Ship to Ship Combat

• Rookie Shield
  New ships are equipped with a "Rookie Shield" which protects them from any attack, but also prevents them from launching attacks. The Rookie Shield loses its energy after a short period of time, whether or not the ship has been attacked.
  
  
• Fighter Strikes
  Ships attack each other by launching long-range fighter strikes. Fighters do not engage other fighters in combat, as they are approaching their targets at very high speed, and possibly on different trajectories. Each fighter carries one missile, which it fires at the enemy ship's bridge, or at a defensive gun if it does not have a clear shot at the bridge. Guns are the only defense which ships have against fighters and their missiles.
  
  
• Multiple Ship Combat
  Ships that belong to the same corporation will support each other in combat. When an attack is launched, all ships at the same location belonging to either the defender's or the attacker's corporation will participate in the battle. Each ship will launch a percentage of its fighters at each enemy target, based on the size of the target. Each ship will also fire a percentage of its guns at each attacking fighter squadron, based on the size of the squadron.
  
  
• Bridge Hits
  When a ship's bridge is hit, it immediately ceases to function. If the ship has suffered enough damage, hull integrity failure may occur, completely eliminating the ship. If the ship is not so severely damaged, it may remain intact. These derelict ships may be boarded, and their bridges repaired to allow them to operate again. The derelict's cargo and passengers become the property of the new captain. However, any troops that were aboard will fight boarding parties, unless the boarding captain belongs to the same corporation as the derelict.
  
  
• Orphaned Fighters
  Some of an incapacitated ship's fighters may survive a battle, and need a new ship to dock with. If there are empty fighter bays on a ship belonging to their corporation, the pilots will dock there and join the crew. If there are no available bays, and enemy ships are still operational, the fighter pilots may launch kamikaze attacks on the enemy ships. (Note: This feature is not yet implemented)
  
  
• Docked Ships If a ship is attacked while docked at a planet, all available ships and starbases belonging to the planet's owners will assist in defending the docked ship.
  
  
• Attacking Homeworlds
  Any captain attacking a corporation which controls a homeworld should be certain to have enough forces to finish the job. Otherwise, an Arms Embargo by the homeworld corporation will cut off the captain's access to the homeworld's recruiting and repair facilities, forcing the captain to use more expensive facilities in the outer colonies.