Ship Operations

To talk with other people, ships transmit and receive signals through the communications systems. These powerful antennae can send private tight-beam transmissions, or broadcast a message for anyone listening. The sender can also send a request to hail, which allows the recipient to begin a two-way transmission for an ongoing conversation. Since transmissions can be intercepted by lurking parties, it is advisable that you encrypt your transmissions for added security. Reliable communication can also be disrupted by jamming signals, that broadcast powerful and discordant gibberish. Consult with your communications officer for the details, but make sure that you observe proper communications protocol. When transmitting, announce your name and ship, declare who you wish to speak to, and what ship they are on, and be clear and concise when dictating your message. And be patient, it takes time for transmissions to reach their recipient, and time for them to send one back.

Related Topics:

• Sector Network Map for a comprehensive map of relays

• Network and Data for more on communications technologies

• Spacecraft Subsystems for more on transmitters and receivers

• Politics for local laws, procedures, and customs

• News for current events and persons of interest

• Spacecraft Upgrades for ways to improve you communication systems

Your ship's computer handles most of the craft's automated features, everything from energy distribution to calculating the position of distant stars. However, its frequent connection to the ExodiaNet makes it vulnerable to intrusion by people either wishing to gain information from you, or attempting to alter your ship's behavior. To keep this from happening, make sure your computer has the latest software, and employ a talented net worker to actively combat these attacks, or even take the fight to their turf.

Related Topics:

• Spacecraft Subsystems for more on a ship's computer

• Network and Data for more on related technologies

• Spacecraft Upgrades for ways to improve a ship's computer

All engines require fuel. The most common type is called "engine fuel", and is available at nearly every shipyard, orbital station, or tanker. Every time you burn your engines, you use up fuel, so be sure to plan your trips accordingly to make sure you don't run out before arriving somewhere that you can replenish. Keep an eye out for leaks as well. And if you value your life, keep your fuel away from open flame or electrical discharges. Note that using a Zipp Drive requires the use of a Glimmer Rod, which is a separate type of fuel.

Related Topics:

• Propulsion Systems for more on how fuel is consumed for travel

• Spaceflight & Fuel for rates of fuel consumption during various maneuvers

• Spacecraft Upgrades for improving your fuel and propulsion systems

For a crew's comfort and health, most spacecraft utilize hoglium artificial gravity generators which distribute a 1G downward force throughout a ship. It also provides a cushioning effect against sudden acceleration. When it's working, you might forget you are in space at all, but when it's not, you could find yourself flung against the walls of a cabin, pelted with loose objects, or simply floating out of reach of anything you could cling to. Best to keep your magnetic boots ready in case these systems fail, and practice your zero gravity athletics.

Related Topics:

• Spacecraft Subsystems for more on artificial gravity generators

• Weapons and Equipment for technologies that can help you in zero gravity

• Spacecraft Upgrades for ways to improve your artificial gravity

The doors and barriers that divide a ship up and keep it pressurized against the exterior vacuum of space are one of the most important aspects of a spacecraft. Hatches will allow you to move from one area or another and can be closed and locked. Bulkheads can shut automatically when hazards are detected, effectively isolating areas from further damage. And airlocks can allow you to dock with other spacecraft and move back and forth, and also safely transition from the vacuum of space to the cozy atmosphere of your ship. Bays and hangars provide large compartments where smaller craft can be stored without exposure to space.

Related Topics:

• Access Systems for different types of ingress to a spacecraft

• Spacecraft Upgrades to improve you access systems

As a ship operates, it absorbs some energy in the form of heat. This can be dangerous for two reasons. The first is that the more heat a spacecraft absorbs, the more likely it will harm its more delicate systems and its crew. The second is that against the pure cold background of space, the heat of a spacecraft is a beacon to the scanners of other spacecraft. Limiting use of unnecessary systems can help reduce the rate at which heat is generated, and having crew run cooling systems can help radiate that heat out into space. More advanced systems can even retain that heat to prevent it from being detected.

