Barbarian Comparisons
When I finally got Module C4, I was interested by the Barbarians. What I found really interesting is taking one of the Barbarian ships (the CL/CW in this case) and compare the "racially" changed Barbarian ship with the "real" racial ship (e.g. comparing the Barbarian CL with Fed weapons with a Fed NCL). I found the results to be quite interesting.Important note: Please understand none of this should be taken as a complaint or a desire to change things. I am only taking advantage of the Barbarians to make observations.
The three rules I tried to stick to throughout all of these versions are:
- Keep to the racial profile. Don't do something that wouldn't fit in that empire's fleet.
- Follow the rules. (Note that if the examples in the rules provide an exception, I will use it.)
- Don't have void boxes. This sometimes means a version of the CL is better than the empire's real counterpart.
General
All of the variants are of necessity non-combatants. There just aren't enough option boxes to give the variant the systems it needs and include weapons. Most real variants actually gain boxes over their combat counterparts (especially the cargo and carrier variants), but I was unwilling to just add boxes. I figure that is just the penalty for have a highly configurable ship.
Where appropriate, the SSDs below cover both drone armed and plasma armed versions. Lyrans would probably just have to live with the drone armed variants. Hydrans would require brand new designs.Light Carrier Cruiser (CLV): This uses all of the center weapon and non weapon options to create a twelve fighter carrier group. Fighters shown are for a drone using empire. In the case of a plasma using empire, use the same fighters, but replace the type-I drones with Pl-D and the type-VI drones with Pl-K. (ssd)
Light Escort Cruiser (CLE): This is a fairly standard escort for a drone using empire. For plasma empires, just replace the drones with plasma racks (2 LS, 2 RS). (Firing arcs shown on drone racks for purposes of plasma racks. Drones are still 360.) For the Federation, replace all four side P-1 with P-G. (ssd)
Escort Destroyer (DDE): An escort destroyer is included in this, just so as to be able to create a full carrier group around the CLV. Shown is a drone escort. For plasma empires, replace the drones with plasma racks (1 LS, 1 RS). (Firing arcs shown on drone racks for purposes of plasma racks. Drones are still 360.) For the Federation, replace the side P-1 with P-G. (ssd)
Light PF Tender Cruiser (CLP): This is a pretty nice little PFT. While it doesn't have any heavy weapons, it supports the PF flotilla just fine. Plasma empires use Pl-D instead of drones (1 LS, 1 RS). (Firing arcs shown on drone racks for purposes of plasma racks. Drones are still 360.) (ssd)
Light Transport Cruiser (CLT): Similar to the carrier, all of the twelve center options are converted to cargo. Two side options are also sacrificed to allow for a larger shuttle bay. Can carry a single pod of any weight, like any other LTT. (A civilian cargo pod is shown.) (ssd)
Light Commando Cruiser (CLG): Uses the options boxes to create a commando variant. It is at least as effective as any empire's CWG, and is better than many. (ssd)
Light Scout Cruiser (CLS): Scout cruiser with special sensors in the forward option mounts. (ssd)
Light Minesweeping Cruiser (CLM): A moderately effective mine sweeper/layer, able to safely destroy six mines per turn. Design is heavily proscribed by the Barbarian rules (primarily the requirement for the Ph-3s in the side mounts). Four racks provide some ability to repair existing minefields, or create impromptu ones. Plasma empires replace the drones with plasma racks (1 LS, 1 RS). (Firing arcs shown on drone racks for purposes of plasma racks. Drones are still 360.) (ssd)
Light Drone Cruiser (CLD): Pretty standard drone bombardment cruiser. Even has good cargo space for drone reloads. It requires the use of the "Kzinti exception" and assumes special sensors count as "phasers" to get enough drone racks. It also assumes the rules meant six drone racks were sufficient for double-drone control, not strictly more than six. (ssd)
Light SurveyCruiser (CLR): Lightly armed survey cruiser, usable by any empire. (ssd)
Federation
Light Cruiser [Federation] (FCL): The Barbarian light cruiser is just heavier than the NCL. This results in a better weapons suite and more systems (six labs). Voiding the extra lab and one of the drone racks makes a much more comparable ship, though the FCL still has an advantage with its turn mode, breakdown rating, batteries, and phasers. In some ways it is a combination of the best of the NCL and the CL. The Federation would happily flush their design and use this design instead, if there was any possible way to get it out of the simulator. (ssd)Klingon
