Wiki Discussion: Ship Mission Codes

[tjoneslo]

Following a lengthy discussion with @robject (still ongoing as if this message) I'm going to update the ship mission code article, the starship navigation bar, and a number of related articles to use a smaller list. This is to support the T5 mission classification scheme. The smaller list of broader categories is easier to explain and therefore process for the ship designs. And there will be, over time, an effort to update over 2000 ship designs to used these (mostly compatible) missions.

The selected mission of the ship informs the design of the ship. The design of the ship determines the mission. The ship size, shape, internal components like armor, weapons, crew, cargo, sensor setup, drive potential and so on determine the purpose and role of the ship. The lengthy and varied set of modifier codes are meant to more accurately describe the details of the ship design and its mission.

It is a universal truth that no ship spends it's entire career performing the mission it was designed for. Ships are upgraded, rebuild, sold, and repurposed with great frequency. The mission codes are a description of original design purpose, and attached to the ships using the design. Some ship compilation databases note the current use mission in addition to the original design mission, as a way of tracking what work is being done where. Ships papers rarely carry a "type" or "mission" code and re-applying a new mission is mostly a matter of self-description by the captain and crew.

There are three broad roles for any craft:

• Navy: These are warships designed for combat operations. Their design includes weapons, armor, shields, and the crew to support these operations.
• Commercial: These ships support profit making enterprises like resource extractions, manufacturing, and trade.
• Non-commercial: Ships for performing missions not directly related to war or profit making like science experiments and private vessels.

Some of the specific missions do apply to more than one of the broader roles, as the ship design for the broad missions is captured in the secondary codes.

Code	Mission	Description	Examples
A	Trader	General purpose mixed mode trade and passenger carriers. Designed for independent and unscheduled operation for opening new markets	free trader, orbital or far port, courier, packet, colony ship, launch
B	Naval Fleet	Primary combat ships designed to operate in a task force or fleet supporting each other.	battleship, dreadnought, destroyer, corvette, sloop
C	Naval Independent	Combat ship used for independent operation and mobility operating alone or in small groups. Quick Reaction forces, operations behind enemy lines and supply line disruptors.	cruiser, frigate, raider, corsair, marauder, intruder, privateer
D	Naval Defenders	Ship for defending assets like worlds, bases, and supply lines.	Defense boat, monitor, sentinel, escort, picket, orbital fortress
E	Naval Auxiliary	Armed ship to support military operations other than the previous groups	Ortillery, planetary assault, mine-layers/sweepers gunships, fighters, customs enforcement, Patrol.
G	General Commercial	A catchall category for commercial/non-commercial ships not covered by other codes.	mobile repair facility, tugs, barges, agricultural ships, factories, search / rescue ships, tenders, smallcraft
J	Resource Extraction	Ships to gather and process resources.	gas giant skimmer, mining, prospector, salvage, refinery
L	Science	Lab and science research vessels. Detail survey vessels	Sensor platforms, lab ship, Beagle, Survey
M	Commercial Liners	Ships designed to transport people as comfortably as possible. Commercial are on scheduled routes. Navy liners are guarded by naval defenders.	Passenger liner, troop transport, prison, medical, cutter
R	Freighter	Ships for carrying cargo or freight other than people.	container cargo, bulk cargo, tanker, military resupply, military ordinance, transport
S	Scout	Long duration, independent operation missions away from known civilization to explore new territory.	scout, explorer, military spy, diplomatic, first contact, system surveillance
V	Carrier	Ships designed to carry other ships, with launch and recovery capability	Battle rider carriers, fighter carriers, LASH freighter
Y	Private	Private, non-commercial ships with unclear missions	safari ship, charter vessels, yacht, private habitat
Z	Special	Experimental designs or unclassified ship

There are 14 codes here which seem (to me) to cover everything in the ongoing discussions, the T5 book, and the many examples wiki. Did I miss anything? Is there enough variability in one or another of the missions it should be split into two (or more) missions.

