Path of Least Destruction

[Rhoades]

One Lamba-class escort shuttle with Darth Vader onboard.

Vader: The Federation will join the Empire.
Federation President: The Federation will join the Empire...

-or-

Federation President: *choke*

Easy as Nerf Pot Pie

[Shinova]

1 Acclamator with 6 A-wings, 6 X-wings, and 6 Y-wings, plus full troop complement.

[Defiant]

One Lamba-class escort shuttle with Darth Vader onboard.

Vader: The Federation will join the Empire.
Federation President: The Federation will join the Empire...

-or-

Federation President: *choke*

That is pretty damn funny!

[Durandal]

I think that it is funny now, looking back at the story where one ISD comes in and nearly destroys the whole Federation fleet. Star Destroyers Rampant I believe was the story. When it was written the guy who wrote it was criticized by all but the most rabid of warsies. Now he is essentially hailed as a visionary =/.

In spite of the technical accuracy of the story, it was an uber-wank of the highest order. That's why it was reviled as garbage and sits with Paul's Second Contact in the "Crap" section of the archive. To my knowledge, Kaz isn't regarded as a visionary by anyone, just a very, very strict debater in terms of technical accuracy.

[Illuminatus Primus]

One Carrack-class cruiser. It has HTLs, yes?

HTLs are not a catch all term for things. This is another reason I want to burn the RPGs.

Carrack HTLs are nothing like ISD HTLs. The similar names are misleading and the firepowers and ranges involved are in orders of magnitude different.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

I think that it is funny now, looking back at the story where one ISD comes in and nearly destroys the whole Federation fleet. Star Destroyers Rampant I believe was the story. When it was written the guy who wrote it was criticized by all but the most rabid of warsies. Now he is essentially hailed as a visionary =/.

Many people call SDR an uber-wankfest, and they're right! It was originally posted not to ASVS or the then non-existent SD.net, but to FanFix (or something like that,) a place where most FanFics are apparently written by rabid Trekkies. Many of them are not a whole lot better than the infamous Portal. I think I read one where a thousand SW starships and fighters died fighting about 3 Federation starships.

So SDR was written as a story that sacrificed almost everything for technical accuracy, and on the way stepping on the arrogant Trekkies a little. If I had gone any further, SDR would be written in machine code and Trekkie-jab lines entirely...

In a way, it was visionary. Most FanFics use balance power ratios lower than typical debate ratios (the number you'd argue for in a hot ASVS fight) so the story's stays fun (tell me, how much fun does SDR's battles look, or do they look like simplistic massacres because the disparity was so absurdly high that tactics and other determinants of battle were almost totally nullified in performance.) SDR, on the other hand, due to its purpose, used a power ratio that was higher than the typical DEBATE ratio used at the time (I think the average assumption for HTLs in those days were about 2GT, and the pro-Trek side still enjoys 64MT torps as a matter of course and try to fight for higher.)

Then of course, the SW firepower estimates climbed higher and higher, and "caught up" with the SDR norm and quickly surpassed it.

That was the only way it was visionary. Occasionally, someone jokes it is visionary, but everyone including the author knows what the problem is.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

To express the technical inferiority of the Enterprise versus the ISD. I guess I should have chosen another Captain other than "turn-the-cheek" Picard, though. As I've admitted, it was a pretty damn dumb story all around

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Give me a two three-thousand year old Invincible-class Heavy Cruisers with a full diplomatic parties, supplies for an extended mission, and full craft and troop loadouts. It'll take decades but through a web of loose protectorates and outright conquests one could quite possibly overrun the whole of the known (to the UFP) alpha and beta quadrants with those two ships. That's economy of force for you, too - If something unexpected happens the ships you lose aren't exactly a great loss. The potential in raw material exploitation for the CSA? Beyond comprehension.

The typical Marauder-class escorts would be nice but not necessary.

Any ruthless military commander with a modicum of political skill could rule the UFP with a brigade of troops - A battalion on each of half a dozen or so critical worlds. The threat of the overwhelming firepower of the ships, combined with those disciplined garrisons, and their willingness to employ force against the civilian populace in an extreme manner to disperse any evidence of disorder, would when combined with a good network of informants and the pacifistic nature of the Federation populace, make the feat quite possible.

