Project Concept feature

FIGHTER CLASS

Light Interceptor - if you compare HW2 scouts and HW1 scout you can see a very big difference: HW2 scouts are intented for recoinassance, like somtaaw ones, but HW1 scouts are the battle machines, just the light version of the interceptor. Actually, originally it's meant to be: the scouts were light interceptors, the interceptors – the heavy ones.
All the stuff of HW1 originally intended to be divided to light-standard-heavy machines. So I decided to use this feature at full: light/heavy interceptor, corvette, destroyer, defender…
So the taiidani scout is meant to be the light version of the interceptor, and it would replace it till the heavy one would arrive. Or it will be use in the situation when there is need for speedy cheap fighters to tight up the enemy fleet till some destroyer is building.

Heavy Interceptor – kushans and taiidans in HW1 were mirror races: the same ships, the same fire rates, so interceptors had only design difference, but the count of guns and their stats were the same. But if you look attentively, you can see that taiidani interceptor nose gun is is very strange – and cannot be the same type as the one on the side. It's too short, and more like light interceptor nose guns.
In HWC there were written new heavy interceptor description and there's no word about the nose gun, but of course it is there… So I decided to give it halfly increased light interceptor power, and to the side railgun – 1,5 power of a usual interceptor, and the stats of vaygr lance fighter, making taiidani heavy interceptor good for all kind of strike craft killing. Don't know how would it work – this should be tested – but the whole idea is heavily based on HW history.
Btw, it's quite not correct to call it "Triikor" as it is the kushani codename for taiidani ships, and it's told in HWC ship descriptions – like americans call russian missile RS20 "The Commander " - SS-18 "Satan". But the name is used already )

Bomber – usual bomber, the same as hiigarian one, usual researches.

Recoinassance fighter – I was thinking for a long time what to do with it, as it could not do the same thing what it did in HW1: shooting off large rails and missiles. Finally I decided to give it a role of a recoinassance ship, that taiidanies don't have. Scouts are playing this role in H&V Fleets. Also taiidanies have no sensors distortion probe, but it could be useful to any Fleet. So I decided to give both roles to the ex-Defence Fighter, making it no so cheap and only with two ships in the squad. I guess, quite good role for sputnik heir. )) An EMP for it, as for the scouts - for self-defence.
Also I removed the need of researching fighter chassis for it, as the engines are the thing that is really needed for it.
Also, talking about the research tree, the need of drive - and then chassis research - is made as the main feature, replacing the need of building modules. Hiigarians rely mostly on building modules to open the new types of ships; vaygr - both on modules and researches; taiidanies would be using only researches. Actually, I don’t like the idea of placing the modules on the ships, that are not designed for this. The Drive - Chassis research line replaces chassis - factory line.
The fighters also use this scheme, as IMHO it’s more interesting to make taiidani fighters unique this way - to harden the fighter chassis instead of making second level engine upgrade.

CORVETTE CLASS

Light corvette - continues the line of the light representatives of the class. It is fast and quite light armoured comparing to other corvettes. Because of the good speed, it can be assigned as the bomber hunter, so it is anti-fighter machine. But the main role - temporary version of corvette till the bigger versions appear. No second upgrade for speed to it, as there is danger that it will be too fast.

Heavy corvette - the first “normal” corvette in taiidani line. Almost normal - it has very good armor. So good, that no second armor upgrade allowed. As the multigun corvette is without doubt anti-strikecraft vessel, heavy corvette is assigned anti-capital role.
I’ve decided not to make one more research as it more natural that this corvette is the first use of normal corvette chassis - all the other corvettes are alike it. Also, I’d like not have empty researches - those that doesn’t open ship to build.

Multigun corvette - anti-fighter, comes to replace the light corvette, or simply to use in the middle of the battle, as this one as Shrike, has several deadly hands ) Standard armor, standard speed.

