SHIP DESIGNS

Technology is not the only consideration in ship design. Ship size also limits how many total devices can be physically mounted on the ship and cost restricts how fast the ships can be produced.

Cost: The cost of a ship depends not only on what types of devices the ship has been equipped with, but also the designer’s current level of technology. Every ten levels of technology that you have above the item’s level halves the cost of producing that device. For example, lasers which are first level weapons technology cost only half their normal price once you have reached the 11th level of weapons tech, one-quarter at level 21, and one-eighth at level 31. Likewise, the cost of battle computers drops with increases in computer tech. Even after designing the ship, the price will still fall as technology improves. When designing a ship, the cost displayed includes the cost of the engines needed to power the ship and physical space for the devices.

Ship Size: The size of a starship determines how many devices can be placed on a ship, how much damage the ship can take before being destroyed, and how maneuverable the ship is in combat. Every level of construction technology that you have increases the ship’s available space by 1%.

Note that the defense modifier shown below is added to both the ship’s beam defense and missile defense in combat.

Space: With the addition of each device, the ship’s total space will be reduced according the physical size of the device and the space required for the engines to power the device. Higher levels of technology reduce the physical size of a device (miniaturization) just like technology reduces cost. Each ten levels of technology above the minimum required level decreases the size of the device by 25%. Weapons miniaturize at a rate of 50% for every 10 levels.

Computers: Battle computers direct all ship’s fire. The more advanced the battle computer the better the chance a ship has of hitting an enemy target. In addition, better battle computers provide faster response time and improve a ship’s combat initiative (the order in which ships move and fire). For the precise effects of battle computers in combat, see the section on space combat.