Player

This page is a discussion of information that will be pertinent to the player, including some information that may need to be directly presented to the player in the documentation or throughout the course of the game. Obviously, the player will be key to the game.

The game's engine will consider the Player an in-game object, with various components. This page will at least introduce these various components and will serve to direct programmers to other areas of this design document as necessary to reference more details about those components.

Data Structure of the Player Object
The following list is a rough indication of the various classes and variables that will be included in the player's data. This is meant only as a guide; the names of the actual variables may be different from what's listed here (any changes to variable names should be updated here ASAP). Only variables are listed here; class methods for the player object will be created as needed.

The Player object is a top-level object, of which there will be only one instance in the game. Its data structure is as follows:
 * Player
 * Class: Fleet (a fleet object, which holds all the data on the various ships/characters/modules at the player's disposal).
 * Hash/Dictionary: hPosition (a listing of the fleet's current location)
 * ''String: Sector (current sector data)
 * Integer: X-Coordinate (current x coordinate)
 * Integer: Y-Coordinate (current y coordinate)
 * Integer: Orbit (current orbital lane; this has the value of 999 in hyperspace)''
 * Hash/Dictionary: hFleet (basically just a listing of which ships are in the fleet, indexed by ship name.)
 * Class: Starship (for the full Starship data structure, see the Starship Module and Interface page.)
 * Method: changeHands (newShip) (used to add a ship to the player's fleet, or to pop a ship from their fleet)
 * Class: Character (one character object for the player's own character, created at the game's onset. For the full Character data structure, see the Personnel/Crew Assignment Sub-Module discussion.)
 * Integer: Available_Funds
 * List: Transactions
 * ''Tuple: Transaction Information
 * String: Transaction Date
 * String: Transaction Description
 * Integer: Transaction Amount''
 * String: Ships_Log (used for the recording of the ship's log)
 * Dictionary: Emotion_Indexes (keyed by species, with one integer value for their current emotion index. For more details, see the discussion on the Communication Mechanics, Interface and Engine.)
 * Dictionary: Comm_Playback (keyed by date and time of the encounter, with an entire conversation from initial hail to final termination as its value. For more details, see the discussion under the Communication Mechanics, Interface and Engine.)
 * Flag: Probe? (a flag, which is set True or False based upon whether or not certain items are in the player's possession. This might get handled another way, or possibly replaced by a list of flags.)

Available Ship Classes
Players will have four classes of starship available to choose from during the course of the game. Each ship should have different capabilities and different advantages and disadvantages in various aspects of the game. For example, an Intrepid-II-class Scout has limited armament and cannot hold a large number of vehicles, but it is maneuverable and can carry a reasonable number of expansion pods. The following discussion contains information on the four classes of ships.

Deprecated Ship Classes
These two classes of craft were proposed for the game by the original design team, and were superceded by the Intrepid-II-class and Sleipnir-class, respectively. At the present time, they are not intended to be included in SF3, though the following stats are hereby presented for them, in the event that additional "NPC" classes of Imperial and Interstel craft are later proposed.

Starship Systems
Players will have the option to change the default equipment on their ships as the game progresses. Starship equipment will be available at the Fleet Configuration Office at Starport (though perhaps not all pieces of equipment will be available at all Starports; that's a determination that will need to be made at a later date). Changing a ship's equipment will have varying effects on that ship's performance, depending upon what is changed. This section goes over the pieces of equipment that a player may modify on their ships and what effects those modifications will have on them.

The following bulleted list is a basic overview of the equipment (these two terms are used synonymously in this discussion) onboard a starship. All systems are child objects of the Starship class. Specific instances of each system in-game are listed as sub-bullets (for example, both Basic Shields and Nebula Shields are specific instances of the Shield system). A full listing of the data included in each system can be found in the discussion of the Starship Module and Interface.


 * Starship Systems
 * Engines
 * Shields
 * Basic Shields
 * Nebula Shields
 * Armor
 * Basic Armor
 * Reflective Armor
 * Weapons
 * Beam Weaponry
 * Laser Cannon
 * Accelerator Cannon
 * Tachyon Cannon
 * Projectile Weaponry
 * Missiles
 * Mass Driver
 * Plasma Cannon
 * Miscellaneous Systems
 * Sensors
 * Communications
 * Life Support
 * Hull

Engines
Engines provide electrical and propulsive power to a starship. They directly determine the ship's acceleration and turning rate, as well as the ship's base fuel efficiency. Higher classes of engine are more fuel efficient than lower engine classes.

Engines have a fixed mass based upon the general overall classification of the craft upon which they are installed; this will be based upon the equivalent SFRPG chassis used to create the ship's stats, with the exception of the Intrepid-II class, which will utilize the Corvette/Transport Engine Mass rating. All other ships in the game will use the indicated rating as appropriate. The mass of the Engines will be the same for a specific craft regardless of the specific Class of Engine.
 * Corvette/Transport Mass (Intrepid-II): 10 hectotonnes
 * Destroyer/Frigate Mass (Challenger): 50 hectotonnes
 * Dreadnought/Battlecruiser Mass (Xerxes and Sleipnir): 250 hectotonnes

The following information is included with Engine statistics:
 * Class: The specific Class of Engine indicated.
 * Basic Cost: This is how much the Engine will cost the player to install. Note that the price will be the same regardless of the class of ship on which the Engine will be installed.
 * Force: This is a measure of the thrust the engine provides the ship. This figure is used for forward movement only; all other movement vectors (lateral and rotational) have exactly 1/10th the indicated amount of thrust available to them. Using the formula for Newton's second law (Force = Mass * Acceleration), this value is used to determine the ship's acceleration in encounters. The amount of thrust is measured in units of hectotonne-gees (a hectotonne is 100 tonnes or 100,000 kg, and one gee is 9.803 m/s2, so the hTG is a valid measure of force. We'll use it to keep the game from having to do too much of the math.)
 * Base Fuel Efficiency: This is a measure of the Engine's fuel efficiency, which determines the rate at which fuel is expended while the ship is thrusting. For more details, see the Maneuver Navigator's Menu Option under the discussion of the Starship Module and Interface.
 * HD/BHD Effect: This is a measure of the increase on the ship's normal and blast Hit Difficulties, which is used in combat whenever direct-fire weapons are employed to determine if the ship is hit or not. For more details, see the discussion on Spaceflight, Combat Interface and Physics under the discussion on the Encounter Module.

Shields
Shield emitters are small, external arrays that generate a protective barrier around the outer hull of a starship, in essence adding an extra layer of armor to the ship's outer hull. A starship may only have one Shield system installed. Shields fall under the category of Defenses. They are used to improve a ship's chances of surviving hazardous situations, including combat. In combat, damaged shields will recharge themselves at a rate equal to 10% of their maximum SHP every minute, plus an additional amount equal to the Engineer's Defenses sub-Discipline score (provided the system is not damaged; for more details, see the discussion on Spaceflight, Combat Interface & Physics under the Encounter Module). Shields may be raised and lowered at the player's discretion; when raised, they will have a constant power draw of 0.1 m3 of fuel per hour.

All Shield units add five hectotonnes to the mass of the ship, regardless of Class or the type of craft on which they are installed.

The following information is included with Shield statistics:
 * Class: The specific Class of Shield indicated.
 * Basic Cost: This is how much the Shield will cost the player to install. Note that the price will be the same regardless of the class of ship on which the Shield will be installed.
 * Shield Hit Points (Normal): This is a number of Hit Points that represent the current overall strength of the ship's Shields, used to mitigate damage inflicted upon the ship. This specific count is used as the maximum HP count if the ship is in normal space (i.e. not inside a nebula).
 * Shield Hit Points (Nebula): This is a number of Hit Points that represent the current overall strength of the ship's Shields, used to mitigate damage inflicted upon the ship. This specific count is used as the maximum HP count if the ship is located in a nebula.
 * HD Effect: This is a measure of the increase on all of the ship's Hit Difficulties due to shield installation. Normal shields have no effect, while Nebula shields may have an effect if the ship is in fact located in a nebula.

