Space Ships are vehicles designed to operate in the harsh environment of zero-g vacuum. They are usually built from a metal or composite chassis mounted with engines, a power cell, crew compartments, a cockpit or bridge, guidance systems, integrity and repulsor shields, communication array, storage space, plating and life support systems. A Relativity Drive is required to travel at the speed of light and requires a certain size or larger chassis. Many share a similar chassis platform and are modified for their own requirements. The most common ship found in space is the Mule Class Freighter; a small but very versatile and cost effective vessel.
Fighters
Fighters, interceptors and bombers are one-man craft used to perform close-range attacks on enemy ships.
Shuttles
Shuttles are rather very small craft used by military and commercial organizations. Mostly they have small range and no weapon systems but some military’s use them as drop ships for their assault teams.
Freighters
Freighters are small to medium sized ships, mostly smaller than Cruisers. Used by traders, corporations, mercenaries or pirates, their armour, weapons and drives vary.
Frigates
Frigates are the smallest of the capital ships spanning from 100 up to 200 meters. Lightly armoured and armed with the lighter assault systems. Frigates have crew count ranging from 50 to 200 depending on the make and purpose.
Bulk Freighters
Bulk freighters a large to gargantuan in size. Typical consisting of either an open frame or hauling a “tail”, the engines are massively oversized for their basic design but this compensates for the huge amounts of cargo they can move.
Cruisers
Cruisers are middle-weight combatants, spanning up to 500 meters, used as command ships for smaller flotillas. Having better armour and weaponry are slower than frigates. Their crews consist of up to 2000.
Carriers
Carriers are dreadnought-sized vessels which carry fighters. They span over 700 meters, heavily armoured but lacking advanced weapons systems they always need escort ships. Carriers carry up to 100 fighters and can have crews coming up to 5000. Carriers are also used as floating shipyards.
Dreadnoughts
Dreadnoughts are over 800 meters long. They carry planetary assault weapons and are used only in the biggest battles. Their armour and weapons systems are unmatched, used mostly as battle fleet command ships. Carriers can have crews ranging from 2000 up to 6000 staff. Only the strongest military forces possess those vessels, and their number in each respective fleet is limited by treaties and interplanetary laws. Dreadnoughts have the capability to carry some fighters but it is very limited.
Habitat Ships
these huge vessels are quite simply a habitat with propulsion drives and
guidance systems. They can provide all of the living requirements for up to
5000 people. Typically a series of torus
rings spin around the central chassis of the vessel creating a pleasant living
environment for its inhabitants.
Mostly found in remote places and used for research purposes they have also found popularity with Nomads who move from system to system.
Colony Ships
The largest ships ever built are designed to take up to 25000 passengers in
stasis and all of the equipment and supplies they need to build a colony at
their destination. Always designed for a one way trip; they did not have
Relativity Drives or access to Rip Gates as they predate that technology.