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Tev
Tev
2 years ago

curious if anyone knows but about how many containers would this be able to carry at max?

UnKnownGatekeeper
UnKnownGatekeeper
4 years ago

Would this thing have been used to send important shipments to distant garrisons in pirate controlled areas of space, or just as a general transport? Wondering.

Bob
Bob
3 years ago

Being the guy who commissioned this, I can authoritatively say that the intent was to have a heavily armed merchant ship for carrying a large volume of cargo, securely, through dangerous space. In our game, the shipping company that uses these has a contract with the Empire for supplying various Imperial outposts. It also rents out containers to customers who have high value cargo they want to securely ship (subject to Imperial inspection during the loading process).

Typically, the ships operate in convoy, rather than independently, and additional security is provided as necessary, in the form of both trained security personnel (typically veteran Imperials), and in the form of an additional escort ship of the type, with both additional point defenses, and a modular hanger in place of the external cargo bay, with a squadron or more of fighters, again, dependent on the anticipated threat level, and the cargo being carried. Note, the fighters are commercially available types, rather than TIE models.

“When it absolutely HAS to get there”, as the shipping company’s motto goes, with an amusing, accompanying holo-ad of a courier running through a combat zone with a package, accompanying explosions, blaster-fire, etc.

DarthCatius
DarthCatius
3 years ago
Reply to  Bob

I think it’s a nice design. 🙂

Bob
Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  DarthCatius

The design is all Fractal, I only came up with requirements. Three cheers to Ansel!

DarthCatius
DarthCatius
3 years ago
Reply to  Bob

Was this for a FanFic or a RPG?

Btw, I looked up the HLAF 500, there seems to be two variants, one looks like an A-Wing ripoff, the other a Z95 Headhunter ripoff, which one do you utilise?

Bob
Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  DarthCatius

Both, although the fan fiction is long defunct (2002). The fiction site a group of friends contributed to petered out when one of the main authors was killed in the Twin Towers. The game has been going on since 2015. The “Z95”, although the stats are as superior to a Z95 as a Fairey Firefly was to a Fairey Battle, or a Spitfire Mk 24 to a Mk I. The Sorosub engines are 2 generations ahead of Clone Wars tech, ruggeder ‘airframe’, better shielding, ‘avionics’, etc. It’s better than a standard TIE, probably on par with early X-wings, and will be outclassed by later models. Pretty much like all combat aircraft in the present, it has a limited life as a front line space-superiority fighter, slowly being downgraded in roles as it gets older. Stand outs like TIE Defenders, or Late model X-wings have a longer useful field service life. Against Pirates with grab-bags of obsolescent fighters, commonly 30-50years old in EU ‘cannon’ (Cloakshapes, Hutt fighters, and the like), it will give good service for decades.

DarthCatius
DarthCatius
3 years ago
Reply to  Bob

Sounds cool. Do you allow new players in the RPG? Might be interested.

Btw, sorry to hear about your friend. 🙁

Bob
Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  DarthCatius

We’ve had players participate over the years. It’s a home-brew of FFG with the old Palladium combat system, it’s kind of Macro, the main characters are for the most part various Imperials at this point, and canon has been altered by players actions to a degree, with certain immutable events, so although we’re in late 6 ABY, the Empire hasn’t suffered the same post-Endor collapse (and, Emperor Palpatine survived, although he’s using the aftermath to clean house). The Galaxy is split with the “New Republic” currently operating on the Rim primarily, the Hutts are major players, and there’s about to be a winnowing of the independent Warlords who don’t believe the emperor survived. If you liked, you could custom design a significant player, in any faction Imperial/Hutt/Republic/Crime syndicate/Warlord, spitball some ideas by the GM, and develop the Character, then set out goals and play them out. Just wing me an e-mail if you’re interested.

DarthCatius
DarthCatius
3 years ago
Reply to  Bob

Ok, will give it some thought. Sort of have a character in mind, as long as it fits with the game’s esthetic. Don’t really want to post my email on an open thread though, if Fractal doesn’t mind being a ‘go-between’, I’ll give him permission to forward mine, or you could email him yours? Either is good. 🙂

Bob
Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  DarthCatius

jlrr@comcast.net is mine, for some reason I thought the e-mail displayed when you click on the name. I look forward to seeing your idea, remember it’s macro, so you’ll probably wind up in command of a significant force, on the order of a Line Captain, or a Battalion Commander, Cappo in a syndicate, Force user, light or dark side with specialist ‘unit’, or the like, so not the typical role-playing game. Depending on your character idea, the scope could go up to fleet/corps/army command, sector Moff, or the like. Depending on your character idea, you’ll likely be working with other players as likely as in opposition to. The only real limitation is Canon characters exist, and you don’t play them, but you could play a peer or a rival.

