Congratulations on receiving your pilot's license, Commander. Now you’re familiar with the basic workings of your ship, it’s time to get accustomed to life amongst the stars.
With your trusty Sidewinder ready for you to take the helm, you stand on the threshold of a vast galaxy full of wonder, opportunity and danger. However, before you take the first steps along the main avenues for earning credits, you’ll need to familiarise yourself with your surroundings. Not simply your ship and how to fly it, but the many interactions and options for progression on which the success of your journey will depend.
Regardless of where you begin, a great first step is to take on a few missions. Select STARPORT SERVICES from the main station view, then MISSION BOARD. Among the TRANSPORTATION missions there will be a COURIER JOB with a low Threat Level that requires you to travel a few light years away. If there are any other missions with the same destination system, ideally to the same starport (you should avoid planetary settlements for now), consider accepting those as well.
Stacking missions can be time-saving and lucrative, but avoid those that are beyond the capabilities of your ship (or its pilot). Courier and data delivery missions are fine in a basic Sidewinder where cargo capacity is of no importance, but for multiple cargo delivery, sourcing and mining missions you should wait until you have a more capable vessel.
This is a good opportunity to try out the GALAXY MAP to get your bearings. You can either open it with “1” on the keyboard (or “Left face button” + “Left D-pad”), or by selecting the Galaxy Map icon on the NAVIGATION tab of the External Panel (which will put your current position at the centre of the screen), or via the same icon within the selected mission in the TRANSACTION (which will focus on the mission location). With your destination selected, hold down the required shortcut to plot a route to the system. You can now exit the map, undock and make your way there. Upon arrival, open up the MISSION BOARD via STARPORT SERVICES to receive your rewards.
Outfitting
Once you’ve completed a few mission runs you’ll start to become aware of your vessel’s limitations, so let’s upgrade it with improved modules. It’s worth remembering that there’s no depreciation on ships, weapons or modules, so whether you buy something in error or hold onto it for a while, you won’t lose any of your initial outlay.
From STARPORT SERVICES select OUTFITTING, where you’ll see module slots divided between HARDPOINTS (offensive modules), UTILITY MOUNTS, which tend to be external defensive modules, CORE INTERNAL that every ship needs to function and OPTIONAL INTERNALS which are usually geared around what you intend to do in your ship.
Modules are categorised by CLASS (size) and RATING (A - E). E-rated are the most basic, D the lightest (maximising jump range), C is considered an effective budget option, B the sturdiest option and A-rated often the best all-round choice - and most expensive as a consequence. It depends on the module, but as a rule pilots will aim for A-rated modules when it comes to drives and power, C-rated where money is tight, and D-rated for exploring the far reaches of space.
Probably the most strident piece of advice you’ll be offered is not to fly what you can’t afford to rebuy. That’s because if you can’t afford the insurance premium - typically a small percentage of a ship’s original cost plus that of bought installed modules (as stated on your INTERNAL PANEL, just below your current bank balance) - then all you will be offered upon its destruction is the same stock Sidewinder with which you started. Be aware that all cargo, unclaimed bounties and cartographic data is lost upon a ship’s destruction.
Trading
To afford your first trading ship you could complete a few more missions until you have enough for a Hauler, or, for slightly fewer credits you can simply upgrade your Sidewinder. Let’s do that and replace the 2E POWER PLANT with a 2D one, not because it specifically benefits trading, but because the reduced weight gives a small boost to speed, manoeuvrability and jump range. We’ll also fill the empty OPTIONAL slot with a 1E CARGO RACK and replace the PLANETARY VEHICLE HANGAR WITH a 2E CARGO RACK, which between them gives us the same cargo space as the Hauler. Basically, the higher your cargo capacity and jump range, the better equipped you are for trading.
Deciding what to trade is the trickier aspect, but as with all capitalist endeavours the core concept of buy-low-sell-high applies. By looking at a system’s economy TYPE and STATE, you can make a pretty good judgement about what it produces and what it needs. For example, a REFINERY economy relies on raw materials produced by EXTRACTION economies. In turn, MILITARY and HIGH TECH economies will rely to a large degree on REFINERY economies.
The STATE of an economy can have a huge impact on supply and demand. A FAMINE state demands more basic foods than usual, while medicines will be in short supply where there is any kind of OUTBREAK. If you chance across a BOOM state - the motherlode for traders - the population will generally consume more of everything.
If you’re looking for a trading opportunity in your current system, simply bring up the COMMODITIES MARKET via STARPORT SERVICES. As a rule you want to BUY from the current market at as far below the “galactic average” as possible and sell it elsewhere for as high a price as possible. Other factors that determine whether a trade is worthwhile is how much you can carry, how far you have to travel to sell and how profitable the next leg or return might be.
A better tool for planning future trade runs is the GALAXY MAP. If you select the TRADE ROUTES icon, you can see which types of goods are moving between systems, with a yellow arc denoting TEXTILES, for example. You can toggle specific goods within each category, but note that the map will only highlight selected trade routes for systems you have docked within during the last 24 hours. If necessary, you can BUY TRENDING TRADE DATA for a system via the column of icons on the right of the map.
