Ships

Ships are the core means of transportation, activity, adventure, and combat in Star Citizen. Every ship is a self-contained vehicle with a cockpit, engines, and a role to play in the greater 'verse', from basic cargo haulers like the Hull A to the huge crewed carriers such as the Bengal. Whether in space or on the surface of a planet, ships offer ways to earn Credits through both friendly and hostile means.

"Ships" is the general term for both space/atmosphere Spaceships and ground-based Vehicles that every Citizen may own, operate, and crew.

Roles
Most ships and ship variants in the universe are designed and built with a particular purpose, or role, in mind; from the small eleven-meter M50 Interceptor racing ship to the massive one-kilometer UEE Bengal Carrier purpose-built for the military.

Starter
Starter ships are the inexpensive and versatile ships used by fledgling Citizens to explore the universe for the first time. Often single-seat and with a small cross-section, these may be the most common type of ships piloted by Citizens in the universe.

Exploration


Exploration craft boasts powerful sensor suites, larger fuel tanks, and other components to explore frontiers and make grand discoveries. These ships, manned by brave explorers, will delve into unexplored and dangerous jump points just for the chance to discover a new system.

Cargo
Every settlement, station, and ship needs supplies and goods to function; whether the demand is for essential jump fuel or luxurious leather couches. These ships are owned by traders and merchants seeking to deliver these goods for the highest profit, utilizing expanded cargo holds and improved engines to haul as much cargo as possible.

Combat
Combat ships are purpose-built and designed to interdict, outmaneuver, and disable or destroy targeted ships. Bristling with weapons and boasting improved power plants, combat ships have small or non-existent cargo holds and other accessories for maximum combat efficiency. These ships are further broken down into different combat roles.

Fighters
Fighters are combat ships designed for one or two persons; often with forward-facing weapons and focused on taking down other ships of similar size. These fighters can be found all over the universe, whether as bounty hunters or as part of the front line of a capital ship battle.

Bombers


Bombers carry a large payload of torpedoes and other heavy ordnance for tactical strikes against larger targets. Bombers often have fewer anti-fighter weaponry and require a fighter escort to reach the target before being intercepted

Combat utility ships
Combat utility ships are small ships with support equipment, radar, non-lethal weapons, or other specialized equipment. They take on a role beyond simply destroying enemy targets; usually used to support squadrons or fleets with their abilities.

Corvettes
Corvettes are large ships that are nearly as capable as capital ships. They require crew contingents greater than fighters but not as large as a full capital ship. These ships serve as support ships to capitals in large fleets or as flagships of small fleets or militias. They are generally designed for the UEE Navy, with many models having "civilian" versions for sale to the general public.

Capital ships


Capital ships are larger, heavier, and carry more people, or crew, than fighters. As with fighters, crewed ships may either be general combat ships or focus on a specific role. Many of these heavier combat ships are part of the UEE Navy and are not available to Citizens

Mining
Mining ships work to extract raw materials from asteroids in space and rocks on planetary surfaces. These ships are usually not well armed or armored as their design is fully focused on their main goal.

Salvage
These ships aim at recovering materials from space junk and derelict ships. They work by pulverizing pieces of ships into small pieces that can be sorted and melted down for recycling.

Racing


Packing oversized engines and power plants at the expense of every other component, racing ships are unparalleled in their speed and maneuverability. Often lightly armed and free of any cargo hold, these sleek ships can fly at breathtaking speeds as they cruise around a race course; racers dream of winning the Murray Cup.

Specialized
With many different roles to fulfill in the universe, these ships often fall into a class of their own; filling a niche need without significant competition. Specialized roles include passenger transportation or scientific research, though the customization of other ships may allow them to fulfill this role to a lesser degree.

Multi-Role
Whether through inbuilt versatility or modularity, multi-role ships can accomplish more than one job effectively. These ships do not occupy a single niche and thus are usually not "the best" ship for any one role. Ships that fulfill multiple roles through versatility are the Swiss Army knives of the 'verse. For example, the Avenger Titan advanced starter ship has a sizable cargo grid, solid weaponry, and habitation space, making it decently effective for hauling, combat, and living away from port. Modular ships execute their separate roles through various levels of reconfiguration. This effectively turns them into something of an above-mentioned "Specialized" ship while thus configured.



Alien ships
Many alien ships also exist in the universe, most normally not flyable by humans without serious modification. Replica crafts are included in the above tables and were designed and fitted by human and some alien manufacturers for use by Citizens.

Manufacturers
Ship manufacturers design and build ships for military and civilian use, spending decades and billions of credits on research and development.

Sizes
A ships size, when written as a value, is a simplified overview of both the scale of a ship's physicality, and the scope of its player investment. While these values are not absolutes, i.e. some Capital ships may be smaller and some Medium ships may be larger, it is intended only to be a starting point in your understanding of a particular ship's place in the Star Citizen universe, and not the final word on what it can and cannot do.

While there are many practical reasons as to why giving a ship a specific size value is important, two of the most useful reasons in Star Citizen are:


 * Hangars and landing pads:Hangars and landing pads throughout the universe are specific sizes, and as such can only safely accommodate ships of that size or smaller. For example, while there is nothing stopping a large ship landing on a small planet-side landing pad, a large ship will not physically fit into a small hangar onboard a space station, no matter how hard the pilot tries.
 * Jump points:Just as the number of jump points throughout the universe vary, so does their size. As such, jump points are given a size value which corresponds to the maximum size of a ship that can travel through it.

Definitions
As Star Citizen is currently in development, and as the community engaging with it grows, different definitions have been used by both developers and community members to describe various ship size values. Some examples of these have been referenced below.

Additionally, common examples of the ship sizes used in-game are as follows.

Vehicle


Can only be operated on ground, the range spans from simple personal transport vehicles like the Greycat PTV, through exploration rovers like the Lynx and Ursa to much larger vehicles. Can often be crewed by a single player or a small group.

Snub


A ship that is completely dependent on another ship to work over a wide area. Sometimes referred to as a parasite craft. Will work in space and atmosphere with generally only a single pilot. Often has no Quantum Drive or fuel intakes which limit its range without the parent ship. An example of this is the Dragonfly.

Small


Generally up to 25m in length. Ships that operate in space with Quantum capability. Ideal for solo operators but not exclusively single-seaters. Appropriate for the vast majority of landing pads on stations throughout the verse.

Medium


Most commonly 25-50m in length. Can be operated independently, but will flourish most effectively with additional crew. Often contains living accommodations for the crew to support extended missions or some form of cargo area. Designed to be played well by a small group of friends.

Large


Frequently found in the 50-150m length range, these ships can be operated with a skeleton crew, but really require an experienced medium to large crew working together as a unit throughout the mission to achieve their goals. Maintenance and repair costs often become a significant factor in this size bracket.

Capital


Huge ships that are often (but not exclusively) over 150m in length and require a significant investment in time or crew to maintain let alone run. The crew needs to be skilled in many areas to effectively operate these colossal ships and often need a small fleet of supporting ships to keep them in the best condition or out of harms way. While these ships are not designed for the casual, individual player, they will offer a unique gameplay experience to the dedicated crew who put in the time and resources.