The Evochron Quadrant
Evochron is an amazing place. It is the largest system in charted space with a diverse collection of systems and people. It is the site of the last Alliance-Federation War and has been home to everyone from adventurous colonists to retired and active duty fighter pilots. Once controlled and protected by the Alliance, Evochron is now a largely independent region of space with ambitious treasure hunters travelling between its systems in search of opportunities to obtain their fortunes. The abundance of its resources provides an almost endless supply of materials for trade and commerce.
Training Video 3: Inventory Management and Trading
Training Video 4: Contracts and Missions
Training Video 5: Shipyard and Weapon Lab
Training Video 6: Deploying and Building
Training Video 7: Mining and Terrain Walkers
Training Video 8: Spacecraft Combat Systems and Space Combat Maneuvering (SCM)
Star Systems
Sapphire
This is the main trading center in Evochron and is firmly in Alliance control. It has jump gates to all 4 sections of the Evochron system. Sapphire is considered the launching point for new mercenaries due to its strong Alliance presence resulting in a well protected system with a positive reputation level. Very few major conflicts ever occur in this system, mostly minor fighting between individual mercenary ships. Because of a saturated market, commodity values and contract pay is generally very low, but the safety of the system makes it a good starting point for new mercenaries. This is the last star system to remain under Alliance control since the war.
Lambda
Lambda is a lightly populated system, but was once the home of the Federation Military Command Center. Most of the system's population departed in the late 24th century due to increasing living costs, high Federation taxes and the resulting decrease of opportunities for freelance mercenaries. By the turn of the century, most Federation companies departed the system and Lambda now primarily consists of just a few scattered independent colonies. While not a particularly hostile system, the quest for survival does lead to several small scale conflicts. A good buy can sometimes be found here, but Lambda is not considered a good place to make a profit.
Emerald
Emerald is arguably one of the most beautiful systems in Evochron. A bright green planet orbits a warm yellow star with a soft blue-green nebula. It's a peaceful setting for a system with a moderate level of conflict. Emerald has a relatively strong economy with good opportunities for independent ship owners, but reports continue to come in about attacks from rogue groups ambushing traders in the area. Emerald is also subject to high Federation taxes for local residents, which frequently drives away trade to nearby systems and has created a somewhat low end market for such a distant system. Emerald was one of the staging areas for the Alliance during the last war and played a critical role in providing the Alliance with the resources it needed to hold back advancing Federation forces from reaching systems closer to Sol. As a result, some older military weaponry and technology sometimes makes its way into the market here. Rumors continue to spread about this system being one of the last reported locations of Renegade activity.
Rigel
The Rigel system is the primary trading center between Sirius and Emerald. While not technically in the Evochron system (being just outside the lower Federation border), it remains free of Federation regulation, so many mercenaries from Emerald enjoy travelling to Rigel for tax free trade with local companies and other mercenaries from Sirius. Rigel is fiercely independent and does not identify itself as an Alliance territory or a Federation territory, so stations and planets here often charges docking fees and other fines to any outside mercenary regardless of where they came from. Most mercenaries agree that the minor cost in fees is easily offset by the higher market values found here.
Sirius
Sirius is a distant system with a good economy similar to Rigel's. A few key difference between Sirius and Rigel are the low cost of operations (typically no docking fees) and high paying contracts with relatively easy objectives. The gate system between Sirius and Sol was destroyed in the last war and has not yet been rebuilt, cutting off the main supply line to this system. So supplies are somewhat scarce resulting in fairly high prices paid for needed commodities and equipment. The planet Sirius B is generally considered a very good trade location for selling.
Orion
Orion was one of the earliest Federation controlled systems, dating back as far as the early 23rd century. It has several well established colonies and companies that support is local economy. Orion is largely self-sufficient with most local mercenaries working for one of the companies, so there isn't much demand for outside assistance in trade. On the positive side, this means low prices for available items and ship construction is similarly affordable. This makes Orion a good location for buying and it's a fairly safe system for new mercenaries who may not be ready for more hostile systems with more advanced technology.
Thuban
Thuban is the home of the Federation and although the war has ended, tensions remain high between the Alliance controlled system of Sapphire and Thuban. Local mercenaries here are known to attack ships from the Alliance without provocation. As a result, Alliance command continues to warn against travelling to the system. The system is usually in conflict with various companies and military factions battling for control of the system's abundant resources. For well equipped mercenaries interested in combat roles, this system offers some of the most attack, patrol, and spy contracts.
Iota
Even though it is considered a Richton territory, Iota citizens
consider themselves to be independent from any major government
or military faction. Shortly after the system was colonized, the
colonies asked for independence. Richton leadership initially
denied the request, but due to their inability to enforce their
rule as a result of the ongoing Federation war at the time, Iota
was allowed to govern itself and has remained an independent
system since that time. A strong economy and an advanced industrial
manufacturing system provides one of the most high paying systems
in the region where even raw metal ore is a valuable commodity.
