Hull

Ablative Plating Tier 1
Retrofitting a renewable ablative plating extends the hull lifetime of the ship.

Unlocks
Defense: Extra Hull Strength Research: Saddleback Cargo Expansion

Defensive Bolstering Tier 2
Critical components are bolstered with thick titanium plates, enabling greater hull lifetime without the tradeoff of reduced ship speed.

Unlocks
Defense: Extra Hull Strength Research: Stage I Smelter

Electrically Charged Armor Tier 3
Two thin shells are fitted around the hull, separated by an insulator. The outer shell holds an enormous electrical charge, while the interior is at ground. Any disruption to the shells discharges energy through the incoming projectile, neutralizing it.

Unlocks
Defense: Extra Hull Strength Research: Onboard Miniaturization Plant Research: Hull Sensor Pack

Hull Sensor Pack Tier 4
Adding concussive sensors to the hull allows the electrically charged armor to focus certain areas as required, enhancing the overall hull strength.

Unlocks
Defense: Extra Hull Strength Research: Wartime Plating

Wartime Plating Tier 5
With many hours of combat data collected, Ceres has determined the optimum plating configuration for the ship, extending its lifetime even further.

Unlocks
Defense: Extra Hull Strength Research: Warp Defense

Warp Defense Tier 6
Warp field plating gives the hull some extreme defensive capabilities.

Unlocks
Defense: Extra Hull Strength Research: Sub-Reality Armor

Sub-Reality Armor Tier 7
Using a series of rechargeable mini-capacitors placed around the ship, the hull can send projectiles directly into a different dimension - what can't hit you, can't hurt you.

Unlocks
Defense: Extra Hull Strength