Starship Directory

## Battleships

A Battleship typically ranges in the C4 to C5 category and has extremely heavy armor alongside large weaponry designed to take down other large vessels. These weapons can include point defense as well although they do not inherently have them. Some battleships will also incorporate torpedoes into their design. Few battleships, if any, mount hangar bays designed to deploy fighters and often times will have to rely on other starships to ferry their troops due to a lack of shuttle bays as well. Still, a battleship is far from useless as it is in the class that can both take and deal the most punishment compared to any other classification of starship.

## Battlecruisers

Battlecruisers carry extremely heavy armaments but have armor comparable to a light cruiser. They are high-risk high-reward ships that can be destroyed relatively quickly by other starships as their maneuverability tends to be lacking compared to starships with similar mass. Often times these ships are armed with the same weaponry a battleship might be armed with; extremely powerful but generally slow to fire. Some battlecruisers will include point defense or missiles in their design though this is not always the case. Many do, however, make use of various shields.

## Bombers

Bombers are small C-1 classification ships that have heavy armaments like cannons or 'bombs' which can be deployed against larger starships to destroy or disable them. Bombers are fast and agile though not as fast or agile as interceptors or fighters. They are unshielded as fighters are too small to mount shields and often attack in squadrons alongside fighters. Most importantly, however, is the bomber's role in ground attack to support troops on the surface of planets.

## Carriers

Carriers are typically lightly armored and lightly armed warships designed to carry fighters into battle. In most instances, carriers are supported by a fleet rather than being sent into combat alone though some carriers are designed for solo operations. Their most remarkable feature is the number of small craft that they carry; often measuring into the dozens or even hundreds of starships. Carriers also serve as a refueling and rearming platform for small fighters and will often supply other fighters a place to do so if there are other ships in the fleet carrying them.

## Cargo Ships

Cargo ships are designed with their main function intended to be delivering cargo from one settlement or star port to another. They are typically larger vessels and carry a significant tonnage of cargo while requiring relatively little crew. Likewise however they are also typically lacking in firepower and mobility; sacrificing the majority of it for the ability to move massive amounts of cargo which earns them their profits.

Mercury Class Cargo Ship

## Corvette

A corvette is a very light starship capable of deploying torpedoes or escorting fighters to get into attack runs against larger vessels. Typically they are deployed alongside a fighter screen. Some corvettes, however, utilize stealth systems to close the distance on an enemy starship and deploy torpedoes or missiles. They are marked differently from stealth ships in that they are also still capable of fighting without their stealth systems; relying primarily on their relatively high speed and maneuverability to survive in extended periods of combat.

## Cruisers

Cruisers are lighter than battleships but heavier than frigates in regard to their armament. Most modern militaries have cruisers perform the bulk of the 'heavy lifting' for their fleets as battleships and dreadnoughts tend to be inefficient in their costs. Cruisers often carry a plethora of weaponry into battle including missiles, torpedoes, point defense and ship-to-ship cannons. They are generally not the most maneuverable starships but when supported by other, lighter and more agile, vessels they are often a very formidable threat.

## Destroyers

A destroyer sacrifices armor in exchange for heavier armament which makes them adept at attacking ships larger than themselves or the same relative size. Most often they will be armed with torpedoes and large ship-to-ship guns which can be used to great effect against cruisers, dreadnoughts and battleships. Commonly these types of vessels are deployed in hunt-and-kill teams alongside a picket ship to deter enemy fighters from engaging them. Due to their relatively light armor they are often not deployed for long duration fights but instead for skirmishes where superior firepower can make all the difference in an engagement.

## Dreadnought

Dreadnoughts are a class of warship very similar to the battleship though on a larger scale. These ships are often extremely heavily armored, armed though often nearly immobile when compared to other vessels. In a direct action a dreadnought will almost always destroy a battleship. However, dreadnoughts often have trouble engaging a large number of enemy forces or engaging small, extremely fast strikes such as fighters.

## Exploration Vessels

Exploration vessels typically encompass civilian ships designed for long duration voyages away from any typical supply lines. These ships often include the ability to manufacture parts on the go, acquire materials, large cargo bays and the ability to gather their own fuel for a distant exploration target. Most notable to this classification of starship, however, is their incredible fuel efficiency and their focus on improvements to their FTL. Ships of this class often have many support modules installed alongside powerful FTL drives. Their focus on sustainability often leaves them lacking in combat however. With few crew members, limited weaponry and often a lack of shields they are typically easily destroyed by piracy or hostile action.

Intrepid Class Explorer

## Fighters

A fighter always falls into the C1 category of starships and are often built to be fast, maneuverable and cheap. They field weapons capable of harassing larger vessels though are often not intended to disable or destroy them without support from bombers or larger vessels. Most often they are single-crewed ships though some fighters have multiple crew members. Typically, they are too small to mount point defense systems. All fighters, like bombers and interceptors, share the inability to FTL on their own which forces them to either rely on a carrier vessel or that a ship in the fleet has a slipspace drive of some kind.

## Frigates

Frigates are moderately armed and armored vessels which form the bulk of most fleet's large ships. They are relatively cheap for a large ship though not as cheap as corvettes and typically carry a variety of ordinance to deal with threats both large and small. Battle frigates, specifically, have heavy armor and armaments but are not as maneuverable as other subclasses of frigate. Picket ships conversely generally have relatively light armor but carry more point defense systems and missiles with their design focusing on the disruption of fighter screens and area denial to small ships. Missile frigates on the other hand are often designed to stay in the rear lines of a formation and rain heavy firepower from afar; lightly armored but extremely heavily armed. Missile frigates can carry any range of missiles though due to their size typically carry missiles meant to destroy entire screens of fighters rather than attack large vessels.

## Heavy Cruisers

Heavy cruisers are similar to cruisers though they have often forsaken fighter craft and shuttle hangars in exchange for either more, or heavier, firepower and torpedo systems. They are meant to destroy battleships and other large vessels with their firepower. Their main downside is the extreme cost of a heavy cruiser as well as their vulnerability to larger screens of fighters and bombers. Additionally heavy cruisers are often at risk for boarding parties due to their general lack of point defense and generally low crew count.

## Interceptors

An interceptor is a niche role fighter designed to hunt and kill other C-1 aircraft. They are often lightly armed with extremely rapid firing weapons, single crewed and most commonly extremely agile. Interceptors excel at their role of taking down other fighters but are often lackluster in any attempt to deal with larger vessels due to the relatively low armor penetrating capabilities of their weaponry. They are generally not particularly suited for ground attack roles but can be crucial in air superiority on a planet due to their capabilities of intercepting hostile aircraft.

## Light Cruisers

– lighter cruisers which are often cheaper but lack the heavy armor and firepower of true cruisers while being too powerful to be considered a frigate

## Patrol Ships

 – ships designed for long duration missions; often with anti-piracy measures

## Personal Craft

– ships designed to be owned and maintained by an extremely small crew and not designed for warfare

## Recreational Vessels

– vessels that focus on recreational modules and lack in most other aspects

## Shuttles

– small ships designed to bring troops and supplies from orbit to ground and vice versa; can be armed. Typically in the C1 category

## Stealth Ships

– ships armed with a plentiful amount of stealth systems and often torpedoes or missiles; sometimes drones.