Ships and Weapons of Void War
All
pictures are taken from in-game screenshots
CYCLONE
A work of art as much as a functional fighter, the Cyclone is an
artist's weapon. It's light and nimble, yet its weaponry packs a
serious punch. The Cyclone's shields and armor are weaker than most
fighters of its class, however. Experienced Cyclone pilots tend to
fight in a series of quick passes, avoiding a slug-fest that will
undoubtedly leave them crippled even if they should win. To this
end, the Cyclones are equipped with a
repulsor wave weapon that pushes all nearby ships
away - and usually spoiling their aim as well.
FIREBOLT
The Firebolt's armor and shields are second only to the Intrepid.
Coupled with a high turn rate, this is a fighter built to "mix it
up" in close quarters. It lacks the thrust of many of its opponents
ships, however, so the Firebolt pilot must rely upon his superior
weaponry and defenses to see him through a dogfight. Very few pilots
of other fighters are willing to mix it up with a Firebolt for long,
however, as their swarming micromissile attack is capable of
crippling shields even if they do little damage against an enemy's
hull.
INTREPID
The Intrepid was designed to be a dual-role personnel
carrier and attack ship. It has potent armor and average shields,
and its firepower is strong enough to take on armored ships. Its
twin engines produce a very high thrust, but they still have trouble
accelerating this much mass at rates comparable to other, "pure"
fighters. As the last war came to a close, the Intrepid was pressed
into service as a second-line fighter. Pilots used the cargo / troop
space to store dozens of high-yield seeker mines. So what
if the enemy could
outmaneuver you if they were busy dodging mines?
NIGHTHAWK
The Nighthawk is perhaps the most well-rounded fighter to appear in
the war. The twin cannons were placed close to the fuselage to
make up for their mediocre damage, increasingly the likelihood of
both generating hits in the hands of a skilled pilot. Late-model
Nighthawks were equipped with limited Hyperdrive capability - the
effects very short range and random, but handy in getting the pilot
and ship out of a tight spot. By the time opponents spotted their
vanished quarry, the Nighthawk was already closing in on them with
recharged system power.
RENOWN
This vessel was aging prior to the last war. Its retirement was
postponed as it served in an attack and defensive interceptor role.
Before the war's end, however, upgrades and
overhauls allowed it to hold its own against much newer fighters.
The late-war addition of the 'Vampire' cannon made it feared by opponents
throughout the galaxy, as it can literally steal energy from other
ships. Pilots learned to keep their distance and use whatever
superior maneuverability and thrust they had available to avoid this
close-range attack.
TEMPEST
During the war, pilots of the Tempest complained of its light
shielding, and the fact that its quad cannons were spaced so far apart
that they were difficult to bring to bear against small fighters. In
more recent conflicts across the Void Points, however, the Tempest
has redeemed itself with its extremely powerful engines and tight
turn rates. The shields, still weak, have been upgraded to a
superior recharge rate, giving it staying power against all but the
most determined assaults. To further the feeling of security in
pilots, this ship was recently outfitted with a force field which
can be activated for short periods of time. When active, the Tempest
is all but invulnerable.
