How to increase build cap in Homeworld 3

Spamming the build buttons can only get you so far. And by so far, I mean almost nowhere, but if you insist on increasing the size of your fleet, here is how to increase your War Games build cap in Homeworld 3.

Homeworld 3: How to increase build cap

Contrary to the encounters and space fights you come across in the Campaign, spaceship build cap can become an issue if you are struggling with the tasks and objectives you need to complete in War Games, Homeworld 3’s roguelike mode. This is because enemy presence and difficulty will escalate the longer you spend in each round, making creating new ships vital for survival.

From the get-go, you only get a 30-limit Strikecraft pop cap – there’s a 75 pop cap in campaign mode – which in harder scenarios can get excruciatingly limiting. Fortunately, through the use of the many Artifacts in War Games, you can increase your pop cap. For example, Strikecraft Support Systems will increase your Strikecraft pop cap by 10. This Artifact is particularly valuable since it has no negative effect associated with it. This plays in contrast to Frigate Support Systems which will reduce your Strikecraft and Corvette pop cap by five as a result.

This is easier said than done, of course. Artifacts act as the in-game modifiers that are common to the roguelike genre. During each of your encounters, you will get to complete specific objectives and tasks, with you receiving an Artifact pick as a reward for doing so. You will have to choose one Artifact from a randomized selection that will vary in type and rarity. Since pop cap is not quite common, you could end up playing a decent number of rounds without even encountering said Artifact.

To be honest, I wouldn’t focus too much on numbers in Homeworld 3. Having a gigantic fleet of spaceships will not matter if you don’t adapt yourself to the situation – or you run out of resources to create it. So, build accordingly to the task at hand, use formations that will make your attacks more effective, and use your surroundings to your advantage to prevent unnecessary casualties during your war among the stars – that sounds familiar, doesn’t it?