Approved Starship Massassi-class Corvette - Void Refit

[Onrai]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create a submission for the Massassi-class Corvettes in the Void Irregular Fleet that were refitted after the Ancient Eye skirmish and the Battle of Anzat.
• Image Source: http://media.moddb.com/images/mods/1/15/14572/fs2nexus.jpg
• Canon Link: N/A
• Restricted Missions: N/A
• Primary Source: Massassi-class Corvette

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Defiance Consolidated Multipurpose Manufacturing
• Model: Massassi-class Corvette
• Affiliation: Sith Empire​(Void Irregular Fleet)
• Production: Semi-Unique
• Material:​ Cast duranium(frame), adamithium-doonium composite(hull)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Corvette
• Length: 200m
• Width: 50m
• Height: 125m
• Armament:
  
  Very High​

LBeam Heavy Beam Cannon (1)
Rapid-Fire Diamond-Boron Missile Launcher (1)
Heavy Plasma Cannons
Heavy Turbolaser Batteries (2)

• Defenses:
  
  Very High​

Composite Beam Lasers (4)
​Molecular Shields
Cap Drain
De-Ionizer
​Socketguard

• Hangar: None
• Maneuverability Rating:
  
  ​
  Low​
• Speed Rating:
  
  Low​
• Hyperdrive Class: Class 1(Primary), Class 10(Secondary)

STANDARD FEATURES

Power Systems​

• 1.25:1 Ratio Matter-Antimatter Reactor(2, 1 for primary power and 1 dedicated for main gun and shields)
• Fusion Reactor(1, power for secondary hyperdrive)

Communication Systems​

• Communication Wave De-scrambler
• Encryption Module
• Frequency Jammer
• Holonet Transceiver
• Hyperwave Transceiver
• Ranger Transceiver
• Subspace Transceiver

Propulsion Systems​

• ​Ion Drive
• Maneuvering Jets

Environmental Systems: ​

• Artificial Gravity
• Brig
• Distress Beacon
• Escape Pods
• Environmental Converter
• Inertial Damper
• Life Support
• Medical Bay
• Navigation System

Sensor and Targeting Systems: ​

• Anti-ion Emission Tracer
• Aural Sensor
• Com-scan
• Comm laser
• Hyperwave Signal Interceptor
• ​Hyperspace Tracker
• Life Form Indicator
• Long-range Sensor
• Sensor Dampener
• Targeting Laser
• Targeting Sensor
• Tri-Tracker
• Wide-range Sensor

ADVANCED SYSTEMS

• Molecular Shields
• Hyperspace Tracker

Strengths:

• Exceedingly durable for a corvette
• Has significant firepower for a corvette
• Is heavily resistant to fighter attack

Weaknesses:

• Is slow, forcing other ships to adjust to its pace
• Molecular shields are vulnerable to physical weaponry
• Main gun takes a significant(30 seconds) period of time to recharge after a shot
• Main gun fires at a bit less than half power due to inbuilt power limitations

Description: Four Sith Empire-era Massassi-class Corvettes are known to serve in the the Void Irregular Fleet - the Claw, the ​Thule, the Enforcer, and the Zeplin​. After engaging with a Silver Jedi fleet at the Battle of Anzat and nearly coming to blows with a full Galactic Alliance battlegroup during the Gossamer​ incident - wherein the ships were taken out of drydock despite repairs and refitting not being completed - the Massassi-class Corvettes were the first ships of the Void Irregular Fleet to emerge from the process that saw them almost completely rebuilt. The ships were initially stripped down to the frame, damaged duranium hull segments replaced as older ones were reinforced with new structural supports. The durasteel hull was replaced with adamithium-doonium composite, proving to be far more durable against the current generation of enemy ships.

Internally, the Massassis have been refitted with the latest in sensor and targeting systems, along with new communication safeguards. Significant automation also decreases the number of crew required to run the ship, allowing more of the ship's interior space to be dedicated to other services than crew support. The hypermatter annihilation reactor used by the ship was replaced with a pair of antimatter reactors - one for ship systems and one exclusively dedicated to the main gun and the shields. A fusion reactor powers the ship's secondary hyperdrive, allowing it to be jumped out of the combat zone even if all main power is lost. The ship is Defiance's first ever foray into molecular shielding technology - absorbing the firepower of energy weapons in order to fuel its own systems - though this comes at the cost of significantly increasing the potential for damage from physical weapons. All Void Refit versions of the Massassi Corvette have hyperspace trackers, allowing them to track retreating ships through hyperspace and relay their path to other ships in the fleet - effectively letting the Void Irregular Fleet persistently pursue a target for as long as the Massassis are in play.

Armament-wise, much has changed from the Massassi design of old - all turbolasers and ion cannons were replaced with plasma cannons, of a sort previously seen on ships used by the long-destroyed Zann Consortium - with the exception of the heavy turbolaser battery on the port and starboard sides. Composite beam lasers replace the triple laser turrets as a much more precise and effective form of anti-fighter and anti-missile defense, while the old proton torpedo launcher has been replaced by a rapid-fire diamond-boron missile launcher - made usable due to the limited number of Void Refits out there and capable of far more resistant missile barrages than standard concussion missile launchers.

