r/Synvector

The Vanguard is the main combat ship players start with in our game. It was designed as a universal frontline attacker: durable enough to survive prolonged fights, but still capable of dealing serious damage during raids and convoy battles. Most mercenary groups on the Stable Frontier rely on ships like this because they’re relatively cheap, adaptable and easy to maintain far from core systems.

Loadout currently includes:

* 4 primary weapon hardpoints

* light machine guns

* close-range shotgun weapons

* guided missile launcher

* salvo rocket launcher

In-game, the Vanguard is usually the backbone of a small detachment - escorting cargo barges, hunting raiders or surviving long skirmishes in unstable sectors. But now we’re curious how people read this ship visually. What tactical role does it LOOK like it was built for?

* heavy attacker?

* escort fighter?

* strike craft?

* patrol ship?

* mercenary workhorse?

* disposable mass-produced combat ship?

And most importantly:

would you actually trust your life to a ship like this?

We’re currently working on one of the planets for our sci-fi star system. This planet is split between two extremes:
one side permanently scorched by its star, the other frozen in darkness. The surface is covered in volcanic cracks, ash, soot and frozen structures stretching across the planet.

Now we’re curious:

could anything realistically survive here at all?

Would life exist underground near geothermal zones?

Could mining colonies or research stations operate on a planet like this?

Or would this just become a dead planet nobody wants to work on?

Also curious what people think visually:

should planets in sci-fi games feel more grounded like this, or more exotic and surreal?

Right now our cargo barges are basically armored containers with engines - built to survive debris fields, meteors, and the aftermath of battles. No dedicated weapons. No combat systems. Just thick plating and the hope that escorts do their job.

If players start building entire caravans of these barges… would factions really allow huge unarmed freight convoys to cross contested systems?Or would reality push them toward becoming semi-military ships? Should some factions REQUIRE armed cargo ships near warzones? How should another faction and race interpret the punishment of armed barges as an invasion?

Things we’re debating:

* Should civilian barges have point-defense AA turrets AA and drones?

* Emergency ECM / jamming systems?

* Small cannons?

And more importantly. If pirates attack a convoy, what should the barges actually do?:

* Stay and help defend the escorts?

* Dump cargo and run?

* Hit max thrust and abandon the fleet?

* Self-destruct cargo to deny loot?

We’re also wondering how far industrial ships should go visually. Should barges stay as “flying containers,” or would you expect:

* rotating habitation rings

* visible crew windows

* external fuel lines

* detachable cargo modules

* repair drones

* radiator panels

* improvised armor plates

* faction-specific modifications

* convoy markings and warning lights

At what point does a cargo barge stop feeling civilian and start feeling like a warship? Curious how you’d imagine them behaving - both mechanically and visually - in a living universe.