Objective
In the campaign, objectives are space structures found in star systems, which can only be built at stable locations. Three types of objective exist: the comm relay, nav buoy and sensor array.
In combat, objectives appear as points on the map that generate certain tactical bonuses for their side. Objectives are initially neutral and each side can take control of an objective by having a ship near it (and no enemies nearby) for a certain period of time.
Campaign
| This otherwise unremarkable point in the surrounding vast emptiness is a local minimum in the star system's hyperwave field. The relative lack of interference makes it uniquely suited for the placement of hyperwave-tech-using structures. | ||
–Stable Location In-Game Description | ||
Campaign-layer objectives are divided into two categories: Domain-era and makeshift. Built using pre-Collapse technology, the Domain-era objectives have stronger effects than the makeshift ones and cannot be replaced if lost.
Multiples of the same objective type will not stack their bonuses, although they do provide some resilience against losing the bonuses to enemy actions.
The player can hack an existing objective or take it over to gain its benefits, or break it for salvage. Capturing or destroying objectives will anger the owning faction if it has at least one market in the star system. No invasive or hostile actions can be performed on an objective if a faction patrol is nearby.
Each star system has a total of 0-3 objectives and stable locations. New stable locations can be added to a star by interacting with it while carrying 1 Alpha AI Core and 200 heavy machinery, and spending 500 fuel. This can only be done to systems with zero or (with 2 SP 0% XP) one stable location.
Constructing a makeshift objective requires 15 heavy machinery, 30 metals and 5 transplutonics; disassembling it returns half the resources. Disassembling a Domain-era objective returns 25 heavy machinery, 100 metals, 10 transplutonics and 10 volatiles. Domain-era objectives found in uninhabited star systems are inactive and require 5 heavy machinery to reactivate.
Comm relay
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Adds +1 stability to the owning faction's markets in the system (+2 for Domain-era relay), and negates the -1 stability bonus from not having a relay for all in-system markets (regardless of faction). Being in or near a system with a comm relay is required to receive most intel items in the Sector, and to view global information on markets and commodity prices.
Unlike other objectives which are hacked to gain their benefits, the player can install comm sniffers on a relay, allowing them to receive missions from that star system even when not nearby. If the player has only one sniffer it is guaranteed not to be found; more sniffers will be periodically found and removed.
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Adds +2 burn speed to fleets of the owning faction (+3 for Domain-era buoy).
Sensor array
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Adds +400 sensor range (+700 for Domain-era array) to fleets of the owning faction.
The player can insert false readings into a sensor array to create sensor 'ghosts' that distract other factions' patrols. Overloading the sensor array with 3 volatiles will reveal nearby slipstreams with 10/15 LY and contribute 10/20 points to Hyperspace Topography.
Combat
Combat objectives are unrelated to campaign ones, except for having similar names. A number of them will appear in sufficiently large battles (including in hyperspace), but not in battles against stations.
The nav buoy increases the speed of its side's ships by 5%, up to a maximum of 20%. Because the per-ship speed bonus from the Coordinated Maneuvers skill also counts towards this limit, the benefit of this objective can be very limited if the player possesses that skill.
The sensor jammer increases its side's ECM rating by 5%, stacking with the per-ship bonus of the Electronic Warfare and (Elite) Gunnery Implants skills. Capturing these can be useful to tip the ECM rating balance in the player's favor.
The comm relay increases its side's command point recovery by 25%.
Each objective also increases the deployment points available to its side, to a maximum of 60% of battle size. The nav buoy and sensor jammer add 5% of battle size, and the comm relay adds 10%. Objectives are thus useful for weaker or evenly matched sides in a battle to increase the size of the force they can deploy, while a sufficiently larger side may gain no benefit due to the 60% cap (but may still find it desirable to deny objectives to the enemy).
The Electronic Warfare skill allows objectives to be captured much faster and from much further away.
Comm relay
Nav buoy
Sensor jammer
