Millitary Design Modules

[Evil Capitalist]

OK ironclads.

Industrial age ships.

Clipper ship: Fast and efficient the clipper first appeared in the early 19th century and lasted until the improved efficiency of steamboats made them no longer competitive

Early steamship: The most famous example of this is the SS Great Britain, but there are many others. These ships gradually came into prominance as the steam engine improved. Driven first by paddlewheels, then by screws, the steamship was well suited to routes in civilized areas.

Early Ironclad: The idea of a ship coated with iron was put forward in the 1850s by an Englishman. The admiralty did not want to start an arms race that would leave most of their ships out of date, so the idea was not taken up. However some were built by the USA, notably the monitor and the merrimac. When these two ships tried to destroy one another in the civil war taking hours to cause damage the battle was reported world wide. The winner, the monitor, then sank on it's way to be repaired. Coastal.

Early submarine: Although the first submarine was built in the 17th century the first time they were built in peacetime was in the mid 19th century. Extremely unsafe and prone to sinking, these vessels did not catch on until the turn of the 20th century. coastal, when out of port is very likely to get damaged.

Later Ironclad: After the victory of the Monitor all navies started to build ironclads. A few ironclads had been made before- notably the French La Gloire and the British Warrior. The royal navy at first cladded some ships of the line with iron. However soon they were purpose building the ships. These ironclads still used sails to save coal, but this gradually disappeared with the rise in coaling stations and the application of rotatable turrets.
Special abilities: Rotatable turrets: Although this resulted in a decrease in total firepower, the guns could be turned to face any direction, increasing their effect. This resulted in the removal of rigging and other problematic parts, although that had little effect on performance.

Cruiser: This ship was an improvement on the newer ironclads, and was the first sort of vessel to look like a modern warship. First classified by the British in 1887, but dating back about 20 years more. Fast and with medium armament, the first ones were built with sails and steam, such as HMS Shah in 1868, and made of iron (later steel). They soon became better protected with armoured decks and shields for machinary and magazines. These protected cruisers were replaced with armoured cruisers, which were used for raiding merchants and scouting. After WW1 the cruiser became the dominant vessel, with large guns and a considerable AA ability. The cruiser finally went into decline in the missile age- being much more expensive than frigates and destroyers, but not much more powerful.
Special abilities: see modern abilities(below)

Battleship: the term was coined by the royal Navy for a ship of over 74 guns. However it would come to mean one of the largest ships afloat. In 1871 the British launched HMS Devastation- with no sails and four guns in two turrets. The size of guns rapidly increased to above 12", the displacement grew and the engines became faster. However early battleships were not so good at hitting their targets, and were vulnerable to mines.
However in 1906 HMS Dreadnought was launched making all other battleships obselete and starting an arms race to build massive dreadnoughts. The rangefining was improved, the speed greater, the guns more powerful and the armour as thick as any other ship of the time. However they were still vulnerable to submarines, and that is how most of them were lost. Their vulnerability to aerial attack was discovered but ignored in the 1920s. The ships became more costly and less practical. Aircraft carriers proved more deadly in WW2 and Britain scrapped her last battleship, the King George V, in the 1950s. America recently recommissioned four Ohio class battleships (I think), which made appearances in the Lebnanon and the Iraqi war.
Special abilities: see below

Battlecruiser: A ship that was meant to provide the speed of the cruiser and the power of the battleship. The first one was laid down in 1906, capable of 25 knots and with 8 12" guns. The battlecruiser could sink a battleship, but had little armour, making it rely on its speed for protection. The ships' vulnerability was proven at the battle of Jutland, where German battlecruisers, with thicker armour, lasted considerably longer in the fray. Of the three the Royal navy retained two were sunk in 1941, one to japanese planes and another to the German battleship Bismark.

Submarines: The fully submersable sub appeared in the 1880s. This, when equipped with torpedos, was a deadly menace to shipping. In 1895 a new version appeared with a combined steam and electric power system. The power of submarines was demonsrated in WW1, when they became a major instrument of blockade. The most famous use of submarines were the German U boats. These brought Britain close to defeat with their attacks on British and American convoys.
The first nuclear submarine was built in 1955 was the start of the uclear submarines. The submarines of today fall into two catagories- standard and missile. Standard submarines are intended to blockade and attack shipping. Missile submarines carry nuclear weapons, such as the Polaris and Trident systems. Special abilities: Engine choice: Steam+electic/ Diesel+electric/ hydrogen peroxide fuel*/ nuclear reactor. Air rebreather: A far more efficient way to reuse air in an enclosed environment. Stealthy: Minimises heat, sonar and electronic emisions, making the sub much harder to detect.

