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This is not intended to be a universal classification system nor is there any particular reason why it should be applied to non VFW-produced vessels unless the creator of those vessels finds it useful. Consider this a bit of fun reading. Perhaps you might even find one or two interesting ideas here. But there's no reason to inflict this upon anyone's ships save my own. For a general purpose guide intended for widespread use, consult this.
The Vecordean Fleetworks Corporate Warfleet Fleet Doctrine Breif - Informal (VFWCWFFDB-I).
It is a ponderous, unassailable fact that the aggregate of sociopathic suit-beings that run this slipshod operation demand we use their commercial warfleet products rather than the really good ones produced in the Johannite pocket dimension. You know the ones, right? They make your brain hurt if you look at them and they whisper soul devouring truths? So, yeah, probably better to stay on the cheese ships if you like having a brain that doesn't run out your nostrils.
I've been asked to break down the battle doctrine that underlies the VFW ships in a way that pretty much anyone who knows an impeller from a propeller can understand. So, here's how it works:
1) VFW ships engage nose-on. Broadsiding in them is probably a bad idea. I mean, they've got turrets, sure, but you can't focus them all port or starbard like you could on a proper warship. The turrets seem be intended to give them a wider effective forward cone fo fire than anything else.
2) Keep moving. Those weird gravity impellers they use generate a lot of power and you can pretty much just move and fire constantly. You can move backwards, I guess, and keep your nose pointed at your enemy, or you can have several groups strafe around an enemy group and take advantage of their weak spots or whatever.
3) Fight in groups. VFW ships are supposedly designed to work in groups. Which makes sense, I guess. I mean, the ships are definately on the pricey side, and are outclassed by a potato gun taped to a toy rocket, so you'd probably want to engage big enemy gun-cylindars with several smaller ships that can out maneuver it, rather than one big ship that'll get all shot up. I usually see ships grouped into flat walls and firing their nose guns at, like, space whales, or whatever it is they fight. Why do we even sell them to space whaling fleets is beyond me.
So, now that' that's out of the way, let's talk about ship roles and the like. The VFW designs ships to fulfill certain roles in a large fleet and they often suffer when used on their own. That way they can sell you a bunch of ships, I guess, rather than just fighters or combat lawyer barges or whatever they're selling now.
Fighters: Fighters are basically disposable. VFW fleet doctrine has them used most often as interceptors guarding important fleet assets or being used on short-ranged patrols. I've seen them used offensively to pop the anti-fighter turrets off of a big ship prior to a bombing run, but they usually stick close to the fleet. Usually up to 25m long and requires a base of operations, usually a carrier, planetary space port, or system defense base. I've personally logged over 1 thousand hours of combat time in a fighter and have never finished a sortie where I didn't need to change my pants afterwards.
Gunships: Gunships are actually pretty decent little ships. They're fast and reasonably armed for their size, but don't have the amenities needed for long-term deployment. The VFW uses them for everything. Ground assault, bombers, convoy escorts, you name it. Unfortunately, they also see them as being almost as disposable as fighters, especially when used on defense. Usually up to 50 m long and requires a base of operations, such as a carrier or system defense base. I always enjoyed flying around in gunships. It's like being in a fighter designed by someone who think your life might have some value outside of the cockpit.
Corvettes: Corvettes are the smallest ships capable of long-term independent operation and they are only barely so. They are usually cheap, easy to replace ships that can subsitute for a much better ship as long as you don't expect much out of it. They are often used as convoy escorts or pickets for second-line fleets. Usually up to 80 m long and capable of sustained operation. These are a common sight on the yellowtanium transfer runs between Realspace Production Yard 12 and Ripoffia. I heard that we once lost a corvette to "an unusually aggressive breakfast platter."
Frigates: Frigates are the smallest of what the VFW refers to as "Fleet ships". Basically, these are full-on warships, capable of operating in a primary fleet. They're expected to be able to take a torpedo hit or two and to be able to respond quickly to openings in an enemy formation or to sudden offensive thrusts from fast enemy assets. Their engagement envelope's supposed to be flexible, too, so they can engage several kinds of targets, sometimes simultaneously. They're also roomy enough so that you can have an actual mess table instead of eating at your bunk, which is nice. If a customer is rich enough, they even get used as convoy escorts or independent patrol craft, jobs they are pretty decent at. Usually up to 125 m long and capable of both heavy combat and sustained, independent operation. I'm not gonna lie, Frigate captains don't have a high survival rate. You're basically expected to take a torpedo hit for a bigger ship if it comes down it and you can't survive too many of those.