Armor
A starship’s Armor consists of several plates of additional hull material that are attached to its outer hull in order to give it extra protection. A starship may have only one Armor system installed. Armor fall under the category of Defenses, and is used to improve a ship's chances of surviving hazardous situations, including combat. Armor does not regenerate under any circumstance; if damaged, it must be replaced. The trade-off is that Armor is a passive defensive system, always active even if the Shields are down. Reflective Armor is essentially the same as Basic Armor, with the only additional effect being a reduction in the amount of damage caused to the ship by all Beam Weaponry by one-half.

The amount of mass that Armor adds to a ship is dependent upon both its Class and the overall classification of the craft upon which it is installed (again, using the SFRPG equivalent chassis used to create the ship's stats, with the exception of the Intrepid-II class, which will utilize the Corvette/Transport Armor Mass ratings). The specific amounts are outlined in the following table (again, these are in units of hectotonnes):

The following information is included in Armor statistics:
 * Class: The specific Class of Armor indicated.
 * Basic Cost: This is how much the Armor will cost the player to install. Note that the price will be the same regardless of the class of ship on which the Armor will be installed.
 * Armor Hit Points: This is a number of Hit Points that represent the current overall strength of the ship's Armor, used to mitigate damage inflicted upon the ship. This value is the maximum HP count in all situations.
 * HD Effect: This is a measure of the decrease on all of the ship's Hit Difficulties due to Armor installation.

Weapons
Starships can carry and utilize various forms of weapons systems. The use of weapons aboard ships is covered more in depth in the Spaceflight, Combat Interface & Physics discussion under the Encounter Module. Weapons come in three main varieties: beam weapons (which are direct-fire weapons that shoot in constant streams), projectile weapons (where a physical object is shot at the target and takes time to impact it), and "special" weapons (which are weapons that typically have either very powerful or area-wide effects, and/or don't fire in streams or bolts). Weapons by themselves have no power draw when they are armed; they only cost the player fuel when they are fired.

Each weapon has the following statistics:
 * Name: What the weapon is called.
 * Type: The general kind of weapon being described (either a beam or projectile weapon.)
 * Recharge: The amount of time that must pass once the weapon is fired before it weapon may be fired once again.
 * Energy: The amount of fuel expended each time the weapon system is used (fired).
 * Range: The maximum distance a target may be from the firing ship in order for the weapon to be effective.
 * Falloff: The amount of damage lost or hit difficulty increased per range increment the firing starship is away from its target.
 * Class: This lists a specific Class of the weapon in question.
 * Basic Cost: This is the amount the weapon adds to the starship's overall cost.
 * Damage: This lists the amount of basic damage the weapon applies to a target upon a successful hit.
 * Mass: This indicates the amount of Mass the weapon system adds to the ship. A weapons system may add varying amounts of mass based upon whether or not it will be mounted on racks or turrets.
 * Effects: Various sundry effects the weapon may have or cause. The possible effects are as follows:
 * Spread (The width of the cone within which a random vector will be given to each shot.) - default value &plusmn;5&deg;.
 * Radius (The blast radius of the weapon - damage falls off the further away a victim is from the epicenter.) - default value zero.
 * Wave (The speed at which the weapon's blast wave expands.) - default value zero.
 * Force (The amount the weapon will push away what it hits - a negative value will pull.) - default value zero.
 * Stamina (The amount of time the weapon will push or pull what it hits.) - default value zero.
 * Collide (Whether or not the weapon terminates when it collides with something.) - default value True.
 * Arc (whether or not the weapon will "refire" from the target after a successful hit.) - default value False.
 * Proximity (The range from its current target at which the weapon will detonate and cause damage) - default value zero.
 * Penetrate (What element(s) of a ship the weapon can pass through without damaging or being blocked by them.) - default value null.
 * Salvage (What element(s) of a ship the weapon will take hitpoints from and add to the corresponding element(s) of its own ship, if not already fully repaired.) - default value null.
 * Disable (What system(s) of a ship the weapon will cause to malfunction immediately.) - default value null.
 * Discriminate (Whether or not the weapon can damage friendly objects.) - default value False.
 * Speed (How fast the projectile travels (projectile only attribute)) - default value null.
 * Turn (The speed at which the projectile turns (projectile only attribute)) - default value null.
 * Size (The diameter of the collision sphere of the projectile (projectile only attribute)) - default value null.
 * Duration (How long the weapon will remain on screen, provided it does not reach the limits of its range first) - default value 15 seconds.

Accelerator Cannon

 * Type: Beam
 * Recharge: 12 seconds
 * Range: 5 increments
 * Energy: 0.04
 * Falloff: -250 shield/-50 hull damage per range increment (no minimum).
 * Mass: 1 hT per rack / 1 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Force: Equal to Weapon Class, in gees, at point of impact.
 * Stamina: At impact only.
 * Penetrate: Shield (Armor Damage amount. If AHP is zero on target arc, armor damage causes equal amount of systems damage).
 * Penetrate: Armor, False (Shield Damage amount. Shield damage affects shields only).

Anti-Shield Accelerator Cannon

 * Type: Beam
 * Recharge: 12 seconds
 * Range: 5 increments
 * Energy: 0.04
 * Falloff: -400 damage per range increment (no minimum).
 * Mass: 1 hT per rack / 1 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Force: Equal to Weapon Class, in gees, at point of impact.
 * Stamina: At impact only.
 * Penetrate: Armor, False (Weapon affects shields only; causes no other damage).

Anti-Armor Accelerator Cannon

 * Type: Beam
 * Recharge: 12 seconds
 * Range: 5 increments
 * Energy: 0.04
 * Falloff: -300 damage per range increment (no minimum).
 * Mass: 1 hT per rack / 2 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Force: Equal to Weapon Class, in gees, at point of impact.
 * Stamina: At impact only.
 * Penetrate: Shield, False (Armor Damage amount. Will not damage shields at all).

Long-Range Accelerator Cannon

 * Type: Beam
 * Recharge: 12 seconds
 * Range: 10 increments
 * Energy: 0.04
 * Falloff: -250 shield/-50 hull damage per range increment (no minimum).
 * Mass: 2 hT per rack / 2 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Force: Equal to Weapon Class, in gees, at point of impact.
 * Stamina: At impact only.
 * Penetrate: Shield (Armor Damage amount. If AHP is zero on target arc, armor damage causes equal amount of systems damage).
 * Penetrate: Armor, False (Shield Damage amount. Shield damage affects shields only).

Laser Cannon

 * Type: Beam
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: Unlimited
 * Energy: 0.01
 * Falloff: -100 Damage per range increment (minimum 10)
 * Mass: 1 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects: None

Spread Beam Laser Cannon

 * Type: Beam
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: Unlimited
 * Energy: 0.01
 * Falloff: -150 Damage per range increment (minimum 10)
 * Mass: 1 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Spread: &plusmn;10 degrees (fires along all available vectors)

Polarized Beam Laser Cannon

 * Type: Beam
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: Unlimited
 * Energy: 0.01
 * Falloff: -50 Damage per range increment (minimum 10)
 * Mass: 2 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Spread: None

Maser (Microwave Weapon)

 * Type: Beam
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: Unlimited
 * Energy: 0.01
 * Falloff: -100 Damage per range increment (minimum 10)
 * Mass: 3 hT per rack / 3 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Spread: &plusmn;10 degrees (fires from left to right sequentially at 1 degree intervals along all available vectors)
 * Penetrate: Shields, Armor, All systems (Causes crew damage only; spreads to all available crewmembers. No 1/10 crew damage modifier applied.)

