Yvarro-Merrill Analytics - open for business

[Jorus Merrill]

Every year, hundreds of starship models hit the galactic market. It's easy to get lost in the details when you need to buy or combat an unfamiliar ship. Fear not: Yvarro-Merrill Analytics can help. Our team of shipwrights will evaluate the strengths and hidden weaknesses of virtually any design. Our proprietors - retired General Jorus Merrill and retired Grand Admiral [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] - bring long experience and broad connections to bear. With Yvarro-Merrill at your back, you can wage war and shop with confidence - or just get a laugh at your enemies' expense.

REPORT REQUEST TEMPLATE
Link: (Factory submission or equivalent)
Privacy: (Would you prefer to receive your report confidentially, e.g. by encryption or private message?)

 

[Matsu Ike]

(damn me but I love your opinions on ships and want to see what you think

Link: Saotome Tengu
Privacy: Encrypted Report

 

[Jorus Merrill]

Spoiler

XQRnqqE5vjZLX/LTRsh4KAPBBOnWdUwVaS9WNGycgYrah7ceJNcfWyIF6+4aH9ihQWCL8DrkB5J6CtOZibXPrfXJLcGwErLVj+cT/UaPQiSYaeWVLQ9ACIrnt+1kjOIB/OESJ4NYEe4eieS4Y++GHxxtudTqb5ijggxGVyUDrPegj0mpFq8LGuMLSqMlTOqCVyiN6d7Rv8Ktt5MM9r9YyywZGFi/AezY6WrWQ+QN0c6WxFCYfiza/xPrrULPuVEdLIntr+yZI+E/ITOtRj6+1QZWw8IfWqtIpJDItrY3BqJwQlZutXPojBDoVyZ7ch61ROqxxDsVLeQ5oGzFCcTjergReIWiuuoApeflf0a51aaSQjQUW+26hnoC7zVvsWSC0ZimmYVkLvbYsTbd1lwDSCuvGRvfL9kgKF/8vTTnubzBloZkhMOML3EpawU2xU3X4m0nvkg3OiMK1YNCbl+HfkEocHOyqKi5YMUCDkadbZ35sT1ur1r5k3sv2xy/jO5LvvhrmsJwGlQ648pBYsOxlZVhqjaD2xmyyU0oU7uvAum47pKH0vdqQ5rTyOeDmrh8bbcg9N3dyx1u+ETRtOQW6CRShwsegkMuCpNTJASRoqjmEYe7f000yRxncvGIlRluFDnaMzjTNf683CrPO/ba4m4NhGb6iLp1MWKSNhtLyk85smjLVSYFrKRHUuLHqMyIzk6aFgyiFx/xwvr5BtN1UGlDIQLLysbUJrW0wxbosF1u98C1HVx5cYqhy+vh4LfNVkJynsMtRwEfxH4MWOjOlFscs8E7+JcA7lANcZTSkNq30L0eXVZzBblHMpqzCFMVAUlNtweg2qgQaRbtzLSDQb529dh+2wU4qrEfv8qz1/0RTIdIzdtJkk3ket7KoOkofDgpBVGfjl1DBxKbSY9rvBJ4HDqWoeIFhcwpKWD/NJ4VCYxZflJRDU3aXDpKzJaj+Hxl2bcFHdp5KLFDvwBUHIjnKo0r4WIyM7ZxrTLIyP8f9LJuhvw+v/84qlkH1UMBCsMHkP2LtmVB/sL9HfQLLsMAQNyQ9PC1/qslH7Ji2h8Qmp6qeSRXG2ljas8INw9xZnakpWa4m5AKer0ylrJ+n2hvQxgYY+8rFYc51+HxdTm1/bPnMd42m+N/lXfeGUbxixFyT/mWWavGnCocu9V9a6r67OgWKFkO+mZa0XAjVM4S9F8eQVjHbVpLbBAmmgq3xM3lors5bAW05wKrYIJS7Dvh+QH6bx7jW2vBPFdbFK3G7w1RrkSjRXzECA8arhP92GdxA8O6mms3VvGlDLfKR6ONzvd5nuq4D2tY1Z1Bt6EmoZ5CkPUBPcRQn9TB1YbzgWtbvyeqhGlsTiGPNvNEjUPjQ1s1Tu5qGNx+2J4cfHgDhjOHh1xRxiRO6JH4dfdWMM9ga+IzNSEW8K7eQ3NqNak6gs25+YTlXtfjGDNQa0YP/rxQ6srjV5VxzhkW/TwiZSaEs/ihTg3ts3jUUAwgxEDOAWiZhp7x0k2QfbQlg2yAmj9uiCHzTUnP5Sbdhp33eqiW9K+YQKGH5i9IeCawrWKp/fwOqR05RmpgLFX9hJPLhwTmBTBMm/Boirofxpf0IX4p+jCwh9guxvIzraHAavK8RxHHDIUfibnTlYE+AkWoePNlT55kvn90z6G/MpNfOJH3Rrq6nXqn43QhxK3r2Cskbzn5ILYmzrA6F+mUty0=

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Darth Athora]

I'll play your little game.

