the kadeshi and tiidan need a battlecruiser badly. and a anti aircraft ship.

That could work. Currently I have zero down for a cruiser for them as every idea I try just fails to work out in the end. The only solid design I had was for a siege cruiser with a long range ion beam but it just never seemed like it would be balanced correctly. Like this support cruiser idea though. It really helps flesh them out as being unique. Currently their destroyer is just a fairly generic design with 3 ion batteries and 3 kinetic cannons with weaker armor but higher top speeds, so another generic ship just seemed like a bad way to go.

I think the main, awesome thing about the Kadeshi is that their mothership can dock hundreds of swarmers and launch them all very quickly. Combined with it's hyperspace capability, it makes it fantastic for sudden and overwhelming hit and run tactics. The only issue is that the mothership is the only ship capable of launching and docking so many units in such a speedy manner, making this tactic quite risky.
It'd be good if a cruiser would reflect this tactic and make it less risky by basically being a smaller mothership. So don't give it overly powerful weapons but make it able to host and quickly launch loads of swarmers. Although this might be a better idea for the carriers- at the moment they only launch one ship at a time and can only carry 50 ships.
Or, if you want to keep the swarmers a more mothership-central thing, you could just make the cruiser basically a massive, heavily armored hive frigate. That way you can keep to the whole swarming theme that the Kadeshi have going on without over-relying on fighter-classes.

Yeah; the idea behind the 'Sentinel' was more a support-orientated type cruiser as opposed to dedicated attack. It wouldn't be too durable or powerful, but worth its cost and research time from the protection it could bring to other ships in close proximity. If not a laser array, a defensive field like that employed by the Taiidan's own frigate class could work too or slow kinetic-based weapons which can only target munitions.

To give you some credit, a Siege Cruiser with a long range ion beam is somewhat what I had in mind for a Turanic destroyer class; Similar setup/visual style to the Dagger Ion Frigate, featuring a single long-range Ion Cannon backed by two short range missile launchers like the Missile Corvette. Fragile but an effective glass cannon against frigates and capital ships.

Shozamar's idea for a smaller/similar mothership-esq design for a carrier could also work. I might have some thoughts on how that could work, would need to put some consideration into it.

I can look into adding some additional docking paths for the Kadeshi Carrier for the immediate time being at least. That should let em perform some more swarmer-escy stuff until I can get more time poured into a destroyer and cruiser. Ultimately I would like the Kadeshi mothership to have moduel hardpoints similar to the HW2 fleets so you can customize it to do what you want it to do - moduels would only be for utility and research, never construction. A new carrier model would be nice too really but is VERY low priority.

I was preoccupied with the space goat/crab thing for april fools day for what little time I had free. Also, slightly guilty of working on a Beast Mothership when I have other things that outta be prioritized higher.

The Turanic destroyer I am glueing together currently is just a general purpose combatant like most destroyers. Less firepower and nothing fancy speed wise. It has good durability, two heavy turrets, and 3 torpedo launchers. It will use a 'broadside' attack approach like the Higara's Destroyer does. Would *really* like to get a test version out by Friday but it will likely be more like Sunday or Monday at this rate. Giving the Turries a secondary support destroyer is not at all out of the question. The Kushans and Taiidans get two anyway.

The Turanic Flagship still needs some TLC too. The external RU dump still is bugged and disabled. I admit it is mildly amusing to watch the resourcers fly up to it and stop and stare at it. The upper hull still needs some fleshing out appearance wise. And the hitboxes are still flunky on the underside.

i think Kadeshi's feature is fighter class swarm
So maybe Kadeshi should have a Cruiser with the abilty to send out a lot drone swarm
It should be faster than other race's Cruiser but have less firepower (maybe some ion beam Turret and hull defense gun)

Originally posted by Altroth:

The Turanic destroyer I am glueing together currently is just a general purpose combatant like most destroyers. Less firepower and nothing fancy speed wise. It has good durability, two heavy turrets, and 3 torpedo launchers. It will use a 'broadside' attack approach like the Higara's Destroyer does. Would *really* like to get a test version out by Friday but it will likely be more like Sunday or Monday at this rate. Giving the Turries a secondary support destroyer is not at all out of the question. The Kushans and Taiidans get two anyway

Yeah, that setup would work well for the generic. Pretty much the closest thing you get to the Higaaran's destroyer, but without being the same; extra missile versus extra projectiles. After that, a glass cannon type would work well for the 'support'; something that can rival the Kushan/Taiidan Missile Destroyers in functionality but not in loadout. Which is where the 'Siege Cruiser' idea could come into things.

Originally posted by Altroth:

The upper hull still needs some fleshing out appearance wise. And the hitboxes are still flunky on the underside.

I was thinking the same thing for the Turanic Multigun Cruiser too; it is an amazing design overall, I do love it. The turret barrels can be a bit hard to distinguish under dark lighting though, and it would benefit from a fleshed out bridge like the Turanic Lord-class Attack Carrier as well as some light/system textures. Nothing too big of course ;)

As for the talk of a bigger Kadeshi hive vessel, well if I recall correctly, Kiith Somtaaw did build the 'Hive' class Advanced Drone Frigate. Six more powerful drones versus numerous smaller ones and two mass drivers. All of it based off the Swarmer ships and their technology. I'm not sure how you could do a capital ship version of this without it being too similar, but I guess there are possibilities.

