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The United

NB - MANUAL TELESPAWNING (F) DOESNT QUITE WORK LIKE YOU THINK IT DOES.

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My just-about-finished third custom faction, originally designed to finally get some halfway-balanced use out of those spinal weapon components, and to reward the player for managing power intake and supply. They are also liable to take the crown of 'the missile-spam faction', with offensive/defensive/Itano circus instakill missile launchers.

---The Fluff---
New to space travel, the United have sent their heavy probes into the depths of space to find new worlds to colonise. In case of any 'accidents', they also fitted the probes with the very latest in weaponised particle accelerators and radiation shielding.

Although they aren't the lightest or handiest craft around, the United hold the singular advantage of their Fenton FTL drive, which allows new drone ships to be teleported straight to the battle from the production line.

Back on their sole inhabited planet, legions of scientists pore over the reams of data their massive probes beam back, always in search of the first new, habitable planet besdes their own. They don't care at all for any cultures and civilisations their drones happen to crush along the way - there will be little interest in cooperation when the colony ships come.

---The Faction---
Built around power-hungry spinal plasma weapons, plasma-resistant heavy armour, small but fairly cheap shield generators and a frankly indecent quantity of guided ordonance, The United are a new custom faction that has nothing to do with Manchester or football.

The United work best when being cautious - pulling apart an enemy with a steady stream of missiles and Particle Accelerator salvoes, while taking incoming fire on their layers of affordable, low-strength shields and heavy 'Wing' armour. In a straightforward missile slugging match, the United are not to be outdone, with quasi-defensive Anti-Missiles to soak up fire and the lightning-quick Ambush Missiles to blitz past flak or autocannon defenses.

If they need to drop everything and attack directly, though, The United's range of point defence options and the good-in-numbers Particle Emitter more than account for oncoming targets. A more aggressive player could even use the relatively cheap Fenton Drive to teleport into and away from a target, trading storms of close-range fire solely on their own terms and Telespawning in fully formed close attack ships from point-blank range, and retreating instantly the moment some respite is needed.

Playing as the United, it's recommended to initially use range and the initially unlocked teleporter to control the engagement. In other words, run away from anything that's a threat t o you. Ambush missiles are cheap and extremely fast, but struggle with armour - use them to kill small probes or to cripple damaged heavy ships. Anti-Fortification missiles reload quickly but are slow and easily deflected - couple them with shielded anti-missiles to shelter them and continually overwhelm enemy PD.

---The Telespawn---
Fuelling the FTL drives takes R rather than energy - 'Factory' ships do not use R to make new probes, but spawn them in fully built and furnished for no upfront cost. However, merely having a telespawn beacon on your ship will eat through your R reserves at an alarming rate. Be sure to offset this cost with outboard R generation blocks.

Likewise, your ship's onboard teleoprter will gradually eat your collected resources over time, but at a much slower rate. Be careful about loitering in an engagement, unless you think there's a very good reason, and use teleporter hops to quickly move your spoils back to a friendly station.

More parts may well be added, should the need ever arise...