In 2325, ships use different technologies for space travel. They almost all rely on an amazing piece of technology called their Hyperdrive engine.

This engine and technology can technically “fold space” but the science around it has gray and unexplained areas for current human knowledge.

It is still dependent on mass, but to a different extent, and humans have been trying to master this technology for centuries.

Ships can use “hyperspace jumps”, but rarely, as these are extremely dangerous and only high-grade military ships can use this effectively and reliably without risking to explode or be lost in space.

In EXODE, reinforcements come from hyperspace jumps. However you can expect many ships to have been lost in space while trying to get there.

Instead, ships usually travel in what is called “Veilspeed”, which is not a hyperspace jump, but rather a “warp travel” speed. (academics usually call it “warp speed”, but veilspeed is more used by space captains, because of the described effect of the “veil” on body and mind when traveling).

Veilspeed is not immediate and is then much slower; but is extremely reliable and the most used faster-than-light technology.

Veilspeed also has a sensitivity to mass and gravity that makes it perfect to travel in interstellar space but must stop once near large physical objects.

To engage in space combat, ships usually have to “exit Veilspeed”, and fight.

In EXODE, during “station approach”, your ship is actually in Veilspeed.

Once at the station, your ship cannot engage in Veilspeed and cannot flee using regular technology.

Another technology was initially invented and was called the Neuter-field effect, a special phenomenon in warp science . Neuter-fields in hyperspace delve a lot into what is unknown yet.

Technically, using Neuter-fields effect is a hyperspace jump technology, and it can allow you to make a hypergalactic jump.

It has even more dangers than a hyperspace jump.

No people (or animal, or object) ever returned from a hypergalactic jump using the Neuter-field effect. However, science explains that it does lead to another place far away.

In EXODE previous desperate and failed attempts to escape the alien threat have proven one thing: that only using Neuter-fields can allow you to escape their reach, at least temporarily.

Just before Evacuation, the latest discoveries and attempts in Neuter-fields technology have been sent by the Federation; and steps to unlock neuter-field capacitors have been shared to all captains.

To unlock the Neuter-field capacity in your hyperdrive, it needs to be upgraded by your crew.

This is done by the "Upgrade Hyperdrive" order.

High-grade military ships, and all military capital ships, have hyperdrives which have stabilized and removed the neuter-field capacitors.

The entire human fleet is unable to make a hypergalactic jump. So only small ships can use this to escape.

That is the reason why all last military fleet of mankind are giving all they can in one “last battle”, one immense sacrifice to give time to other captains to upgrade their drive, and escape.