Oh yes - thanks for reminding me. Yes, Duane contributed quite a lot of early science commentary in her works.
Some of it a bit more pseudo than others (such as about telepathy or entanglement) but others, quite generally accurate.
Technology of the Star Fleet Universe
- Thread starter Nerroth
- Start date
Oh yes - thanks for reminding me. Yes, Duane contributed quite a lot of early science commentary in her works.
Some of it a bit more pseudo than others (such as about telepathy or entanglement) but others, quite generally accurate.
While I certainly welcome talk of Neutronium in this thread as it pertains to the Star Fleet Universe, I might kindly ask for discussions of references to this material in the Franchise, or in other licensed works, be spun off into its own, dedicated thread.
-----
On another topic: as noted in a prior post, the Hydrans were not fooled by the Vudar deception campaign carried out by the Klingons. Yet, they decided to go along with it (for a time) nonetheless, if only to shorten the front line being fought over between the Royal Hydran Navy and the Klingon Deep Space Fleet in the last years of the General War.
Although, there was another reason why the Hydrans saw through this deception attempt: they themselves had run a similar campaign earlier in the war, involving the Borak Star League.
-----
As a species, the Borak are native to a Class-L planet in the "off-map" Delta Sector, in the midst of what would later become the Hydran Old Colonies region. They are warm-blooded, more akin to an avian than a reptile, with six limbs. Individual Borak can live as long as 300 years, continuing to grow in size throughout their lifetimes.
Despite bad experiences with the Klingons and Lyrans, First Contact between the Hydrans and Borak was peaceful. Indeed, Hydran and Borak colonies became quite interspersed, with the Borak colonizing Class-K/L/M/N/O worlds, and the Hydrans sticking to Class-S gas giants.
Alas, when the Hydran home world fell to the Klingons and Lyrans the first time around, the Hydran exiles in the Old Colonies succumbed to paranois about Borak intentions. For their part, the Borak, who had not been informed about the Klingons and Lyrans, were surprised when a pre-emptive operation swept their fleet from space. And yet, the Hydrans continued to allow "civilian" Borak activities to function, and even offered to use Hydran ships to transport Borak coloists to new worlds the Hydrans had no use for themselves.
For their part, the Hydrans took the "real" data from the Early Years Borak fleet, using it as the basis for a "simulator" fleet that evolved alongside that of the Hydrans themselves. By and large, had the Borak continued to operate as a "modern' military power, these can be considered to represent the ships they would have actually built.
When the Klingons and Lyrans took the Hydran capital the second time, they were surprised when a number of "diplomatic" ships showed up with Borak crews, claiming to represent an independent Borak Star League. While not entirely convinced of the story the Borak "envoys" were telling them, there was just enough doubt to give the Coalition pause. Thus, rather than pursue the Hydrans into the Old Colonies so as to finish them off once and for all, the Klingons turned their focus towards the planned invasion of the Federation.
This is how it went in the historical timeline, at least. Might there be an opportunity for some other outcome in an alternate reality?
-----
As noted above, the "real" Borak technology base developed in the Early Years; the "simulator" Borak evolved over time in the Hydran simulators.
While smaller Borak ships are more or less comparable in size to their Alpha Octant counterparts, their larger ships tend to be a size smaller by comparison. Not to ofar removed from some of the historical fleets over in Omega, in fact.
As shown here, several Borak ships have turrets. These are used to install megaphasers, which are somewhere between a phaser-1 and a phaser-4 in terms of damage output. However, they have restricted "mauler" firing arcs, thus necessitating the installation of them in turrets. Early Years megaphasers were less powerful, yet cheaper to fire. (Speaking of the Early Years, the warp-refitted Borak cruisers had "fixed" megaphaser mounts facing forward; the Y-era saw the first use of turrets in the Borak fleet.)
Later on, the "simulator" Borak developed the phaser-cannon, or type-C phaser. Just as a Hydran Gatling phaser can fire four phaser-3 shots, a phaser-cannon offers three phaser-2s for the price of two. A later refit enables a phaser-cannon to be fired as a single phaser-1. However, phaser-cannons cannot be down-fired as phaser-3s. In terms of Orion or WYN usage, each phaser-cannon would have taken up two centerline adjacent option mounts.
