Troops are the ground based forces of an empire. Though starships may be adept at patrolling space and enforcing an empire’s will, they are too bulky and clumsy when it comes to planet based combat. This is where troops come into play. They can land on a planet and capture the indigenous population and facilities. In combat, they are dropped onto a planet and must battle any defending troops and the native population. If the troops successfully conquer their adversaries, the planet becomes owned by their controlling Empire. In this way, you don’t have to have ships utterly decimate the population and facilities from space. They can take the planet intact. The existing population and facilities become there’s.

Troops have no space movement capability of their own. They must be transported as cargo aboard starships. A ship size specifically designed for this purpose is the Transport. This ship size is specialized for housing cargo. While the troops are being transported, they have no offensive or defensive capabilities. If the ship that’s carrying them takes damage, and their cargo storage is destroyed, then they will be destroyed as well. Troops can only actively participate in combat when they are on a planet, or when they are dropped onto a planet during combat.

Fighters are small single-person space vehicles designed to travel very fast for short distances. They are adept at combat and can inflict tremendous damage on enemy starships. They are constructed with smaller versions of engines and weapon components. The technology of the fighter determines the type of weapon that they will possess. More advanced fighters can even carry ECM, Combat Sensors, and Shields.

Fighters have no warp capability and must be transported by starships through warp points. The carrier ship size is specialized to carry fighter. A fighter is constructed then loaded onto a carrier for transport into a combat situation. When combat begins, the carrier launches all of its available fighters to attack enemy ships. At the end of combat, the surviving fighters are loaded back onto their carriers. If, however, the carriers have been destroyed, the fighters will remain in space. Fighters will land back on any carrier they can. Fighters can be carried by ships and planets.

Fighters can be launched during combat and during the normal game. When launched from a planet or ship, they can move around the system, but they cannot warp through a warp point.

Mines are small, computer-controlled warheads which detonate near enemy ships. They are undetectable and will detonate near any enemy ship that enters the location in which they lay in wait. When mines explode, they do damage to themselves and to the enemy ship that is near.

Mines have no movement capability whatsoever. They must be transported in cargo aboard starships. A starship merely has to load the mines, and then take them to a location is space and deploy, ‘lay’, them. Once mines have been laid, there is no retrieving them (though they can be self-destructed). They will then sit in wait for any enemy ship to move through the location. They consider an enemy to be any Empire that your Empire currently has no political relationship with or worse. Mines will damage all enemy ships, including ones that are cloaked.

Mines are completely invisible. They can only be detected by sufficiently advanced sensor devices. You can always see your own mines sitting in space. As you encounter enemy minefields, though, you can mark them so that your ships don’t move through that location again. Your Empire designates the location as having a Tagged Minefield. Your ships will not move through this location unless you give them specific orders to do so.

Though mines cannot be detected through normal means, they can be eliminated, ‘swept’, by special Mine Sweeping Components. A ship that has a Mine Sweeping component will automatically sweep for mines when it enters a sector. For more information see Commands.

Satellites are small computer controlled weapon stations. Much like mines, they sit in space and wait for enemy ships to come near. When they do, the satellites attack them with the weapons they possess. Satellites are very much like mini bases.

Satellites have no movement capacity whatsoever. They must be transported aboard ships in cargo and then dropped to locations. Satellites can be loaded and dropped as many times as you need. They are best used as defenses for a planet, or as a greeting for ships coming through a warp point.

Weapon Platforms are large ground based weapons stations that site on planets. Weapon Platforms in effect, give planets the same weaponry as starships. However, with the use of weapon mounts, the weapons on weapon platforms are very powerful.

Weapon Platforms have no movement capacity whatsoever. They must be transported aboard ships in cargo and then dropped onto other planets. They can also merely be constructed on the destination planet. They are best used as a main defense for a planet.

Drones are large computer-controlled missiles. They are designed much like small ships and can carry engines, shields, weapons, and most especially, warheads. Drones are usually equipped with a large warhead used to damage ships or planets. Drones are launched from ships or planets and seek out an enemy target. Once the drone encounters the target, it will ram the target and do as much damage as possible. Most drones are constructed with special materials giving them an increase in their speed.

Drones can be launched during combat and during the normal game. When launched from a planet or ship in the normal game, they must immediately be given a target. This target can be a ship or a planet. The movement of the drone is automatic towards its target. Once the target is given, it cannot be changed. However, if the drone loses its target for some reason, it may be assigned a new target. You cannot choose whether a drone gets into combat or not, it is automatic.

Drones can be launched during combat from ships carrying them. Once launched, the drone will automatically pick a target from those available in combat and seek it out (to ram and destroy it). You cannot control a drone during combat. If the drone survives the combat, and its target was killed, then it may be given a new target.

Drones cannot be resupplied. Once they exhaust the supply they are launched with, they will expire. Even if a drone just sits in space, it will consume supplies. Its best that once a drone is launched, you give it a target before it expires from lack of supply.