Lord Skimper wrote:So how hard would it be to load a Military wedge from a Scientist on a Freighter based CLAC? Add ERM end tubes with a CLAC hammerhead, Pull the displays and sensors, Counter Missiles and Point Defense from the Scientists, Some Bunks, life support and shuttle bays etc... Nodes, Maybe Hyperspace and sails, then make a container based LAC dock and just make a 100+ LAC CLAC, from each Scientist. No need to grab anything big or hard to get to from the armoured magazines or removing armour, except the CM and PD.
The CLAC could also be run with Beta Squared Nodes, remove the Hyper drive and keep it in system.
The CLAC and LAC are very SD like for intimidation factor, with Beta Squared Nodes it would appear to be a Modern SD(P). Can be in many places and The basic ship can be made from a shell very quickly. Using container parts one can make a basic LAC module then copy it over and over again.
Also smaller systems almost always run LAC so stepping them up to Manty LAC won't be as big a deal as going up to a SD. Yet will make a big difference militarily. Giving these systems a CLAC to carry these LAC would solve many problems. One could also run with second line Manty Crews for the CLAC and use local crews for the LAC, with training move the in system crews into the CLAC and move the Manty Crews into the Support ships, when they arrive.
An export version of the LAC, the tech that is given to torch, can be made available for the new systems and with 100+ LAC securing a system. Even a League SD would have problems.
As for support having Haven build a bunch of Nike BCL's would would complete the security of the systems and would coordinate all LAC activities amoung local systems.
1) Moving the "wedge" from a Scientist to a freighter, would require ripping out the engine rooms, nodes, compensator, hyper generator, and particle screens (and probably a Fusion room or 2) from the Scientist and mounting them in a freighter. Doing so would essentially require building a new freighter, using the old parts.
2)To maintain the old parts, the Freighter will require a crew 20-40x the size it currently has (<50 people), and require much more frequent servicing, raising the cost of ownership beyond the advantage of using a "freighter" hull.
3) Beta squared nodes are high tech Manty parts, not found on Scientists. Putting the beta squared nodes in place of normal nodes physically replaces 2 beta nodes with 1 Beta squared node and gives extra power. It requires a complete rebuilding of the engine rooms and the replacement of all the nodes to balance the ring. This is why the Beta squared nodes are only on new construction and not retrofitted into older, but still viable ships like Star Knights.
4) A ship with the fancy beta squared nodes doesn't necessarily accelerate any faster or have a higher top end. This is governed by the compensator, which the old decrepit one in the Scientist will limit you to 421.9G independent of the wedge's upper power capability
5)If you want to build a high tech Manty ship, rip out all the above systems from the Scientist.... them throw them away. Then order new parts from Manticore and wait 6 years for them to arrive.
6) If your CLAC is in system, it doesn't have to be mobile, it's a dock for the mobile parts, the LACS. Yes that makes it vulnerable, but you should have the LACS go out to intercept the attack, far from their dock. If the LACS are gone, who cares about what happens to their dock. Fixed LAC bases are a routine part of the 2nd Havenite war, on both sides, and are being deployed to Talbott systems to support the LAC wings there.