Link: http://starwarsrp.net/topic/127376-the-hallowed-den/
Privacy: Let the world see this.

 

[Zef Halo]

Link: http://starwarsrp.net/topic/108470-doslanir-class-light-corvette/?hl=doslanir
Privacy: P U B L I C - S H A M I N G

 

[Saffron]

Okay.... because I am curious about my first fuel ships!

Link: http://starwarsrp.net/topic/128325-mtx-heavy-fuel-transport-carrier/
Privacy: Public

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Hircine"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Zef Halo"][member="Saffron"]

Your vessels are undergoing tactical analysis. Please stand by.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

A few thoughts on how to approach attacking or otherwise messing with the ships in question:

[SIZE=11pt][member="Hircine"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]http://starwarsrp.net/topic/127376-the-hallowed-den/[/SIZE]

• [SIZE=11pt]Ray shields only. In combination with the stated weakness against swarms, some boarding tactics may be viable. Note also that the entire security system can be controlled or disabled from a small portable control device, which would be a good target for boarding operations. Even better, lure its carrier outside the nykkalt hull, which would block its connection to the security systems. Best of all would be to make that controller's holder overreact, which could impede, confine, or even kill the ship's crew.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=11pt]Nykkalt hull does nothing against gravitic sensors, e.g. Crystal Gravfield Trap.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=11pt]Tribarrel flak gun relies on its own sensors and the ship's sensors to function at all. That means at least some of the emplacement is outside the nykkalt covering and can be independently targeted at close range. Same definitely goes for the missile deactivation transmitter, which would be absolutely useless if it wasn’t outside the nykkalt.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt][member="Kaine Australis"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]http://starwarsrp.net/topic/128071-dutchmans-bane/[/SIZE]

• [SIZE=11pt]Solar ionization cannons are very lightly protected, fragile, prone to overheating, and impossible to repair. Their low stopping power makes them less useful against capital ships. Missile batteries carry only discord missiles (buzz droids) and brilliant missiles, neither one very strong, especially for anti-capital use. Basically the only weapon that'll do much against capital ships is the southern spinal mount. That means that capital ships can attack the northern bridge in relative safety.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=11pt]Missile batteries’ singularity projectors might be vulnerable to exploit. For example, an experienced Master can push a singularity briefly, perhaps slurping up a chunk of the ship. Obvious target would be any battery near the spinal emitter. More accessible tactic: area-of-effect weapons (singularity defenses can only protect against a given attack vector at a time).[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=11pt]Between the shield-ignoring rapid-fire SICs, the hyper-agile tracker missiles, the buzz droids, and the 3cm autocannons, corvettes and smaller ships are just plain dead anywhere near this thing. The downside (for the Bane’s commander) is that it’s putting out a gigantic amount of nearly-indiscriminate fire, which will severely hamper its own squadrons. Friendly fire will be a real issue, especially if the enemy can force a bloody fighter engagement close to the Bane.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=11pt]A loose cruiser swarm might be best: they can stay ahead of the spinal mount, and though it could kill any one cruiser, that wouldn’t reduce the swarm’s power by much. Throw in basic interdiction (HIMS only works when entering interdiction, not exiting) and this ship is eventually toast.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=11pt]Don't engage with large ships, or you can expect to take heavy losses (tens of thousands dead, certainly).[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt][member="Zef Halo"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]http://starwarsrp.net/topic/108470-doslanir-class-light-corvette/[/SIZE]

• [SIZE=11pt]Built by Clan Rekali and therefore sucks by default.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=11pt]Carries only four six-person escape pods, and the submission notes that the corvette can operate with a minimal crew. A small crew (at least half of which would need to man the weapons emplacements) makes boarding much easier, and makes the ship vulnerable to bring overwhelmed by a multi-pronged attack. Discord missiles come to mind: a spread of buzz droids getting through the shields would cause all sorts of chaos.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=11pt]Very good at what it does (which isn’t combat). In combat, it could benefit from swarm tactics; its light defenses and forward-focused firepower make it individually vulnerable, but a group of Doslanir corvettes playing hit and run could tag-team very large ships.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt][member="Saffron"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]http://starwarsrp.net/topic/128325-mtx-heavy-fuel-transport-carrier/[/SIZE]

• [SIZE=11pt]Extremely secure, but highly compartmentalized construction can be a weakness in at least one circumstance. The self-sustaining, break-apart modules’ life support systems presumably have their own artificial gravity. Reversing one module’s gravity could put great structural stress on the ship and pit individual particle shields against each other, leading to burnout or overload. At best, this tactic might cause a small handful of modules to detonate, which would not destroy the ship. Note that the triple-layered armor would contain the force of the explosion and intensify its effects within the ship. Best approach would be to do this with a container carrying isotope-5, which can have crazy gravitic effects. Since this ship can enter gravity wells to scoop atmosphere, circumstances might allow further complications.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=11pt]Don't expect to be able to wear this ship down gradually. It's got some of the strongest shields and armor in the galaxy, and it will definitely have escorts or backup available. Consider attacking this ship as a feint: worth tens of billions fully loaded, it absolutely must be defended, leaving other targets vulnerable.[/SIZE]

 

[Zef Halo]

Built by Clan Rekali and therefore sucks by default.

