These rules should ensure that a vessel built under this ruleset will be able to perform tasks defined for its type. It should also provide a list of classes for any fleet. In this list, fleet command can see and think through what classes they need to cover their set of tasks. It will also be obvious if there is a skill that their current fleet is unable to provide.

Since this definition is general and highly theoretical, it is not suitable for any case and should be modified in order to fit the purpose. It was needed, however, to provide at least a basic fleet structure in order to fill general tasks that basically any fleet can encounter.

Resources-wise, the best approach when deploying a task force is to use as little as possible to achieve as much as possible. Because of that, it is wise to have multiple types of vessels with various skillsets to cover most possible tasks. It would be a waste of a heavy cruiser to protect a small outpost with little strategic value or to do escort duty on a rarely used trade route. On the other hand, universal frigates can handle escorting freighters, while gunboats are cheap yet effective for protecting outposts.

Scaevola's designers split vessel classes into three main groups and additional detachments:

• Base protection fleet
  
• Territorial fleet
  
• Exploration fleet
  
• Special purpose types

These fleets are just a general idea for handling the separation of duties. There can be special cases that require a specialized vessel to take place.

Base protection is an extremely important task, but since there can be many bases that need to be protected, factions usually depend on smaller forces defined as the first reaction, while having a larger fleet as a backup prepared to jump into the battle and push invaders back.

Therefore, the base protection fleet must be as cheap as possible while being effective enough to withstand the first wave of invasion.

A mix of small and large grid vessel types is usually used for that role. Small grid fighters and fighter-bombers have an excellent price-to-effectiveness ratio, but are useless against large, strongly armed and armored ships. In that case, is it recommended having at least a couple of gunboats.

Vessels are designed with a special focus on firepower and defensive skills (maneuverability and/or armor), while lacking range, advanced technology, or anything else that would make gunboats expensive.

It would be great to have small and heavily armored gunboats around every outpost, but because of effectiveness, gunboats should be designed as cheaply as possible, therefore using only light plating.
There is always a possibility of using a couple of heavy or blast door blocks around vital systems, but it is not recommended. It is better to have two lightly armored gunboats protecting every base than to have one behemoth unable to be in the battle when needed.

The only vessel type without jump drive on this list. Gunboat must be there when the fun begins. There is no need for rapid relocation. Jump drive is also incredibly expensive and bulky and therefore not recommended being installed.

Hydrogen propulsion is generally recommended for its ability to be refilled in no time. It is not necessary, though. Gunboats equipped with ion thrusters can withstand much more damage while being able to operate and distract enemy forces for as long as possible.

Regarding stationary weaponry, artillery is the way to go for gunboats. Great range, relatively quick to reload, and cheaper than railguns. Also, they occupy significantly less space, and therefore, a gunboat can be armed to its teeth by artillery pieces.

Assault cannon turrets are recommended for their effectiveness. Cheaper than artillery, quicker, and somewhat effective against a wide variety of targets—those are the advantages. It is also wise to use at least one artillery turret to provide heavy fire even when immobilized. Gatling turrets are the most universal for every use case, so our designers advise using them extensively. They can aim for subsystems, reducing the enemy's potential for future engagement against the territorial fleet.

The territorial fleet is a swift reaction force for the sector in which it was deployed. It contains vessel types with various capabilities, so this fleet can engage any threat in the sector. It is not, however, meant to be used for long-term deployment far away from its own supply lines. Short-term deployment in such a situation is possible when necessary, but not recommended.

The lightest type used for engaging small targets like small grid fighters and bombers. Both maneuverability and ability to trace small targets are crucial when designing a proper corvette. Corvettes can also supplement a larger fleet and provide first line of defense against light targets.

Because of the maneuverability and somewhat low effectivity of small grid guns, it is not needed for corvette to possess any heavy armor. Light plating can provide decent protection against most threats in this scenario.

Hydrogen thrust is the way to go. It is highly effective and not that easy for smaller calibers to be disabled. Because of hydrogen thrusters, a corvette will be whenever is needed and can save larger capital ships from being overwhelmed by numbers.
Jump drive is needed to follow a fleet. However, it is not advantageous to install more than one.

A corvette needs as many Gatling turrets as possible, supplemented by a couple of assault cannon turrets. This combination is the most effective for the intended type of deployment.
No stationary weaponry is generally needed. If installed, corvette can engage outside its duties. The negative part is higher cost and bigger, therefore less maneuverable vessel.

A basic backup plan is recommended. This contains basic refinery and assembler in case of emergency landing, or immobility. Hydrogen engine is also recommended because of hydrogen on the board.

The most universal type in the territorial fleet. The frigate should be able to stand up against small targets as well as engage the big guys. Frigate is the type to be sent to project power in systems with low probability of enemy actions. It is the cheapest universal type suitable for any situation.

Frigate is universal, its armor should be universal as well. It would not be great for a frigate to lose its maneuverability, but it is a good idea to have some basic protection against big shells. Light armor structure complemented by blocks of heavy armor or blast door around the vital systems should be implemented into the design.

In the sake of reducing price, SVD cannot recommend multiple means of propulsion. Because of that, hydrogen thrust should be used as the most universal existing.

A proper frigate should have a pretty balanced mixture of heavy and light weaponry. Artillery turrets can be used against heavy targets, Gatling turrets against small and nimble enemies. And assault cannon turrets can be used in every situation.

Regarding static weaponry, Artillery turrets are recommended, providing a frigate with the ability to hit the enemy at a distance. Railgun is not recommended for its price, rocket launchers are desperately inefficient.

There are reasons to have proper production facilities on board, but it is also wise to keep the frigate as cheap as possible. It depends on the subtype of the frigate type whether it will be able to provide full production capability, or will focus more on combat capabilities.

