Pirate Hunting Starships!?

[Redshirt214]

So here’s my updated thinking: along the border, we have the USS Hood, patrolling the Federation border. She might be escorted by a Miranda class ship, to bulk out numbers, and reflect a wartime stance where you reinforce what might otherwise have been a single ship patrol. This is early in the war, and the Romulans are not part of the alliance yet so have to be taken seriously. Hood et al will serve as the “cavalry” that can get called in as needed by the PC’s ship. Or be inconveniently reassigned to a new front, as the case may be…

For the triangle zone, there will be the PC’s ship, of the same type as the Jupp (maybe the Jupiter or Jove?), which will be serving as a convoy escort and patrol vessel for the region. She might have an opposite number, a Centaur class starship, that would patrol alongside her and occasionally join her in missions.

 

[ChallengerHK]

IIRC, the FASA Loknar class was designed to hunt pirates.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

IIRC, the FASA Loknar class was designed to hunt pirates.

One of their better designs IMO, though given that it was a relatively small, lightly manned during their heyday, they're probably completely outdated by over a century later.

Gives a decent guideline relative to the primary "hero ship" class of the respective era for that type/role.

 

[Ithekro]

Being "outdated" shouldn't be that much of a problem when hunting pirates. A Loknar-class frigate was an Andorian designed warship for Starfleet that performed well in the Four Years War against the Klingons. Update the warp core slightly to at least match the current warp scale, even if it can't make better than warp 8 except in short burst. Give it modernized torpedoes for its three forward tubes and at least late 23rd century phasers should be enough for most pirates. Only the very fast Orion ships will be a problem....well that and some larger Ferengi ships.

 

[Vagabond Elf]

A Locknar is a saucer with two nacelles. The Jupp is a saucer with two nacelles. Both use TWOK-era saucers and nacelles, so presumably are contemporaries with equipment. Any performance or capability difference between them would be imposed by the GM, so really the only reason to prefer one over the other is aesthetics, or whether one prefers the FASA background or to use an on-screen ship.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

Both use TWOK-era saucers and nacelles, so presumably are contemporaries with equipment.

Why would you assume that a design that primarily in use in the 2240s (although a few hulls might have been upgraded in the late 23rd Century) has the same kit as a ship that is only attested over a century later and is built using tech from the late 23rd Century?

 

[Vagabond Elf]

Why would you assume that a design that primarily in use in the 2240s (although a few hulls might have been upgraded in the late 23rd Century) has the same kit as a ship that is only attested over a century later and is built using tech from the late 23rd Century?

Okay, I grant you that I just assumed there was a movie-era version of the Locknars because FASA did movie-era versions of everything. So sure, if you made the Locknar a TOS-era ship instead, there would be other differences. I've certainly seen art of movie-era Locknars, but that may not have been from FASA.

I find most of FASA's designs goofy looking, and the background is (like its contemporary Star Fleet Battles) one of the great examples of "you missed the point of Trek when you wrote your game." (They add a bunch of wars to the history and the game, like most 1980s RPGs, focuses on combat.) So I don't care for it much and thus don't know it well.

So, yes, my post is assuming that the Locknar would be a movie-era design. Whereupon both the Locknar and the Judd become "old and small" looking ships, and the question is only "which one looks better for my story." Anything FASA wrote can be used if it's helpful or jettisoned if it isn't, and it seems like Redshirt214's only real limitation is "try not to conflict with what's on screen." So beyond that, they can do whatever they feel like in their story.

Using a TOS-era ship in a TNG setting seems - in my opinion, of course - a bit too jarring for the PCs. Maybe as a pirate ship. In the real world, post WW2, a lot of military ships were sold into private hands and some (usually landing ships, granted) were converted into freighters and passenger ships and served on for another decade or so. So I could see a TOS-era Locknar being derated, disarmed, and sold into civillian use as a freighter/transport when the Jupps and Mirandas come on line; then being a well-built ships, she's still trooping along a century later when some pirates get hold of her and go "hey, this hull still has the hardpoints for phasers" and re-arm her as a raider just in time to be an antagonist for the PCs.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

So sure, if you made the Locknar a TOS-era ship instead, there would be other differences.

Certainly they date back that far.

They're a "Four Years War" design which means that they have to pre-date TOS (the general assumption is that they are roughly parallel to early DSC).

My general assumption is that the larger and more generalist a ship is, the longer it lasts, particularly if it has features that make it particular useful for support functions (the Miranda and Constellation are or should be examples of the latter), whereas the smaller and more specialist a ship is, the more subject to obselescene a ship is, even within that speciality, particularly if speed/range is a factor which it would be more than most for this application.

I find most of FASA's designs goofy looking

That's a nice way of describing them.

So, yes, my post is assuming that the Locknar would be a movie-era design. Whereupon both the Locknar and the Judd become "old and small" looking ships, and the question is only "which one looks better for my story."

In terms of looks I actually prefer the Locknar to be honest, it's just that the Jupp is probably newer (and there's also the Saber, Centaur and other similar designs that are newer still and known to be active during the era in question).

Using a TOS-era ship in a TNG setting seems - in my opinion, of course - a bit too jarring for the PCs. Maybe as a pirate ship.

Depends on the pirates, I could see the Maquis or a modern Harry Mudd/Cyranno Jones type operating such a ship, but given its age it seems like it would be more work than benefit for a non-Federation actor.