Spaceships

(NOTE THAT INDIVIDUAL PAGES FOR SHIP TYPES ARE NOW AVAILABLE!)
This article definitely wasn't a response to Dabomb's Naval Ship Roles page. (Psst, It was made before it)
== Spaceships ==
Spaceships are a widely used military, civilian, and utility vehicle that operates primarily in space, although some are capable of atmospheric flight and landing. They are most commonly seen as attack craft but are sometimes used as just bases and as previously mentioned, civilian and utility vehicles.
== Types ==
There are many different specialized types of Spaceship. Definitions are very loose but still retain basically the same definition.
=== Cruisers ===
Cruisers are Starships designed to move fast and go long distances. Weaponry is usually varied, many including Missiles, Lasers, and Cannons. Cruisers are typically designed to serve as long range attack vessels, which in their size and firepower can be a potent opponent both alone and in a fleet. The term cruiser, however is relatively loose, and comprises of hundreds of different definitions which vary based on doctrine and historical use. Missile cruisers for instance vary heavily from a gun cruiser.
=== Battleships ===
Battleship is usually the largest types of ships on the field. they contain many high caliber guns and often missiles. They are commonly used and mainly used for blockades or attacks on enemy territory or ships in space. The cheaper, more cost effective dreadnought, which has more diverse fighting capacity.
=== Destroyers ===
Heavy escorts which are usually present in defense of larger vessels. Destroyers are designed for both detection and destruction of smaller threats, usually sporting heavy point defense systems, and sensor arrays to detect stealth equipped vessels. While this is their main purpose, they typically also boast high speed and firepower of their own, though considerably less than their larger counterparts. Destroyers, furthermore, given their well rounded characteristics are well suited for convoy raiding and interdiction. 
Warp Ships
Warp Ships are an uncommon type of ship that use any method of High-speed transportation or teleportation to transport itself and other ships through space.
=== Dreadnoughts ===
Massive fleet vessels which require huge economic investment and are ONLY AVAILABLE TO LARGE NATIONS, given their sheer cost. While fleets of hundreds, even thousands of these have been recorded throughout the history of the BWMC, these numbers are heavily inflated both for internal propaganda and power politics on the international stage. Dreadnoughts comprise the epitome of siege capacity with massive spinal mounted weapons and huge turreted guns capable of annihilating enemy vessels of smaller size. However, despite their immense fighting power they are vulnerable to well organized combined arms warfare combining electronic attacks, strike craft attacks, and generally cheaper more diversified fleets. Given this vulnerability, dreadnoughts when used must always be accompanied by huge fleets. 
=== Frigates ===
Frigates are minor vessels (but important), typically used as support vessels in larger fleets as an effective, cheap means of being able to combat both strike craft and in groups, larger vessels. 
=== Battlecruisers ===
Battle cruisers can generally be considered the heavy cavalry of a spacefaring navy. These ships combine the speed of cruisers and the firepower of battleships to create a fast, powerful, yet vulnerable ship intended for commerce raiding and blockade running.
== Support and Auxiliary Vessels ==
=== Multipurpose Capital Ship ===
Specifically employed by the DMD, in the form of the endeavor class starship. Possesses the power of a dreadnought, however, is fully equipped as a ship of exploration, as well as a ship capable of supporting colonial expansion
=== EWAR Vessels ===
EWAR vessels are exactly what they sound like, dedicated electronic warfare ships that are used to disrupt enemy communications, targeting, and general productivity. Usually small, fast, and lightly armed, but serve a very important role in fleets. As far as is known, the DMD is the only interstellar nation to operate these ships.
=== Sensor Vessels ===
Vessels specifically designed for surveillance and early warning which can be quickly deployed to military and economic areas of strategic importance to provide critical intelligence on enemy movements. Furthermore, these vessels are often geared toward the mitigation of the capacity of the enemy to employ stealth technology. While ships always carry sensor arrays of their own, the benefit of this purpose should not be underestimated. Though this article consists only of military applications, the sensor ship benefits from its usefulness both in peacetime and in war as a ship of exploration and surveying.
=== Fleet Transports ===
This ship class is one almost never considered, but is perhaps one of the most important in any well organized military effort. Fleet transports and the backbone of military logistics in the age of spacefaring empires, and as such serve functions from ship maintenance away from shipyards, to the carrying of ammunition and troops to facilitate planetary invasions. A fleet without a fair complement of these cannot survive long, even with integrated cargo bays in ships.
=== Combat Recon Vessels ===
Combat reconnaissance vessels are a subcategory of the sensor vessels, however these are specifically designed to carry out wartime missions. Equipped with stealth technology and advanced sensors, these ships are designed to penetrate deep into enemy space and collect, and transmit intelligence back to the fleet.
=== Construction Vessels ===
Construction vessels provide for fleets a key necessity, and that is the ability to establish, quickly, a forward operating post during long term missions, and if necessary provide for the construction of planetary emplacements, both in orbit and on the ground.
== Strike Craft ==
Strike crafts are very small ships, usually requiring a mothership of sorts to transport them. Relying on swarm tactics, and high speed to outmaneuver enemies, as well as conduct precision, rapid strikes on the enemy fleet.
=== Fighters ===
Fighters come in a wide variety of different uses, however typically in the realm of space combat take on the role of multipurpose strike craft. Their purpose is to serve as an adaptable, quick reacting ship for reconnaissance, interception, and attack
=== Bombers ===
Light attack craft geared at outmaneuvering and flying "under the guns" of larger ships, and exploiting holes in enemy lines to deliver concentrated, devastatingly accurate missile and inertial bomb damage.
=== Corvettes ===
Small patrol vessels that usually are ill-equipped for large fleet combat, however, are excellent scouts and point defense vessels for small squadrons of capital vessels. Their combat capabilities in firepower are superior to that of most other multipurpose strike craft, however, they are as usual lacking in defense, and are a larger target to hit. Aside from frontline reconnaissance, they are capable ships in the field of minelaying operations, and other practices that don't put to much strain on a vessel.
== Other Terminology ==
=== Bricks ===
A "Brick" is a common term for undetailed, low-block, and high block volume ships, usually based around a visible rectangle or in that shape. It was also a common insult during the UKCS civil war used by BUF supporters to insult UKR forces.
== Unique Vessels ==
Unique vessels removed, as this is not the dedicated ship listing page for individual nations. This article rather is designed to provide basic information on ships and their functions. Most unique ships fall under the normal definitions anyway.
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Category:Vehicles