Ships

Ships Overview

Ships are one of the major methods of transport in the galaxy. They are essential in order to leave a planet and explore the Galaxy. They come in many shapes and sizes however they all fit into three key categories: Fighters, Freighters and Capital Class.

Their statistics vary and each have their own distinct qualities. As well as varying lengths, size, weight, cargo capacity and weapons loadout, they will also have certain special properties which state what they can and cannot do.

Fighter Class Ships

Fighter class ships such as the X-Wing fighter (pictured) are the smallest category of craft. They are often designed for a single person and usually have very little cargo space for any goods. Fighter class ships rank among some of the quickest and most maneuverable ships in the galaxy. Some fighters are designed without a hyperdrive, as a result of this they are often used for short range scouting and exploration. They are also useful to get from the surface into orbit and vice versa since they often have the ability to land (which larger freighters and capital ships cannot.)

Armour and shielding on fighters is often light, they also have small amounts of weaponry. This however is made up for by their ability to outrun most larger vessels.

Freighter Class Ships

Freighters fulfil a vast range of roles and are arguably a very useful type of ship. Some freighters are useful as fast transport vessels for small numbers of people or items, such as the YT class of ship (YT-1300 shown right). They are often fast and designed to get a small number of people rapidly delivered.

Others are capable of taking larger numbers of people quickly and safely such as the Sprint Rescue Craft, capable of carrying 48 passengers.

Most other ships tend to function as cargo vessels, equipped with large cargo bays for materials and goods. Many of them also contain Hangar Bays capable of allowing vehicles to be brought aboard. A rare few of them may even be able to carry other ships, possessing a Docking Bay. Ships may also have a Cargo Room that allows NPC Merchants to sell stored wares from.

Freighters can act as a middle ground, providing some effective armour and weaponry while being quicker than capital class vessels.

Capital Class Ships

Capital class vessels such as the Imperial Star destroyer (pictured) are often the largest of all ships and also some of the slowest. Many of them posses huge cargo bays and as such they make excellent freight vessels for large quantities of materials. They may also be able to carry large numbers of other ships or vehicles.

Due to their size, many capital class vessels cannot land on the surface of a planet and may instead require small freighters to act as shuttles, taking resources back and forth from the planet to the ship. They may also be incapable of docking at selected small stations. To help with this, some capital class ships have Docking Ports allowing vessels to attach themselves to the outside of a station and allow goods to flow as normal.

Capital class ships are usually heavily armed and heavily armoured, posing a significant threat. Their lack of mobility often allows smaller fighters and freighters a chance to escape the heavy weapons. They can often serve as carriers for large wings of fighters and freighters, allowing fleets to dock aboard, the vessel to move off to a new destination and deploy.

Acquiring Ships

At present there are ways a player can get hold of a ship. Ships can be purchased through CP Exchange. If the player is in a starport then they will have an option through the CP interface to exchange their points for a ship. The amount of points required depends on the choice of ship the player would like. The choice of available ships changes and what you may be able to buy through the exchange now may not be available in a few months time.

Players may also be able to purchase ships from other players through the marketplace. They decide upon a price and the ship is then made over to its new owner. Players could also be assigned access to use a ship by their faction or by other players for reasons such as to complete a job or to deliver it.

And of course ships may be produced.