Starting up an Akira

[Cmdr Powers]

I couldn't stand waiting anymore and started up an Akira design. My intentions are to rough out the areas that I'm fairly sure will contend with Steve's design and then 'meld' the two when the SRM shows up.

So far I've used up 1433 SU's and still have a way to go with the design. My target is about 2000 SU's. How does that sound, Steve?

This Akira has a thru-deck shuttlebay with a capacity of 30 craft and a smaller shuttlebay behind the bridge with a capacity of 2. One 200 seg Type X Phaser array dorsal and two 80 seg Type X arrays ventral, with 2 40 seg arrays at the dorsal aft booms. 15 torp launchers- 4 fore and aft in the weapons module, 2 stbd and port on the dorsal saucer, 2 above the deflector ventral and 1 advanced launcher at the base of the engineering hull. Twin Class 4G MARAs and 4 Type 8 impulse engines for a total of 656 power. Crew facilities for 500, comparible to a Galaxy's, and so on.

The reason this is a sketchy description is because I ain't done yet! I wanted to see what Sensei Steve and the rest of you thought about the directions I'm taking.

------------------
"The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank" -Montgomery Scott

[Steve Long]

My Akira writeup has 2,554 SUs -- assuming, of course, that I did the math right.

Steve Long

[Cmdr Powers]

And that appears to be where I'm headed too. Circa 24-2500 or so SU's.

The inclusion of the Galaxy class in SD was a tremendous help. Its obvious that the two ships are going to share most of the current Starfleet technology, so I liberally borrowed transporters, tractors, sensors, and so on from the other design- the classes and types that is, with numbers downgraded to the smaller ship. Then I used the UFP book's Akira stats to interpolate what I needed for an Akira in SD.

I'll publish the results shortly here and folks can compare the two when you release the SRM.

------------------
"The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank" -Montgomery Scott

[Fred]

Originally posted by Cmdr Powers:
...15 torp launchers- 4 fore and aft in the weapons module, 2 stbd and port on the dorsal saucer, 2 above the deflector ventral and 1 advanced launcher at the base of the engineering hull...

15 torp launchers? Isn't that a bit of overkill?




------------------
"As long as you can laugh, you are not
defeated."

–- Jack Vance

[Cmdr Powers]

Obrigado for asking!

As a matter of fact, some folks have thought it had MORE than 15. The pictures and diagrams of the Akira class heavy cruiser definitely show at least 15 torp launchers in the places I've indicated. Its a lot of torpedoes, but I've decided to keep the magazines somewhat short- in other words, the Akira can deliver one or two helacious volleys in all directions... and then its empty.

Steve's Akira will undoubtedly be different and I will adjust my design in places to allow for standard Starfleet practice. See Steve- You're my Starfleet standard. The weapons will pretty much stay as they are.

Next: The actual design as it turned out. Stay tuned...

------------------
"The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank" -Montgomery Scott

[Cmdr Powers]

USS Vanguard, NCC-68707, Akira Class
commissioned 2373, Utopia Planitia Yards

"The meek shall inherit the earth. The rest of us are going to the stars!"

HULL: Size 7, SU's 2550, Used 2417
Inner <28>, Outer <28>, Resistance <6> and <6>.

SIF: Main Class 5 <31>, Backup Class 5 <16>, Backup Class 5 <16>.

PERSONNEL: Crew 500/1750/4500
Quarters: Basic 400 <40>, Expanded 100 <20>, Luxury 25 <25>.

ENVIRONMENTAL: Basic LS <28>, Reserve LS <14>, Emergency LS <14>, Gravity <7>, Consumables 3 years supply <21>.

REPLICATORS: Food <7>, Industrial Network <7>, 2 Large Replicators <6>.

MEDICAL FACILITIES: Rating 8 <40>, EMH Mk1 <5>.

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES: Rating 6 <48>.

PERSONNEL TRANSPORTATION: <21>.

FIRE SUPPRESSION: <7>.

CARGO HOLDS: 240,000 cubic meters <7>.

ESCAPE PODS: 71 1-8 Persons <5>.

PROPULSION SYSTEMS: Type 6E8 Warp Drive <116>.
PIS Type H- 12 Hrs. <16>.
2 Class 8 Impulse Drives <80>. Class Gamma Uprating <8>.
Reaction Control System <7>.

