Scouting Component

Scouting Components are auxiliary (non-combat) Special Ship Components that can be equipped instead of one weapon bank, in custom designed warships.

Scouting Components allow a warship to also function as a Scout ship - exploring planets and discovering Assets. The initial build cost is 10 shields and 10 space. Space and cost are Miniatuarized by progress on the Engineering branch of the Tech Tree.

Only one of these components can be equipped per ship.

All empires start with this component.

A scout warship can be built for as little as around 250 shields, about twice the cost of a normal Scout. The advantage is that the scout warship is more likely to survive longer, as it is able to successfully retreat from attacks by enemies or the Ascended Races. And, if lightly armed (just with a single Torpedo or Laser and no Targeting), it can also opportunistically destroy enemy Outposts and non-warships that it encounters.