Perhaps in response to the Hydran use of Stinger fighters, the "simulator" Borak developed a casual carrier doctrine of their own. However, while the Borak did deploy a series of "fighter-destroyer' superiority types, the bulk of their fighters were "hunter-killer" types: a cross between a size-1 fighter and a suicide shuttle. These were controlled remotely from the operating ship, and sat somewhere between a seeking weapon and an attack shuttle in terms of functionality.
Notably, the Borak were programmed never to acquire Aegis fire control, and thus never fielded dedicated escort variants in the "standard" simulator fleet.
The Borak were later assumed to develop fast patrol ships, with phaser-cannons as their "heavy weapons", as well as first-generation X-ships.
-----
As you can see, the Borak are almost entirely phaser-oriented - something which the Broad Worb over in Omega would approve of, no doubt!
This can be evidenced in their heavy cruiser, which has the same Move Cost of 3/4 as a Federation or Auroran old light cruiser.
When fully refitted, the Borak CA has six phaser-1s, two phaser-3s, two phaser-cannons (mounted on the warp nacelles), and two megaphasers (in the turret). It also carries four shuttles and a pair of hunter-killer fighters.
On the one hand, all of its weapons make use of a shared phaser capacitor, which gives the ship a certain degree of flexibility at the start of a given engagement. However, when the time comes to refill said capacitors, there isn't a whole lot of excess power aboard ship to do this while maintaining a high battle speed.
One combat variant of note replaced the prow phaser-1s with a third megaphaser, mounted in a second turret with a more limited set of turning arcs. Another variant removed the megaphaser turret entirely, instead installing two more phaser-cannons on the prow, and moving the prow phaser-1s to a 360-degree mount where the turret had been. Neither were successful as "patrol" ships, yet each found use in different fleet support roles.
-----
On another topic: as noted in a prior post, the Hydrans were not fooled by the Vudar deception campaign carried out by the Klingons. Yet, they decided to go along with it (for a time) nonetheless, if only to shorten the front line being fought over between the Royal Hydran Navy and the Klingon Deep Space Fleet in the last years of the General War.
Although, there was another reason why the Hydrans saw through this deception attempt: they themselves had run a similar campaign earlier in the war, involving the Borak Star League.
-----
As a species, the Borak are native to a Class-L planet in the "off-map" Delta Sector, in the midst of what would later become the Hydran Old Colonies region. They are warm-blooded, more akin to an avian than a reptile, with six limbs. Individual Borak can live as long as 300 years, continuing to grow in size throughout their lifetimes.
Despite bad experiences with the Klingons and Lyrans, First Contact between the Hydrans and Borak was peaceful. Indeed, Hydran and Borak colonies became quite interspersed, with the Borak colonizing Class-K/L/M/N/O worlds, and the Hydrans sticking to Class-S gas giants.
Alas, when the Hydran home world fell to the Klingons and Lyrans the first time around, the Hydran exiles in the Old Colonies succumbed to paranois about Borak intentions. For their part, the Borak, who had not been informed about the Klingons and Lyrans, were surprised when a pre-emptive operation swept their fleet from space. And yet, the Hydrans continued to allow "civilian" Borak activities to function, and even offered to use Hydran ships to transport Borak coloists to new worlds the Hydrans had no use for themselves.
For their part, the Hydrans took the "real" data from the Early Years Borak fleet, using it as the basis for a "simulator" fleet that evolved alongside that of the Hydrans themselves. By and large, had the Borak continued to operate as a "modern' military power, these can be considered to represent the ships they would have actually built.
When the Klingons and Lyrans took the Hydran capital the second time, they were surprised when a number of "diplomatic" ships showed up with Borak crews, claiming to represent an independent Borak Star League. While not entirely convinced of the story the Borak "envoys" were telling them, there was just enough doubt to give the Coalition pause. Thus, rather than pursue the Hydrans into the Old Colonies so as to finish them off once and for all, the Klingons turned their focus towards the planned invasion of the Federation.
This is how it went in the historical timeline, at least. Might there be an opportunity for some other outcome in an alternate reality?
