Welcome to another installment of Stardrift Fiction! In this episode we'll talk about the playable classes in Stardrift Nomads and what each one brings to the table.
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One of the perks of living on the Colony is getting your very own spaceship! You can use this however you like, crack some asteroids and earn a little scrap, fly out and see the event horizon of a black hole, or just cruise around and look cool. Of course, with a great spaceship comes great responsibility. The constant threat of pirates and various other space-borne hazards means that you’ll be on rotation for Colony defense, if you’re on call when the klaxons sound you better be ready to suit up and kick some tail Nomad!
We currently offer three models, each with their own unique abilities and interchangeable sets of equipment. For now let’s get you up to speed on the base models of each and you can take your time later tricking out your favorite ship and giving it a sweet paint job.
The Ace
This ship is built to fight pirates and is capable of single-handedly destroying large groups of enemies with an array of AOE and damage mitigation abilities. With twin-mounted weapon ports, heavy armor, and a wealth of offensive abilities to choose from the Ace is perfect for blasting other ships into sizzling clouds of scrap. The standard package includes laser cannons, modest cargo bay, decent armor plating, and mid-range engines, nothing fancy but it gets the job done.
In addition, pilots are able to activate several abilities to increase the effectiveness of the Ace in combat. One example is a munitions overload ability which dramatically increases the fire rate of the weapons for a short period of time.
Strengths: high ship damage, high damage absorption, many AOE abilities
Weaknesses: low asteroid damage, low speed
The Mechanic
Engineered for construction in zero gravity, this ship is a master of towers. Able to build towers with a wide range of abilities and having access to gear which reduces construction costs, the Mechanic is the ship for defensive-minded Nomads. The standard ship is outfitted with a single laser cannon, small cargo bay, light armor, and weak engines, but the abilities and towers this ship has access to more than make up for any deficiencies.
Many of the abilities the Mechanic has access to allows pilots to deflect enemy attacks or defend their allies. One such ability allows the Mechanic to slash enemies and asteroids with its large construction claw inflicting heavy damage and sending them careening in the other direction.
Strengths: diverse tower selection, AOE healing, can build powerful temporary towers
Weaknesses: low damage, few damage abilities
The Scavenger
Fast and light with a large cargo hold, this ship is the ultimate in scrap harvesting technology, with strong anti-asteroid abilities and a focus on economy you’ll never want for cash with a Scavenger around. The stock ship includes a mining laser, large cargo bay, light armor, and powerful engines, everything you need to get the scrap flowing back to the colony.
The abilities this ship offers focus mainly on survivability and enemy disruption. One example is the magnetic mine which the Scavenger can leave behind when escaping. It will follow the nearest pirate until it makes contact and explodes, dealing massive damage and disabling ships in the immediate area.
Strengths: high speed, economy focused, disruptive abilities
Weaknesses: low range weapons, low ship damage
The Escape Pod
This can either be your salvation or your coffin. If your ship happens to get destroyed in the course of the day you can launch the Escape Pod and avoid your cremation. It doesn’t really do much except fly around, basically the purpose of this ship is to get you back to the base in one piece. Once there you’ll be able to get a new ship, but these things aren’t free! You’ll either have to pay for a new ship with money earned from selling scrap or wait until the hangar master feels bad for you and waives the fee.
Strengths: you’re not spacedust right now
Weaknesses: you can’t really do much in this ship, except wait for rescue
Towers
The backbone of any successful defense, every ship has access to three different towers which complement their role on the battlefield. Each tower can be upgraded once it is built, upgrading will increase damage, fire rate, armor, etc. based on the focus of that particular tower. The mine tower, for example, can deploy a larger minefield with more powerful mines as it is upgraded.
Towers can only be upgraded twice but each increase will hurt your wallet, should a tower be destroyed on your watch you’re out of luck. There are no refunds for broken gear, so take care to defend your towers well once they are upgraded!
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Thanks for reading! Next up we'll get into the various threats from the deep that you'll be put up against in Stardrift Nomads.
