Manual:Game Mechanics/Modules

Modules are enhancements that may be added to spaceships that are at least size 1. These increase the cost of the craft they are applied to and provide a wide array of bonuses and effects, though colony and space station construction are linked to modules. You may replace and/or add modules like any other system while the craft is at a friendly world or station. A ship may have a total size of modules equal to its own size (so a size 4 ship can carry up to size 4 worth of modules; a size 4, 2 size 2, 4 size 1's, etc).

NOTE: Except where marked, all requirements are ranks, not levels.

Advanced Navigational Lab
This lab provides the ship with advanced sensors dedicated to navigation, this provides a few bonuses. When the ship spends 0.2 turn scanning a rift or wormhole, the chances of a jump miscalculation occurring are greatly reduced, reducing any damage the craft would take by using them by 1. When warping, the ship retains up its full sensor value (allowing them to retain at least some awareness of areas they jump through). In addition to this, the craft receives a +1 bonus to sensor values related to phenomena such as black holes, stars, meteors, etc.

Size 1 Module Cost Modifier: +2 Ore and +2 Gas Requirement: Ship Sensors 4, Warp 2

Cargo Module
This module provides storage for resources, wreckage, etc. Cargo modules can carry a total amount of resources/wreckage of a value equal to twice their size. These may also be required to carry artifacts, or special equipment, especially if they are large. Loading and unloading a cargo module of any size requires 0.1 of a turn.

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +1 Ore/size Requirement: Logistics 1

Colony Module
This allows the construction of a new colony on an open world. To construct the colony you must deploy the module there. When a colony finishes, you now control that world. It begins with 1 construction value and 2 energy, and begins receiving infrastructure on the following turn. If you used the size 1 module, the craft carrying the module is consumed in the process. If you used the size 2 module, only the module is consumed to create the colony.

Size 1 or 2 Module Cost Modifier: Size 1 = +2 Ore and Gas (First one only costs +1 Ore and +1 Gas); Size 2 = +3 Ore and +3 Gas Requirement: None

Combat Module
This module contains additional troops and equipment for defense and boarding operations. The equipped craft increases its boarding strength by an amount equal to the size of this module. Note that this boarding strength is added to the size of the craft to determine the base boarding strength (making the craft more difficult to capture, and better at capturing other craft despite taking loses).

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +2 Ore and +2 Gas/size Requirement: Security 4

Drone Control Module
Drones are remote controlled fighters, or mindless swarms. They are smaller than normal size 0 craft, attacking as a group to inflict damage, though such craft are difficult to evade. Treat the drone module as a weapon with strength equal to twice the total module size. This weapon attacks independently of the craft's primary weapons (if any), they cannot attack in pass 1, but may attack in any other pass. The drones have an attack range of 6 units (note that this range is due to the fact the craft can move and strike swiftly), and ignore all DR bonus from the target's engines and also do not suffer the normal loss of damage when splitting it between multiple targets. If you have attacked with them at least once in a wave, they may be targeted as though they were a ship. Damage assigned to them damages their attack strength by an equal amount (note this must be repaired before it is returned to full strength). Your foes must declare the drones as their intended target before the wave begins.

Drones take 1 less damage from all attacks due to their small size and quick movements.

When you assign a drone control module, you select a ship weapon type you have ranks in to be the damage type the module uses. You may assign a single weapon trait to the module/size (based on the weapon type you applied), adjusting the cost as normal. Drones equipped with the long-range trait have a range of 8 units. This module may be assigned to defenses.

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +2 Ore and Gas/size Requirement: Ship Tech Level 2 rank 1 and Logistics 2

Hangar Bay
This module allows the craft to carry other smaller craft onboard. Note that craft loaded in a hangar cannot have their own hangars loaded. A hangar module can carry a total size of craft equal to its own size -1. Note that each size step down doubles the number of craft can fit in that space (for example; if you have a size 2 hangar bay, you can load a size 1 craft or 2 size 0 craft. Whereas a size 4 hangar bay can carry a size 3, two size 2's, 4 size 1's or up to 8 size 0's, or any similar combination of those sizes). A size 1 hangar module can only carry a single size 0 craft.

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +1 Ore/size Requirement: Logistics 2 and Ship Tech 4

Mining Module
These modules allow the gathering of ore from asteroid fields. They collect ore at a rate equal to the module's size each turn. If applied to a ship, the resources must be stored in a supply module to be returned for resources (either from the mining craft or a cargo ship in its fleet). If applied to a station in an asteroid field, the resources are gathered automatically, as though the station were simply a planet.

