Drones:
Cargo Drone
Spoiler
The cargo drone was developed to unload and load cargo vessels. A minor shield was added to the drone to improve the longevity of the drones in the sometimes harsh conditions of the Ashkurr System. In a pinch they can provide a minor screen for cargo vessels, though their mini-flux cores is not meant to withstand prolonged assault.
Mining Drone
Spoiler
The Mining Drone is used to provide a more accurate and nimble mining operation than using larger craft. The hard minerals and asteroids of the Ashkurr system required the mining drones to be retrofitted with a stronger chlorine based laser (most mining lasers are fluoride base) similar to that of combat lasers. The beam is kept small for pinpoint accuracy. The Mining drone has also been affixed with a light shield to protect it in the environments it mines in.
PD Drone
Spoiler
The Point Defense Drone is mounted with a single Tyrfing LMG and is meant to intercept incoming missiles. This drone is employed solely by military carrier craft that require additional protection. The drone is unshielded and not meant to take direct attack.
Shield Drone
Spoiler
A drone affixed with only a strong shield generator, it is used in some military cargo and transport craft to provide additional protection.
Fighters:
Baselard Interceptor
Spoiler
The Baselard is the lightest fighter class employed by the Commonwealth, It is mounted with a dual Tyrfing MG and relies on large numbers to take down opponents.
Epee Strike Fighter
Spoiler
The Epee is the cheap (One Step up from the Baselard) combat fighter used in most Commonwealth fleets. Used mostly for screening transport craft, life expectancy of Epee pilots usually is not very good. It uses a Shrike SRM Pod and a Tyrfing LMG.
Estoc Missile Craft
Spoiler
The Estoc is effectively a flying missile launcher. It's low armor and minimal non-missile weaponry make it more effective as a launch and run craft. During the Isolation period, the Estoc saw very little usage as it was picked apart easily by NPR harriers. Is is armed with 2 Osprey MRMs and a Tyrfing LMG.
Pelte
Spoiler
The Pelte is the a defensive fighter craft. It is not often used due to poor design, but several have made their way into civilian and defense fleets. It is large, heavy (for a fighter) and not very fast. It sports a dual Tyrfing LMG on a turret (uncommon in fighter sized ships). It is unable to mount any other weapons due to the turret mechanism and the small shield generator.
Rapier Heavy Fighter
Spoiler
The Rapier is the only fighter employed by the Commonwealth that focuses on larger craft assault. It was so effective at taking down NPR raiding craft that it found itself used in most (if not all Commonwealth fleets). It is mounted with a Dainsleif AC and a dual Tyrfing LMG
Dirk Strike Bomber
Spoiler
The dirk strike bomber is one of the signature Astral Defense Industries fighter series. During the Isolation period of the Ashkurr commonwealth, the bomber had very sparing usage due the lack of open warfare in the system. With the opening up of the system to the rest of the sector, the production of this craft has ramped up for use in Interdiction Fleets. It sports 2 Vulture Ion Bombs and a Tyrfing LMG.
Buckler Point Defense Corvette
Spoiler
The Buckler is the largest of the fighter class employed by the Commonwealth. It is loaded for bear to provide point defense protection to important fleets. Its compact size and heavy loadout make it difficult to produce and as such is not very common. Even with it's size and loadout, it is not effective against larger craft. It uses a dual and two single Tyrfing LMGs and sports a miniaturized version of the Castle Defense System.
Frigates:
Katar Patrol Craft
Spoiler
The Katar has been used in the Ashkurr system since it was first settled. Its light weight and high speed made it incredibly useful in patrolling ahead of trade and transport fleets or as a policing craft. The light weaponry makes it unsuitable for sustained combat, however. It employs the Engine Arrest System which uses a small guided missile to cause an overload in a targets engine, rendering them inert.
Targe Light Fleet Defender
Spoiler
The Targe is effectively a lighter version of the Aegis Fleet Defender. The smaller size and lighter armament make it less effective in protection than the Aegis so it saw less usage in the Isolation period. Its higher maneuverability makes it more helpful in fast moving maneuvering fleets. The smaller size, lower resource requirement and ability produce much more cheaply than the Aegis made it more popular for trade fleets on long range operations. It uses the same Castle Defense System as the Aegis.
