Nobody wrote:If following the standard Sci-fi definition they'd be hard to use since no FTL means they'd be limited to acting as defenders in scenarios which gives them limited value to anybody who's not playing campaigns.
Well, we don't actually have clear "attacker-defender" style missions so I don't think that's relevant.
If one side has Monitors, then clearly the other side is on the offensive, and if both do then clearly it's a system where the battle is ongoing for long enough that heavy support transports have brought up in-system assets like Monitors for additional firepower.
It's not hard to handwave away.
Nobody wrote:In RL history monitors commonly found themselves in a shore bombardment role, but that role has fallen to differing ship types depending on the faction.
Indeed, but I wouldn't be surprised to see at least some of the ships performing in that role. Perhaps some of them will also be able to enter the atmosphere and do the same kind of Close Support bombardment as the Medea.
BlackLegion wrote:I see a ship with 4 or 5 hull, slower than cruisers but better armour with a single battleship grade weapon.
Indeed... though what counts as a "battleship grade weapon" is pretty flexible. The Scourge and UCM Battleships are basically just armed with sets of their standard Cruiser weapons and I'm not sure that we'll see any of the Crippling options on something so small.