Hull Spaces

This article contains information relevant to both the C# and VB6 versions of Aurora. Where differences exist, they are noted in the appropriate sections.

A hull space ("HS") is a unit of ship size, measuring 50 tons. It is very prominent in the VB6 version of the game, and still relevant (but less important) in the C# version.

Hull spaces are used as the measurement of a wide range of components. For example, the resolution of active sensors is measured in HS, so a sensor with resolution 100 will perform best against a ship of size 100 HS (i.e., 5000 tons). Many components display their size in HS as the primary measurement, with tonnage secondary (in C#) or not displayed (in VB6).

VB6 uses HS in one other very important way - in order to avoid fractional sizes, the game rounds up the size of many components to the nearest full HS, which adds wasted tonnage that offers no advantages. Good VB6 component design (especially for things like turrets) involves adding more capability to minimize wasted space. (Note: I think this also applies to the size of finished ships too, but Unsure - Please Verify.)

A related measurement of size is the Missile Size Point, or MSP. Each MSP is 1/20th of a HS, and this is the standard measurement unit for missiles.