VS Manual: 8. In-Flight Status Check Table of Contents

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8. In-Flight Status Check

A ship in flight.

8.1 Basic Flight Training

... IN TRAINING, with Major Dwight Somlen (ret) of the Confederation of Inhabited Worlds military...

(Background, low volume) “What makes you think that these wet-behind-the-ears can learn anything?? Do you really think they have the b-...” (sounds of interference erupt from your PAD) “...to be able to pilot a craft... what?! We’re live?”

(Full volume speech) “Greetings, pilots! I’ve been requested by the Control Authority to provide some pointers for rookie pilots on how to fly their brand-spanking new spacecraft. The good thing is that no matter what craft you’re flying - whether a Llama, Goddard, Ox, Mule or whatever - your interaction with the flight controls is the same. Now, many rookies love to jump in, start moving, and figure out the controls as they go. That’s fine... and I’ll listen to your space debris hitting my shields when I pass your frozen corpses. The smarter pilots learn their controls beforehand, as that half-second difference in flight-control manipulation could mean becoming a smear on the side of a station - or a twisted hulk, after tangling with an Aevant.

“Now, first things, first. How do you move? If you want to change your direction of movement, you need some sort of flight instrument to relay your commands. Let’s refer to your instrument documentation -” (low volume mutter, as though to someone beside him) “they DID get that didn’t they?” (Full volume) “There are three forms of flight control: the joystick, the mouse and the keyboard. The joystick is pretty self-explanatory. Push the joystick forward, and your ship’s nose points ‘down’. Pull back on your joystick, and you point ‘up’. What? Yes, yes you can invert the controls if you want to. Push the joystick from side to side, and your craft will turn on the vertical axis. Some advanced joysticks will even let you roll your ship if you can configure them correctly. Now, your mouse does the same job in two ways. First, we have Mouse-Warping. That’s where moving your mouse in a direction moves your ship in that direction. Keep moving your mouse - yep, that’s right - and your ship keeps turning. Mouse-Gliding, on the other hand, means that moving your mouse pointer away from the centre moves your ship in the direction of the pointer.” (Low mutter) “Me, if I don’t have my joystick in my hand, I prefer to glide.” (Full voice) “Lastly, you have the keyboard. Both the joystick and mouse imitate the keyboard. Use your Cursor Keys to move up, down, and sideways; and your Insert and Delete keys to roll left and right. You can also use the keypad to do the same thing: KP 8, KP 2, KP 4, KP 6 and KP /, KP * to roll.

“OK. So, now we’re spinning around, going nowhere. What we need is thrust - can the laughter you lot up the back! To move anywhere, we need to have velocity. Velocity is determined in relation to the current system’s sun. In Combat Mode (the other modes will be discussed in a later lecture), use the equal = or KP + and minus - or KP - keys to alter your velocity. Notice, that you can have a forward and a reverse velocity. To obtain maximum combat velocity, use the backslash \ key. Use the Backspace key to reduce your velocity to zero. Essentially, what these commands provide is a Requested Velocity Vector (otherwise called a ‘set’ velocity). A Requested Velocity Vector is the speed that your craft will always try to move at. At times - like, when turning - your velocity may vary, up or down; but, your craft will always try to return to this Requested Velocity Vector.

“In Combat Mode, your maximum set-velocity is limited to a predefined value. There are a few ways that let us get around the set-velocity limit, though. For those of us lucky enough” (sotto voice) “- rich enough -” (full voice) “to have an Afterburner capability on our craft, the Tab key can be used to activate it. Afterburner gives your craft a velocity greater than your maximum combat velocity, alone. The downside is, that you have to hold the key down to maintain afterburn (and, you’ll only have enough fuel to use your Afterburner for a limited amount of time). If you don’t have an Afterburner, you can still use the Tab key to accelerate to your maximum set-velocity (just like you would by using the + key). In this case, though, releasing the Tab key will reduce your velocity back to its original, ‘set’ value.

“That’s enough for now. You’ve probably heard enough of this old f- I know, I know, no swearing. Have a think about what I’ve just said - it just might mean that I’m NOT hearing your space dust on my shields.”

