SURVIVAL
MONEY
COMBAT
CHECKLIST
First Hour — Area 18, ArcCorp
1
Wake up at Riker Memorial Hospital
You spawn here by default. Grab a medpen from the hospital vendor before you leave — they're cheap and save your life.
✓ Hospital is a safe respawn point
2
Eat and drink within the first 30 minutes
Your food and water deplete over time. If they hit zero you start losing health. Grab snacks from Casaba Outlet or GrimHEX vendors.
⚠ Ignoring this will kill you slowly
3
Buy armor and a sidearm
Default clothing has no armor. Visit Cubby Blast or Garrity Defense in Area 18. Light armor + a pistol gets you through early game.
💡 Light armor = faster movement
4
Set your home location
Interact with a medical bed on a ship or station to set it as your home. This is more than just a respawn point — your home location is where your personal inventory is stored, where unclaimed ships default to, and where you'll wake up after death until you change it. Hospital beds at Riker Memorial work. Do this before any risky activity.
💡 Moving home? Collect your stored items first — they stay at the old location
5
Claim your starter ship
Head to Riker Memorial Spaceport (transit from Area 18). Use the ASOP terminal to claim your starter ship — it's free. Pick it up from a hangar pad.
💡 Claim takes ~5 min if ship is destroyed
6
Essential supplies to always carry
Enough to get through your session — restock between missions:
🧃 Food — sustain bars or sandwiches
💧 Water — sodas count too
💊 Medpens — trauma team or hemozal
🔋 Multi-tool + OreMedical attachment (optional but very useful)
💧 Water — sodas count too
💊 Medpens — trauma team or hemozal
🔋 Multi-tool + OreMedical attachment (optional but very useful)
Staying Alive
!
Dying is not game over
You respawn at your set spawn point. You lose what's in your pockets but your ship and bought gear stays. Insurance covers ship loss.
!
Bugs happen — don't panic
Star Citizen is in alpha. If you get stuck, try: relog (character select), suicide (/suicide in chat), or server hop. Progress persists server-side.
⚠ Save aUEC in your account, not just ship cargo
Earning aUEC — Starter Loops
Box Delivery Missions
Pick up from mission terminals in Area 18 (Astro Armada building or spaceport).
Fly box to destination, collect reward.
~5,000–25,000 aUEC/run
15–30 min · No combat needed · Perfect starter
Fly box to destination, collect reward.
~5,000–25,000 aUEC/run
15–30 min · No combat needed · Perfect starter
Bounty Hunting (Ground)
Take ECN or Warrant bounties from mission terminals.
Kill target at the marked location. Watch for backup.
~10,000–50,000 aUEC/contract
Need: armor, rifle, decent aim
Kill target at the marked location. Watch for backup.
~10,000–50,000 aUEC/contract
Need: armor, rifle, decent aim
Trade Routes (Ship Required)
Buy cheap at one station, sell at profit at another.
Use the Trade overlay for best current routes.
~200,000–2M+ aUEC/hr
Need: ship with cargo · scales with ship size
Use the Trade overlay for best current routes.
~200,000–2M+ aUEC/hr
Need: ship with cargo · scales with ship size
Mining (ROC or Ship)
Drive ROC on moons or fly mining ship to asteroid fields.
Crack rocks, collect gems, sell at refinery.
~300,000–1M aUEC/hr
Need: ROC or Prospector · high skill ceiling
Crack rocks, collect gems, sell at refinery.
~300,000–1M aUEC/hr
Need: ROC or Prospector · high skill ceiling
What to Buy First
1
Upgrade your armor
Light armor set (chest + arms + legs) from Cubby Blast ~15,000 aUEC. Medium armor for combat around ~40,000.
2
Better weapons
P4-AR or Coda from Garrity Defense ~8,000–20,000 aUEC each. Check the Firearms overlay for stats before buying.
3
Ship upgrades
Better shields and weapons for your ship go a long way. Use the Loadout Bay to plan before spending aUEC. Check Acquisition Brief for where to buy.
FPS Combat Basics
1
Use cover constantly
SC has realistic damage — 3–5 hits can down you. Peek from cover, fire, return. Don't run in the open.
2
Armor matters more than aim
Heavy armor can take 2× the hits. Get a full armor set before pushing combat zones. Mix helmet + chest + arms + legs.
💡 Check Armor overlay for resistance stats
3
Treat yourself mid-fight
Use medpens to heal limb injuries. If a limb is broken you can't use it. Carry 3+ medpens and use them before you're downed.
⚠ Downed ≠ dead — teammates can revive you
Space Combat Basics
1
Learn VTOL and decoupled mode
Decoupled mode (default V) lets your ship drift while aiming in any direction. Use it in dogfights for deflection shots.
2
Shield management
Direct all shield power to the side being hit with the numpad. Balance power between weapons/shields/engines with power triangle.
💡 Combat Sim overlay shows your ship's shield HP
3
Don't fight 1v1 unless you have to
SC is a team game. Squad up before risky ops. A wing of 2 beats a solo pilot almost every time.
✓ Use TSG overlay to find squadmates
New Pilot Checklist