Bow sections that have 3W/3U X-slots, 1W/1U D-slots (Double XL), or 1x D- and 1x X-slot weapons but 2x X-slot utilities. At the end of that tech progression, the Bow sections would each be capable of 1x 1W/1U D-slots and the same in X-slots.

I could see combining the "added slot" and "specialization" effects, but I'm not sure about allowing an additional increase in slot size - for example:

• Corvette starts with 2W/2U S-slots
• Integrated Systems allows those to be consolidated into 1W/1U M-slots
• "Added Slot" Tier3 lets the section carry 1xM/1xS weapons and 1xM/1xS utilities
• Specialization gives option to go with either 1xM/2xS or 2xM weapons by dropping to 1xM or 2xS utilities
• If the 2xM weapons were to be allowed to consolidate into 1xL weapon, I would probably gate that behind a second Tier consolidation tech (for a Battleship, its 2xX-slots would consolidate first into a D-slot and then perhaps 2xD-slots become a T-slot (Triple XL))

Some quick hits on other changes:

• I would move the auxiliary slots over to the core components, have each class start with the same number of aux slots, and have separate technologies increase their number equally.
• The vanilla X-slot concept (higher damage and longer range, but on a rigid cannon mount with very low Tracking) would probably shift to an option for a Bow-section oversized slot on any class, rather than just Battleships.
• I would probably look to include changes like: freeing GW from G-slots, utility slot modules that hold or preferably replace PD (if not Flak), Hangars becoming available across multiple sizes (start at L-slots) and possibly as utilities for defense (perhaps as small as M-slots)
• Titans would probably continue to have some rules particular to them only, but D-slot as standard, T-slot as oversized, and Q-slot (Quad XL) for the biggest possible.

Lastly, I wanted to point out a potentially serious issue with this suggestion: a glut of hull section choices. A Corvette Bow section by itself might have almost 40 different variants, and then times 3 sections. This is without even bringing up an option for a larger class to want to carry smaller slots (even if only one size down). This creates issues both in an asset management sense and more importantly an AI decision-making sense.

Corvette Section Variation (Standard, Larger Slot, Specialization, Added Slot, Much Larger)

    S S / S S       S S S S / S         S S S S / S S
      M / S S             S / S S S S       S S / S S S S
    S S / M           M S S / S           M S S / S S
      M / M             M M / S           M S S / M  
  S S S / S               L / S             M M / S S
      S / S S S           S / M S S         M M / M  
    M S / S               S / M M             L / S S
      S / M S             S / L               L / M  
  S S S / S S         S S S / S S S         S S / M S S
    S S / S S S         M S / S S S           M / M S S
    M S / S S         S S S / M S           S S / M M
    S S / M S           M S / M S             M / M M
    M S / M                                 S S / L  
      M / M S                                 M / L

Depending on how robust the sections are for variety and visual identifiability, there could be a lot of time and effort put in to having many hull sections, each with their own turret graphics and placement. Repeat this same process for each section, each class, and also by design group (e.g., Humanoid, Avian). While class and group would keep the lists available to the player or AI empire from being absurdly long at any particular point, it would likely still be daunting to go through. For the player, I would probably offer checkboxes/radio buttons to filter the list down to the appropriate sections.

AI decision making would be the real knot to unravel here, with far more variants that don’t inherently specify what should go there. A fair number of changes above remove the module-specific slots (e.g., G, P, H) that might have focused or restricted AI choice, for good or ill. An empire might decide to pick a particular focus to their fleets or try to stay more balanced – a system that analyzes the existing and planned-for fleets for roles and capabilities might be needed, to see how well the empire is meeting their desires. A more aggressive empire might put a focus on attacking the huge non-Evasive Starbases of its neighbors, meaning long-range, low-Tracking weapons for large portions of its strike fleets, while an empire with multiple disparate foes on all sides would focus on smaller, more-responsive fleets with strong balance in weapons and utilities.

