My thoughts on ship sizes.

[Elowan]

Firstly - I think Frigates are useless - even for cannon fodder; too small. And while I'm on the subject - if you can get a hvy wep mount for a sattelite - wherefore not for a frigate?

Destroyers run a close 2nd but sometimes if heavily armored can Last for awhile.

The first useful size - AFAIC - is Light-Cruiser. An upgraded weapons mount, more space, fast. They are the mainstay of my fleets (so far).

Rebuttals? Comments?

[ August 09, 2002, 18:25: Message edited by: Elowan ]

[Arkcon]

Frigates - get 'em while everyone else still has escorts, they rule. Frigates are pretty good scout ships, One missile, one direct fire, one supply, one armor, will do 1 or 2 systems away, I use them pretty well into mid-game if there's no war.

Destroyers - pretty good. Will hold a repair bay, and 3 supply, couple of point defence. An excellect support ship into early mid-game.

Light Cruiser, I agree, is the first, good ship. Fleets of them signify early mid-game. But, what do you if a war starts before you have them?

I once tried to get a dogfight game. I made research requirements high, and resources low. I was hoping to see fleets of escorts and frigates with CSM I and DUC I. But I gave the A.I. a moderate bonus, and so for them it was just an ordinary game. I had frigates, when they had battleships.

[ August 09, 2002, 18:52: Message edited by: Arkcon ]

[kalthalior]

In traditional naval terms, smaller vessels are used primarily as scouts, escorts, minesweepers, or, in modern times, tasked with the anti-sub role. In other words, for specific fleet functions/roles. Traditional Cruisers are the smallest of the "stand and fight" general-purpose warhulls. This has slipped a little in modern times as warships size have increased. In the game, I use FG/DD hulls as scout, survey, repair, supply, mine laying/sweeping functions & picket duty role -- not (generally) as fighting ships, but to fulfill useful fleet functions that don't need the larger hull. Retrofitted LC's replace these specialty ships as I start building BC/BB classes, and CA/BC's as I start DN/BS construction.

[Dracus]

I use escorts as point ships. They can move into a system and see what lays in the path of my fleet.

[Q]

The main advantage of the smaller ships like escorts and frigates are IMO their defense bonus and low cost. Therefore they can be valuable against psychic races with allegiance subverters or ships with huge weapons that have a high reload time. But of course their offensive capability is minimal against larger ships with a lot of shields and/or armor.
Besides that I use them as recon ships and medical support ships.

[oleg]

True, in unmodded SE IV the bigger is usually better. But try Proportions mod for example and you will acknowledge the finer points of smaller ships.