As its name suggests the Hauler is a capable trading vessel for a minimal credit outlay, but most would argue the case for the Cobra Mk III. Despite its multi-role capabilities, it can be fitted with enough cargo space to keep you in business until you can afford to start looking at the Type-6 and the rest of the Lakon Spaceways range. Those looking for a leg up might want to consider
Type-9 Jumpstart. It may have been superseded by the Panther Clipper Mk II in terms of cargo capacity, but it remains a popular and reliable ship with an excellent jump range. Similarly for passenger missions, the
Beluga Liner Luxury Transport Jumpstart is the premium option for space tourists to view the majesty of the cosmos.
Mining
Everything in the galaxy has to originate from somewhere and for all that humanity covets, that’s in an asteroid orbiting a ringed gas giant. LASER MINING and the more intricate process of CORE MINING (which involves placing charges to blow rocks apart) are how ore and other base minerals are extracted. To find out where, open the GALAXY MAP, select the ECONOMY tab via the PILOTS’ FEDERATION Map Mode, then toggle EXTRACTION. If you’ve been to the system or acquired its available exploration data, the SYSTEM MAP will be accessible and you can scout out a spot from which to mine.
Most ships can be kitted out as miners, but if you just want to sample the life of a rock hermit, all you need are a Detailed Surface Scanner to map potential hotspots within planetary rings, a Mining Laser, Limpet Controllers (for both prospecting and collecting) and a Refinery to turn the fragments you collect into a saleable resource. A sizable cargo hold will also be handy, and be sure it’s
at least half full with Limpets - bought from STARPORT SERVICES > SHIP SERVICES - before you depart. Salvaging space material is a fiddly and time-consuming process without them, hence the common refrain ‘Don’t forget your Limpets!’ (Spoiler: You will, and curse yourself each time.)
When you arrive at your mining spot, you may be approached by a ship eager to relieve you of your cargo. If you’ve not got any - limpets don’t count - they will scan you and move on. Once they do, you can begin the mining process by launching a Prospector at a nearby rock to give you an idea of what it contains before activating your mining laser. Launch Collector Limpets to have them bring mined fragments into your open cargo hold and the Refinery will automatically get to work on them, depositing the processed ore into your hold. To avoid having to jettison ore that’s not worth your while, you can add ore types to your Ignore List from the CONTACTS tab of the ship’s EXTERNAL PANEL.
Miners tend to prefer medium ships to larger ones, with the Python and Krait Mk II traditionally favoured for their manoeuvrability and cargo space. Both can be fitted for either laser or core mining, with the Python marginally better suited for a dual role. Recently the Type-8 has begun to find favour as a core miner, although that might change with the availability of the Type-11 Prospector. Among larger ships, the Imperial Cutter remains popular, as does the Type-9 Heavy. Those looking for ARX-based options should consider the
Krait Mk II Upgraded Laser Mining Jumpstart and the
Python Core Mining Jumpstart.
Exploration
It may surprise you to know that more than 99% of the galaxy remains unexplored and it will be many lifetimes before all its mysteries are revealed. Devote yours to exploration and not only will you be contributing to the sum of human knowledge, but you could make a pretty penny in the process.
Seriously dedicated explorers will often operate many thousands of light years from the so-called Bubble, sometimes for weeks at a time. Their ships are unarmed and fitted with lighter D-rated modules to maximise FSD jump range, fuel scoops to harvest fuel (the acronym “KGBFOAM” refers to the types of stars you skin the corona of) and a Detailed Surface Scanner (DSS).
There are essentially three levels to exploration, each one requiring a different ship scanner while travelling in Supercruise and with ANALYSIS MODE active (press “M” on keyboard or “Up Face button” + “Up D-pad”). The Discovery Scanner (or D-Scanner) is common to all ships and used to detect signals within the current system. Activating it unleashes what pilots refer to as the “honk” and doing so is recommended for every system you visit, regardless of whether you consider yourself an explorer or not.
To identify and locate signal sources within a system, you need to use your fitted-as-standard Full Spectrum System scanner (FSS). Where the D-Scanner requires a simple button press, the FSS needs to be tuned to different frequencies and a reticle panned along the orbital plane to locate and identify bodies within the system.
Finally, there's the aforementioned Detailed Surface Scanner (DSS), which uses probe data to map the surface of each planetary body. Fly towards one in Supercruise and when the DSS is in range, activate it and launch probes into and around the surface. (One at the centre and three around is usually sufficient to generate 100% coverage.) Detailed Surface Scans, especially of Earth-like, water and ammonia-based worlds can be especially lucrative finds, and all planetary bodies will earn pilots a huge Credit bonus if they are the first to log their findings at a UNIVERSAL CARTGRAPHICS facility.
While the Mandalay has quickly overtaken it as the explorer’s ship of choice, the classic Asp Explorer remains a very capable vessel. However, if you’re looking for a cheaper option, you can’t go wrong with the Diamondback Scout or the more capable Diamondback Explorer, which have the perfect form factor for landing on rocky planets. If you need to get away from civilisation as quickly as possible, The
Asp Explorer Exploration Jumpstart has an almost unrivaled jump range, as well as reinforced hull armour to protect you from any bumpy landings.