 

[robject]

I would use "E" as a Naval Auxiliary and dump "F". The reason is at least partly tradition: the Type E Escort is very well recognized.

Hence I prefer codes that have the backing of Very Well Known types from Traveller. Even when it doesn't make for a completely orthogonal set.

Thus, my preference for the "Type K" Safari.

 

[whulorigan]

I would use "E" as a Naval Auxiliary and dump "F". The reason is at least partly tradition: the Type E Escort is very well recognized.

I would second this. It also allows "F" to be reserved for genuine Aerospace Fighter as a cateogory, which can be argued is a different type altogether (supporting both orbital and atmospheric/ground-support gunship operations).

 

[tjoneslo]

Edited the table to change "F" to "E".

 

[robject]

I'll poke at the wiki and see what the starship list looks like...

 

[robject]

...I'm going to update the ship mission code article, the starship navigation bar, and a number of related articles to use a smaller list.

(1) This is to support the T5 mission classification scheme.

(2) The smaller list of broader categories is easier to explain and therefore process for the ship designs.

(3) There are 14 codes here which seem (to me) to cover everything in the ongoing discussions, the T5 book, and the many examples wiki. Did I miss anything? Is there enough variability in one or another of the missions it should be split into two (or more) missions.

Let's also get Marc's buy-in. And, I'm thinking he can spin your list in a way that will make me more comfortable with it. You know, he may say something like "In-game codes are employed by manufacturers and shipyards which are informal, approximate, or generalized from the standard mission codes"... and since he's said things like that before, it's a real possibility.

Or maybe he can explain why Chartered Yachts (K) should be split from Personal Yachts (Y). Because as much as I want the split, I can't think of an objective justification. I just feel the weight of Traveller here... and that people ought to continue to understand what is meant when someone says "Type K" versus "Type Y". It's quite subjective.

 

[robject]

Here's another thought -- since the Scout/Courier is a Scout and a Courier, perhaps "courier" should shift back to the "S" row.

 

[robject]

Thomas, let me come at it from another angle.

Of the T5 codes, there are too many of them. These are table filling options, not well described missions.

This gave me the idea of a general classification code that overlays the T5 mission codes. Many of them are obviously related. Perhaps taking a pass over the table can smallify the list as a General Ubercode System-Thing.

I'll highlight the bits that are different from your table.

I've got 15 codes. Can't say it doesn't hurt a little bit.


NOTES
I dropped the "Z" -- not because it's not cool, but because it is so seldom used.
I defer "Carrier"/"Tender" to secondary modifier code(s).

It hurts to paper over some of these codes; calling it an "overlay" takes a lot of the sting away.

