Re: Re: [FT] OU Defence Force Website now error checked and corrected

> Interesting set of concepts--what is it with you folks
> on the other side of the equator and modular ships?
> The IAS has some simillar ideas.

IIRC we came up with the concepts independently. I ripped off the BORON
concept based upon the Danish Standard Flexible (STANFLEX) patrol boats/
corvettes, which I first encountered in the early 90's when doing some
work with Siemens-Plessey, who do the radars for em.

And since the IAS and the OU are quite closely associated, a lot of the
exported River class are in IAS service especially with the Research and
Survey modules.

> Not bad, but there are no real capital ships.

a) The OUDFN's budget barely stretches to having all those zillions of
patrol boats, there's not a lot of money for "Show the Flag" stuff. The
Background on the unofficial GZGpedia states that the majority of the OU
defence budget goes on the Navy, but it's a small nation that claims
more star systems than all other powers combined. So it's spread rather
thin. It does, however, mean that any stellar cartographer doesn't have
to worry about who has claimed all those useless M-class systems that
don't have owners listed - it's the OU. Not that the OU can actually
defend them, just make life difficult for others. The OU diplomatic
service means that should nation A claim rock B (claimed by the OU) then
nation C or even C, D and E might well come in and dispute it. Lots of
excuses for minor conflicts, even amongst allies.

b) The sculptor at Eureka has yet to make any capitals of the same "5th
Element" style. When he does, the OU will magically get a shipyard big
enough to make one. Or even two.

c) There are a number of really nice designs out there apart from the
BORON stuff, some of which are based on NAC hulls according to the
pictures (though I can't find those on Brendan's site any more). 

See Brendan Robertson's stuff at
http://home.pacific.net.au/~southernskies/ft/oufleet.htm
and Derek Fulton's at
http://www.users.bigpond.com/derekfulton/OU/OUshipDesgins/OUShipDesigns.
htm

I've deliberately tried to make the background data accomodate these
designs without any contradiction. And from Derek's page, it appears he
has returned the courtesy even before I did this.