The Ships of Corporeality

Basic ship concepts

All Sol Central Federation (SCF) based ships follow similar component design concepts.
Although some manufacturers have been known to deviate from standard designs.

Ship Power Systems

SCF Ship power systems are split into two components, the Central Reactor Core (Reactor) and a Rapid Discharge/Recharge Capacitor Bank (RD/R Capacitor).
Ship Energy is measured in Power Units (PU).

Reactor

Each ship manufacturer has their own preferred reactor design and fuelling method.
A reactors main purpose is to recharge the RD/R Capacitors aboard a ship.
Connecting a reactor directly to ship systems is… ill advised.
Reactor overloads will result in the catastrophic destruction of a ship and cause damage to nearby ships.

RD/R Capacitor Bank

The Rapid Discharge/Recharge Capacitor Bank is the core of a ships power requirements.
Systems that do not have self-contained power sources will tap from it to function, such as Utilities, Items, Pickups and System Boosters.
If a capacitor overload is detected, the system will shut down and reset for safety reasons.

Propulsion

Sublight Travel

All SCF ships use a Charged Ion Friction Drive (or “IFD”) for primary propulsion.
Usually directed out the back of the ship through adjustable exhaust nozzles with some of the energy directed through forward facing manifolds to provide ships the ability to fly backwards at only slightly reduced top speeds.
The IFD is a self contained, highly efficient system that does not use main ship power during normal operation.
However most ships are also fitted with an IFD Overdrive System that can tap power from the ships capacitor to increase thrust drastically. This is incredibly taxing on the capacitor and will drain power rapidly.
Ship speed is measured in Meters per Second (m/s).

Faster Than Light

The official method of faster than light travel in the SCF is performed with The Slipstream Drive.
Working on the principal of folding space, The Slipstream Drive allows ships fitted with one to travel at speeds once thought physically impossible.
However, the energy and compute power costs of safely navigating slipstream space without a landing beacon or target gate is immense. As a result, only Capital Ships and specially designed Scout Ships are ever fitted with a Slipstream Drive.
Scout Ships with a Slipstream Drive usually do not have a powerful weapons array or particularly heavy armour to keep the density and complexity of the ship low to allow a “small” Slipstream Drive to be installed, and to make navigation easier.

Short range FTL is performed with Translocators or a Micro Slipstream Drive, both work on the same principal as Slipstream but operate in a point-to-point fashion within a set range.

A beacon must be present for a ship fitted with a Translocator to be able to jump.
(Engineering Note: “Random Translocation” is technically possible. But it is just that, Random. With no beacon to lock onto, the Translocator will literally jump a ship to anywhere within it’s maximum range. There is no navigation beyond that. Operation of a Translocator in this fashion is considered ill advised.)
Translocator Gates can be set up in pairs to allow ships without a Translocator fitted to jump between them. They have a similar range to a Translocator Beacon, and are prone to collapse if overused or damaged. They effectively function like a “Portal” or “Wormhole” instantly moving a ship from one end to the other.
Translocators are carefully tuned to the mass of a ship. Mining ships with a full cargo hold cannot safely translocate. The larger the mass differential, the more likely a translocation attempt will result in catastrophic failure.
Effects can range from it taking time for the ship to recalculate a Translocation Vector before a safe jump can be made, up to a ship being destroyed in a slipstream collapse.

The Argent Racing Technologies Micro Slipstream Drive operates just like it’s (much) bigger brother. However to reduce energy and computational overheads, it only jumps a ship forward a set distance when activated. The overall effect being that a ship is accelerated to extreme sublight speeds for a short period.

Inertial Damper System

Inertial dampers help pilots keep control of their ship by ensuring that the ship reacts predictably to pilot inputs.
Some pilots like to disable the IDS to “drift” their ship or perform other acrobatics whilst flying. This is not recommended as it severely reduces the manoeuvrability of a ship.

Weapons Array

SCF ships have a class standardised weapons array allowing them to fit a wide variety of “Primary” and “Secondary” weapons for specific types of hull.
Primary weapons are usually forward firing energy or kinetic weapons.
Secondary weapons are usually pylon mounted missiles or rockets.
Some hulls can fit Utility weapons in either Primary or Secondary slots sacrificing firepower for additional abilities.
Weapons usually have internal power supplies or ammo reserves. If they didn’t they would quickly overload a ship’s power reactor.
Some utilities have been manufactured that allow pilots to route excess ship capacitor power into the weapons array to increase damage output.
Damage output is measured in Damage Units (DU).