Tachyon Cannon

 * Type: Beam
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: Unlimited
 * Energy: 0.02
 * Falloff: -150 Damage per range increment (minimum 30)
 * Mass: 5 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects: None

Tachyon Blaster

 * Type: Beam
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: Unlimited
 * Energy: 0.10
 * Falloff: -150 Damage per range increment (minimum 30)
 * Mass: 15 hT per rack / 15 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Penetrate: Shields, True (Not blocked by shields at all)

Pulse Cannon

 * Type: Beam
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: Unlimited
 * Energy: 0.02
 * Falloff: -150 Damage per range increment (minimum 30)
 * Mass: 3 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Disable: Random (Causes no damage, but disables a random system for a number of seconds equal to damage rating)
 * Penetrate: Shields, False (This property may be needed to keep the weapon from causing physical damage)
 * Penetrate: Armor, False (Same here)

Mass Driver

 * Type: Projectile
 * Recharge: 12 seconds
 * Range: 15 range increments
 * Energy: 0.07
 * Falloff: -50 damage / +10 HD per range increment (minimum damage 35)
 * Mass: 3 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Speed: 1 range increment per second

Exploding Mass Driver

 * Type: Projectile / Special (Blast Weapon)
 * Recharge: 12 seconds
 * Range: 15 range increments
 * Energy: 0.10
 * Falloff: -50 damage / +10 HD per range increment (minimum damage 35)
 * Mass: 3 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Radius: 0.5 range increments (round up) per weapon Class
 * Wave: 1 range increment per second
 * Force: 1 gee per weapon Class
 * Stamina: At impact only
 * Speed: 1 range increment per round
 * Size: 2 radii

Needle Mass Driver

 * Type: Projectile
 * Recharge: 12 seconds
 * Range: 5 range increments
 * Energy: 0.01
 * Falloff: -5 damage / +10 HD per range increment (minimum damage 3)
 * Mass: 1 hT per rack / 1 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Penetrate: Shields, True (Weapon is not blocked by shields)
 * Speed: 5 range increments per second

CIWS Mass Driver

 * Type: Projectile
 * Recharge: 30 seconds
 * Range: 1 range increment
 * Energy: 0.07
 * Falloff: N/A
 * Mass: 6 hT per rack / 10 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Force: 2 gees per weapon Class
 * Stamina: 0.5 seconds per weapon Class
 * Speed: 1 range increment per second

Basic (Dumb-Fire) Missile

 * Type: Projectile
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: 15 range increments
 * Energy: 0.05
 * Falloff: +5 HD per range increment
 * Mass: 5 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Speed: 1 range increment per second

Kinetic Energy Missile

 * Type: Projectile
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: 10 range increments
 * Energy: 0.05
 * Falloff: +20 HD per range increment
 * Mass: 5 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Speed: 2 range increments per second

Seeker Missile

 * Type: Projectile
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: 15 range increments
 * Energy: 0.05
 * Falloff: +2 HD per range increment
 * Mass: 5 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Speed: 1 range increment per second
 * Turn: 15 degrees per second (could be &pi;/16 instead, depends which math is easier; tracks specific target)
 * Duration: 60 seconds (if the missile hasn't hit within a minute, it self-terminates)

Electromagnetic Pulse Missile

 * Type: Projectile
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: 15 range increments
 * Energy: 0.05
 * Falloff: +5 HD per range increment
 * Mass: 5 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Penetrate: Crew, False (Will never harm crew)
 * Disable: All (Disables all systems upon impact for a number of seconds equal to damage rating)
 * Speed: 1 range increment per second
 * Turn: 15 degrees per second (could be &pi;/16 instead, depends which math is easier; tracks specific target)

Sensor-Guided Missile

 * Type: Projectile
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: 15 range increments
 * Energy: 0.05
 * Falloff: None
 * Mass: 5 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Speed: 1 range increment per second
 * Turn: 15 degrees per second (could be &pi;/16 instead, depends which math is easier; tracks specific target)

Directed Energy Missile

 * Type: Projectile / Special
 * Recharge: 6 seconds
 * Range: 15 range increments
 * Energy: 0.05
 * Falloff: +5 HD per range increment, -5 HD to target
 * Mass: 5 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Speed: 1 range increment per second
 * Size: 3 range increments
 * Other: Fires Laser if target comes within radius (laser is damage mechanism; counts as laser damage)

Plasma Cannon

 * Type: Projectile
 * Recharge: 15 seconds
 * Range: 15 range increments
 * Energy: 0.10
 * Falloff: +5 hit difficulty per range increment
 * Mass: 5 hT per rack / 5 hT per turret
 * Effects: None
 * Speed: 2 range increments per second
 * Turn: 15 degrees per second (could be &pi;/16 instead, depends which math is easier)

Hot Plasma Cannon

 * Type: Projectile
 * Recharge: 15 seconds
 * Range: 15 range increments
 * Energy: 0.20
 * Falloff: +5 hit difficulty per range increment
 * Mass: 8 hT per rack / 10 hT per turret
 * Effects: None
 * Speed: 3 range increments per second
 * Turn: 20 degrees per second (could be &pi;/8 instead, depends which math is easier)

Ion Bolt Cannon

 * Type: Projectile
 * Recharge: 15 seconds
 * Range: 15 range increments
 * Energy: 0.15
 * Falloff: +5 hit difficulty per range increment
 * Mass: 7 hT per rack / 7 hT per turret
 * Effects:
 * Penetrate: Crew, False (Will never harm crew)
 * Disable: Random (randomly disables one system upon impact)
 * Speed: 2 range increments per second
 * Turn: 15 degrees per second (could be &pi;/16 instead, depends which math is easier)

Pods
Pods are add-on modules that are attached to the outer hull of a starship. There are two types of pods: permanent and expendable. Permanent pods are pods that remain attached to the mount; they are not designed to be removed unless removed at the Ship Configuration office at Starport. Expendable pods are pods that have a specific one-time use, which requires them to be removed from the ship while it is still in flight. Both pod types have specific mounts. Permanent pods may be attached to an expendable pod mount, but expendable pods must attach to an expendable mount. In SF2, the player's ship was more specifically limited by the number and types of expendable pods that could be mounted on their ship (no more than 4 expendable pod mounts for jump pods and two for blastopods). This limitation will no longer exist for SF3.

All pods, regardless of their specific effects, add ten hectotonnes to the ship's mass when installed. The mass of expendable pods will be deducted from the ship's total mass after they are used.

Pods have the following stats:
 * Name: This is what the pod is called.
 * Cost: This lists the cost of the pod in MU/SP.
 * Effect: This indicates what the equipment does. Any additional notes on the equipment are included here.

Miscellaneous Systems
In addition to those previously discussed, there are four "miscellaneous" systems common to all starships. These systems cannot be upgraded by the player directly, though some of their functions can be augmented through the player's actions (for example, purchasing a Flux Scan will improve the ship's scanners by allowing its crew to detect nearby flux nodes). This section will briefly go over these systems and the effect they will have on gameplay.

Sensors
A starship's sensors are used to gather information information on its surroundings and other nearby objects (such as planets and other ships). For the player, damage to the Sensor system directly counters their bonuses given to them via their Science Officer's Planetology, Technology and Typhonology sub-disciplines (as discussed below) when attempting to use the sensors. In combat, sensor damage counters the bonuses of the Tactical Officer's Targeting, Marksmanship and Ballistics sub-disciplines; this will affect the player as well as computer-controlled ships. For repair purposes, the Sensors are evaluated at 8000 MU. Add-on technologies that improve sensor function (such as a Flux Scan) are considered separate, cannot take damage, and will still function regardless of the amount of actual Sensor damage.

Communications
The ship's communications system is required to communicate with other ships in space. This includes sending hails and sending/jamming distress calls. For the player, damage to the Communications system directly counters their bonuses given to them via their Communications Officer's Translate and Distress sub-disciplines (as discussed below), making it harder to translate incoming messages, send distress signals, and jam enemy distress signals. All ships, including computer-controlled ships, will have their Distress sub-discipline negatively affected by Communications system damage. For repair purposes, the Communications system is evaluated at 8000 MU. Add-on technologies that improve communications functions (such as a Dodecahedron or Whining Orb) are considered separate, cannot take damage, and will still function regardless of the amount of actual Communications system damage.

