Debris Disks (Interstellar Asteroid Fields)

Occasionally a planetary system may have a debris disk which is a tightly packed collection of asteroids and interstellar dust and debris which can extend for several light years outside the system. These asteroid fields are difficult to navigate with large ships. Debris Disks have the following effects:

  • Ships with a hull mass of 200 kt or more, neutronic fuel carriers, large deep space freighters and super transport freighters may NOT travel inside a debris disk or they will be destroyed. Smaller ships are able to navigate the asteroid field without problem.

    (The only exception to this rule is for the Evil Empire who may force their commanders to fly inside the debris disk. They risk hitting an asteroid which is the equivalent of a mine hit. The faster the ship is travelling the more likely they are to hit an asteroid.)

  • Minefields can not be layed over a debris disk. A minefield which is layed over a debris disk will automatically be reduced in size so that it does not overlap a debris disk. Any additional mines will be lost (destroyed by impacts with asteroids).
  • Planetoids inside debris disks are 20 times more likely to experience a small meteor shower and are likely to have very dense mineral concentrations. They are very unlikely to have native life. Planetoids can not sustain any colonists unless they have supplies to eat or a space station. 
  • Planetoids do not have warp wells.
  • Specialized Starbases (Mining Stations) may be built at planetoids to assist in mining the planetoids and to have larger colonist populations. These space stations cost less than normal starbases (around half). They have a maximum of 50 defense posts and 20 fighters. Planetoids which have a space station can sustain a population up to 500 clans without loss and will have 2X mining on the planetoid. These space stations can not build ships and have no tech levels. Mining stations cost: 70 Duranium, 242 Tritanium, 160 Molybdenum and 480 Megacredits.
  • The Falcon Class Escort (The Rebels) can hide inside an asteroid field cloaked from view by ships 1 ly away when it ends its movement inside a debris disk. Ships can not hyperjump out of a debris disk, but they can hyperjump in. 
  • Ships can not be towed into or through a debris disk. The tow lock is disrupted as the towing ship enters the field stopping both ships.
  • Opening a Firecloud warp chunnel (start or end) from inside of a debris disk will cause all ships in the chunnel to be destroyed by asteroids sucked into the wormhole.