General class and weapons characteristics questions

[MasterChief]

Browsing through the manual and the game itself, I could not find a description of the various ships and fighters classes. I found general descriptions of the major types of craft but not about the classes and no specific info. Am I just missing it? If not, are there plans to generate one?

[TheDeadlyShoe]

you mean like fighter,attack, frigate, destroyer?

[MasterChief]

No, got that part. There are several classes of each type of frigate, destoryer, etc. What are their specific characteristics and capabilities? How do Alliance and Hegemony craft differ? What are the different types of weapons, their characteristics and capabilities, etc?

Thanks for replying though

[Mehrunes]

The OOB screen gives you basic info on ships in the bottom window when you highlite them. What else is it that you're looking for?

[Pheagey]

Im looking for acceleration, vlimits, integrity, roll-yaw-pitch speeds, fusion output, etc.

I would like a DETAILED description of the units.

[MasterChief]

Guess this all realy answers my question... there is none. It would be nice to have some place in the manual that has a detailed break down of all craft and weapons. Possible a description of each ship, fighter and weapon. Thanks everyone

[Mehrunes]

I slightly improved the ship details on my site. Some things only milo has access to.

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: MasterChief

Guess this all realy answers my question... there is none. It would be nice to have some place in the manual that has a detailed break down of all craft and weapons.

Designers and publishers of games like Falcon 4.0, Homeworld and Descent: Freespace has had a lot of staff and resources to create such information. Starshatter is practically made by one man only and Matrix Games isn't all powerful game developer & publisher like Vivendi Universal or (former) Sierra On-Line. Lack of the resources is the excuse for lack of detailed information. Anyway Starshatter is one of the best games (or maybe even The Best) in genre and we should be happy we have got such game to play and mod with.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

Well let's see.

LCAs-
"Jackal"-class. Marakan Hegemony.
"Zodiac"-class. Terellian & Generic.
These are basically shuttles. They can't really ever crash in a ground mission, in atmosphere they act as a hovercraft almost. They're armed with guns only, but they are much longer ranged than typical fighter cannon.

Fighters- All fighters are equipped with a pair of cannon. These cannon have a max range of about 10km, but their effectiveness falls off severly with range.

"Viper"-class. This is the generic fighter. It has 4 missile rails and is craptacular.
"Razor"-class. This is just about the same thing as the Viper, but (presumably) better in some aspects. This and the Viper are the most common fighter opponents.
"Falcon"-class. This is the Terellian light fighter/interceptor. It has 4 missile rails.
"Stormhawk"-class. The vintage Starshatter fighter. It's a multirole Terellian ship with 6 missile hardpoints, 4 of which are capable of mounting ASMs.
"Raptor"-class. The Raptor is the advanced Marakan fighter. It has 8 missile hardpoints and is pretty deadly against any target.
"Tacnar"-class. The Tacnar is the pirate fighter. It has 6 missile hardpoints and has a distinctive profile.

Attack- These are fighters optimized for attacking capital ships.
"Avenger"-class. Extremely similar to the Raptor, the Avenger is the advanced Marakan attack craft. 8 missile hardpoints.
"Cobra"-class. This is the generic attack craft. I believe it mounts 6 missile hardpoints, 4 of which mount ASMs.
"Thunderbolt"-class. This is the Terellian attack craft. It has 6 missile rails, all ASM-capable, 2 heavy guns that do an impressive job of damaging capital ships, and a rear gun turret.

Freighters- There are several freighter vessels in the game. Freighters have civilian shield systems and are vulnerable to fighter missiles and guns, unlike most ships.

Corvettes- Corvettes are the largest ship that are, uh, considered to be small. Anti-fighter weaponry can engage corvettes with a large degree of success. There is only one Corvette ship in the stock game, the Raider (I think?), which is a pirate vessel mounting 2 plasma cannon. It has no anti-fighter weaponry.

Frigates- Frigates are the smallest regular fighting vessel. Generally they are optimized for anti-fighter duties, defending their larger brethren from strikes when no fighter patrols are available. Most frigates mount Mk7 interceptor missile launchers. They are poorly armored, however, and can succumb to a single salvo -or less- of heavy anti-capital missiles.

