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YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! REMEMBER, IF YOU LIKE THIS GUIDE, RECOMMEND IT TO OTHER USERS USING THE LINK ABOVE. *~~~~~~~~~~~Watch In Awe, Watch In Awe, Aeria Gloris, Aeria Gloris~~~~~~~~~~~* Warfreak's Top Tip: Use Ctrl+F to quickly navigate this guide. Table of Contents �1 Introduction [1.01] Introduction [1.02] Version History �2 Space Travel [2.01] Understanding the Concepts �3 Planets [3.01] Planet Types [3.02] Planet Bonuses and Artifacts [3.03] Planet Construction �4 Units [4.01] Strike Craft [4.02] Frigates [4.03] Cruisers [4.04] Capital Ships [4.05] Other Craft �5 Research - TEC Civilian Tree [5.01] Industry [5.02] Engineering [5.03] Policy �6 Research - TEC Military Tree [6.01] Structural Systems [6.02] Ballistics and Rocketry [6.03] Experimental Design �7 Research - Advent Harmony Tree [7.01] PsiTech [7.02] Perception [7.03] Materialism �8 Research - Advent Hostility Tree [8.01] Energy [8.02] Ascension [8.03] Substance �9 Research - Vasari Empire Tree [9.01] Nanotechnology [9.02] Phase Mastery [9.03] Oppression �10 Research - Vasari Warfare Tree [10.01] Prototypes [10.02] Assault [10.03] Support �11 Buildings [11.01] Logistic Structures [11.02] Tactical Structures �12 Building an Empire [12.01] Conquering New Planets [12.02] Maintaining an Empire [12.03] Building an Unstoppable Fleet [12.04] The Endgame [A] Contact Information [B] Credits [C] Webmaster Information [D] Copyright Notice *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Now, Let the Guide Begin (o.0)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [1.01] Introduction A great strategy game produced by Ironclad Games, dealing with 4X, real time strategy in space. A delicate balance of military power, trade and diplomacy holds the three different races in tact, though any single action can ruin that and descend into a galactic war. That is the basic jist of Sins of a Solar Empire. This is my 50th guide, and that is a lot of guides. Lets make this a memorable on. The ASCII is of the TEC officer if you cannot tell. It was a hard picture to play with. The reason being that there were no other good pictures to play with that would give a decent photo and most were lacking decent resolution. This was the only good picture I could use. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [1.02] Version History Version 0.0 [22/4/09] Starting the template. Version 0.1 [23/4/09] Getting a move on. Version 0.2 [25/4/09] Completed Section 3, completed Strike Craft and Other Craft, finished TEC frigates. Still plenty to go on. Version 0.3 [26/4/09] This is a big day for FAQing, nearly 90kb added to the guide, and that is a hell of a lot of typing. I hope my fingers aren't going to get RSI for this. Version 0.4 [7/5/09] There is a lot on my plate right now, so updates are sparse. I really would like to write more, but there is too much else to do. Anyway, finished the section on the TEC civilian tree. Version 0.5 [11/5/09] Completed the TEC research tree. Version 0.6 [17/5/09] Completed the Advent research tree. Version 0.7 [21/5/09] Completed the Vasari Tree, and the buildings. Only the Strategies to go. Version 0.8 [22/5/09] Okay, completed another guide, all is set and done. Funnily enough, it is completed exactly one month after the start of this guide. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [2.01] Understanding the Concepts Basically, Sins of a Solar Empire is outside the realm of normal RTS games, you don't have your normal infantry and tanks, this takes place in space, and as such, makes things a little more complicated. --==Resources==-- There are 5 different resources that you want. Three are directly obtained and two are done though other means. The three collectable resources are credits, metal and crystal. Credits is the basic money resource, you need it to purchase many upgrades, buildings, ships, everything involves credits. You get credits from two sources, mainly from taxing your population and from trading. Metal is the next resource, and they are found in asteroids. They are mainly found in many planets, and they are quite a common resource. They are needed in almost everything, bar some research choices which do not require metal, but if you are going to build structures or capital ships, they are quite valuable. Crystal is the final collectable resource, and they are the rarest of the three collectable resources. These are needed in everything, and because they are few in terms of availability, these are going to be extremely important late in the game where you are going to need a large fleet and for a large fleet, you need a hell of a lot of crystals. Do not be surprised if you have a large source of crystals and people come along and target well. The next two resources aren't collectable, but they are researched. The first is capital ship crews. You cannot have, like in Starcraft, unlimited Battlecruisers, population cap not pertaining. You can only support a limited amount of capital ships because you need to train their crews. The more crews you research, the more capital ships you can staff. 1 Crew staffs a single ship. The final resource is fleet supply. This is the population cap of sorts. The maximum fleet you can support is determined by the amount of fleet supply that you have. The larger the supply, the larger the fleet that you can support. Obviously, smaller ships such as frigates require little in terms of supplies, capital ships suck up supplies quite quickly. The key concept is understanding these resources and balancing them rather well. You might have an unstoppable fleet, but if you have no more resources, a quick strike on your home planet and destruction of a few key planets will cripple you and your fleet is screwed. --==Space Concepts==-- There are several terms you need to be familar with if you wish to understand this guide. The first are gravity wells. Basically, gravity wells is where you place your structures, it is where a planet can use its gravitational pull to keep things in orbit. However, the larger the well, the more space the enemy has to cover to attack. However, that also means that you have a larger space to protect from the enemy. Phase lanes are the lines of travel. A phase lane connects two planets together and you need these lanes in order for your ships to travel between with their hyperdrive. This is why many players will heavily fortify their phase lanes, the enemy will come from these lanes. The longer the phase lane, it is evident it takes longer to travel. Culture is another key concept. Culture will increase the allegiance of planets under your control, and that makes them more loyal to you. It will also be used to push away enemy culture. Why is it important? If culture infiltrates enemy planets, it will decrease their allegiance to their own empire and start to turn neutral, and that forces them to revolt again their owners, which is quite painful. Therefore, it is necessary for your planets near the borders of your empire to be culturally powerful, in order to push away enemy culture and force the enemy to buckle under pressure. And that about sums it up for concepts, now you need to apply the concepts into the game and win. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [3.01] Planet Types There are many planet types, and I'll list all of them here, as well as items such as asteroids and other interesting items, such as wormholes and gas giants. --==Colonizable Planets==-- Asteroids The most basic in terms of planets, asteroids are quite useless. They support a very low population, but they often contain a large number of rocks that you can mine and exploit. They have little logistic and tactical slots, so they do not make good buffer planets from an enemy attack. Buffer planet means that it is a planet that will delay an enemy attack force, but more on that in section 3.03. You can find bonuses on such asteroids and occasionally, artifacts, but only rarely. Dead Asteroid These are the buffer asteroids, they are not good for mining, and they have no logistical capacity, which makes money making a hard task. However, if you have one of these on the borders, be glad to know that this is useful for buffers. It has a high tactical value and as such, you can have plenty of self defence platforms ready to fire and repair platforms to repair your damaged fleets. Desert These are the ultimate in terms of buffet planets. These support a large population, they onlt lose to terran planets. They often have asteroids that can be mined and as such, with large logistical and tactical capacity, it is useful as a key planet and a buffer. With the ability for economic and tactical functions, these are key to your empire. They also have a fair amount of bonuses and artifacts. Ice Icy planets are extremely important to your empire, not for their average logistical and tactical ability, but for their asteroids, which will always be crystal. These are going to be the battlegrounds late in the game as players try to secure large crystal deposits. With bonuses and artifacts, these can truly be something to fight over, and with decent population, a cornerstone to any empire. Terran If you need money, these are the key. You want your capitals on these planets because these are basically earth-like planets. These are capable of supporting life, and in the game, the planet that can support the most life. They have large tactical and logistical capacities, and as such, these are on your hit list to capture. They have a balanced mix of crystal and metal asteroids. Make sure you protect these down to the last ship. Ships can be rebuilt, but not planets. You will find artifacts here, but it is hard to find bonuses. Volcanic These are interesting planets, they do not support a large amount of life and average logistical and tactical slots. They do however, have metal asteroids, they always have metal asteroids. They do have bonuses and artifacts available, but these aren't planets that you absolutely need to go after. However, metal does go at a decent price on the black market. --==Uncolonizable Planets==-- There are many places that you cannot take over as your own, and these can turn the side of the game. However, these are still strategically important places, and these places will determine what happens in your empire. Most of the uncolonizable planets have special abilities that can be rather important in your game. Asteroid Belt Ability = Erratic Debris (Chance to hit target -20%) The Asteroid Belt makes it harder for you to his your target, you will have a decreased chance of 20% to hit your target. This is strategically useful if you are retreating from a superior fleet, but this is rather annoying if you are the superior force attacking the retreating fleet. This is a double edged sword of sorts. Gas Giant Ability = Unstable Gas Pockets (Damages nearby ships near explosion) This is basically where you destroy a ship, the gas pockets in the gravity well of the gas giant will explode near the ship that went BOOM! and it will deal splash damage against nearby ships. Of course, if you want to ambush a fleet, this is best done with a powerful force near a phase lane. With capital ships, destroy incoming ships near the phase lane and if any other ships come in, that will take a nice hit as well. The reason you want to use capital ships for these gas giants is that they are hard to destroy and explode, and as such, they are ideal for setting ambushes. Also, frigates are no nos to send in, think about it, you have three capital ships on the other side, it is a no brainer who is going to win. Magnetic Cloud Ability = Magnetic Cloud (Disables abilities) This is a place you would never want to drag your capital ships into for a fight. These disable abilities, and that makes it impossible to use your capital ships to their full capacity. This is a problem because you need to use your frigates and cruisers to clear out the area, with capital ships as rear support for a fight, however, that doesn't make capital ships useless. They are still powerful and won't go down without a fight. Pirate Base This is where the pirates amass their forces. This is going to be a hard ask if you want to take over a pirate base, you need an exceptionally large force, you need at least 5 capital ships to survive without suffering a lot of losses. Those they do have a nice bonus though, that is rather nice. Plasma Storm Ability = Plasma Storm (Disables strike craft) This is a problem for carrier type units. This means that all fighters and bombers will be useless, so this is useful for large fleets without the capacity to fight such fighters to move without interference. So if you have a large fleet with capital ships using fighters and bombers as defence, hope that you don't get ambushed here or you are in some serious trouble. If you are being followed by such a fleet, make sure you drag them here, even out the odds a little bit. Star Ability = Solar Radiation (Antimatter Regeneration +2.5 AM/sec, Jump Detection Decreased) This is a place where you jump to other stars. This is basically an area of travel between two stars so if you have a decent sized map, you will be needing to use them unless you use wormholes. With a large gravity well, it is hard to travel, though it is a nice place to ambush scout fleets. Also, when you research up your technology, you will be able to use the stars to jump from star system to star system. And with increased antimatter, it is a great place for capital ships to show why they are so expensive with a few, well, kills. Wormholes Ability = Travel (Travels to other wormholes) These are extremely dangerous places to be in, it will, when you have researched, allow you to travel to another wormhole and pop up in another galaxy. That makes these extremely useful for sneak attacks against another empire. Therefore, if you have discovered a wormhole, you need exceptionally heavy defences at the gate of the phase lanes that connect the wormhole to your planets. Do not be surprised if enemy ships lurk here, I've had to move a capital ship fleet of 5 ships from the frontline to deal with 3 enemy fleets hanging around the wormhole. Of course, my capital ships won the day, but you seriously need to defend the exits of the wormhole. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [3.02] Planet Bonuses and Artifacts There are two things that can be found on planets, that are bonuses and artifacts. Artifacts will effect the entire empire, provided that the planet containing the artifact remains under your control, whilst a bonus is planet specific, that is, it will only effect the planet it is found on. If a planet, that contains an artifact, is taking over by another empire, that empire will gain control of that artifact. Because artifacts have extremely powerful, you want to make sure that you keep the artifacts under your control. Now, you are wondering, all this talk about artifacts, how do I get them? Well, bonuses are obtained when you explore the planet, and both the bonuses and artifacts will be obtained when you actually pay the cost for explorers to roam the planet and check everything out. You can do this twice only. It is absolute luck that determines it, when you load a game, it does not determine where the artifacts are beforehand. --==Bonuses==-- Dense Molten Core Effect = Gravity Well Radius +33% Of course, this effect isn't found, it will be evident when you reach the planet. All it does is increase the gravity well, which increases the size in which you can build, but that makes a lot more space to cover, and that is a problem, but hey, the enemy is slowed down a bit more. Entertainment Hub Effect = Cultural Spread Rate +1.0% Tax Income +1.0 This is rather interesting, you want to hope that you have a desert or terran planet for this, to take advantage of the tax income. For the cultural spread rate, you would want to build broadcast centres, which has a different name for each faction, to take advantage of the cultural spread. Great if you want to ruin the alligence for an enemy's planet. Expert Agarian Society Effect = Trade Income +10% This benefit means that if you have a trade port, you can increase the trade income that you will get. Although this has more powerful versions, this is far better than nothing. If you have a large empire, this can result in a fair amount of money. Every planet I own will contain a trade port, so make sure you do the same. Expert Crystal Miners Effect = Crystal Extraction Rate +50% This is one of the most important bonuses that you can get for your empire, given that crystal is one of the most important bonuses that you can obtain in the game. This will be exceptionally useful if you have crystal asteroids of course, and even better, this is on an Ice planet, where there are always four crystal asteroids. Expert Metal Miners Effect = Metal Extraction Rate +50% This is the same for crystal miners but it is effecting metal. This is far less useful because metal is far easier to obtain than crystal. In come cases, the amount of metal that I have on hand is more than the amount of credits. This is because the metal asteroids are everywhere. Habitable Cavern System Effect = Max Population +15 Planet Health +500 A nice bonus, given that you get more tax income and your planet gets more health, which is nice if you keep getting raided and bombarded. Of course, this is more useful on some planets than others, terran and desert planets won't notice the effect on population, but it would make that asteroid so much more useful for your empire. High Security Protocol Effect = Tactical Slots +5 Trade Income -20% Only useful if you are on the frontline of your empire or next to a wormhole, but losing on that trade income is quite severe. This is because if you are on the frontline and you have a trade agreement when said empire, you will lose a fair chunk of your credit income. However, nothing is wrong with having a few extra defence platforms either. Ionic Storms Effect = Max Population -20 Trade Income +10% Only found on volcanic planets, this is a pretty bad effect. This is because that the tax money that you obtain from that 20 population will be bigger than that of the 10% increase in trade income. Make sure you have the trade income of trading ports used to minimise the effect of the population cap. Even if you have tech that improves the population of volcanic planets, it is still a large tax drop. Kalanite Deposits Effect = Trade Income +20% This is a very nice boost, you want to use this and build trade ports everywhere in order to take advantage of this as much as you can. However, the effect below puts this to shame. Massive Pure Glaciers Effect = Trade Income +30% The massive boost in trade income means that whatever planet it is, you want a good deal of trading ports here to make sure that you make as much money as possible. Of course, make sure this planet and the traders are well defended, there is no point if you are trading in no where. Mega Fauna Effect = Max Population -15 Trade Income +25% This is only found on ice planets, and isn't as bad as the Ionic Storms that the volcanic planets have. This is because the population drop is far less and the trade income is far higher. This still won't even out the loss of taxes but you aren't losing as much as the ionic storms will give you. Of course, build trade ports in order to take advantage of the increase in trade income. Natural Thermal Lifts Effect = Structure Build Rate +25% This is only found on desert planets and is quite a useful bonus if you find it initially. This is bacause desert planets support a hell of a lot of logistical and tactical slots and as such, you would have a lot of buildings here. This is even more useful if you use it as a buffer planet and you need to stop an enemy force, whilst they are fighting your existing defences, you can manage to build more defences further back, in order to stop their advance as well as giving you more buffer space between their force and the planet. Penal Colony Effect = Structure Build Cost -20% Structure Build Rate -30% A double edged sword, this makes all the buildings on your planet so much cheaper to build, which is important early on in the game, but this is quite annoying that you have to wait a fair bit longer. As such, this is more useful in the early part of the game, given that you save resources, which is scarce early on, but late in the game, this is useless given your vast amount of resources. Persistant Dust Storms Effect = Population Growth -25% This is quite an annoying "bonus" because this means that your tax income rises slowly. This is quite a harsh punishment if you find it on a desert or terran planet, given that they support a lot of life. As such, this would make you want to protect this planet more given that the population takes longer to recover from such a bombardment. Pharmaceutical Flora Effect = Trade Income +20% Population Growth +20% This is only found on Terran planets, this is exceptionally useful so build a lot of trade ports in order to take full advantage of the benefit that will increase trade income by such a big amount. With population growth increasing at such a rate, this is useful for you as you need to wait less to get full tax income. Useful indeed. Plundered Booty Effect = Tax Income +3.5 This is only found on pirate bases, but there is a problem, this is the only money a pirate base will be making because there is no population support that a pirate base has. However, given that there is no planet on which the pirate base is on, you might as well capture the base for some money anyway. Porous Core Effect = Gravity Well Radius -33% Of course, you don't need to explore to find this, but this is the opposite of Dense Molten Core, and that means that there is less distance from the phase lane and your planet, which isn't all that nice, but that depends on the planet you find it on, if you find it on a frontline planet, I suggest that you move and conquer the next planet. Roiders Outpost Effect = Metal Extraction Rate +20% Extra Constructors +1 This is only available on asteroids, but it is nice boost, given that it is increase the amount of metal that you make, which is always nice, but the extra constructor allows you to build more strucutres faster, which is exceptionally useful if you want to quickly use the resources of the asteroid, which often contains crystal asteroids. Space Ponies! Effect = Space Ponies This serves no other purpose than to obtain the space ponies bonus that you will want to obtain if you want a 100% success rate of all the achievements. Too bad that you can't use them in battle. Spice Trade Effect = Cultural Spread Rate +5% Trade Income +10% This is only found on desert planets, but this is exceptionally useful given the large logistical slots that it contains, so building a broadcast centre as well as a trade port to take advantage of this bonus would not be such a big problem. Of course, protect your bonus well to stop it falling into enemy hands. Tundra Farms Effect = Max Population +25 Of course, you can guess that this is only on ice planets given the word tundra in its name, but this is rather useful, given that you can increase the amount of tax money that you can earn. You don't need to do anything else to reap the benefits. Weapons Test Facility Effect = Max Population -20 Tactical Slots +8 This is a fair drop in population, which is a problem on planets that cannot support a large planet, such as asteroids and volcanic planets, but if you are on the frontline, this is useful. Well, I was lucky to get this on a volcanic planet since it was right next to the wormhole, which always needs a heavy guard. If you happen to be next to pirate bases or wormholes, or, depending on the map, the star, then this would be useful as a buffer. --==Artifacts==-- These you would want to protect at all costs, because these will effect not just the planet, but every single planet in your empire, and this makes these artifacts worth fighting over. When an artifact is discovered, all the empires will be aware of the location of the artifact, but not what type of artifact it is, and nor is the planet revealed. Protect these at all costs, hold nothing back to defend these planets, and even if you need to recall capital ships, recall them. Data Archive Effect = Research Cost Decrease -25% One of the most useful artifacts, this is exceptionally important, and it would be even more useful if you get it early on in the game, but still, this will decrease the cost of all technologies by 25% for all costs, credits, metal and crystal. This can lead to massive savings in the end, and means you can get your superweapon a lot easier. Of course, it is useless in large maps where you have completed all the technologies, but look on the bright side, denying the enemy of it isn't such a bad thing either. Jump Drive Relic Effect = Between Star Phase Jump Speed +50% Only useful on maps where you have more than one star, at least two stars so you can travel between stars, this is extremely useful on large maps where you need to move to the next star system given that it takes a VERY LONG time to travel between stars, and that is just for scout ships, it takes an era for your capital ships to move in and crush the enemy. Make sure you take good care of it in larger maps. Jump Field Generator Effect = Phase Jump Antimatter Cost -30% An exceptional artifact for capital ships and colony ships, because travelling from one planet to another using phase lanes costs antimatter, this will put your capital ship's ability back in service quickly. This is important because the best thing about the capital ship is their powerful abilities. Also, the reason for the mention for colony ships is that they often need to jump a few planets to get to the place you want to take over, and by then, you often need to wait for all the antimatter to build up to colonise the planet. Kinetic Intensifier Effect = Damage Increase +12% If you are heading into battle, this is one you would want, this will increase the damage of all of your empire's forces by 12%, which is a fair amount of damage on a large battle. As you get more and more powerful weapons from your technology research, this will be increased as well, and you would want to protect this artifact at all costs. Make sure that you put it to good use, and remember, the faster you take down the enemy, the less damage your ships will take. Manifest Domination Effect = Culture Spread Rate +25% Culture Resistance +10% If you have this, you can start culture wars, where you dominate another planet using culture. Build more and more broadcast stations so you can increase the rate in which your culture takes over the galaxy. This makes your culture spread a lot faster, and it will fight back stronger against enemy culture, which seeks to weaken the alligence of your planets towards you. Phase Accelerator Effect = In-System Phase Jump Speed +50% Probably one of the most useful artifacts for all players, this is because it will increase the speed in which your ships move through phase lanes by 50%, and that basically makes them a hell of a lot faster between A and B. This is useful because capital ships take a hell of a long time to move between A and B, and they need all the help they can get, especially if you need to move them from the frontlines in order to counter an enemy attack on your own planets. The bigger your empire, the better this artifact is for you as you reinforce your planets. Power Core Relic Effect = Antimatter Regeneration +10% This is only useful if you have a fair amount of capital ships that you use in battle, given that Antimatter costs are high and you need more of it in order to use the abilities of your capital ships. Your capital ships can let loose their abilities more often as they are not as heavily effected in terms of antimatter. Colony ships also benefit as their antimatter costs to take over an enemy planet goes down. Relatavistic Factories Effect = Ship Build Rate +25% This is only useful when you are actually building a fleet, whether it is a capital ship to explore (I usually don't send my scout ships, they always get ambushed, but a capital ship can hold its own), or building a quick defence fleet to defend and intercept an incoming fleet, which is useful if you have the technology that informs you that an enemy fleet is moving into your systems. Not as useful if you aren't building a fleet. Resilient Metaloids Effect = Hull Repair Rate +25% This is an exceptionally good artifact for all ships, frigates, cruisers, capital ships and strike crafts. This is useful because when you send in a capital ship to clear a system of the natives, you will often be facing a fair amount of frigates and cruisers, and you need to make sure your capital ship survives. This will help that, and it will reduce the need for repair platforms, and once those techs kick in, you will reaping the effect of a very powerful fleet. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [3.03] Planet Construction There are upgrades for each planet, and this list will be a general list, rather than a specific list because I personally can't be bothered to see how many upgrades that each planet could sustain, and that just makes this guide bigger for absolutely no good reason, and that is pointless typing on my behalf. Anyway, these are all built on your planet, and no where else. Civilian Infrastructure Level 1 = 450 Credits, 150 Metal, 75 Crystals Level 2 = 550 Credits, 175 Metal, 125 Crystals Level 3 = 650 Credits, 200 Metal, 175 Crystals Level 4 = 750 Credits, 225 Metal, 225 Crystals This is needed as it removes the underdevelopment penalty when you first colonise a planet, which effectively makes you lose money. It also increases the amount of population that your planet can sustain, which in some cases, on desert and terran planets, is a lot, and also, increases the rate in which your population grows. Emergency Facilities Level 1 = 450 Credits, 150 Metal, 75 Crystals Level 2 = 550 Credits, 175 Metal, 125 Crystals Level 3 = 650 Credits, 200 Metal, 175 Crystals This will increase the health of your planet, and it will make it harder to decrease the population from enemy bombardment. The more health your planet has, the longer it will take for the enemy to take over control of the planet using force. Explore Planet Level 1 = 450 Credits, 150 Metal, 75 Crystals Level 2 = 550 Credits, 175 Metal, 125 Crystals This is where you send out explorers to see if there are any rare artifacts or bonuses that are lurking on your planet. Most of the time, it will be a failure, but on those rare occasions, you might use end up with a powerful artifact. Change Capital Level 1 = 2000 Credits, 300 Metal, 200 Crystals This moves the capital of your empire to a new location, and there is an actual good reason for this, because as your empire expands, the further away your planets are, the lower the allegence maximum that your planets will have, and that decreases the maximum tax income and maximum metal and crystal gathering rate, which is quite a lot, depending on the number of jumps. Logistics Capacity Level 1 = 450 Credits, 150 Metal, 75 Crystals Level 2 = 550 Credits, 175 Metal, 125 Crystals Level 3 = 650 Credits, 200 Metal, 175 Crystals This increases the overall number of logistical slots up, and that means that you can support more and more logistical structures such as the research labs, the trade ports, refineries and broadcast stations. This is one of the ones that you want to max out when you declare a planet is complete. Tactical Capacity Level 1 = 450 Credits, 150 Metal, 75 Crystals Level 2 = 550 Credits, 175 Metal, 125 Crystals Level 3 = 650 Credits, 200 Metal, 175 Crystals This is the same as the one above, but instead of the logistical slots, you will increase the number of tactical slots that you have, and that means that you can place more defence platforms, hangars, or even your faction's superweapon with all that extra space. Tactical Capacity is important if you want defences against your enemy. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [4.01] Strike Craft There are two types of strike craft. Think of this in terms of space fighting games like Freelancer, which is probably one of the best games in terms of space based action games. While there are frigates (in terms of gunships) and capital ships, there are fighter craft, and a hell of a lot. This is where fighters come out to play. There are two versions of strike craft, fighters and bombers. Fighters are good at intercepting and countering other fighters and bombers, while bombers are there to attack frigates ships and above. There are two methods of getting strike craft, they either have to be stationed near a planet with a hangar, or they are based off a carrier craft and used in military operations. Because of that, they don't really cost anything, all you need is the carrier or the hangar, though they are not built automatically, you need to choose which one you want. Fighters Faction = All Cost = Nil Health = 60 Shields = 0 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 1 Weapon Damage = Autocannon (2) Supply Needed = 0 Good Against = Strike Craft Weak Against = Strike Craft, Flak Attacks Researchables = Nil --==Abilities==-- None These come in packs of 6, and they do very little damage, but against enemy fighters and bombers, they actually do some work. These are only good if you are planning to defend against enemy carriers and block out enemy fighters, or as fleet defence for a forward fleet. They will not be putting up much of a fight against larger ships, such as frigates, cruisers and the capital ships, but they are fast and nearly impossible to hit. Bombers Faction = All Cost = Nil Health = 100 Shields = 0 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 2 Weapon Damage = Missile (3) Supply Needed = 0 Good Against = Frigates, Structures, Cruisers, Capital Ships Weak Against = Strike Craft, Flak Attacks Researchables = Nil --==Abilities==-- None Bombers are groups of 5 fighters that are heavily armed with missiles that can dish out a hell of a lot of damage against structures and frigates and demolish them with ease if used on groups. A pack of 10 from a carrier fleet is more than enough to take out an entire system with enough support. They can take on Cruisers and Capital Ships and provides a fair punishment, provided that they have the support of a proper fleet to dish out the damage. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [4.02] Frigates Frigates are the grunts of your fleet, they are the basic support that any fleet would require. Frigates are the basic support of the fleet, they can attack, they can defend, they can explore, colonise and basically, everything that you would need. However, they are not exceptionally powerful, and even though they have some nice abilities, do not except to win a war with them. Put it this way, you may have a lot of frigates, but a small amount of capital ships can knock a fleet of frigates on its head. You want to make sure that you have a varied fleet. Remember, a capital ship may be big and strong, but that doesn't make it invulnerable to damage. --==TEC==-- Arcova Scout Frigate Faction = TEC Cost = 200 Credits Health = 450 Shields = 175 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 1 Weapon Damage = Laser (3) Supply Needed = 2 Good Against = None Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Timed Explosives, Failsafe Jump Plotting, Sensor Drones, Failsafe Jump Plotting --==Abilities==-- Explore Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 0 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 0 This is where the scout frigate will move around and explore planets that you have not explored before, removing the need for you to manually input the co-ordinates for the frigate. Infalliable Jump Drive Passive Ability This ability gives your Arcova Scout frigate the ability to move around from system to system without being under the effect of Phase Inhibitors, which slow the rate in which you jump out of a system. This is useful when you are scouting out unfriendly territory which happens to be heavily defended. You will definitely find some of those in heavily defended areas. Probe Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 120 Range = 18000 Duration (secs) = 600 A probe is where your scout frigate will send out a drone probe and that will be targeted on the planet. The planet will them remain lit up, and you can see exactly what is going on near the planet for about 10 minutes, which is rather useful, because you don't need to have a ship nearby to keep a visual on the planet. Timed Explosives Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 900 Range = 200 Duration (secs) = 15 This is basically a bomb action, where your scout frigate will drop a bomb on a target structure, causing about 1200 damage and basically increases the damage that the structure will take by 50%. This is useful if you need a bit of sabotage done, and a few scout frigates can disable entire structures, and early on, this is quite costly to counter as you need to rebuild. However, your frigates have 15 seconds before it goes BOOM! The Arcova Scout Frigate is the cheapest and the weakest of the TEC frigates, though with the nice range of abilities, it does not make it entirely useless, early on, explosives and probes will keep your enemy on their guard else they have blown up crystal extractors, given that crystal is rare early and late in the game. However, make sure that you keep them out of a fight, they cannot put up much in terms of direct confrontation with enemy frigates, so you want to either run or have an intercepting force en route. Cobalt Light Frigate Faction = TEC Cost = 300 Credits, 55 Metal Health = 600 Shields = 350 Antimatter = 200 Armour = 2 Weapon Damage = Laser (10) Supply Needed = 5 Good Against = Frigates Weak Against = Cruisers, Capital Ships Researchables = Sabotage Reactor --==Abilities==-- Sabotage Reactor Antimatter Cost = 25 Cooldown (secs) = 3 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 10 The Sabotage Reactor will make the targeted ship or structure unable to use any of their abilities for 10 seconds and take 100 damage as well. For this to work, the target needs to have an antimatter storage tank because this ability targets their antimatter to damage them. Useful if it is used en masse. The Cobalt Light Frigate is a grunt of the TEC fleet, it is used early on in the game to clear out systems for your colony ships to move in. They are decent against other frigates, but even if you outnumber the enemy with these frigates, they are not exceptionally effective against enemy cruisers and not at the least, capital ships, but enough to make sure they won't be in action for a while. They are not heavily armoured, so make sure that these units aren't going to be rolled over for no good reason. Javelis LRM Frigate Faction = TEC Cost = 500 Credits, 280 Metal Health = 500 Shields = 280 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 1 Weapon Damage = Missile (11) Supply Needed = 4 Good Against = Frigates, Structures, Cruisers Weak Against = Cruisers, Capital Ships, Frigates Researchables = Cluster Warheads --==Abilities==-- Cluster Warheads Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 60 Range = 1200 Duration (secs) = 10 Cluster Warheads is basically changing the missile loadout of your LRM frigate to a cluster missile instead of a conventional missile. This will deal splash damage for that salvo of missiles against the enemy. Useful if the enemy is packing themselves in groups, which is quite common. Your Javelis LRM frigates are exceptionally powerful frigates, and if they are used correctly, they can easily dispatch a group of enemy frigates, cruisers, and if you have enough support, capital ships. The reason is that this ship has exceptionally long range, and as such, it can hit hard and take little damage. However, it cannot survive in a direct confrontation, so you will need to keep this in the rear. As a defence, Kodiak Cruisers and these Javelis LRM Frigates will go well, one is close range and takes punishment, the other hits hard from afar. Krosov Siege Frigate Faction = TEC Cost = 520 Credits, 70 Metal, 60 Crystals Health = 560 Shields = 280 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 2 Weapon Damage = Laser (6), Bomb (20) Supply Needed = 12 Good Against = Structures, Planets, Frigates Weak Against = Frigates, Cruisers, Capital ships Researchables = Heavy Fallout --==Abilities==-- Heavy Fallout Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 0 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 360 Heavy Fallout basically means that the Krosov Siege Frigate fires a form of radiation missile at the planet, and with the radiation fallout, it will impair the population growth of the planet by 30%, but this is a rather useless ability if you are attacking, this is more of a hit and run attack on a nice bombardment raid, a parting gift if you like. The Krosov Siege Frigate is the only ships in the TEC fleet that can bombard planets, outside capital ships, which can all bombard planets. They can dish out a hell of a punish against structures, and basically things that don't fight back, and whilst they can hold their own against frigates, if you are outnumbers by frigates or outgunned by cruisers or capital ships, you need to run, this is a big investment and it isn't a smart idea to risk losing your frigates for nothing. However, there is a thing to note about when you are using the Heavy Fallout. If you use it, remember that it will take 6 minutes for the planet to recover from the fallout, so if you want to capture it, you will end up hurting yourself in the form of taxes instead. Garda Flak Frigate Faction = TEC Cost = 375 Credits, 40 Metal, 25 Crystal Health = 900 Shields = 450 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 4 Weapon Damage = Autocannon (19) Supply Needed = 4 Good Against = Strike Craft, Frigates Weak Against = Cruisers, Capital Ships Researchables = Nil --==Abilities==-- None The Garda Flak Frigate is basically the fleet defence against bombers and fighters, and don't underestimate them, bombers and fighters can be exceptionally painful, a group of 10 from a carrier fleet can destroy structures such as extractors with two missile runs. Although they are designed against strike craft, they are also quite powerful against enemy frigates, and although it is cheap, there is a problem because they do not have any abilities to toy around with, so basically, what you see is what you get. Protov Colony Frigate Faction = TEC Cost = 450 Credits, 100 Metal, 50 Crystals Health = 1150 Shields = 125 Antimatter = 225 Armour = 0 Weapon Damage = Autocannon (4) Supply Needed = 6 Good Against = None Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Nil --==Abilities==-- Colonise Antimatter Cost = 90 Cooldown (secs) = 120 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 0 Basically, this will head towards an empty planet, or in some cases, an empty pirate base, and capture it for your empire. The planet will need to be devoid of population and must not be claimed by another empire. If it is claimed by another empire, destroy the base or planet until there is 0 health and there is a message that you can destroyed an outpost, then colonise. Crew Extractor Antimatter Cost = 40 Cooldown (secs) = 60 Range = 1000 Duration (secs) = 0 In many of the uncolonizable planets, there will be extractors there of metal and crystal, prebuilt and they are neutral, and ready for the taking. This ability will take control of a neutral extractor and place it into service for your empire. The Protov Colony Frigate, although completely useless in combat, and this is something that you shouldn't be using in combat at all, is used to expand your empire. These are important because the only other thing in the TEC fleet that can colonise planets is the Akkan Battlecruiser and this is the only ship in the TEC fleet that can man the extractors in the uncolonizable planets, making this relatively important. Only send these into planets after your fleet has nearly cleared out a planet, I say nearly because it does take some time for a frigate to move through a phase lane. --==Advent==-- Seeker Vessel Faction = Advent Cost = 200 Metal Health = 400 Shields = 425 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 2 Weapon Damage = Laser (3) Supply Needed = 2 Good Against = Nothing Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Unfettered Phase Jumps, Martyrdom --==Abilities==-- Explore Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 0 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 0 Similar to the TEC Scout Frigate, the Seeker Vessel will explore all the unknown planets in your area without the need for you to command where it is supposed to go and such. Useful because they can normally scout a good deal before they run into trouble. Infallible Jump Drive Passive Ability Again, this is the same as the Arcova Scout Frigate, but of course, has its use, given that scout frigates will always be running into enemy territory. You need to remember that your seeker vessel will be able to move quickly to avoid stationary defences, but with attacks from strike craft, this will result in a vessel destroyed if it is waiting to phase jump away. Martyrdom Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 0 Range = 200 Duration (secs) = 0 As you can guess, this ability is letting the seeker vessel self destruct and blow itself up, dealing 200 damage to every vessel in range, and although that may not be a lot, it will give you an advantage if your vessel was scouting enemy land before your invasion force gets in. The Seeker Vessel is the basic scout of the Advent fleet, and they are necessary as it is rather, well, stupid to send in a capital ship to explore the unknown, given that capital ships are slow, and you aren't going to know what you are up again. However, late in the game, when everything has been explored, don't expect to use these anymore. Disciple Vessel Faction = Advent Cost = 250 Credits, 40 Metal Health = 400 Shields = 425 Antimatter = 200 Armour = 2 Weapon Damage = Laser (8) Supply Needed = 4 Good Against = Frigates Weak Against = Cruisers, Capital Ships Researchables = Steal Antimatter --==Abilities==-- Steal Antimatter Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 10 Range = 3000 Duration (secs) = 0 This ability targets a ship with antimatter and steals 25 antimatter from them and gives it to themselves, which is rather useful if you use it en masse against capital ships, stealing their antimatter and not letting them have any will deprive them of their abilities, which is what makes a capital ship so useful. Transfer Antimatter Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 30 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 10 This basically transfer antimatter from the vessel towards a target vessel of your choosing, which is useful if you need to reinforce your capital ships with more antimatter, given that their antimatter usage is rather excessive to say the least, all capital ships need a lot of antimatter to win a fight. The Disciple Vessel is basically the grunt of the Advent frigate forces, you will use them to clear out systems early on, which is always needed for new planets. However, you need to remember that in order to make these vessels useful in battle, you need to keep them away from cruisers and capital ships as those ships pound these ones into a fine dust. Illuminator Vessel Faction = Advent Cost = 350 Credits, 50 Metal, 40 Crystals Health = 500 Shields = 500 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 2 Weapon Damage = Beam (16) Supply Needed = 6 Good Against = Frigates Weak Against = Cruisers, Capital Ships Researchables = Deceptive Illusion --==Abilities==-- Deceptive Illusion Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 180 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 120 This creates a decoy ship of the Illuminator Vessel, in which the enemy will think as a real ship, whilst in actuality, it is an illusion. This ship can actually take some damage before it goes poof, which is useful as you try to retreat your fleet from an ambush or the arrival of a far superior force. However, this will disable all other abilities that you may have. The Illuminator Vessel is a useful vessel if you want to escape or retreat a fleet from danger, and the decoy might give you enough time to save a frigate or two. However, this ability tends to be worthless late in the game as the enemy will have powerful capital ships and cruisers that will destroy anything in a matter of seconds, and that means the decoy will be less effective. Useful earlier on when the enemy does not tote such a large force. Purge Vessel Faction = Advent Cost = 530 Credits, 80 Metal, 60 Crystals Health = 480 Shields = 375 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 3 Weapon Damage = Plasma (6), Bomb (20) Supply Needed = 12 Good Against = Planets, Frigates Weak Against = Frigates, Cruisers, Capital Ships Researchables = Nil --==Abilities==-- None The Purge Vessel is the only ship that can bombard planets that is not a capital ship. This is useful if you use them on mass, but any good defender would have already upgraded their planet with emergency facilities, and have defences to shoot these guys down. I once had a large fleet move in and try to capture one of my planets, they did not realise that behind them was a group of 8 capital ships from my expeditionary fleet. Needless to say, the enemy did not win. That is a reminder that if you wish to bombard planets with these guys, make sure that you have a big fleet to protect against whatever the enemy will throw at you. Defence Vessel Faction = Advent Cost = 350 Credits, 40 Meteal, 20 Crystals Health = 650 Shields = 620 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 3 Weapon Damage = Laser (22) Supply Needed = 3 Good Against = Strike Craft, Frigates Weak Against = Frigates, Cruisers, Capital Ships Researchables = Nil --==Abilities==-- None With the lack of abilities, the defence vessel is similar to the Garda Flak Frigate, it is basically there to defend against strike craft, which are quite dangerous if you let them grow in numbers. They can hold their own against enemy frigates, but their difference to other flak frigates is that they have a large amount of health and shields, and that means that they can take more punishment before they fall. Missionary Vessel Faction = Advent Cost = 400 Credits, 125 Metal, 50 Crystals Health = 925 Shields = 250 Antimatter = 220 Armour = 0 Weapon Damage = Laser (5) Supply Needed = 7 Good Against = Nothing Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Nil --==Abilities==-- Colonise Antimatter Cost = 90 Cooldown (secs) = 120 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 0 Basically, this will head towards an empty planet, or in some cases, an empty pirate base, and capture it for your empire. The planet will need to be devoid of population and must not be claimed by another empire. If it is claimed by another empire, destroy the base or planet until there is 0 health and there is a message that you can destroyed an outpost, then colonise. Crew Extractor Antimatter Cost = 40 Cooldown (secs) = 60 Range = 1000 Duration (secs) = 0 In many of the uncolonizable planets, there will be extractors there of metal and crystal, prebuilt and they are neutral, and ready for the taking. This ability will take control of a neutral extractor and place it into service for your empire. Again, as with the Protov Colony Frigate, for the love all all things that is lovable, do not send these ships into combat, they will suffer and die exceptionally quickly. Also, the AI tends to target these, regardless of whatever forces you have fighting them, so if you want to actually colonise that planet, I suggest that you take them into the system after it is cleared out for safety reasons. --==Vasari==-- Jikara Navigator Faction = Vasari Cost = 225 Credits, 20 Metal Health = 425 Shields = 225 Antimatter = 300 Armour = 1 Weapon Damage = Pulse Gun (4) Supply Needed = 3 Good Against = Nothing Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Jump Inhibition Immunity --==Abilities==-- Explore Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 0 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 0 Again, it is the same with the other scout frigates, basically, you send the vessel to discover the entire galaxy by themselves without you needing to tell them where to go and such, which is always useful before you want to know where to nice lush terran and desert planets are and those crystal rich ice planets. Capture Extractor Antimatter Cost = 60 Cooldown (secs) = 60 Range = 1000 Duration (secs) = 0 Basically, the ability to take over neutral extractors around uncolonizable areas have been turned over to the navigator rather than handing it to the colony ship, which is a poor decision, but in some ways, it is useful because you can capture the extractors when you are moving around the galaxy, which is more metal and crystals. Infalliable Jump Drive Passive Ability Like the other scout ships, this makes the ship uninhibited by enemy phase jump inhibitors, which is always useful when you are moving away from enemy territory. Of course, I can't be bothered copying and pasting all that much, my fingers are too cold. The Navigator is going to be necessary as you want to explore the galaxy quickly to see where you can expand. You need to scout out the enemy defences and their forces, so you can send in the appropriate response to their defences. Ravastra Skirmisher Faction = Vasari Cost = 420 Credits, 70 Metal Health = 700 Shields = 440 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 3 Weapon Damage = Pulse Gun (10) Supply Needed = 7 Good Against = Frigates Weak Against = Cruisers, Capital Ships Researchables = Reintegration, Interference --==Abilities==-- Reintegration Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 75 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 45 The Skirmisher will stop and turn off the engines and weapons, making it stationary and defenceless, but recovers 8 hull points per second for about 45 seconds, recovering about 360 hull points in total. This is only useful if you use it OUTSIDE OF BATTLE. It is extremely stupid and foolhardy to stop and turn off your weapons in the MIDDLE OF A BATTLE. Its like standing in between two archers who are trying to kill each other. Interference Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 8 Range = 5000 Duration (secS) = 30 This is a nice ability to use on capital ships, it will double their weapon cooldown time and double the antimatter costs of all abilities, which will essentially cut the power of a capital ship into two, which is quite useful in a massive engagement. Use this wisely however, don't think that the single frigate will survive an engagement against a capital ship just by doubling their antimatter costs and weapon cooldown, they are still a big threat. the Ravastra Skirmisher is quite powerful, more powerful than the light frigates of the TEC and the Advent. However, they have a larger costs, but that is well worth it, interference and reintegration can be useful if used correctly and instead of them being worthless at the end of the game, they still are useful as support frigates. Kanrak Assailant Faction = Vasari Cost = 360 Credits, 55 Metal, 35 Crystals Health = 600 Shields = 340 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 2 Weapon Damage = Phase Missiles (13) Supply Needed = 6 Good Against = Frigates, Structures, Cruisers Weak Against = Cruisers, Capital Ships Researchables = Discharging Missiles --==Abilities==-- Discharging Missiles Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 5 Range = 1200 Duration (secs) = 2 This will disable the Kanrak's engines and decrease their turn rate by a massive 300%, but their missiles get a 25% boost in range and have a 15% boost in splash damage, which makes them excellent killers of frigate groups. Basically, this makes them stationary missile platforms, and with their range, can hit an enemy fleet hard. But remember, they will be stationary in this node, and although the time they are stationary is low, that can mean being within weapon range of a capital ship and with such weak armour, this is in trouble. This is a powerful missile frigate, but however, it will be useless in direct combat, they are far too fragile and as such, they cannot sustain a large attack force. Once your front line is gone, you better retreat them and given their cost, you want to keep them away from direct confrontation at all costs. Remember, the discharging missiles might be useful for extra damage, but those few seconds that it is stationary and slowed down, the capital ships and opposing missile frigates and cruisers can move in and swoop for the kill. Also, strike craft are a threat, since it is stationary in this time. Karrastra Destructor Faction = Vasari Cost = 525 Credits, 80 Metal, 60 Crystals Health = 520 Shields = 320 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 2 Weapon Damage = Wave (6), Bomb (23) Supply Needed = 12 Good Against = Planets Weak Against = Frigates, Cruisers, Capital Ships Researchables = Nil --==Abilities==-- None Compared to the rest of the non-capital frigates that can bomb planets, this is extremely weak. The other frigates can hold their own in a fight in time to escape and fight another day. These have a differance, they cannot hold their own and definitely need support. If you plan to planet bomb with the Vasari, I suggest Capital Ships, they can actually hold their own and have useful abilities that the Karrastra Destructor definitely lacks. They also have some defence as well. Also, their supply cost is extremely excessive for such a weak ship and considering their purpose, one capital ship is worth 5 of these at least, considering the capital ships supply is always 50. Junsurak Sentinel Faction = Vasari Cost = 450 Credits, 50 Metal, 30 Crystals Health = 875 Shields = 550 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 3 Weapon Damage = Phase Missiles (20) Supply Needed = 5 Good Against = Strike Craft, Frigates Weak Against = Cruisers, Capital Ships Researchables = Discharging Missiles --==Abilities==-- Discharging Missiles Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 5 Range = 750 Duration (secs) = 1 Similar to the effect of the Kanrak Assailant, this will kill the engines of the ship and will decrease the turn rate by about 300%, but will increase the range of the missiles by 25% and increase the splash damage by 15%, though for some reason, the range is lower and duration shorter, however, it can still hit a fleet rather hard. This the the flak frigate of the Vasari, and it is quite powerful, hitting strike craft, and seriously, they don't stand a chance, though if they are focusing on strike craft, their carriers and escorts won't be too pleased. They can hold their own in an actual fight, so don't worry about them too much, but make sure that your investment is safe. Jarun Migrator Faction = Vasari Cost = 425 Credits, 140 Metals, 50 Crystals Health = 1000 Shields = 225 Antimatter = 225 Armour = 0 Weapon Damage = Pulse Gun (5) Supply Needed = 6 Good Against = Nothing Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Nil --==Abilities==-- Colonise Antimatter Cost = 90 Cooldown (secs) = 120 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 0 The same colonise as all the rest of the colony ships, it is basically the capture of an empty planet for your own use, nothing special or new here. I am glad that this is the last of the rehashing for the most part. The Migrator is weaker than other colony ships, losing the crew extractor ability, but still, it is the only frigate that can colonise planets, so you will need them. The other rules apply, do not send this ship into battle because that is rather stupid, considering that the damage is minimal and the fact that the ship has absolutely no armour whatsoever. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [4.03] Cruiser Cruisers are basically the support and heavy attacks of your fleet, they will be rare in the early part of the game, but later on, they will be used as escorts for capital ships and support craft for the fleet, and their abilities are exceptionally useful in battle. Many can house strike craft, adding to the attack force of the fleet. Compared to frigates, they are more expensive, there is no denying that, but they are more heavily armoured, they pack stronger weapons, more health, bigger shields and more powerful abilities. If the frigates are the basic grunts of the fleet, consider the cruiser the commander. This is where you start to see the differences in the fleets. The TEC fleets are not heavily armoured, considering they are modified civilian vessel, but excel at supporting their fleet, making it well designed for defending territory. Advent fleets support their ships from attack and defence, though they pack more aggressive abilities than their TEC cousins. The Vasari fleet is more designed for attack and packs a lot of offensive abilities in their cruisers. Let us have a look at their cruisers. --==TEC==-- Percheron Light Carrier Faction = TEC Cost = 475 Credits, 100 Metal, 90 Crystals Health = 900 Shields = 300 Antimatter = 200 Armour = 2 Weapon Damage = No Weapons Supply Needed = 8 Good Against = Frigates, Structures Weak Against = Cruisers, Capital Ships Researchables = Nil Supports = 1 Squadron of Strike Craft --==Abilities==-- None Lacking any sort of weaponry, the Percheron Light Carrier is a carrier, it carries strike craft from planet to planet in their hangars, letting them unleash bombers or fighters on the enemy. They should always be kept in the rear of your line, with little armor and little in the terms of firepower besides their strike craft. Make sure you pick bomber strike craft, you're anti-strike craft attack will be the Flak Frigate, you need to dish out the damage. Hosihko Robotics Cruiser Faction = TEC Cost = 350 Credits, 30 Metal, 50 Crystals Health = 775 Shields = 325 Antimatter = 350 Armour = 3 Weapon Damage = Laser (4) Supply Needed = 4 Good Against = Nothing Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Demolition Bots --==Abilities==-- Repair Drones Antimatter Cost = 50 Cooldown (secs) = 3 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 15 This repairs the hulls of the nearby ships and structures, healing them for 20 points per second for the duration of 15 seconds. This can make your ships stand and fight longer, and is well worth the cost of using the antimatter. This is why the Hoshiko Cruiser should be in every battle, they are invaluable in supporting abilities. Demolition Bots Antimatter Cost = 75 Cooldown (secs) = 3 Range = 3000 Duration (secs) = 15 This is a powerful ability, it targets a ship and inflicts 25 damage to it, and that isn't all that much, but it also increases the cooldown of their weapon by 75%, and also decreases the acceleration and turning of the ship by 200%, which is a fair amount. This is why this cruiser is so damn scary to fight, you cannot run and retreat against it when you are slower than the capital ships that are hunting you down. As you can see, the abilities of the Robotics cruiser is why you should have them hanging around in large battles, it will keep nearby ships healthy whilst making sure that the enemy frigates don't escape. Of course, this isn't as useful around capital ships, seeing that they have such a large shield, but with any fleet, a few of these need to be there to support it, it saves on repairs and makes sure that more of the enemy die. Cielo Command Cruiser Faction = TEC Cost = 425 Credits, 25 Metal, 60 Crystals Health = 850 Shields = 250 Antimatter = 350 Armour = 1 Weapon Damage = Laser (4) Supply Needed = 6 Good Against = None Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Designate Target --==Abilities==-- Embolden Antimatter Cost = 50 Cooldown (secs) = 2 Range = 4000 Duration (secs) = 60 This will increase the morale of the crew of the targeted ship and it will decrease the cooldown that their weapons suffer by 10% and regenerates an extra 2.5 Shield Points per second. This is exceptionally useful if that ship is current on the frontline and taking heavy fire, so you reinforce their position and give them a little extra firepower. Exceptionally useful on capital ships. Designate Target Antimatter Cost = 100 Colldown (secs) = 45 Range = 9000 Duration (secs) = 60 The targeted ship will lose 25% of its shield mitigation, which is quite useful because shield mitigation will mean that it suffers less damage through its shield, and reducing the number means that it will take more damage in the end, which is always a good think. Again, this is best used on enemy capital ships, making those fat bastards take more damage is always a good thing, you want to sink them faster don't you? The Cielo Command Cruiser is another support cruiser for the TEC, and one that needs to be kept in the rear, given their lack of heavy armour. They cannot survive in direct combat, but any good commander will realise that their supporting capabilities is more than enough to warrent the cost and the risk of sending them with a battle fleet to fight. Pair with Hoshiko Robotic Cruisers in order to maximise the potential of your fleet. They both work well with a large group of Capital Ships. Kodiak Heavy Cruiser Faction = TEC Cost = 500 Credits, 100 Metal, 70 Crystals Health = 1050 Shields = 600 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 5 Weapon Damage = Autocannon (18) Supply Needed = 10 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Intercept --==Abilities==-- Intercept Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 60 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 8 This is one of the most powerful support abilities ever, it will increase the speed of the Kodiak Heavy Cruiser by 200% and the total acceleration by a whopping 800%, using it to close in quickly on fleeing enemy forces to terminate them. This is useful for chasing retreating forces that have been weakened in a battle to make sure that they don't come back and fight another day. This is the best non-capital ship that the TEC have to offer. Alone it is more than a match for frigates, and groups will demolish cruisers, and if enough, they can dispatch a capital ship. They are powerful, but are costly. As such, with their incredible firepower, use them on the frontlines. I personally use them to guard my planets near wormholes and stars, keeping about 5 in the front, about 10 Javelis LRM frigates in the rear. That will easily take down a fleet or at least inflict heavy losses, and will give enough time for you to send in reinforcements. Use with Capital Ships and you will see the power of these ships, and they are nothing to scoff at. Don't forget that there are stationary defences as well, so get past that. Aeria Drone Host Faction = Advent Cost = 450 Credits, 100 Metal, 50 Crystals Health = 1150 Shields = 125 Antimatter = 225 Armour = 0 Weapon Damage = No Weapons Supply Needed = 8 Good Against = Nothing Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Nil Supports = 1 Squadron of Strike Craft --==Abilities==-- None Similar to the TEC carrier, this is basically a launch platform for a single squadron of strike craft, and you have to be insane to choose fighters for attacking. Again, with no armour and nothing in terms of weaponry, they should be nothing but in the rear, though you might want to keep them in the middle sometimes, in case the enemy gets some funny ideas of chasing a moving fleet down and the first thing they see are these drone hosts. Iconus Guardian Faction = Advent Cost = 525 Credits, 110 Metal, 120 Crystals Health = 675 Shields = 1500 Antimatter = 350 Armour = 2 Weapon Damage = Laser (4) Supply Needed = 7 Good Against = Nothing Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Repulson --==Abilities==-- Shield Projection Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 20 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 30 This is one hell of an interesting ability. It basically extends the shields of the guardian to absorb and take 33% of the damage that is targeted at other vessels under your control. Basically, it is tanking your forces. That is the reason that it has such large shield reserves with so little weaponry. Of course, that does deplete your shields relatively fast, so be vary of having low shields, because this isn't a frontline unit. Repulsion Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 0 Range = 7500 Duration (secs) = 0 This actually has an antimatter cost, it costs 6 antimatter per second, so it isn't a cheap ability. Basically, you push away nearby ships, and it reduces their acceleration and speed by 1000%, which means that if they move towards you, they are basically moving at a crawl, which is a nice move or barrier to prevent the enemy coming close to you and your group. This is basically another defensive ability. This ship is basically a ship that defends and nothing else. Shield Projection is basically taking a third of all the damage from nearby ships onto itself and repulsion keeps enemy ships away from your ship, useful against strike craft as well as enemy vessels that seek to attack a group near the Guardian. Although this is a protecting vessel, it has no power of its own and cannot survive one on one with a frigate or any other ship for that matter, with little armour and a weak puny weapon put on just to make it look like it is threatening. Domina Subjugator Faction = Advent Cost = 400 Credits, 80 Metal, 80 Crystals Health = 550 Shields = 300 Antimatter = 350 Armour = 3 Weapon Damage = Laser (4) Supply Needed = 4 Good Against = Nothing Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Perserverance --==Abilities==-- Suppression Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 40 Range = 6000 Duration (secs) = 40 Basically, this is a move that will block any attempt to use abilities, weapons, construct structures or even phase jump. This is why this is a dangerous ship, it can stop any shop from phase jumping and firing back on the ship, which means that capital ships will be sweating bullets when they see this, though that is only if they are fleeing, if they are not, you will be the one fleeing like crazy. Perserverance Antimatter Cost = 150 Cooldown (secs) = 60 Range = 5000 Duration (secS) = 40 This is a nice ability, it is a healing ability where it will repair hull points at 25 points per second for 40 seconds to the targeted structure or ship, so it basically repairs 1000 hull points for the 40 seconds. This is exceptionally useful if you need to patch up a capital ship from a massive engagement or frontline fighters that are about to be turned into galactic debris. This is one of the best ships that the Advent have to offer, it can support and heal their allies and hinder the enemy from fighting back or escaping, giving your forces a chance to quickly destroy them. Best against fleeing capital ships after they have taken a beating, giving your forces a chance to destroy it and force a massive loss upon the enemy. That'll teach them to mess with you. Make sure that these guys don't head innto danger without support, they have little armour and they cannot sustain heavy attacks, and they are armed with an ornamental laser to boot, they will not be useful in direct confrontations on the front line. Destra Crusader Faction = Advent Cost = 525 Credits, 100 Metal, 90 Crystals Health = 775 Shields = 825 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 4 Weapon Damage = Plasma (19) Supply Needed = 10 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Ruthlessness --==Abilities==-- Ruthlessness Passive Ability Range = 3500 Ruthlessness is a powerful ability, it causes all enemy ships and structure within its range to suffer 1.5 damage per second. Now that may not seem like a lot, but in a large fight that drags on for several minutes, that is quite a lot of damage we are talking about. This makes this ship one to be feared, and you can bet it is one of the first ships that the enemy targets, so make sure that the attendent fleet is fully armed to take down such threats. This is probably the most dangerous cruiser of the Advent's due to the power of their passive ability and the fact that it can easily demolish other ships with ease. Similar to the Kodiak Heavy Cruiser, it can make capital ships sweat when they are on their own, but when you are facing a large group of capital ships, this is useless. Make sure that this is placed in the frontline to maximise the power of their ability, they aren't afraid to take damage and are well prepared for it. --==Vasari==-- Lasurak Transporter Faction = Vasari Cost = 490 Credits, 110 Metal, 95 Crystals Health = 600 Shields = 300 Antimatter = 350 Armour = 3 Weapon Damage = Pulse Gun (4) Supply Needed = 8 Good Against = Nothing Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Nil Supports = 1 Squadron of Strike Craft --==Abilities==-- None This is the same as the Drone Host and the Carrier, this will carry a squadron of strike craft, which hopefully will be bombers because you will realise that by now, if I haven't drummed it into your head enough, is that the bomber actually does some damage. Thisc arrier is different from the rest, it has slightly more armour, which is handy, and it even has a token weapon, though I suggest that you not try it out as a frontline ship, less you want it destroyed. Stilakus Subverter Faction = Vasari Cost = 400 Credits, 80 Metal, 80 Crystals Health = 600 Shields = 300 Antimatter = 350 Armour = 3 Weapon Damage = Pulse Gun (4) Supply Needed = 5 Good Against = Nothing Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Distortion Field --==Abilities==-- Shield Disruption Antimatter Cost = 30 Cooldown (secs) = 3 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 60 A wierd ability to say the least, it will reduce the shield mitigation of a target ship by 10%, which is a fair bit if you look at the stats, and it will remove the ability to block missiles by 25%, which is also very handy, especially if you have bombers or missile frigates with you, mainly because they are the ones using phase missiles. If you have your bombers lining up for a run, make sure that their shields are disrupted, and watch the bombers pile up the damage. Distortion Field Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 60 Range = 6000 Duration (secs) = 30 This is one hell of an interesting ability, it will teleport the subverter next to the target ship that you want and it renders it disabled for a good 30 seconds. Of course, this puts your ship in harms way, but it will disable the target and what is even more important is that your fleet can now move in and take it out, which makes this a nice ability if you are planning to take out retreating units. Make sure you pick the one with the highest value to the enemy, to deal a blow to their fleet and their economy at the same time. This ship is quite a powerful frontline supporter. It will not hold its own in battle, but the good thing is that it will be making the enemy more vulnerable with their shield disruption ability and their distortion field will disable the target ship, and that makes it a nice target for your attacking forces to take out with relative ease. However, if you use that ability, note that you need to quickly get out of the way considering the lack of heavy weapon on the subverter as well as the lack of a big shield generator. Serevun Overseer Faction = Vasari Cost = 450 Credits, 190 Metal, 100 Crystals Health = 700 Shields = 350 Antimatter = 350 Armour = 2 Weapon Damage = Pulse Gun (4) Supply Needed = 7 Good Against = Nothing Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Jump Degradation, Mobile Phase Detection --==Abilities==-- Reactive Nanite Armour Antimatter Cost = 50 Cooldown (secs) = 2 Range = 6000 Duration (secs) = 60 This ability gives the target ship a large increase of 250 hull points as well as a bonus in armour of 2 points for a duration of 1 minute. This is quite useful if the target's shields are down and are taking hull damage, given that it is increasing the maximum hull points as well as increasing armour of the ship, which means that it will be taking less damage as the armour of the ship is blocking most of the damage. Jump Degradation Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 30 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 120 This ability is quite a powerful one, what it will do is reduce the speed of the phase jumping speed of all enemy ships that are on phase lanes that are linked to your current position. That is to say that the phase jump speed is decreased by 50% to all enemy vessels that are jumping towards the planet where the Overseer is based. This is useful as it slows down the enemy, giving the time for you to build and send in more reinforcements to take out the enemy. Mobile Phase Detection Passive Ability This ability basically detects all enemy ships that are jumping into the system that the Overseer is based. This also works well with the Jump Degradation ability as it not only detects them, it also slows them down and it gives you time to either escape or to send in some backup, or prepare the welcome mat with cannonade and gunfire. This is why it is dangerous to play on the phase lanes against the Vasari. This is why the Overseer is do damn dangerous and hindering, it is a defence vessel, it will slow down the enemy and detect them, lighting them up to get ready to blow them up. The Phase Detection and Jump Degradation work in conjunction rather well, though you will need to use Phase Detection in order to know when to use the Jump Degradation ability. Their Reactive Nanite Armour also makes it useful for ships that are taking a fair amount of hull damage. This is a true support vessel, so keep it from the front lines given that it has a high cost as well as weak armour and weapons to boot. Skarovas Enforcer Faction = Vasari Cost = 675 Credits, 150 Metal, 110 Crystals Health = 1180 Shields = 700 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 4 Weapon Damage = Wave (20) Supply Needed = 12 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Reintegration, Inertial Field --==Abilities==-- Reintegration Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 75 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 45 This is a nice ability, given that it will stop and turn off engines and weapons in order to heal at the rate of 12 hull points per second, healing about 540 hull points with this ability on at the end of the 45 seconds, not taking into account the natural hull repair rate, so if the ship has been badly mauled, by the end of those 45 seconds, it should be back in service. Remember that you don't want to use this in the middle of a battlefield, the ship will not be able to move or return fire, and that is a problem in the middle of a battlefield. Inertial Field Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 30 Range = 4000 Duration (secs) = 10 This ability will reduce the speed and acceleration of all nearby ships within the range of the field by 100%, which prevents the enemy from moving in to attack as well as preventing the enemy from escaping from your grasp as you decide that it is time to blow them up. However, you only have 10 seconds to make full use of it, so you have 10 seconds to blow up a retreating ship. I like the sound to those odds. The Skarovas Enforcer is a powerful cruiser, given that it has a high damage rating, powerful structure and with such a high cost, I would find that it is worth the cost. This has some nice abilities, allowing it to heal itself when it is damaged, as well as having a field that prevents the enemy from escaping, or, alternatively, preventing the enemy from chasing you down when you are escaping. Ahh, there are so many possibilities that you can choose from when you are using this ship. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [4.04] Capital Ships Capital ships are the best of the best, and as such, you can only have so much of them. With research, there is a maximum of 16 capital ships, and that is more than enough. There are exactly 5 for each faction, and they all have differing abilities. There are 5 groups, there is the normal Battleship, a Carrier and three utility ships. What makes these ships so restricted is the fact that they are powerful, they have a hell of a lot of shield and hull points, many weapons, the ability to bombard planets, ability to launch strike craft and, this is the most important, 4 different abilities that can be leveled up and used on your and that is scary. Some are offensive, some are support, some defensive and others passive. Bear in mind that these guys don't come cheap. Battleships also can gain experience and level up, gaining access to more and more abilities. There is also an ultimate abilities, which is always and only will be unlocked at level 6. Experience is based on destruction of ships as well as training. Training is where you can increase the level of your ship but it is limited until level 2, and if research permits, level 3. And on the note of leveling up, most capital ships have an initial starting number on strike craft, but as it levels up, the number of strike craft it can carry will increase. Keep that in mind. You will also be able to upgrade existing abilities, but I can't be stuffed to listed them after level 1, because that takes a fair amount of game time, and I'm not that anal about it. Note that the first capital ship that you build will be free of charge, but the rest of the time, or for every new ship from there, it will cost you full price. So make the decision on what capital ship that you want first carefully. Also, their effectiveness is limited on how you use them. Sending in a single capital ship by itself isn't going to cut it, however, send in 8 and see what happens to the enemy. --==TEC==-- Kol Battleship Faction = TEC Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 3000 Shields = 1250 Antimatter = 225 Armour = 5 Weapon Damage = Beam (9), Autocannon (34), Laser (8), Bomb (43) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 0 Squadrons Initially, Maximum of 2 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Gauss Railgun Antimatter Cost = 75 Cooldown (secs) = 6 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 0 The Gauss Railgun basically targets an enemy and dishes out damage at them, and it starts off at 300 damage. The problem of leaving this on autocast is that it will drain a lot of antimatter for nothing and it also has a short cooldown, so this will drink antimatter, so you would either upgrade the amount the antimatter reserves and increase the restoration rate, but it is undeniable that this does a fair amount of damage for a single shot, and the enemy won't be likeing that a lot. Leave it on autocast when you have fully upgraded all antimatter techs, and grab the antimatter related artifacts. Flak Burst Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 12 Range = 2400 Duration (secs) = 0 This ability damages all the squadrons, enemy squadrons in the area that is by 30 to all of them within range. This is useful if you do not have Garda Flak Frigates with you, which you should, because this is quite expensive in terms of antimatter. The best thing is that you target the hangar or the ship who is the host of the squadron, and that should bleed them to death as strike craft without a host will slowly take damage until it dies. Adaptive Forcefield Antimatter Cost = 40 Cooldown (secs) = 45 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 20 This forcefield will increase the damage reduction of the battleship by 15% and increases the chances that the shield will intercept a missile by 75%. This is handy if you watch your enemies and if they are missile frigates or the like, or bombers are flying around, this will be useful as it will be able to block out more and more damage from the missiles that the enemy will be launching. Though you should be bothering too much about this, you should be bothered about the enemy. Finest Hour (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 150 Cooldown (secs) = 180 Range = 1000 Duration (secs) = 60 This has the effect that all ships in the area will regenerate an extra 5 antimatter per second, restore 10 hull points per second, decrease the weapon cooldown of all weapons by 20% and all weapons deal splash damage for 60 damage points. All this will be for 60 seconds, but this will turn the tide of the battle in your favour. If you are using a fleet of capital ships using a lot of abilities, this basically just increased the amount of abilities that you can use by a fair amount. This is truly the finest hour of your fleet if you use this. The Kol Battleship is the workhorse of the capital ships, it is the best in terms of direct combat that the TEC has to offer. This battleship can easily take on frigates and cruisers, it can alone clear out a system of the natives without taking too much damage or supporting ships. This should be the main capital ship of any fleet, and with their Finest Hour ability, Sova Carrier Faction = TEC Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2850 Shields = 1075 Antimatter = 270 Armour = 4 Weapon Damage = Fore Laser (3), Side Lasers (30), Bomb (37) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 2 Squadrons Initially, Maximum of 7 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Missile Battery Antimatter Cost = 125 Cooldown (secs) = 50 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 60 This basically creates a stationary missile battery, which has two purposes, to be placed and to attack whatever the fleet is attacking, which is always helpful, more firepower doesn't bother me, and the second is that it will be able to attack any ships that are attacking your fleet, so if you want to cover a retreat, this is a nice way to do so, and who knows, the missile battery may be able to take down a few of the enemy attackers. Embargo Antimatter Cost = 85 Cooldown (secs) = 120 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 120 This is where you move into another planet's gravity well, and what this does is to increase the build time for all ships and structures by 30%, which is a fair amount of time as well as disabling the phase jump drives of all trade ships, rending their trade port useless. Finally, it will steal money from the planet, which means more income for you. This is why this ability is so nice to use, it isn't going to hurt the enemy's fleet, but it will take down their trade income. Best used on desert or terran planets with a large population for more theft of money. Heavy Fighters Passive Ability This will increase the damage dealt by all the squadrons of strike craft based on the Sova Carrier by 10% and it will also increase their armour by 1 point. This will basically increase damage and the durability of the fighters, making them survive that much longer and being able to do more damage. Remember, there is a maximum of 7 squadrons on the Sova, so that little bonus is a fair amount of damage. Rapid Manufacturing (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 120 Cooldown (secs) = 120 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 45 This will decrease the build time for all the friendly ships and structures by a nice 30%, which gives you the ability to quickly build and reinforce your position with more and fresh troops. This will also allow the Sova carrier to build new squadrons instantly, and that also means that it will replace new strike craft immediately, and that means you can dish out more damage and do it faster. The Sova Carrier is more of an economic than military fighter than anything else, though their squadrons can be considered attacking and they do have a powerful broadside. That is one thing, but it can also boost your production whilst hindering and stealing from the enemy and their production. This is more of a support battleship than anything else, but it is a capital ship and will be able to hold its own in a fight, but this is used mainly for defence and support. Akkan Battlecruiser Faction = TEC Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 3150 Shields = 1000 Antimatter = 260 Armour = 3 Weapon Damage = Fore Lasers (14), Autocannon (11), Side Lasers (25), Bomb (40) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 1 Squadron Initially, Maximum of 3 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Colonise Antimatter Cost = 90 Cooldown (secs) = 120 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 0 This is interesting because this ship can colonise planets. This is actually more useful because instead of sending in a colony ship after you have cleared out a hostile planet, one of your capital ships can do it instead. This removes the need for the colony frigate nearby so you can colonise conquered planets and saves some fleet supply for you. This is a nice touch, you don't need to worry about a vulnerable colony frigate on your rampage through someone else's colonial empire. Ion Bolt Antimatter Cost = 85 Cooldown (secs) = 10 Range = 7000 Duration (secs) = 3 This is exceptionally powerful, and one of the best of the TEC abilities because this will disable the ship or structure entirely. They cannot move or fight back, they cannot use any ability or build in the case of buildings and constructors. This is useful if you are in a large fight and have weakened an enemy battleship that they are retreating, you can stop them and finish it off, and this is important because if you look at the cost of the capital ship, that is a lot of money and they are going to be hurting. Targeting Uplink Passive Ability Range = 8000 This ability grants the Battlecruiser the ability to increase the weapons range of all nearby ships, if you consider the range of 8000 to be nearby, by a further 6%, and more important, it will increase the chance of hitting the enemy by a further 5%, which is quite useful. Note that this is a passive ability, it is on all the time, so if you are using several capital ships, this will have a large important because a hit from a capital ship is quite a fair amount of damage to say the very least. I hope you aren't on the receiving end of this attack. Armistice (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 150 Cooldown (secs) = 180 Range = 12000 Duration (secs) = 60 No, this is not an ability for the "cheese-eating, surrender monkeys" as Groundskeeper Willy would put it, but instead, this will make the Akkan Battlecruiser invulnerable, unable to take damage at all, and it will disable all the abilities of ships within the range of the ability. Although this will only last a minute, remember that your fleet will be dishing out the damage. And that isn't the best part, all weapons are disabled as well. So this is a very powerful ability, it will make the enemy fleet useless, so they either flee, or stand and watch. I hope you have a large fleet with you to cut off their escape, because that is exactly what they are do. If you see an Akkan battlecruiser moving near the centre of your fleet, I'd advise that you check the level and if it is 6 or above, you'd turn around and run. The Akkan Battlecruiser is a pure support capital ship, it will support a large fleet rather than directly taking itself into battle, but it can hold its own. This is a nice starting ship, given the colonise ability, and with armistice, it can make the