Related Topics:

• Spacecraft Subsystems for more on heat management systems

• Spacecraft Upgrades for ways to improve your heat management

• Ship Combat Gameplay for actions that generate significant heat

Space flight is 90% waiting and 10% burn. However, no ship will trust that 10% to a flight computer. And when it comes time for ship-to-ship combat, a daring pilot is unmatched. While the helms can easily be programmed and customized to handle nearly every system on the spaceship, it is important to delegate much of this responsibility appropriately among an organized crew and keep your pilot focused. Captains should also keep a close eye on their pilots, as the pressure of the job tends to both accumulate insidious stress and cultivate a bloated ego, both of which can be devastating at the helm.

Related Topics:

• Spaceflight & Fuel for maneuvers and the rate at which fuel is consumed

• Spacecraft for more on spacecraft that you might pilot

• Vehicles for surface vehicles that you might pilot

• Propulsion Systems for the technology that drives a spacecraft

• Spacecraft Upgrades for ways to improve your helm and propulsion systems

• Ship Combat Gameplay for tactics during spacecraft conflict

• Access Systems for more on docking and landing

Your life support fills a spacecraft with breathable atmosphere. It also regulates temperature and humidity, and can filter out bacteria or toxins. Be sure that this is running anytime you occupy your spacecraft, otherwise you will have to have a sealed space suit. Also, don't forget that the complex network of conduits that circulate the atmosphere can easily become a highway for harmful invading organisms, so clean them regularly.

Related topics:

• Spacecraft Subsystems for more on how life support works

• Xenobiology for more on microbiology

• Spacecraft Upgrades for ways to improve your life support system

Your spacecraft is a complex bit of machinery, to put it simply. Anything and everything can break down. Having an engineer regularly inspect and conduct preventative maintenance can help reduce the chances of this happening, but it is also a good idea to have a stock of replacement components on hand in case you need to plug breaches, replace broken systems, or reconnect an isolated device.

Related Topics:

• Spacecraft Systems for components that are likely to break down

• Spacecraft Upgrades for ways to improve components

• Commodities for materials and components that will help you make repairs

• Miscellaneous Technologies for ways to technologies that help you manufacture and repair components

• Ship Combat Gameplay for ways that broken systems will affect your ship and crew

Travelling inside of a star system or between stars takes a great deal of expertise and application of science including orbital physics and gnomian physics. In addition to knowing how to get from one place to another, navigation also requires an extensive knowledge of the location of stars and planets in relation to each other. Even beyond that, space may present a variety of challenges, obstacles, and hazards that a good navigator can recognize and avoid. While computers have made navigation far more accurate and reliable, they are greatly assisted by the knowledge and sensibility of a dedicated astronomer who can help to accelerate its ability to chart space around it.

Related Topics:

• Starmap for places you can go

• Space Hazards for hazards and obstacles you can encounter

• Politics for governments whose territory you may cross

• Sector Political Map for political boundaries

• Spaceflight & Fuel for maneuvers and the rate at which fuel is consumed

Complex instruments determine valuable data about the environment inside and outside of a spacecraft. They can also tell us detailed facts about objects which we encounter. These instruments can operate passively to keep us informed of general information and clear of hazards, or they can be used actively to give us more information about specific things we are interested in. They can even be used for a focused and thorough examination should a spacecraft have the time to complete it. While most of this information can be trusted as accurate, having someone to interpret the data can reveal even more, and increase the accuracy of the results.

Related Topics:

• Starmap for various known objects

• Spacecraft for more on ships you might meet

• Space Hazards for potential dangers and obstacles you might encounter

• Spacecraft Upgrades for ways to improve your sensors

The energy forcefields generated around most spacecraft are almost always operating to keep radiation and debris from harming the ship and its crew. Their constant drain on a ship's energy spikes when forced to deflect larger objects or weapon fire, and even then may not be completely effective. Knowing how to fine-tune a shield to protect from more specific threats can likely be the difference between life and death.