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +1 Ore and +1 Gas/size Requirement: Industry 2 and Advanced Mining 1

Passenger Quarters
These modules allow the craft to store infrastructure to bring to other worlds or stations, or to even evacuate a planet or station. This module contains all the needed resources to comfortably support the extra population for as long as the crew itself. The craft may carry 1 infrastructure/size of the module. Note that this additional infrastructure does not affect combat actions. This module may not be applied to stations.

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +3 Ore and +3 Gas/size Requirement: Logistics 4, Economics 2

Point-Defense Module
This module provides small weapons that are used to deter and destroy small spaceships. When the equipped ship is attacked by any craft or drones, the attacker takes damage from the module equal to the module's size. The module has a range of 6 units, if the attacker is firing from beyond that range, it will not take damage. This counter-attack occurs each time the equipped craft is attacked. This system only inflicts 1/2 damage to craft larger than size 0, as they are not powerful enough to penetrate the defenses of such craft effectively.

Point Defense attacks ignore the damage reduction from engines and the damage reduction drones have passively for their size.

When you equip this module, choose a ship weapon type you have at rank 2, this module's attacks use that same type for its damage. Note that you can only apply a level 1 weapon trait and one additional weapon trait to this module, regardless of size. This Module may be equipped to defenses.

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +1 Ore and +1 Gas/size Requirement: Ship Sensors 4 and Ship Weapon 2 (any single type)

Refining Module
These are exactly like mining modules, however they are used to collect gas from nebulae.

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +1 Ore and +1 Gas/size Requirement: Industry 2 and Advanced Gas Refining 1

Reinforced Hull
This module provides additional armor for the hull, increasing hull value by 1/size. Note that you may apply this module to defenses if you meet the defense hull requirement and only to spaceships if you meet the ship hull requirement. This module may be assigned to defenses.

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +1 Ore/size Requirement: Ship or defense hull 4 ranks, can only be assigned to spaceships of at least size 4.

Reinforced Shields
This module provides additional strength for the craft's shielding, increasing the craft's shield value by 1/size. Note that you may apply this module to defenses if you meet the defense shield requirement and only to spaceships if you meet the ship shield requirement. This module may be assigned to defenses.

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +1 Gas/size Requirement: Shields 4, can only be assigned to spaceships/defenses of at least size 4.

Repair Module
These modules allow craft to make in-flight repairs to themselves or other spaceships/stations/orbital defenses. The production value for the repair rate is equal to twice the size of the module. Note that you must have stored resources or wreckage within the fleet to make the repairs.

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +1 Ore and +1 Gas/size Requirement: Industry 4

Salvaging Module
This module allows the craft to gather ship debris at a rate equal to the size of the module per 0.5 turn, though it must have a cargo module, world or station in-hex to store it.

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +1 Ore and +1 Gas/size Requirement: Industry 4

Science Lab
This module provides a lab capable of advanced research and analysis. The ship may spend an extra 0.2 turn scanning worlds or spaceships to treat its sensors as though they were 2 ranks higher. In addition, the crew reduces the time it takes to translate alien languages by 0.5 turn and may reverse engineer alien technology. Reversed technology is of course only available to the crew until it returns to a friendly world or station, at which point it can unload the information to local scientists.

Size 1 Module Cost Modifier: +2 Ore and +2 Gas Requirement: Ship Sensors 2,

Space Station Construction Module
When being built, this module has ship systems assigned to it, other than warp and engines. All costs are treated as if assigning them to a size 1 ship. You must assign at least 1 rank of hull to the module. Traits may also be assigned to the module. When this module is unloaded, it is used to create a Space Station in that hex that possesses all of the tech/traits used in the module. This takes 1 full turn.

Size 4 Module

Cost: +4 ore and +4 gas plus additional system costs

Requirement: Logistics 4 and Ship tech 4

Weapon Battery
This module provides additional fire support, increasing the weapon damage of one of your weapon systems by 1/size. Note that you may apply this module to defenses if you meet the defense weapon requirement and only to spaceships if you meet the ship weapon requirement. This module may be assigned to defenses.

Size 1+ Module Cost Modifier: +1/size based on weapon type Requirement:Weapons 4 (Any type), can only be assigned to a ship/defenses of size 4+