(T5 B2 p68) "Category D/E" Mission Code	(WIKI PROPOSAL) "Category C" Mission Code	Description	Examples
T - Transport A - Trader U - Packet	A - Trader	General purpose mixed mode trade and passenger carriers. Designed for independent and unscheduled operation for opening new markets.	free trader, orbital or far port, packet, cargoliner
C - Cruiser G - Frigate T - Assault H - Ortillery	B - Battle C - Cruiser	(B) Primary combat ships designed for task forces or fleet supporting each other. (C) Combat ship designed for independent operation and mobility operating alone or in small groups.	battleship, dreadnought, assault, ortillery cruiser, frigate, intruder
S - Sentinel D - Defender B - Boat N - Monitor	D - Defense	Ship for defending assets like worlds, bases, and supply lines.	System Defense Boat, monitor, sentinel, picket, orbital fortress
V - Destroyer E - Escort T - Aux Navy Transport W - Barge T - Tender/Tug P - Picket P - Patrol	E - Escort	Armed ship to support military operations other than the previous groups.	Escort; mine-layers/sweepers gunships, customs enforcement, patrol, destroyer, corvette, sloop
J - Prospector	J - Seek & Salvage	Ships to find, recover, gather, and process resources.	gas giant skimmer, mining, prospector, salvage, refinery search & rescue (!)
K - Safari K - Expedition	K - Expedition	Long duration private chartered ship for recreation and tourism.	safari ship, personal touring ship
L - Lab N - Med N - Survey B - Beagle	L - Laboratory	Research vessels. Detailed survey vessels.	Sensor platforms, lab ship, Beagle, Survey
M - Liner N - Med	M - Liner	Ships designed to transport people as comfortably as possible. Commercial are on scheduled routes.	subsidized liner, clipper, megacorporate long liners and transports
P - Corsair R - Raider P - Marauder P - Privateer	P - Corsair	Anti-logistics ships designed to harm commercial traffic and supply auxiliaries.	corsairs, raiders, marauders, privateers.
Q - Small Craft	Q - Small Craft	A catchall category for all small craft.	Lifepod, fighter, gig, launch, ship's boat, pinnace, cutter, shuttle, drone
R - Merchant F - Freighter	R - Merchant	Ships for primarily or exclusively carrying freight.	bulk cargo, freighter, container cargo, subsidized merchant
S - Courier S - Messenger S - Scout X - Express	S - Recon/Courier	Long duration, independent scouting missions, for gathering intelligence beyond state borders and transmitting messages inside state borders	scout, explorer, military spy, diplomatic, first contact, system surveillance, express, search / rescue ships
T - Transport T - Tug W - Barge	T - Transport	A catchall category for commercial/non-commercial ships not covered by other codes.	Mobile repair facility, tugs, barges, agricultural ships, factories, tenders. Tanker, military resupply, military ordinance, transport, prison, medical, troop transport, colony ship.
Y - Yacht	Y - Luxury	Short duration privately owned and operated luxury leisure ship.	yacht, corporate packet ("business jet"), diplomat transport, head-of-state transport

 

[robject]

And there will be, over time, an effort to update over 2000 ship designs to used these (mostly compatible) missions.

You know, I think there had better be tools to help with this. I feel that viewing/editing 2,000 pages is probably not the most effective way to update 2,000 ship type codes.

Any way I can help?

 

[whulorigan]

(T5 B2 p68) "Category D/E" Mission Code	(WIKI PROPOSAL) "Category C" Mission Code	Description	Examples
C - Cruiser G - Frigate T - Assault H - Ortillery	B - Fleet C - Cruiser	(B) Primary combat ships designed for task forces or fleet supporting each other. (C) Combat ship designed for independent operation and mobility operating alone or in small groups.	battleship, dreadnought, destroyer, corvette, sloop cruiser, frigate, assault, intruder
V - Destroyer E - Escort T - Aux Navy Transport W - Barge T - Tender/Tug P - Picket P - Patrol	E - Escort/Auxiliary	Armed ship to support military operations other than the previous groups.	Ortillery, planetary assault, mine-layers/sweepers gunships, customs enforcement, Patrol.

The old Type-T Patrol Crusier is designated either a Corvette or Frigate under T5. I would move corvette under either Cruiser (where Frigate is) or Escort, and Sloop should probably go under Escort, as a Sloop-of-War was a small corvette bigger than a gunboat that worked in anti-piracy operations (Like a WWII USN Destroyer Escort).

 

[robject]

^ Moved corvette, sloop, and destroyer under E-Auxiliary, since they are essentially types of Escorts.

Actually, I shuffled a lot of things around. Things get messy fast...

 

[Spinward Flow]

The old Type-T Patrol Crusier is designated either a Corvette or Frigate under T5.

It's not a frigate, it's a corvette.
The Type T (and the derivative designs I've been posting based upon it the past couple of days in the Fleet forum) is really more of a police/customs inspector ship that needs to be capable of anti-pirate duties, so it's more of a paramilitary type (really). Without the "protection" of LBB2.81 combat rules, it's a sub-optimal design that's badly in need of a refresh to make it compatible with LBB5.80 combat rules. As is, the Type T is suffering a pretty bad case of "Kinunir-itis" (if that even makes sense) as a combatant given how the rules evolved away from letting it "work" properly later on.

