Fiction:Starship Classification Template

This is an example of a possible way spaceships could be classified/categorised so that users can get a better idea of how different ships compare. This system is based on the Games Workshop specialist game BattleFleet Gothic.

Starship Type
This profile element represents what type of ship the profile belongs to, and is broken down into the following categories:


 * Fighter: Referring to all single-occupant fighters (or equivalent), as well as bombers and assault boats, Fighters are the smallest class of vessel and usually will not have a full profile.


 * Escort: Small to medium size vessels that operate in a support role to the larger cruisers. These vessels normally have only one shield (if at all), and comparatively low Hull and Damage respectively. They also often only mount two to three minor weapons systems.


 * Cruiser: Mainstay of any fleet, cruisers are typically medium to large vessels, often carrying five or six main weapons and having a couple of shields. Cruisers usually also have the ability to deploy squadrons of fighters from launch bays.


 * Battlecruiser: Larger, more powerful versions of regular Cruisers, battlecruisers often have very high Hull values as well as Damage, and can often have multiple shielding systems and up to eight primary weapon systems.


 * Flagship: Used only for the most powerful vessels in any fleet, Flagships are usually heavily armoured, heavily armed and well shielded. Exceedingly rare, Flagships are only used in the greatest conflicts.

Speed
Speed refers to the power of the engines, and how fast these engines can propel the vessel through space. As a general rule, cruisers are normally the fastest vessels in the fleet, as they have the most effective mix of size and propulsion. As the ships get progressively bigger, their mass slows them down. Conversely, as ships get smaller, they lose the propulsive power needed to attain the same speeds.

Speed will generally be recorded as being 'per class,' meaning that it is of a comparable speed to other ships of its class. Exceptions will be noted accordingly, e.g. "Per class, +" meaning that the ship is generally as fast as most ships of its type, but can attain higher speeds.

Hull
Representing the ability of a ship to absorb damage, the Hull value specifically refers to how many effective shots (i.e. ones that cause significant damage) are generally required to incapacitate the ship.

The Hull value of escorts is usually 1-4, while cruisers often have a range of 6-8. Battlecruisers and especially flagships can reach up to 12.

Shields
The Shields value is a specific value referring to the number of defensive shields in place around the ship. Most have a single shield system, while particularly powerful vessels may in fact have several.

The number value for the Shield characteristic is followed by a shield 'type,' referring to what form these shields take. This type is used to determine the effectiveness of certain weapons on the shield, e.g. projectiles lose effectiveness vs. a deflection shield.

Armour
Coming in to play once the shields are down or bypassed, the Armour value of the ship refers to how difficult it is to damage the ship. Armour values are used in conjunction with Damage values of weapons; if the damage value is lower than the armour value, the weapon is far less likely to deal serious damage to the ship.

Weapons
See Weapons Template (yet to be made)

Hangars
The number of hangars the vessel has. Each point on the 'hangar' value refers to an additional squadron of fighters that can be dispatched within a standard period of time, not the actual number of hangars on the ship (e.g., a vessel may have only one 'hangar' structure as such, but its two launch bays give it an actual Hangar value of 2).

Example
Name: ISF "Final Word"

Type: Battlecruiser

Speed: As per Class, -

Hull: 10

Shields: 2, Deflection, Directed Energy Reactive.

Armour: 6

Weapons: (to be added)

Hangar: 0

''Summary: Final Word is a very powerful vessel in the service of the Iron Systems Federation. As it is only employed when other cruisers are overrun or insufficient to the task, the Final Word has been assigned the type 'Battlecruiser.'''

The Final Word's speed is given as 'Per class, -,' as the high amount of energy needed to run its main cannons means that power must be diverted away from the engines, reducing speed.

''Final Word has been assigned a Hull value of 10, as its high-quality construction and advanced damage-control protocols allow it to effectively recover from large amounts of damage until its systems are finally shorted out. It has also been assigned the Armour value of 6, as its advanced hull allows it to absorb fire from most medium powered weaponry, however rarer high-damage weaponry will still be effective.''

''Finally, the Final Word is mounted with two shielding systems, a primary deflector shield, as well as the standard Directed Energy Reactive Shield fitted on all Council of Blades vessels. This provides the ship with a high amount of ballistics resistance, but with not as much directed energy protection.