Guide to Phoenix Lore

The classification system was originally created by Phoenix Fleet Systems in the early days of the Republic, and later adopted by the Navy during its founding. Since then, the PFS corporation has worked alongside the Navy to further refine and update the system as technology and tactics advance and change. Both the corporation and the Navy use the same system. However, other Phoenix corporations are not bound by the same system, and may use their own.

The classification system aims to present the user with a maximum amount of detail about a ship with as little communication as possible.

For recognizability and differentiation purposes, each craft begins with a designation of its faction:
PFS - Phoenix Fleet Systems (Corporation)
PHX - Phoenix Military Forces (Government)
RML - Republic Mining & Logistics (Government)

Other Phoenix corporations have not officially adopted the system as of yet, but may be recognized by the following:
CDI - Cygnet Design Industries
XER - Experimental Engineering and Research Corporation
TVSI - Tristavian Shipyards Incorporated
KUS - KUS Shipyards
HLF - Hyperion Liberation Force
ZRB - ZerbTech

Second is the class and role designation of the ship:
example: PHX - UVG
(Phoenix Military) Unmanned Guided Missile Corvette

Last is the name abbreviation:
example: PHX - UVG - SHD
(Phoenix Military) Shadow Unmanned Guided Missile Corvette

In most cases, the name of the ship will be written out
example: PHX - UVG - Shadow

However, in certain cases, where brevity is key, the abbreviation will be used.

Primary Designations denote the class and major role of the craft.

Srike Craft are small craft deployed by carriers or launched from starbases or other installations into various fields of battle. They are often deployed in hit and run attacks, striking key targets and leaving the battle to re-arm before an enemy can counter them. Within fleets, they perform a vital role in defending larger ships from enemy strike craft, or providing precise strikes against vulnerable points on enemy ships.

• I - Interceptor - The smallest craft, designed entirely for speed and anti-fighter operations and harrassment of enemies
  
• F - Fighter - The most basic small craft, designed primarily for anti-strike craft operations
  
• SF - Strike Fighter - Fighters that are more heavily armed for the purpose of taking on larger targets, yet may be less suited towards anti-fighter combat
  
• G - Gunship - The most heavily armed strike craft, designed to carry a large array of weapons, and best suited for use against large targets
  
• D - Dropship - Dedicated Troop Transports

Corvettes are designed to be fast, agile, and manueverable. They trade armor for a fast delivery of firepower, and work well as interceptors against ships of similar size or even some larger ships.

Typical Uses: Escort of Small Ships, Patrol, Rapid Response, Interception

Frigates serve as the main line ship of most fleets, providing stable platforms of weaponry in an economical balance of various ship features like engines, armor, crew accomodatons, and so on. They are designed primary to escort larger ships.

Typical Uses: Escort, Anti-Strike Craft, Patrol

Destroyers are perhaps one of the most specialized classes, in that the role of every destroyer is to hunt other line ships. Their specialization is due to the many weapons with which they accomplish this task, which range from deployment of guided missiles on artillery style ships to more close and personal ships with loads of weaponry.

Typical Uses: Hunter-Killer, Assault

Cruisers are the most well rounded of ships, finding themselves in the middle of the classification system and therefore caught in the middle of more specialized roles. They often contain medium armaments and armoring, and are suited to handle most routine conflicts.

Typical Uses: Long Range Missions, Squadron Leaders, Fire Support

Battlecruisers are the heaviest armed ships short of capital ships. They serve to hold the line and bring an end to conflicts swiftly through delivery of immense firepower on relatively quick platforms.

Typical Uses: Assault, Brawling, Fire Support

Battleships are the largest of all main line ships, serving as flagships of larger fleets. They have very well rounded arsenals with large amounts of armoring, and are well suited to taking on any challenge.

Typical Uses: Fleet Command, Brawling, Fire Support

Although carrying strike craft can be a feature of many smaller ships, dedicated carriers still find an important place within fleets, where they are able to provide and control large amounts of strike craft during fleet battles. Dedicated carriers allow line ships to perform their tasks unhindered by using their craft to intercept enemy strike craft, and tying up or disabling key enemy defenses.

