Hardpoints

HARDPOINTS
Every ship has hardpoints on which a variety of different weapons can be mounted. Each hardpoint has a classification. A lower classification can always be mounted on a higher classification hardpoint, but not the other way around.

CLASS 1
Fixed Gun. This is your standard forward facing laser, neutron cannon, particle gun, etc.

CLASS 2
Articulated Gun. Think the guns in Freelancer or the smart weapons found in later Wing Commanders. Class 2 hardpoints are rarer and more expensive, but they allow guns to rotate on an arc rather than fire point blank.

CLASS 3
Pylon. This is where you mount missiles, ECM units, radar pods, drop tanks, additional ammunition, special scanners, etc.

CLASS 4
Turret. Uses the same fixed guns as class 1, but mounted in a separate area of the ship which may be crewed by another person. Turret slots can also mount pylon-type weapons (i.e. a tractor beam or a chaff dispenser.)

Class 5
Manned point defense turrets, generally mounted on larger ships and capital ships.

Class 6
Heavy manned capital ship turrets – used for ship-to-ship combat.

Class 7
Spinal mount lasers – heavy hitters that are effective against medium and large ships.

Class 8
Capital ship cannons – extended range heavy weapons used for capital ship battles in space.