Life Support
A starship's life support system provides all of the critically important resources (such as breathable atmosphere, potable water, heat, gravity, and so forth) that its crew needs in order to survive in the vacuum of space. Damage to the Life Support system is serious; even if a ship survives an encounter with hostile forces, the lives of its entire crew could be lost if the Life Support system is knocked out during that encounter. For the player, damage to the Life Support system has a plethora of potentially negative effects. After the first hour, all Checks made aboard ship take a -10 penalty, which remains until Life Support is restored. Additionally, each crewmen aboard takes up to five points (1d5) of damage. On subsequent hours, all crew takes xd5 points of damage, where x is the number of hours life-support has been out. After twelve hours, an additional 12d5 points of damage are inflicted per hour. If all the crew aboard the ship die (i.e. run out of hit points), the ship is considered a derelict at that point (see the discussion on Spaceflight, Combat Interface & Physics under the Encounter Module for further details). Life Support failure only affects the player; since the effects of Life Support failure occur hourly, computer-controlled ships will not have opportunity to suffer any ill effects. For repair purposes, the Life Support system is evaluated at 20,000 MU.

''As of 2/28/11, Life Support also covers the ship's Inertial Dampener field. A failure of Life Support during an encounter will cause crew damage if/when the ship thrusts (either by firing its engine or by turning), with the amount of damage done dependent upon the ship's own acceleration rate.''

Hull
The ship's hull is its body and framework, keeping all of its vital parts inside (including its crew) and keeping the harsh void of space outside. The hull is not a system per se, but it is still important in as much as without it, there really isn't a ship. Starships are ultimately destroyed by accumulating too much hull damage; for more on how this works, see the Spaceflight, Combat Interface & Physics discussion under the Encounter Engine. Hull damage has little effect on the ship's performance, but does introduce the risk of spontaneous destruction when it is present (if the hull "fails"; this is checked under certain conditions and during the hourly Check). Hull repairs take three times longer than all other system repairs to complete. For repair purposes, the Hull is evaluated at 50,000 MU.

Vehicles
Players will have several different vehicles to choose from during the course of the game. Each vehicle has different capabilities and different advantages and disadvantages in various aspects of the game (for example, the MC-shuttle can be deployed from orbit and can land on the surface of a planet, though its cargo bay is nowhere near as large as the ITVs. By the same token, it can be deployed as a defensive craft in combat, but the various types of fighters will perform better in that role). All starships will have at least one ITV included when purchased free of charge. Some starships will have the capability to hold multiple vehicles. The following discussion contains information on the vehicles that will be in the game. With the exception of the ITV, all vehicles should be considered unofficial proposals at this point (2/16/11).

Vehicle Systems and Upgrades
Vehicles have the same general set of systems as Starships. As with starships, the player will have the option to change the default equipment on their vehicles as the game progresses, which will change the overall general characteristics of their vehicles. Vehicle equipment may be available at the Fleet Configuration Office at Starport, provided a Mechanic's office is available at that port (this will be set in the Starport's XML file). The number and types of upgrades available to vehicles is substantially reduced over starships; this keeps vehicles from becoming unbalanced or overwhelmingly superior to starships. This section goes over what upgrades may be made to the specific vehicles available to the player, and what effects those modifications will have on them.

The prices associated with a vehicle upgrade may vary, depending upon how many of a particular vehicle the player currently owns. When a player purchases an upgrade, that upgrade applies for every vehicle in their possession that would be affected by that upgrade. Each vehicle that would receive the upgrade acts as a multiplier for the price. ''For example, the cost to add an Auxiliary Fuel Tank to an ITV is 750 MU. If a player already had three ITVs with their fleet, the price for the upgrade would increase to 2250. This would install the upgrade on all three ITVs in their fleet''. Note that while a particular ugprade may have the same name between two different vehicles, the player may only upgrade one of those vehicles at a time. ''For example, if the player owned an ITV and an ATV, and chose to upgrade the ITV with the Auxiliary Fuel Tank, the ATV would not receive the upgrade at that time even though it too has an Auxiliary Fuel Tank upgrade available. The upgrade for the ATV is completely separate from the ITV upgrade, and so the player would not have to worry about the ATV factoring into the ITV upgrade cost.'' Vehicle upgrades are permanent: once the player purchases one for a particular vehicle, they may not buy the upgrade again (though some upgrades have various levels, labeled as "Improved" and "Advanced") nor may they "sell" the upgrade. A player may not purchase an upgrade for a vehicle that they do not already own. Finally, once a vehicle upgrade has been purchased, the cost of a new vehicle of the upgraded type is increased by the same amount, and automatically has the upgrade installed on it. ''For example, the normal price of an ITV is 16,390. Once the player purchases the ITV Auxiliary Fuel Tank upgrade, the cost for a new ITV goes up to 17,140; the new ITV already has the Auxiliary Fuel Tank installed.''

The following chart is an overview of what upgrades are available to what vehicles. For specific details regarding an upgrade, see the discussion of that upgrade for the specific vehicle involved below.

ITV Mk-III Upgrades

 * Auxiliary Fuel Tank (cost 750): increases vehicle's endurance by 1.5 times.
 * Collapsible Sections (cost 1,250): reduces vehicle's size by one-fourth when stored (parent ship may carry more vehicles).
 * Improved/Advanced Armor (cost 150/300): increases AHP to 125/150, adds 28/36 T of mass.
 * Shield/Improved/Advanced Shield (cost 50/145/385): increases SHP to 50/100/150 (initial shield adds 5 tons of mass).
 * Improved/Advanced Beams (cost 1,058/1,765): increases laser damage to 51/66.
 * Improved/Advanced Engine (cost 4,750/9,500): increases thrust to 700/800 TG, and improves base fuel efficiency to 35/40%.
 * Cargo Expansion Module (cost 750): increases maximum cargo capacity by 25 m^3.
 * Repulsor Sled (cost 1,875): vehicle may travel over ice, mud, water, or lava without ill effect to fuel efficiency.
 * AAA Module (cost 1,125): vehicle may aim at airborne targets.
 * Scout Module (cost 250): increase's vehicle's radar range.

Anselmo ATV Upgrades

 * Auxiliary Fuel Tank (cost 340): increases vehicle's endurance by 1.5 times.
 * Collapsible Sections (cost 425): reduces vehicle's size by one-fourth when stored (parent ship may carry more vehicles).
 * Improved/Advanced Armor (cost 105/205): increases AHP to 150/175, adds 36/44 T of mass.
 * Improved/Advanced Shield (cost 50/135): increases SHP to 100/150.
 * Improved/Advanced Beams (cost 445/725): increases laser damage to 36/51.
 * Improved/Advanced Engine (cost 810/1,625): increases thrust to 600/700 TG, and improves base fuel efficiency to 30/35%.
 * Cargo Expansion Module (cost 340): increases maximum cargo capacity by 25 m^3.
 * ECM Module (cost 680): adds an effective +20 to pilot's Evasive Maneuvers skill (reduces likelihood of sustaining a hit)
 * Countermeasure Pods (cost 170): Adds 30 countermeasure pods to the vehicle; spoofs tracking missiles, reducing chances of sustaining a missile hit by 35% for five seconds.
 * Scout Module (cost 85): increase's vehicle's radar range.

MC Shuttle Upgrades

 * Auxiliary Fuel Tank (cost 150): increases vehicle's endurance by 1.5 times.
 * Collapsible Sections (cost 250): reduces vehicle's size by one-fourth when stored (parent ship may carry more vehicles).
 * Improved/Advanced Armor (cost 35/65): increases AHP to 125/150, adds 81/99 T of mass.
 * Improved/Advanced Shield (cost 30/80): increases SHP to 100/150.
 * Improved/Advanced Beams (cost 5,750/11,500): increases laser damage to 90/100.
 * Improved/Advanced Engine/Sublight Engine (cost 810/1,625/1,250): increases thrust to 600/700 TG, and improves base fuel efficiency to 30/35%. Sublight engine allows vehicle to explore independently of the player's fleet.
 * Cargo Expansion Module (cost 150): increases maximum cargo capacity by 25 m^3.
 * ECM Module (cost 300): adds an effective +20 to pilot's Evasive Maneuvers skill (reduces likelihood of sustaining a hit)
 * Mining Drill (cost 225): allows the vehicle to conduct mining operations and collect salvage.
 * Beam Weapon Turret (cost 125): adds one single-fire beam weapon turret to the vehicle (uses same weaponry as on-board beam racks).

