The ships in the game are categorised by Class. Currently ship classes are from 1 to 15. Classes 16 and 17 are envisioned but develpment is on hold for the present.
This is a brief list of the ships and their Class. For full details of each vessel, please refer to the Space Ships[wiki.thespacegame.com] page in the Game Wiki.
Class 1: Turtle, Hornet, Hawk (DLC only)
Class 2 - Sparrow
Class 3 - Unicorn
Class 4 - Manta
Class 5 - Falcon
Class 6 - Squid
Class 7 - Kraken
Class 8 - Yeti
Class 9 - Hammerhead
Class 10 - Mamoth
Class 11 - Guardian, Boomerang
Class 12 - Seraph, Bowhead (DLC only)
Class 13 - Archon
Class 14 - Ophan
Class 15 - Leviathan

Only the Hawk, Bowhead and Boomerang have any specialisation. Every other ship is a General Purpose ship whose function depends upon the Modules that are installed.

The Hawk
This Class 1 ship has the ability to dock with any other ship. This makes it very useful when you have ships to transfer between Hangars. Be aware that because it is only Class 1 its Hyperdrive range is very, very limited (approx. 8ly). However for a one-way transfer to an Outer System location it is able to return to Ceres using the eJump facility.
Undocking a Hawk in Deep Space leaves the carrying ship 'parked' at that location. However, redocking a Hawk on another ship in Deep Space can be problematic. Perform this task at your own risk.

The Bowhead
This Class 12 ship hull has been developed as a freighter. It is not capable of being armed, though it can have Armour and Shield as defence. Without hardpoints for weapons and with no weapons guidance systems installed the basic cargo capacity of this vessel has been increased to exceed that of the standard Class 12 model.

The Boomerang
This Class 11 ship has the ability to carry up to eight ships of Class 1 to Class 4 inside in eight hangar bays on two hangar decks. This is in addition to its normal cargo capacity. You can move around inside this vessel and can choose which ship, of the complement of eight, you wish to fly out of the hangar bay. You redock by flying into the hangar and positioning the ship facing forward in a hangar bay and clicking the inside of the Boomerang.

Ships can now acquire Traits. At present there are two Traits available:
Fast Turner
This Trait allows the ship to turn rate by 10% per level.

Miner
This Trait the range of your Mining Beam by 25% and the mineral yield by 5% per level.

Both these Traits are automatically improved over time. At this time we are not sure how this works. nor are we sure what effect this will have on second-hand ship prices.

For a ship to function in space, the following Ship Modules are required:
Armour Panel - provides protection against small projectiles
Capacitor - provides power to the ship's computer and electrical systems, thrusters, warp drive, weapons and shields
Computer - provides the AI to control the ship
Electronics - provides the necessary control systems
Grav Generator - provides artificial gravity onboard and powers the Grav Anchor
Propulsion System - provides the system that moves the ship through Normal Space
Reactor - provides power to recharge the ship's Capacitor
Shield - provides protection against harmful radiation and laser fire
Warp Drive - provides the system that moves the ship through Warp Space

In addition UNCA Spaceflight Regulations require the installation of the following Modules:
Mining Beam - to deal with stray asteroids
Ram Scoop - to provide a method of wilderness refuelling
Salvage Beam - to provide assiatance in time of distress

In addition, this module, though strictly not essential will be required at some stage:
Hyperdrive - provides the system that moves the ship through Hyperspace

The above applies to ships that are to be flown by Pilot Citizens (the Players). Hired NPC Pilots do not need this configuration (see section on Configuration for NPC Pilots)

The Basic Configuration consists of the Essential Modules, plus the Hyperdrive. However, not all Modules that have to be installed have to be of the same Class as the Ship Hull.

