Different Space-based Units used in BAQ

 STARSHIPS

The Federation starships tend to have stronger defensive capabilities while the Klingon starships have better attack stats. The Romulans have more balanced starships, many of which are cloaked. The Neutrals and Orions also have their own ships but they are generally inferior and there are less designs to choose from.

The majority of starships are 'carriers' although there are no aircraft except for probes. It is very useful to launch and retrieve probes from your starships as probes have exceptional range and can detect hidden dangers. Starships can also carry cobalt devices for long range attacks.

The general rule for Starship stats for a generation of designs are as follows but are not written in stone:

Attack

Defense

Federation

X

X+1

Klingon

X+1

X-1

Romulan

X

X

Cloaked 

X+2

X/2

 

 CLOAKED SHIPS

Cloaked ships are submarines. Many Romulan ships and a few Klingon ships have the cloaking ability while Federation ships can never cloak (because of the Treaty of Algeron). Because they cannot use active sensors without giving away their position, cloaked ships cannot see what is happening on a planet. This applies even to cloaked ships like scouts which can detect other cloaked ships. Also take note that cloaked ships stay cloaked perpetually and cannot attack land units. If you never used submarines much before, you should also be warned that cloaked ships are not invisible when they move.

 

 COBALT DEVICES AND PHOTON ARTILLERY

The Plasma Torpedo, bi-Cobalt and tri-Cobalt devices are cruise missile type units with a very short range but a heavy punch. They operate for two turns before running out of gas. Besides probes, cobalt devices are another essential item to carry on your starships.

One special unit which warrants mentioning is the photon artillery unit, which is a land based carrier or a mobile airbase. It can refuel and fire missile units and has Aegis level protection against missiles. It is also wonderfully convenient as a land based transfer point for moving cobalt devices from city to city since cobalt devices have a very short range. However, due to the limitations of a game engine, they will not 'drag' missiles along with them when they move.

While we're on the subject, airbases in ST:BAQ are called forward bases and appear as blue moons. While airbases are not often used in CIV2, they are important in ST:BAQ because of the miserly range of cobalt devices. When they are active, there is a bright yellow strip of light running from the north pole to the south pole.

 

 SCISSORS-PAPER-STONE STSTEM

The ST:BAQ system of space units is such that different ship types are given complimentary abilities and weaknesses much like in the StarCraft Brood War ground-air balance scheme. This forces players to build fleets of more than one ship design for maximum effectiveness.

 

 

 

 CODES UNDER MILITARY ADVISER (F2)

Carry x 

Can ferry x number of ground units

SR 

Short Ranged Craft

Kill SR

Can Intercept Short Ranged Craft

C-2  

Can See 2 Spaces

IgnZOC

Ignores Zone of Control

IgnODP 

Ignores Orbital Defence Platforms

Cloaker

Cloaked Ship

Sensors 

Can Spot Cloaked Ships

Cob

Can Carry Cobalt (and Probes)

Bm

Beam-In Attacker

LR-Bm

Long Range Beam-In Attacker

Fast 

All Squares are Roads

x2vsMob

1.5x Defence vs Fast Units

x2vsMis 

1.5x Defence vs Cobalt Devices

No Sup

Not Support Needed under Collectivism

Coastal 

Not Used