Manual:Game Mechanics/Initial Technologies

These technologies are the most basic, on par with the on/off switch for your lights.

Close-Range
Applied to a weapon, this is a melee or simply very short-ranged attack. The range of this weapon becomes 0 units, but it receives a +1 bonus to its damage value. If the spaceship is size 5 or larger, the damage bonus increases to +2. This tech cannot be taken with any effect that increases range and cannot be taken with any weapon tech that allows bombardment actions. If this is applied to defenses, you have the option of applying a stealth system (from spaceship tech) to them for creating such things as minefields.

Cost Modifier: None.

Self Destruct System
When added to a spaceship, station, or defense, it allows the spaceship to self destruct. The radius is equal to the size of the spaceship or station, and inflicts an amount of explosive damage to all spaceship/defenses/stations within a number of units equal to size. Activating is declared at the start of a wave, and takes 1 full waves to trigger. The boarding strength of spaceships trying to board the spaceship (that survive the blast) is reduced to 1 as they lose their crew to the deadly blast. If a spaceship is captured during that wave, the attackers may deactivate the self destruct system. Size 0 spaceship cost 1 ore or gas to equip this to, but do not have a large enough detonation to inflict any real damage.

Cost Modifier: +1 Ore or Gas/size

Redundant-Backup Systems
When added to a spaceship/station or defense, it allows someone to reroute spaceship functions in case of catastrophic emergencies. Ex: If your spaceship would receive lasting damage from interference weapons or system destroyers - this allows you to negate this by switching to the back up systems at the end of the wave instead.

This only functions once per system, so if a system is hit with lasting interference or system destroyers twice (once before activating these and once after) then it is done for.

Weapon systems that have been 'destroyed' that are restored with backup systems only function at half strength due to actual damage to the weapon causing limited capacity.

Cost Modifier: +1/2 total system cost

Escape pods
When added to a spaceship or station, it allows the crew and special characters to evacuate the spaceship in case of emergency. The pods are dispersed in a circular pattern of one boarding strength per pod in a radius equal to the size of the spaceship or station + 4 (allowing them to possibly escape a self destruct). Activating is declared at the start of a wave, and takes 2 full passes to trigger. The escape pod's will drift at a speed of half an engine rank but the pod has no engines, those inside can survive 2 full turns from when they launched and if caught in the gravitational pull of a planet may have a chance of surviving re-entry. Escape pods are size 0 crafts for purposes of capture - boarding strength. If this is used on a spaceship that is later recovered, this system must be repaired for equal cost.

Cost Modifier: +1 Ore & Gas/size

Monstrous/Unmanned
This spaceship is either a monster, or simply an unmanned spaceship such as a sentient robot. This spaceship cannot board or be boarded, and reduces damage to systems by 1 that is inflicted by sabotage spaceship. Likewise this spaceship cannot initiate planetary attacks, but can assist others with them. If this spaceship is of at least size 5, it may be used in a bombardment attack. These spaceship cannot equip modules regardless of size, however such spaceship also only cost 1 ore or 1 gas/size instead of normal. Monstrous/unmanned spaceship can only gain spaceship tech and those exclusive to monstrous/unmanned spaceship (see 'RP' for more details).

Cost Modifier: None