| |
Ships Types and Configurability
The Spacecraft is the avatar of the user within the Vendetta
universe, the all-important tool needed for survival. As such, a variety of
highly configurable vessels will be available.
Flexibility and Modularity
Ships in Vendetta will fall into a number of different categories,
based on their intended use, flexibility, and so forth. The ships of each
Nation will have some inherent advantages, based on the technological and
culture background of the Nation, but their use will not necessarily be
limited to the citizens of that Nation. A ship designed by one Nation might
be available with heavier armor, while a ship designed by another might be
equippable with more advanced reactor technology. Through the use of a
variety of "module ports", many different ships may be equipped in different
ways. This allows ships to be highly configurable to the specific mission at
hand, as well as permitting a ship designed for one purpose to be used (to
some limited extent) for a different purpose. Thus, the fighter might be
temporarily used to haul a little cargo, the transport might be retrofitted
as a bomber, and so on.
Most major changes made to a ship's configuration will make an
externally visible change to the ship's appearance. Some internal changes
will be less notable, or more subtle. In general, a player should be able to
discern a considerable amount about the pilot of a ship, not to mention their
ship's intended use, from a glance at the vessel's exterior.

Ship Varieties
Spacecraft in Vendetta will vary greatly in scale, although purchasing
cost will greatly increase with the ship's size. Ships will be available to
serve most needs. Small, lightweight fighters for combat or escort duty.
Heavier bombers for support and assault uses, or alternately usable as light
transports. Midrange transport, freighter, and fleet escort craft. Heavy
freighters and small capital ships, ranging up to large cruisers, carriers
and other flag-level capital vessels.
The expense and difficulty in purchasing ships would increase
proportionally to their size. Over time, a single character might build a
trading empire and amass a fortune great enough to own a large freighter.
However, the resources of a great many players would be needed to secure
ownership of a large capital ship, not to mention the caveats required for
political approval.
On the other hand, some ships would be available to players through
the auspices of the governments to whom they owe their allegience. A
character who achieves sufficient rank in the nation's military may be given
command of a military ship. However, use of military hardware would be
restricted.
Multiple characters will be able to use a single large ship, either
by piloting the vessel or manning defense turrets. Craft of a certain scale
may contain docking bays, allowing users to transport and launch their
smaller ships from the larger.

Ship Appearance
Aside from the changes in appearance caused by the modular
configuration of the ship's hardware (engines, weapons, etc), ships will
also have a certain level of aesthetic user-configurability. Ships may have
portions of their colors defined by the user, plus different ship "livery"
(skins) may be available to users belonging to particular factions. Thus,
advanced characters may have access to special ship configuration options,
further setting their ships apart visually.

|