-----
As noted above, the "real" Borak technology base developed in the Early Years; the "simulator" Borak evolved over time in the Hydran simulators.
While smaller Borak ships are more or less comparable in size to their Alpha Octant counterparts, their larger ships tend to be a size smaller by comparison. Not to ofar removed from some of the historical fleets over in Omega, in fact.
As shown here, several Borak ships have turrets. These are used to install megaphasers, which are somewhere between a phaser-1 and a phaser-4 in terms of damage output. However, they have restricted "mauler" firing arcs, thus necessitating the installation of them in turrets. Early Years megaphasers were less powerful, yet cheaper to fire. (Speaking of the Early Years, the warp-refitted Borak cruisers had "fixed" megaphaser mounts facing forward; the Y-era saw the first use of turrets in the Borak fleet.)
Later on, the "simulator" Borak developed the phaser-cannon, or type-C phaser. Just as a Hydran Gatling phaser can fire four phaser-3 shots, a phaser-cannon offers three phaser-2s for the price of two. A later refit enables a phaser-cannon to be fired as a single phaser-1. However, phaser-cannons cannot be down-fired as phaser-3s. In terms of Orion or WYN usage, each phaser-cannon would have taken up two centerline adjacent option mounts.
Perhaps in response to the Hydran use of Stinger fighters, the "simulator" Borak developed a casual carrier doctrine of their own. However, while the Borak did deploy a series of "fighter-destroyer' superiority types, the bulk of their fighters were "hunter-killer" types: a cross between a size-1 fighter and a suicide shuttle. These were controlled remotely from the operating ship, and sat somewhere between a seeking weapon and an attack shuttle in terms of functionality.
Notably, the Borak were programmed never to acquire Aegis fire control, and thus never fielded dedicated escort variants in the "standard" simulator fleet.
The Borak were later assumed to develop fast patrol ships, with phaser-cannons as their "heavy weapons", as well as first-generation X-ships.
-----
As you can see, the Borak are almost entirely phaser-oriented - something which the Broad Worb over in Omega would approve of, no doubt!
This can be evidenced in their heavy cruiser, which has the same Move Cost of 3/4 as a Federation or Auroran old light cruiser.
When fully refitted, the Borak CA has six phaser-1s, two phaser-3s, two phaser-cannons (mounted on the warp nacelles), and two megaphasers (in the turret). It also carries four shuttles and a pair of hunter-killer fighters.
On the one hand, all of its weapons make use of a shared phaser capacitor, which gives the ship a certain degree of flexibility at the start of a given engagement. However, when the time comes to refill said capacitors, there isn't a whole lot of excess power aboard ship to do this while maintaining a high battle speed.
One combat variant of note replaced the prow phaser-1s with a third megaphaser, mounted in a second turret with a more limited set of turning arcs. Another variant removed the megaphaser turret entirely, instead installing two more phaser-cannons on the prow, and moving the prow phaser-1s to a 360-degree mount where the turret had been. Neither were successful as "patrol" ships, yet each found use in different fleet support roles.
Last edited:
In the SFU, the tiger-like Kzintis and the lynx-like Lyrans share a common ancestor; no-one knows for sure who (or what) placed them on their respective home planets, though they are referred to in the modern era as the "Leopard Kings".
It is wise not to mention this ancestral gnetic connection in the presence of either species, except inside the WYN Cluster, perhaps.
Another faction - or group of factions - with this same "Leopard King" heritage was (or were) the Carnivon Hordes.
-----
The Carnivons were wolf-like beings, which evolved to operate in packs. However, whereas the Lyrans and Kzintis manged to coalesce into star-nations - albeit highly fractured ones - the Carnivons expanded into space as separate Hordes.
Historically, they appeared in the "north-west" corner of the Federation and Empire hex map during the Early Years era, blocking direct access between the Kzinti Hegemony and the Lyran Star Empire in the process.
Alas, their inability to form a unified realm proved to be their downfall. Later in the Early Years era, the Kzintis and Lyrans realized that they could each target a single Horde at a time, and not expect the other Hordes to intervene. Thus, the Hordes were picked off one by one, until all known Carnivon ships had been destroyed and all Carnivon planets had been forcibly depopulated.
It could have been quite different, however.
