The Analysis of Infinite Space, Part 1: Ship Size

The Analysis of Infinite Space, Part 1: Ship Size

Apologies for the long delay between posts, but I was struggling to determine the next topic after discussing the quests. I finally decided to do combat analysis for the next few weeks, given that this has not been touched upon by anyone else as far as I am aware. My first post regarding this topic will discuss ship size, which is a key factor in determining a ship's combat effectiveness. Before we delve into further discussion of this parameter, you should know that this only applies to capital ships; all fighters are basically the same size and hence move at roughly the same speed.

Speaking of which, speed is a key factor affected by ship size, since smaller capital ships (corvettes and scouts) generally move faster than bigger ones (frigates and destroyers), assuming they are equipped with the same thrusters. In addition, larger ships also tend to be less maneuverable than smaller ones, again with the assumption that the same type of thruster is used. The following two screenshots illustrate this perfectly.

"This ship is fast, sleek and deadly, with maneuverability to match..."

"...but on the other hand, that thing, though slower and less agile, carries more guns and armor."

The upper picture shows a fully upgraded Terran Corvette, while the lower picture shows a Terran Advanced Destroyer. The destroyer is much larger than the corvette and hence can't turn or move as quickly. However, large capital ships compensate for this by having more armor, turrets, and equipment slots. For example, the corvette has two turrets and can utilize five pieces of equipment, while the destroyer has four turrets (five in the Advanced variant seen here) and, like the smaller Frigate, six equipment slots. Some ships, however, defy the usual rules about size affecting speed and maneuverability.

"How can a ship this big move so fast?"

"This thing is so small, it moves like greased lightning!"

The most notable exceptions are Garthan capital ships. These vessels have a much higher combat speed due to their lower mass, but on the other hand, they are less maneuverable than other races' ships. Calatian capital ships are the smallest of all compared to equivalents from other races, and are thus the fastest and most maneuverable in their respective classes. Thus, a Garthan Frigate can bludgeon its way through the battlefield as quickly as a Calatian Destroyer can scoot about the map. In contrast, Muktian vessels, with their thicker armor, tend to move slower and have less space for equipment than other ships.

An additional consideration when deciding whether or not to trade up to a larger capital ship is the base value of the vessel. Smaller ships will yield a lower score at the end of the game, although they cost less to purchase; on the other hand, larger ships require more credits (or coins, for non-Terran ships) to buy but will increase your score upon retirement, particularly when fully equipped with weapons and systems. However, trading in existing ships for larger ones may not even be possible under certain circumstances where you have relatively few credits. Moreover, a larger vessel will move faster through empty space than a smaller one with the same star drive, so be sure to put the best star drives in your largest vessels.

One final note is that you must consider where continuing to use at least some of your current capital ships contradicts your strategy. If it does, trade up to larger vessels as soon as you can, particularly on higher difficulties where you will encounter stronger enemy fleets. So do you want a slow, lumbering behemoth of a ship, or something smaller, nimbler and faster? It's all up to you to decide, and if you choose wisely, you will have no trouble conquering Sector Prime.