Quickstart Guide

General earlygame strategy

Crew management

You can hire Crew from the crew menu at Enceladus station. A geologist is required to identify the mineral content of chunks outside of your cargo hold and estimate the value. this is the most important crewmember for early game (pre-MPU) for detecting high-value chunks to chase after.

Pre MPU mining

Without an MPU (Mineral Processing Unit), the amount of material you can return with is limited by the number of chunks that will fit in your cargo bay.

Salvage

Occasionally, you will come across a Derelict ship. If you have an AR-1500 Manipulator mounted on your high-stress hardpoint, you can tow the ship back to Enceladus. Otherwise, approaching the ship will give a dialogue option to send a crewmember over with some remass for an attempt to bring it back online. This has a chance of causing an explosion and putting the crewmember on leave for some time.

MPU mining

The MPU allows you to process chunks (by blasting the ice out of it) and store the processed minerals. Each ship has a specific quantity of processed minerals it can hold, which can be improved with the cargo container.

Combat

Space pirates. Whether you hate them or are one of them, combat is something that you will come across when playing for any significant length of time. Pirate ships are generally identified by the lack of an iff transponder. Most pirates will request money, some will attack immediately. Approaching hostiles will trigger the dangerous situation ambient effects: red highlights around the screen and more intense music. Skilled astrogater crewmembers will mark ship lidar contacts with red circles, making pirates easier to locate.

Combat/Salvage Focus Builds

Encountering Combat

Astrogating to a claim beacon has an increased chance of spawning any npc encounter. Occasionally you will come across an npc claiming to be bounty hunting. Asking to join them will usually spawn a hostile encounter soon.

Damage Types

Kinetic: Pokes holes in enemy ships causing damage and fuel leaks. Kinetic Laser: Pulse lasers tuned to lower frequencies will act as an intermediate step between kinetics and thermals. Thermal laser: Transfers heat to target. Can quickly overheat reactors if aimed properly. Microwave: Shuts down ship computers with emp.

Destroying Ships

Ships will be destroyed when the reactor explodes. This can be achieved using sheer damage to cause fuel rods to jam or by using thermal weapons to overheat them. Remember that the most powerful weapon available is usually the main drive thruster on your ship. Destroyed ships will spawn a life pod that can be returned to Enceladus for 50,000-150,000.

Disabling Ships

Ships will become disabled when they lose all of their fuel. Most ships will begin leaking fuel when subjected to kinetic impacts, particularly near the reactor. A majority of ships will be disabled by microwave emp. Some will not, and will require additional effort to defeat. Most pirates will begin fleeing after a certain damage threshold.

Combat Salvage

Disabled ships can be salvaged like derelicts. Combat salvage usually has a lower value than derelicts due to damage

Common Points of Interest

Obonto stations

Obonto stations found in the belt will buy common refined minerals for 2-6 times market price. Individual stations will only buy one mineral per dive, and can ask for iron, platinum, palladium, or vanadium.

Phage stations

Phage stations found in the belt will sell fuel for "belt rate". Usually more efficient to fit a larger fuel tank and purchase from the dive menu [E'].

Space Bar

Drinks at the space bar can improve crew mood.

Moonlet

Can sometimes contain uranium caves, otherwise just an astrogation target.

Uranium Caves

Contains several uranium crystals worth 10,000e. Found inside some moonlets.