POWER SYSTEMS: Warp Engines- 2 Class 5H 500 Power <120>. 2 Class 8 Impulse Engines (divided into 4 locations) 128 Power. Aux. 10 Power <6>. Emergency Type D 40 Power <40>. Electroplasma System 300 Points <65>.
Total Power Output: 628

OPERATIONS: Bridge <35>, Aux Ctrl <21>, no saucer sep, Computers 2 Cores <42>, Bioneural System, ODN <21>.
Navigational Deflector <28>.

Long Rng Sensors Type 7 <28>, Class Beta <26>, Lateral Sensors Type 7 Class Beta <20>, Nav Sensors Class 7 Class Beta <18>, Probes 20 <2>.

Flight Control Autopilot Lvl 3, Coord 3 <12>, Nav Computers Class 3 2 backups <6>, Inertial Damping Field w/backup <18>, Attitude Control <2>, Manual Steering Column <1>.

Communications Class 9 Uprated Beta <24>, Emergency <1>, Holo <1>.

Tractor Beams Class Delta <12>, 3 Class Alpha <9>.

Transporters: 4 Personnel 6-pad Type 6 Class H <68>, 4 Cargo 400kg Type 3 Class F <44>, 4 Emergency 22-pad Type 3 Class H <66>.

Security Rating 3 <12>, Anti-Intruder <7>, Internal Force Fields <7>.

Science Systems Rating 2 <17>, 4 Labs <2>.

TACTICAL SYSTEMS
Phaser Arrays: Forward Dorsal Array Type X 200 segments <48>, Forward Ventral Starboard Array Type X 80 segments <24>, Forward Ventral Port Array Type X 80 segments <24>, Aft Dorsal Boom Array Type X 40 segments <16>, Aft Dorsal Boom Array Type X 40 segments <16>. All phasers type X, Class Gamma Interlock, all 4 modes, 360 degrees.

Torpedo Launchers: Forward Weapon Module 4 Type II Standard Launcers <72>, Aft Weapon Module 4 Type II Standard Launchers <72>, Starboard Dorsal Primary Hull 2 Type II Standard Launchers <36>, Port Dorsal Primary Hull 2 Type II Standard Launchers <36>, Forward Ventral Engineering Hull 2 Type II Standard Launchers <36>, Forward Ventral Engineering Hull (below Deflector) 1 Advanced Launcher <28>. All launchers Spread 10, Class Gamma Targeting, 541 degree arc. Magazines 360 torps (280 Type II Photorps (200),60 Type I Quantum (400), 20 Type III Quantum (500), <36>.

TA/T/TS Class Gamma w/Backup <13>.

Deflector Shields: All four arcs, Generator Class 6 <400>. Grid Type C, subspace field distortion amps Class Theta, Recharge Class 1, Backup Generators 4 for <8>.

SHUTTLEBAYS: Thru-deck forward and aft Primary Hull. 40 capacity <80>. Dorsal aft of Bridge Module 2 capacity <4>.

SELF-DESTRUCT SYSTEMS: Located throughout ship <7>.

Notes: As said before. When the Starship Recognition Manual is released these notes are subject to radical change. But I had to try. (Data corrected 12-9-00)

[This message has been edited by Cmdr Powers (edited 12-09-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Cmdr Powers (edited 12-09-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Cmdr Powers (edited 12-27-2000).]

[Cmdr Powers]

It occurred to me that I didn't include any notes on my choices for the Akira Class.

There are two warp drive engines (MARA's) because the Akira class has two booms with large ejection ports dorsal. Yes, the Akira has a backup warp core and can eject both of them upwards. Main engineering is in the aft part of the Primary Hull, just above the thru-deck shuttlebay and the warp cores are cross-connected so that one can power the ship in case of failure. We've already seen a backup warp core on Voyager so there is some precedent.

The large number (15) of torpedo tubes is based on examining the published schematics and on watching First Contact. The Akira probably has more tubes than any other ship in Starfleet and, if the cover of Star Trek: Armada is right, the launchers in the weapons module are in rotating turrets with the magazines in the bottom of the module.

