This thread revival got me playing again recently. Decided to go with a Earth start for the first time in many many games. Also 1% heating sun, 500 million pop conventional start for player empire and 1.7 bil neutral pop.
First system we explored was Luyten 726-8. Very few bodies but one that is almost perfect for humans. If only it wasn't inhabited already. Diplomacy team sent and trade established. After a few years we build jump gates into all our neighbor systems.
The Xenohpon Kingdom and Ark Project were on great terms when the Xenophons sent a small number of ships to Earth. The Ark Project does not know what was communicated between the Xeno's and the Free States of Earth. We do know it ended with several nuclear detonations.
The only response for the nuclear bombardment of Earth is to defend it and end the threat. The only defences that could be brought was a single missile armed PDC on Earth and a small number of FACs built in the Mars ship yards (a way to get around the, at the time, neutrality of Earth).
Belknap class Planetary Defence Centre 8,000 tons 310 Crew 1458.6 BP TCS 160 TH 0 EM 0
Armour 10-35 Sensors 1/800 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 64
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 2
Magazine 144
PDC Size 4 Missile Launcher (16) Missile Size 4 Rate of Fire 60
Kracken FC Mk1 (1) Range 68.7m km Resolution 20
Kracken 100 (36) Speed: 18,900 km/s End: 48.7m Range: 55.2m km WH: 4 Size: 4 TH: 69/41/20
ASR Orbital Mk1 MR286-R20 (1) GPS 16000 Range 286.2m km Resolution 20
Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a Planetary Defence Centre and can be pre-fabricated in 4 sections
Turns out the Xeno ships were no match for our Kracken 100s and the 4 ships they had in Sol were quickly disabled and torn apart by railguns. Not before 36 more nuclear detonations on Earth and 2 Civilian ships were lost.
Since the attack 3 years have passed and military development continued quickly. A Belknap will be assembled on in a year and another on an asteroid near the Luyten JP. Xeno's have been sending ships one at a time since then. Due to the lack of mobile forces at the time civilian shipping in Sol has taken a great loss. The system has 40 wrecks at this point.
The first gen 1 combat ships have rolled out of the Earth yards and the first combat group is ready for it's first mission. Combat Group 01 is made of 3 Arleigh Burke Command Ships, 6 Iowa Missile Boats, 3 Alaska Escorts and 2 Ticonderoga Cruisers.
Arleigh Burke class Command Ship 15,000 tons 373 Crew 2194.2 BP TCS 300 TH 1152 EM 0
3840 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 3-54 Shields 0-0 Sensors 18/24/0/0 Damage Control Rating 20 PPV 0
Maint Life 1.61 Years MSP 914 AFR 180% IFR 2.5% 1YR 410 5YR 6148 Max Repair 800 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 16 months Spare Berths 0
J15000(3-50) Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 15000 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
192 EP Ion Drive (6) Power 192 Fuel Use 27.48% Signature 192 Exp 8%
Fuel Capacity 1,000,000 Litres Range 43.7 billion km (131 days at full power)
ASR Orbital Mk1 MR286-R20 (1) GPS 16000 Range 286.2m km Resolution 20
Thermal Sensor TH3-18 (1) Sensitivity 18 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 18m km
EM Detection Sensor EM3-24 (1) Sensitivity 24 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 24m km
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
Iowa class Missile Boat 10,000 tons 126 Crew 1146.2 BP TCS 200 TH 768 EM 0
3840 km/s Armour 3-41 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 13 PPV 60
Maint Life 1.58 Years MSP 215 AFR 266% IFR 3.7% 1YR 100 5YR 1499 Max Repair 76.8 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 16 months Spare Berths 0
Magazine 400
192 EP Ion Drive (4) Power 192 Fuel Use 27.48% Signature 192 Exp 8%
Fuel Capacity 750,000 Litres Range 49.1 billion km (148 days at full power)
Kracken Tube (100) Missile Size 4 Hangar Reload 30 minutes MF Reload 5 hours
Kracken FC Mk1 (4) Range 68.7m km Resolution 20
Kracken 100 (100) Speed: 18,900 km/s End: 48.7m Range: 55.2m km WH: 4 Size: 4 TH: 69/41/20
Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
Alaska class Escort Cruiser 10,000 tons 225 Crew 1505.2 BP TCS 200 TH 768 EM 0
3840 km/s Armour 3-41 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 15 PPV 6
Maint Life 2.11 Years MSP 470 AFR 160% IFR 2.2% 1YR 141 5YR 2108 Max Repair 320 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 16 months Spare Berths 1
Magazine 374
192 EP Ion Drive (4) Power 192 Fuel Use 27.48% Signature 192 Exp 8%
Fuel Capacity 750,000 Litres Range 49.1 billion km (148 days at full power)
Shark Launcher Mk1 (6) Missile Size 1 Rate of Fire 15
Shark FC Mk1 (2) Range 38.4m km Resolution 1
Shark 10 (374) Speed: 22,400 km/s End: 3.1m Range: 4.2m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 82/49/24
ST/SR Mirrage Mk1 MR25-R1 (1) GPS 320 Range 25.6m km MCR 2.8m km Resolution 1
Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
Ticonderoga class Cruiser 15,000 tons 396 Crew 1997.8 BP TCS 300 TH 1728 EM 0
5760 km/s Armour 6-54 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 15 PPV 60
Maint Life 1.35 Years MSP 416 AFR 360% IFR 5% 1YR 246 5YR 3688 Max Repair 144 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 16 months Spare Berths 0
288 EP Ion Drive (6) Power 288 Fuel Use 75.72% Signature 288 Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 1,670,000 Litres Range 26.5 billion km (53 days at full power)
10cm Railgun V1/C3 (20x4) Range 10,000km TS: 5760 km/s Power 3-3 RM 1 ROF 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fire Control S01.5 16-6000 (2) Max Range: 32,000 km TS: 6000 km/s 69 37 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor Technology PB-1 (20) Total Power Output 63 Armour 0 Exp 5%
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
3 Years after the war started the first military ships are being sent into Luyten. Their mission's goals are 1) Remove enemy ship construction capability 2)Remove enemy fleet presence 3) Destroy extra solar industry 4)Invasion isn't for several years and if potential ground defenses would be insurmountable then reciprocal nuclear bombardment is allowed.