In one "lost empire" timeline from Star Fleet Battles Module C6, a leader named Greycoat Lothbog succeeded in consolidating power as the "Gookwahr", or leader of all Carnivons. Under his guidance, Carnivon society was dramatically reorganized, enabling them to survive as one of four powers placed in the vicinity of the WYN Cluster.
In another timeline, two Hordes succeeded in fleeing into the Cluster itself, a decade or more prior to the Kzinti Usurper's historical arrival there. (As you can imagine, things didn't go well for the fleeing Usurper this time around...) Leveraging the rich resources of the worlds protected by the WYN Radiation Zone, these "Cluster Carnivons" burst into open space late in the General War, seizing territory that had once been held by the Kzintis, Lyrans, and Klingons.
As for the historical timeline: rumours persist of a "last command" of Carnivons managing to escape the Alpha Octant entirely, only to find themselves confronted by the challenges of surviving in the distant Sargassso Storm Zone.
-----
In technological terms, the Carnivons developed certain distinct technologies, some of which have been noted in passing earlier in this thread.
Rather than the disruptor bolt, the Carnivons developed the disruptor cannon; Module C6 shows what a "modern" version of this weapon would have looked like. These weapons arm over two turns, using power from any source; "modern" disruptr cannons can overload with two points of warp power. While the DERFACS fire control system could be programmed in later on, the UIM used by disruptor bolts was too fragile to be used here. However, disruptor cannons still provide the same "disruptive" effect against Andromedan power absorber panels that disruptor bolts possess. Orions and WYNs would have had access to this weapon also.
As well as this, the Carnivons developed the "warp field interruption device" - more colloquially known as the heel nipper. This weapon, using warp power to arm, is able both to score damage on enemy warp engines (bypassing shields or PA panels) and - if the target has a "port" or "starboard" engine - to involuntariy face a different direction! Further, "modern" heel nippers can pay extra to fire at extended range, and are able to shoot at up to four Size Class 5, 6, or 7 units in a single turn! However, heel nippers have no impact on units that do not have warp engines. Orions and WYNs would not have been able to reverse-enginner this weapon.
Instead of drones, the Carnivons deployed drone-like missiles knwon as death bolts. In the Early Years, the Carnivons launched them out of their shuttle bays; "modern" Carnivon units (would) have dedicated compartments for their death bolt racks. While armed with a powerful warhead, each death bolt requires "deck crew actions" in order to be launched - which has its pluses and its minuses. Indeed, one such minus is that the Carnivons cannot install death bolts on fighters or PFs, though bombers can deploy them. Perhaps for this reason, the Orions and WYNs cannot (or would not) have used them.
Beyond this, Carnivon ships use the "standard" range of phasers and other technologies, such as fighters, PFs, and partial-X refits. No data exists in print for "true" first-generation X-ships right now, however.
-----
In Module C6, there is an SSD for a "modern" Carnivon heavy cruiser.
When fully refitted, the CA has four phaser-1s, five phaser-3s, four DERFACE-enabled disruptor cannons, two heel nippers, plus two death bolt racks.
Some of you might have noticed that Kzinti ships sort of look like giant space cats - whereas "peacetime construction" Lyran ships are "cat-amarans"...
Similarly, Carnivon ships are arranged like flying space dogs: the bridge is the "brain"; the heel nippers are the "fangs"; the disruptor cannons are the "claws"; the warp engines are the "hind legs"; and so on and so forth.
In duels, the Carnivon CA is a good match for a Kzinti or Lyran cruiser of a similar size. Although, in keeping with their "pack" mentality, the Carnivons often prefer to send a squadron of smaller ships, rather than a lone cruiser, to "chase down" a larger opponent.
It is wise not to mention this ancestral gnetic connection in the presence of either species, except inside the WYN Cluster, perhaps.
Another faction - or group of factions - with this same "Leopard King" heritage was (or were) the Carnivon Hordes.
-----
The Carnivons were wolf-like beings, which evolved to operate in packs. However, whereas the Lyrans and Kzintis manged to coalesce into star-nations - albeit highly fractured ones - the Carnivons expanded into space as separate Hordes.
