A wide variety of single-pilot combat and utility ships ply the spacelanes of our jumpgate network. All ships may be described as either combat or commercial vessels. However, there is considerable variance in ship design based on intended role, and by the specific nation, faction, or corporation that produces and uses the ship. For example, the Slipstream is a Solrain combat ship classified as a patrol fighter and produced by an industrial division of the Zelcane Trust. Its characteristics differ from other patrol fighters that belong to the Octavian Imperial Navy or that are produced by a Quantar corporation. Even individual Slipstream-class ships may be customized by the pilot’s choice of loadout and other modifications, either emphasizing a strength of the class, or mitigating a weakness. The options available to pilots for customization of any particular ship vary by the specific ship class.

The first ship any rookie pilot gains experience with is a trainer of some sort. These spacecraft are usually classed as "shuttle trainers", but within the Octavian Empire it is conventional to refer to their training ships as "patrol trainers". Universally, trainers are inexpensive light-duty utility ships meant for use by inexperienced pilots. They tend to possess outstanding handling characteristics and can mount light weaponry, but are only capable of mounting minimal extra equipment.