T, I’ll give you a short answer and then a long one. Short answer is, I am not the person to ask. There are many extremely sharp players in game that have played hours each day for years. With this comes the kind of experience needed to answer your questions about starting. I suggest jointing TESTsquadron.com, posting in their forums and joining them on discord. Do that much and you’ll have dozens of players looking to help you whenever you log on.
That said, ask any five players in SC their opinion on a subject and you’ll get six opinions. Everyone has their own take and I’ll share mine. I believe that most players do not take the time necessary to master the basics, and that your experience will be much, much better if you set about learning basic skills in proper sequence. What this means is leaving off fighter combat for some time. It’s not effective to focus on dogfighting, bounty hunting, mining, nor even freight hauling until you master a handful of basics and if you focus on these, you can master them in a short period of time. For this reason, I suggest new players pay for a small upgrade ($20) so they start with an excellent ship that will enable rich gameplay from the start, and avoid ship to ship combat with it. If you do this you’ll spend your early hours playing instead of respawning.
In order to learn the basic player skills necessary to successful gameplay, I suggest players start with a 315P. It has a bed, head and galley so you start with maximum flexibility in how you spend your playtime. It has extended range, so you’ll spend less time refueling. It has 50% more cargo than its competition, which is perfect for smuggling, and not so much cargo room that it would be wasted in high adventure exploits. It is brilliantly fast and amazingly stealthy, and you need to learn first of all things, how to slink and speed away from conflicts. Most new players do not get this and many start and quit the game without ever learning when to fight and when to run. Smugglers specialize in knowing when to sneak, when to fight and when to run, and as a consequence they almost never fight. Also as a consequence they make a shit ton more pesos than those who fight, all except the bounty hunters; which is NOT a starting profession.
If you want to earn really good coin from the start of gameplay while you’re learning the basics, be a smuggler. Han Solo had it right. The 315P handles well, is fun and easy to fly, and will outspeed and outsteath almost all opponents, granting you the ability to see without being seen and the choice of whether to engage in most conflicts. Avoiding fights may not seem fun, but it is more fun than respawning. The 315P is so fast, that if authorities drop you from quantum travel, scan your ship and find contraband, you can simply put the peddle to the metal and escape unscathed, though you'll then need to go remove your crimestat.
You can start pickup missions from the first day, without buying armor, by simply using what you start with in game and picking up loot. Make this a goal. All players need to learn FPS combat. If you want to set early goals for yourself, set them as regards personal and ship equipment upgrades. If you’re playing several hours per week, I can offer you some starter goals. For yourself, I suggest you wear/carry Heavy torso, medium or heavy helmet (same weight—heavy is more protection but more restricted view) medium arms, light legs. After a few missions you can one stop shop for https://starcitizen.tools/Clark_Defense_Systems .
You’ll develop your own opinion about a weapon later, but save yourself the trouble of deciding before you have your own preferences and simply get yourself a https://starcitizen.tools/Gallant_Rifle . They’re the choice of the UEE marines for many good reasons and there is no better, all purpose weapon. Put a 3X scope, flashlight, and S2 suppressor on it. You won’t be disappointed. The scope will offer you easy shots to great range, the flashlight will help you see on missions where you cannot see without one (helmet lights are inadequate and need supplementation), and the suppressor will stop NPCs from aggoing your position when firing during missions. Learn to fire the weapon from your hip (easy and fun!) so the scope does not restrict running and view unless needed. Use this combo until you develop your own preferences.
Additionally you should carry a https://starcitizen.tools/Pyro_RYT_Multi-Tool with the healing and tractor kits, a cryptokey of some sort (buy 10 early in game, keep them aboard your ship, and upgrade to better cards later if you find yourself needing them often) https://starcitizen.tools/Tigersclaw , four https://starcitizen.tools/MK-4_Frag_Grenade and six https://starcitizen.tools/Gallant_Rifle_Battery_(60_cap) . Do not carry more than this as you need the empty weapon slots to pick up loot, and over specific weight will make you lower endurance, slower and easy for NPCs to hit. This is a good starting loadout for the novice based upon what advanced players have found. (Advanced players dress lighter than this and run constantly. When starting you need instead heavy torso so you don't have to move constantly, and you get more grenade and magazine slots with heavy torso. Advanced players NEVER carry a second weapon--not even a pistol, unless they are looting.)