The following Modules can be as low as Class 1 and the ship will still function normally:
Armour Panels
Shield
Mining Beam
Ram Scoop
Salvage Beam

The following Modules must be of the same Class as the Ship Hull for the ship to function at all:
Computer
Electronics
Grav Generator
Propulsion System
Warp Drive
Hyperdrive - only required if you are going to travel via Hyperspace

The following modules can be used at a lower, or higher, Class than the Class of the Ship Hull, but ship performance will be progressively impaired if a lower class module is installed:
Capacitor
Reactor

Both these Modules can be stacked to improve performance in a combat situation.

Because NPC Pilots are not capable of using Warp Drive or Hyperdrive, the configuration of a ship for a NPC Pilot is somewhat differrent to that for a Pilot Citizen. The Minimum configuration for a NPC piloted ship is:
Class 1 Armour Panels
Class 1 Capacitor
Ship Class Computer
Ship Class Electronics
Ship Class Gravity Generator
Class 1 Mining Beam
Ship Class Propulsion System
Class 1 Ram Scoop
Calss 1 Reactor
Class 1 Salvage Beam
Class 1 Shield

Note the lack of Warp Drive and the use of Class 1 Capacitor and Reactor. This means that the NPC Pilots are forced to move slowly, but it does significantly increase the amount of cargo they can carry.

For hauling cargo it is very useful to maximise your cargo space. Initially, the Ship's Hull is an empty space. As you add Modules the space remaining in the hull (Cargo Space) is reduced. As we have seen, in order to function at all in space, a ship needs to have several Modules installed. However, we can tweak these Modules to maximise the amount of space we have for Cargo.

When bought from an NPC shipyard all ships will have Armour Panels of their Class installed. This Module needs to be swapped for a Class 1 Armour Panel Module. Also, a Class 1 Axial Laser Module will be installed; this can be removed altogether.

When bought from Player manufacturer, these modifications will, probably, already have been made. So, the next step is to consider down Classing the Power Train. This will degrade performance slightly; you will have to wait a bit longer for the Capacitor to recharge after warping, but it can provide a significant increase in cargo space, especially on the larger vessels.

I do not recommend down Classing by more than one Class, but this has the effect of saving the space of half a Module for each of the Capacitor and the Reactor. Also, if you down Class to a Promethium Capacitor and a Yttrium Reactor, the reduction in performance is not so great as these types of Module have a greater efficiency than their standard counterparts.

The table below shows the space used by a Ship Module by Class:
Class 1 - 2
Class 2 - 3
Class 3 - 7
Class 4 - 13
Class 5 - 27
Class 6 - 53
Class 7 - 107
Class 8 - 213
Class 9 - 427
Class 10 - 853
Class 11 - 1707
Class 12 - 3413
Class 13 - 6827
Class 14 - 13653
Class 15 - 27307

Exception: Computer and Electronics Modules take up space equal to their Class number.

Refitting a vessel can only be done at a Star Station or Starbase using the Refit Ship function. You can only refit the ship you are currently in control of. You will notice two sub-functions on this screen: Fit Modules and Store Module/Ships. The method for Fitting and Storing Modules is the same, but Modules Fitted will be functional aboard the vessel and Modules Stored will not be functional. I will discuss Storing Ships later in this article.

Select either the Fit Modules or Store Module/Ships function. The Modules available will be listed, initially, in alphabetical order. To fit or store a Module simply click the ADD button next to the Module and then click on the green area of the ship where you wish to fit or store the Module. For most Modules its actual position on the vessel is not relevent to its functionality. However, for Mining Beams, Lights and Weapons, where you position the Module will affect, to a greater or lesser extent, the direction it is to be used in.

To remove a Module from a ship, simply click the REMOVE button next to the Module to be removed.

At present this only applies to the Hawk and the Boomerang.

The Hawk
The Hawk can be attached to any ship. Simply find your Hawk in the list of Modules/Ships and click the ADD Button. The Hawk will be added to the currently controlled vessel. The Hawk then becomes, effectively, a Fitted Module on the ship. Remove the Hawk from the vessel just like any other Fitted Module.