Bob
Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  Fractalsponge

I just have to figure out how to join discord. I never bothered because of the endless arguments that spawned discord in the first place. 😂

DarthCatius
DarthCatius
3 years ago
Reply to  Bob

Actually I was going to suggest maybe joining Fractal’s discord. His link is on the site homepage. If you do join, let me know, my ‘url’ persona is the same as I post on this thread.

I’m glad you can play as a darkside force user, Darth Catius maybe joining your universe… 😉

DarthCatius
DarthCatius
3 years ago
Reply to  Bob

I will drop you a quick email too, just to connect. 🙂

DarthCatius
DarthCatius
3 years ago
Reply to  Bob

Have sent you an email, let me know on here if you don’t receive it, I’ll send again. 🙂

Bob
Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  DarthCatius

I’ve received the e-mail and responded. Let me know you if you got it.

DarthCatius
DarthCatius
3 years ago
Reply to  Fractalsponge

Thank you Fractal. 🙂

Mark B
Mark B
4 years ago

I would love it if you came up with a history of who/what and when it was built for and by whom. Specs would be awesome as well. Length, height, mass, weaponry, power outputs , personnel etc etc.

Bob
Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark B

It was built by Corellian Engineering Corporation for a company in my ongoing Star Wars campaign called Glover Shipping, beginning in 5BBY, and there are currently 18 in service by that company, and additionally 2 more that have been modified into actual paramilitary frigates, as dedicated escorts (and reserve ships in a system defense fleet). The data including length, capacity, and weaponry are further down thread. (430ish meters) The variants with the light carrier capacity employ CEC HLAF 500 multi-purpose star fighters, as a part of the contract for the building of the fleet. See Wookieepedia for the entry on the star fighter type. As I recollect, those light carriers carry 48 of them.

Spymonkey2
Spymonkey2
4 years ago

This ship seems like it could be a carrier/frigate hybrid. The cargo section could be retrofitted to carry starfighters

Richard Ched
Richard Ched
4 years ago

What is the max Cargo capacity in Tons?

STONEhenk
STONEhenk
5 years ago

Fractal, do you realistic think these containers can be moved by the utility tug from the x-wing game? That workpod you make in a low poly model a while ago.

STONEhenk
STONEhenk
5 years ago
Reply to  Fractalsponge

These things look much faster than star galleons. I imagine these container transports jumping from system to system with their fast hyperdrives to deliver priority cargo to star destroyers.

“Star Destroyer Avenger ordering 3 containers mouse droids, 3 containers administrative droids and 2 containers astromech droids.”

jean-luc
jean-luc
4 years ago
Reply to  STONEhenk

SSD Executor ordering: 1000 x replacement crew for those who failed vader. LOL.

Jedi Wolf
Jedi Wolf
5 years ago

Looks like the rebels modified the dreadnaught class heavy cruiser AGAIN this time as a transport lol why wouldn’t they there always running and need supplies 😜

gorkmalork
gorkmalork
5 years ago
Reply to  Jedi Wolf

Wasn’t the Dread a Rendili-manufactured ship? Plus, very different sizes & engine pod layout.

RObb
RObb
5 years ago

How many metric tons of cargo can it hold.

Bob
Bob
5 years ago
Reply to  RObb

10’s of thousands I think, maybe much more. Fractal posted the size of those containers down thread a bit, each are 32 meters long, the ship is over 400 meters long.

Hecatomb
Hecatomb
5 years ago

Does this vessel have a class name? Or a Corellian-style designation?

Bob
Bob
5 years ago
Reply to  Hecatomb

We call it the CEC YZ-2200 heavy transport, the Galactic civil war precursor to the legacy era YZ-2500. We commissioned this design for our house RPG session, and the one in game play is named “Truculent”.

jean-luc
jean-luc
4 years ago
Reply to  Bob

oh cool can you post full specs?

SpaceWriter
5 years ago

Hey Fractal, Is it okay to use your creation’s as inspiration for my own? Not down right copy them, but use their shaping, weapon placement, ect?

Grand+Admiral+517
Grand+Admiral+517
5 years ago

Interesting. I like it

Daniel Titley
Daniel Titley
5 years ago

Thank you for the size information

Joannes
Joannes
5 years ago
Reply to  Daniel Titley

Couldn’t agree more!

Astro1derboy
Astro1derboy
5 years ago

Beautiful work as usual!

Anonymous
5 years ago

So Fractal since this is a transport i wonder if you could do more transport ships like the BFF-1 Bulk Freighter?

AzureOwl
AzureOwl
5 years ago

Does it carry passengers too? Or just cargo?

AzureOwl
AzureOwl
5 years ago
Reply to  Fractalsponge

And what kind of crew complement are we talking about normally?