The thru-deck shuttlebay is intended to give the Akira fighter capability. Most sources indicate the Akira as carrying 12 'Peregrine' (read Starfleet Attack Fighter) fighters and the standard complement of other shuttle types. The Vanguard described in the above message carries a Talon class scoutship as well. Fighters are launched from the three doors forward and retrieved aft. Regular shuttles launch and retrieve aft, but probably could launch forward as well.

The Akira would be called a Battlecruiser if it were in any fleet but Starfleet. Its the most warlike craft in Starfleet next to the Defiant class. It may be the main reason that the United Federation of Planets will last a while longer...

------------------
"The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank" -Montgomery Scott

[Cmdr Powers]

The data has been tweaked (edited) a bit after a short review. I discovered that I hadn't put enough photorps in the ship for more than 1 and 1/2 volleys, and I also realized that the MARA's needed to be a bit more powerful if one was to run the ship in case the other needed to be ejected. Oh yeah, I also made the thru-deck shuttlebay a bit bigger.

All this puts the design damn close in SU's to what Steve quotes above. Whaddaya think?

------------------
"The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank" -Montgomery Scott

[Cmdr Powers]

The comments by Steve in the discussion on multiple MARA's made me go back and edit the design to provide smaller MARA's and less Impulse Engines. The SD states that a give Impulse Engine can be expressed as multiple locations, so I cut the IE's in half and declared them in 4 areas (aft Stbd and Port Primary Hull and aft Stbd and Port Booms).

This reduces the SU's to 2410, but still within the 2500-2550 limits I set for myself, while providing a more realistic power output for the ship.


------------------
"The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank" -Montgomery Scott

[Capt. Ares]

I have a couple of questions for you Cmdr Powers...

1. According to ST:TM, the Akira class has "no less than 15 torpedo launchers." You show 6(?) in your first design. 7 of those launchers are in the "Roll Bar weapons pod." Another three are "Under the forward shuttlebay, 1 is under the main deflector, and the remaining 4 are starboard & port facing those directions. I figured out that for 15 high-yield torpedo tubes (because why would there be a low yield one only?) with a spread of 5 each, you spend 300 SUs. The article also states there are 3000 torpedos on board (it doesn't say which kind), which is another 300 SUs to store them. Does your design gel with this?

2. I know you're designing the deck layouts. Have you a list of what's on each (15) deck?

[Cmdr Powers]

Originally posted by Capt. Ares:
I have a couple of questions for you Cmdr Powers...

No problem- I was hoping for some.

1. According to ST:TM, the Akira class has "no less than 15 torpedo launchers." You show 6(?) in your first design. 7 of those launchers are in the "Roll Bar weapons pod." Another three are "Under the forward shuttlebay, 1 is under the main deflector, and the remaining 4 are starboard & port facing those directions. I figured out that for 15 high-yield torpedo tubes (because why would there be a low yield one only?) with a spread of 5 each, you spend 300 SUs. The article also states there are 3000 torpedos on board (it doesn't say which kind), which is another 300 SUs to store them. Does your design gel with this?

If you'll recheck my stats in the above message, you'll find that there are 8 standard launchers in the weapon module- 4 forward and 4 aft (the roll bar pod), 4 on the upper saucer- 2 port and 2 starboard, 2 just above the deflector dish (forward dorsal engineering hull), and 1 right at the bottom of the hull for a total of 15.

As for torpedo storage, there are 280 photon torpedo type II in the magazines, along with 60 type I Quantum torps and 20 type III Quantum torps, for a total of 360 torpedoes stored. This essentially gives all tubes at least two full spread salvoes. 3000 torpedoes seems like an awful lot, don't you think? Giving over 300 SU just for torp magazines doesn't seem to fit with Starfleet's mission- but maybe I'm wrong- adjust the design to suit yourself. There's certainly plenty of room in a size 7 hull for that many photorps!

I chose not to give this ship more than 1 advanced launcher, but you could certainly uprate all the launchers to advanced/high yield for a commensurate increase in SU's. I chose not to do this because I was under the impression that Starfleet wasn't issuing high-powered Quantum torps out like that AND the original Akira design was firmed up before Quantum torps were first issued.

