Targeting

There are many keys used to target in all kinds of ways. As covered in the tutorial, pressing X will target the closest enemy, pressing E will target every enemy one after the other, pressing B will target the closest docking base, pressing Q will target enemy bases, pressing C will target whatever is in the center of your screen, pressing J will target friendly pods, etc. Make sure you know how to target real well. Quickly targeting what you want will prove to be an excellent asset in both fighting and being a good teammate.

Left-clicking on the minimap or right-clicking on your command view will design whatever you clicked on as your target. Right-licking in empty space will take that waypoint as your target. Left-clicking on the sector will take the aleph to that sector on your minimap, but right-clicking on a sector in the minimap will make that sector your message recipient.

Tracking your enemy

Targeting your enemy will provide you with a lot of essential information. The icon and name should let you know what you're up against. This is where you take decisions. Do you try to use your superior agility or superior firepower? This depends on whether you're a heavy interceptor against a scout or the opposite. If you should flee or pursue, keeping track of speed and distance should be useful. Knowing if you are in range or not also is an important asset (the green reticule next to the target indicates that target is in range).

The ship displayed as your target is placed relatively to your position. If the ship is looking at you, it will be looking at you in the target. If it is moving away from you, you will see the back of the ship. In short, you see the ship as if you were looking at if from a camera on your ship. Use this to know whether you're being pursued or not, or to place yourself on parallel flight paths, for example.

The HUD displays a red arrow which indicates the direction in which you must turn your ship to have your target in the center of your screen. Note that depending on the type of target, the arrow's color will differ.

Additionally, certain ships provide you with lead indicators, which indicate where the weapon must be fired in order to hit the target. With a target out of range, the lead indicator is red. When the target is in range, the lead indicator turns green: fire on it to hit the target. All turret guns have lead indicators. Also, if an assault ship is present in a sector, it provides all friendly ships with lead indicators.

Using the Autopilot (AP)

The autopilot can only control your thrusters and ripcord sequence. Pressing P will engage your autopilot If you have no target, pressing P will stop your ship. Pressing P while having a target will direct your ship toward the target. This is mostly used in pod pickup. The pilot flies toward the pod, the pod activates his autopilot to fly in the right direction to get a pickup.

The autopilot is mostly used in long distance flying. For example, when viewing your command view, the radar, right-clicking on the map (such as clicking in empty space) will engage your autopilot to go that way. This is widely used when scouting. Give yourself a waypoint toward where you think the aleph will appear, and click on the aleph when it is discovered to go inside that aleph. Also useful in picking up floating items, simply right-click on them.

Left-clicking on the minimap will engage automatically your autopilot If a teleport receiver is in the sector on which you clicked or in a sector nearby, a ripcord sequence will start. Press R to disengage the ripcord and remain on AP, should you need to get there the long way. The AP will always calculate and select the shortest route from your location to your destination.

If a teleport receiver is available to shorten your route, it will use it. Of course, the AP does not consider enemy threats nor the fact that you may want to use alternate routes to remain undetected. Be sure to remain in control, using the AP only as a tool, not as a replacement pilot. The AP is also useful for quickly finding your target. If you're flying between sectors, you can left-click on the minimap 2 sectors away. As you enter the first sector, your ship will immediately orient itself toward the aleph leading to the next sector, saving you the few seconds during which you search for the aleph.

Disengaging the AP is a simple task. As the HUD icon states, "press P to disengage". You can also simply do anything (move the ship, fire a bullet, change the speed), and the AP will immediately disengage.

Summary of clicking

On your minimap, left-clicking will take the sector you clicked on as your target, and engage your AP. The AP does nothing more than taking you to your target.

Right-clicking anywhere or on anything on your command view will take whatever you clicked on as your target. It will also engage your AP, which, as stated in the previous paragraph, will take you to your target.