enemy fleet from a proud standing fleet into a pile of rubble. This is a must have for any decent fleet because Ion Bolt is more than useful, it is almost a necessary for a large fleet, because the enemy will most likely flee from your fleet, and if you stop them, they are dead. Dunov Battlecruiser Faction = TEC Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2800 Shields = 1125 Antimatter = 280 Armour = 4 Weapon Damage = Autocannon (6), Laser (34), Missile (6), Bomb (43) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = z Squadrons Initially, Maximum of 3 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Shield Restoration Antimatter Cost = 90 Cooldown (secs) = 16 Range = 6000 Duration (secs) = 0 This is a must have for any decent fleet commander, this will target a ship or structure and instantly give it 350 shield points. This is useful on all ships, frigates to capital ships, though it is more useful to frigates given their lack of health. It has a longish cooldown for something that should be used in the midst of battle, but it will make your fleet last longer. A decent support ability to say the least. EMP Charge Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 50 Range = 4500 Duration (secs) = 150 This is a strange ability, because you are using so much antimatter to kill off so little, but there are some uses for it, it can be used to prevent a colony frigate from taking over a planet, as well as denying the ability for a capital ship to use their own abilities on you, which is quite useful because, like I have said many times, capital ships have a severe dependance on antimatter. Anyway, it will kill off 50 antimatter, which is a poor trade in my book. Magnetize Antimatter Cost = 80 Cooldown (secs) = 15 Range = 1000 Duration (secs) = 10 This is interesting because this will disable all the abilities on your target and any strike craft that are near it will collide with the target and this is where it goes interesting. Your own strike craft will be seeming attracted. Although it is free, strike craft take some time to ready up, and it all depends if you are ready to risk bombers to dish out some damage on the enemy. This is a poor ability for some commanders, who like using strike craft, but it can be a clever use if you use the enemy's own strike craft against them. Flux Field (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 125 Cooldown (secs) = 180 Range = 4000 Duration (secs) = 60 This ability basically increases the antimatter cost for all abilities by a grand total of 300% against all nearby craft. This is exceptionally useful in large battlee involving enemy capital ships because like I have banged on about before two paragraphs ago, capital ships need and drink antimatter and you need to make sure that you have as much as you can as well as denying as much as possible to the enemy. It also is useful against colony ships given their cost of 90 antimatter to take control of a planet. The Dunov Battlecruiser is a strange support capital ship, it is fixated on draining as much of the enemy's antimatter as possible. However, shield restoration is a nice bonus for any large fleet, and could mean life and death for ships as it will buy some time to repair the damage done with those 300 shield points. However, compared to the other TEC capital ships, their ultimate power seems a little weak if you ask me. But that is just my opinion, maybe you dislike strike craft and like stealing antimatter, everyone has a different playing style. Marza Dreadnought Faction = TEC Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2875 Shields = 1150 Antimatter = 235 Armour = 4 Weapon Damage = Missile (28), Autocannon (12), Laser (14), Bomb (54) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 0 Squadrons Initially, Maximum of 1 Squadron --==Abilities==-- Radiation Bomb Antimatter Cost = 85 Cooldown (secs) = 12 Range = 6000 Duration (secs) = 5 The Radiation Bomb basically fires a bomb at the target, hitting it for 125 damage in a single shot, and from there, it will continue hitting the enemy for a fair 7 damage a second to that ship and all nearby ships for a small period of time. Now that is a nice amount of damage for an ability and the continued damage from the radiation helps your fleet battle the enemy fleet. Every little bit of damage helps. Raze Planet Antimatter Cost = 90 Cooldown (secs) = 40 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 0 This fires a nice bomb at the planet, hitting it for 80 damage, and the better thing is that it also kills of 10 population, which will give a faster drop in tax income faster. This is useful because your will be using the Marza Dreadnought to blow up planets, this is more along the lines of the planet bombardier because of their bombs and their damage that their bombs will do. However, save using it until you get more powerful versions of it, as to not waste the precious antimatter. Incendiary Shells Passive Ability This is a nice ability, it will increase the damage done from the Marza's weaponry by 3, which is a nice boost, because your weapons will be running off the rails extremely quickly. This is a nice boost because there is a rather load reload time for your weaponry, and every little bit counts. Hey, if it helps, then I don't see a problem with it. If only you could see how many ships have escaped from my fleet with their health in the lone digits. Missile Barrage (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 150 Cooldown (secs) = 240 Range = 10000 Duration (secs) = 0 This is a powerful ability, it will fire missiles to everything in the range of the Dreadnought, and what this will do is hit them all for 150 damage. Now this may not be a lot to severely cripple a ship, but that little 150 gives you a little headstart in damaging the enemy. However, make sure that this is used properly, such as when a crippled fleet is fleeing, and don't waste it on damaging property, you have far more powerful weapons for that. The Marza Dreadnought is basically the heavy artillery of the TEC capital ships, it is there to dish out and hit the planets, though it is more than capable of taking on enemy fleets with their powerful weaponry. As long as the craft has enough antimatter, it will be able to perform its job. This ship should be used alongside the Kol Battleship if you want to make sure that the enemy will be demolished. The Kol Battleship will take on the targets in close range, and the Marza will take it from a good distance. --==Advent==-- Radiance Battlecruiser Faction = Advent Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2200 Shields = 1750 Antimatter = 240 Armour = 4 Weapon Damage = Beam (15), Laser (26), Plasma (10), Bomb (43) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 0 Squadrons Initially, Maximum of 2 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Detonate Antimatter Antimatter Cost = 60 Cooldown (secs) = 20 Range = 4500 Duration (secs) = 20 This is interesting, it will denonate a target's antimatter reserve and deal damage to the ship in question. It will dish out a minor 12 damage when it hits the enemy, but it will dish out just about 17 damage per second after that for a short period of time, so that is quite a fair amount of damage that we are talking aoubt. Of course, you will need to make sure that the target actually has some antimatter to detonate. This will also turn off all abilities that are antimatter based for that same period of time as well, so this is a rather handy ability. Animosity Antimatter Cost = 65 Cooldown (secs) = 35 Range = 3000 Duration (secs) = 20 This is an ability that forces all the enemy ships that are within the range of this ability to shift all their fire onto the battlecruiser, and although this is a nice way to protect your allies, if you are facing a large fleet, you are looking at a large fleet and a hell of a lot of incoming fire and that isn't going to be health, considering that the ship isn't very heavily armoured. Also, if you are fighting a large fleet, you are going to see your battlecruiser targeted first anyway, so this is not all that useful. Energy Absorption Passive Ability This is quite a nice ability, it will convert all incoming fire that is energy based, such as lasers and beams, and 5% of that damage is converted into antimatter, as well as adding 1 point to armour. This is quite useful if used in conjunction with the animosity ability, and incoming fire will increase your antimatter reserves. A normal laser beam will end up giving you about 1 antimatter point, but that does add up. You will need a lot of antimatter to use the next ability. Cleansing Brillance (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 150 Cooldown (secs) = 75 Range = 8000 Duration (secs) = 8 This ability dishes out 250 damage to all ships within the range of the ability, and this is quite powerful, regardless of the antimatter cost. This is best used against an retreating enemy fleet what has been severely crippled, and this should knock out a few ships at least. This is powerful and if you can plan it, you can use this at the start of a battle, and hopefully, the antimatter will build up and you can use it again, turning the tide of the battle hopefully to you. The Radiance Battlecruiser is quite the frontline fighter, but it lacks any supporting abilities that makes it a fleet player, it is more of a ship geared to fight the war itself. Compared to the Kol Battleship, I think the Kol comes out on top, mainly for their powerful ultimate abilities of the Finest Hour. Cleansing Brillance might be powerful, but 250 damage is not a lot for a large fleet, they will fight on and still win if that is what the fleet was built for. Relevation Battlecruiser Faction = Advent Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2075 Shields = 1400 Antimatter = 234 Armour = 4 Weapon Damage = Laser (18), Plasma (29), Bomb (50) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 1 Squadron Initially, Maximum of 2 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Reverie Antimatter Cost = 75 Cooldown (secs) = 15 Range = 8000 Duration (secs) = 20 This isn't a Kings of Leon song, this is an ability where the target is totally disabled, it will shut down their engines, weapons, abilties, everything will be shut down. This is an excellent time for you to take them out quickly, because if they sustain too much damage, they will snap out of this ability, and they will normally tend to flee, so if you want to hit them, hit them hard. Guidance Antimatter Cost = 75 Cooldown (secs) = 20 Range = 6000 Duration (secs) = 15 This is a friendly support ability, basically, this will boost the target ship be reducing the cooldown of their weaponry by a nice 40%, and that means that they can fight a lot harder for the time that they are effected. This works well on capital ships because those ships have long recharge times and as such, it will be necessary to boost their refire rate as much as you can. Clairvoyance Antimatter Cost = 80 Cooldown (secs) = 20 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 50 This is more of an intelligence ability than anything else, because for a short period of time, you can view a planet of your choice. Now, this is a very nice ability that you want to use before you head into a battle, so you can scout out the power of the enemy forces there to make sure that you aren't walking into a nice trap. Provoke Hysteria (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 150 Cooldown (secs) = 180 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 40 This is quite a useful ability, it will damage the population and the health of the planet by 1% per second, which at the end, is quite a lot of people dead and the planet hit pretty hard. This is why this craft is such a powerful and dangerous ship and one that you want to take out extremely quickly because it will take down ships, and scout out the targets, and then move in for the kill. This is a great anti planet attack. This ship is exceptionally powerful against the enemy and is best used as the spearhead for the destruction of colonies and the capturing of planets. Before you move in, you can scout the planet you want to take out, and then move in and take out the enemy forces surrounding the area, supporting your own forces as well as stopping the enemy from fleeing. Then, blow up the planet and cause them a hell of a lot of damage, wait for the antimatter to recharge and then continue. It is an unstoppable one ship fleet. Progenitor Mothership Faction = Advent Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2350 Shields = 1450 Antimatter = 265 Armour = 3 Weapon Damage = Laser (18), Plasma (30), Bomb (40) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 1 Squadron Initially, Maximum of 3 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Colonise Antimatter Cost = 90 Cooldown (secs) = 120 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 360 This is interesting because this ship can colonise planets. This is actually more useful because instead of sending in a colony ship after you have cleared out a hostile planet, one of your capital ships can do it instead. This removes the need for the colony frigate nearby so you can colonise conquered planets and saves some fleet supply for you. This is a nice touch, you don't need to worry about a vulnerable colony frigate on your rampage through someone else's colonial empire. I got bored of actually writing out the same thing thousands of times over, so this is a copy and paste job. Malice Antimatter Cost = 90 Cooldown (secs) = 20 Range = 8000 Duration (secs) = 20 This is a strange ability, it will damage the enemies in range by 8% of their total health, but only works if you only attack a single target. This is quite strange, but is workable in a battle. However, the problem is that the ship has side guns and rear guns, and you want to be hitting as much as you can with all available weapons, so the ability is counter productive to say the least. Maybe there are some people out there who like this ability, I have no idea on how this is practical. Shield Regeneration Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 20 Range = 3000 Duration (secs) = 8 This basically targets a target ship and it generates nearly 38 shield points per second, and even for 8 seconds, that is a fair amount of shield points we are talking about, it is a total of 300 points for a total of 8 seconds, and for some ships, that means a full bar of shields are back on after a lack of it, which makes this a nice supporting ability. This is one of the more useful of the abilities of this mothership. I wonder what is actually inside this capital ship anyway. Resurrection (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 120 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 0 This is a resurrection ability, it is to revive a fallen capital ship, and this will resurrect the crew of the destroyed capital ship, and their level will be transferred to a target capital ship of your choosing, of course, it is pointless to resurrect it to your own considering that you are already on level 6, given that it is the level that you need to be at to use this ability in the first place. Remember that this isn't all that useful because how many high level capital ships will be ambushed like that? This is one of the worst ultimate abilities in my opinion. The Mothership is a powerful ship indeed, and has some redeeming qualities about it, but the fact that malice and resurrection are abilities that do not make this ship all that useful, rather, those two abilities will be rather worthless. My only problem is the ulitmate ability, there are many powerful ones out there and all can be used, but this one is largely situational, because if you do not have a destroyed capital ship at a high level, which a good commander would not have, it is useless. Smart commanders scout out the planet they will be attack to make sure they will not be walking into an ambush. Also, the only ships to be destroyed are those of a lower level, not a high level. It could be useful, but I find it far to situational. Halcyon Carrier Faction = Advent Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2075 Shields = 1600 Antimatter = 270 Armour = 3 Weapon Damage = Laser (14), Beam (20), Bomb (37) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 2 Squadrons Initially, Maximum of 6 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Telekinetic Push Antimatter Cost = 90 Cooldown (secs) = 10 Range = 4200 Duration (secs) = 15 This is more of one that is dedicated against enemy strike craft, it basically repels all strike craft near the craft, and not only that, it will damage them with 20 points of damage, and that will cripple them, and if that wasn't enough it will decrease the acceleration and the speed of the craft by 25%. However, they doesn't mean that they are gone, you are focusing on the result, but you are not cutting off the source of the problem, the carrier or hangar. That will be a better target. Adept Drone Anima Passive Ability This is a nice ability, all the squadrons of your carrier will have an extra ship, and that might not be a lot for a single squadron, but if you have 6 squadrons of bombers, that is an extra squadron of bombers right there, so effectively, you have just over 7 squadrons of bombers. This makes sure that the enemy will suffer, though there is a problem, that effectively lights up a target sign over this carrier like nothing else. With light armour and weak shields and hull points, you can bet this will be the first target. Amplify Energy Aura Passive Ability Range = 8000 This is an interesting ability, it will basically decrease the cooldown time of all your weapons and all of your friendlies in that range of the ability by a nice percentage of 8%. This is rather useful as a passive ability for a big fleet, since any cooldown will make more damage hit the enemy and that means that the enemy ship dies faster. Of course, you might need to stop them from escaping. Anima Tempest (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 150 Cooldown (secs) = 180 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 0 This will create a large amount of strike craft squadrons to appear out of no where and attack the enemy. They are all basically illusions, but they can still do a hell of a lot of damage, so if the enemy doesn't have anything in the form of flak defence, then this will be useful. However, I guess that if you are attacking or defending with this capital ship, there are going to be a lot of attackers or defenders that you need to overwhelm. This is rather interesting and depends on how you use it. This is one hell of a powerful carrier, and this is one where you want to keep it on the rear. You should not send it to the frontline because if you do, I can bet you that the carrier will be the main target for all enemy forces, it is far too big a threat to not target it. Therefore, make sure that it is well protected or else you will be losing a nice capital ship. Rapture Battlecruiser Faction = Advent Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2100 Shields = 1625 Antimatter = 280 Armour = 4 Weapon Damage = Beam (9), Plasma (20), Laser (11), Bomb (43) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 1 Squadron Initially, Maximum of 3 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Vertigo Antimatter Cost = 75 Cooldown (secs) = 20 Range = 4500 Duration (secs) = 25 No, clicking this won't lead to a U2 song, but rather, it will increase the cooldown rate of a target frigate or a strike craft squadron by 10%, which is always nice as it means far less damage, but it will also decrease the chance of the target ship or squadron to hit their target by 10%, which means that there is more of a chance that your ship can evade fire from those ships that have been targeted. This is a handy ability on a ship, but you should always want to target cruisers and more importantly, capital ships. Vengeance Antimatter Cost = 75 Cooldown (secs) = 30 Range = 6000 Duration (secs) = 0 This is a nice ability, this is when a targeted ship is attacking you, what this ability does is that 40% of that damage that the targeted ship is dishing out at you will be fired back at the ship firing. That means, 40% of the damage they are dishing out goes back to them, and this is on top of the normal damage of your weaponry, which makes this a nice ability, and without a duration limit, this will continue until that ship dies, so it is a hell of a nice ability. And if it something like a capital ship attacking, that is a lot of their damaging coming back to haunt them. Concentration Aura Passive Ability Range = 8000 this is one that you would want to use in conjunction with the carrier, what it will do is increase the damage of all strike craft by 10%, and given that the carrier has a large amount of bombers that it can carry, that is a whole world of hurt that is sitting right there. This is basically a combination move that you should take. This is rather useful as a support ability, but this ship doesn't sit back and becomes a support ship just for the vengeance ability. Domination (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 150 Cooldown (secs) = 90 Range = 6000 Duration (secs) = 0 This is a nice ability to play with, it will capture a frigate belonging to the enemy and you will own the frigate permanently, which is rather interesting, depending on how you use it. How you use this ability is up to you, but here are some suggestions. Try taking control of missile frigates and using them to attack their former fleet from a nice range, and that will tear them apart. Or take over a colony frigate and colonise that planet in your name, not of the enemy. The possibilities are endless, it is what your imagination can think of that will limit you. This is a nice ship to play with, it is designed to be a supporting ship in the fleet, though it is out of place with the vengeance ability, but still, the abilities will make sure that the ship is a valuable ship in the fleet. Make sure that domination is used properly, and you will have an unstoppable fleet on your hands, although there is a problem because the ships of the Advent are rather weak and not heavily armoured. --==Vasari==-- Kortul Devastator Faction = Vasari Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2650 Shields = 1425 Antimatter = 225 Armour = 5 Weapon Damage = Pulse Beam (30), Wave (12), Phase Missiles (6), Bomb (45) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 1 Squadron Initially, Maximum of 2 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Power Surge Antimatter Cost = 60 Cooldown (secs) = 30 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 20 This ability will reduce the cooldown of the weaponry onboard the Kortul Devastator by a nice 25%, and this will also increase the rate in which the shield points are regenerated by a nice 75%, which means that while you fight, using this ability will increase the amount of times you can fire within the duration of the ability as well as increasing the regeneration rate of the shields by 75%. This is a great ability because this ship will be used mainly on the front lines, and this is going to be useful. Very useful. Jam Weapons Antimatter Cost = 75 Cooldown (secs) = 15 Range = 3500 Duration (secs) = 15 This is one of the abilties that is exceptionally useful for carrier hunting, this will render all strike craft useless, and take gives this ship time to go after the carrier ships and that also makes it very useful in being a carrier hunter, because carriers often don't have a large amount of weaponry or defences, and with their primary defence gone, you can go for the kill with this weapon. Make sure that you use this when you see a carrier, otherwise, it will be too late. Disruptive Strikes Passive Ability Duration (secs) = 10 This is useful against other capital ships because all it does is increase the ability cooldown of the target ship by 10% and it will also decrease their antimatter stores by 8. Now that isn't a lot, but the less antimatter that they have, the less they have in terms of changing the tide in their favour and this is a good way to prevent strong capital ships of unleashing their ultimate ability. However, this does not mean that when the time is up, the enemy won't come back and use it on you. Though the more strikes you can get off, the better for you. Volatile Nanites (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 150 Cooldown (secs) = 180 Range = 6000 Duration (secs) = 60 This is a very useful support ability, it will decrease the damage dealt by all ships inside the radius by 30% for the duration, and that means that you will be able to fight for longer if you are suffering heavy enemy fire, and if that wasn't enough, when one of those enemies are destroyed, they will hit all nearby ships with 150 points of splash damage, and that makes it a nice way to kill enemies by concentrating fire on the enemy and forcing them to explode and using their own ships against them. Skirantra Carrier Faction = Vasari Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2475 Shields = 1275 Antimatter = 250 Armour = 4 Weapon Damage = Wave (9), Phase Missiles (12), Bombs (35) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 2 Squadrons Initially, Maximum of 6 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Repair Cloud Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 12 Range = 3000 Duration (secs) = 10 This is a nice ability, it will repair all friendly ships within the range of the ability by a nice 20 hull points per second, so if you move closely towards the frontline, this will repair all your friendly ships by a maximum of 200 hull points, and that can make a big difference to frigates and sometimes, cruisers as well, and it could be a difference in the battle as a little bit goes a long way. Like I said, I've seen ships that have escaped on the digits, so imagine if they fought a little longer. Scramble Bombers Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 60 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 0 This is a nice touch, it will launch a set of bombers for a short period of time and this will do some damage for you before they have to be recalled since they are emergency bombers, they are not permanent, unfortunately. Make sure that you make full use of your little prize, else you will be wasting a squad of bombers for no reason. This is useful if you already have a large amount of bombers out, and make sure that they are targeting something valuable, such as a capital ship, and make sure that they pay dearly. Microphasing Aura Antimatter Cost = 0 Cooldown (secs) = 0 Range = 8000 Duration (secs) = 1 This is interesting, because what it will do is to teleport all of the strike crafts that are under your control to a different location where they cannot be reached by the enemy, and this is interesting, because I fail to see the point of it. If you lose a set of strike craft, just rebuild another one from the carrier, there isn't much of a rush to warrant this ability. Not only that, you would expect bombers to be in harms way, after all, they are attacking an enemy, and no enemy would go down without a fight, right? Replicate Forces (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 125 Cooldown (secs) = 180 Range = 6000 Duration (secs) = 0 This is a nice ability, it will require you to target an allied frigate and this will make an exact copy of it. That means that you have two of the same frigate, and although it is only a frigate, it still saves you a fair amount of resources and you get to add some more firepower to your forces, and that is a nice touch. Make sure that you get full use out of it, so get something like a Skirmisher or Assailant for your effect. This is a nice ship to play with, it has a very good support rating given that is can get a boost for all nearby ships and can send bombers to defend itself. It also can boost your forces, either healing them or creating new units to play with, as well as making sure that the bombers under your charge stay out of harms way. This is a well rounded carrier, and it is to note that all carriers are extremely useful, and dangerous, depending on which end of the ship you are looking at. Jarrasul Evacuator Faction = Vasari Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2800 Shields = 1150 Antimatter = 250 Armour = 3 Weapon Damage = Waves (13), Pulse Beam (19), Rear Waves (5), Bomb (40) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 1 Squadron Initially, Maximum of 3 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Colonise Antimatter Cost = 90 Cooldown (secs) = 120 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 240 This is interesting because this ship can colonise planets. This is actually more useful because instead of sending in a colony ship after you have cleared out a hostile planet, one of your capital ships can do it instead. This removes the need for the colony frigate nearby so you can colonise conquered planets and saves some fleet supply for you. This is a nice touch, you don't need to worry about a vulnerable colony frigate on your rampage through someone else's colonial empire. I got bored of actually writing out the same thing thousands of times over, so this is a copy and paste job. However, there is a twist, it will decrease the build time for all structures by 20%, and this is why there is a duration timer for this ability. Gravity Warhead Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 25 Range = 6000 Duration (secs) = 12 This is a nice ability, it will decrease the acceleration of the ship by 60% and decrease the speed of the ship overall by 30%. But we are not done yet, the phase jump ability of the targeted ship will be removed, and this gives it just enough time for you to take out the enemy who is fleeing from you, or you are fleeing from it, to escape without taking too much damage. Ah, there are so many ways to use these abilities aren't there? Nano-Disassembler Antimatter Cost = 75 Cooldown (secs) = 12 Range = 6000 Duration (secs) = 20 This is a great ability to use, it will decrease the armour by 2 on a ship of your choosing, and they will take 30 damage per second, which is useful if you are taking on a capital ship, not only would it take 600 damage overall, but the armour will be decreased significantly, given that armour will only ever reach 5 normally, and that will increase the amount of hull damage that it will take. A very good support ability. Drain Planet (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 