Bigcraft

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Bigcraft are non-jump capable vessels with a displacement of more than 100 Tons.

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Description (Specifications)[edit]

There are two factors that set bigcraft aside from smallcraft or starcraft:

  1. 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.
    1. Bigcraft may be very large fighters, attack boats, or battle riders and thus also be subcraft.
  2. 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.
    1. 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.

Naval Ship Synopsis by Size-Role[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.
  • Small/Light ACS Craft
  • Ship-Type Code "Q-"
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.
  • Small Adventure Class (Small ACS): 10 ton - 100 ton ("Smallcraft")
  • "Standard" Adventure Class (Small ACS): 100 ton - 1000 ton
  • Large Adventure Class (Large ACS): 1000 ton - 2400 ton ("Very Light" Battle Class Ships (BCS))
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.
  • Civilian corporate concerns may use the term Bulk Class Ships for vessels they field in this size category.
  • Such ships require major investment and only service major roles including megacorporate interstellar trade, warships, Capital Ships, and major endeavors.
» "Subcapital Ships": Escort Cruisers: Provincial/Colonial Cruisers; Heavy System Defense Boats
  • Small Battle Class 2 ("Light" BCS): 2,500-ton - 10-kton
» "Subcapital Ships": Fleet Escorts; System Defense Cruisers
  • "Standard'" Battle Class ("Standard" BCS): 10-kton - 100-kton
» "Subcapital Ships": Cruisers (Fleet & Independent); System Dominance Vessels; System Monitors
» "Light & Standard Capital Ships / Battleships"; "Supermonitors"
* 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.
  • Such ships require major investment and only service major roles including major megacorporate interstellar trade and capital projects, Heavy Capital Warships, and other similar major endeavors.
7. World Class Ships (WCS) > 1 Mton Loeskalth planetoid generation ship. World Class Ships are beyond expensive and represent suprapolity-level investment.
  • They take many years to build.
  • This class represents immense World-Ships, very large Super Dreadnoughts, Superweapons, etc.
  • Operational staff are typically residents as much as crew.
  • These ships are interacted with as worlds or events, rather than ships.
  • Small World Class 1 ("Very Light" WCS): 100-kton - 250-kton ( = "Capital Class Ships" (CCS): "Heavy" Battle Class Ships (BCS))
  • Small World Class 2 ("Light" WCS): 250-kton - 1-Mton ( = "Fleet Class Ships" (FCS))
  • "Standard" World Class ("Standard" WCS): 1-Mton - 10-Mton
  • Large World Class ("Heavy" WCS): 10-Mton - 25-Mton +

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 *)

  1. Fighter: Interceptor / Picket (FD / FE / FP / FR) (10 - 50 tons)
  2. Gunboat / Torpedo Boat (GB / MB / DB / EB) (40 - 99 tons)
  3. Cutter (sC/qC) (45+ tons)
  4. Light Sloop (ESL) (50 - 99 tons)

Bigcraft (W or Other) (100 tons or larger) (* System vessel / non-Jump *)

  1. Escort Vessel (ES/ESV):
    1. Sloop-of-War (ESB/ESG) (100 - 600 tons)
    2. Gun-Brig (EB/EBG) (400 - 1000 tons)
  2. Defense Boat (DB/SDB) (100 - 1,000 tons)
  3. System Defense Vessel (DV/SDV) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
    1. Defense Frigate (DG) (800 - 1,200 tons)
    2. Escort Defense Cruiser (EDC) (1,000 - 2,000 tons)

Largecraft (100 tons or larger) (* Jump-capable *)

  1. Escort (E):
    1. Jump-Sloop (ESJ) (100 - 600 tons)
    2. Close Escort (EC/CE) (300 - 600 tons)
    3. Corvette (E/EG) (300 - 800 tons)
  2. Frigate (G):
    1. Destroyer Escort (DE) (400 - 1,000 tons)
    2. Escort Frigate (EG) (500 - 1,200 tons)
    3. Gunned Frigate (G) (500 - 1,200 tons)
  3. Destroyer (D):
    1. Escort Destroyer (ED) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
  4. Escort Cruiser (EC):
    1. Detached Cruiser (CC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
      1. Colonial Cruiser (CC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
      2. Provincial Cruiser (CC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
    2. Destroyer Leader (DGL/DGC/DLC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
    3. Heavy Gun-Frigate (EGC/GFC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons)


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]


Library Data Referral Tree[edit]



References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]

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  1. Information provided to the library by Ronald B. Kline, Jr.
  2. 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