An empire might meet a balanced-fleet mandate by making one class per hull size that is individually balanced and multi-role, or by having multiple specialized classes per hull size or across hull sizes (e.g., tanky Battleships, Macross Missile Massacre Cruisers, escort carrier Destroyers). The system would have to maintain a certain momentum in fleet and ship design and construction, rather than having a constant costly churn of redesigns and retrofits, but occasional shake-ups in design focus could give an empire trying to make a move an advantage (for a little while at least).

 

[Astax]

I always wanted Special section unlocked by tech and/or ethical alignment. Like I'd love for Militarist to get a special section with more weapons, or bigger weapons. I'd also love for special sections for certain civics.

 

[Cordane]

In concept, the vanilla X-slot weapon represents a spinal cannon, yet the vanilla X-slot itself is situated only in the Bow section that covers just the first third of the ship's length. A better way with the above system might be to have Cannon weapons work with slots in multiple hull sections.

Any of the classes can mount a Cannon weapon in their Bow section - this weapon has the basic features of the vanilla X-slot weapons:

• Direct-fire weapons only (no GW or SC … for now)
• Forward fire with a limited firing arc
• Considerably lower Tracking - Cannons have their Tracking based largely on ship class and installed thrusters
• Higher per-shot damage and range than a same-size weapon of the same type

Where Cannons differ from traditional turreted weapons is the ability to extend along the spine of the ship. Normally a Cannon can't be installed in a Core or Stern section, but when a Cannon module is installed in a Bow section, the same type and size of Cannon module can be installed in a Core section and a similar process is then available for the Stern section when the Core section includes the Cannon module.

When a Cannon is added to both the Bow and the Core, there is still only one weapon that fires from the Bow, but now the base damage, range, and rate of fire all increase for the Bow Cannon; the same happens when the Stern section adds to the Bow/Core Cannon. The balancing of those three factors should ultimately end up with the combined Cannon averaging 2x or 3x the effective damage of the Bow Cannon by itself, with the increased range cutting into that somewhat. I would probably emphasize rate of fire more than per-shot damage for the added module improvements, to avoid having too good of a burst weapon.

I don't know if I would necessarily have separate weapon technologies for these Cannons - the techs for Cannons should mostly be for unlocking the Bow & Core option and then the Bow/Core/Stern option. There may be some limitations on what weapon techs are compatible, but the system described in the original post is probably capable of up-sizing any of the weapons that would have been restricted to vanilla S- or M-slots. One concern that might make it appropriate to use Cannon-only weapon types is identifying a weapon as a Cannon, so that it then prompts the other parts of the Cannon process.

Now we get to some new restrictions:

• Cannons must use the same size slot in all sections, so each section must be able to mount the particular slot size, either through standard slots or the techs covered in the OP. Changing a ship section during the design process would likely dump the slots in that section (assuming the section had different numbers and sizes of slots on that side of the weapon/utility divide), and losing the Cannon modules in an earlier section would dump the matching Cannon module(s) in the later section(s).
• Assuming the sections can accommodate them, a ship can have multiple Cannons (even of different sizes) in the Bow section but each must have its own Core (and Stern) modules.

One area that I'm still wanting to develop further is whether Guided Weapons and Strike Craft should have Cannon equivalents. The OP already allows for scaling of vanilla G- and H-slot modules into different sizes, with the effect being based on larger/smaller individual "projectiles", larger/smaller groups of "projectiles" (i.e., flights of SC, volleys of GW), and/or rate of release of "projectiles". If a multi-module Cannon offers higher bursts of damage, probably the only way that works for GW/SC is to increase the "projectile" group size - the increase in the rate of release is probably equal to the rate of fire increase for the direct-fire Cannons, although range is probably not something that would increase for GW/SC and so the other two factors would be comparatively higher for them. Neither would need to be mounted in a Bow section first, but would need a "seed" module in one of the sections that would then be matched in one or both of the other sections. I'd probably go with a "Flight Deck" for SC, but I don't yet have a good name for the GW equivalent.