Status bar of a Civilian ship.
This is a list of Civilian faction ships in Escape Velocity Nova.
Cargo Drone[]
Cargo Drone targeting
"The Cargo Drone is an inter-ship and in-system cargo transportation droid. It has a very simple Lebowickz-Huffman neural net, little turning ability and absolutely no shields. In war-torn systems these inoffensive craft are usually the first to be scrapped in a big firefight... not because they are deliberately targeted, but because one stray shot will total them."
Shuttle[]
Shuttle targeting
"Sigma Shipyards first produced this simple in-system shuttle over two hundred years ago, and the basic keel design hasn't been changed since. The shuttle has only enough power for three jumps, a single light blaster and a tiny shield generator; enough to protect against micrometeoroids but a few direct hits by even a light blaster will cause real problems for this craft."
Heavy Shuttle[]
Heavy Shuttle targeting
"Based on the keel of the Sigma Shipyards Shuttle, the Heavy Shuttle is half again the length of the original model and has the capability for an extra hyperspace jump over that of the older design. The simple jump engines limit the amount of extra cargo it can carry over and above what the older shuttle can, but that one extra jump is main reason the Heavy Shuttle has all but displaced the shuttle in most systems."
Viper[]
Viper targeting
"With the rapid development of space flight, it was inevitable that sports (particularly racing) would come to fruition sooner rather than later. Power Sled racing stood up to the challenge. A few intrepid hot-rodders noticed that one particular sled, the Viper, took very well to a bit of extra weight in the form of armor and armament. With a little engine tweaking, these modified Vipers, designated F-23, were selected by the Federation as the mainstay of their fighter wings. This model is a civilian shell by Comara Racing."
Asteroid Miner[]
Asteroid Miner targeting
"Asteroid mining has been the staple method of gathering materials since the time of the construction of the Kane band. Dr. Harbhajan Singh of the University of Mumbai first came up with a basic robotic craft designed to latch onto an asteroid and maneuver it close to a planet for processing. Today's Asteroid Miners are manned by a crew of six and are the backbone of the resource gathering efforts of the Federation and the Auroran Empire."
Terrapin[]
Terrapin targeting
"The aptly named Terrapin is the mainstay of the Federation's small traders. While ugly as sin, and about as fast as its namesake, the Terrapin carries one whole standard cargo pod segment. This huge cargo capacity for such a small vessel makes it a ripe target for pirates and Auroran raiders. They usually travel in "gaggles" with hired escorts, but sometimes a lone trader on his last monetary legs will try to journey alone."
Lightning[]
Lightning targeting
"The galaxy is a dangerous place, and one cannot always rely on the authorities to be in the right place at the right time. This being the case, many planetary governments have created small planetary defense militias, and the Rautherion Lightning is the backbone of such organizations. It falls somewhere between a fighter and a gunboat, and is versatile enough to take on the many roles required of such a craft."
Valkyrie[]
Valkyrie targeting
"Those in the know (particularly "Hypergate Monthly") have described the Valkyrie as 'the last of the great gas guzzlers.' This trim ship employs ancient liquid-fuelled reaction rockets instead of Thorium-based nuclear engines. For all her ancient design, however, the Valkyrie still looks and moves like a top-of-the-line in-system sports racer. Like the evergreen Porsche Starscreamer before her, the Valkyrie never quite seems to go out of style."
Thunderhead[]
Thunderhead targeting
"The Thunderhead is so named for its main weapon, the Thunderhead Lance. The Lance is a solid beam of coherent laser light. In some ways, the Thunderhead has the worst reputation of any fighting vessel in the Galaxy. Not because of turn ratings or levels of firepower, but because this assault fighter is the weapon of choice of pirates, privateers and corsairs throughout known space. It has enough armor to allow it to go up against large ships, and enough speed to allow it to catch most craft that try to flee."
Starbridge[]
Starbridge targeting
"The Starbridge is a relatively new concept in ship design, in a Federation where ancient traditions are the rule. This vessel channels power straight from a Thorium Nuclear Furnace into its large impulse drives, bypassing life-support and even jump engines. Ancillary power is then provided by turbines mounted behind the engines. This design provides very accurate control of thrust, and great power in normal space. The single drawback is that the turbines must be very strong, pushing the price up by a large margin."
Modified Starbridge[]
Modified Starbridge targeting
"The Starbridge was the state of the art when it was first released nearly two decades ago, but the latest version leaves it for dead. Improved engines and turning capabilities, as well as vastly increased offensive and defensive systems, ensure that this ship is on the wish-list of nearly every freighter captain in the galaxy."
Star Liner[]
Star Liner targeting
"Interstellar tourism took off when the Hypergate system was instituted (particularly from Earth, which benefits from quick and easy transport from surface to orbit via the Kane Band). The mainstay of the industry is a fleet of vessels bearing a remarkable resemblance to the luxury liners of pre-Band times. A typical complement of crew and passengers is about three hundred. The ships themselves are speedy through hyperspace, and have mild shielding for protection against asteroids and to enable them to get close to some of the more spectacular phenomena."
IDA Frigate[]
IDA Frigate targeting
"The IDA Frigate was the mainstay of the Colonial Council line before the collapse of the Gate system, and instrumental in the defense of the core worlds against the Aurorans. These ships were made to last; the spaceframe itself is compartmental and component-based, and, like the Leviathan, it is virtually indestructible. Don't count on this protecting you on the bridge, though. Bad shields, good armor and brutal Impact Drive Assemblies (hence IDA) are all trademarks of this keel."
Pegasus[]
Pegasus targeting
"In the war against the Vell-os, many of the old cargo carriers were wrecked beyond repair, and the shipping houses whose livelihood depended on them faced financial ruin. A solution was found by a young engineer named Eyeya Soyahc, who realized that a Leviathan was too big to be destroyed utterly. Thus he organized teams to salvage the enormous cargo rings from the floating hulks. These rings were repaired and retrofitted with engines. The design was such a commercial success that it was adopted in its own right, and is now manufactured by many worlds."
Leviathan[]
Leviathan targeting
"The Leviathan is probably the biggest ship you will ever see. There are only a few hundred of these giant freighters in existence, for two reasons. Firstly, only the biggest corporations could afford them, and secondly, the actual ship itself takes 20 years to build. Most Leviathans are actually close to 600 years old. Many were even active while the gate system was still operational, and have been handed down through the generations, from hereditary ship's master to ship's master. Most were retrofitted with jump engines when the technology became available."
Escape Pod[]
Escape Pod targeting