Star Clusters

Overview

Star clusters are huge collections of densely packed stars which can not be navigated by ships.

Ships

Ships that try to navigate or even hyperjump through the star cluster itself will be instantly destroyed. If one ship tries to tow another ship into the star clusters, only the tower will be destroyed.

Ships may navigate through the radiation that the star clusters emit, but non-Robotic ships that move through (or stay in) the radiation will lose crew and colonists each turn equal to the highest point of travel in the radiation. Ships that trigger a normal mine or get hit by a glory device while inside radiation will lose additional crew/colonists equal to the radiation at the point of impact due to the sudden hull breach. Ships that have a cloaking device can reduce their crew/colonist loss by 50% by activating the cloaking device.

Ships that lose all of their crew to the radiation will become a ghost ship. This ship may be tow-captured by any dual-engine vessel with 20 or more crew.

Radiation Shielding

Some ships are equipped with radiation shielding which protects the ship's crew/colonists from radiation.

Name	Tech	Beams	T/F	En	MC	Dur	Tri	Mol	Mass	Cargo	Fuel	Crew	Abilities	Adv
Banshee Class Destroyer	6	4	2/0	2	110	22	47	53	120	80	140	336	RS	0
D7a Painmaker Class Cruiser	2	4	0/0	2	90	42	81	43	170	120	230	352	RS	0
Little Pest Class Escort	2	6	0/0	2	60	12	27	45	75	20	180	175	RS	0
D7 Coldpain Class Cruiser	4	4	2/0	2	120	42	71	63	175	100	430	373	RS, Cl	10
Ill Wind Class Battlecruiser	5	10	2/0	2	320	82	91	93	275	260	480	525	RS	20
D3 Thorn Class Destroyer	5	2	4/0	2	110	32	43	25	90	40	120	222	RS, Cl	5
Deth Specula Class Frigate	6	6	4/0	2	280	25	45	89	113	35	140	240	RS, Cl	10
D19b Nefarious Class Destroyer	6	7	0/0	2	180	32	53	65	96	40	160	265	GD, RS	35
Saber Class Frigate	8	10	0/0	2	280	25	35	95	153	25	150	420	GD, RS	35
Victorious Class Battleship	10	10	6/0	2	410	170	193	90	451	130	290	810	RS	20
Moscow Class Star Escort	3	4	0/2	2	285	25	55	89	173	65	140	370	RS	0
Armored Transport	4	1	0/0	2	35	14	12	16	68	200	250	126	RS	0

Planets

Colonists and natives that are currently on planets are protected from the radiation due to the planet's atmosphere. In order for the same to be applied to ships, non-Robotic players must build a radiation shielded starbase (requiring 145 Du, 582 Tr, 380 Mo, and 1100 mc) on planets that are inside radiation. Robotic players continue to build normal starbases, since their crew/colonists are entirely immune to radiation.

These specialized starbases protect not only the ships of the owner, but also its allies. They can also hold 20 more fighters and 50 more defenses than normal starbases, and even naturally gain 200 kT in combat mass.

Ion Storms

Ion storms that interact with the radiation gain strength, but will be instantly killed if they come into contact with a star cluster.