Runes

Runes (this link) are applicable stat modifiers for weapons in the game. There are over 200 runes in Starhunters as well as 10 hidden runes if the player pre-ordered Starhunters or purchased Starhunters: Elite Edition. Unlike mods, runes highly vary to what weapons they can be applied to and they are signified by a mark and a slight variation of color.

Effects
Runes can be applied to nearly every single weapon in the game. Each rune applied to a weapon alters one or sometimes more of its stats at varying intensities. About a third of the obtainable runes in the game apply a single or multiple hugely positive effects at the cost of also a negative effect. For example, the zenstorm rune increases firing speed of guns and rocket launchers by a whopping 70% but also increases the weight of the weapon by 20% (weight is an important factor of determining the Player's speed; more weight = slower speed).

Some runes may have a bigger or smaller impact on weapon preformance. There are only 3 runes in the game that negatively impact the preformance of weapons more than they do positively impact them, while all other 197 runes have more plus than minus. The strongest rune in the game, redchain, increases the power of a weapon by 91%, the firing speed by 50%, and gives a 90% chance to inflict either extreme burn or extreme stun (or sometimes both), however it triples the weight of the weapon and gives the weapon strong enough recoil to damage the player.

Tiers
As with weapons, runes are also classified in the same tiers and in the same order (from weakest to strongest): white, gray, black, brown, green, red, gold, blue, and fuchsia. Runes that affect weapon's preformances more drastically have higher tiers than those that minutely affect weapon's preformances. Only Red-tier runes and above have negative effects, though some do not; the runes that do not usually are weaker than the ones that do.

Limitations and Runepools
The range of runes that a weapon is able to have applied is called its runepool. Many weapons are judged firstly by their base stats and secondly by the quality of their runepools and modpools. If a weapon has only fair stats and a fair runepool or modpool, it is generally looked down on of use. Usually the better weapons have greater stats than they do mod/runepools.

As a realism factor it is impossible to apply very high-tier runes to low-tier weapons under normal conditions. A runepool's quality is not judged by how many runes it can have applied total, but by how many runes it can have applied within the same general tiers and the power of those runes. For example, a Gold-tier weapon could have a large amount of White- thru Green-tier runes applicable but that doesn't mean it is better than a Red-tier weapon that can only have Gold- and Blue-tier runes applicable. In fact, despite the Red-tier weapon being a tier lower than the Gold-tier weapon, the Red-tier weapon would be considered a better choice since it has access to a few very good runes as opposed to too many weaker runes. Note that stronger runes are looked at more than the weaker ones. Sometimes a weapon may have very good base stats at the cost of a small mod/runepool. Also, even if a weapon has "a very good runepool" but only has a few availible, it may sometimes be classified as merely a decent runepool due to the lack of variety/customization with runes.
 * If a weapon's runepool only has access to runes that are lower than its tier or only a few of its own tier, it is a poor runepool.
 * If a weapon's runepool has access to runes of its tier, below its tier, and/or above its tier (regardless if it has access to runes of lower tiers than that), it is a decent runepool.
 * If a weapon's runepool has access to runes at least two or more tiers over its own tier (regardless if it has access to runes of lower tiers than that), it is a very good runepool.

Easy
The Player will automatically know how to apply White- and Gray-tier runes on generally any weapon, but runes of the Black-tier and above must be learned by NPCs. Once taught how to apply a rune, the Player will never forget how to do it (unless they are inflicted with strong Amnesia). The only two tiers of runes that Players will not be able to learn how to apply, and must have them applied for them by NPCs, are Blue-tier runes and Fuchsia-tier runes.

Hard
The Player will have no knowledge of runes whatsoever and White-tier runes can be learned how to apply - all other tier runes (Gray- thru Fuchsia-tier) must have them applied for the Player by NPCs.

Appearance
Every 200 runes have their own custom mark that is applied to the weapon after the rune has been applied as well. These marks may be simple or complex flowing structures of lines and dots and other shapes that are placed in a random place on the weapon. All 10 hidden runes drastically change the color scheme of the entire weapon itself as well as a unique marking once applied. Runes are technically what some call "hidden mods", since they are actually devices that modify the preformance of a weapon - the mark itself merely signifies what rune was applied to the weapon.

White-tier

 * Thorn rune
 * Flash rune
 * Feather rune
 * Ember rune
 * Spark rune
 * Snow rune
 * Toxic rune
 * Big rune
 * Long rune
 * Quick rune
 * Strength rune

Gray-tier

 * TBC

Black-tier

 * TBC

Brown-tier

 * TBC

Green-tier

 * TBC

Red-tier

 * TBC

Gold-tier

 * TBC

Blue-tier

 * TBC

Fuchsia-tier

 * Redchain rune
 * ​Positive: Power +91%, Firing Speed +50%, & 90% chance of extreme burn/stun
 * Negative: x3 weapon weight & heavy recoil
 * Kirabi rune
 * ​Positive: -60% weapon weight, Power +40%, no recoil
 * Negative: Firing Speed -25%
 * Steelstrike rune
 * ​Positive: 100% chance of extreme freeze and/or moderate cripple, Firing Speed +74%
 * Negative: Power -30%
 * TBC