Light Cruiser [Klingon] (KCL): This is the Klingon version built by following the rules. It is pretty nice, has a stronger phaser suite, but is missing the expected ADD racks that the D5 has. (ssd)
Light Statis Cruiser [Klingon] (KCLA): This version is built around an SFG. Like the comparable D5, this ship has no disruptors, and instead supports its SFG with four drone racks. This is based on the above design, and, assuming the SFG counts as "phasers", does follow the rules. (ssd)
Romulan
Light Cruiser [Romulan] (RCL): A Romulan version using a standard plasma arrangement. The resulting ship has a strange combinations of features that make it similar in size to the Sparrowhawk, but with the Firehawk's weapon suite. (ssd)
Light Cruiser-B [Romulan] (RCL-B): A Romulan version using a heavy plasma arrangement, with the pair of Pl-S replaced by a single Pl-R. Now it has a Regalhawk's weapon suite. (ssd)Kzinti
Light Cruiser [Kzinti] (ZCL): A Kzinti version modeled directly on the CM. (The cargo was added to prevent voided boxes.) This works pretty well, but, like with the Federation, is a much heavier ship than the CM, with more internals. Also like the Federation, the Kzinti would probably have no hesitation ditching the CM for this design. (ssd)
Light Cruiser [Kzinti] (ZCL-O): A straight Kzinti version more modeled on the older Kzinti ships. As a result, it has four disruptors, but no ADD rack. The option choices were also slightly changed to reflect the older Kzinti ships. While not a match for a BC, it is far superior to the CL+. (ssd)Gorn
Light Cruiser [Gorn] (GCL): This ship is effectively a combination of the CLF and the HDD. It has the weapons and internal heft of the CLF, with the better power and shields of the HDD+. The Gorns probably wouldn't trade the HDD or CL for this, if only because the HDD can be converted to the CM and the CL into a BC. Then again, this ship probably doesn't need the upgrade in the same way. (ssd)Tholian
Light Cruiser [Archeo-Tholian] (TCLA): Uses the Archeo-Tholian approach. Includes standard array of disruptors and web generators. Expected to always have the snare refit. Programmed to be able to move through web hexes. (ssd)
Light Cruiser [Neo-Tholian] (TCLN): Uses the Neo-Tholian approach. Includes disruptors and web casters. The inclusion of the web casters and extra warp boxes drives up the BPV tremendously. It could have included particle cannons, but the ISC probably didn't know about that, so the galactic armament of disruptors is used instead. (ssd)
Hydran
All of the Hydran ships replace the pair of Ph-3s on each side with a single Ph-G. This is pretty standard for Hydran conversions of any kinds, and is completely within the Barbarian rules.
Light Cruiser [Hydran] Hellbore (HCLH): Ship armed with Hellbores. Mostly modeled on the Tartar, but it is given the full allowed weapons load. The biggest surprise is that the ship is pretty much forced to carry two fighters, as it can only add four APR, not the desired six (with the exception shown in the CA example in the rules). Regardless, it is still quite comparable to the Tartar, and still an effective ship. (ssd)
Light Cruiser [Hydran] Fusion (HCLF): Ship armed with Fusions and fighters. Mostly modeled on the Mongol, but is given the full allowed weapons load. It also suffers in that all of the fighters are in a single bay with no launch tubes, meaning it will take a while to launch everything. The other weakness of the design is the hull; the use of fusion beams requires close approach and this hull cannot take damage anywhere near as well as the Mongol. (ssd)
Light Cruiser [Hydran] Combo (HCLC): Ship armed with both Hellbores and Fusions (and fighters). Mostly modeled on a scaled-down Cheyenne. It splits the difference on fighters and power. (ssd)
Lyran
Light Cruiser [Lyran] (LCL): Straight version up version, giving it a full set of disruptors to work with its pair of ESGs. Has power equivalent to a Jaguar with the power refit. While this ship does have an extra disruptor over the fully refitted Jaguar, the Jaguar has several advantages to help make up for it, including more internals, better phaser arcs and two extra heavy phasers. Without all of the refits, however, this ship is markedly superior to the Jaguar. (ssd)WYN
Light Cruiser [WYN] (WCL): Straight version based on the WYN fish ships. Instead of providing options, a single configuration has been chosen. This ship can easily serve as a generic disruptor/drone ship. (ssd)ISC
It would seem rather silly to model the ISC with the Barbarian ships, as, after all, the Barbarians are designed to fight the real ISC. However, this is a thought exercise, so here they are. While they are inferior to the ISC CL/CS, they are not markedly so. They are actually surprisingly close. (They are, however, not close to the CW. The CW has too many weapons to properly model.)The side Pl-Fs are modeled on the ISC's rear firing plasma torpedoes, and as such have limited arcs and no pseudo torpedoes.