8.2 Advanced Flight Techniques

... Fade in on Major Dwight Somlen (ret) of the Confederation of Inhabited Worlds military...

(Low volume) “... and these nuts want to know more about how to kill themse-... ?!” (full volume) “Will someone please tell me when we’re on?

“Welcome back pilots! Since I see you’re all here, I’d say everyone survived their first piloting experience? Fine, so let’s learn about some of the more advanced flight techniques.

“What we’ve been talking about so far, are the settings you would use when flying around a base, station or planet - or, when in combat (yes, I’ve heard all of you boasting. We’ll just see who turns up for your reunion, right?).

“Anyway, to attain a greater velocity than you can in Combat Mode, use the Y key. This key switches you from Combat Mode to Flight Mode. Flight Mode allows you to increase your set-velocity by one hundred times. So, why aren’t we all jetting about in this mode? Well, there are a few reasons. First, since we must still deal with inertia, your craft will drift in your prior direction a bit before going the way you want it to. If, say, you wanted to fly around a capship, and kept drifting towards it at a high velocity... (yes, I can see you all wincing). Secondly, try to imagine what combat would be like at these velocities. Your opponent would be out of range by the time you got your weapons aligned and fired!

“Now, all these flight commands deal with inertial movement. Most small craft can pull 10-20 gravities (G’s) of acceleration or deceleration. And, they have a flight-system designed to account for inertia. At combat velocities, your craft won’t be going fast enough, that you’ll easily notice the effects of inertia. Larger craft, however, are not designed with large G’s in mind; the effects of inertia will be more prominent. Similarly, traveling in Flight Mode (at a higher velocity) will result in the same problem: changing direction or velocity will require longer and longer periods of time.

“Inertial drift, however, can be, in some cases, a wind-fall. If you approach your target at high speed and a little off centre (i.e. not head-on), you can quickly turn to face it while reducing you velocity. Your ship will then continue in its prior direction, until your computerized flight-control system compensates for the change in course. The brief period in between allows you to strafe the side of your opponent - often hitting the weaker side or the rear armor.

“The reason I mention this is that there is a maneuver, called the Shelton Slide (activate the command using your tilde ` key) that provides a controlled version of this drift. It actually works quite well in battle. This command disengages the ship’s flight systems, so that your ship will not try and correct your velocity and direction. While it doesn’t give you six degrees of freedom of movement, you can spin around and face an assailant, while still moving in your original direction and velocity. This is definitely a handy maneuver in a battle.

“A better way to move around from base to planet, to station, is to use your SPEC drive. You should read the instrument docs that came with your ship for the specifics on how the drive operates. Wherever there are no asteroids or enemy ships blocking your way, you can activate the drive and obtain high velocities. Just how fast depends on if there are any nearby gravity-wells. That is, the further you are from a gravity-well, the faster you move. A SPEC drive allows you to point your ship in a direction, hit the A or SHIFT + A key, and increase your speed by a large factor - thus, enabling you to cross inter-planetary distances in only a short period of time (rather than weeks or months). On approaching a destination, you will normally re-enter a gravity-well (thereby reducing your velocity). You may hit the A or SHIFT + A key again to deactivate the drive. Note, that this function also has the effect of attenuating your shields, reducing their combat effectiveness until they regenerate.

“The last point I want to raise is regarding the Matching Velocity function. Now, this function also requires knowledge of Targeting; so, I’ll only touch on it briefly. Our calculation of velocity in space is in relation to a single point (usually the local sun). At times, you may want to match the velocity with another point - say, a ship - when docking or in combat. The use of the Home or keypad KP 7 keys allows you to match your velocity with your given target. Your set-velocity, then, becomes zero, relative to your target. Using the End or keypad KP 1 keys resets your velocity against the local sun.

“Well, that’s it. You should note, also, that your instrument documentation contains information on other key functions and their uses. But, that’s outside the scope of my talk, here. Finally, I hope at least some of you listened - it just may-well save your life, someday.”

(Sigh) “Someone give that fool up the back a kick to wake him up.”