The Boomerang
If the currently controlled ship is a Boomerang, then you may store up to eight other ships on board it. These stored ships must be of Class 1 to Class 4: Hornet, Turtle, Hawk, Sparrow, Unicorn or Manta. To store the ship on board the Boomerang, simply click the ADD button next to the ship to be stored. The stored ships become, effectively Fitted Modules aboard the Boomerang. Remove these stored ships like any other Fitted Module.

A Passenger Quarters Module converts Cargo Space into Passenger Accommodation. Each Passenger Quarters Module will hold one passenger for each unit it takes up in the Cargo Hold (see above for space occupied per Module by Class). Passenger Quarters Modules maybe stacked. So, it is possible to fill your Cargo Hold with passengers. These passengers are in addition to the normal Passenger Carrying Capacity of the vessel.

The Blueprint for Class 1 Lights was a special present from Jam for players in December 2014. Light Modules get brighter and illuminate further the higher the class of the module. The positioning of a Light Module is crucial to its ability to function. It may take several attempts to get the position of the Light Module so that the light illuminates the desired direction.

Use Ctrl+L to toggle the light on and off. It sometimes takes a few tries to get the game to recognise this key press.

Weapons come in three varieties: Axial Laser, Broadside Laser and Turret Laser. The position of the Axial Laser in not relevant to it functioning correctly. The positioning of the Broadside Laser and Turret Laser is crucial to it proper functioning.

Broadside Lasers have a limited arc of fire of 45 degrees, but they do more damage than the Turret Laser. However, the Turret Laser has an arc of fire of 90 degrees.

Full details can be found on the Weapons[wiki.thespacegame.com] page of the Wiki.

If you have a Gem in the warehouse at one of your Research Facilities, you will be able to start Gem Research. The outcome of this is the Blueprint for a Class 1 Gem Scanner. It is unnecessary to research a higher Class Gem Scanner. The Gem Scanner will detect Gem Deposits on a planet where Gem Traces have been found. You can then mine the Gem Deposit and recover the gems.

This module is available as a DLC from Steam. Its purpose is to filter out any silicon in the plasma stream resulting from the harvesting of an asteroid.

The effect is to allow more of the other minerals in the asteroid to be loaded when the overall yield of an asteroid is larger than the remaining cargo capacity of the ship.

We have seen in a previous section the Modules that are needed in order for a ship to be able to function in space. There is, of course, one additional Module and that is the Ship's Hull: the Module to which all the other Modules are attached. In order to build a ship you will need:

• at least one Shipyard
  
• a blueprint for the Hull Module
  
• the blueprints, at the desired class, for all the modules that are to be installed on the ship
  
• the materials required to build the modules

Each Module will take a number of hours equal to its Class to complete. So, a Class 1 Armour Panel will take 1 hour, but a Class 12 Capacitor for a Seraph will take 12 hours. Ignoring a Hyperdrive Module, a ship needs 13 Modules to be built. Five of these are Class 1 and the other eight are the same class as the ship. So, for example, if you are building a Seraph, it will take a total of 101 shipyard hours to make the Modules. This is, with one Shipyard, just over four days. The more shipyards you have the shorter the time.

It is highly recommended that you build the Hull of the ship at your ISB. Doing this allows you to sell the ship directly ftom your ISB through the Galactic Market link there, or to buy a Class 1 Turtle or Hornet at SS Plato, fly it to the ISB and strip it of the Class 1 Modules needed for the new ship, and then, fly back to SS Plato in the new ship to put it on the GM there. This will, of course mean that you get a build up of useless Class 1 ships at your ISB, but you can dispose of them by putting them on the GM for 1cr and naming Trash as the buyer. Before you do this, strip out the Class 1 Capacitor and Class 1 Reactor for use in NPC configured ships.

Having built, or otherwise acquired, all the Modules needed they need to be transported to the Shipyard where the Hull has been made so that they can be installed in the Hull using the Refit Ship method.