Daystar Light Fighter Upgrades

 * Auxiliary Fuel Tank (cost 9,000): increases vehicle's endurance by 1.5 times.
 * Collapsible Sections (cost 15,000): reduces vehicle's size by one-fourth when stored (parent ship may carry more vehicles).
 * Improved/Advanced Armor (cost 900/1,800): increases AHP to 100/125, adds 45/63 T of mass.
 * Improved/Advanced Shield (cost 4,650/10,500): increases SHP to 150/200.
 * Improved/Advanced Beams (cost 8,000/13,000): increases laser damage to 36/51.
 * Improved/Advanced Engine (cost 230,000/460,000): increases thrust to 900/1000 TG, and improves base fuel efficiency to 45/50%.
 * Extra Projectile Launcher (cost 3,750): adds another forward projectile weapons rack to the vehicle (uses same weaponry as pre-existing projectile racks).
 * ECM Module (cost 18,000): adds an effective +20 to pilot's Evasive Maneuvers skill (reduces likelihood of sustaining a hit)
 * Improved/Advanced Projectiles (cost 4,100/8,600): increases missile damage to 40/70.
 * Beam Weapon Turret (cost 7,500): adds one single-fire beam weapon turret to the vehicle (uses same weaponry as on-board beam racks).

Viper Heavy Fighter Upgrades

 * Auxiliary Fuel Tank (cost 12,000): increases vehicle's endurance by 1.5 times.
 * Collapsible Sections (cost 15,000): reduces vehicle's size by one-fourth when stored (parent ship may carry more vehicles).
 * Improved/Advanced Armor (cost 3,600/7,250): increases AHP to 150/175, adds 225/275 T of mass.
 * Improved/Advanced Shield (cost 10,250/20,000): increases SHP to 200/250.
 * Improved/Advanced Beams (cost 25,500/42,500): increases laser damage to 51/66.
 * Improved/Advanced Engine (cost 230,000/460,000): increases thrust to 900/1000 TG, and improves base fuel efficiency to 45/50%.
 * Extra Projectile Launcher (cost 3,750): adds another forward projectile weapons rack to the vehicle (uses same weaponry as pre-existing projectile racks).
 * ECM Module (cost 24,000): adds an effective +20 to pilot's Evasive Maneuvers skill (reduces likelihood of sustaining a hit)
 * Improved/Advanced Projectiles (cost 10,500/21,000): increases missile damage to 70/100.
 * Beam Weapon Turret (cost 7,500): adds one single-fire beam weapon turret to the vehicle (uses same weaponry as on-board beam racks).

Avenger Heavy Bomber Upgrades

 * Auxiliary Fuel Tank (cost 15,000): increases vehicle's endurance by 1.5 times.
 * Collapsible Sections (cost 15,000): reduces vehicle's size by one-fourth when stored (parent ship may carry more vehicles).
 * Improved/Advanced Armor (cost 7,250/14,500): increases AHP to 175/200, adds 275/325 T of mass.
 * Improved/Advanced Shield (cost 36,000/72,500): increases SHP to 300/350.
 * Improved/Advanced Beams (cost 86,000/172,500): increases laser damage to 70/75.
 * Improved/Advanced Engine (cost 115,000/230,000): increases thrust to 800/900 TG, and improves base fuel efficiency to 40/45%.
 * Extra Projectile Launcher (cost 3,750): adds another forward projectile weapons rack to the vehicle (uses same weaponry as pre-existing projectile racks).
 * Improved/Advanced Plasma (cost 143,000/300,000): increases plasma damage to 320/340.
 * Improved/Advanced Projectiles (cost 21,000/35,000): increases missile damage to 100/150.
 * Beam Weapon Turret (cost 7,500): adds one single-fire beam weapon turret to the vehicle (uses same weaponry as on-board beam racks).

Crewmembers
Sentient beings aboard a starship may hold one of the following eight positions:
 * 1) Captain
 * 2) Science Officer
 * 3) Navigator
 * 4) Engineer
 * 5) Tactical Officer
 * 6) Communications Officer
 * 7) Doctor
 * 8) Redshirt (Backup Officer)

These positions may be set by the player at the Personnel office at Starport, and may not be changed in mid-flight (with the exception of what occurs when a Senior Officer - anything other than a redshirt - dies; the process of reassignment occurs automatically in that case). The assignment of the Senior Officers directly determines the ship's scores in corresponding Disciplines (as discussed shortly), which in turn determines the ship's Crew Skill Score Value (which is used to set the difficulty of opponents the player faces, as discussed in the Spaceflight, Combat Interface & Physics section under the Encounter Module discussion. It also sets the sub-discipline scores which the game will use to determine success or failure when performing in-game functions, as discussed below. Finally, it determines which crewmember's name appears at the bottom of the MVS when the ship interface is active, as mentioned in the discussion on the Starship Module and Interface.

The Senior Officers are responsible for the performance of various ship functions, as follows:
 * The Captain is responsible for determining launching the ship, picking landing coordinates, deploying vehicles, maintaining the ship's cargo manifest, logging planets for colonization, establishing colonies, and maintaining the ship's log.
 * The Science Officer's duties are limited to scanning and analyzing a myriad array of objects both aboard ship and aboard vehicles, and to download and interpret cultural data from orbital buoys.
 * The Navigator is chiefly responsible for piloting the ship and any of its vehicles, and determining the position of the craft they are currently piloting.
 * The Engineer handles all damage control and repair duties, including any of the ship's vehicles. The Engineer also handles all jump pod usage.
 * The Tactical Officer handles the activation and deactivation of the ship's defensive systems and offensive weaponry, and performs most activities in combat situations.
 * The Communications Officer is responsible for hailing other craft, issuing distress calls, and maintaining shipboard communications records.
 * The Doctor maintains the health of the crew by diagnosing their current health status and treating crewmembers as necessary.

Redshirts are meant as backup crewmembers, available should one of the Senior Officers become incapacitated (with the exception of the Captain position; should the Captain become incapacitated, the next highest non-redshirt crewmember along the chain of command will automatically assume the captaincy). If a redshirt is needed, the redshirt with the highest overall score in the required discipline will assume the role. Once a redshirt is assigned to a position, that officer's skill scores go into effect immediately for that position; that redshirt may not be reassigned to another position until the ship returns to Starport (including the captaincy; the redshirt will maintain their status as a redshirt even if they are assigned as a replacement, though if the player desires that character may be reassigned as the permanent Senior Officer for the position upon the ship's return to Starport).

Disciplines and Skills Overview
All characters in SF3 have seven basic Discipline scores. These scores reflect the character’s abilities to perform on a starship and their aptitudes in certain related fields. A character’s strength in a particular discipline at the onset of the game is directly determined by their species. Each Discipline has five sub-disciplines. The scores of the sub-disciplines are summed together to directly determine the score of their controlling discipline. The six Disciplines are Command (CMD), Science (SCI), Navigation (NAV), Engineering (ENG), Communications (COM), Medicine (MED) and Tactical (TAC):
 * Command is a measure of the character’s ability to negotiate and to lead others. It is a field required by those put into leadership positions, and is a useful Discipline for a starship captain or a civil leadership role. This Discipline is primarily needed by the ship's Captain. In game, this Discipline is used to improve the performance of other crewmembers.
 * Science: Science is a measure of the character’s understanding of gathering and applying systematic knowledge. This Discipline is primarily needed by the ship's Science Officer. In game, this Discipline is used to scan and analyze objects.
 * Navigation: Navigation is a measure of the character’s ability to pilot craft and get people from one place to another without getting lost. This Discipline is primarily needed by the ship's Navigator. In game, this Discipline is used to maneuver without getting lost and to mitigate the frequency at which the ship has encounters.
 * Engineering: Engineering is a measure of the character’s ability to acquire and apply scientific and technical knowledge to the design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. This Discipline is primarily needed by the ship's Engineer. In game, this Discipline is used to improve the rate at which the ship can be repaired after being damaged and to reduce the chances of system malfunctions.
 * Communications: Communications is a measure of the character’s ability to exchange information with other characters, their ability to utilize proper equipment during that exchange, and to understand information exchange applications. This Discipline is primarily needed by the ship's Communications Officer. In game, this Discipline is used to improve the chances of proper translation of alien messages and to improve the chances of trades ending in favor of the player.
 * Medicine: Medicine is a measure of the character’s understanding of the science and "art" of maintaining and/or restoring health through study, diagnosis, and treatment. This Discipline is primarily needed by the ship's Doctor. In game, this Discipline is used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of characters after injury occurs.
 * Tactical: Tactical is a measure of the character’s understanding of military tactics and how they apply to combat situations, particularly those situations that occur in the vacuum of space. This Discipline is primarily needed by the ship's Tactical Officer. In game, this Discipline is used to improve the ship's performance and chances of survival in combat situations.