2. I know you're designing the deck layouts. Have you a list of what's on each (15) deck?

We're working on it. A lot of the online RPG Akira's have deck lists, but most of them seem fanciful. We're currently looking at about 17 decks. We've been able to rough out quite a bit of the decks based on what you see on the outside. For example: The thru-deck shuttlebay goes fore and aft pretty much under that rectangular hump the bridge sits on. It extends upwards from the base of the saucer about 3 decks. At the center of the bay is a control tower/fighter pilot briefing room/lounge built around the primary computer core which extends up to under the bridge module. There are crew quarters around the rim of the saucer at the base level and the next deck up, evidenced by the long ports over them. Next to the shuttlebay on either side of that deck are cargo holds and maintenance shops for the auxiliary craft. The ship's RRT teams have their quarters here. The engineering hull contains the deuterium tankage and the recycling bays as well as the main deflector. The officers have their quarters on the decks below the bridge module and in the booms starboard and port. The ship's main and lateral sensor arrays are at the front of the 'hump' and in two wings spreading forward over the saucer starboard and port dorsal.

If all this seems a bit vague, its because we haven't nailed down the exact deck distribution yet. I say that the base of the saucer is deck 9. My partner says that its deck 8. I say that the bridge is traditionally deck 1- he says its actually deck 2 and that deck 1 is the upper-most level of the booms. IF you consider the base of the saucer deck 9, then the shuttlebays extend up to deck 7. Deck 5 and 6, aft of the bridge module, contain Main Engineering. Decks 3 and 4 contain officer's quarters, labs, dining facilities, VIP quarters. Deck 2 is a lounge and a small rearward shuttlebay. Deck 1 contains the bridge, captain's office, briefing room. The two MARA's extend from the top of the booms down through to deck 9. They eject upwards and have cross-connect access at Main Engineering on Deck 5 and 6.

I hope I haven't confused the issue too much. We are still at a very basic, beginning stage.

Please message back with any other questions/comments/criticisms you may have.

------------------
"The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank" -Montgomery Scott

[This message has been edited by Cmdr Powers (edited 12-12-2000).]

[Capt. Ares]

Yeah, 3000 Photorps sounds like a lot for a Starfleet vessel, but my players are all Rapid Response. The USS Stormbringer is their transport/gunship. Semper Fi!

More Akira thoughts

Have you considered having sickbay/med lab take up an entire deck? Specifically around 11 or 12 in the pseudo-secondary hull wrapped around the main deflector? Most of the time sickbay takes up maybe one quarter of a deck, but an Akira class will see a lot more combat than a standard Starfleet cruiser, so I've considered having an expanded sickbay. A full deck in the main saucer would seem ridculous, but the secondary hull area is half the size of the saucer, and is much more protected from enemy fire than the catamarans.

I tried to figure out what the bridge sits on top of on the Akira. I like the idea of a 2-craft shuttlebay. I like your idea of having a control tower in the middle of the thru-deck bay.

I've also considered the pod as modular. The ship can dock at starbase and have it swapped out for another. Perhaps a big sensor package, Metaphasic shield converter, or a cloaking device.

[Cmdr Powers]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Capt. Ares:
Yeah, 3000 Photorps sounds like a lot for a Starfleet vessel, but my players are all Rapid Response. The USS Stormbringer is their transport/gunship. Semper Fi!


Wow, and I thought I was going overboard allowing my ship to have 30 RR's on board and gave them barracks in the cargo bay and a whole holodeck for doing 'exercises' in. Of course, there is the constant rivalry between the fighterjocks and the RR's...

More Akira thoughts

Have you considered having sickbay/med lab take up an entire deck? Specifically around 11 or 12 in the pseudo-secondary hull wrapped around the main deflector? Most of the time sickbay takes up maybe one quarter of a deck, but an Akira class will see a lot more combat than a standard Starfleet cruiser, so I've considered having an expanded sickbay. A full deck in the main saucer would seem ridculous, but the secondary hull area is half the size of the saucer, and is much more protected from enemy fire than the catamarans.


The idea of an enlarged sickbay isn't a bad one. It would certainly make my CMO happy. What makes you think it would be any safer in the secondary hull though? Near the center of deck 5 or 6 would provide ample protection (right in the area around the primary computer core).

I tried to figure out what the bridge sits on top of on the Akira. I like the idea of a 2-craft shuttlebay. I like your idea of having a control tower in the middle of the thru-deck bay.