Minelayer corvette - standard minelayer corvette, as other race ones. The only difference - bigger armor (the same as vaygr command corvette), as it has no self-defence weapon, and as it is working alone. Doesn’t get second upgrade of armor & speed, as the hiigarian one doesn’t have it.
As you can see in theory docx, the taiidani upgrade researches are made as the mix of H&V: they get common 1st level upgrade, as the general improvement of chassis, and the second upgrade is very individual.

FRIGATE CLASS

Salvage frigate - the newby in taiidani fleet. It’s needed as the HW2 boarding logic is unlike HW1 one. In HW1 salvettes disabled the ship and then moved it to the baseship - mothership or carrier, where the all the stuff happens. In HW2 the salvage frigate already contains the crew of evil and angry marines that capture ships. We cannot simply take the salvette and use it as the marine/infltrator frigate - it’s illogical. And it’s impossible to make HW1 system on HW2 engine. So the only way we can act is to add similar type and role vessel - the salvage frigate.
I’ve made it easier to get to, as the salvage corvette was one of the first corvettes that player got in HW1, both multiplayer and singleplayer game. It’s the time the hiigarians get to their torpedo frigate.
Talking about my vision of this frigate - it must have frigate base though it’s developed before frigate chassis: the support frigate in HW1 was also developed only of capital ship drive, but looked like normal frigate, just with the “roof”. And it’s speed was great.
Why support frigate was excluded? H&V had their own versions of support frigates, but these were excluded, as the strike craft squad system didn’t work well with the open-type docks (well, it still doesn’t work well). I don’t want to deny the squad system, as it’s the part of the gameplay making the game more convinient (also there’s much problem with single fighter price reassigning), so the support frigate is denied.

Assault Frigate - standard frigate stats, has not so clearly defined role: it has large mass drivers and the plasma bomb launchers. It more like frigate to kill everything in his sight: from corvettes till capital ships, where it’s taken over by a Ion Frigate.

Ion Cannon Frigate - the same as the the hiigarian IOF. Just the hit points are lower - as it was in HW1: 15k instead of usual frigate 16k.
Also, I didn’t want to make ion cannon research, as it would need to make cross class research - from frigates to capital ship, as the destroyers are using ion cannons. Well, hiigarians don’t have any research for ion cannons, they just own this tech. The same with the taiidanies: so, the frigate chassis research opens two ship at once. These are quite usual ships for taii fleet...

Fire Control Frigate - ex-Defend Field Frigate. It’s native ability is not realizable in HW2: front semisphere, pushing away enemy rails; but copying hiigarian DFF is not very good idea.
Also, taiidani lack for Fire Control Tower, so this ship can be used for this role, rising friend’s stats, lowering enemy’s. Smth like vaygr comvette. As the special frigate it need special research to be opened.
The hit points taken from the HW1 - 17.6k. Actually all the hit-points for frigate and capital ship are taken directly from HW1. Except for the research station, Nomad Moon and fathership. These could be called super-capitals )

CAPITAL CLASS

Carrier - its hit-points are 72k instead of hiigarian 80k, as this is HW1 stats; also its cost is 3k RU, as there’s no need for taiidani to build up modules.
Carrier is buildable already after the capital drive is researched as the other race get carrier already after capital ship facility is built up.

Light Destroyer - by HW1 classification it’s the simply destroyer. But comparing with the H&V destroyers, they are dwarfes. So I decided to make a new ship class - the light destroyers, with original HW1 hitpoints, but the frigate armor (Medium), to make them easier to kill. Max number of them is 10 (as far I remember it’s the maximum number of them you could have in HW1 - both native and captured).
For building LD you need to research additional LD Chassis - hull, actually. It was needed as the LD would be to easy to get to: only after capital ship drive, and it is unacceptably fast.

Light Missile Destroyer - the same thing as the LD but with anti-strikecraft missiles.

