Troop carriers

posted on June 2nd, 2011, 9:20 pm

Whatever happened to the Federation ships specifically designed to capture other ships and facilities? I find it very difficult to believe that the Federation would no longer have ships for board and storm tactics. Surely they wouldn't have discarded the Iwo Jima class so easily.

[Tyler]

posted on June 2nd, 2011, 9:23 pm

Last edited by Tyler on June 2nd, 2011, 9:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

They are generally ignored in FO, under the logic that such ships are borrowed from planetary governments rather than actually part of Starfleet. Not something I approve of, but it's not me making the game.

The devs apparently would discard the Iwo Jima that easily, considering they have done it.

posted on June 3rd, 2011, 1:53 am

Ugh. The less said of the Iwo Jima the better.

posted on June 3rd, 2011, 2:00 am

Although..... Properly re-envisioned the iwo jima class could make an interesting mixed tech design.

[Tyler]

posted on June 3rd, 2011, 2:02 am

Last edited by Tyler on June 3rd, 2011, 2:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

Yes, there's 2 good ones available. The Interstellar Machine version is especially good, even if a small sod patch is needed to get hardpoints.

A retexture of the stock gave it ENT-era textures, which actually suited it quite well.

posted on June 3rd, 2011, 2:16 am

A mixed-tech Iwo Jima would either be a Dominion or Klingon mixed tech design, but those spots are already occupied by the Miranda II and the forthcoming Okinawa.

posted on June 3rd, 2011, 3:17 am

At this point it's a little premature to assume there will only be 1 exclusive mixed tech design per race... It's possible that we may have several mixed designs per race.

posted on June 3rd, 2011, 3:25 am

Eventually, but I'd bet good money that it won't be any time soon.

posted on June 3rd, 2011, 11:36 am

Yes, there's 2 good ones available. The Interstellar Machine version is especially good, even if a small sod patch is needed to get hardpoints.

A retexture of the stock gave it ENT-era textures, which actually suited it quite well.

Also, there's a very good rebuild by Aad Moarman over at a2files. If anyone would like to put the IJ into his/her game, that's the version I'd recommend.
MAP turned the IJ into an excelsior kitbash, so if you like the TMP look, go get it. Also over at a2f.

posted on June 3rd, 2011, 6:46 pm

I disagree that troop lift would be provided by member planets only. Starfleet, I remember there being a Starfleet Marine Corps. They would need troop transport and specialized boarding ships. Maybe the Iwo Jima class wasn't the best design, but hey, we're talking about an Activision title here. Surely there should be something good for Starfleet boarding craft.

[RedEyedRaven]

posted on June 3rd, 2011, 7:09 pm

Last edited by RedEyedRaven on June 3rd, 2011, 7:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Starfleet, I remember there being a Starfleet Marine Corps.

I don't, and I know most episodes. All gun-toading starfleet-personell on DS9 (which was the only show to include that stuff) were no marines or ground-infanterists - they were fleet officers.

They would need troop transport and specialized boarding ships.

I think federation troops would travel in any ship with sufficient capacities. It's just about reaching the planets/stations/areas they're assigned to so they don't need a specialised ship because any ship with warp-drive will do fine.

Klingons and Dominion on FO have troop-ships that are true specialists on carrying loads of soldiers; the federation ships however are versatile enough to spare some guest-quarters or cargo-bays in case they need to transport marines.


Edit: I thought a moment and remembered that on TNG, the romulans once sent a big invasion-force on rather small looking vulcan ships (Reunion part II) 

posted on June 3rd, 2011, 7:15 pm

I don't, and I know most episodes. All gun-toading starfleet-personell on DS9 (which was the only show to include that stuff) were no marines or ground-infanterists - they were fleet officers.

I assume he means the ones in the unusual 'black with a stripe' uniforms that are often accepted as Starfleet marines.

I think federation troops would travel in any ship with sufficient capacities. It's just about reaching the planets/stations/areas they're assigned to so they don't need a specialised ship because any ship with warp-drive will do fine.

There was an Excelsior that did the role (going by the crew size of 1250 that is), so anything larger than that would probably suffice. They can defend themselves, too.

posted on June 3rd, 2011, 7:24 pm

There was an Excelsior that did the role (going by the crew size of 1250 that is), so anything larger than that would probably suffice. They can defend themselves, too.

And they don't raise suspicion while doing some secret operations.

All in all, Starfleet probably wouldn't develop a declared troop-ship because it would be too obvious to others what a troopship may do here in this or that sector. That's usually not the intention of Starfleet.
They used small phasers which are easily hidden under uniforms, so they'd rather hide their troops too (until they're truly needed)

posted on June 4th, 2011, 8:48 am

The Starfleet Marines don't exist in FO - one of the mod's several deviations from canon.

posted on June 4th, 2011, 10:24 am

Actually, it makes sense that StarFleet has no ground troops.

I think it's not mentioned anywhere, but ground troops are possibly a planetary/race matter, like the Bajoran Militia. So I'd say that Marines may exist in Earth, under Earth Government command. But I'd also guess that Earth Marines do not belong in Starfleet ships, and actually have different chains of command.

I'm fairly sure too that in certain cases Starfleet would provide transport for ground troops from any member race of the UFP, so Starfleet can make sure those troops are not on a conquest mission, but defensive.

For this reason, it's rational that Starfleet has no dedicated ship designs for troop transport. That doesn't mean that some UFP member races may have them, if they can afford to field and maintain them.