Central HUD Area

The central HUD area gives you all relative information about your ship and its current status.

Thrust Gauge --Shows a relative scale of how much thrust you are currently using. Your throttle setting controls the amount of thrust.

Fuel Gauge --Shows the amount of fuel you are currently carrying. Fuel is not used by your thrusters but by firing your boosters. The more often you fire your boosters, the quicker your fuel will be depleted.

Ammo Gauge --Shows how much ammunition you have. Projectile weaponry such as machine guns require ammunition. Once your ammunition is depleted, you'll need to reload. If you are carrying spare ammunition in your cargo, it will automatically be reloaded into your guns as needed. For more information on reloading ammunition, access In-Game Screens:

Energy Gauge --Shows how much energy you have. Energy is needed for energy weapons. Once you run out of energy, you will have to wait until the energy replenishes itself to get the full force of your energy weaponry.

Shield Meter --Shows the current status of your shields. When reduced, your shields will slowly replenish themselves as long as you are not being attacked. If your shields are eliminated and you are still being attacked, your armor will then start being depleted.

Armor Meter --Shows the current status of your armor. If you run out of armor, your ship will explode and, depending on the game settings, you'll either find yourself in an eject pod or back at the closest station wondering "What the ... ."

MPS --Shows the speed of your craft in meters per second.

Kill (or Attack) Bonus --Shows the percentage of extra damage you are inflicting on an enemy. This bonus increases each time you score a kill. If you are killed in an eject pod, you lose your bonus. The only time you should kill an enemy in an eject pod is when he has a high kill bonus. If the game is set to not allow eject pods, you will lose your kill bonus every time your ship is shot down.

Indicators and Pointers

Motion Indicator --Shows the direction your ship is moving. This small gray set of brackets will swing to the side of your screen when you turn and then gradually return to the center of your Combat HUD as your ship straightens out. It is very important to use the motion indicator when you are maneuvering through asteroids, turning quickly into an aleph, or trying to set up a landing into a hangar. To lock your course, turn your directional lock on by pressing L on your keyboard or button 5 on your joystick.

Target in Range Indicator --Appears once you are within weapons range of your intended target. When the target is not in correct alignment, this indicator is gray; once the target is in correct alignment and your shots will actually hit the target, the gray indicator will become green. The same applies to the turret gunner. The HUD for the turret gunner is essentially a stripped version of the standard Combat HUD.

Missile Lock on Target Indicator --Centers on your target when you are within missile range. Once you are within range, your missile system will attempt to lock onto the target. You'll be able to tell if you have a missile lock by the strong green/yellow indicator locked on the target. You'll now have your best chance of hitting the target when firing your missile with a missile lock made.

Target/Command Pointers --Appear around the edge of your central HUD and point at your target and/or command. A target pointer is red, a command pointer green, and a target/command pointer yellow.

An objective is usually assigned by a commander. All you need to do is turn toward the arrow to keep headed toward the target. Once you are lined up with it, the arrow will disappear. It will reappear if you turn too far off alignment.

Piloting Indicators

Autopilot --Indicates that your autopilot is on. To toggle autopilot, press P. To disengage autopilot at any time, simply move your joystick. If you have a joystick that is not self-centering, make sure it stays centered while in autopilot; otherwise, autopilot will automatically disengage.

Cloak --Indicates that your cloak is on. You need to be piloting a ship that has the cloak ability and one equipped in their inventory. To toggle your cloak, press K. When your cloak is on, you'll drain energy from your energy reserves but you'll nearly be invisible to the enemy's radar.

Detected by Enemy --Indicates that you are being scanned by an enemy.

Directional Lock --Indicates that your directional lock is on, which locks your course on the current location of the motion indicator. To toggle directional lock, press L on your keyboard or press button 5 on your joystick.

Directional lock allows you to keep heading on course while pointing your guns at a target for straffing.

A number of ships have the ability to use side thrusters for lateral and up and down movement. These are engaged by pressing NUMLOCK on and then turning directional lock to lock the NUMLOCK keypad on and keep the thrusters firing. When you want to disengage the thrusters, turn directional lock off.