The following is a discussion of sub-disciplines and how they affect game play. For the sake of clarity, an initial list of sub-disciplines under a Discipline will be provided, followed by discussion of specific sub-disciplines.

Command
The Command sub-disciplines are as follows:
 * Inspire (Decreases likelihood of crewmembers becoming Shaken )
 * Master (Increases the abilities of the crew.)
 * Coordination (Increases the amount of spacial command points that allows for the purchasing and tactical use of more escort ships and vehicles.)
 * Guidance (Increases the rate at which the all crew members gain experience/training.)
 * Security (Provides a minor increase in survivability in any situation where damage/injury may occur during planetary exploration)

Inspire
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Discipline: Inspire

This sub-discipline reflects the ability of the a ship’s Captain to inspire faith and confidence in their crew. Inspire Checks can be used to prevent crewmen from becoming Shaken in combat. In situations where a Check must be made to see if a crewman becomes Shaken, an Inspire Check is made, with one-tenth (rounded down) of the final result added as a bonus to the crewman's self-control Check.

Master
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Disciplines: Leadership, Battle Tactics, Survival

This sub-discipline reflects the Captain’s ability to lead others in various situations. The Captain's Master sub-discipline score acts as a bonus for all situations wherein any of crewmember's sub-disciplines need to be Checked. For every ten points in the Captain's Master sub-discipline, a +1 bonus is applied to all Checks, regardless of the crewmember that must make that Check.

Coordination
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Discipline: Coordination

This sub-discipline reflects the Captain's ability to utilize the full resources of every member of the team available to them. This allows them to manage larger combat groups, both in space and on planetary surfaces. A starship may have up to two escort ships at any time, each with one vehicle. For every ten points in the Captain's Coordination sub-discipline, another vehicle may accompany the group (provided the ships in the group have sufficient available hangar space). For every twenty-five points in the Captain’s Coordination sub-discipline, another escort may be added to the group.

Guidance
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Discipline: Experience

This sub-discipline reflects the amount of experience the Captain has with given situations and how much of that knowledge and experience can be imparted to their crew. For every 25 points in the Captain’s Guidance sub-discipline, the effective Learning Rate of all members of the crew increases by one point. Every ten points in the Captain’s Guidance sub-discipline also reduces the required success margin for "real-world training" by one point for all crewmembers.

Security
This sub-discipline reflects the Captain’s general knowledge of security protocols and their ability to apply that knowledge. A Captain highly skilled in Security can more readily identify threats to their crew in the immediate area and take positive action to mitigate those threats. For every ten points in the Captain’s Security sub-discipline, their ship/vehicle receives a +1 bonus to all ground combat attack and defense rolls/Checks.

Science
The Science sub-disciplines are as follows:
 * Planetology (Ability to analyze planetary and stellar conditions.)
 * Technology (Ability to analyze technology of ships and vehicles.)
 * Archaeology (Ability to decode messages locate and analyze curios/devices.)
 * Geology (Ability to locate and analyze above and below ground mineral deposits.)
 * Typhonology (Ability to predict and analyze hazardous local solar, ionic, meteorlogical, seismic and volcanic activity.)

Planetology
SFRPG Equivalents: Planetology, Astronomy

This sub-discipline reflects the Science Officer's working knowledge of the mechanics of space-borne objects (particularly planets). Planetology Checks are required to gather basic information on a planet or star (such as its atmospheric components, bio-diversity, mass, global weather, and so forth). The DC on any planetary/stellar scan and analysis defaults to 150, which can be adjusted upwards if there is something of particular note about the planet (such as an alien homeworld, or a control nexus). The amount of information gathered about a planet is directly dependent upon the level of success of the Check, and some information can be gathered even if the Check fails (information on the planet's mass, biodensity and mineralogical density is garnered automatically).

Technology
SFRPG Equivalent: Starship Technology and Vehicle Technology

This sub-discipline reflects a science officer’s knowledge of the use of technologies commonly found on various types of craft, as well as the ability to identify and provide detailed information on any such craft the crew may run into during their journeys. Technology is needed to scan and analyze vehicles and starships properly. The DC on any Technology Check defaults to 150, which can be adjusted upwards if there is something of particular note about the target craft (such as if it can operate in two or more terrain modes, or if it's rigged to explode). The amount of information gathered about a craft is directly dependent upon the level of success of the Check, and some information can be gathered even if the Check fails (information on the craft's mass, energy levels and occupancy is garnered automatically).

The following chart outlines the specific effects on the information the player does receive in the event of a failure of a Planetology or Technology sub-discipline Check, based on the actual result.

Archaeology
SFRPG Equivalents: Archaeology

This sub-discipline reflects a scientist’s knowledge of topics in archaeology, specifically identification of ruins and artifacts of various origins. The Arachaeology sub-disipline is largely used on planetary surfaces in circumstances wherein the game has generated ruins at random (if "dungeons" are included in the game, this skill will determine how complex they are). The higher the Science Officer's Archaeology score, the more frequently random Recent Ruins are encountered, and the more valuable the curio artifacts associated with them. Rarer/useful artifacts may be found by characters with particularly high Archaeology scores. (d% + skill generation ranges: 65-95 for curios, 95-135 for valuable curios, 135-165 for rare/useful curios)

Geology
SFRPG Equivalents: Geology

This sub-discipline reflects the Science Officer’s knowledge of topics in geological disciplines, with particular emphasis on being able to distinguish between different types of fundamental elements and ores and knowledge of the conditions under which a particular type of ore is likely to form. The Geology sub-discipline is largely used on planetary surfaces in order to locate suitable mineral deposits for planetary mining. When auto-generating mineralogical deposits in an area, the size of those deposits are increased in size (in cubic meters) by one-tenth the number of points in the Science Officer’s Geology sub-discipline (e.g. the characters will find an added 5.3 cubic meters of Gold in a find if their Science Officer has a Geology score of 53). The Geology sub-discipline is also directly used by the in game routine to determine the probability of generating a mineral deposit in the first place.

Typhonology
SFRPG Equivalents: Meteorology - will use Typhonology here, as that term is more general.

This sub-discipline reflects the Science Officer’s knowledge of theoretical and practical uses of atmospheric science, solar weather phenomena, and seismology, with particular emphasis on the prediction of hazardous phenomena. The Typhonology sub-discipline is used to predict severe planetary weather, imminent solar flares, novae, ion storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the like. Every ten points in the Science Officer’s Typhonology sub-discipline gives the player another hour’s lead time on hazardous phenomena. Additionally, the Science Officer’s Typhonology score is subtracted from the amount of damage caused by such phenomena, should the player be unable to seek adequate shelter in time.

Navigation
The Navigation sub-disciplines are as follows:
 * Astrogation (Ability to track the ship's location during ion storms or after crossing a flux.)
 * Astropiloting (Increases the ship's engine performance.)
 * Terregation (Ability to track the vehicle's location during a planetary storm or after passing through a cave.)
 * Terrepiloting (Increases the vehicle's engine performance.)
 * Stealth (Determines frequency of encounters.)

Astrogation
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Discipline: Astrogation

This sub-discipline reflects the Navigator’s ability to look at star charts and gather interstellar data to determine the ship’s location in space and to plot a course between stars. Astrogation Checks are needed anytime after a ship passes through a flux or ion storm in order to determine the ship's position. Determining the ship's position always has a DC of 125 and the Navigator can only make this Check once per hour. Should the Check fail, the game will scramble the ship's coordinates as they are displayed to the player (a set of incorrect coordinates are displayed which change at random anytime the ship moves) and a new Check will be made after a game hour has passed, with the Check's DC decreasing by 10. Checks are required until the Navigator is successful, at which point the proper coordinates will be displayed.