Pices
Pices is a neutral system that is often used as a trade center between Thuban and Pearl. Mercenaries looking for a central meeting point without the risks of attack common to both Thuban and Pearl often use Pices as the location to meet in. The economy is low here, but there are no docking fees for most mercenaries and expenses are equally low, including some of the lowest prices for fuel in the lower region of Evochron.
Pearl
Pearl is a large system consisting of several planets and is the site of the Arvoch Conflict that took place a few years ago. Abundant resources and numerous opportunities make Pearl a system with some of the wealthiest and best equipped mercenaries in all of Evochron. Even though resources are readily available, shipping them in this system is extremely risky, so premium prices are paid for even the most basic supplies and equipment. Survival here depends on skill, wealth, and a powerful ship. Rumors suggest there is a remote research facility in this system on a distant world providing advanced and experimental technology.
Rucker
Rucker is named for the admiral of the Alliance fleet in the first Alliance-Federation war. It is a large system filled with asteroids, making jump drive navigation dangerous. While not a common stop for mercenaries due to the difficult navigation conditions, it does offer a moderate economy with no docking fees and low prices. It is considered a potential gold mine for mercenaries interested in mining due to its vast asteroid fields and its close proximity to the high paying system of Pearl.
Virgo
Virgo is a lightly populated system of mostly colonists. While the system is technically in Federation controlled space, it was given independence in 2374 and has been almost entirely self-sufficient since that time. Its inhabitants pride themselves in their abilities to live off their own resources and typically discourage outside trade. As a result, they offer very little for most items and commodities. How this system has remained to survive for so long without outside assistance and do so well has been a long term mystery. Rumors suggest they control a hidden world somewhere nearby that supplies resources they would otherwise not have access to.
Vega
Vega is one of the closest systems to Earth, being only 25 light
years away. It remained an independent colony for many years,
consisting mostly of scientific research teams. However, Rebel forces
from Virgo recently invaded the system in an attempt to control its
resources. While they failed in their efforts in Virgo, they achieved
significant gains in Vega since the local population was not equipped
to defend themselves from attack. Distress calls were sent to the
Alliance and Navy forces were dispatched to fight off the Rebels
and protect the system. The future of this system remains uncertain,
it's currently still considered an undefined territory.
Aquila
Aquila consists of one planet in orbit around a blue-white star. While it may seem like an empty system, it does provide a high paying trade location with several stations. It is the central trade location between Alpha Centauri, Deneb, and Rucker.
Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri has the distinction of being the first system to be colonized outside of Sol. The open trade between this system and Aquila results in it having a virtually identical economy, although the planet AC528 is known for paying slightly more for most items. There are also no docking fees for most mercenaries in this system, giving it a cost advantage over both Aquila and Deneb.
Deneb
Deneb is a remote system with only one gate exchange with Alpha Centauri. Resources are scarce, so premium prices are paid for commodities, but the system has very advanced technology. Deneb has admitted to having an advanced weapon research facility, but refuses to reveal the location. They've likely constructed it well outside the range of most navigation sensors and long range scanners.
Capella
Although a known star system for many years, Capella wasn't colonized
until recently due to an apparent lack of resources. In their efforts
to expand, Clan colonies from nearby Rucker decided to terraform the
nearby planet and establish a base of operations in the system. Since
then, security issues have resulted as attacks by clan forces from
Capella to Rucker increased. This has resulted in an almost constant
state of conflict in the system with Navy forces from Rucker trying
to eliminate the Clan threat. Mercenaries are advised to avoid this
system unless they are well equipped and trained to survive in such
hostile space.
Sol
Sol is the home system of the Alliance. It does not have any current jump gates to or from its location, so it generally sees very few visitors from Evochron.
Fauston
Fauston borders on being a hostile system, but most ships generally leave each other alone. It's low economy makes it an unpopular trade stop for selling, but a common one for buying and refueling. Many new mercenaries visit this system first once they leave Sapphire and try some of their first combat contracts here. The level of technology is very similar to Sapphire, so most ships have limited capabilities and don't pose much of a threat to rookie mercenaries with entry level ships.
Cygnus
Cygnus is the primary refueling location for traders travelling between Fauston and Aries. Its low prices for fuel and equipment make it one of the most popular stops for travelling mercenaries in the entire upper region of Evochron. Docking fees generally apply here, except for Federation citizens and their allies.
Aries
Aries is a hostile system where battles often rage for the few scarce resources available. Not much trading takes place here due to the system only having one planet with two stations, instead many mercenaries have resorted to fighting each other for the cargo they are carrying. Aries is considered to be one of the most dangerous systems in Evochron and generally best avoided. Why the system is home to so many mercenaries remains a mystery, it's quite possible there are resources available here that aren't in the charted part of the system.
