Earlier this thread, there was a mention of significant modification to the Hades-class hulls (by LOAF, if memory serves). Could you bring these to mind?
"Strike" carriers/carriers with heavy weapons tend to not be irrational. During WW2, the 5-inch deck guns on the Essex ships were used to bombard shore installations during the end of the Pacific campaign, and were probably intended to provide protection in the case of a destroyer squadron ambushing the fleet and getting into gunnery range (destroyers also carried 5-inch mounts, so the fight would likely involve the carriers giving almost as good as they got). The reasoning for the Midway/Vesuvius having them is likely similar, as well as the "bombard the planet into fine powdered slag" use that the Tiger's Claw put hers to. Getting hit by anti-capship weaponry tends to be rather unpleasant, as well - I skirted a Fralthi2 in an Arrow and dodged into an AMG shot to see what would happen. Dropped my shields and turned a chunk of my armor to jelly. Didn't do it again. Remind me though - did WC2 AMGs burn through or simply ignore shields?
Length v. Density
Armor. Lots and lots of armor, or internal stores, or any number of things. Also keep in mind that the Confederation class had a big flippin hole in the middle.
Origins of the term "battlewagon" - probably some combination of distaste for the sluggish nature of heavier combat ships, and the use of wagons with reinforced sides as mobile strong points during campaigns lacking heavy weaponry (think a primitive APC), potentially having connotations inovolving the settling of the Midwest and West Coast?
"Strike" carriers/carriers with heavy weapons tend to not be irrational. During WW2, the 5-inch deck guns on the Essex ships were used to bombard shore installations during the end of the Pacific campaign, and were probably intended to provide protection in the case of a destroyer squadron ambushing the fleet and getting into gunnery range (destroyers also carried 5-inch mounts, so the fight would likely involve the carriers giving almost as good as they got). The reasoning for the Midway/Vesuvius having them is likely similar, as well as the "bombard the planet into fine powdered slag" use that the Tiger's Claw put hers to. Getting hit by anti-capship weaponry tends to be rather unpleasant, as well - I skirted a Fralthi2 in an Arrow and dodged into an AMG shot to see what would happen. Dropped my shields and turned a chunk of my armor to jelly. Didn't do it again. Remind me though - did WC2 AMGs burn through or simply ignore shields?
Length v. Density
Armor. Lots and lots of armor, or internal stores, or any number of things. Also keep in mind that the Confederation class had a big flippin hole in the middle.
Origins of the term "battlewagon" - probably some combination of distaste for the sluggish nature of heavier combat ships, and the use of wagons with reinforced sides as mobile strong points during campaigns lacking heavy weaponry (think a primitive APC), potentially having connotations inovolving the settling of the Midwest and West Coast?