A small vessel with a big punch hidden inside. Destroyers are there to hit way above their class. It is mostly gain to loss ratio which should discourage the enemy from engaging a destroyer. Even in case of victory against it, the enemy could lose much more than the destroyer is costs.

A destroyer should engage much bigger, and therefore much better armed enemies. No amount of armor can protect a small ship against a heavy cruiser, so a destroyer must be as nimble as possible. Heavy armor should be used only on the most exposed sub-systems. But, as many say, "the best armor is no armor". They cannot destroy a destroyer when they cannot hit it.

As any vessel meant to outmaneuver its opponents, a destroyer should be equipped with hydrogen thrusters. Because the whole defensive strategy of a destroyer is build against avoiding enemy fire, the explosive nature of hydrogen is not a concern in this case.

In order to be able to hit hard and also maintain decent frequency of fire, it is recommended to use a combination of railguns and artillery. The railgun is a weapon which helps to level the situation against stronger enemy.

Heavy artillery turrets should be used, and the whole design should support them. These turrets should have good view to the main fighting zone (usually the front of a destroyer). Other types of turrets should be added in marginal numbers. They only provide higher frequency of fire and capabilities against smaller enemy ships, but that is not a task for a destroyer to deal with.

Only the basic equipment (basic refinery and basic assembler, hydrogen engine) should be placed. Anything above that would cause the destroyer to be too big, and too heavy.

Exploration fleet is meant to be deployed outside friendly space. Exploration vessels should be able to operate away from the own supply lines. These ships are also the core of any battle fleet and provide most of the capabilities needed for large scale engagement.

The most universal type of all in SFSD. It can also be understood as a frigate design expanded to the maximal potential. This vessel type should deal with any threat while maintaining reasonable price. It is also the most complicated vessel type in terms of balancing all the attributes.

A light cruiser should be able to be deployed deep behind enemy lines, disrupting supply lines, engaging any ship smaller than the cruiser itself, while being able to retreat from any significant danger. When in battle fleet, light cruisers should deal a significant amount of damage while being able to outmaneuver bigger enemies.

Main structure should be from light armor, heavy blocks concentrated around vital sections and those parts of the ship, which are expected to face the enemy. The heavy plating, however, should be the smaller part of the ship's structure.

Main hydrogen thrust with backup ion thrust is usually a way to go. Hydrogen brings the maneuverability, ion secures the survivability. A light cruiser is an expensive ship, after all.
Multiple jump drives should be installed, so one jump drive can be used as backup in case of an emergency.

A balanced mix of light and heavy turrets is recommended. Gatling turrets are still needed because of precision fire.
Fixed railguns provide the strength to engage any target. It is advised to have enough of them to hit multiple sub-systems in case of hit of the enemy. Artillery pieces can complement the armament, but have limited usage in intense scenarios.

A light cruiser should be able to operate independently. Because of that, a refinery is expected to be on board, as well as an assembler.
It is also wise to implement some kind of mining device, being either a fixed drill, or better small mining vessel. The second option removes the need of maneuvering a somewhat large vessel in order to mine for resources.
Cargo space should be adjusted to carry not only ammunition and personal belongings, but also ores and materials. Large cargo is therefore recommended, even though it should be installed out of main battle zones of the ship.
The reactor should be strong enough to support railguns, as well as production facilities and jump drives. It is important to keep in mind, that without electricity, the vessel is useless.

The heavy hand of an exploration fleet. A heavy cruiser is deployed to deal with heavy vessels of the enemy, or enemy bases. Its main focus is to hit hard, while being able to withstand enemy fire.
There is just a limited amount of cases where a heavy cruiser should operate independently. Heavy raids can be applied to a large concentration of targets of significant value. A heavy cruiser can permanently disrupt trade routes, break blockades, raid enemy outposts, and much more. It is however an expensive piece of technology.

The half of a heavy cruiser aiming towards the potential enemy should be composed mostly of heavy armor. Multiple hollow zones are recommended, as well as layered armor. Armament should be placed deep enough in the structure, so it won't be damaged by the enemy fire.

Since a heavy cruiser is heavily armored and properly equipped vessel type, a combination of hydrogen and ion thrust is recommended. In this case, the hydrogen should act as booster for multiple directions.
Multiple jump drives should be on board to give good jump range to the vessel, as well as being backup in case of an emergency jump out of the battle zone.

A heavy cruised design is focused to deal with heavy targets. Combination of stationary railguns and artillery turrets is a necessity. It can be complemented by smaller caliber guns, but only on a place where no bigger gun could be placed.


The equipment for this type equals smaller base. The large reactor being the main supply of energy for the ship. It should also have small backup reactors. Production facilities, backup hydrogen engines, large cargo capacity spread across the vessel. A hangar for a mining vessel is also recommended.

Special types of vessels are rare in a fleet compared to more standard designs. It is so because of their limited usage in combat, high price, or combination of these factors.

Smaller vessel, meaning to aid a territorial fleet. This carrier carries only a small amount of universal fighter-bombers, being able to engage any target. It lacks means of production to build new minions, and therefore depends on home bases for replenishing any potential loses.

Weaponry for this type is limited to smaller calibers, protecting the carrier itself.

Proper carriers can support any fleet. They should provide multiple types of small-grid vessels in good numbers. There should also be sufficient cargo capacity to support and refill those vessels when returning from combat. It is also wise to have a system of fighter production to replenish losses, although it is not needed to be functional when in combat.

Weaponry for this type is limited to smaller calibers, protecting the carrier itself.

A special type of large vessel. It is only meant to be deployed in battle fleets, having a good amount of support vessels around. The battleship doesn't need to be maneuverable, all the protection is focused about heavy armor and smart solutions to limit the destruction potential of enemy fire.