What do the Hull Stats mean?

Question

I've just started playing SPAZ, and I'm trying to work out which ship hulls I should use.

More specifically:

1. Stats like "Hull Strength" and "Hull Mass" don't seem to be explained anywhere (unless I've missed something). Please detail what each stat means. (EDIT: the above were examples, I'm really looking for the details of all the stats, not just those two)
2. I can't tell if these stat bars are relative to other ships of all sizes, or only for the ships of the same hull size.
3. Should I always choose larger ships when I have the cash?

Answer 1

When choosing a new hull, bars with green in them indicate that they are better than your currently selected hull, and the amount of green shows you how much better. Conversely, bars with red represent stats that are worse than your current hull.

Once an enemy has penetrated your shield and destroyed your armor, they will be hitting the hull itself. Hull Strength is how much damage your hull can take before breaking down.

Hull mass contributes to the inertia of your ship. A higher hull mass will make turning and acceleration slower, which is why many of the larger ships have turret slots.

I generally go for the size of ship which matches the largest ship I commonly face. Although I currently have access to a few large hulls, I am mostly facing medium hulls, and have had much better luck using a medium class Volley than I have had trying to use larger hulls.

Answer 2

It's been a while since I last played SPAZ, so other contributors please feel free to correct me if I get any of this wrong:

1. Strength relates to amount of hull HP, mass to the inverse of maneuverability.
2. I think the stat bars are relative to ships of the same hull class when looking at the hangar listings.
3. I would say always go for the largest available hulls, assuming you can also afford at least some basic weaponry and defence systems for them. Even if played well, the strongest hull of one class will still generally be quite a lot worse than the weakest one of the class above.