Destroyers: It ain't a secret that every Tom, Dick, and Zblort likes to bring big ships to a fight. The VFW uses Destroyers to handle those as cheaply as possible. Basically, Destroyers are designed to fight ships of their size or larger and are never meant to fly alone. They usually have a small number of really big guns and a few defensive turrets to discourage fighters. Internally, they're roomy and relatively comfortable to live in. VFW destroyers even have c-n-c facilities to help them coordinate a squadron of escort frigates or to help them coordinate their focus on much larger ships. Destroyers are usually up to 250 m long and capable of both heavy combat and sustained operation. I was on the VFW Destroyer Nocturne of Ulysses during our war with The TacoConglomerate and saw three destroyers gut the TacoConglomerate Flagship Heavy Runner while it was busy mauling a couple of squadrons of frigates.
Cruisers: Cruisers form the backbone of any VFW dominated fleet. Unlike destroyers, cruisers are more generalized, with a wide engagement envelope, the ability to operate alone if required, and the ability to coordinate small fleets. VFW cruisers are expected to be able to engage multiple smaller targets simultaneously or handle ships of their own size. Since they represent a significant expenditure in resources, they are also expected to be able to survive a great deal of incoming fire. Cruisers are usually the largest VFW-produced ships involved in a heavy fleet action. They tend to top out around 450m and are capable of sustained independent action and surviving ferocious combat. Cruisers have the most toilets per crew member of any class. True story.
Battleships: Battleships are extremely expensive and specialized VFW ships. They exist solely to engage entire fleets of smaller ships or to operate in pairs or trios to bring down much more expensive super-ships. VFW battleships usually have an enormous central gun and a half-dozen super-heavy turrets along with dozens of smaller ones. They are basically flying space doom. They are rarely seen outside of the richest of private navies. They can reach up to 650m long and are capable of operating independently for years, hiding deep within the darkness of space, pondering the doom of man. That they can survive combat with super-ships says much about their durability. I don't know if the VFW actually has any of these. I've heard rumors of something called "The Compensator" being built in the deepest of spaces, but it might be yet another taco-induced delerium. I get those now, ever since the war.
Escort Carriers: VFW carriers come in two varieties. The Light, or Escort carrier is basically a glorified convoy escort. They are usually incapable of supporting Gunships and, instead, act as the base of operations for a squadron of fighters and flagship of a small escort fleet. These are usually small, less than 275 m long, and lightly armed. Escort carriers look like a whale made sweet love to a school bus.
Fleet Carriers: VFW Fleet Carriers are enormous ships capable of supporting dozens of fighters and gunships. Some variants even act as assault carriers, toting shuttles full of corporate marines to a planetary body. While the VFW fighters are of limited utility in space battles, they can be deadly if deployed in sufficient numbers and Fleet Carriers make sure those numbers are present. These are essentially floating cities, rivaling Battleships in size, though are far less durable. Fleet carrier duty's a mixed bag. Usually, they keep you out of direct combat, but then you have to deal with that Maverick guy and he's a real loose cannon.
The Vecordean Fleetworks Corporate Warfleet Fleet Doctrine Breif - Informal (VFWCWFFDB-I).
It is a ponderous, unassailable fact that the aggregate of sociopathic suit-beings that run this slipshod operation demand we use their commercial warfleet products rather than the really good ones produced in the Johannite pocket dimension. You know the ones, right? They make your brain hurt if you look at them and they whisper soul devouring truths? So, yeah, probably better to stay on the cheese ships if you like having a brain that doesn't run out your nostrils.
I've been asked to break down the battle doctrine that underlies the VFW ships in a way that pretty much anyone who knows an impeller from a propeller can understand. So, here's how it works:
1) VFW ships engage nose-on. Broadsiding in them is probably a bad idea. I mean, they've got turrets, sure, but you can't focus them all port or starbard like you could on a proper warship. The turrets seem be intended to give them a wider effective forward cone fo fire than anything else.
2) Keep moving. Those weird gravity impellers they use generate a lot of power and you can pretty much just move and fire constantly. You can move backwards, I guess, and keep your nose pointed at your enemy, or you can have several groups strafe around an enemy group and take advantage of their weak spots or whatever.
3) Fight in groups. VFW ships are supposedly designed to work in groups. Which makes sense, I guess. I mean, the ships are definately on the pricey side, and are outclassed by a potato gun taped to a toy rocket, so you'd probably want to engage big enemy gun-cylindars with several smaller ships that can out maneuver it, rather than one big ship that'll get all shot up. I usually see ships grouped into flat walls and firing their nose guns at, like, space whales, or whatever it is they fight. Why do we even sell them to space whaling fleets is beyond me.
So, now that' that's out of the way, let's talk about ship roles and the like. The VFW designs ships to fulfill certain roles in a large fleet and they often suffer when used on their own. That way they can sell you a bunch of ships, I guess, rather than just fighters or combat lawyer barges or whatever they're selling now.
Fighters: Fighters are basically disposable. VFW fleet doctrine has them used most often as interceptors guarding important fleet assets or being used on short-ranged patrols. I've seen them used offensively to pop the anti-fighter turrets off of a big ship prior to a bombing run, but they usually stick close to the fleet. Usually up to 25m long and requires a base of operations, usually a carrier, planetary space port, or system defense base. I've personally logged over 1 thousand hours of combat time in a fighter and have never finished a sortie where I didn't need to change my pants afterwards.
