Modules

**See also:**  Module Summary

Modules, also known as Modular Systems, Modifications, or Mods, are systems, such as weapons, armor, or aircraft hangars, that a player can use to improve and/or customize a super captial ship (Battlecruiser or Carrier). In game, they are simply known as **systems**, but the term module has come into wide use to differentiate them from the fixed/non-modular systems that are more common.

Modules, in-game, are labelled with a letter and number. No two modules with the same letter (for example, M1 and M2) may be active at the same time, and so each letter group has been unofficially labelled a **slot**. All of the super capital ships have at least three and as many as seven slots, M for the main weapon/system, A, B, C, D, E, and F. By default, the only available and installed modules are M1 and A1. Getting additional M and A modules gives the player the option of changing out one of the default systems, but getting B, C, or D modules allows them to add new capabilities to their ship. Note that the slots are different for the FSV830 - Fast Combat Support Ship, which has no extra modules for the main weapon, so there is no M slot, but still has five swappable slots - A, B, C, D, and E, with the B and D slots being unlocked by default with the B1 and D1 modules.

Players can aquire mods when they draw a super capital ship blueprint they already have. In this case they get a choice between a random module for this blueprint, 10 tech points, or 10 research points. Unlike variant research, system/module research is always 100% successful.

Once the player has obtained any non-default module, they can **switch** modules in any unlocked slot. The M and A modules are unlocked by default and so can be switched at any time. Other slots can be unlocked for a one-time cost of 10 tech points per slot. Unlike enhancements, the 10 tech point cost to unlock a slot cannot be reset. However, as with all other forms of ship upgrades, unlocked slots are reset when the player moves to a Hub System at the end of the server.

On the main blueprint view for every super captial ship, there is a button  that will bring up the blueprint design view, allowing the player to access the individual slots.

On the blueprint design view, the currently activated systems are displayed. Selecting one of the displayed systems will bring up a view allowing the player to access the modules they have obtained for slots that are unlocked. By default, only the M and A slots are unlocked.

On the bluprint design view, clicking on the **Additional System** button will bring up a view allowing the player to access modules they have obtained for slots they have not yet unlocked.

**Please Note:**  For each unlocked slot, the construction cost of the ship will increase by 10% of the base  crystal and  deuterium amounts. The largest number of locked slots is three, so the largest possible increase will be 30% over the base.

## Strategy Note

One of the most common questions asked is "Should I take this module?" and there are as many schools of thought on this as there are players, but mostly they fall into four groups:

* Collectors: always take any module the game offers
* Evolve towards a perfect world: the player needs to know which modules they want, and take any module offered until they have acquired all of the desired modules. By taking any unwanted, but offered, module, the system will be forced to offer something else the next time
* Cherry pickers: the player needs to know which modules they want, and only take those, otherwise take either the tech points or the research points. This is a high risk strategy as there are no guarantees that the system will ever offer the desired modules

When considering whether or not to take a particular module, many players will take into account the alternative of getting 10 tech points. Tech points for the super capital ships are relatively rare, and as a result, 10 of them are quite valuable. With the new Research Agreement, other players are taking the 10 research points in the hopes of getting specific ships that they want to improve the quality of their fleet.