The Vendetta Universe
Ships Types and Configurability
The Spacecraft is the avatar of the user within the Vendetta universe, the all-important tool needed for survival. As such, a variety of highly configurable vessels will be available.
Flexibility and Modularity
Ships in Vendetta will fall into a number of different categories, based on their intended use, flexibility, and so forth. The ships of each Nation will have some inherent advantages, based on the technological and culture background of the Nation, but their use will not necessarily be limited to the citizens of that Nation. A ship designed by one Nation might be available with heavier armor, while a ship designed by another might be equippable with more advanced reactor technology. Through the use of a variety of "module ports", many different ships may be equipped in different ways. This allows ships to be highly configurable to the specific mission at hand, as well as permitting a ship designed for one purpose to be used (to some limited extent) for a different purpose. Thus, the fighter might be temporarily used to haul a little cargo, the transport might be retrofitted as a bomber, and so on.
)
Ship Varieties
Spacecraft in Vendetta will vary greatly in scale, although purchasing cost will greatly increase with the ship's size. Ships will be available to serve most needs. Small, lightweight fighters for combat or escort duty. Heavier bombers for support and assault uses, or alternately usable as light transports. Midrange and heavy freighters and small capital ships, ranging up to large cruisers, carriers and other flag-level capital vessels, will be added as playable ships in a post-release expansions.
){kind=link}
The expense and difficulty in purchasing ships will increase proportionally to their size. Over time, a single character might build a trading empire and amass a fortune great enough to own a large freighter. However, the resources of a great many players would be needed to secure ownership of a large capital ship, not to mention the caveats required for political approval.
On the other hand, some ships would be available to players through the auspices of the governments to whom they owe their allegience. A character who achieves sufficient rank in the nation's military may be given command of a military ship. However, use of military hardware would be restricted.
Multiple characters will be able to use a single large ship, either by piloting the vessel or manning defense turrets. Craft of a certain scale may contain docking bays, allowing users to transport and launch their smaller ships from the larger.
)
Ship Appearance
Aside from the changes in appearance caused by the modular configuration of the ship's hardware (engines, weapons, etc), ships will also have a certain level of aesthetic user-configurability. Ships may have portions of their colors defined by the user, plus different ship "livery" (skins) may be available to users belonging to particular factions. Thus, advanced characters may have access to special ship configuration options, further setting their ships apart visually.
)