Destroyer: The first destroyers were unarmoured torpedo boats, but later they started to be fitted depth charges and given light armour as well. They soon became escort vessels, capable of dealing with submarines and aircraft. In the 1950s they came to be equiped with rockets and radar, and gradually they became the main surface vessel of most fleets.
Special options: see below.

Frigate: The name of this class is the same as the Napoleonic ship. The ship was developed in an ASW capacity during WW2 to protect convoys. The ship has risen to become the largest class of ship in most navies (excluding the carrier). Originally equiped with small deck guns and depth charges, they now have anti-ship missiles like the exocet and seawolf.
Special abilities: See below

Carrier: The first purpose built aircraft carrier was HMS Ark Royal (the third of seven IIRC). This launched its aircraft from the water, and was soon outdated by the full carrier, with take off and landing possible on deck. Development happened between the wars, mainly thanks to arms limitation treaties limiting battleships, and the new designs culminated in the fleets that took part in Pearl Harbour and the battle of Midway. The armoured flight deck was introduced by the British at this time (giving the Kamikazes who crashed into these decks a shock). After the war The British introduced the steam ctapult, allowing the carrier to finally become a floating airfield, capable of launching the air armadas of today. One of the newer developments of carriers has been the VTOL carrier, which is cheaper than a fleet carrier, but can still provide a base for large air attacks, as proved in the Falklands. There are also new carriers, called amphibious ships, that carry only helicopters and marines.
Special abilities: Engines: as other 20th century ships. Armoured deck: makes the ship a lot less vulnerable. AA countermeasures: makes the ship less vulnerable to aerial and missile attacks. Steam catapult: allows all fighters/fighter bombers to use carrier.

Trimarin: This is a new development, just ending trial stages, which uses a revolutionary three hull design to increase speed and decrease fuel consumption.
Special abilities: See below

Stealth boat: This is under development by at least the USN and RN. The idea is to have a ship invisable to radar, and which can thereby regain the element of surprise in naval warfare.
Special Abilites: God knows.

Special abilities for 20th century ships:

Engines: Steam turbine engine. Gas/oil turbine. Nuclear reactor.

ASW abilities: Torpedos, sonar etc.: spot and attack submarines in adjacent squares. (made more effective with Sonar)

ASW helicopter: Many ships today are equipped with helicopters, which can carry torpedoes to a detected submarine without giving away the position of the ship. Combat *2 vs Submarines.

Spotter plane: Popular in WW2 ships, these were used to keep track of the battle and report of shot accuracy before radars and computers. See 2 squares. +1 firepower

Electronic aids: Does all the processing of data and collects it all in one room. See 2 squares, +1 firepower (cheaper than plane)

Fibre-optic link: Allows ships to maximise communication. further +1 firepower.

Missile launch facilities: Allows a ship to launch cruise missiles.

AA countermeasures: AA missiles and chainguns give a ship almost total protection from aerial and missile attack.


Anyone who wants further information on the development of the Navy over the past 50 years (and is as sad as I am) can PM me (I have a project from a few years ago).

[Youngsun]

Thanks Thanks! Go Evil capitalist go!

Could you do "missile list" too? or any other list that you might feel appropriate?
[This message has been edited by Youngsun (edited August 17, 2000).]

[Shadowstrike]

EC, it think you missed the Paddlewheeler and some of the ships in Pirates! Y'know the pirate-era ships. And then there were always the early canoes as well as variations of the trireme (bireme, etc.) fielded by the empires of that time.

[Youngsun]

Could you name the pirate era ships with some description shadowstrike? and Evil Capitalist knows many variants of Trireme but he just simplified it for the sake of gameplay thus Trireme represents all ships of that era.

[Evil Capitalist]

For paddle steamers I would have ships of the line and frigates with steam engines and paddlewheels, and the merchants were under early steamships. Was there more in that area?

[Evil Capitalist]

Sorry- I forgot the later merchant vessels.

Liner: Between 1870 and 1900 the time it took to cross the Atlantic halved. Speed and size increased dramatically. Liners and huge steamships were the foundations on which the modern world was built. These ships service global empires and worldwide trading systems.

Container ship: In the 1960s containerisation revolutionised the merchant fleets of the world. Whereas before the ships had been of a single cargo, the idea that containers on a huge ship could be sold to anyone meant massive vessels with enormous cargoes. This spelt the end for many docks, which were too shallow to hold the ships. London docks, the busiest in the world in 1900, was completly shut down by 1980.

