THE WEAPONS SPECIALIST

Weapons Specialists often have the greatest direct impact on combat. They man advanced turrets and deal out heavy damage, and they can lead the charge in taking the fight directly to an enemy crew by boarding their vessel. Weapon Specialists are highly skilled and often ruthless when their ship and crew are in danger.

Weapon Specialists can control advanced turrets, target specific systems on enemy ships by attacking them with missiles, wield an array of handheld weapons, as well as launch nuclear devices.

SHIP TURRETS

Crewmembers can control basic ship turrets at a turret control station, as seen to the left. When you are near a control station, a tool tip will tell you which turret you attempting to use. Press the R key to enter or exit the turret view.

The turret view allows you to aim and fire the turret. Basic turret types vary; some may fire a single shot, while others are beam weapons. They may have different indicators showing where best to aim.

Main turret control stations operate larger, more complex machinery. Capable of immense destructive power, main turrets are usually the biggest damage dealers between enemy vessels.

While firing a main turret, you can deal more damage when the red and white circle indicators are on top of one another. To achieve this, hold the left mouse button and release when the circles align. The more accurate the alignment, the better calibrated the weapon will be and the more damage will be delivered.

Main turrets can also launch missiles that target various ship systems, and they can use built-in pulse lasers to quickly intercept enemy missiles. To fire the pulse laser, press Q while in the turret view.

You will need a special talent, “Advanced Operator”, to use a main turret. The Weapons Specialist starts with this talent.

MISSILE TARGETING

Missiles are special projectiles that can be fired through the main turret. They can target and damage specific systems of enemy ships. Through the Missile Launcher Setup screen, you can choose which enemy ship system to target.

The Missile Launcher Setup screen allows the Weapons Specialist to load a specific missile type into the main turret. Each missile type is a separate ship component that can be installed by the Captain. There are various missile types that can be acquired and installed, each designed for unique purposes.

At the top of the screen you will see the name of the currently installed missile. Below the name you can find stats on damage and speed as well as the remaining number of missiles on your ship. You can purchase more missiles at a trading station, similar to purchasing fuel or coolant.

To launch a missile, you must be operating the main turret. To target an enemy vessel, hold the right mouse button to begin the lock-on sequence. A red indicator will appear over the target to illustrate the progress of the lock-on sequence. Once it reaches 100% the missile will launch.

You can slightly curve the missile's trajectory to avoid potential obstacles by adjusting the aim of the turret before the missile launches. Some missiles, however, are better at tracking ships than others.

NUCLEAR DEVICES

Nuclear devices are slow moving, forward firing projectiles that have enormous blast radiuses. They act as ship components and must be installed before one can be launched. Many larger ships will have two component slots for nuclear devices, so two separate nukes may be installed simultaneously.

Nukes are rare commodities. Worth a small fortune and capable of immense destruction, nukes do not often come into play during combat. When they are installed, however, they can add to your ship’s intimidation.

Firing a nuke is a multi-step process:

• Start at the Nuclear Device Screen, which is found in both the weapons room and the bridge. The chamber will be empty and you will be given the option to load a nuclear device.

• Click on the nuke you want to fire under “Load Nuclear Device”. Once it has been loaded, you will need to use the activator at the nuclear launch desk in the weapons room. As seen above, the nuclear launch desk is designed to arm an activator. Activators are not the nuke, but they are an essential part of one. Without an armed activator, the nuke will have no chance of detonating.

• To arm the activator, pull both switches at the launch desk within a few seconds of each other. This will arm the nuke.

• Once the Captain targets a ship, the Weapons Specialist can launch the device.

• Keep a close eye on the distance and fuel. The device will no longer be able to course-correct once out of fuel.

• Detonate the device when you determine the distance to the target is the closest it will get.

THE ITEM UPGRADER

The Item Upgrader can usually be found near the weapons section of each ship. To use the Item Upgrader, equip an item and press "R" to place it onto the station. A crewmember can perform the upgrade operation provided they have the appropriate talent, “Item Upgrader Operator”. The Weapons Specialist starts with this talent.

The Item Upgrader will display its current and upgraded stats as well as the total amount of processed scrap (upper-right corner) and the amount of processed scrap required to perform the upgrade (bottom-left corner).

Important notes about the Item Upgrader:

• The maximum level an item can reach by upgrading is 5.

• Anyone can place their item on the station, but only a crewmember with the talent can perform the upgrade.

• Unlike with the Component Upgrader, your ship does not need to be in a sector with a repair depot. You can upgrade items anywhere.