Modules¶
Vessel modules come in the same sizes as the vessels, and are only compatible with the vessels of the same size category. Since medium vessels have more power requirements as a small one, a small power core will not be enough to operate a medium vessel. Also, a medium power core will simply not fit into a small vessel.
This page only describes the given modules in detail. See Vessel Equipment for lists and tables detailing the specific modules and their variations.
Module Properties¶
Each module has its own hit points. It is possible to target a specific module with concentrated fire. In case a hit is successful the hit points of the module is used instead of the HP of the ship. The hit points of the module is derived from the maximum hit points of the vessel, and the vessels size:
| Size | Module HP |
|---|---|
| Small | Vessel HP / 2 |
| Medium | Vessel HP / 4 |
| Large | Vessel HP / 8 |
| Capital | Vessel HP / 12 |
Round module hit points to the nearest value divisible by five. A helicopter with 20 hit points would have module hit points of 10.
Shields and armour however protect the entire ship, including all of the modules and therefore applies to all modules.
Some modules list requirements of other modules, most often to specific power cores. The module will not work unless all of its requirements are met. If a requirement is missing, or becomes damaged and no longer functions, the module will no longer work.
Specific modules also come with their own set of properties, such as weapons that will specify their damage, range and reload speed among other things. See the chapter on Vehicle Equipment for tables and lists of specific modules.
Sublight Engines¶
Sublight engines are used to manoeuvre the vessel by simply accelerating it to some speed below the speed of light. If a vessel has the type space the engines can also be used to move the vessel in space. Engines that operate in space do not automatically mean they also operate in an atmosphere.
For a driven vehicle the “sublight engines” are simply the motors, engines and gear boxes required for the vehicle to operate.
Life Support Systems¶
Life support systems are responsible for producing everything that is required to keep the crew alive. They range from oxygen, water and waste recyclers, to crew quarters, and food processors. Any stasis chambers (such as cryo-chambers) are also part of the life support systems.
Power Cores¶
Power cores, or reactors are responsible for giving the vehicle enough power to operate systems and other modules. They range from small car batteries, up to large reactors on large capital vessels. Without them the vehicle usually does not operate, and they thus considered a critical part of the vessel.
Shield Generators¶
Shield generates are responsible for generating a protective shield around the vessel to soak up incoming damage. A shield generator has a power requirement, usually a special type of power generator that is required to operate the shield. The shield points define how much damage the shield will soak up before it collapses, and the recharge rate determines how much shield is regenerated per round.
Sensor array¶
The sensor array provides communications, sub light sensors (such as radar) and other means of communications such as SOS beacons. It can also be used to scan for other ships, planet or distress beacons and is needed to plot course for FTL drives.
Hull¶
The hull is the name for the various parts of the ship that covers things such as rooms, or other modules. It is no specific part, but just keeps the ship together in one piece.
Bridge or Cockpit¶
The bridge in larger vessels, or cockpit in smaller ones, houses all the controls required for the pilot (or pilots) to operate and fly the vehicle. On spaceships it is often hidden somewhere inside with the pilot being provided visual link and feed to see where he or she is going. On land and air vehicles it is often directly accessible from the outside.
Weapons¶
Weapons are usually directly mounted onto the vessel. They are either controlled by the pilot directly, by a gunner or on larger vessels by an AI. To aim and fire vessel weapons the skill Heavy Weapons is used.
There are a wide variety of weapons available for vessels:
- Dumb fire rockets: Rockets that just fly straight. The skill Heavy Weapons is used to fire and hit with these rockets.
- Missiles: Rockets and missiles that have some sort of targeting system. They have their own piloting and speed skills that determines if they hit their target or not.
- Rail guns: Large batteries that accelerate mass using a magnetic field. They are the most common type of weapons for ship to ship combat.
- Point Defence: Often multiple batteries of Gatling guns that are used to fire at missiles, or ships at very close ranges.
- Canons: Large canons that fire huge projectiles, such as the canons on tanks, and anti-infantry vehicles.
All of these weapons require ammunition and power to operate. See the detailed list and tables of Vessel Equipment for available weapons.
FTL Drives¶
FTL drives allow the vessel to go faster than light in various ways. There are multiple drives available, each with their own benefits and disadvantages. Using a jump drive creates a radioactive isotope. The radioactivity is not harmful to humans, but it can be very easily picked up by modern radars. Analysis of the radioactive residue allows an approximation about when a vessel activated its jump drive and how big the vessel was.
Hyperspace¶
The hyper drive utilizes the subspace to allow interstellar travel. A vessel using a hyper drive can go to destination in a straight line, because there are no obstacles in the subspace.
Warp¶
The warp drive is the most common FTL drive, albeit it’s much slower than it’s counterparts. It utilizes a subspace bubble that’s created around a vessel, contracting the space in front of it and expanding space behind it.
Every vessel has to have its own warp drive. It is not possible to create a warp bubble for another vessel. Activating the warp drive happens almost instantly, but it takes some time for the ship to pick up FTL speeds. This wind-up time gets longer the bigger the vessel is and never reaches the effectiveness of other drive types.
While this drive allows for FTL travel, obstacles such as planets, stars, etc. still persist and have to be avoided or else the vessel would crash into them.
Wormhole¶
The wormhole drive is fastest among the FTL drives, and allows near instant transportation between two points. It however does not fit onto small vessels. Opening and maintaining a stable wormhole requires huge amounts of power.
Once the wormhole is opened the travel only goes one way (from the point the hole has been opened). As long as the wormhole is open ships can fly through it, although once the ship has flown through that has opened the wormhole, it collapses.
Things that do not actively steer through the wormhole will exit it at a random point in space and are considered lost in space.
Opening a wormhole near an object with a huge amount of mass (such as a planet, sun, or moon) is not possible.
Many large colonies usually operate a wormhole station that can be used, for a fee, to fly to other large colonies nearly instantly.