I have only played Skirmish for the most part of my less than 100 hours in for Empire at War Expanded: Thrawn's Revenge version 3.1.
The Skirmish
Victory I Star Destroyer subjective observations, with particular emphasis on the Assault Concussion Missiles:
- Cost - the Corporate Sector Authority faction version costs 2,800 credits compared to the standard 2,775 credit version. It also takes 16 population.
- Speed - one of the slowest Star Destroyers, equal to the Star Galleon-class Frigate(repair vessel).
- Design (a) - It has four hardpoints for Assault Concussion Missiles, which is a third of the total number of hardpoints(12) on the vessel. Currently, there are only two vessels in existence that share this quantity: The Victory I Star Destroyer, and the Acclamator I (Assault Loadout).
Design (a) cont. - Comparison to the Competition:
The Acclamator I (Assault Loadout) has an equal(
four) number of similarly functioning hardpoints - two for Assault Concussion Missiles, and two for Proton Torpedoes.
The Broadside Cruiser has
three.
The larger
Procursator-class Star Destroyer and the
Tector-class Star Destroyer, as well as most other vessels like the Gladiator-series Star Destroyers, the
Bothan Assault Cruiser,
MC40a Light Cruiser, have
two.
The
Majestic-class Heavy Cruiser has
one.
- Design (b) - It is the only design where the Assault Concussion Missile hardpoints are placed far back and either side(two port and two starboard). No other vessels in the mod, technologically inferior or advanced, carried this over.
Design (b) cont. - Location and Placement of the Hardpoints.
The importance of location and placement design is stressed because in proper combat where the enemy is well in front of the vessel(as it is always supposed to be oriented), in shield failure, and if no hardpoint in particular focus fire(as in the madness of a war); the
five frontal hardpoints will be the first to absorb the damage and be destroyed. The five front hardpoints are the four Light Dual Turbolaser Batteries and the Fighter Hanger.
This has been tested by pitting the vessel faced forward against a hostile space station and on larger capital ships in numerous iterations.