This is Cpt. Shibungi of the Shibunii Overpack, authorized to write and release a standardized care guide for new pilots and their crew members. It has come to my attention that our many allies still are relying entirely on the Borgi to repair and maintenance ships, which has become especially expensive during times of war.
Starships are powerful, resilient companions for any space-farer, but can be easily damaged and put out of commission by careless fliers. From a simple hobby to the most important of military captains, starships are expensive utilities and need constant maintenance.
Important Terminologies
Fuel lightage - Expressed as ly/kg, how far one kilogram of medium-grade starship fuel will go on average.
Spaceships - Vessels that protect the users from the hostile conditions of outer space and can travel between planets.
Starships - Spaceships capable of traveling to other star systems.
FTL - Faster than Light. Needed for traveling to other star systems in a reasonable amount of time.
Ion Ejector - Most common class F & G starship thruster. Low-power and efficient on small spaceships.
Hull - The innermost layer of a spaceship. Breaching it will expose everyone in the vessel to the immediately dangerous conditions of outer space.
Your First Starship
For new pilots, we recommend that you avoid any ship with a size class above E. Larger ships need larger crews that are often expected to be highly experienced with repairing and monitoring various systems on board. A size class of F should be the maximum you finance first thing, if you bring along a few friends. Otherwise, stick with a size class of G. Below is a comparison between the two recommended size classes:
Size class F
- Recommended crew size: 4 members
- Average seat capacity: 56 seats
- Average Fuel lightage: 1950.25 ly per kg
- Pilots directly needed: 1 pilot
- Average daily maintenance costs: 325 Universal Credits
Size class G
- Recommended crew size: 1 member
- Average seat capacity: 4 seats
- Average fuel lightage: 3352.15 ly per kg
- Pilots directly needed: 1 pilot
- Average daily maintenance costs: 65 Universal Credits
(Do note that these are averages, you may find a Size class F ship that may need two pilots instead of one, for example.)
Your first starship will likely not contain a Quatabolt Drive. You won't be wanting to leave a galaxy for any reason if this is your first time piloting a starship, and Quantum Jumping has its own series of risks and complications that are best avoided for now.
Thrusters
Ion ejectors, which is likely what is on your new starship, will be your thrusters. They work both in atmosphere, and out of atmosphere. However, atmospheric operation is discouraged with ion thrusters, as some atmospheres will interfere with thruster performance. At worst, the interference will ground your ship without causing any serious damage while landing down on the ground. Significantly more fuel will be used by ion thrusters if they are being affected by the gravity of celestial bodies. In some cases, starships built for land-to-space movements can switch between combustion thrusters and ion ejectors, but this is not automated in many ships and will need a manual override.
Proper care of ion ejectors includes cleaning them on a daily basis. Stray particles can block the movement of ion particles, making them bounce back into the engine and thus increasing the pressure in the interior of the engine. If enough pressure builds, the engine will explode and cause the ship to lose power due to the resulting EMP field generated from the explosion.
There are space stations that offer ion ejector cleaning, and in various systems, the first three cleanings are free. Usually, cleaning will cost you 5 Universal Credits per thruster.
FTL engines are thrusterless and use a different means of propelling ships. Regardless, the FTL engine will still be recognized as a thruster by your starship, and will regularly need helium exchanges to remain fully operational. In some ships, an FTL engine will use the exterior thrusters for emergency jumps out of a star system while still in the gravity well. FTL jumps while in the gravity well of a star are not recommended and can easily cause damage to the FTL drive and the hull of your starship.
Life Support
All spaceships should come with a form of life support. Please refer to your manufacturer's instructions on how to keep these vital systems functional. Instructions are different for each species. Self-sustaining ships at Size class F will have means of growing food on board, so assign a schedule for checking on the sustainability systems. This includes cleaning, replacements of filtration systems, and reviewing cosmic radiation shielding. Failure to maintain your ship's life support systems will result in you and your crew perishing from common, but easily avoided, causes.
Defense and Weaponry
All spaceships with defenses like energy shields can fly without needing a military insignia placed in an easy to see position of your vessel. Starships are allowed to have low-grade EMP weapons without needing a military insignia, as every civilian-grade starship needs a form of defense that temporarily incapacitates an attacker, instead of destroying it.
Vessels will have energy shields on the outermost layer, with armor in the middle and the hull in the interior of the ship. A breach in the hull often spells certain death for the crew, so don't invest in cheap armors and shields, if you are looking for a ship designed to last in dangerous situations.
Any space vessel with lethal weapons, even if not activated or inoperable, must display a military insignia. These ships are military-grade and are used for combat, or may be used for combat. Military-grade starships are often used for cargo transport and exploration when not used for combat.
You will find that all ships marked as "exploration ships" are military-grade. This is because you will absolutely run into other entities that may not be friendly in any way or capacity, or may attack if they feel threatened. These entities can vary from void fauna, to other exploration ships, to living ships.
UPDATE: All newer military-grade ships are now equipped with Sulfur Hydronators, since Nyral Wyrm attacks in every galaxy have become extremely prominent. Make yourself acquainted with the Hydronator beams, and make sure your energy weapon batteries are always well-powered. You may need a separate crew member just to make sure the energy weapon batteries are above 75% power. If you do not have a Sulfur Hydronator, they will cost you no less than 845,004 Universal Credits per unit. Their demand is extremely high. Equipping Sulfur Hydronators on a civilian-grade ship will not violate any laws in any galaxy, as these weapons do not require military insignias to be present. This is because Voidwyrms are completely immune to EMP weapons.
Sublight Drives
Starships have two standards when it comes to sub-light controls: Manual, and Automatic. Manual is not assisted by any form of navigational AI, and the pilot must operate 4 shifts. Automatic is assisted by a navigational AI, taking control of 2 shifts and only needing the pilot to operate 2 shifts. All drives have a gyroscope to allow for easy rotation in space without needing to expel a high amount of fuel with each change in directional force. Make sure your gyroscope gets replaced every Tarras Year; an old gyroscope could wear out and negatively impact your fuel lightage.
Some starships may have different sub-light controls. Make sure you financed a starship that is operating on a standard; those are easiest and cheapest to repair if some component, like the thrusters, fail.