Heat Dissipation

Their power may be endless, but most Primary Weapons (some Secondary, and some Utilities) generate large amounts of heat if used for long periods of time.
This is drawn away by a heat pump which channels the heat away from the weapons array.
It can only draw away a certain amount of heat over time.
If an overheat situation is detected the weapons array will completely shut off until it has fully cooled for safety reasons.
There are some situations where power from the capacitor can be routed to the heat pump to increase it’s operational speed and draw heat away quicker.
Turning off the overheat protection on the weapons array is highly advised against and may lead to the destruction of a ship.
Heat Dissipation and Generation is measured in Heat Units per Second (HU/s)

Defensive Systems

SCF Ships have a triple-layered defensive system made up of Shield, Armour, and Hull.
Each is susceptible to different kinds of damage and are repaired in different ways.
Damage received, like damage dealt is measured in Damage Units (DU)

Shields

The Kinetic Impact Shielding System (KISS or Shields, usually the latter) really hasn’t changed much since its inception.
A projected energy field around a ship deflects incoming projectiles and explosives with relative ease.
What is new is the increasing prevalence of energy weaponry being fitted to ships. It may shrug of shards of titanium being flung at it and explosive shock waves, a hard blast with a directed energy weapon rapidly overloads the shield systems internal reactor.
Shields recharge on their own over time.
Shields can be reinforced or rapidly recharged with power from a ships capacitor, however this uses a lot of power very quickly.

Armour Plating

The second line of defence is the Ablative Hardened Armour Plating (AHAB or Armour, usually the latter). It is pretty much what it says on the tin, a reinforced skin of armour plating that covers the hull of a ship.
It generally dissipates energy weapons with ease, but can have chunks knocked out of it by kinetic weapons, or holes blown in it with explosives.
Armour plating requires specially programmed nanobots to repair it whilst in flight.

The Ships Hull

The vulnerable flesh beneath all the shielding and armour plate. Whilst energy weapons still do reduced damage to this layer, kinetic weapons can do significant damage, with a well placed explosive shot destroying some smaller ships in one shot.
A ships hull can be repaired in flight, but the procedure requires specially programmed nanobots to be used.

Remote Consciousness Projection System (RCPS)

Ships are (comparably) cheap, skilled pilots are not.
If protracted space wars have taught us anything, it’s that you can’t put your best fighters on the front line, ironically enough.
That’s where the RCPS comes in.
Pilots are placed in a stasis field at a control centre, either aboard capital ships, planets or industrial installations near the combat zone. Synthetic “clones” are then produced with a basic onboard “AI”. These “Clones” pilot the ships in place of a biological pilot. The Pilot’s consciousness is then connected to the “clone” via a remote uplink.
The range is not infinite, and sometimes a satellite relay network is required for support. However, more often than not, pilots aren’t directly in harms way during a battle.
If the ship they are piloting is destroyed control is transferred to another “clone” which is placed into a ship, and launched when ready.
If a ship is detected leaving a combat zone, the pilot’s link is cut and the AI takes over, either returning the ship to the combat area or initiating a reactor overload.

Universal Safety Override Control (USOC)

The Universal Safety Override Control (Sometimes called the “F*ck it button” by pilots) is a system incorporated into most SCF ships allowing a pilot to elect to ignore various warnings and safety lockouts being enforced by the Ships computer.
This enables pilots to perform actions that are deemed “unsafe” such as firing weapons with an overheated weapons array or engaging slipstream when safe conditions aren’t fully met.
This allows for some advanced manoeuvres at the cost of potential ship damage.
USAGE OF THE USOC IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED AS IT MAY RESULT IN THE DESTRUCTION OF YOUR SHIP
USAGE OF THE USOC WILL VOID YOUR COMPONENT WARRANTIES

Ship Classes

Ships are generally split into different Classifications (or “Classes”) that roughly describe their role.

Light

“Light” ships generally do not have many fittings, but are fast, hard to track and quick to recover from full capacitor discharge or overheat.

