Analysis of Changes in Fleet force structure over time

Found the following in the list serv archive, like it.<br />Written by Kveldulf.<br /><br />
as they laid it out in KnightHawks only the UPF had battleships. Heavy
cruisers had been the ultimate &quot;capital ship&quot; of Sathar War One and the
interwar years, with the UPF battleships being first built and deployed
sometime in the decades leading up to SW II. <br /><br />My take on Frontier naval
history is:

<br /><br /><b>First Common Muster and SW I period</b>:
- capital ship - heavy cruiser (only a few per navy)
<br /><br />- most common &quot;ship of the line&quot;: destroyer (a few light cruisers to head
task forces)
- most common &quot;patrol ship&quot;: corvette (HS 4)
<br /><br />- lasers are dominant long-range weapon

<br /><br /><b>Interwar period (SWI-II)</b>:
- invention of: battleship (circa FY 30-60), assault scout (circa FY 40-60)
<br /><br />- construction of: space fortresses (circa FY 25-35, as Spacefleet ships are
posted on Blue Plague blockades and unable to defend planets)
- modernization of: frigate class - redesigned to carry more weapons
major fleet changes:
<br /><br />- battleships replace heavy cruisers
- faster light cruisers built as battleship and attack carrier escorts
<br /><br />- frigates replace destroyers and corvettes (deployment of light cruisers
compensates for lighter weaponry of frigates compared to destroyers
<br /><br />- overall fleets go for faster, lighter ships with heavier armament rather
than slow, more heavily armed ships; particle weapons (electron &amp; proton)
replace lasers as primary long-range weaponry

<br /><br /><b>post SW II: </b>
- construction of more attack carriers (&quot;fast carriers&quot;) for offensive actions
and mobile defense; attack carrier / light cruiser task forces begin to
replace battleship / heavy cruiser task forces
<br /><br />- weapon specializations: battleships continue to be regarded as flagships /
&quot;big guns&quot; and bombardment vessels, as well as missile platforms (torpedoes
and seekers); light cruisers are equipped with more lasers and particle
weapons to fit their carrier-escort role
<br /><br />- use of armed and heavier stations as fighter bases / depots for carriers as
much as for simple defense of planets
<br /><br />- development of a battleship-class &quot;supercarrier&quot; able to hold 2 to 5 times
(GM's choice*) as many fighters as attack carrier
<br /><br />- development of HS2 &quot;bombers&quot; and &quot;heavy fighters&quot; for system defense and (in
limited numbers&quot; deployed aboard the new supercarriers (attack carriers are
better off with more HS 1 fighters since no major new weapon, just more light
stuff, is carried by the HS 2's)

*keep in mind you don't want to run out of counters; fighter swarms can be a
real pain to run due to this; I'd consider making each fighter counter
represent a &quot;flight&quot; or &quot;wing&quot; of 3 fighters instead of one, unless a PC is

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