Answers
Combat
My turrets won't fire at the locked target.
You're probably out of range.
The range indicator above the turret in the module bar turns green when in range. Close in until it does.
If it's green and they still hold fire, check:
- The lock: pressing Tab on your locked target unlocks it. Press Tab to lock again.
- Sensors: the target must be inside your sensor range with line of sight. A blip can't be targeted.
- Heat: during a SCRAM your turret batteries are suspended while heat is held at zero for 3 seconds.
- Enemy ECM: a Tracking Disruptor briefly disables its target's turrets, and a Signal Jammer briefly stops nearby enemies' turret fire.
- A Remote Tracking Shroud stops enemy turrets firing on the squadmate it covers.
To reach further:
Triangulator (+10% turret range) or 
Tracking Computer (briefly +100% sensor range).How does range affect damage?
At 2x optimal range damage is about 30%.
- Optimal range is per turret type. A battery uses the average optimal and falloff range of its turrets.
- Marksman perk: -50% damage at 25% of optimal or closer, scaling to +100% at 125% of optimal or farther.
- Brawler perk: +100% at 35% of optimal or closer, scaling to -50% at 125% or farther.
- Both are Turret affinity perks at 20 points spent. You pick one, and the pick can't be changed.
- Both thresholds follow each turret's optimal range. With short-range turrets such as the Flak Cannon, Brawler's bonus only applies very close: about 250 m.
Tip
To push your range out (which also widens Brawler's bonus range), turret affinity has an option worth +1% optimal range per point, and a Triangulator adds +10% turret range.
Should I mix different turret types?
Usually not.
Turrets that rotate at different speeds and have different optimal ranges are harder to keep on target.
- Every turret of one family joins one battery; a different family forms a second battery.
- A battery takes its damage, ranges (optimal and falloff), tracking, crit chance and cycle time as the average across its turrets.
- Each family gives its battery one ability, such as Rapidfire on the Auto-Cannon or Charge Shot on the Railgun.
- You can fit at most six turrets of one family, and no more Battery modules than the hull has battery hardpoints.
Tip
Heat rewards families differently. In the Optimal zone, Auto-Cannons, Flak Cannons and Railguns fire about 10% faster; Rampart Gatlings and Vanguard Lances 25% faster.
What are the damage types?
Kinetic (turrets, drones) and high-explosive (missiles, torpedoes, mines).
Base resistances since Beta Patch 2:
Defense Kinetic High-explosive Armor 24% 20% Shields 10% 30% - A resist is the share of incoming damage prevented. Shields counter high-explosive best; armor counters kinetic.
- High-explosive resist can be raised only through shield modifiers. Armor's can't go above its base.
- Kinetic resist: an Armor Hardener gives +35% armor kinetic resist while running (45% in the Optimal heat zone); Armor affinity adds +0.75% per point. A Heat Purge System lowers it by 40 while running.
- Only mines deal splash damage. The Flak Cannon's Shockburst may be an exception.
- Ramming does no damage yet. Ship stats also list an acid resist; nothing known deals acid damage.
Changed in Beta Patch 2: shields had 0% resistance to both before.
How do signature radius and cloaking work?
Turrets track based on your signature radius, so a smaller signature is harder to hit.
Your signature grows in flight with heat in the reactor, each shot you fire, any throttle above zero, and a SCRAM (+1,500). A ship coasting cold with its guns silent is hardest to track.
- Shrink it: Dampening Baffle (-14%), Ghost Rack (-16%), Echo Array (-10%).
- Grows it: a Mining Laser (+20%), or an enemy Target Painter on you (+200%).
- Signature doesn't affect missiles or mines, or how far away you're detected.
Detection is separate:
- Everyone sees up to 10 km. Within their own sensor range (usually 4–6 km) they also see details.
- Outside someone's sensor range you show as an orange dot. A Cloak hides even that from enemies.
- Missiles can't track cloaked ships.
- Sensor range beyond 10 km gives no benefit for now.
- The system is still being refined.
Can I command NPCs?
At certain ranks faction NPCs follow your pings.
- Raise your Merit rank. Recruit (10,000 Merits) commands 1 NPC; Sergeant 2, Commander 3, Praetor 4, Exarch 5, Imperator no limit.
- Hold left click for the ping wheel and ping. The nearest willing NPCs follow your newest order, which replaces the last; if none accept, your current order stays.
- An order lasts until it runs out, or until you leave, switch faction or lose your ship.
Good to know
- You can take over another player's NPCs only if you outrank them.
- If your rank drops, NPCs above your new limit are released.
Can I play with friends?
Squads of up to 5.
- Enter the breach together as a squad.
- The squad system is basic. If joining together fails, add each other from the callsign list inside the breach.
Useful squad modules:
Remote Damage Amplifier (+25% turret damage on a squadmate while active) and 
Remote Tracking Shroud (stops enemy turrets firing on a squadmate and disables missile homing toward them).Good to know
- Squadmate distances always show, even without line of sight.
- Repairing other pilots earns your ship affinity XP; repairing yourself gives none.
Warning
Being in the same faction doesn't stop friendly fire, and hitting an ally costs Merits.
Changed in Beta Patch 2: squads held up to 3 before.
Do flare launchers fire automatically?
No, you launch flares yourself.
A flare launcher only fires when you trigger it.