Astropiloting
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Discipline: Starship Piloting

This sub-discipline reflects the Navigator’s ability to control the handling of their ship regardless of the ship’s condition. Astropiloting has two in-game effects. First, each point in the sub-discipline increases the acceleration of the ship in combat by 0.1 gees. Secondly, for every 20 points in the sub-discipline, the ship's fuel efficiency goes up by one level (to the maximum of 100%).

Terregation
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Discipline: Orientation

This sub-discipline reflects the Navigator’s ability to use a map and compass (or other navigational aid) in order to determine their exact position on the surface of a planet. Terregation Checks are necessary if planetary weather becomes particularly severe (severe enough to cause damage) or if the ITV passes through "confusing" terrain (such as a cavern or cave). The DC for such a Check is always 125 and the Navigator can only make this Check once per hour. Should the Check fail, the game will scramble the ITV's coordinates as they are displayed to the player (a set of incorrect coordinates are displayed which change at random anytime the vehicle moves) and a new Check will be made after a game hour has passed, with the Check's DC decreasing by 10. Checks are required until the Navigator is successful, at which point the proper coordinates will be displayed.

Terrepiloting
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Discipline: Vehicle Piloting

This sub-discipline reflects the Navigator’s familiarity with vehicles in general, as well as their skill in piloting said vehicles. For every 20 points in the Navigator's Terrepiloting sub-discipline, the fuel efficiency of their current vehicle goes up by one level (to the maximum of 100%).

Stealth
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Discipline: Stealth

This sub-discipline reflects the Navigator’s ability to use piloting techniques in such a manner as to make their craft harder to detect by conventional scanning means. Stealth Checks are performed hourly (game-time) to determine whether or not the Navigator's ship will have an encounter in space, either while inside a star system or in hyperspace. For full details, see the discussion on the Hyperspace Module. Stealth Checks are used in a similar manner to determine if the Navigator's vehicle will have an encounter while visiting an inhabited planet.

Engineering
The Engineering sub-disciplines are as follows:
 * Damage Control (Increases the speed at which a malfunctioning system is made functional again.)
 * Internal Systems (Increases the speed and efficiency of repairs to internal systems and hull.)
 * Defenses (Increases the regeneration rates of defenses.)
 * Mechanics (Increases the regeneration rate of the terrain vehicle.)
 * Quantum Mechanics (Increases the effectiveness of equipment jump pods. At the moment, this is the only proposed pod that would make sense for the Engineer's scores to affect. Originally called "Equipment")

Damage Control
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Disciplines: Damage Control, Jury-Rig

This sub-discipline reflects the Engineer’s ability to direct damage control parties, as well as their ability to quickly repair any critical components to a system no matter how badly damaged the system is. Damage Control Checks are required whenever any attempt is made by any crewmember to use a damaged system. The DC for Damage Control Checks start out with a difficulty of 100; add the amount of damage to the system in question to the DC. If a Damage Control Check fails, the system malfunctions and is rendered inoperative. A Damage Control Check can also be made as a counter to any systems damage taken. Finally, Damage Control Checks can be made to restore functionality to a system that has malfunctioned. These Checks are made hourly and start with a DC of 100 plus the amount of damage that has been inflicted on the malfunctioning system. If the Check succeeds, the system regains functionality. Destroyed systems cannot be restored in this manner.

Internal Systems
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Disciplines: Metallurgy, Electromagnetism, Nuclear Physics, Synthesize

This sub-discipline reflects the Engineer’s knowledge of theoretical and practical uses of a diverse array of topics, including common metallic elements, EM and quasi-EM fields and EM radiation, and nuclear and quantum physics. In particular, it reflects their knowledge of such topics in regards to how they contribute to the smooth operation of their ship. This knowledge can be used to aid in the repair of the ship's hull and the vast majority of its internal systems. Internal Systems directly affects the repair of the ship's Hull, Sensors, Communications System, and Engines. For every ten points in the Engineer's Internal Systems sub-discipline, an additional 1% of damage is repaired during hourly repairs to the damaged systems. Also, the higher the Engineer's Internal Systems score, the less likely it will be that they'll need repair minerals at some point during repairs. Finally, in the event that the game does require the use of repair minerals, every ten points in the Engineer's Internal Systems sub-discipline reduces the amount of the material required by one cubic meter.

Defenses
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Disciplines: Weaponry, Applied Relativity

This sub-discipline reflects the Engineer’s knowledge of common types of armament systems and practical uses of general and special relativity, particularly launching mechanisms of projectile weaponry and emission methodology of beam weaponry, as well as production and maintenance of the gravitational fields that comprise the ship’s shield systems. This knowledge can be applied to aid in the repair of the ship’s defensive systems. A Defenses Check is required whenever one of these systems (Shields or Weaponry of any type, but NOT Armor) needs to be repaired. For every ten points in the Engineer's Defenses sub-discipline, an additional 1% of damage is repaired during repairs to the defensive systems. Defenses also acts as a bonus to shield regeneration. Finally, the higher the Engineer's Defenses score, the less likely it will be that they'll need repair minerals at some point during repairs of the defensive systems.

Mechanics
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Disciplines: Mechanics

This sub-discipline reflects the Engineer’s knowledge of practical uses of common machinery as well as maintenance of such systems. This knowledge can be applied to aid in the repair of any small craft the Engineer’s starship may be carrying, including terrain vehicles, shuttles, and fightercraft. A Mechanics Check is required whenever any system on one of these small craft needs to be repaired; this behaves exactly like an Internal Systems Check otherwise. For every ten points in the Engineer's Mechanics sub-discipline, an additional 1% of damage is repaired during repairs to the target vehicle. Also, the higher the Engineer's Mechanics score, the less likely it will be that they'll need repair minerals at some point during the vehicle's repair.

Quantum Mechanics
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Disciplines: Quantum Mechanics

This sub-discipline reflects the Engineer’s practical knowledge of quantum mechanics, particularly in regards to wormholes and how they are affected by phenomena in the interstellar medium. This sub-discipline improves the Engineer’s ability to utilize jump pods to get a ship to a destination via temporary flux. A Quantum Mechanics Check is required any time a jump pod is used. The DC of the Quantum Mechanics Check is dependent upon the selected destination; for full details, see the discussion on the Jump Pod menu option on the Starship Module and Interface page.

Communications
The Communications sub-disciplines are as follows:
 * Translate (Ability to translate alien languages.)
 * Rapport (Increases the rate at which positive reputation is gained.)
 * Intimidate (Increases the perceived power of the player during communication.)
 * Negotiate (Increases the patience and flexibility of a trader during bargaining.)
 * Distress (Increases the success rate and level of results of a distress call.)

Translate
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Disciplines: Alpha-Sector Languages, Delta-Sector Languages, Xenolinguistics

This sub-discipline reflects the Communication's Officer's familiarity with the structure and form of various languages and their ability to apply that knowledge into translating the language of any encountered race. A Translate Check is required at the onset of communications. The DC of the Check is 150, decreasing by one each time communications with the same species is involved. Interference (such as a nebula, shields raised, jamming artifact, etc.) may increase the DC (the amount of increase should be determined on a case-by-case basis). Failure of the Check means that some of the message will be garbled or otherwise un-translatable, whereas a successful Check allows the characters to talk freely with the crew of the alien ship. For more details, see the discussion on the Communication Mechanics, Interface and Engine.

Rapport
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Discipline: Diplomacy

This skill reflects how diplomatic the Communications Officer is and how skillful they are at employing diplomacy in certain situations. Diplomacy is used to increase the rate at which the player's reputation is improved and to mitigate the rate at which their reputation is decreased during communications with alien races. For more details, see the discussion on the Communication Mechanics, Interface and Engine.

Intimidate
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Disciplines: Bluff, Intimidation, Gather Information

This sub-discipline reflects the Communications Officer's ability to instill fear in others through the sheer force of their personality, to tell a convincing falsehood, and to gather information by various means. The Communications Officer's Intimidate sub-discipline is added to their fleet's composite strength index during encounters, which can help determine if an alien fleet will be hostile or more neutral depending upon the situation. Intimidate is also used by the communications engine to help determine the frequency of "I don't know" responses from an alien during communications; the higher the Communications Officer's Intimidate score, the less frequently aliens will be unknowing/unwilling to talk.

