Eureka!

[worldstrider]

The Fleet Tender...one stop shopping for weapons.

Often you need guns when ships are upgraded but bases where your rep is high enough or even the gun itself might not be available top you. Often a big issue for a faction or weapons seller. Guns could be mounted so all wouldn't be lost if it was destroyed but more can be carried as cargo as well.

Give it a cargo size of 3600 so freelancers can use it (and other factions with similar restrictions). This way a player can actually make cash trading and the ship will be used and seen.

Hardpoints should be varied to allow carrying all weapon types (key for the ship to act as a weapons transport for a fleet). Some suggestions--certainly open for discussion:

1. 4 x Class 1-10 fighter guns (I'd suggest two forward and two aft).
   
2. 4 x Class 1-7 turrets (two forward and two aft)
   
3. 2 x Torpedo Launchers (one forward and one aft)
   
4. 2 x Cruise Disruptor Launchers (one forward and one aft)
   
5. 2 x Counter Measure Launchers
   
6. 2 x Mine Launchers
   
7. 3 x Gunboat Turrets (one forward, one amidships and one aft)
   
8. 1 x Gunboat Forward Gun (internal)
   
9. 2 x Cruiser/Destroyer Turrets (one forward and one aft)
   
10. 2 x Battleship Turrets (internal)
    

A transport shield for defense and a higher speed (a tender often has to catch up to fleet ships). Armor? Make a suggestion but it should be lightly armored (again to keep it from being a capital ship substitute).

All the above can be adapted and modified but power should be about 7,200. That's anough energy to fire up to three small or two of any faction's (except Nomad) gunboat guns or a single cruiser/destroyer gun. Power regeneration can also be adjusted to keep sustained heavy fire from being delivered. basically, shooting the max big guns should drain power quickly and then have a slow recharge after to this doesn't serve as a pure capital ship.

I may have missed something but this would be a good large transport size ship. Some of the guns designated "internal" could be visible but inside a cargo deck type enclosure.

Add-on Trick for this ship:
Make infocards with same text for each but have an alternate version of this ship to act as a "Q-ship" or surprise commerce raider. It would be identical in every way by appearance but have less cargo but more energy/armor so it could fire more guns and take more hits. The infocards would read same--only the purchaser would know which version he had. This would need a little more balance care but it would be fun as an escort to "spring" on a pirate or law enforcement.

I think it would be a good addition to mod. What say you all?

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