Sierra
Sierra is another hostile system, although it is outside the Evochron system and Federation controlled territory. Very little organized trading takes place here, although some traders travel from Talison for the higher selling values. It is one of the most recent systems to be colonized and as a result, doesn't have an established government or economy. The two planets in this system are also down for their bad weather and Sierra A in particular has extremely windy conditions making atmosphere descents much more challenging.
Talison
Talison has a moderate economy and technology level without docking fees for most mercenaries. This is an active trading location with ships coming from Fauston and Cerulean on a regular basis. Although the government of Talison considers itself independent, they were part of the Federation until just recently. Now without Federation supply deliveries, Talison offers good prices for most items and equipment. This is a popular location for mercenaries heading to Cerulean and Onyx for high value sales.
Merak
Merak is a system of devastation and desperation. It is the site of
one of the largest battles against the Vonari where victory came at
an immense cost. Countless lives were lost when the Vonari invasion
reached this system and a massive battle unfolded to stop them here.
As the battle began to favor the Vonari, a controversial decision
was made to unleash numerous Fulcrum weapons. The counter-attack
worked, but the destruction was vast, leaving the system shattered.
Now only a handful of the population remains, often fighting each
other for the few scraps of resources left. Those lucky enough to
find passage on a ship often escape to other systems. But a few
remain here, calling this system home, determined to restore it to
its former powerful status.
Cerulean
Cerulean is known for its beautiful blue starscapes and planets. Trade between the two planets in this system is popular for quick credits with a short trip. Cerulean is currently under Alliance control and does not generally charge docking fees for mercenaries. Strong markets with high demand for commodities along with a relatively high technology level provide several unique qualities in this region of Evochron. Scattered encoded communications have suggested there may be a hidden planet somewhere in this system with advanced technology far beyond what is offered in the charted part of the system.
Onyx
As its name implies, Onyx is a dark system with cold rocky planets. A few wealthy mercenaries flying Centurions and Leviathans are said to visit this system from time to time, further supporting the rumors of a hidden planet with advanced technology in Cerulean.
Olympus Prime
Olympus Prime is often considered an extension of Sapphire. It is a large system that is used for repairing, reloading, and refueling by many mercenaries who are travel to the upper Evochron systems. While not a particularly wealthy or advanced system, it is a good second system for new mercenaries looking for a mostly safe system with low level threats and plenty of job opportunities.
Atlas
Atlas has a very small population and is generally a quiet system.
It's often a destination for mercenaries looking to escape for a while
to enjoy some scenery and peaceful contracts. Due to its proximity to
Cerulean and relatively stable economy, pay here is decent. Some
mercenaries refer to this system as the vacation spot of Evochron.
Ship Frames (Civilian)
The Talon is a scout class frame that provides a
basic platform for new mercenaries. It is inexpensive
to build and operate. While the weapon options and
defensive capabilities are limited, the Talon frame is
the fastest platform and most maneuverable. While its
design possibilities are limited, it can be optimized
effectively for particular advantages.
The Pulsar frame expands on the original and
provides more assembly resources with a minimal
reduction in performance and maneuverability. It
also includes substantially more armor and is a more
flexible platform from a design options standpoint.
The Saber is a fighter class frame, although it
is also used as a scout by many mercenaries. Its
reinforced armor and efficient power system provide
a high level of protection for such a small frame. Like
the Raven, the Saber frame is considered to be the best
choice for light and medium combat duties by most
mercenaries and is very affordable.
The Raven frame expands on the Saber design. With a
larger size, it offers more assembly resources and armor
at a similar level of performance. Named after the
Alliance combat spacecraft that fought in the first
Alliance-Federation war, the new Raven provides a solid
platform for mercenaries looking for a capable combat
frame with amazing performance and maneuverability.
The Striker frame is a unique compact design that uses
blended metallic composites for very effective armor
protection and advanced technology to keep its overall
size small compared to other frames. Its rounded shape
and powerful energy system allow it to have a high level
of assembly resources and support for energy hungry
shield systems. An excellent multi-role frame.
The Phoenix class frame is a revised version of the
Striker, offering a much larger structure with more
assembly resources and armor. These improvements are
available with a minimal reduction in agility. Most
mercenaries who prefer the advantages of the Striker
frame choose the Phoenix as the best version.
Designed to survive intense large scale battles and
protect valuable cargo from even the most powerful
adversaries, the Hunter class frame boasts triple layer
metallic composite armor and plenty of assembly resources
for high end components. It's main drawback is limited
agility and speed, but it is ideal for mercenaries who
require high end offensive and defensive capabilities.
The Renegade class frame was built as a combat oriented
upgrade to the Hunter frame. It sacrifices some agility
for a larger size with 25 more assembly resource points
and another layer of armor. It also features a compression
capacitor in its engine management module, which helps to
minimize the loss of speed, resulting in a reduction of
only 50 MPS base speed compared to the Hunter frame.