Historically, they appeared in the "north-west" corner of the Federation and Empire hex map during the Early Years era, blocking direct access between the Kzinti Hegemony and the Lyran Star Empire in the process.
Alas, their inability to form a unified realm proved to be their downfall. Later in the Early Years era, the Kzintis and Lyrans realized that they could each target a single Horde at a time, and not expect the other Hordes to intervene. Thus, the Hordes were picked off one by one, until all known Carnivon ships had been destroyed and all Carnivon planets had been forcibly depopulated.
It could have been quite different, however.
In one "lost empire" timeline from Star Fleet Battles Module C6, a leader named Greycoat Lothbog succeeded in consolidating power as the "Gookwahr", or leader of all Carnivons. Under his guidance, Carnivon society was dramatically reorganized, enabling them to survive as one of four powers placed in the vicinity of the WYN Cluster.
In another timeline, two Hordes succeeded in fleeing into the Cluster itself, a decade or more prior to the Kzinti Usurper's historical arrival there. (As you can imagine, things didn't go well for the fleeing Usurper this time around...) Leveraging the rich resources of the worlds protected by the WYN Radiation Zone, these "Cluster Carnivons" burst into open space late in the General War, seizing territory that had once been held by the Kzintis, Lyrans, and Klingons.
As for the historical timeline: rumours persist of a "last command" of Carnivons managing to escape the Alpha Octant entirely, only to find themselves confronted by the challenges of surviving in the distant Sargassso Storm Zone.
-----
In technological terms, the Carnivons developed certain distinct technologies, some of which have been noted in passing earlier in this thread.
Rather than the disruptor bolt, the Carnivons developed the disruptor cannon; Module C6 shows what a "modern" version of this weapon would have looked like. These weapons arm over two turns, using power from any source; "modern" disruptr cannons can overload with two points of warp power. While the DERFACS fire control system could be programmed in later on, the UIM used by disruptor bolts was too fragile to be used here. However, disruptor cannons still provide the same "disruptive" effect against Andromedan power absorber panels that disruptor bolts possess. Orions and WYNs would have had access to this weapon also.
As well as this, the Carnivons developed the "warp field interruption device" - more colloquially known as the heel nipper. This weapon, using warp power to arm, is able both to score damage on enemy warp engines (bypassing shields or PA panels) and - if the target has a "port" or "starboard" engine - to involuntariy face a different direction! Further, "modern" heel nippers can pay extra to fire at extended range, and are able to shoot at up to four Size Class 5, 6, or 7 units in a single turn! However, heel nippers have no impact on units that do not have warp engines. Orions and WYNs would not have been able to reverse-enginner this weapon.
Instead of drones, the Carnivons deployed drone-like missiles knwon as death bolts. In the Early Years, the Carnivons launched them out of their shuttle bays; "modern" Carnivon units (would) have dedicated compartments for their death bolt racks. While armed with a powerful warhead, each death bolt requires "deck crew actions" in order to be launched - which has its pluses and its minuses. Indeed, one such minus is that the Carnivons cannot install death bolts on fighters or PFs, though bombers can deploy them. Perhaps for this reason, the Orions and WYNs cannot (or would not) have used them.
Beyond this, Carnivon ships use the "standard" range of phasers and other technologies, such as fighters, PFs, and partial-X refits. No data exists in print for "true" first-generation X-ships right now, however.
-----
In Module C6, there is an SSD for a "modern" Carnivon heavy cruiser.
When fully refitted, the CA has four phaser-1s, five phaser-3s, four DERFACE-enabled disruptor cannons, two heel nippers, plus two death bolt racks.
Some of you might have noticed that Kzinti ships sort of look like giant space cats - whereas "peacetime construction" Lyran ships are "cat-amarans"...
Similarly, Carnivon ships are arranged like flying space dogs: the bridge is the "brain"; the heel nippers are the "fangs"; the disruptor cannons are the "claws"; the warp engines are the "hind legs"; and so on and so forth.
In duels, the Carnivon CA is a good match for a Kzinti or Lyran cruiser of a similar size. Although, in keeping with their "pack" mentality, the Carnivons often prefer to send a squadron of smaller ships, rather than a lone cruiser, to "chase down" a larger opponent.