Heavy Destroyer - ex-Heavy Cruiser. But now both destroyers and cruiser have grown up, and comparing HW1 sizes with the HW1, HC is moved to the destroyer section, with 90k of hitpoints (original HW1 stats, compare with HW2 destros - 85k).
I’ve decided to remove “heavy guns” research, as it is breaks previous class research tree logic: researching drive we get light version of class ship, researching chassis, we get heavy version. For HD we can add “Heavy Plasma Guns” research (idea for further modding) and get cataclysm version of a ship ))) Of course, buildable separately: plasma does more damage, but is not so long-range, and not so fast.
So, HD will have several damagable turrets - 2 heavy ion cannons, certainly, dunno about side heavy cannons. It will be a little bit slower than usual destroyer, also.
The price - about 2.5k: costs more than a usual destroyer, but not enough to be compared with BC price.

Research Station - combination of shipyard, carrier and hiigarian advanced research module. Counted as carrier, can build like a carrier (not higher that a frigate), called out like a shipyard, has shipyard hit-points; without this station you cannot get to some advanced things like lvl2 upgrades and to the monster station “Nomad Moon”. RS cannot move, it can hyperspace (mb, can be once-deploydable, like platforms).

Nomad Moon - the monster, with extra-fast and extra-long ion beams. This thing should be balanced very much, I really don’t know what stats to assign to him, as this thing was shown as uber-weapon in HWC. Here must remain the same feeling, but it should not be unbeatable. Testing would save us all )
I want this thing, because it’s taiidani, and it’s not strategical thing (like HS-Inhibitor from HW1) but tactical (is made for acting on the battlefield). But I really don’t know with what to replace emitters of NM - repulsor weapon is also not realizable in HW2. So if you got the idea - tell it.
Btw, if you have some good idea how to improve the concept, you’re very welcome to tell it. For example, to make T&H more different in the same type machines (like bomber/IOF).

PLATFORM CLASS

Light&Heavy Defender – this one is the progenitor for the platforms class. So, without doubts I place it there. Luckily, there was a light version of the defender with only two guns – you can find it on relicnews.com, but I guess, I'll place it in picture galleries for everyone can see it. So we have both platform types – for strike craft and for capital ships.
If we look at the research tree, we realize that defenders tech can be placed on any engine, it has no chassis, the main tech is the defender sub-systems. Well, I guess we'll need to enlarge original defenders to make them look better with usual platforms. But, to save the link with HW1, I decided to make them movable – to save the defenders role and tactics as the bodyguards of some heavy ship like carrier. Instead, they will have lower hit-points.
As H&V are preventing player from early anti-capital platform building, I’ve made additional research “heavy guns” to access Heavy Defender.

Generators: Cloak & GravWell - these are modules in HW2, actually, so I was thinking for a long time, what to do with them, in what class to put. Finally, I’ve noticed, that vaygr have HS Gate Generator, and I’ve put all the generators to the platform class.
Like defenders they can move all the time, but their health is reduced. Both generator number is reduced to 4, and it’s the new class (4 of one, 4 of second), actually, like HSG generator, available in count of 4. No 2nd upgrades available.

UTILITY

Research ship - ship, needed for the researches;
Sensor array - ship, that have all kind of sensors inside (HS, cloak, advanced - just with different range), replaces all sensors modules. With research ship are counted as “science ships” and maximum number of it is 10.

Resource controller - usual RC, mb, it should have little bit more health, as it has no weaponry.
Resource collector - one purpose ship: resource collection. Limited to 10 ships. Quite hard to kill because of good hit-points. Quite a good pair with weaponless controller.

Garbage collector / Porter - the name is still to be decided; the ex-salvette. Now it can collect only wracks from the battlefield. I was thinking about EMP, but it’s not the behaviour of these.
Repair Ship - ex-repair corvette. Included in “support ship” group (max=20); both corvette are reassigned into utility as, first, they wasn’t actually combat ships; second, both ship abilities now owns H&V resource collector.

Probe - usual probe; max = 10;
Proximity Sensor - usual proximity sensor. max = 10.

Ending up this, I was thinking: what's better - the advanced hyperdrive would make hyperjumps cheaper or would allow each taiidani frigate/capital ship to hyperjump (if it's possible)?..