Considered the battleship among mercenaries, the
Centurion frame commands attention and respect. Only
wealthy mercenaries can afford to buy and operate this
ship, but the reward is a commanding lead over other
frames in most combat situations. It can be designed
to also be an effective transport, offering a level of
cargo safety far above what other ships are capable of.
Several private mercenary groups pooled their resources
together to develop the Leviathan class frame as an answer
to the Centurion which had dominated much of Evochron for
a long time. The Leviathan offers an unequalled level of
assembly resources and armor. It usually takes a skilled
group of pilots to defeat one of these ships.
One of the first Federation frames made available to
mercenaries operating in Alliance space, the Arrow frame
offers remarkable agility. While not quite as fast as
the Alliance built Talon, its powerful thruster system
gives it a maneuverability level that's over 20% higher.
The Scorpion offers a robust platform for a light frame.
With a higher design capacity than most other light
frames coupled with agility that matches the Arrow, it
is a very capable platform for light transport and
combat duties. This frame is also popular for racing.
The Panther is a sleek design offering high speed and
moderate assembly capacity. It's not quite as agile as
the lighter Federation frames, but can hold its own
against the Alliance Talon and Saber frames. With its
higher design capacity and high speed for its size,
this frame is a popular choice for mercenaries who
trade in moderate to hostile space.
The Mirage frame is a very capable medium combat
platform. Complimenting its thick armor is a high
power shield core similar to the design used on the
military's Aries fighter. It's not quite as fast
as the comparable Alliance Raven frame, but it has
an edge in agility and design capacity. This frame
is a popular choice among skilled combat pilots.
The Venture was designed for moderate transport
duties. It has a relatively high assembly capacity
for its size along with a multi-coil shield core.
While its additional bulk does limit its velocity
and acceleration, powerful maneuvering thrusters
help it match the agility of the lighter Mirage
frame, even with its heavier hull armor.
Named after the defensive combat role it was built
for, the Sentinel is often used in escort and support
duties. It has earned a reputation of being able to
take a hit. With its moderate assembly and design
capacities, it can also be made into a formidable
offensive combat spacecraft. Mercenaries often
devote its available resources to weapons and shields.
The Guardian is based on the Sentinel's design, but
adds significantly more armor, assembly and design
capacity, and shielding. Its ability to carry a
much higher payload comes at a price, its speed
and agility are significantly less than the lighter
Sentinel. However, many pilots consider its
additional protection well worth the price.
The Legacy frame is designed to provide a high
cargo and weapon capacity in one of the fastest
and most agile heavy designs. It features much
better agility compared to a similarly configured
Renegade frame along with a slight speed and
acceleration advantage. Because of its agility,
this frame is often used in heavy combat roles.
Designed to be a heavy transport, the Mammoth
offers enough design capacity to carry many of the
most advanced equipment upgrades at the same time.
While it's slightly slower than a comparable
Centurion, it is significantly more maneuverable.
This ship is often the preferred choice for
surviving in hostile space.
Little is known about this frame. The Starmaster
is rumored to be built in only a few secret
locations and is generally only owned by the
wealthiest of mercenaries.
Ship Frames (Military)
The Ferret is a lightweight scout spacecraft designed for
high speed reconnaissance. It carries a basic internal
missile rail of 4 hardpoints. The Ferret has minimal
armor, but its high agility and speed makes it very
effective at evading missiles and gunfire.
The Aries is categorized as a scout but provides sufficient
armor and speed for it to be effective in light fighter
roles as well. This spacecraft is often used for training
combat fighter pilots. It is also often used for patrols
and scout duties that require more range than the
Ferret can provide.
The Shadow is the Alliance's primary light attack fighter.
For its size and agility, this spacecraft carries a
remarkably high payload limit. It also features a shield
core with nearly the same output capacity as the Wraith.
Its wing design also gives it an advantage in atmosphere
maneuverability while its composite armor offers good
resistance against direct hull impacts.
Considered to be the front line fighter in the Alliance
Navy, the Wraith is a multi-purpose medium range strike
fighter with extreme speed and agility. With 8 hardpoints
and moderate armor, it's a well rounded fighter package
capable of filling a variety of combat roles.
The Evoch-C is the next generation of Alliance military
fighter technology. It includes a maneuvering system
based on reverse engineered Vonari spacecraft and unique
ion-pulse engines that together provide the most agile
and fast spacecraft known to exist. Its reflective
armor offers slightly better protection against
particle cannons compared to the Wraith.
The Evoch-E is a heavily redesigned version of the
C model. This platform essentially takes the original
Evoch design and improves it in virtually every area.
It is faster, more maneuverable, and better armored
than the original. The only drawbacks to this design
over the C model are higher fuel use and cost. This
new fighter is considered the latest in technology.
The Lamprey is based on the Evoch-E platform, but
is modified to perform a more strike oriented role.
What it lacks in speed and agility, it makes up for
in armor and shielding. It's unique forward swept
wing is combined with a powerful thruster set which
provides excellent agility in planet atmospheres
and open space.
