Ideal Pirate Ship Configeration And Size? ...

SharkHunter wrote:To the original question, given a choice I'd want a small heavy cruiser (CA-) for my main ship, and use smaller ships (FF or DD) for my main piraty-efforts. My CA lets me do things like mutiny suppression by the captains of said smaller ships, and likely has enough extra crewing for perhaps several prize crews in the event that I get lucky and jump an unescorted convoy, etc. The armoring may get me out of a scrape long enough for me to run for the hills if I get caught in my dastardly plans by folks such as Admiral Sarnow, HHA, etc.

Of course, properly speaking I personally would be in the privateer business, and would space any crew member committing even the smallest atrocity/crime against a captured crew. Not saying I'd be the Robin Hood of Sector X, mind you -- but I'd at least choose to be on the side of the righteous where slavers and other "pirate scum" were concerned.

Over time I'd try to trick that CA-'s compensator, fire control and tactical systems out to as close to first-line naval levels as I possibly could, however. Primarily to go along with my personal baseline mission aka keeping my sorry backside alive in nearly any scrape.

Torlek wrote:

SharkHunter wrote:To the original question, given a choice I'd want a small heavy cruiser (CA-) for my main ship.
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Of course, properly speaking I personally would be in the privateer business, and would space any crew member committing even the smallest atrocity/crime against a captured crew. Not saying I'd be the Robin Hood of Sector X, mind you -- but I'd at least choose to be on the side of the righteous where slavers and other "pirate scum" were concerned.

Except that you would be hard pressed to make enough profit to fiance those upgrades, even if your crew would not mutiny because of the small of pay, harsh discipline and lack of entertainment.

SharkHunter wrote:
Disagreement on all counts. The upgrades would have to come out of my portion, because I'm the ship owner, otherwise, like you said small pay. But out of all the gazillion people in the Honorverse, with a good profit margin and "profit sharing", I think I could reasonably come up with the crew(s) I needed to keep a nice operation jumping around the galaxy doing ship-stealing things, and still develop a reputation that the "human animals and predators of the galaxy need not apply", just the sneaks and thieves. No harsh discipline required if everyone is on the same page, easier to manage, and keeps my arse from getting dropped out of an airlock without a space suit if HHA and company (well, her lower ranking minions now that she's all fleet admiral and everything) catches me in the act.

Kizarvexis wrote:I agree with the CL as the best pirate ship. Enough weapons be a pirate with backups by scavenging parts to make sure you have a few missiles and energy weapons per broadside/chase armament. Longer legs than a DD and more crew means more time "on station" to capture prizes. You would be faster than most of the navy ships chasing you (Haven quadrant excepted) and definitely with enough speed to make your intercept envelope larger than a merchant conversion. Older CLs should be easier to acquire in the shadier areas of the galaxy.

Roguevictory wrote:

Kizarvexis wrote:I agree with the CL as the best pirate ship. Enough weapons be a pirate with backups by scavenging parts to make sure you have a few missiles and energy weapons per broadside/chase armament. Longer legs than a DD and more crew means more time "on station" to capture prizes. You would be faster than most of the navy ships chasing you (Haven quadrant excepted) and definitely with enough speed to make your intercept envelope larger than a merchant conversion. Older CLs should be easier to acquire in the shadier areas of the galaxy.

I think the FFs and CLs are supposed to have similar operational ranges and times plus FFs also allow you to spread your forces to cover more zones then CLs would. Since Pirates and Privateers want to avoid fighting as much as possible the superior combat abilities aren't that big of an advantage IMO.

JeffEngel wrote:

Roguevictory wrote:I think the FFs and CLs are supposed to have similar operational ranges and times plus FFs also allow you to spread your forces to cover more zones then CLs would. Since Pirates and Privateers want to avoid fighting as much as possible the superior combat abilities aren't that big of an advantage IMO.

Right. But the FF may be pushing it for being able to keep much in the way of prize crews aboard; sensor support is still vital and the CL will have a great edge that way; and your margin for overcoming any resistance in space in a FF is very small. (I don't stress that last point, as you shouldn't need much margin that way as a pirate - if you have to fight, leave and try somewhere else - but it may as well be mentioned when it applies as much as it ever will, in the FF case.)

munroburton wrote:I doubt a frigate could carry enough spare bodies to capture ten prizes per cruise - more like only two or three. It's the Marine capacity that really makes the difference between a frigate and a light cruiser from a piratical viewpoint.