// ITEMS

Items & Equipment Guide

Items & Equipment

Naming conventions, manufacturer brands, material lore, and content authoring guide.

Current State Audit

Before the design: what's in the DB now and what needs work.

Equipment Slots

Tier System

Equipment tiers map to OL ranges. "Mk" designation is used for standard equipment; premium and crafted equipment use different naming (see Manufacturer Brands below).

Tier VI items are never sold at standard vendors. They are earned.

Manufacturer Brands

Equipment in this world is made by someone. The manufacturer determines the naming convention, the visual style, and the flavor of the description. When authoring items, assign a manufacturer from this list.

Each manufacturer has a manufacturer_id that maps to a manufacturers table. The item_base.manufacturer field links to it.

Varath Manufacturers

Bastion Arms (manufacturer_id → Bastion)

• Specialty: Military-grade weapons and shields. High performance, expensive, tells the world you're equipped for serious work.
• Naming pattern: Bastion [Series] [Mk N] - Series names are drawn from military concepts: Compact, Service, Combat, Assault, Vanguard, Sovereign
• Description voice: Terse, functional, pride in capability. "Tested under conditions we aren't authorized to describe."
• Availability: Bastion-affiliated stations (Cinderhold, Ashfall); Friendly+ standing required for Mk III+

Nexus Standard (manufacturer_id → Nexus)

• Specialty: Mass-market across all categories. Lower cost, slightly lower stats, universally available.
• Naming pattern: NX-[tier number][category code] [descriptor] - e.g. "NX-1W Standard Beam", "NX-3E Ion Model"
• Description voice: Sales-adjacent, relentlessly practical. "Available at authorized Nexus service points galaxy-wide."
• Availability: Waygate Station, Confluence Station, most neutral stations; no standing requirement

Stratum Field (manufacturer_id → Stratum)

• Specialty: Engines, reactors, and mining equipment. Built for frontier conditions where maintenance isn't guaranteed.
• Naming pattern: Stratum [Field designation] [Mk N] - Field designations: Extraction, Survey, Heavy, Apex
• Description voice: Frontier-pragmatic. "This unit has been rated for continuous operation in Class 3 hazard environments."
• Availability: The Forge, The Crucible, extraction sector vendors; Neutral standing required

Keth Manufacturers

Praxar Armaments (manufacturer_id → Praxar)

• Specialty: High-DPS weapons. Peak offensive output; no interest in defense.
• Naming pattern: [Keth-word] [Mk N] - Keth weapon names are single words from their combat vocabulary: Warhead, Blade, Spike, Cleave, Strike, Rend
• Description voice: Extremely terse. "High output. No compromises."
• Availability: Duskhollow, Thornveil; Friendly+ Praxar standing required

Ashveld Forge (manufacturer_id → Ashveld)

• Specialty: Balanced weapons and engines. Better cross-category stats than Praxar; slightly lower peak DPS.
• Naming pattern: Ashveld [Function] [Mk N] - Function names: Calibrated, Refined, Precision, Apex, Zenith
• Description voice: Direct but considered. "Designed for pilots who value the fight's outcome over the fight's intensity."
• Availability: Redwatch, Void's Edge; Friendly+ Ashveld standing required

Vael Contract Works (manufacturer_id → Vael)

• Specialty: General-purpose equipment at competitive pricing. The Cohort's preferred gear.
• Naming pattern: VCW [code] [Mk N] - Codes are function-first: VCW-S (shields), VCW-W (weapons), VCW-E (engines)
• Description voice: Completely neutral. "Specifications on reverse. No warranty claims on contract-voiding modifications."
• Availability: The Threshold, The Crucible; no standing requirement

Meridian Manufacturers

Vigil Forge (manufacturer_id → Vigil)

• Specialty: Engines and shields optimized for maneuvering. Lower raw numbers than Bastion equivalents; significantly better handling stats.
• Naming pattern: [Meridian-word] [class] [Mk N] - Meridian equipment names reference perception and state: Still, Quiet, Clear, Open, Deep, Resonant
• Description voice: Precise, no decoration. "Fabricated to standard Vigil tolerances. Non-standard modifications void resonance calibration."
• Availability: Stellar Reach, Riftmark; Friendly+ Vigil standing required

Wayfarer Instruments (manufacturer_id → Wayfarer)

• Specialty: Devices and exploration equipment. Higher scan range, nav discovery bonuses.
• Naming pattern: [Meridian descriptor] [function] [Mk N] - descriptors: Deep-field, Long-range, Resonance-mapped, Precision
• Description voice: Technical but accessible (these are made for trade with non-Meridian pilots). "Calibrated for standard sensor arrays. Meridian resonance optimization optional."
• Availability: Waygate Station (limited), Confluence Station, Wayfarer-affiliated stations