Considered by many to be the best overall strike
spacecraft, the Firestar is an all-new design built
to replace the aging Avenger. It offers a significant
speed advantage over the Avenger while being barely
slower than the Lamprey. It's also much more agile
than the Avenger with a minimal reduction in armor.
As a result, this design is also capable in a dogfight.
The Avenger is designed to be a heavy interceptor and
strike spacecraft. Its thick armor coupled with high
speed and agility for its size give it a distinct
advantage in many heavy combat roles and strike missions
against powerful capital ships. The Avenger is the
primary strike and intercept spacecraft of the
Alliance Navy.
The Shrike is a major redesign of the Avenger platform.
It is a heavy attack spacecraft optimized for capital
ship engagements. Its reactive armor and powerful
shield core provide an effective defense against flak
cannons and particle gun impacts. The Shrike also has
the highest speed of its class, allowing it to reach
its target quickly.
The Predator is generally regarded as the Alliance Navy's
most powerful heavy attack spacecraft. It has the heaviest
armor of any military spacecraft and provides agility that
exceeds even the lighter civilian Centurion and Leviathan
frames. It is used sparingly due to its high construction
and repair costs, but is the spacecraft of choice when the
objective involves high numbers of powerful enemy forces.
The Chimera is the result of numerous experiments and
design concepts to produce the ultimate heavy attack
spacecraft. Its high fuel burn rate and extreme cost
limit its practicality and accessibility. But with its
decent agility and speed, immense shield core, and
ply-carbon plate armor, it is a force virtually no
one wants to go up against on the battlefield.
Commodities
Food can be scarce in Evochron. While it is usually very low in value, some systems do pay substantially more.
Medical supplies are an essential part of survival in Evochron.
High radiation exposure and virtually non-existent preventative health care result in a
higher than normal demand for medical supplies, which can include medicine,
equipment, and information.
Hydrogen fuel cells are a common medium level energy source that some systems
use for general purpose electrical power needs. Their moderate value makes them a
popular shipping choice.
Electronics are in demand, but are also high in supply. They generally aren't a valuable
commodity, but shipping supplies of electronics can be an easy way to make money for
new mercenaries.
Solar cells are a low end energy source. Don't expect much for
these primitive devices, but in the right system, that can be worth the cargo space.
Metal alloys are a low value commodity that provides the raw material
needed for manufacturing. Delivering this item doesn't usually provide
much profit unless there is a temporary demand for it.
Diamonds are a high value commodity used in a variety of applications
ranging from cutting tools to optical equipment. They are almost always
in demand and are a primary incentive for mining.
Anti-matter cells are a high end energy source that are extremely expensive
to produce and provide a very long lifespan. As a result, a premium is paid
for these devices to anyone who can deliver them.
Fusion cells are also a high end energy source, but are much easier to produce.
They feature a very long lifespan and usually provide a high price for shipping.
Machinery parts generally consist of cast or forged components in fairly high
demand (brackets, sprockets, springs, etc). They usually provide a fairly high
profit, much higher than raw metal alloys alone.
Textiles are generally the cheapest items to transport and are generally best left
out of a cargo bay unless you've got the extra space.
Platinum is generally the most valuable commodity in Evochron. It is used for electronics,
primarily in the computer and weapon systems of spacecraft, due to its longevity and
conductive properties. Many mercenaries will jettison their existing cargo to recover
platinum.
Biological Units consist of cells of organic material compressed into individual storage containers. These cells are valuable in the production of genetic sequences, particularly for terra-forming and food plant species. While not generally valuable in most industries, some locations pay a premium for this material.
Oxygen is considered the life-blood of space exploration. While most spacecraft can recycle and even generate most of their oxygen needs in-flight, pure oxygen is still valuable in certain industries and for replenishing spacecraft oxygen production/recycle systems.
Gold remains a very valuable commodity. It is useful in the production of electronics and their radiation shielding. It is also used as money in some economies and is valuable to jewelry industries.
Silver is generally less valuable than gold, although it has many uses that keep it valuable in most economies. Certain digital and solar technologies also keep it in high demand.
Water is generally not too valuable, but is still worth some credits when it can be delivered without recycling or production procedures.
Armor is a somewhat valuable commodity constructed from metal ore. It can be built at constructor stations from mined metal for higher trade values.
Equipment/Upgrades
A fuel converter is a remarkable piece of equipment that can transform high
energy photon particles into fuel. It connects to the tractor beam system and fuel tank to directly
deposit the converted fuel into the tank.
A class 1 Fulcrum jump drive is the entry level model. It is capable of jumps up to about
one sector box away.
The class 2 Fulcrum jump drive is capable of jumps up to about two sector boxes away.
The class 3 Fulcrum jump drive is capable of jumps up to about three sector boxes away.
The class 4 Fulcrum jump drive is capable of jumps up to about four sector boxes away.
