Skills Expanded

A number of new skills have been added to Ascent to enhance gameplay and reward varied play over and above monotonous "grinding" behaviours.

1. Piloting - This skill is an aggregate of all other skills in the game and will soon determine the maximum class ship you can fly. This means it will not be possible to work your way up to large ships solely by trading. Established players will start with a fair bit of piloting skill and it will go up quickly as their new skills kick in.

2. Reactor Engineering - Increases the rate your reactors will charge up your capacitor

3. Thruster Engineering - Increases acceleration from thrusters

4. Warp Drive Engineering - Decreases the energy cost per second of warping

5. Jump Gate Engineering - Rapidly decreases the alignment time required to use a jump gate. This time is about one second per ship class level, minus the skill level, with a further skill based reduction when this alignment time drops to two seconds.. Established players will find they have a number of points in this skill as soon as they log in.

6. Weapon Heat Engineering - Reduces heat build up during weapon usage

7. Gunnery - Increases the chance of hitting with axial beams

Further skills will be added soon, including more combat skills.