Special

“Special” ships generally do not fit into other classifications or are somehow restricted by SCF Legislation.
They are usually incredibly powerful, or particularly niche.

Ships

Many ships have been developed and constructed in The Sol Central Federation over the years, this is not an exhaustive list.

NES Type 1 “Technician”

Manufacturer Nicer Engineering Systems Classification Light
Hull Configuration Light Cruiser Capacitor [CLASSIFIED]PU
Restrictions Can only fit Utilities in Secondary Slots
Can only fit TX1 and PPC in Primary Slots
Reactor Maximum Output [CLASSIFIED]PU/s
Primary Weapon Slots 2 (Fixed) Shield [CLASSIFIED]DU
Secondary Weapon Slots 2 Shield Recharge Rate [CLASSIFIED]DU/s
Utility Slots [CLASSIFIED] Armour [CLASSIFIED]DU
Item Slots [CLASSIFIED] Hull [CLASSIFIED]DU
Manoeuvrability High Top Speed [CLASSIFIED]m/s
Heat Dissipation Rate [CLASSIFIED]HU/s IFD Overdrive Power High

A powerful and flexible engineering platform built for repairing ships in flight, or deploying support systems in an active battle zone.
Whilst not designed for dealing much damage itself, it can carry enhanced repair beams, deploy powerful sentry turrets and/or deploy High Mass Translocators for other ships to use.

Arena Combat Vessel Mark IX

Manufacturer Starlight R&D Classification Special (Arena)
Hull Configuration Heavy Cruiser Capacitor [CLASSIFIED]PU
Restrictions Arena Use Only Reactor Maximum Output [CLASSIFIED]PU/s
Primary Weapon Slots Unlimited Shield [CLASSIFIED]DU
Secondary Weapon Slots Unlimited Shield Recharge Rate [CLASSIFIED]DU/s
Utility Slots [CLASSIFIED] Armour [CLASSIFIED]DU
Item Slots [CLASSIFIED] Hull [CLASSIFIED]DU
Manoeuvrability V/High Top Speed [CLASSIFIED]m/s
Heat Dissipation Rate [CLASSIFIED]HU/s IFD Overdrive Power High

After the Corporation Wars came to their slow, stuttering end, the Starlight Research and Development Consortium began work on the “Arena Combat Vessel” or ACV.
A powerful and versatile ship with near unlimited expandability built to operate in Arena Combat scenarios.
The Mark 9 is their latest and greatest creation with the ability to pick up and equip any compatible weapon, utility or deployable. So powerful is this ship, the SCF passed a universal decree the instant the first prototype was conceived. All ACVs will be restricted for use inside designated “Arena Zones”. Any pilot attempting to take their ACV out of an arena would trigger a Reactor Overload, destroying the ship.

The ACV IX is only available in “Classic Arena” mode and starts with The Vulkan Cannon and Phased Pulse Cannon weapons pre-fitted, with the rest collectable from “fitting points” distributed around the arena.

Mark V Multipurpose Resource Harvester

Manufacturer Nicer Engineering Systems Classification Special (Resource Wars)
Hull Configuration Light Resource Harvester Capacitor [CLASSIFIED]PU
Restrictions Resource Wars Only Reactor Maximum Output [CLASSIFIED]PU/s
Primary Weapon Slots 2 Shield [CLASSIFIED]DU
Secondary Weapon Slots Mining Equipment Only Shield Recharge Rate [CLASSIFIED]DU/s
Utility Slots [CLASSIFIED] Armour [CLASSIFIED]DU
Item Slots [CLASSIFIED] Hull [CLASSIFIED]DU
Manoeuvrability High Top Speed [CLASSIFIED]m/s
Heat Dissipation Rate [CLASSIFIED]HU/s IFD Overdrive Power Mid

The NES MRH-V is the fifth generation of the powerful and flexible Multipurpose Resource Harvesting platform. It is capable of mining resources from mineral asteroids, ice asteroids and gas fields, as well as scavenging from wreckage fields.
Whilst it doesn’t pack much of a punch, the Mark V it can hold it’s own against small fighters that would seek to ruin its day.
A small hold is compensated for with the ship being fast and manoeuvrable.
It should be noted that resource harvesters cannot translocate with a hold full of resources as the mass differential is not taken into account by the translocator.