Capital ships

Overview

Capital ships are huge beasts, several kilometers in length, bristling with guns, dominating combat, and are the epitome of destruction. Appropriate to the wild fireworks heralding their arrival in combat, capital ships cost a substantial investments of time and credits.

Capital ships when encountered Out-of-Sector carry sufficient firepower to destroy almost all vessels in one turn. As a result un-monitored battles with capital ships will typically devolve to attrition of expendable decoys. Maintaining a patrol squadron in the face of hostile capital ships can be time-consuming and expensive.

When encountered In-Sector, a hostile capital ship can generate sufficient fire to make approach difficult. If their concentrated firepower is permitted to hit, lesser target vessels will invariably be destroyed or crippled. Fighting between capital ships is typically a slow exchange of fire which will steadily destroy the other ship.

Capital Ships can only be captured by boarding them with marines.

	Ship Class	Typical length (m)
Capital Ship classes	M1 Carrier	1550 - 4500
	M2 Destroyer	1400 - 4700
	M7 Frigate M7M Missile Frigate	800 - 2800
	TL Large Transport	1550 - 3600

Ship size ranges are listed for typical specimen. Special objects or some for the player unattainable AI ships can be smaller.

Docking

Capital Ships require their own class of docking clamps and hence the range of stations they can dock at is limited.
Freight exchange with other stations must be conducted through intermediaries.

A list of docking stations and limits is available Here.

Jumpgates

When navigating through jumpgates, these ships will use the centre of the gate.