Related Topics:

• Spacecraft Subsystems for more on shield technology

• Spacecraft Upgrades for ways to improve your shields

The space frame, also called a chassis is a skeletal structure made of strong and flexible tecton beams around which a spacecraft is built. This structure is designed to absorb and distribute intense forces that spacecraft experience while maintaining its shape. It also serves as a scaffolding to which other systems and features such as a power grid, engines, pressurized cabins, and armored hull plating can be easily mounted. A frame is the first and most important part of constructing a spacecraft, and should it bend, buckle, or fracture, it most likely results in the complete and irreversible destruction of the craft. Interior pressure is likely to explode the habitable portions, damaged systems are likely to ignite flammable components, and any significant acceleration could tear even the most massive structures apart.

Related Topics:

• Spacecraft for various ship chassis classifications

• Spacecraft Subsystems for more technology built on a frame

• Spacecraft Upgrades for ways to reinforce a frame

• Propulsion Systems for ways to accelerate a frame

• Frame for the materials needed to construct or repair one

Turning a ship on isn't as simple as it sounds. Fuel must burn in its engines to generate power. That power must be stored in batteries. Those batteries must distribute power according to the computer's program. And each of those powered systems must have sufficient power to function. Starting a ship from its off state is called a Cold Boot and can take longer than you'd like, whereas starting a ship from battery reserves is called Standby and is much quicker.

Related Topics:

• Ship Startup Sequence for more on managing a ship's startup and power status

• Spacecraft Subsystems for more on computer core and power management

• Propulsion Systems for more on how power is generated

• Spacecraft Upgrades for ways to improve your power systems

All ships with a Zipp Drive have a hardwired transponder device. This contains the ship's registration number, name, class, and ownership. When a transponder is active, if it receives an active scan, it will respond with its information. This helps keep nearby spacecraft aware of who each other are. Depending on where you are, you may not be required to keep your transponder active, however it is illegal everywhere to alter the information inside it, let alone remove it entirely. Doing so may destroy your Zipp Drive. If you wish to register a spacecraft, please contact the SCO Department of Starship Registration with all relevant documents and fees.

Related Topics:

• Network and Data Technologies for more on transponders

• Spacecraft for types of spacecraft and a list of registered craft

There's a good chance that if you have a spaceship, then you will meet another spacecraft that wants to blow you up for political, personal, or criminal reasons. Having weapons to defend yourself is a must. Most spacecraft have weapons mounted in swiveling turrets that are capable of firing in any direction. There are a variety of weapons available. Plasma cannons are common projectiles that do decent damage at medium range. Energy beams deal a great deal of damage up close, and can shoot down projectiles and fighter craft. And coilguns are long range projectiles that can accurately disable subsystems. Torpedoes and missiles can seek their targets independently. Mines can be left behind to detonate when an unsuspecting craft gets too close. And Magnetic Grapnels can tether you to a target to prevent them from escaping. Knowing the strengths of these weapons and how to defend against them is useful no matter how often you get into a fight.

Related Topics:

• Weapons and Utility Systems for more on weapon and combat technologies

• Spacecraft Upgrades for more on ways to improve you weapon and combat technologies

• Ship Combat Gameplay for more on tactics during spacecraft conflict

Your Zipp Drive is an astounding piece of technology that can transport you to a separate dimension where you can travel faster than light. It needs power that can only be stored in radioactive glimmer rods. Once you open a zippway and travel into zipp space, be careful of zipp lines which are caused by the wake of other spacecraft and can obliterate yours. Once you near your destination, you will need to open a zippway back into real space. While Zipp Drives have made interstellar travel reliable and normal, how exactly they work is classified by the Experifact corporation, so make sure that you have someone on your crew with enough knowledge not to cause a zipp drive overload and destroy everything within several kilometers.

Related Topics:

• Zipp Space for more on where a Zipp Drive takes you

• Propulsion Systems for more on how a Zipp Drive works

• Starmap for places it can take you

• Spaceflight & Fuel for how fuel is consumed during interstellar travel

• Spacecraft Upgrades for ways to improve your Zipp Drive