150 Cooldown (secs) = 180 Range = 6600 Duration (secs) = 30 This will require you to pick a planet, and it will take 45 damage per second, and although it is just not enough to take down a planet on 1500 health, it is a hell of lot of damage for a single ability. It will also drain resources from it, a drain of 15 per second, although the resource will normally be credits, it is money none the less right? And money does determine on what you can purchase anyway. This is a rather handy ability if you are low on funds, or you are bombarding a planet. It is enough of a bonus anyway. This ship, although it looks like a block, it quite a powerful ship if you level it up, and is a great support ship, it can slow down an enemy ship as well as damaging the enemy. It's ultimate ability is rather nice as well, you are basically stealing off the enemy, and that makes it a very nice bonus for attacking and being aggressive. You just have to get past that ugly look though. Antorak Marauder Faction = Vasari Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2350 Shields = 1225 Antimatter = 280 Armour = 4 Weapon Damage = Pulse Beam (12), Phase Missiles (10), Wave (12), Bomb (40) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 1 Squadron Initially, Maximum of 3 Squadrons --==Abilities==-- Phase Out Hull Antimatter Cost = 60 Cooldown (secs) = 5 Range = 7000 Duration (secs) = 6 This is an interesting ability, this will make a target enemy invulnerable to damage, and that means that they cannot take any damage, but the enemy sihp in return is stopped completely and they are disabled, and thus, stuck there. The only reasons for doing such a thing is to freeze a powerful capital ship and escape or to see a target so your troops can catch up and shoot down the ship. Well, I'll leave the tactics and uses of this ability up to you. Distort Gravity Antimatter Cost = 65 Cooldown (secs) = 45 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 30 This is interesting, you will have all nearby ships gain a 33% speed bonus, which is nice, a 50% bonus to your acceleration of the ships, it will make all your ships in the range of the ability will be immune to the effect of phase jump inhibitors, and finally, because phase jumps require an angle in which you need to jump, that is increased by 8%, so it would be be easier to escape. This is a nice ability, and this is one for you to either catch up and jump to attack a fleeing fleet or to flee yourself. It seems that all abilities either are good for fleeing or to chase. Subversion Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 50 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 300 This ability will target a planet and it will increase the build time of all structures and all ships in that planet's gravity well by a nice 15%, and that could be handy as it might result in less enemy reinforcements popping out of the factories, forcing your ships to target and destroy fresh troops, and that is both a waste of time when you could be demolishing a colony, and it piles on more damage. A nice ability none the less. Stabilize Phase Space (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 120 Range = 0 Duration (secs) = 75 This will spawn a Phase Stabilizer at your current location, and although I will talk about this when we take about the phase stabilizer, but when you have two phase stabilizers, your units can travel between those two structures without having to go through any other phase lanes. This is useful as your ship clears a path, and sets up an entry for the rest of your fleet to move in and join the party. This ship is quite a powerful little puppy, and the stabilize phase space ability is exceptionally useful, you can send in a small, but specialised force to take out the planet or sneak into a backdoor, and then jump in the rest of the fleet without any means of the enemy intercepting the fleet when it is nothing but a direct jump. This is where the ship will excel, and it is a hell of a powerful support craft. Vulkoras Desolator Faction = Vasari Cost = 3000 Credits, 400 Metal, 250 Crystals Health = 2525 Shields = 1350 Antimatter = 235 Armour = 4 Weapon Damage = Pulse Beam (10), Phase Missiles (24), Wave (7), Bomb (53) Supply Needed = 50 Good Against = Everything Weak Against = Nothing Researchables = Nil Supports = 0 Squadrons Initially, Maximum of 1 Squadron --==Abilities==-- Phase Missile Swarm Antimatter Cost = 90 Cooldown (secs) = 15 Range = 5000 Duration (secs) = 0 This is a powerful ability, it will dish out 200 damage to all enemy targets inside the range of the ability by launching a large amount of phase missiles into space. This is a great way to start or finish off a battle, and with such a long range, it is bound to take out or weaken a few ships at least, and that means that your fleet can move in and hopefully mop up the rest of the fleet. And this is just a normal ability, to think that this was the ultimate ability of some ships. Deploy Siege Platform Antimatter Cost = 100 Cooldown (secs) = 55 Range = 2600 Duration (secs) = 0 This siege platform that you will deploy will have exceptionally powerful because it is a structure that can help you bombard a planet. This will serve a role as artillery, and given that this ship excels at taking out enemy planets, this will be useful as a little bonus in taking out the enemy. Of course, the enemy can destroy this, and you have full control of this platform to change the target. Or it could be used to cover a retreat or a structure that will continiously the enemy during the course of a battle. Assault Specialization Passive Ability This is a nice ability, it will decrease the cooldown of the bomb launchers by 25%, which means that it will be able to launch bombs faster, and that means that it will be able to bomb a planet faster, given that bombs are the main weapons used in planet bombardment. That is not all, the phase missiles that are used will get a massive boost of 60 extra damage as long as it is hitting enemy structures. This makes it a wonderful tool for clearing out enemy systems once the defenders are gone, or you are taking out enemy structural defences. Disintegration (Accessible at Level 6 Only) Antimatter Cost = 150 Cooldown (secs) = 120 Range = 1800 Duration (secs) = 8 The last ultimate ability that I have to go through is a beauty. This will cause the target, note, this is one target, and hits them for 200 hull damage per second for 8 seconds, totaling to 1600 damage, and heals the hull points of the Desolator by 188 points, so it is like a very ineffective leeching ability, but the amount of damage done is massive, that is more than enough to kill a frigate or cruiser, and is more than health the hull points of a capital ship. This is one bad ass move. This is one of the most powerful ships in the game, without a question, and the ultimate ability of disintegration is the most powerful combat ability in the game out of all the capital ships. This makes this a powerful ship, built as an artillery weapon both for taking out enemy capital ships and more importantly, destroying planets as well as enemy infrastructure. This makes it one capital ship to be reckoned with, and if you are facing this beast and it is on a high level, I hope you have a large fleet with you, because you will definitely need it. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [4.05] Other Craft There are three other craft as well, and these have completely non combat roles, but you will see them everywhere. Anyone care to take a guess? LEV Constructor Frigate / Assembly Drone / Junra Fabricator Faction = TEC / Advent / Vasari respectively Cost = Nil Health = 850 Shields = 0 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 0 Weapon Damage = Nil Supply Needed = Nil Good Against = None Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Nil --==Abilities==-- None This is the frigate that is responsible for building everything near your planets. More commonly known as constructors, these build your structures near your planets, so you want to protect them if you want your planet to develop. Trade Ship Faction = All Cost = Nil Health = 600 Shields = 0 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 0 Weapon Damage = Nil Supply Needed = 0 Good Against = None Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Nil --==Abilities==-- None Flowing from trade ports, these ships are important as they move around trading from one trade port to another, and as such, it will make money for you from such trade routes. Protect them from enemy attacks to keep the money flowing. In a fully developed empire, you will expect to see them between every system's phase lanes as they all connect to the trade port in the next available system. Refinery Ship Faction = All Cost = Nil Health = 600 Shields = 0 Antimatter = 0 Armour = 0 Weapon Damage = Nil Supply Needed = 0 Good Against = None Weak Against = Everything Researchables = Nil --==Abilities==-- None These refinery ships travel between your orbital refineries and extractors, either crystal or metal in the same system or from other systems, bring in more metal and crystals and adding them to your stockpile. You want to make sure that the flow remains free of trouble to keep those crystals flowing in. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [5.01] Industry Research basically consists of two seperate groups, an industrial group, which is important for everything such as improved resource harvesting and planet colonization, while the military group is basically everything related to the military and your fleet in general. There is more in the manual, so why not actually bother to read it? Deep Core Metal Mining Labs Required : 1 Civics Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Metal Extraction Rate increased by 7% This basically improves the metal extraction rate, it isn't all that useful early on, but when you start to build up a fleet, it starts to count. Rapid Hydrometallurgy Labs Required : 2 Civics Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Deep Core Metal Mining Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Metal Extraction Rate increased further by 7% Again, this improves your metal extraction rate, useful when you need to make some quick cash on the black market or building a fleet. Nuclear Smelting Labs Required : 4 Civics Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Rapid Hydrometallurgy Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Metal Extraction Rate increased even further by 7% This is the last of metal extraction increases, after this, you need to actually expand to new planets. Efficient Crystal Sorting Labs Required : 2 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Crystal Extraction Rate increased by 7% This is very important to get early on, you get more crystals and that is needed for virtually everything. Automated Mining Rigs Labs Required : 3 Civics Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Efficient Crystal Sorting Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Crystal Extraction Rate increased further by 7% This increases the crystal rate, and it a key upgrade as soon as you can afford it. You need these upgrades immediately. Shockwave Pulverization Labs Required : 5 Civics Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Automated Mining Rigs Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Crystal Extraction Rate increased even further by 7% This is the final upgrade to crystal extraction, and is exceptionally important later in the game as crystal becomes more and more valuable. Orbital Commerce Labs Required : 2 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Trade Port This gives you the ability to build Trade Ports, which basically launch trade ships to trade with other systems, both under your control and with those empires that you have trade agreements with. Basically provides a lot more credits. Orbital Refinement Labs Required : 4 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Orbital Refinery This unlocks the orbital refinery, and this is useful as they move to nearby asteroids in their home planet and home planets and harvest those asteroids, increasing your metal and crystal income. Huge Cargo Holds Labs Required : 4 Technology Required : 1 Level in Orbital Commerce, 1 Level in Orbal Refinement Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Increases Refinery and Trade Ship's cargo holds by 8% This basically increases the income, from all the trade ports and orbital refineries as their ships have larger cargo holds, and as such, hold more cargo. Immense Cargo Holds Labs Required : 6 Civics Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Huge Cargo Holds Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Increases Refinery and Trade Ship's cargo holds by a further 8% This will increase the income of your trade and refinery ships even more, which is exceptionally useful later in the game as more and more planets are occupied. Peruasive Economy Labs Required : 8 Civics Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Immense Cargo Holds Levels : 2 Cost : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 500 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1900 Credits, 375 Metal, 525 Crystals Effect: When a player sells resources, you gain 10% of the credits. When a player trades resources, you gain 8% of the credits. This is only useful when you use the black market and you are playing someone who will use the black market, otherwise, this is pointless. Rapid Development Labs Required : 3 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Planetary Development time reduced by 25% Quite useful if you are building up your planet, upgrade logistic slots, so it is only useful earlier on, but as you expand, it isn't helpful as you need to mircomanage that many planets. Industrial Juggernaut Labs Required : 7 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 3 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Cost - Level 3 : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 525 Crystals Effect: Build Time for all Ships decreased by 7% This is quite useful when you are building a fleet to attack an enemy, and with build time decreased, it is useful when you need to build a rapid defence force against an enemy invading fleet. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [5.02] Engineering Sensor Drones Labs Required : 1 Civics Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Probe Ability for the Arcova Scout Frigate Basically, you get the probe ability, a full report in the section for the Scout Frigate High Density Zoning Labs Required : 1 Civics Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Increases population limit on Terran planets by 8% A useful upgrade, it basically means that you get more tax money at the end of the day, seeing that Terran planets can have a population of 300+ Advanced Civic Design Labs Required : 3 Civics Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in High Density Zoning Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Increases population limit on Terran planets by a further 8% Quite useful alongside the previous upgrade, this means even more tax money for you. Improved Arid Colonies Labs Required : 1 Civics Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Increases population limit on Desert planets by 8% This is quite useful if you think about it, desert planets can hold a fair amount of population, they are behind terran planets in population limit. Modular Architecture Labs Required : 1 Civics Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Decreases extractors and factories costs by 20% This is quite useful as you expand, because those credits could go elsewhere, as well as crystals and metal. Arctic Exploration Labs Required : 2 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Able to colonize Ice Planets This is quite important, ice planets are exceptionally important because they are the best source of crystal asteroids, and they will be well sought after. Advanced Arctic Colonies Labs Required : 4 Civics Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Arctic Exploration Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Increases population limit on Ice planets by 8% Although this isn't very much of an effect, it does increase the population and that would lead to a few more credits per second, which might be useful, or may not be. Volcanic Exploitation Labs Required : 2 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Able to colonize Volcanic Planets This isn't as useful as the arctic counterpart, but volcanic planets are useful to an empire if they plan to use and maintain a massive fleet because they do suck metal like no tomorrow. Basic PSIDAR Labs Required : 2 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Detect enemies phase-jumping one planet from your colonies This basically means that you can see ships when they are planning to jump to a system of yours, giving you some time to build up a defence for and reinforce your position. Enhanced PSIDAR Labs Required : 5 Civics Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Basic PSIDAR Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Detect ememies phase-jumping two planets from your colonies Basically, it is the same as the basic PSIDAR, but you will be able to see enemies jumping from two systems away. This gives you even more time to get your position back on track before the enemy moves in. Long Range Jumps Labs Required : 3 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Allows for phase-jumping via stars This allows your ships to head to the star in your system, and use that star to phase jump to another star in another system. Exceptionally useful, somewhat necessary on larger maps once you have secured your original system. Worm Hole Navigation Labs Required : 5 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Allows for travel via wormholes This is only useful if there are actually wormholes on the map, as they will normally link to another wormhole. Make sure you actually defend the wormholes from enemies however. Planetary Shields Labs Required : 5 Civic Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Shield Generator structure This unlocks the shield generator for your planets, it is a tactical structure that will give the planet a little shield boost, which is useful if an enemy were to turn up and bombard you. Superior Planet Shields Labs Required : 7 Civics Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Planetary Shields Levels : 2 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Effect: Increases shield mitigation on Shield Generators This will improve your shield generator's ability to stop damage from hitting a planet. Useful if you use the Shield Generators. Quick Jump Calculation Labs Required : 6 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Phase Jump charge time decreased by 15% This is quite useful if you enjoy hit and run tactics and this will basically allow you to take less time to charge up the phase engines and run. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [5.03] Policy Expedited Permits Labs Required : 2 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Decreases build time for structures by 17% This is quite useful, it will get your planets up and running all that faster and it allows you to build up and exploit all available resources all that much faster, which is important early on. Civilian Ship Safety Act Labs Required : 3 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Improves the hull and armour of trade and refinery ships. This isn't all that useful, but if you are travelling through hostile systems to sell your wares, this might make a difference between getting some credits and not. Interstellar Networks Labs Required : 3 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Broadcast Centre This is very important, unlocking the broadcast centre will be useful in fighting culture wars. Addictive Consumerism Labs Required : 4 Civics Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Interstellar Networks Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Increases culture spread rate by 5%. Increases antimatter regeneration by .4 units if ships or structures are in friendly culture gravity wells. This is really useful. Increasing culture will be useful in getting through to other planets, whilst the antimatter boost is exceptionally useful for a defence fleet, and for capital ships. Cultural Monopolization Labs Required : 6 Civics Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Addictive Consumerism Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Increases culture spread rate by a further 5%. Increases antimatter regeneration by a further .3 for friendly ships and structures in friendly culture gravity wells. This is even more useful if you like fighting culture wars, and a great way to have pit stops for capital ships and fleets recovering from battle. Critical Mass Labs Required : 5 Civics Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Addictive Consumerism Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Decreases spread loss rate of 25% incurred by each planet This is useful for border planets that are on the edge and frontline on fighting border culture wars. Necessary if you are on the borders of a large empire. Insurgency Labs Required : 8 Civics Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Cultural Monopolization Levels : 2 Cost : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 550 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1900 Credits, 375 Metal, 575 Crystals Effect: Enemy empires, including pirates, suffer from random trader raids. Useful if you are on the borders, the enemy will suffer from raids from your traders, however, the enemy needs to be suffering from your culture war in the first place. Foreign Sabotage Labs Required : 7 Civics Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Cultural Monopolization Levels : 2 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Effect: Enemy factions under your cultural influence suffer a 50% increase in build time. This is somewhat useful, if you have enemy planets under the control of your culture, they will suffer a massive increase in build time for structures and ships, and that will hurt. Skilled Diplomats Labs Required : 4 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: +15% Happiness for mission completion, -10% Happiness loss for failure If you are playing with the AI, they will give more and more quests and you don't want to do them all, given that you'll just piss off a lot of empires if you try to please them all. Favoured Client Discount Labs Required : 4 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Black Market Selling prices 8% higher, buying prices 8% lower Quite useful if you need the credits, but if you have the time to get this far in terms of research, you would have a lot of credits. Useful if you want to sell or buy, but if you don't, then useless. Catastrophe Recovery Labs Required : 5 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Reconstruction of emergency facilities after bombardment increased by 13% This is interesting, if you have your planet bombarded, the planet will regenerate the health faster, which is always good if the enemy is consistant with their attacks, and not launching half-assed efforts to do something. Development Mandate Labs Required : 6 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: All planets gain an extra 4 Logistical Slots Basically, this means you get to place another structure in every gravity well that you can colonize, and you can do this twice. Great if you have already built up your empire and need room for trade ports and broadcast centres. Basic Crew Training Labs Required : 6 Civics Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Credits Effect: Maximum level for training for capital ships raised to 3 Basically, this is very useful for your capital ships if you plan to build an armada. This allows you to train your ships from their initial level to Level 3 before they need to move out and get experience. This is exceptionally useful if you need some abilities that each level provides. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [6.01] Structural Systems Hull Reinforcement Labs Required : 1 Military Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Increases all hull points by 6% and hull regeneration by 3% Basically, you need this to improve the hull points of all your ships and structures and the rate that they regenerate. Necessary for any battle. Fortified Superstructure Labs Required : 2 Military Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Hull Reinforcement Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Increases all hull points by a further 6% and hull regeneration by a further 3% Again, this is an improvement and provides the same effect has hull reinforcement, which is rather useful. Expert Damage Control Labs Required : 4 Military Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Fortified Superstructure Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Increases all hull points by a further 3% and hull regeneration by a further 10% This is quite powerful, considering the powerful regeneration bonus that you will get. If you do not get this when you can, you are in trouble. Advanced Metallurgy Labs Required : 1 Military Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Increases the armour of all ships by 0.8 This is useful, it allows for your ships to block out more enemy damage when they are attacking the hull. Titano-Ferric Plating Labs Required : 3 Military Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Advanced Metallurgy Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Increase the armour of all ships by a further 0.8 Again, it will allow for even more damage to be blocked out by your ships when they are attacking the hull. Impact Analysis Labs Required : 5 Military Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Titano-Ferric Plating Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Increases the armour of all ships by another 0.8 Again, this will boost the armour again, making your ships tougher and harder to kill. Repelon Premius Armour Labs Required : 7 Military Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Impact Analysis Levels : 2 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Effect: Increases the armour by a final 0.8 again This is the final boost in armour, and by now, that is a lot more armour and makes your ships even harder to knock down. Improved Shield Arrays Labs Required : 3 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Increases shield points and shield regeneration by 5% Quite useful, as shields are the most important item at the start of any battle, whether you like it or not. Superior Shield Emitters Labs Required : 5 Military Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Improved Shield Arrays Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Increases shield points and shield regeneration by another 5% Again, useful, because you don't want capital ships lost because they can't take the heat. Efficient Generators Labs Required : 4 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Increases antimatter capacity and antimatter regeneration by 5% This is exceptionally useful for colony ships and capital ships, as antimatter is the crux of all their abilities Potent Reaction Chaining Labs Required : 6 Military Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Efficient Generators Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Increases antimatter capacity and antimatter regeneration by another 5% This is still useful for capital ships, the more antimatter, the more damage that they can dish out on the enemy. Advanced Maneuvering Labs Required : 5 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Improves Capital Ship turn rate by an nice 8% This is exceptionally useful because capital ships have an exceptionally slow turn rate, so they can move from their broadsides to their front guns. Failsafe Jump Plotting Labs Required : 6 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Effect: Arcova Scout Frigates get the Infallible Jump Drive This is useful if you use the scout frigates, read up in the relevant section. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [6.02] Ballistics and Rocketry Quick Guass Capacitors Labs Required : 1 Military Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 3 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Cost - Level 3 : 600 Credits, 75 Crystals Effect: Increases Guass Platforms rate of fire by 5% If you do use these platforms for planet defence, this is quite powerful since that will let them do more damage, and best against planet bombardiers. Laser Amplification Labs Required : 1 Military Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Improves all laser weapon damage by 5% Basically, any ship that uses lasers will have their damage boosted. Nice ability for early on. High Intensity Lasers Labs Required : 2 Military Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Laser Amplification Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Improves laser damage by a further 5% This is the same as above, it is a useful early on ability for your ships when they need some firepower. Ferro-Uranite Rounds Labs Required : 2 Military Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Advanced Metallurgy Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Increases all autocannon damage by 5% Basically, the same as the laser boost, it will improve autocannon damage, which is also quite useful early on. Advanced Ballistics Labs Required : 3 Military Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Ferro-Uranite Rounds Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Improves all autocannon damage by a further 5% This is quite useful because a fair amount of ships use autocannons, including the big bad capital ships. Highly Conductive Rails Labs Required : 3 Military Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Ferro-Uranite Rounds Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Improves Guass Platform firing range by 12% If you use the platforms, this would be exceptionally useful because it can cover the area between the gravity well border and your maximum build range. Refined Propellants Labs Required : 5 Military Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Advanced Ballistics Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Improves all autocannon damage by another 5% Again, useful for all autocannon users, and any boost for your capital ships is a useful one. Refined Missile Avionics Labs Required : 2 Military Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Javelis Prototype Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Improves all missile damage by 5% This is useful as well, and when used with the Javelis ship, it makes sure that the enemy feels the punch. And considering the range and power of those ships, this is quite useful. Enhanced ACM Labs Required : 4 Military Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Refined Missile Avionics Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Improves all missile damage by a further 5% Again, quite useful if you use missile weapons considering their range and their high starting power initially. Cyclotaurite Payloads Labs Required : 6 Military Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Enhanced ACM Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Improves all missile damage by another 5% Again, useful if you use missile weapons as I have mentioned for quite a while now. Extended Range Missiles Labs Required : 7 Military Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Cyclotaurite Payloads Levels : 3 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Cost - Level 3 : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 525 Crystals Effect: Improves missiles range by 4% This is better for your Javelis, the range is longer, and with more firepower, they are clearly a threat. Heavy Fallout Labs Required : 4 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Krosov Siege Frigates get Heavy Fallout Again, read the appropriate section for further information about the Heavy Fallout ability. High Yield Warheads Labs Required : 7 Military Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Heavy Fallout Levels : 3 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Cost - Level 3 : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 525 Crystals Effect: Improves planet bombardment damage by 10% This is exceptionally useful for your capital ships and your siege frigates since it will get the enemy to lose their planet that much faster. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [6.03] Experimental Design Hangar Defence Labs Required : 1 Military Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Hangar Basically, it unlocks the hangar, giving access to two strike craft for planetary defence. Repair Platform Labs Required : 1 Military Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Repair Platform Basically, this uses antimatter and it uses it to repair the hulls of all friendly ships and structures damaged. Superior Repair Bots Labs Required : 2 Military Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Repair Platform Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Improves Hull Repairs for Repair Platform Basically, it makes your repair platforms all that more useful, they use less antimatter to heal more hull points. Hoshiko Prototype Labs Required : 3 Military Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Superior Repair Bots Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Hoshiko Robotics Cruiser Basically, it unlocks the said cruiser. Simple. Demolition Bots Labs Required : 5 Military Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Hoshiko Prototype Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Demolition Bots for Hoshiko Robotics Cruiser Read the relevant section about the demolition bots for more information. Krosov Prototype Labs Required : 2 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Krosov Siege Frigate Basically, it unlocks the siege frigate for the TEC. Garda Prototype Labs Required : 2 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Garda Flak Frigate Again, it unlocks the said flak frigate for your fleet. Javelis Prototype Labs Required : 2 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Javelis LRM Frigate Unlocks one of the deadliest frigates for the TEC, so this is quite useful. Cluster Warheads Labs Required : 4 Military Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Javelis Prototype Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Cluster Warheads for Javelis LRM Frigates Basically, it makes your LRM frigates even more dangerous than they already are, and coupled with the range and missile power upgrades, this is quite a feat to behold. Timed Explosives Labs Required : 3 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Timed Explosives for the Arcova Scout Frigate Basically, it gives you access to the hit and run ability of the scout frigate, and is quite useful for skirmishing. Percheron Prototype Labs Required : 3 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Percheron Light Carrier Unlocks a suppoer carrier to your fleet, which carrys several strike craft. Phase Jump Disruption Labs Required : 4 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Phase Jump Inhibitor Basically, it unlocks the Phase Jump inhibitor, which will have its own section later on. Sabotage Reactor Labs Required : 4 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Sabotage Reactor for Cobalt Light Frigates Basically, it unlocks the ability for the Light Frigates. Use it if you want it. Kodiak Prototype Labs Required : 5 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Credits, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Kodiak Heavy Crusier Unlocks the mini capital ship for the TEC forces, and this is quite important because you can only have oh so many capital ships. Intercept Labs Required : 6 Military Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Kodiak Prototype Levels : 1 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Intercept Ability for the Kodiak Heavy Cruiser This is exceptionally important, because the ability is one of the most powerful for a non-capital ship. Cielo Prototype Labs Required : 5 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Cielo Command Cruiser Unlocks the said cruiser, which isn't too much of a guess. Designate Target Labs Required : 6 Military Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Effect: Gives the Designate Target for the Cielo Command Cruiser Nuff said, just read the relevant ability. Novalith Prototype Labs Required : 8 Military Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Extended Range Missiles Levels : 1 Cost : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 550 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Novalith Cannon Unlocks the Superweapon for the TEC, more on that in the relevant section. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [7.01] PsiTech Communal Labour Labs Required : 2 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Communal Labour for your drones, increasing building speed. Not very useful, even if the ships build faster, there is still a problem of actually having all of them on one structure, it costs more. You really want to pay for a few seconds? Unity Indoctrination Labs Required : 2 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Temple of Communion Basically, this is needed if you want to fight culture wars since this will unlock the broadcast centre for you. Zealous Worship Labs Required : 2 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 1 Level in Unity Indoctrination Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Culture Spread Rate increased 5%, Culture Mitigation increased by 1% Basically, this increases the rate that the culture is spread to other planets as well as stopping the rate enemy culture spreads into your empire. Unwavering Belief Labs Required : 4 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 2 Levels of Zealous Worship Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Culture Spread Rate increased a further 5%, Culture Mitigation increased by a further 1% Again, this increases the culture spread rate of your empire even further and you will be able to take out other planets quickly, whilst resisting the rate enemy culture spreads into your land. Wall of Faith Labs Required : 5 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 2 Levels in Unwavering Belief Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Resistance to spread of enemy culture increased by 20% Basically, this means that enemy culture spreads slower to your planets, which makes it better for your frontline planets in culture wars. Total Assimilation Labs Required : 6 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 2 Levels in Unwavering Belief Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Culture Spread Rate increased an even further 5% and Culture Mitigation increased by another 1% Again, this increases your culture rate as well as reducing the amount of culture that the enemy spreads into your planets. This is the final of the upgrades. Deliverance Design Labs Required : 8 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 2 Levels in Total Assimilation Levels : 1 Cost : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 550 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Deliverance Engine Superweapon Read the relevant section about the superweapon for more details. Distant Visualization Labs Required : 3 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Ships can phase jump to other stars Basically, this means that you can use the stars to move to new star systems, nothing new. Phase Jump Disruption Labs Required : 3 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Phase Jump Inhibitor Basically, it unlocks the said structure and it will basically slow down the rate that enemy ships phase jump away. Augmented Defence Grid Labs Required : 4 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: All planets gain 2 Extra Tactical Slots Basically, you can add a few more defence platforms, but in the long run, this isn't as useful as a fleet is much better suited for defence against enemy invasions. Induced Leniency Labs Required : 5 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: All missions have 30% extra time, failure loses 15% less happiness Only useful if you are going to be playing with the AI when they issue stupid missions, but this is pointless, if you don't want to complete the mission, 30% extra time ain't going to help. Worm Hole Passage Labs Required : 5 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Allows travel through Wormholes Basically, this means that your ships can move through wormholes to other star systems. Only useful if there are any star systems that have wormholes, otherwise, it is a waste of time. Antimatter Projection Labs Required : 6 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Antimatter Recharger Basically, it unlocks the said structure where it will boost antimatter reserves when you move pass it, as long as you have the antimatter needed. Antimatter Multicasting Labs Required : 7 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 1 Level in Antimatter Projection Levels : 2 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Effect: Increases antimatter regeneration for the Antimatter Recharger Basically, it makes the Antimatter Recharger more efficient and more effective in its role of refilling antimatter. High Efficiency Jumps Labs Required : 7 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 3 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Cost - Level 3 : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 525 Crystals Effect: Phase Jump Costs 11% less Antimatter This is quite useful for your big capital ships since they do use up a lot of antimatter to jump and you don't want to be caught with your pants down when you jump into a hostile system. Allure of the Unity Labs Required : 8 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 550 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1900 Credits, 375 Metal, 575 Crystals Effect: Increases maximum allegiance of planets by 5% This is useful on larger maps since the further away the planet is from the capital, the less and less it produces, so any benefit that will increase resource production, such as this, is useful. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [7.02] Perception Knowledge Aggregation Labs Required : 1 Temple of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 3 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Cost - Level 3 : 600 Credits, 75 Crystals Effect: Rate of Research increased 11% This is exceptionally useful given that it will make you research a lot faster, and if you have the resources, this is really useful. Lingering Presence Labs Required : 2 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Lingering Presence for Seeker Vessels Look for the vessel for the specific ability and that is all I need to say. Forewarning Labs Required : 2 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: See enemies phase-jumping one system away Basically, when the enemy is about to phase jump into your planets, you can see them coming, and you can plan something in response. Acute Premonitions Labs Required : 5 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 1 Level in Forewarning Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: See enemies phase-jumping two systems away Again, this is the same as forewarning, but you cen seem them when they are two systems away, giving you more time to defend against the enemy and move in some fleet reinforcements to ambush the enemy instead. Divination Labs Required : 3 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: All structure build times decreased by 40%, price reduced by 25% Basically, this means that all your structures will be built a lot faster and they cost a hell of a lot less. This is one of the most important upgrades that a budding empire will need. False Belief Monitoring Labs Required : 4 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 1 Level in Unwavering Belief Levels : None Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Spread of Enemy Culture Visible This means that wherever enemy culture is, you can see it. As such, if there is a culture spread, you can see it, considering you can see the spread of your allies. Eyes of the Converted Labs Required : 6 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 1 Level in False Belief Monitoring Levels : 1 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Effect: All Planets with Friendly Culture visible This means that any planet that is within the range of friendly culture will be visible, so you can see what is exactly going on, which is rather useful at times. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [7.03] Materialism Persuaive Offers Labs Required : 1 Temple of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Bounty value is increased by 13% per payment This means that when you pay a bounty and leave it on someone's head, the value will be increased by your payment and an extra 13% Homeworld Prophecy Labs Required : 1 Temple of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Population Cap on Desert Planets increased by 8% This means that you get extra population on the desert planets, which translates well into more credits. Inspired Architecture Labs Required : 1 Temple of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Population Cap on Terran Planets increased by 8% This means that you get an even larger population on your Terran planets and since they get the most population, that means a hell of a lot more credits flowing in. Thriving Desert Cities Labs Required : 2 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 2 Levels in Homeworld Prophecy Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Increases Desert Population Cap by a further 8% This means that desert planets get to hold even more population, which means even more tax money for you. Rich Ore Scrying Labs Required : 2 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Metal Extraction Rate increased by 7% This means that you get more metal every second, nothing to it. Telekinetic Extraction Labs Required : 3 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 2 Levels in Rich Ore Scrying Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Metal Extraction Rate increased by a further 7% This results in even more metal per second, which means a lot more money on the black market. Enhanced Reclamation Labs Required : 4 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 2 Levels in Telekinetic Extraction Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Metal Extraction Rate increased by a further 7% Again, even more metal for you, meaning that you can build some more ships for yourself. Volcanic Evangelism Labs Required : 2 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Volcanic Planets are now colonizable This means that you cna now take over volcanic planets for more metal, given that they are the best source of metal. Arctic Evangelism Labs Required : 2 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Icy Planets are now colonizable This means that you can take over icy planets, and they are the most valuable planets given that they are a good source of crystals. Selective Harvesting Labs Required : 3 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Crystal Extraction Rate increased by 7% This means that you get even more crystals per second than you already do, and given that crystals are the most important in terms of resources, this is quite useful. Crystal Enrichment Labs Required : 4 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 2 Levels in Selective Harvesting Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Crystal Extraction Rate increased by a further 7% This means that you get even more crystals per second, what more could you want? Telekinetic Seperation Labs Required : 6 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 2 Levels in Crystal Enrichment Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Crystal Extraction Rate increased by another 7% This is the final rate in which crystal is increased, and this is quite a nice boost overall. Crystal is gold here. Hardened Cities Labs Required : 6 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 3 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Cost - Level 3 : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 450 Crystals Effect: Planet Bombardment Damage decreased by 5% This means that your planets will take less damage from bombardment when they are attacked by enemy siege vessels and capital ships. Interplanetary Trade Labs Required : 3 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Trade Port This means that you get the trade port, meaning that you will be able to find another source of income. Karmic Retribution Labs Required : 5 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 1 Level in Interplanetary Trade Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Karmic Retribution for Trade Ships This means that your trade ships will get a little boost to them. This basically means overall that your trade ships will place a 100 credit bounty on the nation that destroyed them. Resource Focus Labs Required : 4 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 1 Level in Interplanetary Trade Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Resource Focus for Trade Ports This shuts down the trade of the trade port and it allows for the increase of metal and crystal extraction by 8% for the system. This will change the trade port so you no longer get any more credit income. Enhanced Focus Labs Required : 7 Temples of Harmony Technology Required : 1 Level in Resource Focus Levels : 2 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Effect: Extraction Bonus increased by 9% for Resource Focus This means that your converted trade port gets a little boost to the metal and the crystal income, which is quite useful. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [8.01] Energy Refined Laser Cannons Labs Required : 1 Temple of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Improves Laser Weapon Damage by 5% This basically makes your normal laser weapons dish out a bit more damage by a nice 5%. Burst Modulated Lasers Labs Required : 2 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Refined Laser Cannons Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Improves Laser Weapon Damage by a further 5% Makes your laser weapons a bit more effective in combat. Every little bit helps. PsiTech Powered Lasers Labs Required : 4 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Burst Modulated Lasers Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Improves Laser Weapon Damage by another 5% This is the power mostful upgrade for laser weapons that you can obtain in the game. Improved Containment Labs Required : 2 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Improves Plasma Weapon Damage by 5% This is the basic upgrade that you can apply to your plasma weapons, and it does help. High Intensity Plasma Labs Required : 3 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Improved Containment Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Improves Plasma Weapon Damage by a further 5% This makes the Plasma weapons a bit more deadly, and you need this to make it even deadlier. Strong Plasma Ejection Labs Required : 5 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in High Intensity Plasma Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Improves Plasma Weapon Damage by a final 5% This makes your weaponry even more dangerous, and this is necessary for the final battles. Rapid Plasma Regeneration Labs Required : 7 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Strong Plasma Ejection Levels : 3 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Cost - Level 3 : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 525 Crystals Effect: The Cooldown Time for all Plasma Weapons are reduced by 5% This makes your weapons that involve the use of plasma to refire a lot faster than before. Improved Beam Emitters Labs Required : 3 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Improves Beam Weapon Damage by 5% This makes your basic beam weapons a bit stronger, which makes them a bit more useful in combat. Beam Amplification Labs Required : 4 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Improved Beam Emitters Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Improves Beam Weapon Damage by a further 5% This makes beam weapons more dangerous in combat, so if you use such weapons a fair amount, research this. Superior Emission Coils Labs Required : 6 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Beam Amplification Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Improved Beam Weapon Damage by a final 5% This makes the beam weapons as powerful in terms of power as they can be. Precision Beam Focus Labs Required : 7 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Superior Emission Coils Levels : 3 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Cost - Level 3 : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 525 Crystals Effect: Range of Beam Weapons improved by 4% This makes your beam weapon users more powerful as they can target ships that are further away than usual, making them dish out more damage. Inspired Reactor Design Labs Required : 3 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Antimatter Reserves and Regeneration increased by 5% Useful for capital ships and colony ships, they really need the antimatter to do their jobs properly. Quick Reaction Cycling Labs Required : 5 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Inspired Reactor Design Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Antimatter Reserves and Regeneration increased by a further 5% This makes it quicker for your capital ships and colony ships to build up their antimatter, and such research can turn the tide of a battle. Synergistic Reactions Labs Required : 7 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Quick Reaction Cycling Levels : 2 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Effect: Antimatter Reserves and Regeneration increased by a final 5% This is the last increase you can have to boost the antimatter pools of your ships, and useful in the middle of a battle. Basic Shield Projections Labs Required : 1 Temple of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Shields Capacity and Regeneration improved by 5% This is a necessary boost for your fleet, you need more shields as it will protect your ships that much longer from being mobile and from being worthless space junk. PsiTech Shield Emitters Labs Required : 2 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Basic Shield Projections Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Shields Capacity and Regeneration improved by 5% This is another nice boost to your shields, this is necessary for the big battles that you plan to fight. Potent Shield Generation Labs Required : 4 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in PsiTech Shield Emitters Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Shields Capacity and Regeneration improved by a final 5% This is necessary in the end, and the cost is well worth the price of protecting your fleet from more damage. Raised Shield Harmonics Labs Required : 6 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Potent Shield Generation Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Shield Mitigation improved by 2% This decreases the damage that your shields will take from enemy weaponry, and basically increases the time your shields can hold out overall in battle. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [8.02] Ascension Hangar Defence Labs Required : 1 Temple of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Hangar Defence This unlocks the hangar for the protection of your planets, and such defences are quite useful. Skilled Hangar Anima Labs Required : 2 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 1 Level in Hangar Defence Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Increases maximum capacity of strike craft by 1 This makes it so that you can carry three sets of strike craft at the end, which makes for a very useful planet defence as long as you have something to defend. Purge Vessel Design Labs Required : 1 Temple of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Purge Vessel Read the effect please. Defense Vessel Design Labs Required : 2 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Defence Vessel Again, read the effect. Drone Host Design Labs Required : 2 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Drone Host (^.^) >_> <_< More shifty eyes. MOAR! Repair Platform Labs Required : 2 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Repair Platform Unlocks the repair platform for the empire, so you can repair your ships as they move past. Guardian Design Labs Required : 3 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 1 Level in PsiTech Shield Emitters Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Guardian Again, it is another case of read the effect. Repulsion Labs Required : 5 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 1 Level in Guardian Design Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Repulsion Ability for the Guardian Again, this is another case of read the effect. There is more about the ability under the section of the ship involved. Steal Antimatter Labs Required : 3 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Steal Antimatter ability for Disciple Vessels Again, read under the section of the Disciple Vessels if you want more information about the ability. Illuminator Design Labs Required : 3 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Illuminator Vessel Unlocks said vessel, what more would need to be said? Deceptive Illusion Labs Required : 5 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 1 Level in Illuminator Design Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Deceptive Illusion for Illuminator Vessels Unlocks said ability, read more from it in the relevant section for the Illuminator. Basic Crew Training Labs Required : 4 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Maximum Trainable Level for Capital Ships increased to 3 Therefore, you can purchase the levels for your capital ships for one extra level, up to 3, when it was previously 2. Martyrdom Labs Required : 4 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Martyrdom for Seeker Vessels This unlcosk the said ability for the Seeker Vessels, so read up in the relevant section. Crusader Design Labs Required : 5 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Crusader Unlocks the said ship, what more could it mean? Ruthlessness Labs Required : 7 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 1 Level in Crusader Design Levels : 1 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Ruthlessness for Crusaders This unlocks the ability for the Destra Crusaders, so look up the relevant section for more information. Subjugator Design Labs Required : 5 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Subjugator Unlocks the said ship, this is starting to get a little boring typing this over and over again. Perseverance Labs Required : 6 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 1 Level in Subjugator Design Levels : 1 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Perseverance for the Subjugator This unlocks the said ability, look in the relevant section per usual. Unfettered Phase Jumps Labs Required : 6 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Infalliable Jump Drives for Seeker Vessels Unlocks said ability, look under the relevant section for further details. Mass Transcendence Labs Required : 8 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 550 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1900 Credits, 375 Metal, 575 Crystals Effect: All Capital Ships gain an extra .92 experience per second until Level 2. Gains extra 25% experience from battle. This is a definite get for your capital ships, that little extra boost in battle makes them more powerful a lot faster, unlock their ultimate ability faster than usual. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [8.03] Substance Refined Frameworks Labs Required : 1 Temple of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Increases maximum hull points and regeneration by 5% This is useful when your shields are broken down, after all, the more you have in hulls, the longer your ships last in battles. Elegant Hull Design Labs Required : 3 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Refined Frameworks Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Increaes maximum hull points and regeneration by a further 5% This is still useful, as long as you have more hull points, the longer your ships can stand and put up a fight. Supreme Architecture Labs Required : 5 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Elegant Hull Design Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Increases maximum hull points and regeneration by a final 5% This is the last upgrade for the hulls, and this is quite useful, especially in the end where there will be epic fleet battles. Augmented Launchers Labs Required : 2 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Bomb Damage increased by 5% This is useful when you are planning to bomb down someone's planet, the more damage your bombs drop, the faster you can take down the planet. PsiTech Propelled Bolts Labs Required : 3 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Augmented Launchers Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Bomb Damage increased by a further 5% Again, this is useful later on in the game when your fleet needs to take on the other empires and move through their empire, taking their planets along the way. Divine Launcher Arrays Labs Required : 5 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in PsiTech Propelled Bolts Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Bomb Damage increased by a final 5% This is the last upgrade, and useful late in the game when you need to take on and destroy enemy planets. Until then, don't bother with this upgrade. Advanced Composites Labs Required : 6 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Armour is increased by 1 point This increases the armour of your ship, which means that when they are taking on your hull, the enemy needs to dish out a bit more damage than before to takie down your ships. Telekinetic Projection Labs Required : 7 Temples of Hostility Technology Required : 2 Levels in Advanced Composites Levels : 2 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Effect: Armour is increased by another 1 point This makes your ship even harder to take down when it is surviving on the hull points after the shields have been compromised. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [9.01] Nanotechnology Improved Salvaging Labs Required : 1 Viturska Imperial Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Effect: Salvage Cooldown Time decreased by 50%, extra 20% income Basically, this makes the salvage ability a bit more useful, you need to wait a shorter period of time before you can use it and you get more money for entering a battle. It pays to be aggressive early. Literally. Wreckage Auto-Salvage Labs Required : 3 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Improved Salvaging Levels : 3 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Cost - Level 3 : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 225 Crystals Effect: Capital ships automatically salvage ships and structures You may wonder, why bother with three levels, but what isn't mentioned is that you get a little extra more from each level. Each level increases the income gained from the same structure. Artificial Longevity Labs Required : 2 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Population Growth increased by 20% This means that your population grows even faster than before, and that means that your new planets are going to be receiving that little tax bonus a lot faster. Trauma Nanomedicine Labs Required : 4 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Artificial Longevity Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Population Survival Rate increased by 10% during bombardments Basically, this will have more of your population surviving during a planet bombardment, and while this may seem trivial, it will be useful if you manage to fend off the attackers. Resource Sublimation Labs Required : 2 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Metal and Crystal Extraction Rate increased by 5% This differs from the other empires given that it increases both at the same time. Entanglement Filtering Labs Required : 3 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Resource Sublimation Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Metal and Crystal Extraction Rate increased by a further 5% Look on the bright side, at least you don't need to research two technologies when you can just do one. Catalyzed Atomic Sorting Labs Required : 5 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Entanglement Filtering Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Metal and Crystal Extraction Rate increased by another 5% The third last in the improvements that both increase crystal and metal rates, and given that the other empires have 6 techs and you only have 3, you save a bit there. Orbital Processing Labs Required : 3 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Entanglement Filtering Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Matter Processor This is basically the orbital refinery that the other empires have access to. Matter Decompilation Labs Required : 7 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Catalyzed Atomic Sorting Levels : 2 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 425 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 450 Crystals Effect: Metal and Crystal Extraction Rate increased by a final 5% This means that you get a big boost to your crystal and metal rates by the time you finish this tech. Off-World Exports Labs Required : 4 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Trade Port I swear that the name smuggling port would sound better, given the exports part of the name, but it unlocks the trade port, nothing else. Valuable Goods Labs Required : 5 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Off-World Exports Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Trade Port Income increased by 8% Basically, the value of the goods that you trade are increased by 8%, which pretty much increases the trade port income. Priceless Goods Labs Required : 7 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Valuable Goods Levels : 2 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Effect: Trade Port Income increased by a further 8% Well, obviously, priceless has a price tag since you get an extra 8% income from your trade ports. Power Draining Nanites Labs Required : 5 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Nano Weapon Jammer Basically, it unlocks the said jammer. Simple. Enhanced Nanites Labs Required : 6 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Power Draining Nanites Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Increases maximum number of ships targeted by Nano Weapon Jammer Basically makes the Nano Weapon Jammer that much more useful. Provided it was useful in the first place. Molecular Assembly Labs Required : 6 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Structure Build Time decreased 5% This reduces the build time for your structures, but really, isn't all that useful, since by the time you can get this upgrade, you need to be micromanaging an entire empire, and that would easily take off that advantage. Optimized Construction Labs Required : 7 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Effect: Build Cost for Structures and Ships decreased by 4% Useful when you need to build up a massive fleet or setting up an empire, but that is about it. But this stage, you already have a big fleet anyway. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [9.02] Phase Mastery Phase Space Monitoring Labs Required : 1 Viturska Imperial Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Effect: Detects Enemies jumping into your systems 1 phase jump away Basically, if an enemy tries to jump into a system that you control, you will be able to see them coming, which gives you that little extra time to run and hide. Extended Range Sensors Labs Required : 4 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Phase Space Monitoring Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Detects enemies jumping into your systems 2 phase jumps away Basically, if the enemy is trying to enter your system and they are two systems away, you will detect them. Excellent if you need warning to move in a forward fleet in to reinforce the position. Highly Attuned Sensors Labs Required : 8 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Extended Range Sensors Levels : 1 Cost : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 550 Crystals Effect: Detects all enemies phase jumping Basically, if you want to know when the enemy is moving their fleet out of their home systems, you can use this tech and move in whilst they are unaware. Basically the best tech that you can have before you jump into an invasion, you know when the enemy moves out, and thus, when to strike. Long Range Jumps Labs Required : 2 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Ships can phase jump between stars Again, this is only useful as long as there are stars that you can jump to, if there isn't, then this is pointless. Phasic Barrier Labs Required : 3 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Phasic Barrier for Structures Basically, as a trade off, this unlocks a barrier for structures that they can deploy, which increases their shields by a massive amount, but as a result, they will have no production. Phasic Cloaking Labs Required : 4 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Phasic Cloaking for Navigators This unlocks the said ability for your Jikara Navigators, read more in the relevant section. Worm Hole Stabilization Labs Required : 4 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Allows Travel through Wormholes Again, it is only useful if there wormholes on the map. Gravity Tolerance Labs Required : 5 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 250 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Increases Gravity Tolerance by 5% This basically means that your ships can phase jump 5% closer to the planet than before, which is quite useful if you want to flee from the enemy and you don't want to be taking too much fire. Phase Tunneling Labs Required : 5 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Phase Stabilizer Basically unlocks the said structure. Nothing else needs to be said. Enhanced Tunneling Labs Required : 7 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Phase Tunneling Levels : 2 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Effect: Phase Lane that is Stabilized by Phase Stabilizer increased speed by 20% This basically means that a phase lane that has a phase stabilizer on it will be faster to travel on by a nice 20%, which is quite handy if you are shifting a reserve fleet or a forward fleet back to defend a planet. Returning Armada Labs Required : 8 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Enhanced Tunneling Levels : 2 Cost : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 550 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1900 Credits, 375 Metal, 575 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Returning Armada for your Phase Stabilizers What does this do, it basically summons 5 of each of the following ships back to where the Stabilizer is, Skarovas Enforcers, Kanrak Assailants, Lasurak Transporters, Ravastra Skirmishers, Jarun Migrators and Junsurak Sentinels. This is an exceptionally powerful ability that is two fold, you can summon this fleet to rapidly defend a planet from impending attack, and it will do so effectively, however, it will kill your fleet supply in no time, because this does take up fleet supply. Phasic Transmissions Labs Required : 6 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Increases fleet supply by 8% This is quite necessary for your empire, increasing fleet supply means that you can hold more ships in your fleet, and that means that you will be able to dominate your enemy with even more force, 8% more! *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [9.03] Oppression Expert Bounty Hunting Labs Required : 1 Viturska Imperial Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Bounty Collection increased by 25% Basically, when you collect bounties on other empires, the money you get is an extra 25% on what you should normally get. Full Terran Lockdown Labs Required : 1 Viturska Imperial Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Population Cap on Terran Planets increased by 8% Basically, this means that your terran planets will be providing a little more in terms of credit. Fortification Specialists Labs Required : 1 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Build Time for Emergency Facilities decreased by 40%, Cost 25% Less This basically makes your emergency facilities more useful, they cost a lot less than before, as well as the fact that they also build a lot faster so you have a little more prevention when the enemy decides to pay a visit. Raider Xenophobia Labs Required : 2 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Pirate Attacks are 10% weaker When pirates attack you, they dish out less damage than usual, and their force is less in number, if compared, with the same strength of attack, to another empire. Basically, this means that the pirates are weaker against you than normal. Volcanic Occupation Labs Required : 2 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Volcanic Planets now Colonizable This means that you can take control of volcanic planets, more metal for all. Extreme Heat Metabolism Labs Required : 4 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Volcanic Occupation Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Population Cap on Volcanic Planets increased by 8% That means that you get slightly more tax money from volcanic planets, besides all that shiny metal that you are already receiving. Sulfurous Respiration Labs Required : 5 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Extreme Heat Metabolism Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Population Cap on Volcanic Planets increased by another 8% That means even more tax income from your volcanic planets, which is always nice. Arctic Occupation Labs Required : 2 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Icy Planets now Colonizable This means you can take over icy planets, the king of crystal planets. Subzero Biology Labs Required : 3 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Arctic Occupation Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Population Cap on Volcanic Planets increased by 8% This means you get a little extra on the side from your Icy planets, which makes it a nice source of credits on top of the crystals. Compelling Propaganda Labs Required : 3 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Media Hub Well, if you are planning to start on culture fighting, or in this case, given the lack of technologies compared to other factions, culture defending, you will need this ability. Regimented Thought Labs Required : 4 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Compelling Propaganda Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Spread of Culture increased by 5%, damage dealt by friendly ships in your culture's influence increased by 4% This means that you will spread the rate in which your culture is spread throughtout the galaxy, and means that ships under your control as well as those under the control of the friendlies, will dish out more damage. Shock and Awe Labs Required : 5 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Regimented Thought Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Spread of Enemy Culture decreased by 20% in gravity wells with a capital ship. This means that when you have a capital ship inside a gravity well, the rate in which culture is stopped in its footsteps. Also remember that the capital ship also has a positive effect on your culture as well. Cunning Sympathizers Labs Required : 6 Viturska Imperial Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Regimented Thought Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Spread of Culture increased by 5%, damage dealt by friendly ships in your culture's influence increased by 3% This means that you have your culture spreading faster as well as giving a little damage boost. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [10.01] Prototypes Regeneration Bay Labs Required : 1 Lirtestra Weapons Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Regeneration Bay. Nuff said. Destructor Prototype Labs Required : 1 Lirtestra Weapons Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Karrastra Destructor This is going to be a very short list... Assailant Prototype Labs Required : 1 Lirtestra Weapons Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Kanrak Assailant Like I said, short section Sentinel Prototype Labs Required : 2 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Junsurak Sentinel Laa la la laa la. La laa la la la la. Charged Missiles Labs Required : 4 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Sentinel Prototype, 1 Level in Assailant Prototype Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Discharging Missiles for the Kanrak Assailant and the Junsurak Sentinel. Read more in the relevant section. It is a nice ability, but I can't be bothered to rehash things over and over again. Phase Jump Disruption Labs Required : 2 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Phase Jump Inhibitor Unlocks the said structure. Nothing going on here, move on. Hangar Defence Labs Required : 2 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Hangar Defence Some extra strike craft to take over the defence of your planet. Transporter Prototype Labs Required : 3 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Lasurak Transporter Move along now, nothing to see here. Basic Crew Training Labs Required : 3 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Effect: Max Trainable Level of Capital Ships raised to 3 Basically, you can train your ships from Level 2 from the start, and this will be increased to 3. Interference Labs Required : 4 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Interference Ability for Skirmishers If you can read the effect, keep moving. There are relevant sections for this kind of stuff. Overseer Prototype Labs Required : 4 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Serevun Overseer It unlocks a nice ship for you to play with!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!11 Mobile Phase Detection Labs Required : 5 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Overseer Prototype Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Mobile Phase Detection ability for Serevun Overseer Read the relevant section for more information about this ability. Jump Degradation Labs Required : 6 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Mobile Phase Detection Levels : 1 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Jump Degradation for Serevun Overseer Again, look at the relevant section for more information about this ability. Subverter Prototype Labs Required : 5 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Stilakus Subverter You have another addition for your fleet, and that is about it. Distortion Field Labs Required : 6 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Subverter Prototype Levels : 1 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Distortion Field for the Stilakus Subverter This is a nice ability, but again, read about this ability under the section for the specific ship. Enforcer Prototype Labs Required : 5 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Skarovas Enforcer Another ship, another piece of research to obtain it. Inertial Field Labs Required : 7 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Enforcer Prototype Levels : 1 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Inertial Field ability for the Skarovas Enforcer This is another ability that is listed under the ship's relevant section, search for it. Jump Inhibition Immunity Labs Required : 6 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Infallible Jump Drive for the Jikara Navigator It is a nice ability, but it is a bit late until you get access to this and by then, you know enough to blow up a system, not scout it out. Kostura Prototype Labs Required : 8 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 1 Cost : 1800 Credits, 350 Metal, 550 Crystals Effect: Unlocks the Kostura Cannon Weapon This gives you access to the superweapon, the Kostura Cannon. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [10.02] Assault Rapid Pulse Cycling Labs Required : 1 Lirtestra Weapons Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: All Pulse Weapons deal 5% more damage Basically, your basic weapons get a little boost, which is quite handy. Enhanced Pulse Emission Labs Required : 2 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Rapid Pulse Cycling Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: All Pulse Weapons deal an extra 5% damage Again, it makes your pulse weapons a bit stronger, which is always nice, for the cost, at least. Quick Pulse Streaming Labs Required : 3 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Enhanced Pulse Emission Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: All Pulse Weapons deal another 5% more damage Again, pulse weapons get stronger, but this isn't it for the pulse weapons. Intense Pulse Beams Labs Required : 4 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Quick Pulse Streaming Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: All Pulse Weapons deal a final 5% more damage again This is the last of the pulse weapons upgrades, and as you can see, they have nearly have their power increased by 50% Pinpoint Bombardment Labs Required : 6 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Intense Pulse Beams Levels : 3 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Cost - Level 3 : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 450 Crystals Effect: Planetary Bombardment Range increased by 13% That means that you will get an extra range boost, meaning that you can hit a planet from further away, which can be quite handy for hit and run missions. Phase Miniaturization Labs Required : 1 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Phase Missiles have an extra 5% chance to bypass shields For your ships that use a lot of phase missiles, this will be quite handy early on, if you use missile ships en masse, but otherwise, it isn't as useful as it sounds. Phase Prediction Labs Required : 3 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Phase Miniaturization Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Phase Missiles have another 5% chance to bypass enemy shields Again, if you use missile ships, this is useful to strike at the hull of the ships quickly and destroy them, but later on, this becomes useless with capital ships moving in to ruin the fun. Superior Missile Phasing Labs Required : 5 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Phase Prediction Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Phase Missiles get another 5% chance to bypass enemy shields This might be useful, but at the point where you can research this, the enemy has probably invested in some research to increase hull points and regeneration rates, as well as building an all rounded fleet. NME Warheads Labs Required : 6 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Superior Missile Phasing Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: Phase Missiles deal an extra 10% damage This is slightly more useful, mainly because you will actually do more than a pin prick when you are attacking the enemy with phase missiles. Basic Wave Cannons Labs Required : 4 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: All Wave Weapons deal an extra 5% damage This means that your wave weapons do a bit more damage, and dish out a little bit more hurt on the enemy. Wave Amplification Labs Required : 5 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Basic Wave Cannons Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: All Wave Weapons deal an additional 5% damage This means that your wave weapons are against slightly more effective than they were before. Nothing new. Superior Wave Cannons Labs Required : 6 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Wave Amplification Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: All Wave Weapons deal an extra 5% damage, again This is the last of the assault techs, and this means that there isn't much there in terms of weapons boosting. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [10.03] Support Skeletal Reinforcement Labs Required : 1 Lirtestra Weapons Lab Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 400 Credits, 25 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 500 Credits, 50 Crystals Effect: Hull Points Capacity increased by 6%, Hull Point Regeneration boosted by 3% This means that your hulls can survive a bit more damage and they can repair themselves a bit better. Self-Repairing Systems Labs Required : 2 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Skeletal Reinforcement Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Hull Points Capacity increased by a further 2%, Hull Point Regeneration boosted by an additional 10% This is quite useful if you are planning to be taking some hull damage, and if you can survive it, you can repair your ships quicker and rejoin the battle that much quicker. Reintegration Labs Required : 2 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 1 Level in Self-Repairing Systems Levels : 2 Cost : 600 Credits, 50 Metal, 100 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 700 Credits, 75 Metal, 125 Crystals Effect: Unlocks Reintegration for Ravastra Skirmishers and Skarovas Enforcers It unlocks the said ability for the above-mentioned ships, nothing new there, I hope. Enhanced Hull Integrity Labs Required : 4 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Self-Repairing Systems Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: Hull Points Capacity increased by a further 7%, Hull Point Regeneration boosted by an additional 3% This is another useful boost, this means that you ships can dish out the punishment as they survive longer in battle. Bifurcative Shielding Labs Required : 3 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Shields Capacity improved by 5%, Shield Regeneration boosted by 5% This means that your ship can take more damage with their shields on, and regenerate those points faster. Important and vital in large battles. Multi-Pass Shield Arrays Labs Required : 5 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Bifurcative Shielding Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Shields Capacity improved by 5%, Shield Regeneration boosted by 5% Again, the same as before, but the faster you get this research done, the quicker your ships have an edge in battle over your enemy, or in some cases, restoring the balance. Atomic Engineering Labs Required : 3 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: All Ships get an extra 1 armour point This means that their hulls can protect itself from more damage than before, which is quite useful. Flawless Armour Labs Required : 4 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Atomic Engineering Levels : 2 Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 250 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1100 Credits, 175 Metal, 275 Crystals Effect: All ships get an additional 1 point in armour Again, this means that your hulls can mitigate more damage than before from enemy fire. Useful in battle, let me tell you that. Atomic Lattice Armour Labs Required : 6 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Flawless Armour Levels : 2 Cost : 1400 Credits, 250 Metal, 400 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1500 Credits, 275 Metal, 425 Crystals Effect: All ships get an additional .5 points in armour, mass decreased by 4% This means that your ships gets even more armour, as well as a lower mass, meaning it can turn faster, move faster, and accelerate faster. Improved Reactor Design Labs Required : 3 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : None Levels : 2 Cost : 800 Credits, 100 Metal, 175 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 900 Credits, 125 Metal, 200 Crystals Effect: Antimatter Capacity and Antimatter Regeneration increased by 5% Useful for capital ships, meaning that they can spend more antimatter and spend it on their abilities faster than before. Optimized Reactors Labs Required : 5 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Improved Reactor Design Levels : 2 Cost : 1200 Credits, 200 Metal, 325 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1300 Credits, 225 Metal, 350 Crystals Effect: Antimatter Capacity and Antimatter Regeneration boosted by another 5% This means that you have more antimatter to play with as well as less time to wait until you can use the abilities of your capital ships. Superior Chain Reactors Labs Required : 7 Lirtestra Weapons Labs Technology Required : 2 Levels in Optimized Reactors Levels : 2 Cost : 1600 Credits, 300 Metal, 475 Crystals Cost - Level 2 : 1700 Credits, 325 Metal, 500 Crystals Effect: Antimatter Capacity and Antimatter Regeneration boosted by 5% This is the final upgrade, and this means that your capital ships have more to play with as well as a much shorter time to wait before they can get their antimatter up and enough to blow up another ship. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [11.01] Logistic Structures TEC Name : Metal Extractor Advent Name : Metal Extractor Vasari Name : Metal Extractor Cost : 250 Credits Hull Points : 2500 Armour : 4 Research Needed : None Slots Used : 0 Basically, this is what you need to build on asteroids in order to collect metal. This is necessary in all empires, metal is needed for ship building as well as structure building. Anyway, is one of the most important structures that you need to build when you take control of a planet, the most important, if possible, is the next one. TEC Name : Crystal Extractor Advent Name : Crystal Extractor Vasari Name : Crystal Extractor Cost : 250 Credits Hull Points : 2500 Armour : 4 Research Needed : None Slots Used : 0 This is the most important structure, without this, you will not have any sort of crystal income, and that is absolutely necessary for research and the construction of powerful battle vessels. This is the first thing you need to build when you enter a new system. Anyway, make sure you scout the crystal asteroids first and then build them once you get control of the system. TEC Name : Frigate Factory Advent Name : Frigate Factory Vasari Name : Frigate Factory Cost : 600 Credits, 80 Metal, 80 Crystals Hull Points : 4000 Armour : 4 Research Needed : None Slots Used : 4 This is one of the most important structures if you are planning to build a fleet, this is necesssary for you to build any sort of frigate or cruiser for your fleet. This is vital in the beginning as you need frigates to clear the systems of new planets in order to take them over and then cruisers later on as a mainstay for your fleet. You automatically have one when you start the game. TEC Name : Capital Ship Factory Advent Name : Capital Ship Factory Vasari Name : Capital Ship Factory Cost : 1000 Credits, 250 Metal, 100 Crystals Hull Points : 4500 Armour : 6 Research Needed : None Slots Used : 4 This is rather important early on and exceptionally useful later on in the game. This is needed to produce any of the 5 capital ships for your faction, and you will be needing capital ships for their firepower, which is unrivalled on a one on one situation. However, don't worry about the cost for your first ship, the first ship will be for free, but the rest will cost you money. TEC Name : Military Lab Advent Name : Temple of Hostility Vasari Name : Lirtestra Weapons Lab Cost : 750 Credits, 60 Metal, 80 Crystals Hull Points : 4500 Armour : 6 Research Needed : 0 Slots Used : 4 This is necessary for the development of military technology, but in your entire empire, you will only need 8, since that is all that is need to research the best of the best in military technology. Remember to spread them out, as not to waste logistical slots for no reason. Remember, you will only need eight of these buildings. TEC Name : Civics Lab Advent Name : Temple of Harmony Vasari Name : Viturska Imperial Lab Cost : 750 Credits, 60 Metal, 80 Crystals Hull Points : 4500 Armour : 6 Research Needed : 0 Slots Used : 4 This is necessary for research, but unlike the military counterpart, this is necessary for civilian technologies. Sure, this isn't all about blowing things up into tiny bits, but the key to supporting a powerful fleet is a strong economy. This is necessary for expansion as well, you will need this to take over volcanic and icy planets, and these are exceptionally important. TEC Name : Trade Port Advent Name : Trade Port Vasari Name : Trade Port Cost : 750 Credits, 100 Metal, 125 Crystals Hull Points : 4500 Armour : 5 Research Needed : 1 Level in Orbital Commerce (TEC) 1 Level in Interplanetary Trade (Advent) 1 Level in Offworld Exports (Vasari) Slots Used : 4 This is a trade port, where basically, it is a structure that generates credits for your empire. You need two trade ports to start a trade route, and that means you can start trading. Trade routes to foreign empires will lead to more trade income as well as trade routes to lead as far away as possible. The more trade ports you have, the more you will make. TEC Name : Orbital Refinery Advent Name : Trade Port Vasari Name : Matter Processor Cost : 1500 Credits, 125 Metal, 175 Crystals Hull Points : 6500 Armour : 5 Research Needed : 1 Level in Orbital Refinement (TEC) 1 Level in Resource Focus (Advent) 1 Level in Orbital Processing (Vasari) Slots Used : 4 This basically sends out refinery ships to nearby asteroids, in the same system or in nearby systems, and assists in the recovery of metal and crystals, boosting your income in both areas. Remember that this isn't a big boost, but a boost none the less. For the Advent, remember that there is a difference. With resource focus, you can shut down the trade port for a refinery. Keep that in mind. TEC Name : Broadcast Centre Advent Name : Temple of Communion Vasari Name : Media Hub Cost : 900 Credits, 100 Metal, 150 Crystals Hull Points : 4500 Armour : 6 Research Needed : 1 Level in Interstellar Networks (TEC) 1 Level Unity Indoctrination (Advent) 1 Level Compelling Propaganda (Vasari) Slots Used : 4 This is necessary if you are planning to fight culture wars. There is a nice section about culture in the manual, so there is no point in me rehashing what you should have already read. Anyway, culture increases the allegiance of a planet towards your empire, and weakens the allegiance of another empire's planet against their owners. When culture for a colonized planet hits zero, the planet will rebel, and they will be neutral, ready for the taking. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [11.02] Tactical Structures TEC Name : Gauss Defence Platform Advent Name : Bean Defence Platform Vasari Name : Missile Platform Cost : 250 Credits, 75 Metal, 35 Crystals Hull Points : 3000 Armour : 12 Damage Dealt : 20 Research Needed : None Slots Used : 1 This is your basic stationary platform, it is there to serve as a means to attack stationary attackers, they are exceptionally weak against ships that move quickly and strike craft. These types of structures are only useful against enemy sieges, since the attackers are stationary, but other than that, they aren't all that useful. TEC Name : Hangar Defence Advent Name : Hangar Defence Vasari Name : Hangar Defence Cost : 700 Credits, 120 Metal, 70 Crystals Hull Points : 4000 Armour : 8 Research Needed : 1 Level in Hangar Defence (All Factions) Slots Used : 4 Antimatter : 250 This basically is a structure that allows you to base two strike craft off if it, and you can use it to defend your planets. This is actualyl quite useful if you use these en mass, with many of these structures, and a well armed defence fleet, it will be hard for an enemy to break through your wall of missiles. TEC Name : Repair Platform Advent Name : Repair Platform Vasari Name : Repair Platform Cost : 400 Credits, 100 Metal, 75 Crystals Hull Points : 3500 Armour : 6 Research Needed : 1 Level in Repair Platform/Regeneration Bay Slots Used : 2 Antimatter : 300 This basically uses its antimatter reserve in order to repair the hulls of friendly ships that have their hull damaged. This is important because ships might be on the brink of destruction and this may be necessary. However, keep these only on your frontline planets, where your fleet is likely to see action, not in the back of your empire where it won't see the light of day. TEC Name : Phase Jump Inhibitor Advent Name : Phase Jump Inhibitor Vasari Name : Phase Jump Inhibitor Cost : 750 Credits, 80 Metal, 125 Crystals Hull Points : 2400 Armour : 6 Research Needed : 1 Level in Phase Jump Disruption Slots Used : 4 Basically, this structure will increase the amount of time it will take for an enemy vessel to jump out of a system where they fall under the radius of this structure. That means, if the enemy ship jumps into a phase lane where it is under the effect of this inhibitor, it takes a lot longer than normal for them to phase jump, enough time to deal the finishing blow. TEC Name : Shield Generator Advent Name : Antimatter Recharge Vasari Name : Nano Weapon Jammer, Phase Stabilizer Cost : 1000 Credits, 150 Metal, 175 Crystals Hull Points : 4000 Armour : 6 Research Needed : 1 Level in Planetary Shields (TEC) 1 Level in Antimatter Projection (Advent) 1 Level in Power Draining Nanites (Vasari) 1 Level in Phase Tunneling (Vasari) Slots Used : 3 Antimatter : 300 They all have the same stats, but each building is different. Of course, it is all in order, so you don't get it wrong. The Shield Generator is a useful structure. Basically, it will provide a shield for a planet that it is placed next to and it will place a nice big strong shield for the planet, which means it will take a lot longer for an enemy fleet to bombard the planet, and this is a two-fold effect, you will be able to keep your planet around longer, and take less damage, and the second ability will be to get enough time to send in reinforcements to take out the invaders. The Antimatter Recharge is a nice structure as it basically recharges the antimatter reserves of a friendly capital ship. This will be useful in the frontline planets, mainly because it will be where the capital ships will be first moved into for repairs. This is nice because antimatter takes a hell of along time to recharge, and this effect is useful for planet defence. Once you move your capital ships there, they will have a lot more antimatter to play with, and be able to repel the invaders a lot faster. Nano Weapon Jammers are the Vasari weapons of choice and these will use nanomachines to increase the time it takes for an enemy ship to reload their weapons and fire them on you. So what this does is that when the enemy attacks you in range of this structure, it will slow down their weapons, meaning that they can't dish out as much damage as they would please and as such, your structures, planet and ships take less damage in return. The second structure for the Vasari is the Phase Stabilizer. This is useful because between two of these structures, you can form a new phase lane, and this is incredibly useful between two points on your empire or between two planets that are close but are not linked. This makes it exceptionally useful for creating shortcuts, and direct lines of reinforcement. Look at it this way, you can send in reinforcements from your fleet production facilities to your frontline planets, without much risk. If the enemy gets close, you can always scuttle. TEC Name : Novalith Cannon Advent Name : Deliverance Engine Vasari Name : Kostura Cannon Cost : 8000 Credits, 600 Metal, 500 Crystals Hull Points : 4000 Armour : 5 Research Needed : 1 Level in Novalith Prototype 1 Level in Deliverance Design 1 Level in Kostura Prototype Slots Used : 18 Antimatter : 300 These are effectively the superweapons of the game, but there is one key thing that you need to remember, with superweapons, they do not win the game for you alone, you still need a lot of strategy and tactical know how in order to be able to use the superweapon in conjunction with your fleet. The Novalith Cannon is a platform firing a nuclear slug at an enemy planet, and this is done in order to dish out a lot of damage on the planet, weakening it and killing population. This is useful in conjunction of a bombarding fleet, you need this weapon to weaken the planet, making for an easy capture. Not that useful in terms of a superweapon, but it does make capturing a lot easier. The Deliverance Engine is useful in terms of culture. This will basically fire a lot of your own culture to a target planet, and that will increase the presence of your culture in that planet, and this will, with some luck, lower the productivity of the planet as well as, even more optimistically, spark a revolution in that planet, making it neutral. This is best used on the frontline planets, where you already have been making headway in terms of culture, so it is easier to make neutral, and then take over. The Kostura Cannon is probably the most powerful. This is like a Novalith Cannon, but instead of firing a slug, it will fire an energy shockwave into the planet, and instead of targeting planets, this will dish out a lot of damage to ships and structures. This is best used in preparation for a strike on that planet, as it will weaken the invaders and make it a lot easier to capture because there isn't much resistance. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [12.01] Conquering New Planets When you want to conquer planets, especially new ones, you need to make sure that your fleet is ready to fight. Why? Because new planets that are new, that is, you are the first one there, will contain some natives, and they fight back. They are normally armed with frigates and light cruisers, so your basic frigates will not have such an easy time. There is also enough in terms of firepower that your capital ships will struggle if they are on their own. Basically, if you want to take a new planet, send about 5 of your basic combat frigates and a capital ship, the one that you get for free, and send them in to clear out the mess. However, you also need to know how to win, because the odds are that your firepower is evenly matched. The most important thing is that your fleet will target one ship at a time, as such, concentrating fire. This is important for a reason, it will take down the enemy faster. Look at it this way, if you take every ship on one on one, you will have a crippled fleet, but if you concentrate fire, you can win the battle with light losses, maybe two combat frigates at best. When you are going to colonise the planet, the important thing to note is that you should never send the colony ship in until all the enemy ships have been destroyed. Once a colony ship enters the planet's gravity well, all enemy ships will change target and attack your colony ship. Basically, send it into the phase lane towards the new planet when you are nearly finished clearing the enemy forces. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [12.02] Maintaining an Empire The hardest part of the game is maintaining an empire, the larger it gets, the harder to maintain. That means that you have planets to defend, planets to guard, planets to develop and planets the conquer. The first thing is to build up your planets. In each planet, you need to build the extractors, which is standard, and from there, it gets a little tricky in terms of what to build. Each planet will need a trade port, always, and a refinery would be good. Broadcast centres are also quite useful. Those are the necessities. Extractors, Broadcast Centre and Trade Port. After that, if you have a fair amount of logistical slots left, the best thing to do is to have a refinery. Then, place your labs, both military and civilian. Those are best placed on the Terran and Desert planets, they have far more logistical slots to play with. For your Capital Ship and Frigate factories, placement is a bit harder. You will need to constantly build new ones near the frontlines of your empire, for defence, and demolish ones that are too far away from the action. Though keep a few in the rear, in case your frontline planets fall. That is set for building logistical structures. Now, the tactical ones. For tactical structures, you don't need to be heavy handed in that regards. Basically, superweapons should be deep in your empire, hangars should serve as basic defence, platforms for frontline planets. Repair platforms should be placed near a source of action, so your ships can make sure that don't get crippled too badly. Now, the planets you need to defend. Basically, planets that on the border with other empires are ones that you need to keep a fleet in. A small group of heavy cruisers and powerful frigates should serve as a blocking force, platforms and hangars should provide backup, that is the most basic defence force. This is a defence force, if the enemy is dead serious to attack you, it will not be enough, you will need to use a strike force, to reinforce, repel, and then push them back to their own turf, and more on the strike force later, in building an unstoppable fleet. Other planets that need defence are those bordering the stars and those that are on the border of wormholes. Again, defend those planets with a small fleet as well as some stationary defences. Your PSIdar like techs will help you greatly. With the development done, you need to colonise new planets. The most important are ice, desert and terran planets, those you want to take straight away, because they are exceptionally valuable in terms of logistical and resource value. Desert planets have a lot of tactical and logistical slots, making them good sources of credits and lab planets, terran planets are necessary for credits and icy planets are needed for crystals. Use a powerful strike fleet to quickly demolish enemy resistance, and from there, colonise the planet and develop it. It is best to develop a planet to about half capacity before sending your strike fleet off to take another planet. This is because if you develop them to that capacity, they will have the ability to fend off attackers, and since your fleet is a planet away, they can move back and strike hard at the enemy. Now, you need to build relations with other empires. This is best done with those that are near you, mainly for backstabbing reasons, but also to find out what they are doing. Most of the early missions are give resource missions while they become destroy other empire missions later on. The faster you build relations, the better for you, and once you gain access to their lands, move in your fleets, your battle fleets, and get ready for the backstab of the century. Finally, the last part of maintaining an empire, besides running an economy, defending all your planets, building weapons of mass destruction and building a massive fleet, is to use pirates to your advantage. Once you have a large empire, money will be flowing in left and right, and this is to your advantage, use that money to place bounties on nearby empires, and put enough money in it so that it will be a SEVERE attack, so that the threat level is on red. Make sure that you keep the bounty on the other empire, and let the pirates launch an attack. This is useful as a prelude to a powerful attack, but that will be covered in the endgame. Basically, build up your empire, develop all your planets, and start building a fleet. You want to play nice when building up a fleet, but don't worry, we aren't going to be nice too much longer. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [12.03] Building an Unstoppable Fleet Now, we need a big fleet. Of course, the perfect fleet need balance. It cannot be too big, otherwise, it will be extremely cumbersome to control, but if it is too small, it will be too ineffective. Basically, what a good fleet should strive to be is a small, powerful force, able to strike hard at enemy defences and move away before heavy enemy forces arrive. Basically, there are several things that your fleet will need. It needs the ability to colonise planets, so your capital ships will need that role, it is too dangerous to leave colony frigates in the middle of a battle. It will need the ability to use strike craft. Do not underestimate the strike craft, they will be exceptionally useful. Now, what you should have in it. Personally, it is up to you to decide what you find is manageable. My personal option is to have 5 capital ships, one of each, mainly for balance reasons, a bunch of heavy cruisers, carriers and a few support ships, and a nice use of frigates. Now, for frigates, you need long range missile based frigates, flak frigates and if you really want, you can have some siege frigates. The reason for this is that the capital ships are needed for their abilities, and their firepower. They provide the brunt of the attack, as well as take most of the damage. The heavy cruisers will be there to support your capital ships in battle, whilst the carriers will launch strike craft, bombers of course, to do damage. Support cruisers will be there to basically tend to the fleet, and hinder the enemy. Frigates, well, they are not as useful. Long range frigates are there to lend firepower and the flak frigates are to disable enemy strike craft. What most people tend to forget is that bombers are quite powerful, a group of 10 of them can easily demolish enemy ships with 2 runs, and they are quite hard to take down without flak frigates. Now, that fleet is powerful enough as it is, but at the end of the day, raw firepower cannot win the day by itself. You need support. That is the whole point of bringing the weaker support cruisers in, they are there to tend to the fleet, and the most important is the ability to repair hull damage. A powerful fleet needs to be able to colonise for a reason. When you wipe out an empire on a planet, you want to take that planet and use it as an outpost. This will be useful because it gives you access to the enemy empire as well support, repair platforms and more defence will be useful for your cause. Now, how to use your fleet. The best attack on the enemy is one that is completely by surprise. And that means you need to be cunning. But that is covered in the endgame. Besides attacking, your fleet needs to be able to defend. Since you have 16 capital ships to play with, you are looking at a fair amount of fleets, about 3 large strike fleets, and you will have them on several fronts. The enemy will attack, and you needs to recall a fleet and move them to the target planet. The most important reason you want the enemy to attack a planet on your frontline is simple. Attack and defeat the enemy fleet, and then do some quick repairs, and push back into their system. If the enemy was serious in their attack, then what is left in their system is a bunch of ragtag fleet units, those that survived, and the defences. Take down the defences and move on the planet. The next part depends on what the enemy does. If they move in a fleet, run back to your own planet, and fight on your terms, if they do not, take over. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [12.04] The Endgame One of the important parts of the game is the end. Rushing isn't as effective against a proper player, as they will build up their defences, but late in the game, when research has been exhausted, the fleets are balanced, the real game starts, the game of who has the better strategy. At this point, I assume that everyone has a large stash of credits, metal and crystals, well defended border planets, fully developed planets, 3 strike fleets, and well, everything is at a stalemate. There are two methods of getting a chance to take down the enemy. The first is to have them attack you, and you counter attack. The second is to use your diplomatic prowess and backstab them. The second one is exceptionally risky. The whole point in the end is to crush your enemies, without them knowing. Against the AI, backstabbing is exceptionally easy if you protect yourself from the retribution that the enemy will surely dish out, but against human players, backstabbing is exceptionally harder. In this game, there are the paranoid, and there are the dead. Well, how you want to crush the enemy is your business, but late games can get exceptionally crazy, considering how hard it is to break down the enemy. It takes skill and strokes of genius to win that late in the game. So how do you win. Chokepoints. You see, there are points on the map where control of it will put you in a powerful position. Look at it this way, if you control a star that is in the middle of an enemy empire, you have a choke point. The enemy cannot use that star, and if they manage to escape, you have more forces defending the other entry points. And with control of the star, you can launch attacks on any of the connected planets, and that cna be deadly against a large empire. Another way to win is to feint attacks. Send in a small, but powerful force, preferably one without capital ships, a bunch of heavy cruisers, enough to pose a threat, but one that can be easily replaced quickly and relatively cheaply. Now, with this strong attack, with siege frigates, it will spring the enemy into action. If you can take the planet, well good on you, take it, but it is not necessary. The whole point is to draw in other fleet units from neighbouring planets, leaving them relatively undefended, and that means you can send in your main attack force, one that is far more powerful, and hit them hard. One method to win that has not been mentioned is culture wars. Basically, on your border planets, build a lot of culture producing buildings, the media hubs, and use them to influence enemy planets. Slowly, weaken the allegiance of that planet to their masters, force them to be neutral, take over, and repeat. This is a useful method to peacefully take over another empire, and it involves less warfare, all you need to do is to move in and claim the now neutral planet. Anyway, it is how you want to proceed this late in the game to win, whether you want to play two empires to play out against each other, take over their planets with culture or force, it is completely up to you, there are thousands of ways to win, so happy hunting. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [A] Contact Information APPEARS IN g,a,m,e,f,a,q,s.c,o,m always. Remove the commas. Never on that c,h,e,a,t,c,c.c,o,m. Remove the commas. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !Before you Email me, read everything in this Contact Information section and! !check the guide. If the information is already listed, your email will be ! !promptly deleted. ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! E-Mail Me, and for the love of all that isn't sacred, make sure that the title of the game is smacked into place. IF THERE IS NO TITLE ON THE MESSAGE, IT WILL NOT BE READ, AND PROMPTLY DELETED. Also, email with courtesy. If you just hurl abuse, I will promptly hurl more abuse back, and save it so the entire world can abuse you and see your stupidity. When you write the Email, you have to do so in English, and English only. No foreign languages allowed, Chinese, French, Spanish, Antarctic Penguin and so forth, mainly because I won't be able to understand it. There will be absolutely NO INTERNET SPEAK IN ANY EMAILS. Seriously, I will not read emails full of lols, rofls or the like. No lazy English either. I won't read crap like "Hw Tis in Gme" because it is lazy and inconsiderate. But that doesn't mean you send me a business letter detailing what information you want to know either. Finally, if you see that there is something wrong in this FAQ, or something that you think should be included in it, please send it in, the worse you can do is to have it rejected, but if I think it is a good addition, I'll add it with the next update as well as give you credit for the addition. Corrections are always welcome. I will also NOT RESPOND to the following: * Phishing Sites * Attempted Scams * Mass Spamming * Forward Messages * Advertising * Technical Issues * Illegal Activities * Unrelated Emails to the Game * Emails about Another Game All problems with technical issues to do with the gameplay such as bugs and glitches should be sent to the developer or publisher, or look for fixes or ways to avoid it. All technical issues with hardware should be sent to the manufacturer of the piece of hardware in question. The secret email address is: hillsdragon13 [at] [ho.tm.ail] [dot] [co.m] Now, the legend: [at] = @ [ho.tm.ail] = Remove the .'s [dot] = . [co.m] = Remove the .'s If you feel generous, you can send money via Paypal to that address. It is completely optional, but I'm curious to see how much I can milk, I mean make out of this. All donations are appreciated, seeing I have to pay for the game this guide is for, and that does cost money, more since I'm faced with the outrageous prices found in Australia. It may be a pain in the ass, but most smart people could figure out the real email address. The problem is that people would normally Ctrl+F to find the email address without reading the relevant guidelines, as well spamming sites which always find their way to my inbox. Also, do not add me to your MSN, Yahoo or any other instant messaging system because you will be blocked and deleted permanently. Also, I will not accept invites to be your Facebook friend, or join any other social networking site because all invites will be rejected. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [B] Credits The credits section is where all the credits for the guides go. Anyone or anything that remotely helped out with this guide goes here, and that goes for all those people out there who have interesting information to send in. You know, your name could be on this list as well. CJayC, The Creator of GameFAQs, thanks for all the memories SBAllen for administrating GameFAQs, keep up the good work You, no point of writing if no one is reading Ironclad Games for developing the game Stardock for publishing the game ASCII Generators for the ASCII Art Me for making it, yes, I'm that arrogant =) *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [C] Webmaster Information This is where all the sites that this guide can appear on are listed. If the site name is not on this list, that means that either they are accepted by me but not listed, due to logistical reasons (this is the same copyright section as all the other guides, and no point listing a Civ 4 site on a Sims game), or they are not allowed outright. Anyway, POINT OUT ALL SITES NOT LISTED HERE. It will be up to me what site is allowed or disallowed. www.GameFAQs.com <Master Copy> www.NeoSeeker.com www.SuperCheats.com NeoSeeker and SuperCheats will have the guides a full day after it appears on GameFAQs. This is because those two sites grab any new update from me from GameFAQs itself, so if you are itching for the newest version, please check www.GameFAQs.com first. It will NEVER BE ALLOWED TO APPEAR ON www.cheatcc.com Why, because they stole some of my works before, and I will not forget that. No amount of goodwill will be able to repair what you have done. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* [D] Copyright Notice This game is Copyright 2008 Ironclad Games, Stardock. All Copyrights are held by their rightful owners as well as any Trademarks used. This document is protected by copyright laws in many countries, so please don't steal. This FAQ can be used for personal use, which means you can store a copy on your home PC, your IPod, USB Drive, etc. You cannot use this FAQ to sell for your own financial gain. Doing so is fraud, and I will promptly have all the money gained wired for directly to me. If you do sell it, and you are caught, I will launch court proceedings if necessary. If a website steals this, I will have your site shut down, either through talking to your server, Internet Service Provider, and if you are a big site, through your advertisers. It might start with a small email of request, but I can snowball it. In fact, I will. You also cannot claim this guide as your own. You are not allowed to use this guide and submit this to another website, claiming it as your own work. I will google search random phrases from my own FAQ just to ensure that it hasn't been stolen or hijacked by other people. I am also not affiliated with any corporation, and I was not paid by any developer, publisher or distributor for the production of this guide. This was done solely out of my own free time and will, a dedication to the gaming industry in general. This document is copyright 2009. All Rights did not commit sins in the empire This FAQ uses the V2.01 Template. <('.'<)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(>'.'<)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(>'.')> END OF FILE Watch In Awe, Aeria Gloris END OF FILE
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