The class 5 Fulcrum jump drive is capable of jumps up to about five sector boxes away.
Rumors suggest there is an experimental model of jump drive that uses a completely different
technology for distances of well over five sector boxes.
A class 1 cargo scanner is capable of detecting the identity of cargo (either in open space or in a ship's cargo bay) at a range of about 500.
A class 2 cargo scanner is capable of detecting the identity of cargo (either in open space or in a ship's cargo bay) at a range of about 1000.
A class 3 cargo scanner is capable of detecting the identity of cargo (either in open space or in a ship's cargo bay) at a range of about 1500.
A class 4 cargo scanner is capable of detecting the identity of cargo (either in open space or in a ship's cargo bay) at a range of about 2000.
A class 5 cargo scanner is capable of detecting the identity of cargo (either in open space or in a ship's cargo bay) at a range of about 2500.
The cannon relay system doubles the energy capacity of your primary weapon system and adds two additional gun barrels to an installed particle cannon. It works by storing extra power in a network of capacitors, supplying sufficient energy for two firing cycles of the primary weapons.
The cannon heatsink helps keep primary particle cannons cooler during their firing cycles, allowing them to fire at significantly faster rates.
The mining and tractor beams are some of the most important devices in the game. They let you mine for valuable material, recover cargo from destroyed ships, retrieve photon particles from stars and nebulae, and recover items from cargo containers. There is a general purpose device and four material specific devices (metal ore, diamonds, platinum, and gold).
Shield batteries are the power storage part of the shield system. They are a series of capacitors that store energy for each shield array. A single shield battery cell provides basic storage capacity for the shield system.
Two shield battery cells provide roughly double the storage capacity. However, impact damage won't be half as much due to the varying energy delivery rates of different shield cores (the component that has the greatest effect on shield performance).
Three shield battery cells provide roughly triple the storage capacity.
Four shield battery cells provide roughly four times the storage capacity.
Five shield battery cells provide roughly five times the storage capacity.
Repair devices automatically repair subsystem and hull damage in-flight. Installing one of these means you don't have to dock and pay for repairs. Subsystem damage can be repaired fairly quickly, but hull damage takes a long time to repair. A class 1 repair device provides basic repair capabilities.
A class 2 repair device can repair damage roughly twice as fast.
A class 3 repair device can repair damage roughly three times as fast.
Fuel packs provide 200 units of fuel each. They can be installed on secondary hardpoints and used to extend the range of a ship without the need to stop and refuel at a station, city, or carrier.
Charge packs provide a full recharge to a ship's energy reserves. They can be installed on secondary hardpoints.
Shield packs provide a significant charge to a ship's shield system. They can be installed on secondary hardpoints and raise all arrays by about 50%.
A stealth generator is a reusable piece of equipment that uses a ship's shield arrays to generate a stealth field. The stealth generator cloaks the ship visually and prevents it from being detected by sensors for up to around 180 seconds.
The anti-missile system is a semi-effective beam weapon that targets an inbound missile as it approaches your ship. It fires an invisible beam of laser energy at the missile in an attempt to heat it up and cause it to explode before it reaches your ship. If you turn away from the incoming missile, you give the system more time to be effective and hit the missile with more energy before it hits your ship. Also, since this system operates independently of the countermeasure system, you can also bombard the missile with CM energy for additional effectiveness, which is particularly effective against multiple inbound missiles.
The shield array recharger works as an energy transfer system and provides additional shield energy to arrays that become critical by routing power from the main energy system to the shield system. For additional defensive capabilities, particularly for heavy transport ships with fewer offensive options, this can be a very effective device.
The automatic CM launcher does exactly what the name implies. It will begin launching CM's as soon as a missile approaches effective countermeasure range. It can be wasteful with CM's, so pilots should train to use this system most effectively to minimize CM loss.
The afterburner drive (also sometimes referred to as the afterburner overdrive) uses energy from your ship's main power system for additional thrust. It can improve afterburner performance about 35-70%, depending on frame and engine configuration, but can only operate for short bursts due to the dependency on your ship's energy reserves.
The deploy constructor enables you to place temporary energy stations, repair stations, sensor stations, fuel processors, and shield arrays. The object is built remotely and the constructor provides the design specifications and placement point. Once construction is complete, the object will be transported to the location you select.
The build constructor enables you to place space stations, dynamically expanding the game's universe with new trade routes, docking points, and economies. The station is built remotely and the constructor provides the design specifications and placement point. Once construction is complete, the station will be transported to the location you select.
Terrain walkers provide an effective exploration and mining platform for planetary surfaces. A
built-in mining system can recover material roughly five times faster than typical mining beams available to spacecraft. Although not designed for combat, these machines do come equipped with powerful particle cannons and shield arrays.
Energy stations fully recharge your main power cells and shield arrays.
Repair stations restore your ship's subsystems and hull armor integrity.