Just install yourselves ontop of the current civilian administration and make them continue to work through a combination of an increase in their material quality of life, and fear if they step out of line. It's worked before.

With other powers, protectorate status - one sided alliances, economic and legal Capitulations, forced opening of borders to trade, etc, could be achieved by supporting their enemies against them. Endless playing of the current alliance web could be achieved by deft commitment of a few heavy ships. Victory would be bring an advantageous economic situation for your outright conquests, which would reduce despair as you skim off the top to send profits back home. The allies you choose to keep instead of turning upon would likewise gain and would be tied into your trade net so that turning against you would become less and less possible without severe economic consequences, let alone military.

Eventually, it would be entirely possible to have enough allied native ships supporting your effort - and native quislings to replace your own manpower losses - that operations into the Gamma quadrant as well would be entirely feasable. Perhaps you could style it as an "Anti-Dominion Crusade of the humanoid peoples" or somesuch sufficient propaganda.

Though of course a further commitment of resources would be ideal for a faster conquest, in theory none would be needed to overrun the whole of the Milky Way were enough time to be allowed. The main limitation would be the interest of the backers in a profit, the danger inherent in the loose structure from rebellions, and the possibility of setbacks, which without more forces could be lethal.

That said, with a dozen such ships and twice as many corvettes for escorts, along with a suitable fleet train, galactic conquest would be all but assured. Intense patience would be required - generational, perhaps - but then I am theorizing the effort of merchants, who would be satisfied with the profits of some regions as they develop rather than needing the glory of the conquest of the whole, overnight.

[His Divine Shadow]

I'll use the extensive spec op forces of the empire to create Section 31, then I'll slowly gear certain situations into favorable outcomes.
I can do two things:
1) Cripple the UFP by promoting strict pacifist policies.
2) Make the UFP's policies one's in line with that of the Empire and as such make them join by free will.

[Kuja]

One Carrack-class cruiser. It has HTLs, yes?

HTLs are not a catch all term for things. This is another reason I want to burn the RPGs.

Carrack HTLs are nothing like ISD HTLs. The similar names are misleading and the firepowers and ranges involved are in orders of magnitude different.

Whatever. My point was that it has enough firepower to shred any Feddie ships nearby.

[Andras]

a freighter full of shielded probots, with KT level self destructs. Drop a bunch on each inhabited world and demand surrender. Go ahead, shoot it.

My economy plan involved a world devestator and stealthed corvettes. Have the WD build the probots, GT/MT and KT level warheads, and droid piloted missile gunbots. Use the stealthed CRVs to scout the inhabited worlds and orbital installations, use the gunbots to bomb the orbital platforms and antimatter facilities. then Land the probots with kt self destructs. The probots demand surrender or the gunbots will bomb it. Once a planet has surrendered, advise any hostiles that attempting to retake the world will trigger a GT level neutron weapon. Send in a group of protocol droids to form the new governing bodies, and transmit orders recieved from Imperial 'advisors' off planet. Any resistance fighters can't even kill an Imperial officer b/c they are working through the CPOs. Don't tell anyone that the CPOs have KT self destructs also <grin> Insert hyperspace orbiters to scan for unauthorized computer and communication activity.

[Admiral Johnason]

Does anything besides the World Devasator have the super furance?

[Durandal]

SDR just blew mad ass.

Picard: Oh my god d00d that is a big ship!

Data: Shall we open hailing frequencies?

Picard: No way, shoot it! Kill it!

Data: All torpedoes fired, no damage caused. Enemy has not returned fire, and is trying to hail us.

Picard: Keep shooting!

Don't forget the "Total Firepower Exchanged" stats at the end of every scene.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

Don't forget the "Total Firepower Exchanged" stats at the end of every scene.

And it won't seem quite so moronic.

And can't you guys let me forget this ignominable part of my life's history?

[Keevan_Colton]

Does anything besides the World Devasator have the super furance?