Missiles:
My knowledge of these is not that good. However her's a list of the types and any important changes to them.

Early missiles: V1s, V2s. Cause little damage due to the poor guidance systems.

ICBMs (intercontinental balistic missiles): Designed to deliver a nuclear warhead halfway across the globe. Revolutionised by the introduction of solid fuel, meaning they could be left ready to launch, without needing to be filled up first.

IRBMs (Intermediate range balistic missiles): The backbone of most nuclear deterants. These are the things on the back of trucks that get paraded around. Meant for in theatre war- but often have a range of several thousand miles.

SLBMs: (Submarine launched balistic missiles)Submarine launched weapons, meant to strike anywhere, with less cost than an ICBM. USA, USSR and Britain have these.

Cruise missiles: Designed to deliver low level nuclear strikes, the cruise missile came to be the best method of damaging a target without collateral damage or putting friendly lives at risk. They were greatly improved by GPS networks and other precision surveying.

special ability for ICBMs and SLBMs: multiple warhead system: To economise on their nuclear forces some powers use multiple warhead missiles.

Sorry this isn't as comprehensive as the last list.

[Youngsun]

Yeah I wondered where those cargo vessels went thanks anyway.

Also thank you for the missile list.

Is there any other list we need?

[Shadowstrike]

Hmm lemme think... OK, Pirates! had the Barque, the Merchantman, and something else that started with a P, but I forgot the name.

And then, there were always the war junks, used by the Chinese explorer Cheng Ho in either the 14th or 15th century.

[Youngsun]

quote: started with a P

Isn't it called "Privateer"?

Anyone knows Chinese name for "Junk". There must be a name for it. Junk sounds like a rubbish to me.

"Cheng Ho case" is another example of Confucian ruling class putting down many other brilliant breakthrough for its supremacy. What if Cheng Ho was not a eunuch and one of the Confucian officials? What if there was no Confucianism in China at all?

[Evil Capitalist]

quote: Originally posted by Shadowstrike on 08-18-2000 11:55 AM And then, there were always the war junks, used by the Chinese explorer Cheng Ho in either the 14th or 15th century.

That's a good euphamism. Columbus didn't take one of the largest fleets ever with him. All of that because of a giraffe.

[Shadowstrike]

China would be the formost nation in the world, probably conquering vast territories, a foothold in America, a part of Africa, you get the idea.

[Lonestar]

Okay, I'm taking Naval ROTC @ Texas A&M, so let's see if I can clear some things up.

First off: Evil Capitalist, you did a Great job. I saw a couple of mistakes that are more likely honest ones than blatently wrong. The Battleships that were recommishned(sic) were the Iowa class, not Ohio. Also, you completely omitted the Hunley !!! They just raised that bad boy off the coast of S. Carolina, so put the start of subwarfare in the 1860's.

There was no battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac, it was the Monitor and the Virginia.

You also omitted the US Super Ironclad, the New Ironsides That laid the smackdown on the Confederates so many times it wasn't funny.

My nit-picking done, I'd like to put forth some ideas.

1.Battleships should have the most destructive non-nuclear firepower in the game. When it does longrange artillary strikes, by God it should destroy it's targets. Turret modules (up to 4) should be allowed on it, with each turret slowing it down a tile.

2. You should be able to decide as to whether or not you want nuclear powered warships. The bigger the ship, the more expensive it is to install a reactor.

3. Coast Defense forts. This improvement always hacked me off. How can a Civil war era "fort" double the strength againest a AEGIS Crusier? The solution: Add "Shore defense Batteries" modules to the improvement. "Pillbox" modules can be added for effective use againest Marines.

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"You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you"

"Soylant Green is people. PPPeeeoooppllleee!"

[Youngsun]

quote: Coast Defense forts. This improvement always hacked me off. How can a Civil war era "fort" double the strength againest a AEGIS Crusier? The solution: Add "Shore defense Batteries" modules to the improvement. "Pillbox" modules can be added for effective use againest Marines.

You mean those moudules are for terrain or city upgrade not for units right?

[Lonestar]

I figure that the shore defense batteries should be in the city, and not on the tile improvement. They should work on the same principle as artillary in SMAC.

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"You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you"

"Soylant Green is people. PPPeeeoooppllleee!"

[Shadowstrike]

Just BUMPing this for my friend, the Evil Capitalist...