Cross-Racial / Independent

Deepveil Systems (manufacturer_id → Deepveil)

• Specialty: Ancient-adjacent research equipment. Scan amplifiers, anomaly detectors, artifact analysis devices.
• Naming pattern: Deepveil [Survey/Analysis/Recovery] [designation] - e.g. "Deepveil Survey Array Mk III"
• Description voice: Academic but not dry - genuine enthusiasm for discovery. "Optimized for Ancient site proximity operations. Not recommended for combat environments."
• Availability: Confluence Station, Deepveil-affiliated survey posts; requires Deepveil Friendly+ standing

TEC Bonded (manufacturer_id → TEC)

• Specialty: Trade-focused equipment. Cargo capacity devices, fuel efficiency engines.
• Naming pattern: TEC [Registry code] - e.g. "TEC BV-40 Hauler Engine"
• Description voice: Bureaucratic efficiency. "Registered under TEC commercial standards. Approved for bonded cargo operations."
• Availability: Most stations; TEC Neutral standing or better

Salvage (manufacturer_id → Salvage)

• Specialty: Cobbled-together gear from wreck fields. Variable quality. Cheap.
• Naming pattern: Salvaged [type] [condition] - e.g. "Salvaged Beam Array (Functional)", "Salvaged Shield Unit (Worn)"
• Description voice: No manufacturer voice - these are found items. "Origin unclear. Tested functional. No return policy."
• Availability: The Wreck Field vendors; drops from Scavengers

Weapons

Damage Types

Standard player-available weapons are Energy and Kinetic. Disruption is available mid-game (Keth-faction aligned). Thermal at high tier. Resonance is exclusive to Meridian class abilities and endgame Ancient/Vigil gear.

Weapon Categories

Beam Weapons - Continuous or burst-fire energy weapons. Standard for most classes.

• Fast fire, lower per-shot damage
• Most common weapon type; all manufacturers produce them
• Categories: Light Beam (fast, low damage), Assault Beam (balanced), Heavy Beam (slow, high damage)

Projectile Weapons - Kinetic rounds. Varath Naval standard.

• Slower projectile travel but hull-focused damage
• Ammo-based (see economy)
• Categories: Light Cannon, Assault Cannon, Heavy Cannon

Precision Weapons - High-accuracy, high-single-hit damage. Sniper/assassin role.

• Long cooldown between shots
• Crafted or boss drop only at high tier
• Categories: Focus Beam, Charge Cannon

Weapon Naming - Master Table

Each tier uses the same manufacturer line structure. Weapon names don't repeat the manufacturer name in the stat entry - it's shown as manufacturer field. The name is [Line] [Descriptor] [Mk N].

Bastion Arms lines:

Nexus Standard lines:

Nexus doesn't produce Mk VI - the mass market doesn't reach endgame quality.

Praxar Armaments lines (Energy/Disruption):

Vigil Forge lines (Energy/Resonance - Meridian factions only until Exalted):

Shields

Existing items are well-named. Update their descriptions to reference the world:

Vigil Forge produces alternate shield lines with better maneuvering integration; Praxar Armaments doesn't produce shields (philosophy: if your hull is failing, fight harder).

Engines

Reactors

Devices

No device items currently exist in the DB. This entire category needs to be authored.

Devices are passive equipment occupying device0–device5 slots. They modify secondary stats rather than primary combat stats. Good device choices separate skilled builds from default ones.

Device Categories

Scan Amplifiers - boost sensor range and nav discovery radius

• Mk I–III: manufactured by Wayfarer Instruments and Deepveil Systems
• Effect: +scan_range, +nav_discovery_radius
• Name examples: "Deepveil Survey Probe Mk II", "Wayfarer Deep-field Array Mk III"

Shield Conditioners - boost passive shield regeneration rate

• Mk I–IV: manufactured by Bastion Arms, Nexus Standard
• Effect: +shield_regen
• Name examples: "Bastion Regen Module Mk II", "NX-2D Conditioner"

Hull Reinforcement Plates - passive hull increase

• Mk I–IV: manufactured by Stratum Field, Vael Contract Works
• Effect: +hull_max (flat), +hull damage resistance (%)
• Name examples: "Stratum Heavy Plating Mk III", "VCW-D Hull Plate Mk II"

Energy Capacitors - boost total energy pool

• Mk I–IV: manufactured by Nexus Standard, Praxar Armaments (high-end)
• Effect: +energy_max, +energy_regen
• Name examples: "NX-2D Capacitor Bank", "Praxar Overcharge Cell Mk III"