Not exactly....IIRC construction droids have a similar tech....not optomized for military use though.....

[Andras]

You could probably put one and the associated contruction areas in a superfreighter(5+km), use support ships to tractor asteroids and stuff in to it. WDs are smaller then the SuperFreighters anyway. You wouldn't need the weapons or heavy armor/shielding either.

[Ted C]

How about one TradeFed "battleship"? Devote about half of the ship's storage to battle droids and landing craft; devote the remainder to mining droids, labor droids, and manufacturing facilities. Also include schematics for more starships and assorted military and consumer products.

Again, you have the firepower to devastate planets if needed, the shielding to withstand virtually any Starfleet attack, and an army for passifying planets, but this loadout includes support systems for establishing a power base, building infrastructure, and dominating the Alpha Quadrant economy.

[Durandal]

Don't forget the "Total Firepower Exchanged" stats at the end of every scene.

And it won't seem quite so moronic.

And can't you guys let me forget this ignominable part of my life's history?

No.

[Darth Wong]

How about one TradeFed "battleship"? Devote about half of the ship's storage to battle droids and landing craft; devote the remainder to mining droids, labor droids, and manufacturing facilities. Also include schematics for more starships and assorted military and consumer products.

Again, you have the firepower to devastate planets if needed, the shielding to withstand virtually any Starfleet attack, and an army for passifying planets, but this loadout includes support systems for establishing a power base, building infrastructure, and dominating the Alpha Quadrant economy.

I don't think Tradefed battleships carry any heavy weapons. They appear to be armed only with light guns, and would not compare well to a more heavily armed vessel like an ISD.

[Ted C]

I don't think Tradefed battleships carry any heavy weapons. They appear to be armed only with light guns, and would not compare well to a more heavily armed vessel like an ISD.

Are there no figures for TradeFed ship weapons in the ICS?

[Ted C]

I don't think Tradefed battleships carry any heavy weapons. They appear to be armed only with light guns, and would not compare well to a more heavily armed vessel like an ISD.

Also, they don't have to compare favorably to an ISD; they only have to compare favorably to Alpha Quadrant warships.

[Illuminatus Primus]

How about one TradeFed "battleship"? Devote about half of the ship's storage to battle droids and landing craft; devote the remainder to mining droids, labor droids, and manufacturing facilities. Also include schematics for more starships and assorted military and consumer products.

Again, you have the firepower to devastate planets if needed, the shielding to withstand virtually any Starfleet attack, and an army for passifying planets, but this loadout includes support systems for establishing a power base, building infrastructure, and dominating the Alpha Quadrant economy.

I don't think Tradefed battleships carry any heavy weapons. They appear to be armed only with light guns, and would not compare well to a more heavily armed vessel like an ISD.

The Trade Federation Battleships were always really bulk carriers and troopships, not battleships really.

The size of the TL barrels look as if they are at least ISD MTL size if not ISD HTL scale.

[ANGELUS]

I would use one eclipso class sd, they have enough turbolaser firepower to devastate the surfaces of the planet under atack without using the superlaser. Thay carry lots of fighters and its shields are as powerfull that it would take the feds too many ships to penetrate them and they are not likely to be able to gather them because of their slow warp drive. I would use the hyperdrive to make hit and run attack on the federation mayor planets and devastate them with turbolaser heavy fire and then jump into hyperspace before the feds could gather enough ships to fight me. Now, i chose an eclipso clas because it would be also useful to use it on some not important planets, this would show the feds what i'm capable of without destroying their important planets (as i said i would only use turbolasers on them). They would end up surrendering because they would never be able to stop me from destroying anything i wanted, and even if they some how figured what planet was my next target and gathered enough ships to fight me, i would be able to kick their asses with all of my weaponery, and even if there were enough to defeat me i could jump into hyperspace and get the hell away from there.

[Isolder74]

<snip>I would use the hyperdrive to make hit and run attack on the federation mayor planets

so the Federation has places to stick all the mayors they no longer need!

[Balrog]

Slave 1, a cargo hold full of seis charges and torpedoes, and the fuel to let my rampage reach the whole galaxy