Claymore Heavy Assault Frigate
Spoiler
**Image is a work in process**
The Claymore is the lightest assault craft of the Commonwealth. It's limitation to all light weaponry limit it's damage potential, but its speed and maneuverability made it effective in hunting down NPR raiding fleets.
Porter Construction and Repair Rig
Spoiler
**Image is a work in process**
The Porter is a mobile repair station and production facility (though light production only). It sports Cargo drones and if used in a fleet can repair other craft.
Arrastra Mining Vessel
Spoiler
**Image is a work in process**
The Arrasta is a hardy mining vessel. It uses mining drones instead of on board mining equipment. This allows for more precise mining at the cost of storage space. It is lightly armed itself, but has heavy armor and shields to deal with harsh environments and the drones can act as protectors in a pinch.
Destroyers:
Aegis Fleet Defender
Spoiler
The Aegis Fleet Defender is the most common ship after the Katar. Its wide coverage arc and standard point defense armament coupled with heavy armor and shielding make it a near requirement for the defense of Commonwealth fleets. The focus on defensive abilities while maintaining a smaller profile detract from the maneuverability of the craft. It can move forward at fairly normal speed (to keep up with the fleets they protect) but turning is incredibly slow. It employes the Castle Defense System which reroutes power from engines to the shields, eliminating forward/backward movement and reduces turning speed drastically to improve the strength of the shields. The System still causes a higher drain on flux than the just the shield, though.
Trebuchet Missile Carrier
Spoiler
The Trebuchet was a model designed by ADI to be a light long range support craft. Its missile payload could be modified to be a variety of ranges but its slow turning speed, light shielding and low defensive cability make it ineffective for short range support. The Trebuchet saw sparing use during the Isolation period but with the opening up of the starsystem it became a much more useful.
Caravel Transport Craft
Spoiler
**Image is a work in process**
The Caravel was meant to be ADI's entry into the luxury cruise liner industry. Though, the design did not get out of the prototype phase before the gates closed. The Isolated people of Ashkurr and the Commonwealth that came after did not have much use for a luxury cruise liner. The ship design was repurposed (and made more spartan) to act as a personnel and cargo transport.
Palisade Escort Carrier
Spoiler
The Palisade is the light carrier option offered by ADI. It features a single flight deck with a higher speed an maneuverability than most carriers of the same size. It suffers in the armor and defense because more of the compact space is taken up by the docks, engine power and the EMP system. The Palisade is used often by the Commonwealth as its speed allowed it to outrun good portions of NPR raiders while still providing support to fighter squadrons.
Cruisers:
Petard Siege Craft
Spoiler
**Image is a work in process**
The Petard is (was) a prototype ship of ADI. It was a ship designed around the enormous Mars Siege Cannon. The Petard never left the prototype phase by the time the gates closed so it was never formally produced. During the Isolation period the residents of the Ashkurr system had no need of such a destructive weapon, so the Petard went unproduced and unfinished. Once the Commonwealth was opened up to the rest of the sector, they saw the need to dust off the old schematics and prepare it for possible production.
The Mars Siege Cannon was designed for firing upon large immobile objects like space stations and planetary structures. Also, as it never left prototype it was never optimized. Woefully inefficient the Mars Siege Cannon tends to heavily drain the flux core of the Petard leaving it without a shield for some time. It operates by taking an enormous Infernium shell, superheating it then using a combination coil/rail system launch the projectile at a high velocity at the target. The entire process takes a long time to complete and due to design flaws can't stop once started. Which is why it is more effective at hitting slow or immobile targets. The Petard also has a slow turning radius due to most of the space being devoted to the cannon's systems and ammunition (of which there is only space for 5 shots). The cannon is also slow to reload as the chamber needs to cool down from the heating process before a new round can be chambered.
Priwen Planetary Defense Craft
Spoiler
**Image is a work in process**
The Priwen is the largest defensive craft employed by the Commonwealth. Huge Size and defensive setup make it most effective for protecting capital ships, stations or planets. Its low speed make it ineffective for protecting trade fleets which require more agile defenders.
Thanks to:
Alex for making an awesome game
MesoTroniK for providing a lot of helpful criticism and suggestions. Also, for being from the States AND being both a scholar and a gentleman.
Debido for invaluable coding help.
THe community for pushing me to do my own art (instead of kitbashing)
Valkyrial for making a awesome mod that inspired me to start modding (I just liked the style but eventually it wasn't enough for me)
The community for being supportive and providing other art advice!
THANK YOU