One and a half month have passed since the introduction of roles, but we still notice that some players do not fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of their chosen role. In today's article we would like to tell you once again how we see the roles and show you some of their features.
As you know, each ship class has three different roles which have all have a unique performance on the battlefield. We have the following roles: Interceptor: ECM (Electronic Warfare), Recon and Covert Ops. Fighter: Tackler, Command and Gunship. Frigate:Engineer, Guard and Long Range.
Interceptor
Let's start with the smallest, but at the same time the fastest ships - Interceptors. The roles of these ships are suitable for playing in a coordinated group on the battlefield and attacking the enemy's rear. We designed these three roles as following:
These ships can take part in battles of any complexity in small groups. Using their modules ECM ships can disturb the normal operation of enemy ships. Because of their tactical importance, ECM ships are often subjected to attacks, for this reason they are equipped with heavy armor and a Metastable Energy Field Generator, which may temporarily disable the systems of enemy ships in order to escape enemy fire.
As their name implies, these ships should infiltrate and identify the location of important ships in the enemy fleet. To perform this task, they are equipped with a special module which allows them to make mikrowarp over a great distance to change the position on the battlefield as fast as possible. In addition these ships can be equipped with a set of modules that helps to located stealthed enemy ships. The unique design of Recon ships allows them to capture objects faster than any other role.
Covert Ops ships are lone fighters in battle, which use "hit and run" tactics - their modules allow them to sneak behind enemy line and inflict a big amount of damage before sneaking back. In groups these ships are perfect for taking down the enemy defense. Their role is based on inflicting as many critical damage as possible.
Interceptors are displayed on the radar by the following icons:
From left to right: ECM, Recon, Covert Ops
Fighter
Continuing the roles, let's take a look at some heavier ships - Fighters. These ships have a lower speed compared to Interceptors, for this reason their task is to cover and strengthen allies. Furthermore their role is necessary in order to achieve a breakthrough on the enemy lines and for defending the own fleet.
Tacklers are usually fighting in the second line — protecting Frigates from enemy attacks. In addition, these ships can secretly put minefields in tactically important locations by using invisibility. Tackler modules are aimed at weakening the enemy protection and slowing ships down in order to make them more vulnerable to a group focus. They are also very good for hunting down enemy ships, which sneaked through the defense.
Command ships can be found in the center of every battle, in addition to strong weapons they are equipped with special shields that increase their survivability. Besides this, Command ships can perform the role of a supporter by using modules to reinforce allies nearby.
Gunships are flying in the first attack wave. These ships are designed to inflict heavy blows on enemy ships and their modules help them achieving this by temporarily boosting firepower, speed and agility. They can focus on groups of enemies, but in breaks between the activation of modules, they are more vulnerable than other Fighters.
Fighters are displayed on the radar by the following icons:
From left to right: Tackler, Command, Gunship
Frigate
Finally we come to the heaviest ships - Frigates. These ships, despite their low speed, perform some of the most important roles on the battlefield.
Engineer Frigates are the heart of the fleet. Their main task is the support of allies and the re-allocation of ships on the battlefield. Engineers are the only ships, which have modules that repair allied ships. That is why they must remain behind the main line of attack and get protected against any attack from enemy ships.
Guard Frigates can fulfill the role of defenders in the rear as well as powerful ships causing a breakthrough. They have an incredible vitality, which helps them to survive even in difficult situations and a set of additional modules for protecting allied ships.
These Frigates serve as fire support. They are most effective against fixed targets and slow ships, but it can also serve as a fire suppression against the enemy fleet. Long Range ships inflict significant damage from a great distance. In case of a breakthrough they can defend themselves - for this case they are the only ship role with 6 turrets.
Frigates are displayed on the radar by the following icons:
From left to right: Engineer, Guard, Long Range
As you may have noticed, we used the in-game interface to describe the roles. Soon you will find the information about ships and their modules in our in-game help!