Negotiate
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Discipline: Negotiation

This sub-discipline reflects the Communications Officer’s familiarity with the mechanics and techniques of negotiation and their ability to utilize them in a real world setting, with particular emphasis on negotiating in trading situations. Negotiate Checks are used in trading situations in order to move the offered price of an item more in the player’s favor. The DC on any single Negotiate Check depends on a number of factors, including the disposition and temper of any other parties engaged in the trade, how fair the price offered by the player is to the other party, and the current relations with that race in general. For more on the specifics of how the Negotiate sub-discipline is used in trading, see the discussion on the Trading and Commerce Module.

Distress
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Disciplines: Jam, Distress

This sub-discipline reflects the Communications Officer's familiarity with the use of emergency communications equipment for the purpose of sending out general distress signals to other (hopefully friendly) ships in the area, as well as their familiarity with electronic countermeasure and counter-countermeasure (ECM/ECCM) equipment and the ability to use that equipment to interfere with enemy communications. Distress Checks are required whenever a group in an encounter wants to attempt to issue a distress signal; this can either be the player's fleet or an alien fleet. The DC of the Check starts at 50 and increases by one per hyperspace coordinate unit distance to the closest friendly port (either the local Sector Starport for the player or homeworld/colony for alien fleets). The DC also increases by one for every hundred points in the opposing fleet's CSI during an encounter. Finally, the DC increases by the amount of the highest Distress sub-discipline present in an opposing fleet during an encounter. Failure of a Distress Check means that the distress signal is jammed and help is not forthcoming. A successful Check will either result in the player's fleet being towed back to base with the crew in stasis (a process that will cost the player a stiff fine, increasing in size per ship in their fleet), or the arrival of a number of friendly forces during an encounter. The composition of friendly forces should be directly proportional to the degree of success of the Check. Once successfully issued, friendly forces will arrive one minute later; every ten points in the Communications Officer’s Distress sub-discipline knocks five seconds off that time.

Medicine
The Medicine sub-disciplines are as follows:
 * Intensive Care (Increases the speed at which an unconscious crewmember is made conscious again.)
 * Treatment (Increases the regeneration rate of the crewmember who is being treated.)
 * Xenobiology (Increases the regeneration rate of all crewmembers slightly.)
 * Biofortification (Increases the hitpoints of the crewmembers.)
 * Specialized Medicine (Increases chances of the recovery of a crewmember from special effects.)

Intensive Care
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Discipline: Intensive Care

This sub-discipline reflects the Doctor’s knowledge and ability to administer emergency first aid to a critically injured being, including working knowledge of stasis units. Should a crewmember be knocked unconscious at any time, the Doctor may make an hourly Intensive Care Check to bring them back to consciousness. The DC of the Check is 50 plus however many points of HP the patient is below full HP. The patient will gain or lose one-tenth the amount of success/failure of the Check in HP, rounding up. Intensive Care Checks may also be made as a last resort attempt to prevent a crewmember's death. The DC of the Check in this instance is 150. If the Check fails, that character's death is immediate. If the Check succeeds, however, they are placed in stasis, and can be healed as normal with hourly Treatment Checks.

Treatment
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Discipline: Long Term Care

This sub-discipline reflects the Doctor’s ability to handle the long-term medical needs of the beings under their care. Treatment Checks are made to actively treat patients. The DC of a Treatment Check is 50 plus a number equal to the amount of HP the patient is below their maximum HP level (or 100 plus this amount in a terrain vehicle), and is made hourly. If the Check fails, the patient restores no HP. This Check has critical potential: in the event of a critical failure, the patient loses one-tenth the amount of the failure in HP. A successful Check restores a number of HP equal to the degree of success, up to the crewmember’s maximum HP level. Each ten points added to the Doctor's Treatment sub-discipline adds a +1 HP bonus to the natural healing rate of any wounded crewmember that is not actively being treated.

Xenobiology
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Disciplines: Xenobiology, Primatology, Entomology, Herpetology, Herbology

This sub-discipline reflects the Doctor’s familiarity and flexibility in determining and working with the anatomy and structure of various life-forms. This knowledge can be used to speed the healing of crewmembers. For every five points in the Doctor's Xenobiology sub-discipline, another point of an injured crewmember's HP may be healed above the normal amount indicated by the hourly Treatment Check.

Specialized Medicine
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Disciplines: Toxicology, Pathology, Psychology

This sub-discipline reflects the Doctor's familiarity with various types of toxins, pathogens, and mental disorders, as well as their ability to detect and treat these afflictions in various species. A Specialized Medicine Check may be made hourly to counter any "special effects" that may come about as the result of an injury (conditions such as being Shaken, Poisoned , Diseased , and so forth). The DC of the Check involved is dependent upon the effect (generally, though, it'll be in-between 100-200; to be set later); if successful, the effect is immediately nullified and any restrictions on healing as a result of the effect are lifted.

Biofortification
SFRPG Equivalent Sub-Disciplines: None

This sub-discipline reflects the Doctor's ability and skill when giving the crewmembers under their care routine screenings and inoculations. This knowledge can be used to improve their overall health and ability to absorb damage. For every five points in the Doctor's Biofortification sub-discipline, all members of the crew gain an additional 1 HP to their maximum amount. (This will probably necessitate keeping a separate bio-fort stat in the character object, to distinguish between their permanent HP and the amount imparted to the group due to the Doctor's presence. Otherwise, we'll need to be careful about adding/subtracting HP amounts when/if a ship's Doctor is killed/replaced.)

Tactical
The Tactical sub-disciplines are as follows:
 * Targeting (Increases the amount of damage done by all forms of weaponry.)
 * Marksmanship (Increases the accuracy of beam weaponry.)
 * Ballistics (Increases the accuracy of projectile weaponry.)
 * Combat Maneuvers (Increases the chances of successfully hitting the ship's target.)
 * Evasive Maneuvers (Increases the chances of successfully evading incoming fire.)

Targeting
SFRPG Equivalent: Targeting

This sub-discipline reflects the Tactical Officer’s ability to pinpoint certain areas on the surface of the target’s hull that are more sensitive or otherwise vulnerable to weapons fire and to inflict damage specifically to that area. This allows a weapon to cause damage above what would normally be indicated for a weapon of its type and Class. The Tactical Officer’s Targeting sub-discipline acts as a bonus in combat, causing an additional amount of damage to an target equal to the Tactical Officer's Targeting score.

Marksmanship
SFRPG Equivalent: Marksmanship

This sub-discipline reflects the Tactical Officer’s familiarity with beam-style weaponry (such as Lasers) and their skill with such weaponry in combat situations. The Tactical Officer's Marksmanship score is added to the result of the Attack Check made whenever beam weapons are to be utilized in combat.

Ballistics
SFRPG Equivalent: Ballistics

This sub-discipline reflects the Tactical Officer’s familiarity with projectile weaponry (such as Missiles and Plasma Bolts) and their skill with such weaponry in combat situations. The Tactical Officer's Ballistics score is added to the result of the Attack Check made whenever projectile weapons are to be utilized in combat.

Combat Maneuvers
SFRPG Equivalent: Combat Maneuvers

This sub-discipline reflects the Tactical Officer’s familiarity with offensive combat piloting tactics and maneuvers, allowing them to maneuver into an advantage tactical situation for finding a firing solution on an opponent. The Tactical Officer’s Combat Maneuvers sub-discipline is subtracted from the target's Hit Difficulty in combat, and can dramatically improve the ship’s chance of hitting its target.

Evasive Maneuvers
SFRPG Equivalent: Evasive Maneuvers

This sub-discipline reflects the Tactical Officer’s familiarity with defensive combat piloting tactics and maneuvers, allowing them to maneuver away from neutral and disadvantage tactical situations and hampering an enemy’s ability to find a firing solution on their craft. The Tactical Officer’s Evasive Maneuvers sub-discipline is added to the Hit Difficulty of their craft in combat, and can dramatically reduce the ship’s chance of taking damage.

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