Bryan Moore wrote:In all seriousness, I would think key systems would be defended by a lot of small, fast moving fighters and picket ships and the aforementioned orbital defense platforms. The idea of a single starbase doesn't really make sense in the three-dimensional and expansive nature of a star system.
You do need a large orbital platform because it can divert power internally, while orbital platforms can't easily share power with each other. Similarly, targeting solutions inside a single base can be easily shared among all the weapons, while Orbital platforms can be jammed. You would still have remote platforms matched with orbital bases, as they provide expandable sensor/weapons platforms that can tie into the station's own sensors (and are much cheaper to replace). The station itself will have a stronger shield than multiple smaller platforms, meaning you have to bring down the much stronger shield before you can disable/destroy it. For smaller platforms all you have to do is pop their shields individually, allowing you to steadily whittle down the firepower.
(Which is why the Chin'toka defense platforms were a surprise, as the central power station could share power among all of them.)
By pairing a central station, smaller orbital platforms, and a mobile force of ships/gunboats/fighters, you provide an excellent defense network. The station is the anchor that controls the volume near it, providing a safe harbor and repair assistance when needed. The orbital platforms provide forward firepower and are relatively expendable, allowing a station to get a better look/shot at its enemies. Mobile forces are needed to make the enemy respond to the defender's actions, both stopping enemy formations from attacking in strength, to covering weakened areas when needed.
The fun part is deciding how much military defense you need for each system, and what fraction of resources should be allocated to the military vs economic expansion and research.
Bryan Moore wrote:I always sort of liked the idea of the Imperial Interdictor Cruiser - something to create a large gravity-well to prevent ships from going to warp near your system to prevent ships from entering/escaping via warp.
Haven't we seen situations in Star Trek where ships had to exit warp in the outer edges of a system before proceeding inward? I.e. Best of Both Worlds where Enterprise slowed from warp while the Borg cube was on the way to Earth.