8.2.1 Matching Velocity

As the Major states, above, a ship’s velocity is relative to a point in space; and, measuring it in relation to the local sun has long since been accepted as standard methodology. The result, however, is that the object you match velocity with essentially becomes the stationary point (or pivot) around which your viewpoint changes. This is assuming, that the new object does not also change velocity or direction. Understand, that your velocity in relation to the local sun may well be quite high. This is the result of inertia and a change in point-of-reference.

To match velocity with a target, you must first lock onto it, and then press the Home or KP 7 keys. Your set-velocity will then become zero, relative to your target (i.e. your ‘0’ velocity becomes equal to the velocity of that ship). Use the End or KP 1 keys to reset your velocity against the local sun.

Note: Pressing Backspace (“set speed to 0”) will ensure that your ship remains stationary, relative to your target (unless, it is accelerating faster than you are).

8.2.2 Docking Procedures

Figure 15: Docking Clamps. Get up close, but don’t crash into the base!
Figure 15: Docking Clamps. Get up close, but don’t crash into the base!

To dock at a base or planet, continue traveling towards it, while maintaining a target-lock. As you get close, green or red docking indicators will appear, indicating the location and status of the docking clamps. Green indicators represent usable/active docking clamps, while red indicators indicate that the docking area is either damaged (or, unavailable for some other reason), or on the far side of the station’s superstructure.

Approach the green docking clamps at low speed. When the green indicator nearly fills your entire screen, then you are close enough to dock. To initiate the automated docking sequence, press D. Your ship will automatically dock. If you are not close enough to the docking clamps, then you will receive a communiqué from the base informing you of this. Repeat these steps, as needed, until the docking sequence begins.

Once docked, your in-flight HUD will be replaced by the base’s Landing Pad.

Note: we recommend that you seek docking clearance, ahead of time, before trying to land or dock at the base or planet. Doing so is considered polite (maybe it will even improve your reputation), and may help forego any hostile actions on the part of the base’s owners. There is also a practical aspect: seeking clearance will bring up the docking indicators earlier. Press the zero 0 key to request docking clearance.

Final Note: destinations that don’t have a type (e.g. Factory, Industrial, Oceanic, etc.) are uninhabited. While you may still land there, these places have no base facilities to interact with. Therefore, there is usually no reason to land there.

8.2.3 In-System Transit

Figure 16: The view out your cockpit, upon activation of the SPEC Drive. Note, the blue SPEC Light (upper-middle of the HUD), star-streak, and SPEC Level indicator.
Figure 16: The view out your cockpit, upon activation of the SPEC Drive. Note, the blue SPEC Light (upper-middle of the HUD), star-streak, and SPEC Level indicator.

There are three potential ways to travel within a star system: via the Combat and Flight Modes; or, by using your ship’s SPEC drive. Attempting to travel between locations under the normal modes would require an exceedingly large amount of time; therefore, for fast in-system travel between planets, asteroids and artificial stations, you should use the SPEC drive.

The SPEC drive (Spatial Partitioned Expansion Contraction), and its alien equivalents, warp the space around a vessel in such a way, that the vessel moves at normal speed though compressed space. This generates the effect of movement at rates magnitudes higher than Flight Mode.

The degree of spatial compression (and, therefore, the drive’s effectiveness) is limited by the proximity of any nearby gravity-wells (such as suns, planets or, even, stations). So, the nearer a the drive is to a gravity-well, the lower the magnitude of movement over normal velocity.

You may have heard a metaphor for gravity, that states: “space is a big soft bed, planets are bowling balls, and smaller balls roll towards the indentations.” Well, in SPEC-travel, the planets are more like big hills, that get steeper the closer you get to them.

The energy costs to use the SPEC drive are much higher than jumping. Accordingly, SPEC drives are used for interstellar travel only when exploring outside the jump network, or when launching a military expedition (as, going through the “front door” (e.g. the jump network) may be ill-advised).

To use SPEC, make sure that your direction vector and your velocity vector are both aligned on your target. This means that you must point your ship at your destination and actually travel in the direction you are pointing. To activate SPEC, press the A or SHIFT + A keys. A blue SPEC indicator-light will appear on your HUD, and your velocity will increase. On final approach to a destination, hit the same key again to deactivate the drive and return to normal flight mode.

