*By
module. Allowable modules (2):
Fire Control Tower
Hyperspace Module
Hyperspace Inhibitor
Cloak Generator
The largest
combat ship in the Hiigaran navy, the Battlecruiser has two
long range Heavy Ion Beam turrets. These weapon systems
allow the Battlecruiser to engage targets at extreme
distances, making it a deadly foe for most capital class
ships. A complement of four pulsar turrets and four kinetic
burst cannons enable the Battlecruiser to engage strike
craft intent on disabling key command, propulsion, or
weapons subsystems. With proper frigate and corvette
support, the Battlecruiser is the heavy-hitter of many fleet
engagements.
Heavy
Ion Beam turrets and Arbiter Cannons lay waste to Capital Ships
at long range. A strike craft bay and a complement of four
Pulsar Turrets enable the Battlecruiser to engage strike craft
groups intent on disabling engines, weapons or ability
subsystems.
"One of the
best new ship designs of the Hiigaran navy is the
Battlecruiser. The Battlecruiser's capabilities are best
used as the flagship of a dense strike group. By forming a
strike group around the ship, you're assured a balanced
force that's ready to defeat a wide range of adversaries.
The Battlecruiser is designed to fight and destroy other
Capital Ships, and provides the mainstay anchor of any task
force." - Dan Irish, Executive
Producer
"There
is a new battlecruiser that is the mainstay of the Hiigaran
fleet. While there are ships like the Battlecruiser,
bristling with weapons, we've ensured that all ships are
useful throughout the game. Bigger doesn't mean
invulnerable. Fighters maybe be smaller and weaker, but
their speed allows them to swoop past slower defenders and
sneak in under the firing arcs of bigger ships. Without a
proper balance of combined fleets, it is possible for a
fighter squadron to disable even a Battlecruiser. Have a few
Corvettes escorting the Battlecruiser and the situation
would be far different." - Dan Irish, Executive
Producer
This
is the first Homeworld 2 vessel identified from a screenshot,
appearing in a Relic website graphic that was leaked and
then hushed up in November of 2001. It's a very, very large
warship, and heavily armed.
Now
that we can see the underside of the ship, the weapon
picture becomes clear. The large turrets on the bow are twin
Kinetic Burst Turrets; there are two more underneath port
and starboard.
The central turret topside is the heavy ion cannon; there is
another underside. There are four pulsars, two each
port/starboard. The only thing not accounted for in the weapons
list above are the four box-like structures (two topside,
two underside) that appeared to fire ion cannons in the 2002
PCGamer pics. Asked about these structures, Relic's Dan
Irish replied: "These
structures do not impart or control any abilities. Think of
them as racing fins. The battlecruiser is, after all, a bit
of a hot rod."
There
are also now docking bays on both sides of
the ship. Josh Mosquiera has said that the battlecruiser can
repair damaged fighter squadrons, but not build anything. It
has two slots for subsystems, listed above.
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