Though not a full-fledged sequel, Homeworld: Cataclysm sports so many new features that even grizzled veterans of the Kushan Exodus will need to learn their trade anew. Here are some of the most prominent differences:

Mothership v. Command Ship
The Mothership has been replaced by the Command Ship. Unlike Motherships of old, the Command Ship can move around the battlefield; it may not sound like a big deal, but it makes a huge difference.

Research
The Research Ship is no more. Instead, all research for the Somtaaw fleet is done on the Command Ship via modules--add-ons to the Command Ship constructed through the Build Manager. Each module specializes in certain technologies that are unlocked as the game progresses. For the Beast, there are no research facilities (except the Genetics Module). Instead, research is done through infecting and assimilating enemy ships.

Support Units
Your Command Ship can only provide crew and supplies for a fixed fleet size. Without expansion, you'll be limited to the built-in confines of the basic Command Ship. Relief comes in the form of Support Modules--annexes added to the Command Ship that allow it to host more and larger ships. Carriers, too, can be expanded with Support Modules.

Harvesting
There's more to harvest than just asteroids. Dust clouds, nebula ribbons, and the highly valuable, beautiful, and dangerous crystals all provide the resources you need to keep your fleet afloat.

Ships
The entire Somtaaw fleet is composed of never-before-seen ships. Many of these vessels combine the abilities of ships from the original Homeworld into one. For example, the harvesting, repairing, and salvaging abilities are now all carried out by Workers-- once each ability has been researched, of course. On the other side, the Beast fleet is comprised mainly of Somtaaw ships and those used by the other races (most of which are featured in the original game). However, it's the way that ships are acquired, upgraded, and built that makes playing as the Beast unique.

Technology
The technology structure has changed significantly. Research is opened by building modules. Once a module is built, all of its research topics become available either immediately (multiplayer) or gradually, triggered by events in the game (solo play).

Sensors Manager
You can now issue all commands, including targeting, through the Sensors Manager.

Waypoints
It's easy to set a defined course for your ships with waypoints. Order your ships to navigate around enemies, explore uncharted space, or run patrol patterns.

Unexplored Space
You can no longer see all of available space, only those areas your ships have scanned with their sensors. This "fog of war" effect realistically limits your fleet's field of vision in areas outside its sphere of immediate presence.

Time Compression
If you want to speed up the game--during, say, a long resource collection period--you can make time pass eight times faster than normal with the push of a button.

No Refueling
It's no longer necessary to refuel your ships.

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