Bob
Bob
5 years ago
Reply to  AzureOwl

Talking with Ansel, in a normal merchant configuration, about 80, I’m assumimg shuttle and tug pilots are additional. In a configuration as an (up) armed merchantman, it could have 6 additional point defense weapons bolted on, each would require a gunner, I’d guess. If it has the cargo hold plated over to turn it into an escort carrier, you’d add the pilots and maintenance crews for the starfighter compliment, and presumably it would carry a small marine or security detachment. I envisioned it having a dozen or so lifter droids for cargo handling, along with the utility tugs in a normal merchant ship configuration. The idea was for an armed merchant heavy lifter that wouldn’t require a lot of escorts, with a small convoy of them pretty much able to defend themselves, with only committing a few small escorts like corvettes.

Bob
Bob
5 years ago
Reply to  AzureOwl

I’ll just add the inspiration for the commission was the concept of East Indiamen ships from 18th century history, capable of being armed as frigates, so they could defend themselves from pirates, or hostile navies in time of war. They typically travelled in a convoy, with a couple of actual warship escorts. The EU inspiration was the CEC 2500, which is a legacy era ship of this type, used as frigates (see “Pride of Corellia”), and in the game this was commissioned for (private FFG Star Wars campaign), this was a Rebellion era fore-runner we were calling a CEC 2200.

Bob
Bob
5 years ago
Reply to  Bob

Should read YZ 2500.

gorkmalork
gorkmalork
5 years ago
Reply to  Bob

Technical elaboration appreciated. I’m liking this craft’s general balance of useful-looking thrusters, quasi-streamlined cargo capability & a hull plan that isn’t ‘homogenized space cylinder/rectangle with engines & bridge’.

Beersatron
Beersatron
5 years ago

Armament? 6 Quad Medium Turbolasers? 1 under the chin, one on the top spine and 2 on each “wing”?

Does it have the ability to land on the surface? I presume not, as I see no obvious landing gear bays.

valoren
valoren
5 years ago
Reply to  Beersatron

landing gears aren’t an absolute necessity when landing on a planet surface, most transport ships make use of repulsorlifts and specialized docks. Just look at the AA9.

JamesMCGR
JamesMCGR
5 years ago

Are the containers similar sized to a container for our world?

Spaceman 28
Spaceman 28
5 years ago
Reply to  Fractalsponge

How big are these containers compared to the ones shown in the FSCV? Or are they the same? Or those even containers?

Arvenski
Arvenski
5 years ago

An “armed merchantman”. Cool. If these things were fairly common in the galaxy (as I’d expect they’d be), I’d imagine the Rebels would’ve pressed a bunch of them into service as frigates.

AlexHurlbut
AlexHurlbut
5 years ago
Reply to  Arvenski

Lucrehulk is one. From massive freighters to battleships in Phantom Menace and Clone Wars.

gorkmalork
gorkmalork
5 years ago
Reply to  Arvenski

Certainly seem a bit more fit for the task than many official OT-era Alliance acquisitions. I’d be sorely tempted to conceal a fistful of capital-grade & several dozen PD missile tubes/box-launchers in that cargo-cell cluster.

TheIcthala
TheIcthala
5 years ago
Reply to  gorkmalork

That could be a highly effective Q-Ship loadout.
Alternatively, if subtlety isn’t a priority, one could mount higher capacity box launchers to adapted cargo hard points to make a powerful strike vessel.

SpaceCoyote300
SpaceCoyote300
5 years ago
Reply to  TheIcthala

Or possibly a hangar bay to fill a light carrier role.

TheIcthala
TheIcthala
5 years ago
Reply to  SpaceCoyote300

It looks to already have a small (maybe squadron sized, probably mainly for shuttles) hangar aft of the cargo attachment area. Although, as you said, a large, modular hangar attachment would make it into a decent medium/light carrier.
There would have to be docking collars for personnel transfer between the hangar and the ship but, if they’re not there already, I doubt they’re beyond the skill of Alliance engineers.

gorkmalork
gorkmalork
5 years ago
Reply to  Fractalsponge

Presuming I had my relative pick of alphabet birds & was looking to make this ship a full light frigate/carrier for convoy-raid support: maybe 3 squads A-or E-wing or 2 + one dedicated bomber/gunboat unit, unless someone else brought a Quasar Fire or something to haul the latter element.

Speaking of A-wings, too bad they’re not really shaped in an especially rack-grippable manner, ’cause their vertical footprint might actually be less than an /ln or squint.

Shaun
Shaun
5 years ago
Reply to  gorkmalork

You mean like this:
comment image/revision/latest?cb=20081001132258

gorkmalork
gorkmalork
5 years ago
Reply to  Shaun

Good catch. I was way too fixated on the supposed difficulty of reworking TIE-compatible grippers for such different shapes. Totally forgot about tractors & magnetic shenanigans.

countvertex
5 years ago
Reply to  Fractalsponge

Tug pilots are the secret heroes behind it all!
If you’d like to include a utility tug for scale comparison I would be happy to provide my model for further use (https://countvertex.tumblr.com). Modelled in Blender, though, and probably needs some work to get it up to your standards.

Anonymous
5 years ago
Reply to  Fractalsponge

I would like to see the half-Ton Falk variant someday if you want to make it Fractal.