Ship components

Where each ship is something of a blank slate with its own style and design, ship components are the nuts and bolts of customization. From the recharge rate of shields to the raw hull-busting power of a ballistic weapon, each component has unique characteristics and behaviors to appeal to pilots. The discerning ship owner can decide between a simple stock part; or a customized, overclocked, and styled part designed just for them. All items in the game are designed to fill a role or accomplish a specific task; meaning that few items could be considered objectively "better" than another. Overall, ship modification is built around resource management; balancing space requirements, power consumption, heat, and other characteristics in a way to avoid micromanagement during actual combat.

Component Types
Broadly, each ship component can be placed into one of nine hardpoints:



Sizing
Component sizing has been standardized across the universe into a very simple "Size" system. Generally, a component with a greater size number is larger, more powerful, has higher requirements, and costs more. Most components are in the range of Size 1 (Fighter) to Size 4 (Capital ships), but weapons follow a different sizing system, documented below

Components of a specific size can only be fitted to a hardpoint of the same size in a ship; not because of physical size, but also because of available power, CPU, and heat resources.

Weapon Sizing
Weapons operate on a different sizing system from other ship components; allowing for greater customizability and design. Current weapons and weapon hardpoints are in the range of Size 1 (Small laser cannon) to Size 5 (WRATH plasma cannon of a Vanduul Scythe). The basic premise of a weapon's sizing system is: [Base Weapon Size] + [Modifiers] = [New Weapon Size]. For example, a Size 1 BEHR laser with a Gimbal (Size 1 modifier) would require a size 2 hardpoint to function. Three modifiers currently exist, all giving a +1 hardpoint size increase:


 * Gimbal: Allows for aiming of the weapon independent of the ship's facing within a certain arc.
 * Manned Turret: Seat and aiming system for a gunner to operate the weapon
 * Twin-Link: Pairs the weapon with an identical one for a greater volume of fire

Requirements and Statistics
Beyond simply the physical space needed to mount a component, each hardpoint must supply power, disperse heat, and handle other resources before the component may be used. Each component has certain requirements and statistics that describe and differentiate them from other components. Many of these are listed below:

These statistics are general statistics that are applicable to any ship component. Individual component types have additional statistics relevant to their application, such as Rate of Fire for weapons.

Tuning
Tinkering and tuning ships, parts, and components is particularly interesting to many people. Every component produced is "rated" to a certain specification by the manufacturer, even though it may possibly be capable of superior performance. Tuning, or "Overclocking", is the process of pushing a module or component beyond its rated specification. A laser cannon may be able to do 10% or 20% more damage if greater power is routed to it, but at the risk of greater heat generation or damage. Certain players or NPCs may make a living by overclocking components and selling them at a premium to others.

Tuning can be conducted in various facilities. Basic overclocking can be done anywhere with the proper tools. Advanced tuning required advanced facilities, such as the supercollider module on the Endeavor

Manufacturers
Component manufacturers design and manufacture nearly every ship component found on the market, competing with each other to release the next big part that brings them significant profit.