Fuel processors convert energy from your ship into fuel in 5 unit intervals. Boost power to your ship's primary energy system to speed up the refueling process.
Sensor stations provide the location of all ships in the area with twice the range of probes and broacast data too all ships within range rather than being limited to only the ship that deployed it.
Shield arrays can be used to protect large regions of space.
Buildable Stations
Trade Stations are the main trade locations in the game. They provide additional AI threads for new traffic patterns, ship docking, inventory changes, market values, contract objectives, and more.
Constructor stations let you construct items from raw materials.
Research stations provide valuable R&D for increasing the level of technology in a given area. These can improve availability of items while also offering more advanced technology.
Energy stations help support the local energy and navy factions by producing critical energy related items such as power cells, batteries, solar arrays, and direct capital ship refueling.
Ore processors take raw materials from a nearby trade station (which in turn receives the materials from local freelance mercenaries) and converts them into machinery parts, electronics, and other simple items. These stations can help boost local inventories and provide a better range of items.
Flying in Space
Physics
In space, there is no atmosphere to provide lift, friction, and drag. An object can simply drift indefinitely once speed is imparted to it. If a ship is travelling forward and turns right 90 degrees, it will still drift in the original direction it was headed due to inertia. If its original forward velocity was 1000 MPS, it will be drifting to the left at about 1000 MPS when it turns right 90 degrees and its forward velocity will drop to 0. Here is an image to illustrate this concept:
The effects of managing a ship in space can be quite challenging, so the ships in Evochron have computer flight assistance to accommodate this zero atmosphere environment and provide a manageable control system for the pilot. Your ship is controlled by 2 main engine outlets and 8 maneuvering thrusters mounted on the hull. All of them are managed by your onboard computer when the IDS (Inertial Dampening System) is active. The computer will automatically activate each thruster as needed and modulate the control to keep the ship moving in the direction it is facing. Sharper turns at higher speeds will require longer adjustments before the ship's course is adjusted for the new heading. The engine outlets provide main thrust for moving forward and in reverse while the maneuvering thrusters provide rotational and strafe control. The engines offer two modes of power, cruise (also referred to as 'military burn') and afterburner. At cruise, the engines will provide a similar level of thrust as the maneuvering thrusters and offer the most fuel efficient maneuvering mode. At afterburner, the engines will burn a lot of fuel in exchange for rapid acceleration and deceleration. The performance of the maneuvering thrusters is determined by the wing and thruster set you select (see the bar graph above for specific performance information). Here are some images to illustrate a few of the ways the thruster system maneuvers the ship:
The first image shows forward movement, both engine outlets simply provide forward thrust. The second image shows a right turn, the forward left thruster and the rear right thruster both engage. This effectively rotates the ship on its central axis to perform a turn to the right. If the ship is moving forward while this happens, the engines will also engage to help recover lost speed as well as additional left thrust to offset the built up inertia which causes the ship to want to drift left during a right turn. The higher the speed and the sharper the turn, the more time and thrust power will be needed to adjust the ship's course. The third image shows strafing to the right. Both left thrusters engage to push the ship to the right. The fourth image shows a right roll. Four of the thrusters engage and rotate to roll the ship to the right. When turning or rotating, your ship will build up inertia and the thrusters won't have to continually fire in order to maintain the movement. However, when you center a control to stop the movement, counter-thrusting is required to stop the ship from rotating/turning. This is why you will see the movement gradually stop rather than suddenly jerking to a stop, the movement needs to be counter-acted because of the built up inertia. The IDS will take care of this for you, if it is turned on. By default, the IDS will attempt to perform maneuvers in a fuel efficient manner. But if you lose too much speed because of a sharp/wide turn, you can engage the afterburner to quickly recover lost speed.
When the IDS is off, you can manually control each thruster. This can be helpful in combat when you want to drift/slide while firing at a target. High speed drifting can make you a hard target to hit. Evochron lets you control all maneuvering thrusters variably, if the control device you are using supports enough axis channels to take advantage of that option. When performing maneuvers, you will need to plan your course objective in advance, to avoid sliding into objects in space or reducing your speed to low levels that could potentially make you more vulnerable.
Navigation
To travel to various locations in space, you'll need to understand how to navigate using all three dimensions instead of just two. An object in space can be ahead, behind, left, right, above, or below you. Evochron includes several systems to help make navigating in 3 dimensions a fairly easy process. First, lets review how space is divided up for the navigation system.
The largest division of space used in the game is a quadrant. A quadrant is a massive cube of space that uses a coordinate system which divides it into smaller cubes. The smaller cubes inside the quadrant cube are called sectors and use the coordinate system to identify their location within the main quadrant cube.
The center of the quadrant is sector 0,0,0, in the game this is displayed as SX, SY, and SZ values. So the center of the Evochron quadrant is 0 SX, 0 SY, 0 SZ where the Sapphire system is located. The image above illustrates how sectors are arranged.