Targeting Arrays - improve weapon accuracy and reduce cooldowns

• Mk II–V: manufactured by Bastion Arms, Vigil Forge (for Meridian builds)
• Effect: +weapon_range (%), +accuracy, -cooldown (%)
• Name examples: "Bastion Combat Array Mk IV", "Vigil Clear-sight Mk III"

Cargo Expanders - additional cargo hold capacity

• Mk I–IV: manufactured by TEC Bonded, Nexus Standard
• Effect: +cargo_slots (1–3 per tier)
• Name examples: "TEC BV-20 Cargo Liner", "NX-3D Storage Module"

Mining Probes - boost resource yield and vein detection

• Mk I–IV: manufactured by Stratum Field, Deepveil Systems
• Effect: +mining_yield_mult, +node detection range
• Name examples: "Stratum Extraction Probe Mk II", "Deepveil Survey Probe Mk III"

Warp Regulators - improve warp drive efficiency

• Mk II–V: manufactured by Stratum Field, Vigil Forge
• Effect: -warp_energy_drain, +warp_speed_mult
• Name examples: "Stratum Heavy Warp Cell Mk III", "Vigil Resonant Coil Mk IV"

Device Naming Convention Summary

[Manufacturer Brand] [Function Noun] [Mk N]

• "Bastion Combat Array Mk III"
• "Stratum Extraction Probe Mk II"
• "Deepveil Long-range Survey Mk IV"
• "NX-2D Standard Conditioner"
• "VCW-D Hull Plate Mk II"

Mining Ores - Lore Notes

The ores are functionally named and don't need renaming. These notes provide in-world flavor for item descriptions.

Crafting Components - Lore Notes

Mission Loot Items

The category -1 items in the DB are all from the original E&B universe (Jenquai/Progen/Terran era) and should be replaced. The following categories represent the mission loot vocabulary for this world.

Salvage and Debris

Items recovered from destroyed ships or wreck fields. Used as mission objectives ("collect 3 Praxar Wreckage Cores") and occasionally as crafting ingredients.

Ancient Fragments

Recovered from Ancient structures or Ancient-adjacent mob drops. Used in endgame crafting and the Meridian race arc.

Vrael Evidence

Dropped by Vrael encounters. Used in the seal-restoration chain.

Faction Intelligence Items

Used as mission objectives for faction chains. Value is in delivering them, not selling them.

Consumable Materials

Mid-tier items used in crafting or as trading goods. Not equipment; cargo value items.

Named / Unique Items

Named items drop from specific bosses or are earned through quest chains. They have unique names (no "Mk N" designation), specific lore, and stats that exceed their tier ceiling in one targeted way.

Naming Convention for Named Items

[Flavor name] - [Lore note]

The flavor name is evocative of the source. The lore note is a single sentence that places it in the world.

Examples:

• "The Rat King's Mantle" - salvaged shield array from the wreck The Rat King called home for eleven years
• "Ralleck's Sidearm" - Commander Ralleck's personal Bastion-marked beam weapon; he will not be needing it
• "Maren's Extraction Core" - Site Director Maren's personally modified reactor; the performance justifies the risk she was taking running it at those temperatures
• "The Gnaw" - A beam weapon assembled from parts that have no common origin, found in Gnaw's cargo hold. It works better than it should.
• "Vigil Cipher" - An Ancient-sourced device recovered from the Abyss Gate approach. The Conclave would like it back. Their request has been noted.

Named Item Design Rules

1. Named items should come from characters the player has encountered - either killed or completed a chain for
2. The stat bonus should reflect the character's role: a sniper enemy's weapon drops a precision item; a tank enemy drops hull plating
3. The description should have a dry observation about the source
4. Named items are never craftable - they are found or earned

Content Authoring Checklist

When creating items in the admin portal:

For every equipment item:

• Assign manufacturer field to correct manufacturer ID
• Set level to the correct OL threshold for its tier
• Write description following voice-tone.md guidelines - terse, specific, no purple prose
• Set price per economy-design.md tier table
• Set no_trade = 0 for standard items, no_trade = 1 for soulbound named items

For weapons specifically:

• Set damage type (energy / kinetic / disruption / thermal)
• Set damage category (light / assault / heavy / precision)
• Verify name matches the manufacturer's naming convention

For devices:

• Assign to one of the 8 device categories above
• Ensure effect type matches the stat field it modifies

Immediate priorities:

1. Replace all category 10 (weapon) items with new items matching manufacturer brands above
2. Create device items for all 8 device categories, Mk I–IV minimum
3. Replace category -1 items with world-appropriate mission loot from the tables above
4. Update descriptions on existing shields/engines/reactors using the notes above

Last updated: 2026-04-14