• Registered: 2008-01-08
  • Posts: 52

Topic: Homeworld Ships

I've started making a fleet of ships from the PC game "Homeworld" (see here) , and I've been working on some stats for the Kushans too. I'd love some feedback on these:

Type: , Vengeance Class, Kushan Assault frigate  (54)
Hull: 3 2 1
Engines: [TL0] 4 3 2                     
Shields: [TL0] 4 3 2                     

Weapons :1[XY], 2[XY], 3[XY], 4[XY], 5[2Y], 6[2Y]
Weapons
Battery X:   Plasma Bombs (E) TL0,  3/6/9, 1/4+/1/2     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0
Piercing
 [G]  [G] 
Battery Y:   Light Mass Driver (K) TL0,  3/6/9, 1/4+/1/1     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0

 [AB]  [AB] [A] [B] 

Special Equipment 
 Hyperdrive



Type: , Firelance Class, Kushan Ion Cannon frigate  (46)
Hull: 3 2 1
Engines: [TL0] 4 3 2                     
Shields: [TL0] 4 3 2                     

Weapons :1[X], 2[X], 3[], 4[], 5[], 6[]
Weapons
Battery X:   Ion Cannon (E) TL0,  4/8/12, 3/4+/1/1     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0
Inverted Range Modifiers, Piercing
 [G] 

Special Equipment 
 Hyperdrive


Type: , Matriarch Class, Kushan Support frigate  (222)
Hull: 3 2 1
Engines: [TL0] 4 3 2                     
Shields: [TL0] 2 2 1                     

Weapons :1[X], 2[X], 3[], 4[], 5[], 6[]
Weapons
Battery X:   Light Mass Driver (K) TL0,  3/6/9, 1/4+/1/1     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0

 [AB] 

Special Equipment 
 Carrier (194) : Hyperdrive

Small Craft carried:
Fighter, Interceptor:(172) # 6/Speed:10 /Attack:4 /Defence:0 /Traits:Increased ROF-2,,, /  Flights:2 1



Type: , Puppeteer Class, Kushan Drone Frigate  (172)
Hull: 3 2 1
Engines: [TL0] 4 3 2                     
Shields: [TL0] 3 2 1                     

Weapons :1[], 2[], 3[], 4[], 5[], 6[]
Weapons
Battery X:     TL0,  0, 0/0+/0/0     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0

Special Equipment 
 Carrier (140) : Hyperdrive

Small Craft carried:
Fighter, Drone:(140) # 6/Speed:5 /Attack:4 /Defence:0 /Traits:Non-Piercing,,, Slow  /  Flights:4 3 2 1



Type: , Revelation Class, Kushan Destroyer  (178)
Hull: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: [TL0] 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1               
Shields: [TL0] 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1               

Weapons :1[X], 2[X], 3[Y], 4[Y], 5[], 6[]
Weapons
Battery X:   Heavy Mass Driver (K) TL0,  3/6/9, 1/4+/2/2     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0

 [ABCD]  [ABCD] 
Battery Y:   Ion Cannon (E) TL0,  4/8/12, 3/4+/1/1     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0
Inverted Range Modifiers, Piercing
 [GH] [GI] 

Special Equipment 
 Hyperdrive



Type: , Perdition Class, Kushan Missile Destroyer  (433)
Hull: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: [TL0] 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1               
Shields: [TL0] 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1               

Weapons :1[], 2[], 3[], 4[], 5[], 6[]
Weapons
Battery X:     TL0,  0, 0/0+/0/0     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0

Special Equipment 
 Carrier (300) : Hyperdrive

 Repair (300) :

Small Craft carried:
Seeker, Missile:(300) # 8/Speed:12 /Attack:3 /Defence:0 /Traits:,,, /  Flights:10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1




Type: , Avatar Class, Kushan Heavy Cruiser  (612)
Hull: 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: [TL0] 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1      
Shields: [TL0] 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1      

Weapons :1[X], 2[X], 3[Y], 4[], 5[], 6[]
Weapons
Battery X:   Heavy Mass Driver (K) TL0,  3/6/9, 1/4+/2/2     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0

 [GI]  [GI] [GH] [GH] [A] [B] 
Battery Y:   Twin Ion Cannon (E) TL0,  4/8/12, 5/4+/1/1     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0
Inverted Range Modifiers, Piercing
 [AB]  [AB] 
Battery Z:     TL0,  0, 0/0+/0/0     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0

Special Equipment 
 Fire Control : Hyperdrive
 Armor Plating

Type: , Empress Class, Kushan Carrier  (1792)
Hull: 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: [TL0] 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1        
Shields: [TL0] 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1        

Weapons :1[X], 2[X], 3[], 4[], 5[], 6[]
Weapons
Battery X:   Defense Gun (K) TL0,  2/4/6, 3/4+/1/1     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0
Anti-Fighter
 [ACE]  [ACE] [BDF] [BDF] 

Special Equipment 
 Carrier (1392) : Launch Tubes : Hyperdrive
 Anti-Fighter Batteries(20) :

