Military vessels
This article contains information relevant to both the C# and VB6 versions of Aurora. Where differences exist, they are noted in the appropriate sections.
Military vessels are ships that are intended for combat or combat-related operations. They tend to be smaller and more expensive than commercial vessels, but they are necessary for a game with any serious combat.
- Military ships must be built in a Naval Shipyard Complex, which are smaller and more expensive than their commercial equivalents.
- Military ships use more expensive (but also lighter, more durable and more capable) military Jump drives.
- Military ships need to worry about maintenance mechanics, and must consider their risk of breakdowns.
A ship is considered military if it meets any of the following criteria:
- Any components on the ship are military components.
- The Deployment Time of the class is less than 3 months.
- The ship does not have at least 50 tons of Engineering Spaces.
The Class Design window will tell you if a ship is considered military, with "This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes" being the second-last line of the ship's description. (Alternately, "This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction" if the class is under 500 tons)
The following components are considered military:
- Any weapon that is capable of damaging another ship.
- Note: CIWS are not offensive weapons, since they can only fire at incoming missiles, so they are not military.
- Any system explicitly described as "Military".
- Any magazine or hangar deck not explicitly described as "Commercial".
- Fire Control systems.
- Power Plants.
- Shields.
- Gravitational Survey Sensors are military components in both versions of the game. Geological Survey Sensors are military in C# and commercial in VB6.
- Any engine with a power ratio higher than 50%, or with a size below 1250 tons (25 HS).
- Any sensor larger than 50 tons (1 HS).
- Certain specialized modules (ELINT Modules, Flag Bridges, etc.)
Note that Troop Transport Bays and Armor are never considered military, regardless of transport bay type or armour thickness.