Citadels #
Level 1: TREASURY #
Level 1 citadels have no defenses against invasion, but instead create a planetary treasury for you to place credits in from trading, robbing, Tri-Cron winnings, etc. The 2nd Galactic Bank at the Stardock can only hold 500,000 credits. It is a nice start, but they also keep the interest. A planetary treasury, however, has a maximum of 999,999,999,999,999 credits, and you earn 2% interest per day (a small percentage every second) on whatever balance you have there. You can also park your ship in the citadel and remain overnight if you so desire, but there is no safety there yet.
Level 2: COMBAT CONTROL COMPUTER #
Level 2 citadels add the first defensive ability, the combat control computer, and the first planetary combat variable, the military reaction percentage. The combat control computer gives fighters on a planet offensive odds of 2:1 or defensive odds of 3:1 against anyone trying to land and invade or destroy your planet. The reaction level determines what percentage of the fighters on the planet are offensive. This percentage of fighters react to the invasion by attacking the invader at 2:1 odds. The fighters left behind on the planet defend it using the better 3:1 odds. An invader must survive the offensive wave of fighters, and destroy all the defensive fighters, before they can land.
Level 3: QUASAR CANNON #
Level 3 citadels have the dreaded Quasar cannon, one of the nastiest weapons in the game. Powered by Fuel Ore on the planet, this weapon can fire at opponents that enter the sector, or fire a more damaging blast at anyone trying to enter the atmosphere and land. Sector shots will do 1/3 of a point of damage for each unit of fuel used, while atmospheric shots will do 2 points of damage for each unit of fuel used. See the differences between the percentage settings, the damage done, and the fuel used in the following examples:
SECTOR EXAMPLE: A planet has 10,000 units of Fuel Ore and a quasar cannon setting of 10% for sector fire. When an invader enters the sector, the cannon will use 1,000 units of fuel and blast the ship for 333 points of damage. This leaves 9,000 units of fuel, so a 2nd sector shot would use 900 units fuel and do 300 points damage.
ATMOSPHERIC EXAMPLE: After the planet above fired once in the sector shot, there was 9,000 units of fuel remaining on the planet. If an invader tried to land on the planet with the atmospheric set to 10%, the cannon will do 900 points damage and use 450 units fuel.
Level 4: PLANETARY TRANSWARP #
Level 4 citadels add a planetary transwarp drive, allowing you to literaly drive your planet around the universe. Each target sector must have a fighter in it to lock onto, and the planet uses 400 units of Fuel Ore for each sector you jump. Also, you cannot “blind warp” a planet like you can with a ship, but you can move it from port to port and trade large volumes easily.
Level 5: PLANETARY SHIELDS #
Level 5 citadels add a planetary shielding system. When traders holoscan the sector, the appearance of the planet looks very different, as it is surrounded by arrows and says that the planet is shielded, even if you have not added them yet. Because planets are so much larger than ships, it takes 10 ship shields to make one planetary shield. If you placed 1,000 ship shields into the shield generator, they become 100 planetary shields. The reverse is also correct, that removing shields from the shield generator can only be done in units of 10.
An invader must defeat planetary shields at about 20:1 odds against him (doubling the value placed in the generator). Another advantage is that 200 planetary shields will protect your Quasar Cannon from being dampened by a photon missle attack, and will also save your ship from getting damaged (i.e. you losing your turns) if you happen to be on the planet.
Level 6: INTERDICTOR GENERATOR #
Level 6 citadels add a planetary interdictor generator. This device prevents a trader from moving or warping out of the sector, at a cost of 500 Fuel Ore per attempt. Once the planet is drained of fuel, the interdiction fails and the trader gets free, but each failed attempt gives the Quasar Cannon another opportunity to blast the invader with a sector shot.