Small Craft carried:
Fighter, Scout:(120) # 4/Speed:12 /Attack:5 /Defence:0 /Traits:,,, /  Flights:3 2 1
Fighter, Interceptor:(172) # 6/Speed:10 /Attack:4 /Defence:0 /Traits:Increased ROF-2,,, /  Flights:2 1
Fighter, Bomber:(240) # 6/Speed:9 /Attack:5 /Defence:0 /Traits:Increased ROF-2,Piercing,, /  Flights:3 2 1
Fighter, Defender:(208) # 6/Speed:5 /Attack:5 /Defence:4 /Traits:Increased ROF-3,,, Slow  /  Flights:2 1
Fighter, Cloaked Fighter:(0) # 6/Speed:10 /Attack:5 /Defence:0 /Traits:Increased ROF-2,Shadow,, /  Flights:
Fighter, Light Corvette:(92) # 4/Speed:8 /Attack:5 /Defence:3 /Traits:,,, /  Flights:2 1
Fighter, Heavy Corvette:(219) # 4/Speed:7 /Attack:5 /Defence:4 /Traits:Increased ROF-2,,, Slow  /  Flights:3 2 1
Fighter, Muitigun Corvette:(324) # 4/Speed:7 /Attack:4 /Defence:4 /Traits:Increased ROF-3,,, Slow  /  Flights:3 2 1

EDIT - Changed defence value of the Defender. Modified carrier loadout accordingly.

  • Registered: 2006-08-07
  • Posts: 161

Re: Homeworld Ships

Well, the big thing that comes to mind is that the top and bottom drivers on the Kushan frigate have much wider arcs, and the side turrets can also shoot to the rear.

I'm also not entirely sold on seekers being the best way to represent the Missile destroyer's armament, due to the fact that, for all purposes, the destroyer's launchers do have unlimited ammo. I'm thinking a vessel with a number of slow-firing, anti-fighter standard weapons tagged as missiles. That way you get the missile death syndrome, plus the effects of blowing your wad if you launch all of your missiles at once.

  • Registered: 2008-01-08
  • Posts: 52

Re: Homeworld Ships

RiflemanIII wrote:

Well, the big thing that comes to mind is that the top and bottom drivers on the Kushan frigate have much wider arcs, and the side turrets can also shoot to the rear.

I'm also not entirely sold on seekers being the best way to represent the Missile destroyer's armament, due to the fact that, for all purposes, the destroyer's launchers do have unlimited ammo. I'm thinking a vessel with a number of slow-firing, anti-fighter standard weapons tagged as missiles. That way you get the missile death syndrome, plus the effects of blowing your wad if you launch all of your missiles at once.

Thanks for the feedback.

I have to say, I've not noticed the ability for the side turrets on the assault frigate to shoot backwards - I'll have to have a look on the game tonight. It'll be difficult to add any more arcs though - it's only got 7 SU's left!

The missile destroyer is a bit of an oddball. I thought I'd have an experiment with using seekers to take down fighters, although I haven't had a chance to playtest it yet. Here is an alternative version - although it is somewhat less potent, I think.

Type: , Perdition Class, Kushan Missile Destroyer  (137)
Hull: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: [TL0] 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1               
Shields: [TL0] 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1               

Weapons :1[X], 2[X], 3[X], 4[], 5[], 6[]
Weapons
Battery X:   Missile Launcher (B) TL0,  5/10/15, 2/3+/1/1     //         TL0    0/0+/0/0
No Range Modifiers, Anti-Fighter, Slow Firing
 [AB]  [AB]  [AB]  [AB] 

Special Equipment 
 Hyperdrive

 Repair (300) :

Just a little explanation behind some of my thinking when designing these ships-

The ion cannon uses inverted range mods, due to being spinal mounted and it being easier to hit things a long way off then close in. Its ROF of 3 represents the duration of the beam as it rakes over the target.

The support frigate is a carrier, equipped with 2 flights of interceptors. I decided on this solution just because I wanted to use the support frigate in a game. I have no idea wether it is sane or not!

The drone frigate is a carrier too - simulating the drones as shown in Homeworld was pretty hard, but I envision the drones as sticking with the frigate all game - they'd have to stay within 1 hex range of it, and would be rendered useless when the frigate is destroyed.

While the ranges are all fairly short, that should lead to fighter skirmishes at long range, and intense fighting up close when the capital ships get stuck in.

  • Registered: 2006-08-07
  • Posts: 161

Re: Homeworld Ships

Makes me wish that there was some kind of "Limited Endurance" Disad for fighters, like... If the fighters are out for more than X amount of  turns, attackers get a +1 to hit against them. Or something.

  • Registered: 2008-01-08
  • Posts: 52

Re: Homeworld Ships

Thats a pretty cool idea. How about fuel? Each flight could move, say, 50 hexes before running out of fuel. They'd have to refuel to stay in the fight (if they were still around by that time). Flights that have run dry would either be stuck in place, or have to move 2 or 3 hexes a turn towards a tanker. They'd also lose the -1 modifier to hit them, as slow moving targets are more vulnerable/can't dodge.

This would work really well for simulating Kadeshi swarmers - only give them 20 or 30 hexes worth of fuel before they have to run to the fuel pods.

It might add to the book-keeping a little though - unless you kept another marker on the fighter base, perhaps.

  • Registered: 2005-03-29
  • Posts: 859

Re: Homeworld Ships

Hows about this:

Instead of marking every single hex moved, have a limited number of Combat Thrusts (I think I might be stripping a rule from 2nd ED FT here, but oh well). Every single turn that a fighter moves equal to or more than half of its movement allocation, it burns a Combat Thrust. So if your fighter flight has a movement allocation of 11, then every turn it moves 6 or more hexes a turn it burns a Combat Thrust.

Maybe the number of thrusts could be linked to the fighter technology? Say you get 4+(FTL) Combat Thrusts, where OTL is the number of tech ranges in your specific campaign, and the FTL is the fighter tech level. For universes where there are nine or more tech ranges (-4 to +4), simply modify the formula so that the lowest tech fighter always has 2 Combat Thrusts...