Typical Uses: Strike Craft Support, Fleet Command

Dreadnoughts are the largest vessels, boasting the most powerful arsenals and the thickest armor. They are designed as game changers, where their presence in fleet battles can easily begin to turn the tide. However, their massive bulk makes them ill suited towards tactics that require mobility.

Typical Uses: Holding the Line, Siege Warfare, Fleet/Station Defence

Secondary Designations allow for more specific insight into unique features of a type of ship.

• U - Unmanned - indicates anything that has no crew accomodations, or has the ability to function without a crew
  
• A - Atmospheric - A ship designed to function only or primarily in the atmosphere of a planet
  
• L - Land - Designates a ground vehicle. Only used in the cases where the standard naval classes are used. ex) LCC - Land Cruiser
  
• SSI - Single Stage Interplanetary - Designates a craft that can not only reach orbit, but is also designed to travel to other planets and enter their atmospheres as well
  
• SSTO - Single Stage To Orbit - Designates a craft that can reach orbit, but ill suited to going beyond a specific gravity well

example: UV - Unmanned Interceptor, or Interceptor Drone

• G - Guided Missile - uses guided missiles to hit key targets from long range
  
• T - Torpedo - uses dumb fired torpedoes to hit targets from long range
  
• A - Artillery - uses heavy cannons to strike at enemies from long range
  
• C - Command/Control - has technology allowing it to control other ships
  
• R - Recon - designed for scouting and stealth
  
• D - Drone - designates a carrier that focusses on drones
  
• AA - Anti "Air" - Ships that focus on anti-strike craft weaponry
  
• I - Interdictor - Ships that focus on speed above anything else
  
• O - Orbital - A ship designed for orbital operations
  
• OB - Orbital Bombardment - Same as above, except specializing in OTG (Orbit to Ground) Weaponry

example: VG - Guided Missile Corvette
example: CCA - Artillery Cruiser

combined example: UCCR - Unmanned Recon Cruiser

Industrial Classifications differ from their military counterparts, but follow a similar idea.

Industrial classification is based on capacity, usually going off the number of large containers. Small containers are insignificant to this classification unless there is an abundance of them. In this case, the number of small containers is divided by 27 to get the equivalent number of large containers.

• C0 - Basic Cargo - up to 2 Large Containers
  
• C1 - Light Cargo - 3-10 Large Containers
  
• C2 - Medium Cargo - 11-25 Containers
  
• C3 - Heavy Cargo - 26 or more Containers

In the case of a cargo ship being completely dedicated to one type of cargo transport, the following designations are used:

• A0, A1, A2, A3 - Same as above, concerning Ammunition Transport
  
• H0, H1, H2, H3 - Same as above, concerning Hydrogen Transport

• M - Mining - contains mining equipment
  
• J - Jump - designed to jump extreme distances (many cargo ships will include 1-2 Drives, but a Jump ship designates one with a much larger amount to maximize distance)
  
• P - Production - while many ships have production facilities, these focus primarily on their refining and assembly systems
  
• W - Welder - ships designed to construct or repair others
  
• R - Recycler - ships designed to grind and break down others

*R and W are often features of Production ships, so a R or W designation denotes a ship that focusses primarily on the feature or contains little to no production facilities

Each specialization is added on as a prefix
example: MC1 - a mining ship with 3-10 Large Containers

Land Vehicle Designations are straightforward, and reflect closely their 21st century counterparts.

• AAA - Armored Anti-Air
  
• APC - Armored Personnel Carrier (armored infantry carrier, weaponry for self defense only)
  
• FSV - Fire Support Vehicle - Medium armored vehicles with various, well rounded armaments.
  
• IFV - Infantry Fighting Vehicle (armored infantry carrier, weaponry meant for infantry support)
  
• LCC - Massive Tank-Like Vehicles, built for siege or anti-ship warfare
  
• MBT - Main Battle Tank
  
• MLRS - Multiple Launch Rocket System (missile artillery)
  
• MPUS - Multi-Purpose Utility Skiff