▁as ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁the ▁moth ership ' s ▁har vest ing ▁rate . ▁The ▁batt les ▁increase ▁in ▁difficulty ▁as ▁the ▁player ▁ne ars ▁Nar vek ' s ▁base . ▁ ▁Each ▁battle ▁begins ▁with ▁the ▁sector ▁completely ▁obsc ured ▁by ▁fog ▁of ▁war . ▁Are as ▁the ▁player ▁expl ores ▁become ▁perman ently ▁visible , ▁regardless ▁of ▁whether ▁the ▁player ▁has ▁any ▁ships ▁in ▁that ▁area . ▁ ▁Sh ips ▁Every ▁ship ▁and ▁station ▁has ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁four ▁vital ▁statistics : ▁shield , ▁te ch , ▁engine , ▁and ▁control . ▁The ▁" sh ield " ▁stat istic ▁is ▁how ▁much ▁damage ▁the ▁ship ▁can ▁stand ▁before ▁it ▁is ▁destroyed ; ▁once ▁de ple ted , ▁the ▁ship ▁expl odes . ▁" T ech " ▁is ▁what ▁allows ▁a ▁ship ▁to ▁fire ; ▁reducing ▁this ▁tends ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁ship ▁fire ▁less ▁often . ▁" Engine " ▁is ▁a ▁representative ▁of ▁how ▁fast ▁the ▁ship ▁can ▁move ; ▁reducing ▁this ▁causes ▁ships ▁to ▁move ▁more ▁sl ugg ish ly ▁than ▁normal . ▁" Control " ▁is ▁a ▁stat istic , ▁that , ▁like ▁" sh ield ," ▁has ▁little ▁effect ▁until ▁it ▁is ▁completely ▁reduced ; ▁when ▁this ▁occurs , ▁the ▁ship ▁defect s ▁to ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁ship ▁that ▁de alt ▁the ▁last ▁control ▁damage ▁( and ▁rest ores ▁some ▁control ). ▁ ▁Each ▁race ▁has ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁ 1 6 ▁construct ible ▁ships ▁and ▁stations , ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁similar ▁across ▁each ▁race , ▁such