VB6 Aurora:Glossary

Active Sensor

An electronic system and vessel component that is a gravitational sensor used to detect other vessels.

Agriculture and Environment

The percentage of a colony's population used to feed the rest of the population and, if necessary, maintain Infrastructure for their survival in a hostile atmosphere. This is based on the colony cost of the SB. A colony cost of zero requires 5% of the total population.

AMM

Anti-missile Missile - A missile designed to defend vessels by destroying ASM.

ASM

Anti-ship Missile - A missile designed to destroy vessels.

ATM

Atmospheric Pressure - A measure of an SB's atmosphere that comprises a specified gas based on its percentage of the SB's Total Atmospheric Pressure.

CF

Construction Factory - A Facility on a colonized SB that is the primary source of Industry on an SB. Industry is used to construct additional facilities on an SB, including PDC and vessel components.

CIWS

Close-in Weapon System - An vessel component that is an automated PD system based on kinetic or energy weapons. This is similar to the real world Phalanx CIWS.

CO

Commanding Officer - The officer commanding a vessel or ground forces unit.

DSTS

Deep Space Tracking Station - A Facility on a colonized SB that provides long range EM and TH Sensors. Each additional DSTS facility increases the range of the EM and TH Sensors by 25%.

ECM

Electronic Countermeasures - An electronic system and vessel component that interferes with missile FC by reducing its effective range.

ECCM

Electronic Counter-countermeasures - An electronic system that counters the effect of ECM.

EM

Electromagnetic - Used in the context of EM Sensor, EM Signature, etc.

EPM

Economic Production Modifier - A measure of the efficiency at which Facilities on an SB operate. If current wealth is less than zero (i.e. deficit spending), then Facilities on an SB that require inputs operate at reduced efficiency. The rate of reduced efficiency is a ratio based on current wealth versus annual wealth.

FAC

Fast Attack Craft - A medium-sized vessel often between 0.5 - 1k tons in size that uses a FAC Engine. FAC are built using a SY.

Facility

Buildings on a colonized PD like CF, FF, GFTF, OrdF, PDC, etc. that can be moved to a different PD using vessel cargo capacity.

FC

Fire Control - An electronic system and vessel component that designates targets with an optical sensor for its assigned weapon system. FC depend on Active Sensors for targeting information.

FF

Fighter Factory - A Facility on a colonized SB that is used to construct fighters. The rate of production is the level of Fighter Production Rate technology modified by the Fighter Production Bonus of the Planetary and Sector Governors, provided they have been appointed. Each FF required 50k population to operate.

GC

Gauss Cannon - A kinetic beam weapon and vessel component based on EM acceleration of ammunition.

GCB

Ground Combat Bonus - A percentage bonus to ground forces unit combat based on the ground forces unit's CO.

GFTF

Ground Forces Training Facility - A Facility used to train ground forces units. Each GFTF provides 100 training points annually.

GPS

Gravity Pulse Strength - A measure of the strength of an Active Sensor. GPS is range*resolution.

HS

Hull Space - A vessel is measured in HS, which are 50 tons each. Thus, a vessel with 100 HS is 5k tons.

HTK

Hits to Kill - The amount of damage required to completely destroy a vessel component. If less damage than the HTK is inflicted on a vessel component, the chance of destruction is damage/HTK.

IFR

Incremental Failure Rate - The chance of a vessel component failure during a five-day increment. On the Ship Summary screen, it shows the current IFR based on a vessel's maintenance clock. On the Class Summary screen, it shows the average IFR for a vessel based on a one year duration.

JP

Jump Point - A point in space in a solar system where gravitational influences cancel each other out. This allows a vessel equipped with a Jump Drive to temporarily stabilize surrounding space-time and instantaneously travel to a different JP in another solar system. A vessel can also use a Jump Gate, which is built on the JP by a specialized vessel to permanently stabilize surrounding space-time.

LP

Lagrange Point - A point in space in a solar system where gravitational influences partially cancel each other out. This allows a vessel equipped with a Jump Drive to temporarily stabilize surrounding space-time and instantaneously travel to a different LP in the same solar system. Aurora uses the L5 LP of super-jovians or massive gas giants, which are 60 degrees behind these SB in their orbital paths around their stars, as LP.

MSP

Maintenance Supply Point - A measure of maintenance cost or progress for a vessel, fighter, PDC, etc. to repair failures to vessel components like electronic and weapon systems because of their IFR. Alternatively, Missile Size Point - A measure of size for a missile and its components for design purposes. One HS, or 50 tons, is equal to 20 MSP. Phrased another way, one MSP is equal to 0.05 HS or 2.5 tons.

NPR

Non-player Race - A race controlled by the computer instead of the player.

OOB

Order of Battle - A hierarchical list of the vessels, fighters, FAC, etc. that comprise a single force in a naval combat engagement.

OrdF

Ordnance Factory - A Facility on a colonized SB that manufactures ammunition for kinetic weapon systems. The rate of production is the level of Ordnance Production Rate technology modified by the Ordnance Production Bonus of the Planetary and Sector Governors, provided they are appointed. Each OrdF requires 50k population to operate.

OWP

Orbital Weapon Platform - A satellite in orbit around an SB with a weapon system.

Parasite

Any ship that is carried in a hangar, e.g. a fighter or Fast Attack Craft

PD

Point Defense - Weapon used to defend a single point or region in space, like a vessel or SB. These usually include AMM and CIWS.

PDC

Planetary Defense Center - A Facility on an SB with vessel components like sensor and weapon systems. Can also garrison ground forces units. PDC are built using Industry.

PPV

Planetary Protection Value - The amount of protection a vessel provides to nearby colonized SB based on its weapon systems.

ROF

Rate of Fire - The speed at which a weapon fires in a five second increment.

RP

Research Point - A measure of research cost or progress for new technology based on Research Lab Facilities.

SB

System Body - A planet, moon, asteroid, or comet in a solar system that can potentially be colonized and/or mined for Trans-Newtonian minerals.

SI

Service Industry - The percentage of a colony's population working in industries other than Agriculture and Environment or Manufacturing.

SM

Space Master - The impartial referee in a multi-player game.

SP

Survey Point - A measure of gravitational or geographic survey cost or progress for solar system gravitational surveys or SB geographic surveys, respectively.

SY

Shipyard - Used to construct vessels, OWP, FAC, etc.

TCS

Target Cross Section - The size of a vessel for purposes of Active Sensors.

TF

Terraforming Facility - A Facility on a colonized SB that is used to change the composition of the atmosphere of a SB. Each TF can add or remove a quantity of atmosphere at a rate equal to the racial Terraforming Rate modified by the Terraforming Bonus of the Planetary and Sector Governors, provided they are appointed.

TH

Thermal - Used in the context of TH Sensor, TH Signature, etc.

TMA

Target Motion Analysis - An analysis of observed speed, EM Signature, and TH Signature to determine an approximate size for vessels detected using EM or TH Sensors.

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