Interaction

Many activities in the game are done by interacting with objects or characters.

Target Selection and Interaction

Object interaction first requires selection of which object you want to interact with.

With VR, this is generally done in one of two ways:

- if using either the Oculus Touch or the Vive Controller, targets are selected by activating the pointer, pointing at an object, and selecting that object.

Default Controls - Selection:

Oculus Touch: Button A
Vive Controller: Pointer Click

- if not using one of the above controllers, you can select a target by looking at it.  It is then possible to lock a selected target using a gamepad via:

Default Controls - Toggle Target Lock:

Xbox Controller: DPad Up

You could then interact with the selected object, thereby pulling up a context menu.

Default Controls - Interact:

Keyboard: F
Oculus Touch: Button A
Vive Controller: Trackpad Center Click
Xbox Controller: Button A

Note about stations: because of their complexity, stations cannot be interacted with directly.  Icons are projected on the HUD representing different parts of stations, and it is these icons that can be interacted with.

Communication

Interaction with other characters is very important, being used to initiate activities ranging from purchasing a ship, to ordering the captain of a capital ship that you own to take you somewhere.  Among other activities, it is used to:

• Issue Orders
  • for example, talk to the captain or the pilot of one of your ships to tell them what to do.
    
    
• Initiate Trade
  • for example, talk to a drone dealer to buy drones for use with the Skunk.
  • Please note that conversations are not used for Economy Ware Trading. Please see section on Trading for more details.
    
    
• Hire Personnel
  • for example, hire a captain for a ship that you own.

Similar to selecting objects while in flight, interaction with other characters requires selection of which character you would like to interact with.  This can be done by:

• Remote Communications
  • Access the Skunk's comms via the Sidebar to contact people in stations in your vicinity,
    
    
• Platform Interaction
  • Dock on a ship or station to talk with people who are on that station face-to-face.

Small Talk

When around other people while docked at a ship or a station, people around you sometimes want to engage in small talk.  This takes the form of an extended conversation, often about the lore of the game or events happening around you, which you engage in by playing a minigame.

Menus

Quick Menu

By using the quick menu, you could quickly access functions that are often used.  These functions are:

• the Property Owned menu – allows you to manage all of the ships and stations that you own,
• the Trade menu – used to initiate economy ware trading involving economy-produced and consumed wares,
• the Active Missions menu – a list of all of the missions that are currently active with functions to access their respective briefings, and set guidance for each mission on or off,
• the Comm Link – allows you to communicate with people in stations in your vicinity,
• Dock – docks the Skunk at the selected docking platform,
• Flight Assist – toggle flight assist on or off. (description of Flight Assist available in the section marked Flight (Advanced)),
• Activate Autopilot – have the Skunk automatically navigate to a selected object,
• Access the Map – access the Map depicting your immediate environs,
• Activate SETA – activate the Singularity Engine Time Accelerator, if available.

Default Controls - Accessing the Quick Menu:

Keyboard: Y
Oculus Touch: Button X
Vive Controller: Trackpad Click Left
Xbox Controller: Button X

Drone Ability Menu

By using the drone ability menu, you could activate the various drones that are equipped on your ship.

Default Controls - Accessing the Drone Ability Menu:

Keyboard: T
Oculus Touch: Unavailable (Can be mapped in the Controls menu)
Vive Controller: Trackpad Click Up
Xbox Controller: Button Y

Sidebar

The sidebar is a comprehensive interface through which you can interact with the various systems of the Skunk, making it possible to access a plethora of functions and information.  The big categories accessible through this interface are as follows:

• Modes – dynamically changes your display and various aspects of the Skunk to different modes;
• Information – access various sets of information such as your Ship Status and the Encyclopedia of things that you have discovered in the game;
• Missions – manage your current missions, get new missions, and access tutorials;
• Navigation – access the map;
• Open Comm Link – allows you to communicate with people in stations in your vicinity;
• Trading – see what trades are on offer, and initiate Economy Ware Trading;
• Crew – enter Crew Quarters;
• Drone Abilities – activate the various drones that are equipped on the Skunk.

Default Controls - Accessing the Sidebar:

Keyboard: Enter
Oculus Touch: Button Y
Vive Controller: Right Controller Appmenu
Xbox Controller: Back

The Map

The map is a real-time 3-dimensional depiction of your surroundings.

The map enables you to do the following things:

• you can select a ship or a station around you for further interaction,
• directly issue orders to any ships that you own,
• look deeper into the details of any ships or stations within sensor range,
• and improve your situational awareness by seeing what ships are around you and, to an extent, what their intentions are.