The image above shows the navigation console, which displays sector data from an overhead view. Click on Zoom Out (or scroll the mouse wheel down) to see more sectors on the map. From that overhead perspective, the SX value represents sectors to the left or right. -1 SX would be one sector to the left of the 0 SX sector. 1 SX would be one sector to the right of the 0 SX sector. The SZ value represents sectors up or down, which are sectors ahead or behind. As you move the mouse pointer over the various sectors displayed, you'll see the sector's coordinates on the left side of the navigation console. Click on Rear View to flip the map from an overhead view to a view from behind. This lets you see the vertical SY sectors. SX still represents left and right sectors in the Rear View mode, but up and down are now SY sectors. While most objects and star systems are fairly level with the galactic ecliptic, many are above or below it. So for some objects and star systems, you may need to set the SY value slightly off from 0 to travel high or low enough to reach a target destination. Negative SY values are sectors below the galactic ecliptic, positive SY values are above it. Click on Top View to return to the overhead view. For sectors that are level with your SY position, you can right mouse click in a sector to zoom in on it. This lets you plot more precise waypoints, greatly increasing your accuracy for jumping from sector to sector. Zooming in on nearby sectors to plot accurate jump points is a good habit to get into for safer travel.
Sectors themselves are divided further into specific coordinates. In-sector coordinates are displayed on the navigation console as X, Y, and Z values (without the S before them). Each sector consists of 200,000 coordinates and like the quadrant cube, 0,0,0 represents the center of a sector. So negative X coordinate values indicate left on the map, positive X values indicate right on the map. Negative Z values indicate down on the map (or behind the center position) while positive Z values indicate up on the map (or ahead of the center position). Again, you can click on Rear View to see the map from behind for the Y values (or vertical elevation). There are 100,000 coordinates in any given direction, with -100,000 representing the minimum position and 100,000 representing the maximum position. So an X value of -90,000 would be near the far left edge of a sector cube on the map. An X value of 90,000 would be near the far right of a sector on the map. Once you exceed the edge of one sector, you pass into the edge of another. For example, if you fly to the far right edge of sector 0,0,0 and exceed 100,000 on the X (in-sector) coordinate value, you will then be in sector 1,0,0 at -100,000 on the X value, or the far left of the new sector that was to the right of the one you came from. As you travel through sector 1,0,0 in the same direction, the X value will increase until you reach the center of the sector at 0,0,0, then the X value will continue to increase until it reaches 100,000 at which point you will again pass into the next sector over. Continue heading directly right on the X axis and you will eventually reach sector 2,0,0, then 3,0,0, and so on. This way, you can use both the sector coordinates and in-sector coordinates to travel to various points in space.
To aid in navigation, the Heads-Up-Display includes a compass and pitch ladder. The compass indicates your heading and the pitch ladder indicates the direction of the nose of your ship. If the compass reads 0, you are facing directly forward on the Z/SZ axis, or up on the nav map, and if you move in that direction, the Z value will increase (the SZ value will eventually also increase as you pass through sectors). If the compass reads 90, you are facing directly right on the X/SX axis. When it reads 180, you are facing toward the rear on the Z/SZ axis, or down on the nav map. When it reads 270, you are facing left on the X/SX axis. When the pitch ladder reads 0, you are level with the galactic ecliptic and the Y/SY axis. When the ladder reads 90, you are facing directly up on the Y/SY axis. When the ladder reads -90, you are facing down on the Y/SY axis.
Cockpit Displays
Shield Systems
Arrays, Cores and Boosters
The shield system on all ships in the game depends on two components, a shield core and boosters. The core is the central control and energy emitter management system. Its performance is determined by the core class you select when designing your ship. Larger frames with more assembly resources can generally handle more powerful cores with fewer compromises in overall design. Larger frames also generally provide better armor for hull impacts. Boosters are the capacitors of the shield system, they store the energy for each array and deliver it to the shield core. More boosters means more energy storage capacity, resulting in more resistance against weapon impacts and more power to manage between all 4 arrays.
The shield system consists of 4 directional arrays, and each one protects a 90 degree range of the ship. Each array's status is indicated on the status display (lower left cockpit display) with a green bar. As your ship takes damage, the array that is hit will have its corresponding bar decrease in size and its color will change from yellow to red. Any array that is at a red level is critical and doesn't have enough energy to protect your ship from direct impacts against the hull. Weapon impacts directly on your ship's hull can cause subsystem damage and require hull repairs to restore any damaged armor. Use the shield energy augment keys to take power away from arrays that have more power to give to an array that is low (default numpad direction keys). You can also equalize power between all shield arrays by pressing the default numpad 5 key (you may need to press this key multiple times to fully equalize shield power between all arrays). You can further accelerate the recharge time of all arrays by boosting power to the shield core using the energy bias keys (default '[' and ']').
Copyright � 1999-2012 StarWraith 3D Games LLC. All rights reserved.