Note: your weapon systems are disabled while the SPEC drive is in use. This is in order to avoid collisions with your own weaponry.

8.2.4 Autopilot

Figure 17: The Autopilot Light
Figure 17: The Autopilot Light

Vega Strike provides an alternative means of in-system navigation (not used in the core game, but available to mods) called Autopilot. Similar to Time Compression, Autopilot shortens the transition time when traveling between two areas of interest - as long as there are no identifiable hazards nearby, such as the presence of enemies or obstacles (such as asteroid fields).

Wherever Autopilot is available, the Autopilot Light will activate in the cockpit. To use Autopilot, a player must first target a destination. Use the targeting keys (T, N, or U), or the Map Screen, to browse the available NAV points and select a destination. Once a destination has been chosen, pressing the A key activates Autopilot. Your viewpoint from within the cockpit will be replaced by an external camera view of your ship.

Generally, Autopilot delivers a player within 15,000 meters of their destination, at which point the player must manually fly the remaining distance. Pressing A multiple times with the same unit targeted merely re-centers the ship on the target, and will not move you any closer.

Autopilot will be made unavailable, if any of the following conditions apply:

Note: if Autopilot is still unavailable, it may be that a hostile unit has died, and your sensors are still registering the debris as active. Wait around 10-20 seconds for the Autopilot Light to reappear.

8.2.5 Interstellar Travel

Figure 18: Jumping. Wait for the blue JUMP sign to appear (upper-middle of the HUD).
Figure 18: Jumping. Wait for the blue JUMP sign to appear (upper-middle of the HUD).

Interstellar travel is accomplished via jump gates (or wormholes). To activate a jump gate, you must have a jump-drive equipped. To initiate interstellar travel, target a jump gate, and continue traveling toward it until the blue Jump Light turns on; then press J.

For history and theory of interstellar travel, jump-drives and wormholes, please refer to scientific literature. We limit our discussion, here, to how interstellar travel works within the Vega Strike universe.

Jump-drives use gravitic technology to access a singularity, formed between two previously-weakened points in the space-time continuum. These singularities (commonly named wormholes) connect one point in one solar system, permanently, to another point in another system. Certain wormholes are rumored to randomly connect two points at random times.

Once a wormhole has been discovered and mapped, it is marked on the star charts (e.g. the Map Screen) as a targetable object. An inactive wormhole appears as a wire-frame disk in your HUD, while an active, stable wormhole appears as a red, whirlpool-like object. An unstable, random-destination wormhole appears multi-colored. (ED: this feature currently disabled).

Try to approach the wormhole directly (e.g. not from its side), as this will ensure greater success.

Note: your starting ship is not equipped with a jump-drive at start of play. Therefore, you are only capable of in-system travel. You will need to acquire a jump-drive to travel between the stars.

8.3 Viewing the World Around You

Vega Strike provides you with three methods of viewing the world around you: the internal Cockpit and HUD Views, and an external Camera View. You can switch between the various views by pressing the appropriate keys.

8.3.1 Cockpit View

The Cockpit View allows you to view Space around you from within the pilot’s seat:

Function Key(s) Description
Look Forward F1 Your ship defaults to this view when in flight. It is otherwise known as the cockpit view, and represents what you see if you are looking directly ahead. The forward view displays all the necessary information to pilot your ship, via the Heads-Up Display (HUD). Pressing the F1 key again switches you from Cockpit View to HUD View (e.g. it toggles the cockpit’s physical interior on/off).
Look Left F2 Looking over your left shoulder.
Look Right F3 Looking over your right shoulder.
Look Back F4 Since a pilot cannot look backwards, through the ship itself, this view simulates what it would look like if you were looking directly behind you.

8.3.2 HUD View

The HUD View exists as an alternative to Cockpit View, in which the cockpit’s physical interior is turned off. Press the F1 key to switch between Cockpit View and HUD View.