The necessary blueprints are obtained from various sources.

Blueprint fragments for Class 6 to Class 10 ships are obtained by successfully salvaging wrecks. You then research the full blueprint from the fragment found in the wreck: this takes one day per fragment. There is a chance that, if your successfully salvage the Computer blueprint fragment, the Hull blueprint fragment for the ship will also be salvaged.

Complete blueprints for some Class 1 Modules are available from Commander Dixon aboard the UNCA Ulysses located at the Janus A side of the gate to the Apollo system. Please note that the blueprint for the Class 1 Reactor was issued to all active Players in December 2017. Whether or not this bluerint will become generaly avilable is unknown.

Complete blueprint sets for Class 11 to Class 15 can be obtained from Commander Dixon, also. These blueprints will only appear for a Class when you can afford the blueprint for the Hull.

If you have the time, you can research up (Up Class) any Module blueprint except the Hull blueprint, to the next Class. at your Research Lab (ISB) or Research Facility (Colony). This can save the billions of credits it would cost to purchase these blueprints from Commander Dixon.

A Shipyard must be located at a Starbase. To function properly your Shipyard will need workers, power and warehousing facilities. Unlike your other factories, a Shipyard gets no production bonuses from anything.

You may want to manufacture Mechanical Parts and Electronics at the Starbase. Most ship Modules need these products. For the essential modules, you will need about six times as many Mechanical Parts than Electronics.

If you have an interest as a crafter, you may want to consider becoming a Commercial Shipbuilder.

Recently, the average price charged by the NPC Shipbuilders has increased by 50% and, because the availability of Class 6 to Class 10 ships at the NPC Shipyards is unpredictable, Players are having to spend lots of time looking at each Starstation to fiind the ship they need. This, now, makes building Class 6 to Class 10 ships a viable option for Player Shipbuilders and presents the enterprising Player an opportunity to step into this, hopefully, burgeoning market.

To begin with you will need:

• the blueprints for the Class 6 to Class 10 Ship Modules; recovered from Wreck Salvage Contracts
  
• a Shipyard at your ISB
  
• access to asteroid fields contining Angrite and Columbite; can be found quite readily using the Asteroid Field Search[dataus.net]
  
• access to some Carbon, Titanium, Hydrogen, Electronics and Mechanical Parts; these can be readily found on the Player Stock Market until you can source your own.
  
• Class 1 Modules salvaged from Class 1 ships purchased from the local NPC Star Station Shipyard

To make ships effeciently you will need

• a complete set of blueprnts for all Ships you intend to build; these will be purchased, salvaged or researched
  
• a colony to produce the basic minerals and gases: Carbon, Titanium, Hydrogen and Oxygen
  
• access to asteroid fields where the other minrals can be mined: Magnesium, Niobium, Silicon and Tin
  
• factories to produce Electronics and Mechanical Parts; you will need about six times as many Mechanical Parts as Electronics
  
• A number of OSBs each with a Shipyard to produce the essential Modules; The current Stellar Credit (SC) Allowance of the Premium Access subscription allows for the maintenance of 1 Colony with ts attendant OSB and five free-standing OSBs.

The above will allow you to queue the Hull and six other Modules at once. To minimise overall production time, you will have to consider purchasing extra SC to support an additional one or two stand-alone OSBs.

In order to communicate with your customers, you will need a presence on the Official Ascent Forum.

The Galactic Market section of the Forum is the place to start your sales thread. You should look at some of the 'shop front' threads already on the Forum for guidelines on how to structure your own thread.

Things you will probably need are:

• a Price List; players will need to see how much you are charging
  
• a post which you can edit to acknowledge and give the progress of an order; it is nice to keep the customer informed of the progress of their order through your system
  
• any other information the you think your customers will appreciate being told about

Remember, if you have a sale of goods or other promotional project, you can send a PM to upto five individuas at a time, so... Happy Marketing!