WilsonMG

Just because the X game series and FreeSpace series both got it wrong doesn't make it right in Avorion... 8)

I would keep Battlecruiser and Battleship separated and in that order just to differentiate them in Avorion without having to come up with more unrealistic terms for the other classes. With 15 classifications to define, it can get downright silly coming up with terms to fill out the list, especially considering that after a certain point in Avorion the ship volumes start to scale exponentially and there just aren't that many traditional naval terms to differentiate ship classes based on displacement/size. I'm trying to keep my classifications as realistic as possible, while working within the parameters of the game. In traditional navies, deviation from one nation--in this case, player--to the next was not uncommon, with some Frigates exceeded the length or displacement of another nation's Destroyers, and so on, so worrying that one player's ship is different in terms of length, size, statistics, etc. doesn't matter much to me as long as it has the same number of System Upgrade slots. Those System Upgrades define the relevant hard statistics and weapon capabilities within a set range, anyway. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of the purely fictional Leviathan and Titan terms, either, but without adding in even more Cruisers to the middle--which already vary a good deal in my classification system--you'd have to come up with some terms on the little end or the big end and there's just not much room for change on the little end, so that leaves the big end, where traditional naval terms are completely lacking...

That is certainly an interesting system you use. Absolutely no offense intended, but while certainly detailed, your system doesn't really follow traditional naval classifications based on ship size. Without getting into specialized roles, in general, Destroyers are slightly larger than Frigates, and smaller than Light Cruisers. If you'll look at the system I use, it is in the "proper" order, if you will, with the exception that, in reality, Dreadnoughts were merely an older, smaller type of Battleship, used around the time of WWI. That said, I chose to lean on the fact that in most popular sci-fi universes and games, the term has come to signify a ship larger than a Battleship. I did take some artistic license with the use of the term "Leviathan", but I thought it fit well since it is derived from Jewish mythology and means "giant sea monster" (counterpart to Behemoth, the giant land monster). I also felt that having another mythological term on the list lent more relevance to the appearance of the term "Titan", because while Titan, from Greek mythology, is often used in games to classify the largest ships, the term does not have much meaning as a ship classification other than its popularity. It's my hope that someday Koonschi can find the time to sort out the classifications for NPC ships, so they follow a more appropriate order. In regards to a ship's material composition, I didn't feel it worth mentioning previously, but since you brought it up and someone may find it useful to have a very simple system, I use the following: A variant designation of "Mk I-VII" signifies general overall progression and is based on the primary material composition of the hull and armor, followed by the ship's primary material composition for internal systems and weapons potential, where the letters "a-g" are used. Iron - I/a Titanium - II/b Naonite - III/c Trinium - IV/d Xanion - V/e Ogonite - VI/f Avorion - VII/g Examples: Runabout IIc = 1-slot, Titanium Hull/Armor, Naonite Internal Systems and Weapons Potential Cruiser Mk IVe = 8-slot, Trinium Hull/Armor, Xanion Internal Systems and Weapons Potential Titan Mk VIg = 15-slot, Ogonite Hull/Armor, Avorion Internal Systems and Weapons Potential

One of the things that has always bothered me slightly in Avorion is when I come across NPC ships that are, for lack of a better description, out of the proper order in terms of ship classification. It's been many months since I last played the game a lot, and it may have since been corrected, but one example that comes to mind is that Destroyers were classified as being larger and more powerful than Cruisers, and perhaps even Battleships as well, if memory serves. The classification system I use in Avorion is based on a combination of real-world naval and sci-fi definitions, and can be used as a reference for ship classes in conjunction with the 15-slot System Upgrade mechanic in the game. Regarding the placement of Battleships and Dreadnoughts I've chosen to go the sci-fi route due to the addition of Superdreadnoughts. I also felt it necessary to include carriers to differentiate some of the larger ships that are primarily focused on providing fighter cover. No. of Upgrade Slots - Class 01 - Runabout 02 - Yacht 03 - Cutter 04 - Corvette 05 - Frigate 06 - Destroyer 07 - Light Cruiser 08 - Cruiser 09 - Heavy Cruiser 10 - Battlecruiser / Escort Carrier 11 - Battleship / Light Carrier 12 - Dreadnought / Fleet Carrier 13 - Superdreadnought / Supercarrier 14 - Leviathan 15 - Titan