Oh and the wiki page for the Type T class Patrol Cruiser wiki page could use some updating (TL=10 with LBB2.81 standard drives) and correction to match the CT Errata, p10:

Page 66, Patrol Cruiser (type T) (correction and omission): Pulse lasers are installed. 8 troops can be carried if the gunners and troops are at double occupancy. The correct cost is MCr 229.59 (after discount), and the ship takes 16 months to build.

Also, the metadata for the ship has no info.

 

[whulorigan]

It's not a frigate, it's a corvette.

I have seen it called both in-print in T5 material. That is why I mentioned it.

 

[tjoneslo]

You know, I think there had better be tools to help with this. I feel that viewing/editing 2,000 pages is probably not the most effective way to update 2,000 ship type codes.

Any way I can help?

I have several tools to help. If the goal is simply to update code XY to code AB in the template I can manage that in a few minutes. The real goal is more ambitious. I'd love to go through all of the (ACS size) ships and design them with a consistent build. I.e. use the T5 starship design system for all of them. But that requires a tool (e.g. a spreadsheet) with all the options available.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Then how about this?

LBB S9 features two 1000 ton ships labeled Destroyer Escorts (DE, p14-15) and a 3000 ton ship labeled a Destroyer (DD, p16).
Once you reach LBB S9, p28+ it's all 30,000 tons and up from there with spinal mounts everywhere.

So if we accept the notion that Destroyers (as a class) are large enough to be 1000 tons minimum, but not large enough to mount a spinal weapon, then Destroyers fall into the 1000-5000 ton range quite naturally, and realistically most will be less than 10,000 tons, armed with a variety of turret and bay weapons, in lieu of having a spinal mount.

If we're doing a top down review of mission codes, I would even go so far as to say that a proper dedicated Destroyer (a DD type) is any navy ship with at least 1 bay weapon and no spinal mount (the bay weapon is their "spinal mount" in their smaller hull size category) plus turret batteries, which the LBB S9, p16 Destroy qualifies for. This will mean an absolute minimum 1100 tons displacement but will usually be more in the 2000-5000 tons range typically in order to have a mixture of bay and turret weapons (as opposed to having only a single bay weapon).

If you then say that Frigates are "below" Destroyers in weapon capacity, you can then define Frigates as any navy ship with 10 or more turrets and no bay weapons. Under that notion, the 1000 ton Destroyer Escorts detailed on LBB S9, p14-15 which have only turrets and no bay weapons would be more properly classified as Frigate Escorts, rather than Destroyer Escorts. The point is that a Frigate COULD have mounted a bay weapon (reducing its quantity of turret hardpoints available by -10 per bay), but the design CHOSE NOT TO, so the ship is a Frigate, not a Destroyer. This means a minimum of 1000 tons displacement but can be higher and have some overlap in the tonnage range with Destroyers.

Below that category you would have the Corvettes, which you can define as any navy ship with 9 or less turrets, which will usually mean under 1000 tons displacement.



So with that in mind, you wind up with the following generic labels based on weaponry.

Battleship: 1 spinal mount, 2+ batteries of all other weapon types (Dreadnaughts add Armor: A+)
Cruiser: 1 spinal mount, additional weapon batteries optional (but also typical)
Destroyer: 0 spinal mounts, 1+ bay weapons, turret batteries optional (minimum 1000 tons)
Frigate: 0 spinal mounts, 0 bay weapons, 10+ turrets (minimum 1000 tons)
Corvette: 0 spinal mounts, 0 bay weapons, 9- turrets

Note that such an organizational scheme might mean reclassifying some of the LBB S9 ships, although I've attempted to define the criteria in such a way as to minimize that necessity.

 

[robject]

I suppose we use navy terms for ship mission codes because we want to make sense at some level.