For your 315P, should you decide to upgrade it, I suggest:
--2 Mantis Gattlings since you do not plan to use them and they produce extremely low EM signature and power drain, yet offer superior firepower for a VERY short period of time. Do not plan to use them. Move the power triangle away from the guns to about the 10/45/45 position. This is plenty of power to ballistics you plan to avoid using. You can swap out for laser repeaters on specific missions where you need to kill NPC ships, but realize you sacrifice stealth, speed and shield refresh. Move the power triangle back.
--2 Mirage shields since you’re going to learn stealth. Memorize the stealth equation.
--stay with your Slipstream powerplant. There is none better.
--2 UltraFlow coolers, to drop your heat at maximum rate and aid return to stealth.
--Atlas Q Drive for optimized travel time and range.
You can find locations for all these at https://www.erkul.games/live/calculator
Personally, I think once you have gathered up these few things, you’ll probably have learned enough to look at learning fighter combat, and you’ll have the networking at TEST to connect with any sort of mentoring you like. Think about borrowing a Gladius. Whatever you decide to move on to, you’ll have the background necessary to do all things well. Most combat fighter pilots know nothing about how to use stealth, which means you'll be entering that learning cycle eons ahead of them.
Try to avoid the trap of learning one thing and grinding. This is Alpha. Every penny you earn in game is going to go away when Beta opens. Grinding is thus futile. This is the time to learn the layout of the ‘verse, how to remove a crimestat, how to shoot from the hip, how to turn a corkscrew attack while orbiting an opponent ship. It’s the time to learn the best trade routes, and how to hunt them. It's the time to learn the mistakes other players make, so you can catch them at their worst while you’re at your best. And remember above all else, the Vanduul all deserve to die, Die, DIE!
testsquadron.com
That said, ask any five players in SC their opinion on a subject and you’ll get six opinions. Everyone has their own take and I’ll share mine. I believe that most players do not take the time necessary to master the basics, and that your experience will be much, much better if you set about learning basic skills in proper sequence. What this means is leaving off fighter combat for some time. It’s not effective to focus on dogfighting, bounty hunting, mining, nor even freight hauling until you master a handful of basics and if you focus on these, you can master them in a short period of time. For this reason, I suggest new players pay for a small upgrade ($20) so they start with an excellent ship that will enable rich gameplay from the start, and avoid ship to ship combat with it. If you do this you’ll spend your early hours playing instead of respawning.
In order to learn the basic player skills necessary to successful gameplay, I suggest players start with a 315P. It has a bed, head and galley so you start with maximum flexibility in how you spend your playtime. It has extended range, so you’ll spend less time refueling. It has 50% more cargo than its competition, which is perfect for smuggling, and not so much cargo room that it would be wasted in high adventure exploits. It is brilliantly fast and amazingly stealthy, and you need to learn first of all things, how to slink and speed away from conflicts. Most new players do not get this and many start and quit the game without ever learning when to fight and when to run. Smugglers specialize in knowing when to sneak, when to fight and when to run, and as a consequence they almost never fight. Also as a consequence they make a shit ton more pesos than those who fight, all except the bounty hunters; which is NOT a starting profession.
If you want to earn really good coin from the start of gameplay while you’re learning the basics, be a smuggler. Han Solo had it right. The 315P handles well, is fun and easy to fly, and will outspeed and outsteath almost all opponents, granting you the ability to see without being seen and the choice of whether to engage in most conflicts. Avoiding fights may not seem fun, but it is more fun than respawning. The 315P is so fast, that if authorities drop you from quantum travel, scan your ship and find contraband, you can simply put the peddle to the metal and escape unscathed, though you'll then need to go remove your crimestat.