"Baikal"-class. This is the 'generic' frigate. It is probably the most capable frigate against capital ships. It mounts 2 "Ursa" PDBs on the bottom. These have poor coverage, however, and are ill-suited to attacks originating from something other than what the Baikal is pointing at. In addition it has a mk7 launcher and plasma cannon mounted in the nose. The subsystems on a Baikal are very well protected.
"Marauder"-class. This is the Pirate frigate. Essentially a larger version of the Raider, it mounts 3 Plasma cannon and has no anti-fighter capability.
"Tiger"-class. The Marakan frigate. The Tiger has good coverage from its 2 articulated PDBs mounted fore and aft, and a mk7 in front. It is best known for its 2 X-Lasers mounted on the side.
"Berents"-class. This is the Terellian frigate. Fragile, it nonetheless is the best available at the anti-fighter role. Unfortunately, it mounts no dedicated anti-ship weapons. It has 2 wide-coverage PDBs mounted forwards and another aft, and mounts mk7 Interceptor launchers. It is vulnerable to attacks from the sides, though, and is a poor infighter. The fusion reactor is particularly vulnerable.

Destroyers
Destroyers are the bread and butter of Starshatter ship combat. They range more widely in combat capability than any other fighting ship class. They mount weapons capable of dealing with pretty much any situation.
"Asher"-class. The Asher is the lighter Terellian design. It mounts 4 X-Lasers in side-pods, 2 fusion torpedo launchers, and 2 Point-Defense batteries. One PDB, mounted below, covers the front, and the other PDB, mounted above, covers the aft. Unfortunately this leaves the Asher somewhat lacking when it comes to defending against missile fire. More than one Asher crew has perished against dual-source missile attacks, unable to knock down anywhere near enough incoming at range. However, its weapons systems and fusion reactor are better protected and positioned than on the Spectre-class.
"Spectre"-class. This is the heavy Terellian destroyer. It mounts 4 X-Lasers on the prow, 2 fusion torpedo launchers, and 4 PDBs. the Spectre has exceptional coverage with its PDBs, but their off-center placements means they can miss enemy shots which are traveling at sufficiently high velocity. The fusion reactor is very vulnerable to any attack from underneath. The Spectre is also underpowered- with full shielding it can divert almost no power into the main engines. The X-Lasers also frequently suffer damage from forwards impacts. Controlling one is thus somewhat more challenging than usual, but can be very rewarding.
"Wolf"-class. The Wolf is the generic destroyer design. and is lackluster in almost every department. It mounts 5 PDBs with excellent coverage, and 2 nose-mounted Xlasers. You may note that some Frigates seem about as heavily armed as this. In addition. shots have a tendency of piercing the Wolf's shields, making it fairly easy to kill. The Wolf has little going in its favor except its large number of PDBs with near-universal coverage.
"Volnaris"-class. The Volnaris is the light Marakan design. It is very similar to the Wolf, with the same PDB and Xlaser arrangement, and similarly poor shielding. However, it does mount a forwards Fusion Torpedo launcher, which makes it much more useful in a fight. The Volnaris has less dedicated firepower than the Asher but makes up for it with superior PDB numbers and coverage. Mainly suited to close-in fighting where it can be hoped that the enemy cannot bring Xlasers or Plasma Cannon to bear.
"Broadsword"-class. This is the heavy Marakan destroyer. 4 PDBs, 4 X-Lasers, and a "Nike" missile launcher. Though it only has one Nike launcher, the missiles are heavier than those fired by most destroyers. The shielding is superbly reliable. This is likely to be the most dangerous destroyer around.

Cruisers
The Cruisers provide the heavy firepower in any large fleet engagement. Only regional superpowers can field Cruisers in any numbers. They are extremely resistant to any kind of weapons fire and can do awesome damage with their missile launchers.