Light Cruiser [ISC] Torpedo (ICLT): Uses Pl-Ss as the main weapons. (ssd)
Light Cruiser [ISC] PPD (ICLP): Uses PPDs as the main weapons. (ssd)LDR
Light Cruiser [LDR] (DCL): The LDR version of the above LCL. Improvements over the LCL include upgrading the Ph-2s on the sides to be Ph-1s, and replacing the Ph-3s with Ph-Gs. While the swap to Ph-3s isn't directly shown in the Barbarian rules, it is how ships are converted for LDR use, so is considered as being under the normal rules. (ssd)
Seltorian
Light Cruiser [Seltorian] (SCL): Version based on the CL, but takes advantage of the weapon mounts on the CL hull. The web breakers are technically in the center weapon slots, but are shown at the fore of the ship. Regardless, the standard FA arc is used. (ssd)
Vudar
Light Cruiser [Vudar] (VCL): A straight version based on the Vudar CW. Surprisingly, it is an exceptional match, only off by a box or so, and a couple of phaser arcs. (ssd)Paravian
Light Cruiser [Paravian] (PCL): A straight version based on the Paravian CW. This ship has an extra pair of phasers and a couple more systems, as the base ship is just a bit bigger. Interestingly, the extra power is in the form of a larger impulse engine. (ssd)Carnivon
Light Cruiser [Carnivon] (CCL): Roughly based on the Carnivon CW. It violates the rules because it doesn't include enough phasers. But, since it matches the source ship's weapon arrangement, the exception is accepted. To keep all the weapons and have enough phasers would require only having two disruptor cannons, and that wasn't a real consideration. The four extra systems chosen were rather unusual, but kept in the spirit of the source ship. (ssd)Peladine
Light Cruiser [Peladine] (QCL): Roughly based on the Peladine CW. Despite the unusual weapon placements, no rules are broken. Technically the drones are side weapons, but they are put in the rear for convenience (which doesn't matter since they are naturally 360 weapons). Pretty close to the base ship, but is a little more robust. (ssd)
The Orion, Andromedan, Jindarian, and Borak empires were intentionally skipped. The Orion would need modifications to the base hull (stealth and engine doubling) that are not possible. Plus its weapons are just "options", which is what the Barbarian already use. So, that doesn't work. Andromedans would require the use of technologies that just break a standard ship design, so they are not considered. Jindarian rock ships are right out, obviously, but even the metal ships don't work because of how focused the Barbarian option mounts are for forward facing weapons, while the Jindarians want wide-angle arcs. It didn't seem worth trying to redesign a Barbarian hull to fit this significant difference. The Borak use turrets, which isn't happening on the Barbarian, so they are out.
Simulators
Frax
Light Cruiser [Frax] (XCL): This is a bit tricky. In order to make it work for the Frax, rules have to be broken, but it is only the arcs that break the rules. The weapons selected are within the rules, as are their assignments. The standard six phasers are unchanged, as are the shields. However, the new disruptors and phasers are made to use the expected FX/RX arcs. Note that the battery and APR are split in order to make the boxes look nice. (ssd)
Sharkhunter
Light Cruiser [Sharkhunter] (YCL): As with the Frax, this ship is a bit tricky. In order to make it work, rules have to be broken, but only with the weapon options. There are just far too few phasers by the Barbarian rules, and the bomb throwers probably shouldn't have FX arcs. However, the options taken match the Sharkhunter CW, so it works out. (ssd)
None of the other simulators work within the Barbarian framework. The Britanians, Hispanolas, Triaxians, and Canadi'ens all require very different hull structures that don't fit the Barbarian mold. The Qari (like the Borak) require turrets that don't work with Barbarian ships. The Deltans require a very different turn mode structure that doesn't fit. And the Flivvers need center warp engines that aren't present on these ships, plus their weapons structure doesn't fit, either. While the Frax and Sharkhunters did require rules to be broken, that only applied to weapons arcs and weapons ratios, so their rule breaks were only with the options. All of the others require changes to the base structure.
Page last modified Thursday, 02/09/23.
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