8.3.3 External Camera View

The External Camera View provides you with several different viewpoints, originating outside your ship:

Function Key(s) Description
Chase-cam F5 This view places a camera inside the cockpit of an imaginary ship, flying directly behind and above you. The camera always remains fixed, centered on your ship.
Panning Camera F6 This view provides an external camera, centered on your ship.

(Move the camera by pressing Q, Z, S and F.)

Target Camera F7 This view places a camera outside your ship, so that both your ship and your target are visible at the same time.
Target Panning Camera F8 This view provides an external camera, centered on your target.

(Move the camera by pressing Q, Z, S and F.)

Zoom In F11 Zoom the camera in.
Zoom Out F12 Zoom the camera out.
Pan Up Q Pans the camera up.
Pan Down Z Pans the camera down.
Pan Left S Pans the camera to the left.
Pan Right F Pans the camera to the right.

8.4 The Heads-Up Display (HUD)

The Heads-Up Display displays all the information needed to pilot your ship. The individual HUD functions are described, below, as they appear on your screen, in clock-wise order starting in the upper-left.

8.4.1 Communications Window (Comms)

Located in the top-left corner of the HUD, the Communications Window displays information regarding your current status, as well as any incoming messages. The first line indicates your current, targeted destination, and the time since you last launched from a base.

As messages appear, read them from left to right. The first part of a message indicates the source of the message, whether a flightgroup, station or base. Next, is the time-stamp, showing the time when the message was sent. Last, is the actual message text. Messages are color-coded, reflecting your current standing with the sender’s faction. Refer to Communication for more information.

8.4.2 Indicator Lights

Located in the upper-middle portion of the HUD are the three indicator lights:

8.4.3 Frames-per-Second

(ED: this is an internal game-control, measuring computer performance during gameplay. It is intended to assist developers during testing.)

8.4.4 Missions Objectives

If you have accepted any missions, the mission objectives will appear on the right-hand side of the HUD. You can use the PGDN and PGUP keys to scroll up or down the list.

Upon completion (or failure) of a mission objective, you will receive a communiqué (see Communications Window, above) informing you of the result. Mission objectives will change color, depending on the status of their completion. Refer to Mission Types for more information.

8.4.5 Right Video Display Unit (VDU)

The Right VDU is activated by pressing the V key. Pressing this key again will cycle through its displays. They are:

To scroll up or down, use the PGUP and PGDN keys.

8.4.6 Ship Displays

Located at the lower-middle portion of the HUD, are the Ship Displays. These include:

8.4.7 Shield Display

Located in the lower-left portion of the HUD, the Shield Display shows a 3D representation of your ship, as well as the strength of your shields and armor. Shield strength will regenerate over time, provided your reactor has spare capacitance. But, armor is finite, and can only be repaired at a base. Should your ship take enough damage that your shields and armor are reduced, then your internal ship components will also begin taking damage. This is reflected using red coloration in the display. Take enough damage, and your ship will explode.

8.4.8 Left Video Display Unit (VDU)

The Left VDU is activated by pressing the M key. Pressing this key again will cycle through its displays. These are:

Scroll up or down using the PGUP and PGDN keys.

8.4.9 Targeting Reticule

In the very center of the HUD are a pair of crosshairs. They indicate where your weapons are pointing. During combat, you’ll want to align these crosshairs over your target.

8.4.10 Target Indicators

If you have an object targeted, the object will appear within an open square bracket. If you have locked onto the target, the square will be solid. If you have a missile-lock on the target, a diamond will appear around the square. Lastly, if your ship is outfitted with ITTS, a small diamond will appear in front of the targeted object.

8.4.11 Directional Pointer

If you have locked onto a target, but the target is not currently in front of you, a directional pointer will appear along the edge of the screen, indicating the direction and location of your target.

8.5 Navigation

Just as in ancient times, the ability to navigate requires more than just being able to see what is around you. Accurate maps are needed, depicting locations that lie over the horizon, and dangers that are hidden out of view. In Outer Space, the importance of maps is even greater, as sight alone is far too limited.

While it is possible to navigate around a solar system using targeting data only, without adequate maps to provide navigational data, traveling in the Vega Strike universe would consist of aimless wandering from system to system. Finding a single system would be nearly impossible.

