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Thread: CODA Starships: Steamrunner

  1. #1

    CODA Starships: Steamrunner

    My next campaign is going to be set about 6 months to 12 months after the Battle of Wolf 359, so I needed a ship that would fit in and be pretty multi-purpose for my crew... yes, I know Nebula is modular. But I wanted to give them some firepower and a smaller crew, so I went with the Streamrunner, converting it to Starships... I put notes about things I did differently as I go on.

    Steamrunner Heavy Frigate

    Hull
    • Structure: 30 (+5 ablative, not included in the 30)
    • Size/Decks: 6/18 decks
    • Length/Height/Beam: 375/79/5/270.9
    • Complement: 200

    Operations
    • Atmospheric Capable: NO
    • Cargo Units: 60
    • Cloaking Device: Mono-refracting Plating (Rating: 14) (5; don't forget the -1 to space because its a frigate)
    • Life Support: Class 4 (E) (10 spaces); converted with standard rules
    • Operations: Class 3 (D) (9 spaces)
    • Sensors: Class 4 (+4/+3/+2/+1/+0;E) (4)
    • Seperation System: NONE
    • Shuttlebays/Shuttlecraft: 1 bay with 6 sizes of shuttles (2)
    • Tractor Beams: 1 AD; 1 FD (1 space) I removed one of these to make it fit into the proper spaces. I don't think it needed three Tractors anyways.
    • Transporters: 3 of each kind (0) The Ops book gave it 4, I consider this close enough... and space limitations.

    Propulsion
    • Impulse: FIG-5 (.92c; D) (10) I believe this was the recommended conversation on the board, I went with this one for speed, I don't recall off hand
    • Warp: LF-41 (6/8.2/9.6;C) (5 spaces) I went with a better drive than the conversation list suggested and then used the prototype trait to bring the sustainable down to where it should be according to Starfleet Ops. Also gave me the extra 5 space I would need later.

    Tactical
    • Phasers: Type X (*4;C) (20 spaces)
      Pentration: 6/5/5/0/0
    • Torpedo Launcher: Mk 60DF (*2/C) (10 spaces)
      Pentration: 4/4/4/4/4
    • Deflector FSR (E) (13 spaces)
      Protection/Threshold: 17/4 (2 spaces)

    Misc.
    • Maneuver Mods: +1 Command; +1 Helm: +2 Tactical
      Okay, I moved the +2 to Tactical instead of Command as I felt that this represented a Frigate's responsibility better. Personal perference here.
    • Traits: Prototype: Warp Engines (-1 sustainable) (-5 spaces) Justification: They aren't really a prototype, its the effect of the enclosed warp nacelles... Prototype based represented this, so I used it.
      Ablative Armor (5 spaces)
      Hardened System: Warp Drive (5 spaces) enclosed and armored warp nacelles... I rest my case.
      Prototype: Weapons (-1 reliability) (-5 spaces) OKay, I know that this isn't one of the options offered for prototyping weapons systems in Startships. BUT the way I figure it, its better than using the none effecting -1 Offensive Value to the torps to get the space. Also, it actually lowers the reliability to closer to what it is in Starfleet Ops. Justification: Because of the enclosed nacelles and the masking system, the weapons of the Steamrunner class are structured weaker to make room on the other equipment on board... the system is an in-game space saving system. Smaller equipment = easier to damage.


    Questions, comments, thoughts, flames?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Newcastle, England
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    3,462
    I'm not totally sure about all of the point allocations, but the design it's self sounds quite close to the descriptions I have seen for the Steamrunner.

    From what I have read in some material the curious layout of the ship has to do with a sensor displacement system, making it hard for ships to locate it and lock on, which fits rather nicelly with the mono-refractive plating idea (the rest is just semantics)

    It's a slight variation from the Decipher version, but then all the ships vary slightly anyway, so it fits nicelly.
    Ta Muchly

  3. #3
    Yeah, the mono-refractive plating is basically what I'm using to represent the 'in-game' design of the Steamrunner's ability to remain undetected but not with a cloak. Its gameplay fits the concept, so I used it.

    And the points allocation is all correct... unless I need to get errata for Starships. *makes no comment on that*

    Remember: -1 to cloak because its a frigate, -1 to each beam weapon because its 'heavy'. So it should all fit in; as long as you allow me to use the prototype reliability reduction on the weapon systems.

    And yeah, this is a conversion from Starfleet Ops Manual... I just wanted to know if people agreed with my conversion or if they didn't what to do to improve/change it.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    Ottawa, Ontario Canada
    Posts
    937
    Not bad at all Alex! A few points,

    1) Class 4 life support costs 4 + 1/2 size so it would be 7 spaces

    2) Class 3 operations systems are 3 + 1/2 size so only 6 spaces

    3) FIG-5 impulse engines only cost 6 spaces.

    I would suggest putting in at least Mk 75 DF Torpedoes. It is a heavy frigate giving you 5/5/5/5/5 penetration. For 2 launchers. And allows you too launch probes from them as well. Due too it's heavy frigate status you may up the number of launchers to represent it's "spread" of torpedoes. Just a thoutht

    And as a side note, The Nebula with the weapons pod has more firepower than the Steamrunner. But considerably more crew.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Salinas, Calif., USA (a Chiefs fan in an unholy land)
    Posts
    3,379
    I'd have to look at your points, but I had some differences with the version I converted from the SOM.

    Sea Tyger's Steamrunner conversion

    The main difference is that I use a single Mk 95 DF launcher with Quantum Torpedoes vs. your two Mark 60 DF launcher. The idea behind using the Mk 95 is that I would consider all PDD ships to be Q-torp capable, and frigates are supposed to be the best pure combatants in MSTU (I follow the FASA ideal on frigates).

    I also have only 25 structure, with 5 additional ablative...and I kept the third tractor beam, as well as the +2C, +1H, +1T maneuvering mods.

    Otherwise, they're quite similar. Good job.
    Davy Jones

    "Frightened? My dear, you are looking at a man who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe! I was petrified."
    -- The Wizard of Oz

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