SHIP CONFIGURATION

Introduction

In Star Citizen, every hull is a canvas: swap components, tune capacitors, overclock weapon groups, and you can transform a stock Aurora into a pocket gunship—or a Freelancer MAX into a stealth courier. This masterclass breaks down each subsystem and shows how to balance power ↔ heat ↔ mass ↔ signature for any mission profile.

Component Systems

Grades, Sizes & Types

Size Rules

• Ship hard-points enforce SIZE, not grade—an S2 plant fits any grade.
• Undersizing is impossible; oversizing adds mass and won’t mount.

Capacitor 101

Patch 3.23 introduced individual capacitors for guns, missiles, shields, engines. Upgrading a component affects both its base output and the CRR.

Power & Cooling

Power Plant Sizing

1. Audit Draw – Sit in the cockpit, tap P; note “Max Draw”.
2. Add Headroom – Multiply by 1.15 for battle spikes.
3. Select Plant – Choose lightest Grade A that meets the number.

Cooler Pairing

Use two Ultra Flow coolers for brawlers (fast cycle) or two Thermal coolers for stealth (low IR). Mismatching coolers provides redundancy but complicates tuning.

Heat Budget Tips

• Weapons produce heat first, then shields, then engines.
• Overclock only what you can cool—never both guns and shields.

Propulsion & Mobility

Quantum Drive Choices

• Military – Fast spool & low cool-down (interdiction escape).
• Civilian – Cheapest; fine for haulers.
• Stealth – Long spool, almost zero EM spike.

Thruster Mix

Stock thrusters are tied to the hull manufacturer. Swapping to Hydrogen-efficient thrusters extends range by ≈ 20 % but costs 5–6 k UEC each.

Fuel Tanks

Large QT tanks add mass—fit them only if your loop lacks fuel depots.

Defensive Systems

Shield Meta 3.23

• FR-86 (S1-S2) – Highest regen; glassier HP. Great for light fighters.
• Paladin (S2-S3) – Balanced HP + regen; default on Freelancer.
• Hamlet XL – Slow regen, huge HP pool; capital brawler choice.

Counter-Measures

Carry a 2:1 chaff/flare ratio; bind J=chaff, H=flare for muscle memory.

Signature Management

• Paint jobs only change optics (< 3 % IR).
• Stealth Grade-D shields cut sig in half but lose 35 % HP.

Weapon Load-outs

Hard-Point Philosophy

• All Fixed – Highest DPS, hardest to aim; stick / HOTAS mandatory.
• Gimbal Mix – S-size down, but better snap shots (mouse + keyboard friendly).
• Turret Slave – Remote turrets tied to pilot for broad alpha strikes.

Weapon Families

Mixing Rules

• Keep projectile speeds within ±50 m/s to retain a single lead-pip.
• Never mix energy with ballistics on the same fire group—capacitor timing misaligns.

Role-Specific Builds

Light Interceptor

• Hull: Arrow / Gladius
• Load-out: 4× S3 laser repeater (fixed) + FR-86 shield + Military QT drive
• Goal: sustained engine capacitor → endless boost for dogfight control.

Stealth Runner

• Hull: Herald / 400i
• Components: Grade-D Stealth across plant + coolers + shields
• Weapons: 2× S3 Mass-Driver on gimbals for burst kill
• IR kept < 10k → evade rather than tank.

Industrial Hauler

• Hull: Hull B / C2 Herc
• Load-out: Paladin shields, B-grade industrial coolers, dual power-plants
• Defence: 2× Remote turrets with ballistic gatlings; swappable to distortion for pirate stall.

Testing & Optimisation

Telemetry Workflow

1. Baseline – Arena Commander free-flight; record power, heat, sig.
2. Swap One Variable – Change only plants or coolers.
3. Combat Simulation – Vanduul Swarm wave 3 burst; note capacitor draw.
4. Iterate – Repeat until output > draw and heat equilibrium < 85 %.

Overclock Safety

Stay below 110 % of safe temps; every 1 °C above accelerates wear by ~3 %.

Maintenance & Upgrades

Wear & Durability

• Components degrade at ~0.1 % / flight hour if < 85 % heat.
• Repair at any Platinum Bay; swap plants & coolers every 40 hrs for peak stats.

Patching for New Meta

After each Incremental or Quarterly patch, verify that your parts retain Grade / Stat; placeholder items sometimes revert to stock.

Practice Exercises

Common Issues & Solutions

Quick Tips

Next Steps

Join component-testing orgs, share telemetry, and keep an eye on the patch notes: balance tweaks arrive every quarter. Tuners who adapt first earn the biggest edge.