8.5.1 The Map Screen

The Map Screen is activated/deactivated using the SHIFT + M key. It may only be activated in-flight. Players should note, that activating the Map Screen will NOT pause the game - the flight controls will still function, and your opponents will continue to attack.

The Map Screen consists of a viewscreen (to the left) and buttons (to the right). Clicking on the first two buttons switches you between Statistical Mode and Map Mode. The other buttons activate/deactivate various functions associated with each mode.

8.5.2 Statistical Mode

Note: the information displayed in Statistical Mode is identical to that which you will find in the Player Information Screen, when docked at a base.

Ship Stats

Press Button 3 to view information on your current ship’s physical statistics. It records the current value ratings for your ship’s armor, shields, weapons, maneuverability, scanner detection capability, propulsion systems and so forth.

Player Info

Press Button 4 to view information on all of the Vega Strike factions. To the right of each faction name is a reputation rating, ranging from positive (green, allied) to negative (red, enemies), with several other ratings in between. A second number reports the number of faction-owned ships destroyed by the player. Lastly, the Total Kills field (at the bottom) records the total number of ships destroyed, regardless of faction.

Help information is also displayed - providing a basic guide on how to play Vega Strike.

Statistical Mode Buttons

8.5.3 Map Mode

Figure 19: The Three-Dimensional (3D) Map Screen, with the player’s current system highlighted.
Figure 19: The Three-Dimensional (3D) Map Screen, with the player’s current system highlighted.

Map Mode provides the player with a three-dimensional map of Space. All map-objects are color-coded by faction. To select a map-object, click on it using your LMB. To rotate the map, click and drag your LMB. To zoom in/out, click and drag your MMB, or use the scroll-wheel.

System Map

Pressing Button 4 displays a map of all planetary bodies, satellites, bases, and known spacecraft in the current system.

Galactic Map

Pressing Button 5 displays a map of all known solar systems in the galaxy. Systems are shown linked, depending on whether there are jump-gates (wormholes) connecting them.

Map Mode Buttons

8.6 Targeting

While most pilots consider the targeting ability to be only useful in combat, in truth it is required to perform nearly all in-flight functions. For instance, the ability to navigate, both in and out-system, requires a pilot to lock onto a navigation point (e.g. a base, planet, sun, wormhole or ship). Communication requires a pilot to lock onto a target before sending a communiqué. And, wingmen require you to target them before giving orders.

You can cycle through all available targets within a system using the T key. You would do this usually when all you want to do is see what’s out there. Unfortunately, cycling through all targets is a long process. Luckily, there are keys that allow a pilot to target different points of interest within a system. You can cycle through all significant and/or neutral targets, such as bases or planets, by pressing the N key. You can narrow this search further, and only cycle through non-natural targets, such as stations and ships, by pressing the U key. When targeting large ships or stations, you can cycle through their sub-units using the B key. In battle, the most important targeting ability is the ability to cycle through all targets that are hostile to you (use the H key). Lastly, you can point your ship at an object and target it using the P key.

Once you have acquired a target, you can lock onto it using the L key. This will cause the Target Indicators to appear. Wherever you are facing, the Target Indicators will always point to your target. Also, missiles and torpedoes will always pursue a locked target.

Function Key(s) Description
All Units Forward: T
Back: SHIFT + T
Cycle through all targets in the current system.
Significant & Neutral Units Forward: N
Back: SHIFT + N
Cycle through all significant & neutral targets in the current system.
Non-planetary & Non-natural Units Forward: U
Back: SHIFT + U
Cycle through all non-planetary & non-natural units (such as capships and fighters) in the current system.
Hostile Units Forward: H
Back: SHIFT + H
Cycle through all hostile targets in the current system.
Subunit Select B Cycle through the subunits of your currently selected target.
Lock onto Unit L Lock onto your currently selected target.
Units In Front P Select targets that are directly in front of you (near the crosshairs).

8.7 Communication

Pilots do not simply travel through an empty void. Rather, they must interact with a variety of ships, bases, stations and planets in order to function effectively in the universe around them.

