Objects in Space – Advice on Ship Modules

by Falagar / Articles, Misc. Guides / 01 Jul 2018

1. Solar Sail

These don’t come up too often but keep money set aside for one if you don’t have one. It usually costs around 3000-4000c, but it is worth every credit. A solar sail gives you around 1-3mw of power generation completely emissions-free. This is enough to power pretty much every system aside from your engine and RCS without draining battery power. It’s enough to allow you to make small maneuvers and course corrections without powering up your reactor. With this, you can turn off IFF, flit between nebula, and never get spotted.

2. Jump Drive

It’s up to you when you leave the jump-gate network and start exploring further afield, and I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it until you’ve become familiar with the opportunities in Leo, Maru, and Tega. The gate fees arent so high that you need to rush out and get your own. But your ship has a dedicated slot for the JumpDrive, and soon enough, quests will start to pull you away from the beaten track.

3. Batteries

The sweet spot for batteries is around 2200c-3000c and between 60-75mw. Any less power and they will take up too much space. It any more expensive and you’re paying too much. Your two starter batteries are 35mw each and will get drained before completing autopilot maneuvers in some circumstances. If you can sell one of your batteries for around 1200c and buy something close to double the capacity for twice that, it’s a great deal. Do it twice, and you won’t need to worry about your thrusters draining all your power again.

4. Sensors

A good sensor suite will help you identify pirates or authority ships a lot easier, which means you’ll have more time to react or avoid conflict altogether. Whether you’re bounty hunting and want to get the jump on opponents or just trying to play it safe, sensors are your eyes, and it’s worth your while to invest in a good set. Look for Cyan (e.g., V.Good) values for Strength. Analysis time is less important as this relates to the sensor’s ability to resolve a potential threat into either nothing or something. As long as it comes up, you can use your own judgment to work out what’s likely. Boot time is less of an issue as well, as you’re never shutting this off if you can help it, and that means the only bootup should be after undocking and jumps.

5. Countermeasures

Although there is a lot you can do to avoid the ire of pirates, at around 2500-3000c, a countermeasure system is probably the cheapest investment in making sure you don’t have to dump cargo if you’re caught out in the open. It pays to experiment in the combat scenarios to figure out how best to combine countermeasures with evasive maneuvers, but you’ll breathe a sigh of relief when the proximity sensor indicates an incoming torpedo is no longer closing on your position.

Every other module is either situational (e.g., you don’t need weapons unless you’re getting into bounty hunting, you don’t need hacking modules unless you’re getting into piracy) or isn’t an immediate need. Your starting reactor, engines, and RCS are all reasonably good, and other models tend just to have different balances of emissions and power drain.

Falagar

He is the founder and editor of Magic Game World. He loved gaming from the moment he got a PlayStation 1 with Gran Turismo on his 7th birthday.
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