You can start pickup missions from the first day, without buying armor, by simply using what you start with in game and picking up loot. Make this a goal. All players need to learn FPS combat. If you want to set early goals for yourself, set them as regards personal and ship equipment upgrades. If you’re playing several hours per week, I can offer you some starter goals. For yourself, I suggest you wear/carry Heavy torso, medium or heavy helmet (same weight—heavy is more protection but more restricted view) medium arms, light legs. After a few missions you can one stop shop for https://starcitizen.tools/Clark_Defense_Systems .
You’ll develop your own opinion about a weapon later, but save yourself the trouble of deciding before you have your own preferences and simply get yourself a https://starcitizen.tools/Gallant_Rifle . They’re the choice of the UEE marines for many good reasons and there is no better, all purpose weapon. Put a 3X scope, flashlight, and S2 suppressor on it. You won’t be disappointed. The scope will offer you easy shots to great range, the flashlight will help you see on missions where you cannot see without one (helmet lights are inadequate and need supplementation), and the suppressor will stop NPCs from aggoing your position when firing during missions. Learn to fire the weapon from your hip (easy and fun!) so the scope does not restrict running and view unless needed. Use this combo until you develop your own preferences.
Additionally you should carry a https://starcitizen.tools/Pyro_RYT_Multi-Tool with the healing and tractor kits, a cryptokey of some sort (buy 10 early in game, keep them aboard your ship, and upgrade to better cards later if you find yourself needing them often) https://starcitizen.tools/Tigersclaw , four https://starcitizen.tools/MK-4_Frag_Grenade and six https://starcitizen.tools/Gallant_Rifle_Battery_(60_cap) . Do not carry more than this as you need the empty weapon slots to pick up loot, and over specific weight will make you lower endurance, slower and easy for NPCs to hit. This is a good starting loadout for the novice based upon what advanced players have found. (Advanced players dress lighter than this and run constantly. When starting you need instead heavy torso so you don't have to move constantly, and you get more grenade and magazine slots with heavy torso. Advanced players NEVER carry a second weapon--not even a pistol, unless they are looting.)
For your 315P, should you decide to upgrade it, I suggest:
--2 Mantis Gattlings since you do not plan to use them and they produce extremely low EM signature and power drain, yet offer superior firepower for a VERY short period of time. Do not plan to use them. Move the power triangle away from the guns to about the 10/45/45 position. This is plenty of power to ballistics you plan to avoid using. You can swap out for laser repeaters on specific missions where you need to kill NPC ships, but realize you sacrifice stealth, speed and shield refresh. Move the power triangle back.
--2 Mirage shields since you’re going to learn stealth. Memorize the stealth equation.
--stay with your Slipstream powerplant. There is none better.
--2 UltraFlow coolers, to drop your heat at maximum rate and aid return to stealth.
--Atlas Q Drive for optimized travel time and range.
You can find locations for all these at https://www.erkul.games/live/calculator
Personally, I think once you have gathered up these few things, you’ll probably have learned enough to look at learning fighter combat, and you’ll have the networking at TEST to connect with any sort of mentoring you like. Think about borrowing a Gladius. Whatever you decide to move on to, you’ll have the background necessary to do all things well. Most combat fighter pilots know nothing about how to use stealth, which means you'll be entering that learning cycle eons ahead of them.
Try to avoid the trap of learning one thing and grinding. This is Alpha. Every penny you earn in game is going to go away when Beta opens. Grinding is thus futile. This is the time to learn the layout of the ‘verse, how to remove a crimestat, how to shoot from the hip, how to turn a corkscrew attack while orbiting an opponent ship. It’s the time to learn the best trade routes, and how to hunt them. It's the time to learn the mistakes other players make, so you can catch them at their worst while you’re at your best. And remember above all else, the Vanduul all deserve to die, Die, DIE!
Officer Record: Tyberius Sun-Tzu Kain
Tyberius Sun-Tzu Kain gained entry into the esteemed UEE Naval Academy at the ripe age of 16. He finished his undergraduate in Tactical Science at age 19 and Masters in Strategic Studies by age 21, and then entered active duty as a promising young bridge officer aboard the UEE Simon Wedgly, a...
testsquadron.com
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