VB6 Aurora:Glossary

AMM

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

ASM

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

CF

Construction Factory - A facility on an SB that is the primary source of Industry on an SB. Industry is used to construct additional facilities on an SB, including PDC.

CIWS

Close-in Weapon System - An automated missile defense 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.

DDG

Guided Missile Destroyer - A destroyer designed to launch guided missiles. This is based on the U.S. Navy hull designation.

DDGJ

Jump-capable Guided Missile Destroyer - A DDG equipped with a Jump Drive to travel between JP.

DE

Destroyer Escort - A destroyer designed to escort and defend commercial and military vessels. This is based on the U.S. Navy hull designation.

ECM

Electronic Countermeasures - An electronic system that interferes with missile guidance systems.

ECCM

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

EM

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

FAC

Fast Attack Craft - A medium-sized vessel often between 500 - 1,000 tons in size that uses a FAC Engine. FAC are built using a SY.

FAC Engine

Fast Attack Craft Engine - The engine that powers a FAC. This is a high-power engine that has double the normal output using 10x the normal fuel. Only one can be mounted per FAC.

FC

Fire Control - An electronic system that designates targets for its assigned weapons systems. FC depends on Active Sensors for targeting info.

GC

Gauss Cannon - A kinetic beam weapon based on EM acceleration of ammo.

GCB

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

GFTF

Ground Forces Training Facility - A facility used to train ground forces units.

HS

Hull Space - Vessels are measured in HS, which are 50 tons each. Thus, a vessel with 100 HS is 5,000 tons.

HTK

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

IFR

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

JP

Jump Point - A point in space in a solar system where it is possible to instantaneously travel to an associated JP in another solar system. Travel requires some way to stabilize the JP, either temporarily or permanently. This is done with a Jump Drive or Jump Gate, respectively.

LP

Lagrange Point - A point in space in a solar system where it is possible to instantaneously travel to an associated LP in the same solar system. An LP is a point in space in a solar system where gravitational influences cancel each other out. Aurora uses the L5 LP of super-jovians or massive gas giants, which is 60 degrees behind one of these SB in its orbital path around its star in the solar system.

MSP

Maintenance Supply Point - A measure of maintenance cost or progress for vessels to repair systems failures due to maintenance based on the IFR. Alternatively, Missile Size Point - A measure of size for missiles and their components for design purposes. One HS, or 50 tons, is equal to 20 MSP. One MSP is equal to 0.05 HS or 2.5 tons.

NPR

Non-player Race - A race controlled by the computer rather than the player.

OWP

Orbital Weapon Platform - A stationary satellite around a SB with weapons systems.

PD

Point Defense - Weapons 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 used to garrison ground forces units. PDC can mount weapons systems or systems like Active Sensors. PDC are built using Industry rather than SY.

PPV

Planetary Protection Value - Based on a ship's weapons, this is used to determine how much protection the ship provides to nearby colonies.

ROF

Rate of Fire - How quickly a weapon cycles to fire new shots.

RP

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

SB

System Body - A planet, moon, asteroid, or comet in a solar system. These can be colonized or mined for minerals.

SM

Spacemaster - The impartial referee in a multi-player game.

SM Mode

Spacemaster Mode - Accessed via Ctrl-S on the Main Menu screen. Allows the player to see and do more that is normally possible. Used to create custom scenarios for single-player games.

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 and FAC.

TCS

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

TH

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

TMA

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

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