02 / NAVIGATION · PILOT FIELD GUIDE
Cruise around a contact, jump across a system, or calibrate at the Nexus to reach another Layer. Each tool has a different job.
Open NAV below the minimap, or press N. Drag the heading dial or roll its wheel: each notch adjusts the bearing by 1°, wrapping through 359° to 000°. Changing the NAV heading preserves your throttle; at 0% the ship turns in place once stopped.
The throttle wheel changes the setpoint by five percentage points, clamped to 0–100%. Its animated slider handle shows the requested setting; the filled bar shows actual speed. Inertia means those values need not change together.
Double-click empty flight space or the minimap to cruise on that bearing. From All Stop, this travel gesture resumes the last moving cruise setting. Another navigation order replaces the current one. Space / All Stop cancels navigation and brakes normally.
Bearings increase clockwise: 000° is the top of the map, 090° the right, 180° the bottom and 270° the left.
Approach to Range closes the distance, then stops. Follow at Range keeps following. Orbit at Range circles and chooses a convenient direction. The circular range menu offers 500, 1,000, 2,500, 5,000 and 10,000 Rz, Weapon Range and a custom field.
Choose a preset to issue the order immediately. For a custom distance, wheel over the field or choose Edit and type, then press Enter. A range click issues the order and closes the wheel.
Open the System Map with M or NAV → System Map. Select a known landmark or click a coordinate for a waypoint, then Approach. Save a named waypoint to keep it across computers. Clear removes the active pin; Delete removes a saved bookmark.
Exploration reveals geography. It does not grant live detection of ships beyond your sensors. Share locations through a Communications pin rather than trying to describe an unmarked point.
A Phase Jump moves your ship to a selected surface waypoint. It does not select a new faction system or change your Squad.
Undock and select a waypoint in the current system using the main or companion map. Jump is unavailable in Rifts, Training and Escort.
The cost scales with your capacitor capacity: a 400 MJ maximum requires and spends 300 MJ. Hover a disabled Jump button to see the actual blocker and current energy requirement.
Start the jump from the map. The ship turns using its fitted thrusters and shows WAITING if it still needs to turn after the minimum timer. You can cancel before departure without paying its travel cost. During transit the ship travels rapidly and the NAV gauge extends into its red speed range. Ordinary steering resumes after arrival. Configured resource systems keep running during transit and pay their normal capacitor costs. Stasis blocks departure and intercepts travelling ships without refund or automatic restart.
Both pilots fully dock at the Nexus and choose Squad. Enter the same nonzero number, such as 0042. 0000 is solo. Membership belongs to your pilot and stays with you when you switch ships. There is no invitation step.
Compare your Layer names and exact Frequencies. Use Astronav from the Nexus to travel between Layers, then a waypoint or local Phase Jump to meet. Joining a Squad does not teleport anyone.
Open Communications with Enter or its header and choose Squad. Squad chat reaches members across Layers and activities. Use PIN to attach a waypoint or position. Private messages also work: /[Pilot Name] message.
Set your Squad before leaving the Nexus and meet at the same Rift entrance or Escort depot. Squad members share Rift runs and waiting Escort lobbies; solo pilots get separate runs. Escort rosters close at launch. Training and Escort keep their activity-specific admission, protection and restoration rules.
The Layer’s Sector Class governs main-Layer PvP. Squad protection is separate from faction NPC hostility.
The Nexus spans 1,200 Rz. Its blue docking circle has a 750 Rz radius. The green harmonic field protects against combat within 2,000 Rz. Pale gray rings continue to a 4,000 Rz radius: ordinary combat can continue in this outer area, but mines and Stasis cannot be deployed there. Incoming mines detonate at the boundary without harming ships inside. A Stasis field deployed outside remains active only beyond that boundary.
The Sector Class and exact Frequency button opens your local Layer map; hover it for the Layer name. Green means SECURE, while red marks a Layer where PvP is available. Phase Jump moves within your current Layer. Frequency Rifts retain their name and lead into unexplained spaces within that Layer.
Right-click a ship or contact to open the targeting wheel: Orbit above, Approach left, Follow right and Target/Untarget below. Navigation replaces the circle with range choices: 500, 1,000, 2,500, 5,000 or 10,000 Rz, plus the current weapon-range recommendation. A range click issues the order and closes the wheel. The center remembers the last range for that action; scroll over it to adjust by 100 Rz, or choose Edit and enter 100–20,000 Rz. Enter confirms exact entry. Escape or an outside click cancels. Space remains All Stop; the backtick key retains Escape Combat. Right-click containers and asteroids for their central Open or Mining action.
The Layer map shows its actual four-decimal THz address and Sector Class. Rift maps show HOSTILE and Depth, without a Frequency. See the faction guide for each headquarters’ activities.