08-08-2019, 03:24 AM
The engines on a ship are of two types: star drives, which move you from star to star, and impulse drives, which are used for in-system combat. The "-8" maximum there lets you build an extra-large ship for in-system defense that has combat maneuverability but still can't "jump" out of system.
The larger platforms can't move at all and are more like sitting ducks in combat. But to offset that, you can put LOTS of weapons and/or shields on them and they're much less expensive so you can built more of them.
The two types of engines are both listed in the rating separated by a dash, and aren't related. For instance, a ship design of //30-1 is really a very useful ship. It can't fight at all (no weapons and almost no combat maneuverability), but this works very well as a long-distance scout (for which there is always plenty of need). OTOH, a 1P//-20 serves well as a local system "guard", patrolling his area and watching for incoming scouts or other intruders.
The larger platforms can't move at all and are more like sitting ducks in combat. But to offset that, you can put LOTS of weapons and/or shields on them and they're much less expensive so you can built more of them.
The two types of engines are both listed in the rating separated by a dash, and aren't related. For instance, a ship design of //30-1 is really a very useful ship. It can't fight at all (no weapons and almost no combat maneuverability), but this works very well as a long-distance scout (for which there is always plenty of need). OTOH, a 1P//-20 serves well as a local system "guard", patrolling his area and watching for incoming scouts or other intruders.