The ability to communicate with others in Space opens up many avenues that may lead to a successful career. Being able to say “hello”, appease factions, repair reputations, or engage in psychological battle with an opponent can help you avoid obstacles that you wouldn’t be able to, otherwise.

The reactions of various factions may be influenced by how you communicate with them. If you choose particularly menacing taunts, your target may pursue you instead of its current target. Friendly comms may help you restore relations with factions. Specific comms messages are generated, based on your reputation with your target, as well as any conversations you may have had with them, previously.

To communicate with ships around you: first, target a ship. Once targeted, you may choose a dialogue option from the list in the Right VDU. Cycle the Right VDU, using the V key, until this list appears. Dialogue options are numbered from 1 to 9, with lower-numbered responses being the friendliest and higher-numbered responses being the most hostile. Once selected, your message (as well as any replies) will then appear in the Communications Window, in the top-left corner of the HUD.

Note: requesting permission to dock at a base may actually improve your reputation with that faction. It will also trigger the docking clamps to open, earlier. To learn how to request docking clearance, refer to Docking Procedures.

A Word to the Wise: when being scanned by militia, they will request that you not deviate from your current course and speed. Should you ignore their warnings, they will assume you are carrying contraband, and will act accordingly.

8.8 Wingmen

As a pilot you will find that, when attempting a mission or flying cargo through dangerous space, many times, the odds of successful completion are nearly impossible when doing it alone. In these situations, having another pilot on your wing (or several) may be well-advised.

Wingmen make it possible for you to have multiple ships (and pilots) engaged in a mission. As leader of your own personal flightgroup, you can order your wingmen to perform many of the actions that you, yourself, are capable of. You can order them to attack your target, come rescue you if you’re taking fire, or form up on your wing. Be forewarned however, that wingmen tend to be fickle, and may not always obey your commands. They will inform you whether they will or not.

Lastly, when flying escort missions, your own escorts will follow you wherever you lead. To travel through a wormhole, stop and wait for them at the wormhole until they come within close proximity to you. When they’re nearby, press the J key. They will then follow you through the wormhole, and will appear along side you at your destination.

8.8.1 Commanding Wingmen

Following, is a list of available commands:

Press SHIFT + F to order your wingmen form up on your wing. Your wingmen will fly in formation with you. They will fly defensively, but will attempt to remain in their position. This command is commonly used to have wingmen follow you through a wormhole.

Press SHIFT + B to release your wingmen from their formation. This command countermands the above order.

Press SHIFT + H to order your wingmen help you out. As noted above, when your ship is under fire, using this command will cause your wingmen to attack whoever is attacking on you. Hopefully, they will destroy your opponent. The key point, however, is that they will draw your opponent’s fire away from you.

Press SHIFT + D to order your wingmen attack your target. When you specifically want your wingmen to attack a particular target (whether, for defensive purposes, or to fulfill a mission objective), use this command.

8.8.2 Hiring Wingmen

To hire wingmen, you must access a Mission Computer. In the Missions Screen, highlight the Wingmen category. You will see a list of available wingmen, and a description of each pilot, listing their flying ability, ship statistics and hiring fee.

Wingmen are aware of the fact that they will usually be hired for dangerous jobs. As such, they demand payment up front. Click on the Accept button to hire the selected wingman. Your wingman will then fly on your wing until you next dock with a base.

8.8.3 Cargo Wingmen

Larger cargo transports can carry fighters as cargo (much like a miniature aircraft carrier). Fighter cargo can be jettisoned and commanded just like hired wingmen.

To accomplish this, cycle the Left VDU using the M key until your cargo manifest appears. Press PGUP or PGDN to move the wingman to the top position in your manifest. Press SHIFT + Z to eject the selected wingman. When you’re done, activate and use your Tractor Beam, and tow the fighter back into your hold.

Additionally, you can use the Control Switch to switch control from your primary ship, to your wingman’s ship. To do this, first target a wingman, then press the [ key. You will now be able to pilot your wingman’s ship as if it were your own. Afterward, follow the above steps in reverse to return control back to your primary ship.


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