The Bulk Cruiser--is there actually a use for it?

[LeftWingExtremist]

I always figured frrom ANH that a Bulk cruiser was a cheap, mass produced, and second rate starship (military or otherwise) that was considered inferior compared to top of the line vessels (the "big Corellian ships", or Star Destroyers) It would make sense you'd see them in local defense fleets or backwater navies.

I also suspect that "bulk cruiser" is a catch-all term for different kinds of vessels along those lines.

IIRC the Daley novels have something called a "pocket cruiser" which is kinda along those same functions (and spirit, I believe.)

The problem is that bulk cruisers are physically larger than ships more powerful than it. So in material costs its more expensive as well as being less powerful than most ships smaller than it.

[Jim Raynor]

The Bulk Cruiser is part transport ship. A lot of its volume would be empty space, and it doesn't mount as many weapons, power generators, etc. as a dedicated warship. That should keep the costs down.

[Warsie]

You mean MC-80's?

no, the smaller MC40s.

MC-40's were I think light cruiser that were good at their job of being light cruisers. The idea that they were pleasure ships is a bit silly and Its generally thought that Mon Cal Ships are actually purpose built warships anyway.

Light cruisers or Calamarian Destroyers, one of those. But remember, it has been stated many times that the Calamarian people were pacifist and disliked war immensely, and before the Empire occupied them and they rose up by converting farming tools into weapons and driving the Imperials from their world, that they knew nothing about war (or forgot it).

Remember, only a few Calamarian warriors fought in the Clone Wars, most of the fighting on Mon Calamari was by the Republic.

The Calamarians may have updated some of the later ships built from the designs the Quarren did. It was the Separatist Quarren who built the Providences.

And also, on the subject of usefulness of BulkCruisers, why did the Death Star II destroy a Bulk Cruiser at Endor during the fleet combat, when there was likely one larger and better ship to hit (though, I admit it might've been simply due to the Urjani being the only ship available to destroy without hitting the Imperial Fleet)

[Isolder74]

The Death Star Destroyed a Liberty type Mon Cal Cruiser and a Nebulon-B Frigate on screen.


I'm very sure that no Bulk Cruisers were present at the Battle of Endor.

[Jim Raynor]

The Bulk Cruiser he's talking about is from the X-Wing Alliance computer game. The targets might have been limited (due to the Rebel fleet closing to point blank range with the Imperial fleet), or the Death Star might have even been picking its targets arbitrarily, to drag on Palpatine's stupid, egotistical game. Even an MC80 Star Cruiser wasn't nearly the best ship they could have destroyed, seeing as how there was more than one Home One type ship there.

[nightmare]

The Bulk Cruiser he's talking about is from the X-Wing Alliance computer game. The targets might have been limited (due to the Rebel fleet closing to point blank range with the Imperial fleet), or the Death Star might have even been picking its targets arbitrarily, to drag on Palpatine's stupid, egotistical game. Even an MC80 Star Cruiser wasn't nearly the best ship they could have destroyed, seeing as how there was more than one Home One type ship there.

Perhaps this is why the DS2 blasted one of them...the Defiance.

[drachefly]

The problem is that bulk cruisers are physically larger than ships more powerful than it. So in material costs its more expensive as well as being less powerful than most ships smaller than it.

Materials costs may be insignificant compared to the costs due to complexity. Compare the cost, today, of a destroyer vs a supertanker.

Suppose, for example, that a bulk freighter uses heavier armor to make up for second-rate shields. That could be much much cheaper, but it would end up being heavier and slower.

Similarly for power generation, weapons, sensors, and so forth.

[Jade Falcon]

It's possible that Bulk Cruiser are merchant hulls hastily converted.

If you want an example from another franchise look at the Wing Commander novels and games. The TCS Tarawa is an Escort Carrier, basically a transport ship with uprated engines from a Gilgamesh class destroyer and a flight deck hastily mated to the hull with some rudimentary weapons. Carrying a single squadron of fighters its not anywhere near the equivalent of Fleet carriers but they do in an emergency.

Maybe Bulk Cruisers are the product of similiar thinking. After all, the Rebel Alliance, as well as mercenary and pirate groups often don't have the latest technology, and some will make do with whatever they can get.

[Warsie]

The Death Star Destroyed a Liberty type Mon Cal Cruiser and a Nebulon-B Frigate on screen.


I'm very sure that no Bulk Cruisers were present at the Battle of Endor.

as Raynor said, I'm referring to the Urjani from XWA.

And a Nebulon-B wss destroyed? I didn't see that.

[The Original Nex]

The Death Star Destroyed a Liberty type Mon Cal Cruiser and a Nebulon-B Frigate on screen.


I'm very sure that no Bulk Cruisers were present at the Battle of Endor.

No it destroyed two Mon Cal cruisers on screen. A Liberty-type, and a Home One-type.

[Jim Raynor]

The horrible KJA story where IG-88 plans to conquer the entire galaxy mentioned that some frigates were taken out by the superlaser.

[Isolder74]

The horrible KJA story where IG-88 plans to conquer the entire galaxy mentioned that some frigates were taken out by the superlaser.

The Medical Frigate is seen hit in the comic version of the Battle.

[Warsie]

The horrible KJA story where IG-88 plans to conquer the entire galaxy mentioned that some frigates were taken out by the superlaser.

Okay, thank you

The Medical Frigate is seen hit in the comic version of the Battle.

Directly or indirectly? Damn, the DS II has good aim then. Was it a direct hit, or was it destroyed in collateral damage, as in being in the superlaser's path on the way to the superlaser's intended target.

If that did happen, did it happen during fleet combat when the Imperators could tell the DS the coordinates of the Rebel ships, etc?

Yeah, I forgot the Comic versions. The SW manga for ROTJ shows a Home One-type ship cleaved in half by the first DSII's shot

[Isolder74]

well the frame shows the Falcon flying under the exploding Frigate while its being hit, and the blast going right through, so its rather hard to tell. My copy of the comic is at another house so I can't scan it to show.

[Warsie]

well the frame shows the Falcon flying under the exploding Frigate while its being hit, and the blast going right through, so its rather hard to tell. My copy of the comic is at another house so I can't scan it to show.

going right through?

Okay. Based on what you said, the beam can be changed in thickness, but it's hard to tell. Okay. Hopefully I'll also scan the SW manga/take a picture of it to show soon with the DS shots.

[Connor MacLeod]

The problem is that bulk cruisers are physically larger than ships more powerful than it. So in material costs its more expensive as well as being less powerful than most ships smaller than it.

First off:

Second, what part of "cheap", "mass produced" and "second rate" did you not understand? Warships like the Venator and Imperator are built as frontline, top quality starships and are quite effective for their size/tonnage. By contrast, the separatist ships are much less effective, but also cheaper and easier to construct. A bulk cruiser could very well be built with less powerful weaponry and shielding, slower engines, less effective detection and comm gear, and so on and so forth. It may be highly modular. It may use less effective armour or construction materials (Cheaper, ,but less durable.) to save on costs. Such concepts are not unknown in real life.

The movie tends to suggest they are a much cheaper version of the ISDs or their corellian equivalents (The Big Corellian ships) but they may also have a cargo or carrier role as well (as I said, they could be modular or multi-function, again like Separatist ships.)