Not being a navy person, my exposure to these terms is mostly via classic Traveller, so my view is skewed.

T5 says the Frigate is a major combatant. In a small ship context, I think the Patrol ship qualifies, because the Cruiser is 800 tons.

But yeah, then when we shift into the Imperial Navy, the patrol ship is not there at all -- the Close Escort takes over.

 

[robject]

I have several tools to help. If the goal is simply to update code XY to code AB in the template I can manage that in a few minutes. The real goal is more ambitious. I'd love to go through all of the (ACS size) ships and design them with a consistent build. I.e. use the T5 starship design system for all of them. But that requires a tool (e.g. a spreadsheet) with all the options available.

Got it. An ACS port. That's ambitious!

 

[robject]

LBB S9 features two 1000 ton ships labeled Destroyer Escorts (DE, p14-15) and a 3000 ton ship labeled a Destroyer (DD, p16).
Once you reach LBB S9, p28+ it's all 30,000 tons and up from there with spinal mounts everywhere.

So if we accept the notion that Destroyers (as a class) are large enough to be 1000 tons minimum, but not large enough to mount a spinal weapon, then Destroyers fall into the 1000-5000 ton range quite naturally, and realistically most will be less than 10,000 tons, armed with a variety of turret and bay weapons, in lieu of having a spinal mount.

Since Destroyers and Escorts are not even secondary, then yeah. Makes me wonder what Destroyers are designed to Destroy that other ships aren't designed to Destroy, though.

If we're doing a top down review of mission codes, I would even go so far as to say that a proper dedicated Destroyer (a DD type) is any navy ship with at least 1 bay weapon and no spinal mount (the bay weapon is their "spinal mount" in their smaller hull size category) plus turret batteries, which the LBB S9, p16 Destroy qualifies for. This will mean an absolute minimum 1100 tons displacement but will usually be more in the 2000-5000 tons range typically in order to have a mixture of bay and turret weapons (as opposed to having only a single bay weapon).

You're talking "Battle-Class Ships" -- High Guard stuff. The harder definitions are the smaller ships: the 800 ton Cruiser, the 500 ton Corvette, the 300 ton Escort.

If you then say that Frigates are "below" Destroyers in weapon capacity,

Other 'way 'round. Frigates are simply less well-armored than Cruisers. If we take Thomas' notes into consideration, they'd therefore not be seen working independently, but rather working in support of a squadron or larger unit. Or something.

Below that category you would have the Corvettes, which you can define as any navy ship with 9 or less turrets, which will usually mean under 1000 tons displacement.

But yes, Corvettes are below Frigates, and to me they seem to be on the same level as Escorts, but with a different mission.

Note that such an organizational scheme might mean reclassifying some of the LBB S9 ships, although I've attempted to define the criteria in such a way as to minimize that necessity.

 

[robject]

S09: The Destroyers are Escorts

p14. The Chrysanthemum class destroyer escort is a small, fast vessel intended for fleet and squadron escort duties. ... This class of destroyer escort has been pressed into service in a variety of non-escort duties, including orbital patrols, police operations, garrison duties, and even limited strike missions.

p15. [Fer de Lance] ...mid-sized escort vessel expressly for close protection of unarmed transport craft. ... this type of vessel can be found escorting most squadrons as well as more typical convoys.

p16. The Midu Agashaam class destroyer is a streamlined escort vessel intended to supplement fleet defenses with anti-fighter and anti-small craft ships.

Since their main purpose is to escort, they are Escorts, albeit multipurpose with some strike capability -- but their role is defense, not offense, so they are Escorts, not Corvettes. The "Destroyer" moniker might allude to them acting as an anti-fighter and anti-small craft screen.

 

[robject]

T5: Patrol Ships look for trouble by definition

Because of their original tag name "Cruiser", and because they operate as pickets, customs, and patrol, their primary role appears to NOT be defensive, but rather patrol -- they're looking for trouble. Therefore, they qualify as Corvette rather than Escort.