The main armament of these ships is an LBeam - a heavy beam cannon, typically found utilized on heavy cruiser and Star Destroyer-class warships. This weapon was made usable through the enhanced automation allowing for the removal of several crew quarter bays, in concert with the utilization of smaller antimatter reactors, one of which is partially dedicated to power the weapon. The LBeam deals immense damage to enemy ships, but has a significant recharging time period, limited traverse, and is far more obviously a threat than the rest of the weapons on the ship - likely being a target for bombers given the few pulse cannons capable of defending it. A note is that with the partial dedication of one of the ship’s reactors, the weapon still only fires at a bit less than half power - greater than the SBeam it would otherwise fit, but far less so than if it were fitted on a warship capable of properly using the weapon.

There are currently seven Massassis that have been refitted to Void standards. The aforementioned four currently serve in the the Void Irregular Fleet, while three others, the Crimson, the Talvira, and the ​Blitzer​, have been refitted and placed in reserve for use in the event that any of the frontline Massassis are destroyed or damaged enough to need significant repairs. These three are occasionally employed on tours of duty with Sith fleets in order to keep their crews combat-ready. New Void Refit Massassis may be produced as needed to replace preexisting ships as they are destroyed, but there is currently no active production line for the ship now that the seven vessels have been completed.

 

[Gir Quee]

Under Review.

 

[Gir Quee]

[member="Vanessa Vantai"], this is one rating too high.

LBeam Heavy Beam Cannon (1)

From that submission:

Strengths:

• The LBeam is capable of causing tremendous damage to enemy warships of Star Destroyer size and below.
• The LBeam's damage over time is comparable to a couple hundred turbolasers firing over the same timespan, meaning that the per-shot damage is incredibly high for the weapon's size and capabilities.

I do not think that I can approve a corvette with a weapon this powerful. To put this in perspective, the last iteration of starship templates with exact gun counts gave a corvette with "high firepower" had the equivalent of 50 turbolasers. I can't in good faith approve something that is magnitudes of firepower higher than that, or looking at the larger picture, a corvette that can single-handedly cause "tremendous damage to enemy warships of star destroyer size".

diamond-boron missile launcher - made usable due to the limited number of Void Refits out there and capable of far more shield-piercing damaging power against enemy ships than the original weapon.

Diamond Boron missiles aren't any necessarily any better at penetrating enemy shields: they're just far more resilient against enemy energy weapons fire than is normally possible.

 

[Onrai]

Maneuverability has been decreased from average to low.

Though that is listed in strengths for the weapon's submission itself, with regards to how such relates to fleet battles, only the "very high" rating of the weapon's damage matters - which is reflected in the corvette's damage capabilities being listed as "very high."

That said, my argument for this not being particularly an issue with the sub is as follows:

• The weapon has an incredibly long recharge rate, giving ample time to enemies if they want to destroy the specific weapon. I would certainly not expect to write the beam firing every single post in a fleeting situation without being reported. As well, the weapon will, after firing, immediately become the target of enemy ships assuming that the enemy commander recognizes their threat potential, likely resulting in its swift disabling or destruction within the first few rounds of the engagement - effectively putting whoever uses them at a disadvantage after having fired once, perhaps twice.
• The usage of molecular shields on the ship, which have a known vulnerability to physical attack(per the X-1 Viper Droids' fight with the Chrysalide Rancors), means that a physical bomb or large scale projectile weapon(hypervelocity gun or mass driver) could damage the weapon without the shields being able to do anything. With the weapon neutered, the Void Massassi loses a ​significant​, as in greater than 50%, amount of its capability to inflict damage to enemy ships. In fact, were the beam damaged or disabled, it would be significantly outgunned by said 50 turbolaser corvette.
• It has been reiterated to me by multiple people, mostly within the faction that this submission is intended to be for, that only the 'crunch' of ratings matters when comparing the firepower of ships, not the 'fluff' of gun counts. Having the LBeam fitted to the Void Refit Massassi is, from a fluff perspective, intended to differentiate it as better-armed and specialized compared to the future revised Massassi corvette, which will instead fit an SBeam and general purpose warhead launcher, thus having a "High" armament rating instead of the Void Refit's "Very High" rating. Said ship will also lack the hyperspace tracker, the molecular shields, and have a "high" defense rating.

 

[Gir Quee]

[member="Vanessa Vantai"], I will not approve this submission with the implication that it will be doing serious damage to a star destroyer with a single shot.

If you want to put some sort of disclaimer that this LBeam Heavy Beam Cannon doesn't enough energy to reach near its full potential as the weapon, I can work with that.

 

[Onrai]

The submission has been edited to reflect such with a disclaimer in the end of the second to last paragraph.

 

[Gir Quee]

A note is that with the partial dedication of one of the ship’s reactors, the weapon still only fires at about half power - greater than the SBeam it would otherwise fit, but far less so than if it were fitted on a warship capable of properly using the weapon.

Make this "less than half power", and you have a deal.

 

[Onrai]

Edited, [member="Gir Quee"].

 

[Gir Quee]

Awesome. Pending Secondary Approval. Thanks! [member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Ellie Mors]

A note is that with the partial dedication of one of the ship’s reactors, the weapon still only fires at a bit less than half power

This needs to be stated in the weakness section.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Nadja Keto"]

Edit has been made.

 

[Ellie Mors]

Approved.