"Courageous"-class. This is the lighter Terellian cruiser design. It is well suited to almost any role. These are found in a subordinate role in Terellian cruiser squadrons or as the primary escort in Carrier groups. It mounts 5 PDBs, with extremely good side and rear coverage, although they have a blindspot forwards. To compensate. the Courageous-class mounts mk-7 Missile launchers near the prow. Combined with the PDBs, it is an extremely dangerous foe to fighters. The courageous also mounts 2 Xlasers forwards and 2 Nike-class missile launchers, salvoing 4 torpedoes in 2 closely spaced waves. The Courageous won't let you down.
"Vendetta"-class. This is the Marakan cruiser class, and is a fearsome sight. While its 4 PDBs have good coverage, they are very limited in arc and even the slightest elevation over the attacker can result in the Vendetta being unable to shoot down incoming missiles. Even so, they are extremely tough and take maddening numbers of missiles to kill. The fusion reactor is well-protected but still killable. They mount 2 Gamma-Lasers and 2 Nike missile launchers forwards. These have a tendency of being disabled from incoming forwards fire.
"Devestator"-class. The heavier Terellian cruiser, these vessels are only found leading Terellian cruiser squadrons. They are the only vessel to mount the devestating (heh) "Athena" missile launchers, in this case mounting dual launchers. The mount 2 Gamma-Lasers in the prow. Both weapons systems have a tendency to take damage. The Devestator mounts 4 PDBs on top, and the captain must be careful in order to align his vessel properly so that the PDBs can bear on incoming missiles. It is recommended that you not use the Helm when battle is engaged, instead manually rolling and turning the ship to present the maximum amount of defensive fire.

Carriers.
Carriers in Starshatter are tough to kill but poorly armed. They will flee into another sector if a Cruiser closes with them. Loss of a Carrier will often spell defeatin any venture.

"Goliath"-class. The generic carrier design. The Goliath class mounts 4 PDBs, a launch bay, and a recovery bay. The PDBs have fair coverage, but the best protection of the Goliath is its extremely thick hull. These are typically found amidst a squadron of escorting Baikal and Wolf class vessels. The GOliath is, though, an extremely easy carrier to land on.
"Dragon"-class. This is the Marakan carrier. These are your prime targets during the singleplayer campaign, and are almost always escorted by multiple Broadsword and Tiger class vessels. They have a distinctive shape and are deceptively large. They have 5 PDBs, offering good coverage but still extremely vulnerable from any attacks even slightly below the Dragon's plane. It mounts 2 launch bays and typically carries large numbers of advanced Marakan fighters. However it only has 1 angled recovery bay and is notoriously difficult to land on. Most pilots cannot land on a moving Dragon, and it must remain rock steady for recovery operations.
"Orion"-class. These vessels are the Terellian carriers. They are extremely well shielded and mount 6 PDBs with large amounts of coverage. Currently however the PDBs will fail to knock down high-speed (IE, fired from v long range) incoming missiles. They also mount 2 XLasers forwards which are only used in the most dire emergency. They have 2 spacious launch decks and 2 widely-seperated recovery bays.

Stations
These structures are massive. Even the smaller ones rival Carriers in size, and the larger ones simply dwarf anything but colony vessels. Station PDBs tend to be ineffective due to low bolt speed., but fare well as close-in weapons against fighters and enemy capital ships. Many stations are unshielded, but all are extremely tough to kill and generally require the concerted effort of at least a squadron. NOTE! Many stations figure in the singleplayer campaign and some of this can be considered spoilers!

Station1. This is an unshielded, unarmed freight transfer dock. It has a launch and recovery bay.
Station2. This is a civilian orbital city. Unshielded. Has launch and recovery bay.
Station3. This massively armored and extremely well shielded station is the first of the "Fortress"-class stations. Mounting a staggering 12 PDBs in a cicular and symmetrical configuration, it also has 3 launch bays and 3 recovery bays. A nasty customer and nearly impossible to kill.
Station4. This Marakan Fortress-class design isn't as tough as the Station3, but still mounts 12 PDBs (albeit with poorer coverage). 2 launch bays and 2 recovery bays, this is a priority target for any fleet.
Station5. This small station is unshielded and mounts only a launch deck and recovery deck.
Station6. This massive station is another freight transfer facility. It mounts 4 PDBs with poor coverage on top. Unshielded.
Station7. This enormous research facility has no flight decks, but uniquely it mounts 4 Gamma Laser turrets. These are dangerous weapons, although they don't have the same kill-power of a torpedo launcher. It also mounts 8 PDBs in a configuration that you would think has good coverage, but actually doesnt.
Observatory. This science station is unshielded, unarmed, and has a launch and recovery deck.