Combat
You already know how to get from A to B, but to succeed in combat you need a deeper mastery of how your ship operates, one that includes an appreciation for power and heat management that can only come from refining how you outfit your ship.
Naturally you will need a dedicated combat ship, or a multi-role vessel specifically fitted for enemy engagements. For a ship's modules, a Shield Generator is often desirable and Hull Reinforcement modules are a good choice for when shields inevitably fail. For weapons, a mix of thermal (lasers) and kinetic (multi-cannons) is a popular combination. Thermal weapons are highly effective at stripping shields, while kinetic weapons excel at damaging the hull once the shields are gone. You should bind your fire groups so you can fire both types of weapons simultaneously. Gimballed mounts are a forgiving option for rookie combat pilots, as they allow your weapons to automatically track targets in a limited cone.
Once in a fight, pip management is a crucial skill. Your ship's power distributor has six "pips" you can allocate to three systems: Systems (SYS), Engines (ENG), and Weapons (WEP). When you're under attack, put pips to SYS to increase shield strength. When you're trying to outmaneuver an opponent, put them in ENG for better speed and turning. When you have a clear shot, put them in WEP for increased fire duration. The key is to constantly adjust pips depending on the situation you are in.
Practice is the only way to improve your combat readiness. Rather than taking on combat missions however, head to a nearby Resource Extraction Site (RES), one patrolled by system security ships. Follow them around and shoot ships they're already engaging to get bounties without being made the primary target. Avoid high-risk areas like Conflict Zones until you're more comfortable and your ship is better equipped, ideally with engineered modules.
Ask two pilots what the best small combat ship is and they will immediately argue over the Viper Mk III and the Cobra Mk III, before a third pilot arrives to suggest the Vulture. Those looking to fasttrack their way to a suitable combat ship might like to consider the
Vulture Bounty Hunter Jumpstart, which is perfect for engaging hostiles in RES sites. Among medium-sized hulls, the Fer-de-lance has long been a popular choice while the
Mamba Conflict Zone Jumpstart - the spaceship equivalent of a shotgun on skates - is also great fun to fly. Once you’re ready to brave the Witch Head Nebula, the
Alliance Chieftain AX (anti-xeno) Combat Jumpstart has been specifically developed to counter the ever-present Thargoids threat.
System Colonisation
The resources and logistical might required to build stations used to be the sole preserve of governments and system-spanning corporations, but thanks to recent innovations in ship design, coupled with the oligarchic influence of commanders and squadrons, new markets and facilities have come online, rapidly expanding the frontiers of settled space like never before.
System Colonisation is a relatively simple process - you stake a claim, pay a 25 million credit fee, then have 28 days to source and transport the materials needed to complete construction. Once done, you are recognised for your efforts as the system’s Architect and can develop your system’s infrastructure and economy further at a more deliberate pace.
Preparation is key to bringing your first facility online. System claims must be located within 15 light years of a previously colonised system and within a realistic working range either of a robust market that can supply all your building materials, or one of the seven Trailblazer Megaships that offer them for sale. A good mix of ground and orbital sites is key to future development. It may be tempting to choose a quiet system that only allows for the building of a starport, but it’s much more realistic to start with an outpost, especially if you are working alone.
Due to the sheer volume of building materials needed to complete early colonisation efforts, ships with large cargo capacities are essential. You should aim for a Type-9 Heavy, which is available for credits as well as a
Trading Jumpstart version with a Guardian Frame Shift Booster. You will likely also need a medium-size hauler at some point - to access smaller landing pads - for which you can’t go far wrong with a Type-8.
Last Words
That’s the main career choices covered, but if you are still feeling a little directionless or overwhelmed and are unsure what to do next, signing up to a Community Goal (CG) is often a good option. Active CGs either involve trading, mining, combat or exploration and can be found via the MISSION BOARD and typically last a week or two. The rewards can be substantial, however because they are often focused on a particular system, you may come into contact with commanders whose intentions are less than honourable. To avoid any unpleasant entanglements you may wish to avoid Open Play for a time.
Know that while a tiny minority will be a hindrance, the vast majority of commanders will only be too happy to come to your aid, whether it’s by responding to questions in chat, or offering more substantial guidance across forums and elsewhere, or even offering to fly by your side. You can also seek out like-minded commanders by creating or joining a Squadron. Simply open the SQUADRON interface via your INTERNAL PANEL to find out more.
For the next stage of your adventure through the galaxy you will naturally be focused on amassing rank and riches and discovering which ship and its modules will best help you secure them. However, perhaps the most important and most difficult lesson to learn is to not be so focused on a destination that you miss the journey. The more of the galaxy you come to experience, the more you understand that success isn’t about having the most money or the highest rankings, or the “right” ship set up in precisely the “right” way, but by having enough of what you need to be able to do what you enjoy doing in any given moment. Good luck finding out what that is, because it’s something that only
you can.
