Bigcraft
Bigcraft are non-jump capable vessels with a displacement of more than 100 Tons.
- They may serves as Subcraft carried within a larger ship.
- They may serve various roles such as Battle Riders, SDBs, Monitors, Barges, etc.
Description (Specifications)[edit]
There are two factors that set bigcraft aside from smallcraft or starcraft:
- Bigcraft differ from smallcraft in that they are larger. Smallcraft cap out at 99.99 tons. Bigcraft are a hundred or more tons in size. Bigcraft could theoretically be equipped with a jump drive.
- Bigcraft may be very large fighters, attack boats, or battle riders and thus also be subcraft.
- Bigcraft differ from starcraft in that they are not equipped with a FTL Jump Drive. Bigcraft are system craft, meant for intraplanetary travel, not trans or interplanetary travel between stars and star systems. Starcraft travel between stars. Bigcraft or spacecraft, in the pure sense, are not.
- Bigcraft may be interplanetary if thus intended, but not FTL. They are NAFAL or STL. Generation Ships and Sleeper Ships are the two most common examples of this idea.
[edit]
These vary in tonnage and in their intended function or role in fleet maneuvers and tactics. The security of the state is usually the primary design imperative. [1]
| Ship Classification by Size | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Type | Tonnage | Examples | Remarks | |
| 1. | Smallcraft | 0 - 99 tons | Smallcraft are typically Subcraft, designed to be carried by carrier craft.
| ||
| 2. | Spacecraft | 100 tons or larger |
Spacecraft are in-system vessels, lacking interstellar drives. (Occasionally known as "Bigcraft" or "Spaceships" or "System Ships")
| ||
| 3. | Starships | 100 tons or larger |
Starships are vessels with interstellar drives. (Occasionally known as "Largecraft") | ||
| 4. | Adventure Class Ships (ACS) | 10 tons - 2,400 tons |
Adventure Class Ships are usually jump-capable.
| ||
| 5. | Battle Class Ships (BCS) Capital Class Ships (CCS) |
2,500 tons - 250 ktons |
Battle Class Ships are warships and comprise both smaller Capital Primary Warships as well as Subcapital Secondary Warships that include Cruisers & Fleet Escorts. They are usually jump-capable.
| ||
| * | Capital Class Ships (CCS) | 100 ktons - 250 ktons |
The Higher End of Battle Class Ships and the Lower End of Fleet Class Ships (100,000 - 250,000 tons) have had varying categorizations to various commentators. The category is generally seen to overlap both, depending upon one's chosen definition of Battle Class and Fleet Class. [2] | ||
| 6. | Capital Class Ships (CCS) Fleet Class Ships (FCS) |
100 ktons - 1 Mton |
Fleet Class Ships are Capital Primary Warships. They are usually jump-capable.
| ||
| 7. | World Class Ships (WCS) | > 1 Mton | Loeskalth planetoid generation ship. | World Class Ships are beyond expensive and represent suprapolity-level investment.
| |
Escort Combatants (Secondary) - The Lightcraft Hierarchy[edit]
A number of smallcraft and ACS combatants exist:
Smallcraft (F or U) (0 - 99 tons) (* System craft / non-Jump *)
- Fighter: Interceptor / Picket (FD / FE / FP / FR) (10 - 50 tons)
- Gunboat / Torpedo Boat (GB / MB / DB / EB) (40 - 99 tons)
- Cutter (sC/qC) (45+ tons)
- Light Sloop (ESL) (50 - 99 tons)
Bigcraft (W or Other) (100 tons or larger) (* System vessel / non-Jump *)
- Escort Vessel (ES/ESV):
- Sloop-of-War (ESB/ESG) (100 - 600 tons)
- Gun-Brig (EB/EBG) (400 - 1000 tons)
- Defense Boat (DB/SDB) (100 - 1,000 tons)
- System Defense Vessel (DV/SDV) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
- Defense Frigate (DG) (800 - 1,200 tons)
- Escort Defense Cruiser (EDC) (1,000 - 2,000 tons)
Largecraft (100 tons or larger) (* Jump-capable *)
- Escort (E):
- Jump-Sloop (ESJ) (100 - 600 tons)
- Close Escort (EC/CE) (300 - 600 tons)
- Corvette (E/EG) (300 - 800 tons)
- Frigate (G):
- Destroyer Escort (DE) (400 - 1,000 tons)
- Escort Frigate (EG) (500 - 1,200 tons)
- Gunned Frigate (G) (500 - 1,200 tons)
- Destroyer (D):
- Escort Destroyer (ED) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
- Escort Cruiser (EC):
- Detached Cruiser (CC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
- Colonial Cruiser (CC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
- Provincial Cruiser (CC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
- Destroyer Leader (DGL/DGC/DLC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
- Heavy Gun-Frigate (EGC/GFC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons)
- Detached Cruiser (CC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
- Traditionally, the historical vessels from which the names of the modern examples above are taken increased in size along the progression below.
- »» For more detailed background information, please see: Origins of Vessel Naming Nomenclature.
- Gunboat »» Sloop (Single-mast) »» Sloop-of-War (Brig-Sloop (2-mast) »» Ship-Sloop (3-mast)) »» Corvette »» Escort/Patrol Frigate (Destroyer Escort) »» Destroyer (Escort Destroyer / Fleet Destroyer) »» (Destroyer Leader <> Heavy Gun Frigate) »» Cruiser »» (Heavy) Gun Cruiser
History & Background (Dossier)[edit]
Bigcraft with all their various missions remain popular throughout Charted Space for the simple reason that omitting a jump engine, hull grid, and related ship equipment is a tremendous savings in cost, manufacturing, and a number of other factors.
Jump Drives are tremendously expensive, complicated, and difficult to research and master. It's simply easier to design system ships for which there can be tremendously greater efficiencies of cost and manufacturing.
Bigcraft vs. Largecraft[edit]
- Bigcraft are NAFAL boats over a 100 tons without a jump drive.
- Largecraft are FTL vessels over a 100 tons with a jump drive.
Library Data Referral Tree[edit]
- Advanced Ship Classifications
- Ship Mission Code / Supraclass
- Ship Type Code / Superclass
- Ship Class Code / Class
- Model (TL)
- Bloc (Lot)
- Basic Ship Classifications
- Adventure Class Ship (Auxiliary Class Ship)
- Battle Class Ship (Bulk / Subcapital Class Ship)
- Capital Ship (Capital Class Ship)
- Fleet Class Ship (Capital Class Ship)
- Size-Role Classification
- Subcapital Ship (Small & Large Battle Class Ships)
- QSP
- USP
- World Class Ship
- NAFAL (STL) - (Not As Fast As Light) / (Slower Than Light)
- Light Speed (c)
- FTL - (Faster Than Light) - "Superluminal"
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
| This article is missing content for one or more detailed sections. Additional details are required to complete the article. You can help the Traveller Wiki by expanding it. |
- Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), —.
- ↑ Information provided to the library by Ronald B. Kline, Jr.
- ↑ T5.10 Book 2, p.31 defines the BCS range as 2,500 tons - 100 ktons and the FCS range as > 100 ktons, whereas the MgT2 Starship Operators Manual, p.6 defines the BCS range as 2,500 tons - 250 ktons and the FCS range as 250 ktons - 1 Mton. The Capital Class (CCS) range is introduced here to define the overlap (100 ktons - 250 ktons). - WHULorigan