Try to picture this: Approaching the after part of the saucer your shuttle is directed to 1 of 2 main hangar doors. The control room above the doors directs you to 2. Within a few meters of the door, the landing bay tractor beams lockon and guide you into the aft bay. Your shuttle touches down on th e landing target. You're facing a main fire door and aft, the outer door closes. Pressure fills the bay and the fire door opens to allow you to taxi into the aft maintenance area of the shuttlebay. All around this bay is a windowed observation catwalk up on deck 7. Forward and to port you see the control tower jutting out over the center of the bay. Below is the reception lounge. An ensign comes over as you step from the shuttle and grants permission to come aboard. "Welcome to the Vanguard, sir!" As he escorts you forward, you observe the forward shuttlebay with its two rows of revetments, each containing a Starfleet Attack Fighter. Up at the very end of the bay, three Valkyrie class Strike Fighters sit on the Ready Alert pads, waiting to be fired at any moment through the three launch tubes at the front of the ship.

And so on... Yeah, I'm a GM- want to make something of it?

I've also considered the pod as modular. The ship can dock at starbase and have it swapped out for another. Perhaps a big sensor package, Metaphasic shield converter, or a cloaking device.

Modular is good. It would certainly help with loading those main magazines. Also, you might want to switch out your big photorp launchers with that chain-reaction pulsar like the Jupiter carries...


------------------
"The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank" -Montgomery Scott

[Capt. Ares]

Originally posted by Cmdr Powers: Wow, and I thought I was going overboard allowing my ship to have 30 RR's on board and gave them barracks in the cargo bay and a whole holodeck for doing 'exercises' in. Of course, there is the constant rivalry between the fighterjocks and the RR's...

A lot of Starfleet personnel received RR training during the Dominion War. Many UFP citizens joined Starfleet RR as enlisted personnel just to fight in the war (a lot like what happened at the beginning of WWI & WWII). When the war ended there were all of these officers and enlisted personnel with RR training, and no-where to put them. Of course there were reports of Jem-Hadar mercenaries setting up shop in the fringe; The Breen were still a potential problem; the Borg could show up any time; and the Romulans ended their cooperation with the Federation as soon as the war ended.

The Head of Rapid Response, Fleet Admiral Jellico, decided that along with assigning RR troops as security personnel on starships and starbases, he wanted a deployable force whenever the Federation was threatened. So he commissioned the USS Stormbringer, which had a distinguished record in the war, as the permanent home for this force.

The personnel who man the Stormbringer are the same as you would find on most Starfleet vessels. Engineers and Ops; there are a few scientists, though not as many as you would find on an exploratory vessel. But every one of them receives RR training, and can be deployed into combat at moments notice.

The Fighter jocks are all RR. Just like the Marine Corps has its own small group of pilots. The rivalry does exist between the standard ground troops and the fighter jocks though.

Near the center of deck 5 or 6 would provide ample protection (right in the area around the primary computer core).

Sounds like a good plan to me. I'm still trying to get a good deck-by-deck layout of where things are on the Akira. I don't necessarily need a map (though I can't wait to see yours), just a listing of the main compartments.

Also, you might want to switch out your big photorp launchers with that chain-reaction pulsar like the Jupiter carries.

One of my favorite weapons in Star Trek: Armada! Do you happen to have the rules/stats for that nifty weapon?




[This message has been edited by Capt. Ares (edited 12-12-2000).]

[Cmdr Powers]

I presume your history is from your ongoing campaign, right? Still sounds reasonable though. I'm waiting for Steve's DWS, but a lot of the effects you mention are certainly going to happen. When major Federation worlds were invaded and major land battles were fought, the number of trained combat personnel must have mushroomed! Can you imagine the utter panic when the Breen actually managed to hit Earth?!

As for the Jupiter's big toy, well... I'm not sure how this weapon fits into SD. It's kind of like those major, rarely used, Japanese anime weapons- like the Wave Motion Gun- It's unique and does weird things- bouncing off other vessels to gain energy? Does the Tac Officer set up sort of a billiards shot? What would be the difficulty of such a thing?

Steve! Help us out here.

------------------
"The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank" -Montgomery Scott