[WeAreBack]

Since this card isn't banned anymore, I'd like to know how to use it properly.

In particular, I'm wondering what happens when the card is used without a valid target for stopping or unstopping a ship.

Notably, the condition of being "stopped" is a condition that only seems available on a player's own turn. We don't normally say my cards are stopped on your turn; it just isn't my turn, so they can't perform the kinds of actions that unstopped cards perform on a player's turn. (That is, this is not like "tapping" in Magic.)

So if I play What does God Need with a Starship on my own turn but have no ships in play, I don't think I can stop or unstop my opponent's ship, as I wouldn't think it wouldn't be a valid target to be either stopped or unstopped.

So if my opponent then attempts to pick the option of letting me stop or unstop any ship in play on my own turn when I have no ships in play, what would the result be?

My first thought is that the card "wiffs" for lack of a target, and returns to my hand.

Or is it just, since there is no target for stopping or unstopping the ship, she or he must choose the other alternative of letting me download a ship. (I missed when this card wasn't banned yet, and could imagine that this would be a good reason for banning it in the first place, when there was no once per game limit.)

Or is it that I get to unstop my opponent's ship that she or he then can't use because it's not her or his turn?

Or does the card just go to my discard pile with no effect at all?

[boromirofborg]

Notably, the condition of being "stopped" is a condition that only seems available on a player's own turn. We don't normally say my cards are stopped on your turn; it just isn't my turn, so they can't perform the kinds of actions that unstopped cards perform on a player's turn. (That is, this is not like "tapping" in Magic.)

I don't have an answer for the rest, but you are correct that your cards are not stopped during an opponent's turn:

Stopped cards become unstopped automatically at the start of either player's next turn.

(Rulebook)

[Takket]

The card targets ANY ship in play. So if your opponent chooses to let you stop or unstop a ship, you can do that to any ship in play. It can be your ship, or your opponent's ship. The card says "may" so you are not required to choose a ship (target) for this to be a valid card play. If you choose not to, or can't because there are no ships in play, the card is simply discarded.

[AllenGould]

I read it the other way - the opponent chooses which mode you get, and then you "may" do that mode.

So if there are no ships in play, I'm going to pick the stop/unstop option and let it be a null. (Or let you download if I'm reasonably sure you don't have any ships left to download.)