FIRST HOUR — AREA 18, ARCCORP
1
Wake at Riker Memorial Hospital
Your default spawn point in Area 18. You wake here after character creation. Before anything else, visit the med vendor on the ground floor.
Your home respawn point
2
Buy essential supplies immediately
Head to Casaba Outlet (food/water) or hospital vendor. Food and water deplete over time — if either hits zero, you begin taking health damage.
Get: 2× sustain bars or sandwiches, 2× sodas or water
Ignoring this will slowly kill you
3
Buy armor and a sidearm
Default clothing has ZERO armor rating. Visit Cubby Blast or Garrity Defense in Area 18. Light armor + a sidearm costs ~25,000 aUEC total — essential for early survival.
Light armor is faster; medium armor absorbs 2× hits
4
Set your home location (critical)
Visit any medical bed (Riker Memorial has beds) and interact to set it as your home. Your home location determines:
• Where you respawn after death
• Where your personal inventory items are stored
• Where ships default to when claimed
Set this BEFORE attempting any risky mission.
Moving home? Collect all items from old location first
• Where your personal inventory items are stored
• Where ships default to when claimed
Set this BEFORE attempting any risky mission.
5
Claim your starter ship
Take the transit elevator to Riker Memorial Spaceport. Use any ASOP terminal to claim your free starter ship. Walk to the assigned hangar pad to board.
Claim process takes ~5 minutes if destroyed
STAYING ALIVE
!
Dying is not game over
You respawn at your home location. You lose what's in your pockets, but your ship and purchased gear remain. Insurance covers ship destruction.
!
Bug strategies (Alpha survival)
Star Citizen is in active development. If stuck or broken:
• Character select relog: Type /logout, wait 10s, rejoin
• Respawn with /suicide: Type /suicide in chat to respawn at home
• Server hop: Disconnect and join a different server
• Progress persists: Ship, loadout, aUEC — all server-side synced
Keep aUEC in your account, not in ship cargo when logging out
• Respawn with /suicide: Type /suicide in chat to respawn at home
• Server hop: Disconnect and join a different server
• Progress persists: Ship, loadout, aUEC — all server-side synced
STARTER LOOPS — EARN aUEC
BOX DELIVERY MISSIONS
How: Pick up missions at Astro Armada (Area 18) or the spaceport terminal. Fly package to destination, confirm delivery.
Time: 15–30 min · No combat · Solo
Time: 15–30 min · No combat · Solo
5,000–25,000 aUEC/run
BOUNTY HUNTING (GROUND)
How: Take ECN or Warrant bounties from mission terminals. Travel to marked location, eliminate target. Watch for backup enemies.
Need: Armor, rifle, decent aim · Solo/Squad
Need: Armor, rifle, decent aim · Solo/Squad
10,000–50,000 aUEC/contract
TRADE ROUTES (CARGO SHIP)
How: Buy cheap commodity at Station A, sell at profit at Station B. Use the Trade overlay to find current best routes.
Need: Ship with cargo hold · Scales with ship size
Need: Ship with cargo hold · Scales with ship size
200,000–2,000,000 aUEC/hour
MINING (ROC OR SHIP)
How: Drive a ROC on moon surface to find rocks, or fly a Prospector to asteroid belts. Crack rocks, collect gems, sell at refinery station.
Need: ROC or mining ship · High skill ceiling · Scales with resources found
Need: ROC or mining ship · High skill ceiling · Scales with resources found
300,000–1,000,000 aUEC/hour
UPGRADE PROGRESSION
1
Armor upgrade (10K–40K aUEC)
After your first 5–10 missions, buy a light armor set (chest + arms + legs) from Cubby Blast. Medium armor (~40K) doubles your survival in combat.
2
Weapons upgrade (8K–20K aUEC each)
Better rifles = faster bounties. P4-AR and Coda are solid. Check the Firearms overlay for damage/handling stats before buying.
3
Ship components (varies by ship)
Better shields and weapons dramatically improve your earning speed. Use The Loadout Bay to plan before spending aUEC, then check the Acquisition Brief for where to buy components.
4
Ship upgrade (100K–500K+ aUEC)
Once you've saved 100K+, consider upgrading to a dedicated cargo ship (Reliant Kore, Avenger Titan) or mining ship (Prospector, ROC). Bigger capacity = bigger earnings.
FPS COMBAT FUNDAMENTALS
1
Use cover constantly
Star Citizen has realistic ballistics. 3–5 rifle rounds can down you. Never run in the open. Peek from cover, fire, retreat. Let your armor absorb hits while you're behind something solid.
2
Armor matters more than aim
Heavy armor can absorb 2× the damage of light armor. A full heavy armor set (helmet + chest + arms + legs) from Caldera Defense is ~80K but lets you survive head-to-head engagements.
Check Armor overlay for resistance comparison
3
Heal mid-fight with medpens
Use medpens to heal limb injuries. A broken arm or leg makes you unable to use it in combat. Carry 3+ medpens and use them BEFORE you're downed.
Downed ≠ dead — squadmates can revive you if they're nearby
SPACE COMBAT FUNDAMENTALS
1
Master decoupled mode (V key)
Decoupled mode lets your ship drift while you aim in any direction. In a dogfight, toggle decoupled to lead shots or evade incoming fire. Coupled mode is for precise approaches.
2
Shield management via power triangle
Use the power triangle (numpad 1/2/3) to divert power to shields when being hit. Balance weapon power for damage and engine power for maneuverability. Monitor shield HP on your HUD.
Use the Combat Sim overlay to preview your ship's defenses
3
Squadron strength over solo
Star Citizen rewards teamwork. A wing of 2 pilots with medium gear beats a solo expert 80% of the time. Use Strike Groups to find squadmates before risky ops.
Squad synergy = faster success and shared aUEC
YOUR FIRST SHIPS
Claim Your Free Starter
Every account comes with a free starter ship. Claim it at ASOP terminals (spaceports). If destroyed, claim a replacement.
Every account comes with a free starter ship. Claim it at ASOP terminals (spaceports). If destroyed, claim a replacement.
Aurora MR Mk II
All-rounder · balanced firepower · small cargo · good starter
FREE
Mustang Alpha Mk II
Speed-focused · light armor · combat capable · fast
FREE
FIRST UPGRADE SHIPS (50K–150K aUEC)
Avenger Titan
Combat + cargo · medium firepower · 8 SCU cargo · durable
~110K
Reliant Kore
Pure cargo runner · 15 SCU · light armor · smooth handling
~80K
Pisces
Exploration · small cargo · excellent maneuverability · fun
~100K
PROFESSIONAL-TIER SHIPS (300K+)
Prospector (Mining)
Mining ship · rock cracking · onboard refinery · high earning
~400K
Constellation Taurus (Trading)
Cargo hauler · 192 SCU · combat capable · long runs
~1.2M
Arrow (PvP Combat)
Fighter · extreme maneuverability · heavy weapons · esports level
~700K
NEW PILOT CHECKLIST