#FACTS

Carries only four six-person escape pods, and the submission notes that the corvette can operate with a minimal crew. A small crew (at least half of which would need to man the weapons emplacements) makes boarding much easier, and makes the ship vulnerable to bring overwhelmed by a multi-pronged attack. Discord missiles come to mind: a spread of buzz droids getting through the shields would cause all sorts of chaos.

Man, I would've never noticed that, by the way. Very, very logical. Good eye for detail, Merrill, Yvarro.

Appreciate the analysis!

 

[Saffron]

Thank you for the review!

I was intending to make a safer fuel transport and I’m glad it fits those aspects. The break apart modules deal with the particle rays is certainly something to think about for future submissions. ^_^

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Link: http://starwarsrp.net/topic/125134-hell-wolf-class-star-cruiser
Privacy: PM, please

 

[Darth Athora]

[member="Jorus Merrill"] It's a good thing all of those sensors are outside of the nykkalt.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Hircine"]
Which means they can be targeted and summarily poofed, is what we're saying. Standard starfighter targeting gear can individually target emplacements at a range of several km, so that's something to watch out for.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Yasha Mantis"]

Your assessment is available in PM. Thank you for your business.

 

[Darth Athora]

[member="Jorus Merrill"] I imagine them as being too small to be so easily targeted. Like the size of a dollar or something. If not, then well, the ship is meant to be a home not really much for fighting anyway lol.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Hircine"]

Regardless of their size (and all these things are probably going to be larger than that), basically, on scans you'll show up as a loose cloud of small sensor contacts that all moves together. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Lord Ghoul]

Link: SoroSuub Monitor
Privacy: Public.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Lucien Shorn"] [member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

Apologies, didn't see this earlier.

The design is up-front about its own weaknesses. However, some elements may be vulnerable to additional exploits.

• The vessel has severe difficulty handling heat. Its hull can resist magma, certainly, but the ship's interior is noted as uncomfortably hot and chock-full of overloaded systems. The issue here is that this blessed ship is painted matte black and has no explicitly noted cooling measures. I firmly believe that big energy weapons vs hull, if shields are down and ship has recently been doing its magma lurk (or flying relatively close to a star), will cause severe internal problems even though the hull won't break. I'm talking crewers with burns, overheated/crashed main computers, all kinds of nastiness. The assault concussion missiles are also matte black -- and potentially vulnerable to sympathetic detonation. So's the extremely explosive tibanna (in both the ship and the missiles), which probably won't handle the heat too well.
• The thermal dissipator is a nice piece of stealth gear, but it sure as heck wasn't meant to compensate for heat like that (especially as it's noted as less-efficient than the original tech). My guess is, if the stygium cloak isn't active, the ship will show up on the EM spectrum at least a little when it's been dealing with severe heat.
• Throw in the 'no recourse in event of fire' and this isn't a ship on which J.Q. Merrill would ever set foot.

 

[Zeradias Mant]

Link: Starling
Privacy: Public

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Lew Nailati"]

Like most ships that incorporate far too much elaborate destructive potential, the Starling is a deathtrap.

• Diamond boron missiles can be vulnerable to misfires. This ship carries ten of them, comprising one of three warhead bays that feed a single launcher. The risk of sympathetic detonation due to malfunction is significant.
• Antimatter/nuclear missiles can be vulnerable to magfield containment accidents, either shredding the ship or filling it with radioactive material, maybe both. This ship carries an unknown number of city-killing missiles, pertaining to six missile tubes. The risk of sympathetic detonation due to malfunction is significant. The same, incidentally, applies to the antimatter furnace -- especially risky when full primary power failure is an explicit thing that happens.
• Turbulence will radically increase risk of setting off unstable munitions. HIMS use causes severe turbulence, sufficient to injure crew and damage components. Gravity mines/munitions would be useful against this ship, and basic interdiction has a mdoest chance of killing it outright.
• The stealth suite offers no defense against crystal gravfield traps (a gravitic modulator would have been a good choice) or detection of emissions trails (thrust trace dampers or comparable technology would have been a good choice). This ship also does not appear to have any dedicated passive sensors other than the crystal gravfield trap. Reliance on active sensors makes this ship detectable in various ways. Bottom line, even basic anti-stealth ships will pick the Starling up without any problem, especially if it’s just plopped a spread of city-killers.
• Lack of any ion protection radically increases risks of sympathetic detonation due to malfunction.
• The hyperspace capacitor specifically comes with a risk of explosion. See all of the above.

Bottom line, if you feel at risk of this ship showing up, drop some interdiction and load up on long-range ion weapons or a bunch of mag-pulse warheads. This ship will still get where it’s going, but once it gets there, odds are it’ll make a truly spectacular fireball before it can so much as decloak, let alone fire. And if it does start targeting and firing things, it'll get well and truly Litt up. If this ship wound up in my hangar, I'd strip and sell the expensive parts, make a fortune, and buy myself a ship that'd let me sleep at night.

-Signed, J. Q. Merrill and F. Yvarro