Gunships: Gunships are actually pretty decent little ships. They're fast and reasonably armed for their size, but don't have the amenities needed for long-term deployment. The VFW uses them for everything. Ground assault, bombers, convoy escorts, you name it. Unfortunately, they also see them as being almost as disposable as fighters, especially when used on defense. Usually up to 50 m long and requires a base of operations, such as a carrier or system defense base. I always enjoyed flying around in gunships. It's like being in a fighter designed by someone who think your life might have some value outside of the cockpit.
Corvettes: Corvettes are the smallest ships capable of long-term independent operation and they are only barely so. They are usually cheap, easy to replace ships that can subsitute for a much better ship as long as you don't expect much out of it. They are often used as convoy escorts or pickets for second-line fleets. Usually up to 80 m long and capable of sustained operation. These are a common sight on the yellowtanium transfer runs between Realspace Production Yard 12 and Ripoffia. I heard that we once lost a corvette to "an unusually aggressive breakfast platter."
Frigates: Frigates are the smallest of what the VFW refers to as "Fleet ships". Basically, these are full-on warships, capable of operating in a primary fleet. They're expected to be able to take a torpedo hit or two and to be able to respond quickly to openings in an enemy formation or to sudden offensive thrusts from fast enemy assets. Their engagement envelope's supposed to be flexible, too, so they can engage several kinds of targets, sometimes simultaneously. They're also roomy enough so that you can have an actual mess table instead of eating at your bunk, which is nice. If a customer is rich enough, they even get used as convoy escorts or independent patrol craft, jobs they are pretty decent at. Usually up to 125 m long and capable of both heavy combat and sustained, independent operation. I'm not gonna lie, Frigate captains don't have a high survival rate. You're basically expected to take a torpedo hit for a bigger ship if it comes down it and you can't survive too many of those.
Destroyers: It ain't a secret that every Tom, Dick, and Zblort likes to bring big ships to a fight. The VFW uses Destroyers to handle those as cheaply as possible. Basically, Destroyers are designed to fight ships of their size or larger and are never meant to fly alone. They usually have a small number of really big guns and a few defensive turrets to discourage fighters. Internally, they're roomy and relatively comfortable to live in. VFW destroyers even have c-n-c facilities to help them coordinate a squadron of escort frigates or to help them coordinate their focus on much larger ships. Destroyers are usually up to 250 m long and capable of both heavy combat and sustained operation. I was on the VFW Destroyer Nocturne of Ulysses during our war with The TacoConglomerate and saw three destroyers gut the TacoConglomerate Flagship Heavy Runner while it was busy mauling a couple of squadrons of frigates.
Cruisers: Cruisers form the backbone of any VFW dominated fleet. Unlike destroyers, cruisers are more generalized, with a wide engagement envelope, the ability to operate alone if required, and the ability to coordinate small fleets. VFW cruisers are expected to be able to engage multiple smaller targets simultaneously or handle ships of their own size. Since they represent a significant expenditure in resources, they are also expected to be able to survive a great deal of incoming fire. Cruisers are usually the largest VFW-produced ships involved in a heavy fleet action. They tend to top out around 450m and are capable of sustained independent action and surviving ferocious combat. Cruisers have the most toilets per crew member of any class. True story.
Battleships: Battleships are extremely expensive and specialized VFW ships. They exist solely to engage entire fleets of smaller ships or to operate in pairs or trios to bring down much more expensive super-ships. VFW battleships usually have an enormous central gun and a half-dozen super-heavy turrets along with dozens of smaller ones. They are basically flying space doom. They are rarely seen outside of the richest of private navies. They can reach up to 650m long and are capable of operating independently for years, hiding deep within the darkness of space, pondering the doom of man. That they can survive combat with super-ships says much about their durability. I don't know if the VFW actually has any of these. I've heard rumors of something called "The Compensator" being built in the deepest of spaces, but it might be yet another taco-induced delerium. I get those now, ever since the war.
Escort Carriers: VFW carriers come in two varieties. The Light, or Escort carrier is basically a glorified convoy escort. They are usually incapable of supporting Gunships and, instead, act as the base of operations for a squadron of fighters and flagship of a small escort fleet. These are usually small, less than 275 m long, and lightly armed. Escort carriers look like a whale made sweet love to a school bus.
Fleet Carriers: VFW Fleet Carriers are enormous ships capable of supporting dozens of fighters and gunships. Some variants even act as assault carriers, toting shuttles full of corporate marines to a planetary body. While the VFW fighters are of limited utility in space battles, they can be deadly if deployed in sufficient numbers and Fleet Carriers make sure those numbers are present. These are essentially floating cities, rivaling Battleships in size, though are far less durable. Fleet carrier duty's a mixed bag. Usually, they keep you out of direct combat, but then you have to deal with that Maverick guy and he's a real loose cannon.