Could kind of mix ideas. Make the cruiser have a docking bay with limited space, but no construction, and still have it armed enough it can be a defensive ship more than an offensive one. Thus it could haul fighters with it to battle or dock them if needed. They, Gearbox, is supposedly working on making the HW1 fighters more effective as they once were in the original game so once (or if) they do odds are the Kadeshi will be in a slightly superior position creating a whole new balance issue. Either way, the Kad Carriers will be able to launch and recieve fighters much more quickly with the upcoming balance patch tonight.

Originally posted by Altroth:

Could kind of mix ideas. Make the cruiser have a docking bay with limited space, but no construction, and still have it armed enough it can be a defensive ship more than an offensive one.

I think you nailed it on the head. My suggestion in that case would be to give it more offensive based weaponry so it doesnt make the Fuel Pod obselete. Mind you, the Fuel Pod's hull defense guns are a light deterrent but they work netherless.

Im using a (9CCN) FX:Legendary fleet mod for my H2R campain and they made a nice looking kadeshi destroyer its name is Lonwolfs Kadesh Destroyer..I got screanshot but dont know how to put in this post...:(

Going for round two on ideas for a Support Cruiser. I've codenamed this one the 'Warden'.

As with the Sentinel, while it is semi-capable of fighting offensively, it is more designed for providing support to the Kadeshi Fleet. So it is less of a direct combatant, all of its weaponry is mounted anywhere but the front and rear. Furthermore, it would feature the fire support systems of the Vaygr Command Corvette. This would assist the Swarmers as they go up against tough competition in the late-game, keeping them in the fight. This system would be locked by default and would require research to unlock. I would also suggest to have a bit of a lesser effect (If possible) so it does not deminish the value of the Vaygr Command Corvette (Note: Does not stack from having multiple cruisers.)

Suggested Setup:

Armor: Similar to MGC
Speed: 275 M/S
Production Capability: N/A
Resource Cost: 3300-3400 RU's
Prerequisites: Super Heavy Chassis
Reserach Required:
-'Warden Chassis' - Required To Build The Design. (1800-1900 RU's)
-'Command Systems' - Unlocks the Fire Support Systems. (1400-1500 RU's)

Weapons:

Possible Loadout #A

2x Ion Cannons
4x Pulsar Beam Turrets (Hiigaran Battlecruiser Version)
'Command' Systems

Possible Loadout #B

2x Ion Cannons
4-6x Hull Defense Guns
'Command' Systems

Note: As I'm not sure what version of the Ion Cannons would be appropriate, I will leave that one up in the air for interpretation/brainstorming.

A different approach:
Deter form making a cruiser. Instead add in frigate variants and destroyer variants. Purposly make the races as different as possible. Come up with new ideas and designs.

Frigate and destroyer variants? This is going to be fun times; I'll spend time in the thinktank and see what I can come up with =)

I have three for you in this area; two are Frigates and the other a Destroyer. The latter was suggested for passing on by a friend who is as much a Homeworlder as as I am. :)

Frigates:
'Defense Field Frigate' - I know it might seem like a basic one, but seeing Herby's one and looking at the Nebula got me thinking. We've probably only seen a portion of the Nebula and who knows what they might've found. Maybe there are dangerous anomalous areas we haven't seen which would necessitate some sort of protection. Defense Field tech could be very handy under these circumstances, something they could easily accquire from plundering Taiidan vessels that previously tried passing through the Nebula.

'Defense Frigate II' - Not to be confused with the defense field; a seperate idea, also possible by plundering Taiidan vessels. I'm looked at Defense technology in the past for cruisers, but it hit me. Why not try similar with a Frigate? My idea is a halfway point between the Taiidan Koshiir-Ra Defense Fighter and an Assault Frigate; anti-projectile defense with a few mass drivers or missile pods for some degree of attack. In a sense, it would create a hybrid-type frigate for the Kadeshi which essentially would be more suited for fleet defense than on the offense. That's a job for the Multi-Beam and Hive Frigates.

Destroyer:
'Swarm Missile Destroyer' - A missile destroyer that is a half-way point between the classic era designs of the Kushan/Taiidan and the Vaygr Destroyer. Have their missiles fire in rapid-sucession from a circular pattern/turret layout around the Destroyer. Since we have missile pods for the Advanced Swarmers, can't hurt to take it missile tech for Kadeshi a little further, right?

I'll post if I come up with any others.

I have another Idea for Cruisers I call the "Kraken".

It does pickup the previously mentioned characteristic of the Kadeshi relying on their different Swarmer classes and their numbers. By having multiple Docking Bays around the sides, top and bottom (perhaps in a circular fashion?), the "Kraken" allows rapid launches for Attacks and fast Docking for Swarmer Maintenance.

It would in comparison to other Cruisers deal higher damage but would require to move into closer range to reach its full Damage Potential and can for the nature of its Weapons only target one ship at a time.

The Main Weapons (the only ones it is equipped with actually ^^) consist of 2 Ion Arrays mounted on Rings. When firing the outer Ring starts rotating clockwise slowly while the inner Ring rotates counter-clockwise faster.
To make it interesting i would give the inner and outer Rings' Ion Arrays different damage and fire ranges ; for example giving the outer more range and less damage and the inner less range and more damage, requiring you to get up close and personal.

At first i thought to fit the "Kraken"-Theme with the Swarmers kinda being the arms of the Kraken (trapping capital ships by destroying their Drives and and fighting off other resistance) and the Close Range Ions being its "teeth" it would be nice to have 4 Docking Bays, with each having 2 entrances to make 8 and both ring-shaped Ion Arrays having 4 beams each for the same effect. But since the Kadeshi originated from Hiigara and have therefore never heard of our earth-kraken who am i to say that's how they would've done it :P