Reading the fitting grid
What the cell symbols mean, how shapes and ports work, and what actually limits a fit.
Every hull has its own grid, and copies of the same hull share it. Same-class hulls have similar hardpoints. Crafting the same ship again only rolls a different quality, never a different layout.
The four cell kinds
- Diamond, battery hardpoint: turrets, missile and torpedo launchers, dronelinks, mining lasers, repair projectors.
- Triangle, subsystem: activated modules such as ECM. (Missiles sat here until Beta Patch 2.)
- Circle, propulsion: propulsion modules.
- No symbol, core: passive modules and conduits.
A shaped module only has to cover one matching hardpoint. The rest of its cells can sit on core.
Shapes and rotation
Modules run from 1x1 up to six cells, and 1x2 is the most common. Press R to rotate. The ports rotate with the module, so check them after every turn.
Ports, conduits and ciphers
Ports are the notches on a module's edges. They connect to conduits and ciphers.
A conduit is 1x1 and gets stronger the more same-type modules connect to it through ports: 50% with no connections, up to 200% with four. Conduits follow affinity type like modules do. They don't let you place a weapon anywhere it couldn't already go.
Cipher keys need a Normal-rarity module with exactly the port count the key asks for. Ciphers attach permanently and reshape the module.
Regalia
Regalia pieces must physically touch to link. Conduits don't count as a link. More linked pieces unlock more of the set's modifiers.
What limits a fit
There is no power or CPU budget. You are limited by grid space, hardpoints, heat and the breach's build-rating range. Build rating adds up the hull, fitted modules, affinity points spent and 25% of cargo.
Adding slots
Three consumables add cells, with one success each per ship: Inverted Coil (core to battery, 50% chance), Arc (core to subsystem) and Wanderer Jet (propulsion). Core slots can be added twice, next to existing cells, at 50%.
Crossed-out modifiers
If a module's modifiers are crossed out, you need affinity points in its type on that ship. Affinity is per ship and only resets with a Yata replicator.