Ship details

The Orville began as a multi-mission starship intended for long-range missions including exploration several thousand light years out of the bubble, rescue assistance of other pilots, cargo transport, and peacekeeping operations against hostile ships. Initial loadout included light armor, medium shields, a long-range frame shift drive, planetary scanner, SRV bay, rescue limpets, a massive 288T fuel tank, class 6 fuel scoop, cargo bays, burst laser turrets, and heavy cannons.

However many problems were discovered that led to a massive refit and a more limited role. First the cooling systems couldn't keep up with a star's heat while filling the massive fuel tank, so it was cut down to 128T. The rescue limpets featured a far inferior ability to repair ships then repair limpets, making them ineffective for the massive hull. Hostile ships also became much better armed and shielded as they gained nearby bases to supply from with local forces looking the other way for a bribe. The ship became too expensive to maintain for rescue or exploration, and didn't have the defenses to adequately deal with more and more powerful hostile forces.

As such the Orville was reluctantly turned into a warship, with imperial made long-range advanced plasma accelerators to cut through tough defenses, powerful shields, heavy armor, and a medium fighter bay with fixed beam GU-97 fighters to compensate for the vessel's low agility, cycling the PAs for rail guns or pack hounds when appropriate for the situation.