STARBASES
Starbases are planet-based supply, repair, refueling, and rearming complexes for fighters, attack craft, and LCAs. They are unarmed and unshielded, but cannot be engaged by ships, only fighters.
Starbase1- Distinctive X-shaped field.
Starbase2. 2 parallel runways.
Starbase3. = starbase2?

UNITS
Ground defences
These massive structures provide anti air defense to starbases, power generators, barracks, and other important planetary facilities.

AAA 1. This tower mounts 2 PDB cannons. Constant changes in vector prevent hits from landing. Typically not seriously dangerous but can chip away at your fighter and damage crucial systems.
AAA 2. This tower mounts 4 PDB cannons. Ugly as sin. I don't think it's used in the campaign.
SAM 1. This ridiculously oversized structure carries 8 surface-to-air missiles.

Blockade Mine. These gun-armed 'mines' are extremely vulnerable to any weapons system. AUtomated, unshielded, stationary.The guns track extremely slowly and have a range of about 15km (I believe). They have 2 cannons with a fairly low rate of fire, but it does not let up and is not limited by capacitor.

Comsat.
Duh?

Farcasters.
Enter a farcaster in order to travel to the specified sector. Try not to hit the sides...



I believe that's about every class of vessel in vintage Starshatter, excluding the various planetary structures such as reactors. There are many more classes included in Starshatter but these are primarily for mod use. There are 2 vessels I did not list on purpose. These figure importantly in the SP campaign.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

Well gee I write all that and find that Mehrunes has actually updated his ship list. Pffft...

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/Mehrunes/ ... dding.html

[HomeFries]

True, but your commentary was truly enlightening.

Sticky anyone?

[Kuokkanen]

No word about Zolon stuff? This is getting frustrating!

[TheDeadlyShoe]

I will say you only get 800 pts for them. [;)]

[LonghornXtreme]

hey Deadly Shoe... would you be ok if I included that information into my new tactics manual for SS? You'll get credit for sure!

[Mehrunes]

Broadswords torpedo launcher is a little unusual. Alliance destroyers have dual launchers that allow you to launch 2 torpedoes simultaneously. The launcher on the Broadsword seems to fire 3 torps seperated by a ~2 second intervals followed by the normal reload cycle. The Courageous and Vendetta can fire 2 nikes per launcher similarly, but they have multiple launchers.

edit: You forgot the (paper) Tiger's Achilles' heel. It's X-Ray mounts are unshielded. One good hit with 4 lasers can take them out. [:)]

[Count Sessine]

Thanks for the information ! I've been looking for this for ages !

[Count Sessine]

And a big thanks to you too - it's just the kind of stuff I need to bring down the Marakan Hegemony with fewer losses. Atm my exchange rate is horrible [:)]

[TheDeadlyShoe]

Longhorn: Go for it. It's by no means complete as I kinda typed it all late at night, though. Hehe.

Count Sessine, Gonzo, no problem.

[MasterChief]

Hey Matti,

Concur, this game is a phenomenal achievement on Milo's part...incredible game!!! I love a little more immersion factor but for simulation purposes it doesn't get any better than this, and SS is now may favorite space sim regardless!

DeadlyShoe and Mehrunes, THANK YOU for the info... just what I was looking for.... You guys are what makes gaming so enjoyable!!! By any chance does anyone have the same kind of info for the weapons of SS.

Jeff

[Mehrunes]

I put some weapons info up. There's alot of stuff that's difficult to figure just by testing though.