In the tumultuous period of 5232-5238 A.E. the appearance of the Royal Ventrian Starforce on the galactic stage and the arrival of Ur-Real vanguard forces had introduced a number of disruptive technologies to the traditional strictures of interstellar warfare in the Large Magellanic Cloud. By the close of 5233 the Phoenix Empire, the Jardin Republic, and the Space Revolutionary Army had all produced extended range lasers equivalent to the Ventrian model by means of espionage, secret arrangements, and outright theft. This development occurred just as the three major powers fell on unforeseen windfalls of economic and social resources permitting massive growths in military expenditures. The Phoenix Empire was energized by the rule of the Empress Mizuiri-Saria; amongst other priorities it needed to revitalize a military mauled by the Phoenix Republican Uprising and the Battle of the Starforge. Following the end of the La'Reinne government, new economic policies had restored a flagging economy in the Jardin Republic. The Free Star League had cohered around a number of popular reforms, one of which authorized huge investment into the federal navy. Other smaller regional powers also had reasons to accelerate building programs. A storm of new innovations - including the triumphant reverse-engineering of key Ur-Real technologies - began arriving one after the other, resulting in a feverish arms race that outpaced even the impact of beam vectoring had thrown established naval architecture into turmoil.

Defense contractors and shipyards were in a frenzy of their own to capture the slew of lucrative new military contracts. First line ships commissioned even as late as the final months of 5233 had been obsoleted practically overnight in their original configurations, requiring substantial upgrades. Many new ships of all classes would have to be commissioned as large numbers of older designs without the margins permitting upgrades were laid up in ordinary. Heroic efforts were made to draft blueprints and present prototypes for competition.

By the end of 5328 some developments were not yet universal. The classes most effected were cruiser grade and below. Nevertheless, naval architecture had changed almost unimaginably in the space of five years.

Technologies

@Sil, what do they do? @Others, list needs to be corrected as this is mostly hazy guessing.

Ubiquitous

The more pedestrian, straight upgrades that at least three faction (including NPCs such as the Free Star League) possess. These may be abstracted as baseline, due to being cancelled out. Factions without may take some kind of penalty.

2nd & 3rd Generation Engines
Cruiser Spinal Guns
2nd Generation Spinal Guns
Low observation hull theory
ER Lasers
Second Generation Vector Beams
Hard Shields.

Esoterics

Upgrades with unique gameplay elements or only one-two factions posses.

Fortress Shields
Distortion Field (anti stutter warp)
Self healing armor.

Uniques

Extremely difficult to reach technologies.

Plasma Weaponry
Stutter Warp

Design Competitions

Each of the military establishment ran design competitions. Each slot represents a specific design competition. People put in design requirements they want (such as "Stealthy", "Fast", Armed with x and y, etc) for contractors (silence) to meet on the Talk page.

Capital

Dreadnought: Latest first-line ship equipped with the full suite of the faction's relevant innovations. Rare.
Semi-Dreadnought: The existing first-line capital ship, reengined and upgunned. Common.
Faction Unique:

Cruiser

Heavy Cruiser:
Light Cruiser:
Faction Unique:

Light

Frigate: A reconnaissance and pursuit vessel.
Dragoon: Sub-FTL combatant. Harder to hit and fights well above tonnage.
Faction Unique:

Jane's Astroforces of 5328

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