Ship class configuration

The ship-class MSG file defines player, Cybertron, and Droid classes. Classic GE uses MBMGESHP.MSG, ge-next uses MPOGESHP.MSG, and ge-arena uses MPOGASHP.MSG. These are class-definition sources, not persistent ship databases. They are compiled into MCV resources loaded by the game. The available fields and their uses vary by build.

Class fields

Field group	Purpose
Type and names	Player, Cybertron, Droid, or unused class; displayed class name and NPC name prefix
Shields and phasers	Highest Mark the class can install
Weapons and systems	Launchers, mine and countermeasure capability, cloak, fighters, and other class limits
Movement and scanning	Acceleration, normal maximum cruising warp, and scanner range
Cargo, price, and points	Capacity, user purchase price, and point value when destroyed
NPC allocation and behavior	Creation count and class-specific targeting, pursuit, and toughness settings
Damage factor	Class resilience, expressed as DAMF; see DAMF

ge-next also uses class fields for faction and loadout or upgrade behavior. ge-arena organizes classes by mode and includes starting shields, phasers, items, and gold. A field present in one variant must not be assumed to have the same purpose in another. Use the released file for the build being configured.

Movement and resilience

An acceleration value of 1,000 represents one warp increment per ship-state update. Zero acceleration makes an NPC immobile; ge-next also excludes such ships from pursuit. User ships can exceed their normal cruising warp, but ge-next's overspeed system can damage and reduce engine capability. DAMF is a damage divisor for applicable attacks, not a universal reduction to all damage sources; see DAMF.

NPC populations

The MAKE value assigns an NPC class its share of automated ship slots. Changing class order, class type, or the allocation can change which class belongs in a saved slot. ge-next verifies saved NPCs against the current class-to-slot mapping, but this is not a general guarantee that every class-table edit is safe for an existing campaign. See Ship slot and Classic bug database.

Changing an existing game

Class numbers are stored in persistent ship and user records. Reordering, inserting, or removing classes during a campaign can cause old records to refer to different classes. Changing the class-table filename likewise needs release-specific care. Back up the database first, follow the release's migration guidance where available, and test with a copy of the game. Keep the class help text synchronized with the configured values.

For shipped rosters, see Classic player ship classes, Classic NPC ship classes, ge-next player ship classes, and ge-next NPC ship classes. For the classic source-file identity, see MBMGESHP.MSG. For compilation and upgrade practice, see Configuring Galactic Empire.

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