1. Power Grid Basics
Every module on your ship or station draws power (MW) from your reactor. If total demand exceeds your reactor's output, you get a brownout — random systems shut down, shields flicker, weapons stop firing. Brownouts in combat are usually fatal.
Your power system has three components:
- Reactor: Generates steady power. The heart of your grid.
- Capacitor Bank: Stores power for burst discharge. Handles weapon spikes.
- Battery: Stores excess power for emergencies. Keeps life support running if reactor fails.
2. Reactor Types & Comparison
| Reactor | Output (MW) | Mass | Fuel Type | Heat | Cost (RP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Reactor | 80 | 5t | Hydrogen | 5/sec | Default |
| Medium Reactor | 180 | 10t | Hydrogen | 10/sec | 1,500 |
| Large Reactor | 350 | 20t | Hydrogen | 18/sec | 3,500 |
| Fusion Reactor | 700 | 30t | Helium-3 | 25/sec | 8,000 |
| Antimatter Reactor | 1,500 | 45t | Antimatter Cells | 40/sec | 15,000 |
Which Reactor for Which Ship?
- Small Reactor: Mining ships, light fighters, starter haulers. Good for up to ~6 modules.
- Medium Reactor: Combat ships, medium haulers, small stations. Handles 8-12 modules.
- Large Reactor: Heavy combat ships, large stations, capital ship subsystems.
- Fusion: Capital ships, major stations, multi-system operations.
- Antimatter: End-game. Overkill for most applications but required for the largest capital ships and multi-station networks.
3. Capacitor Banks: Burst Power Management
Capacitors are the difference between a combat ship that works and one that explodes. Weapons with high burst draw (railguns, plasma cannons during sustained fire) spike power demand far above your reactor's steady output. Capacitors absorb these spikes.
| Capacitor | Storage | Discharge Rate | Recharge/sec | Mass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Capacitor | 200 MJ | 100 MW | 20 | 2t |
| Medium Capacitor | 500 MJ | 250 MW | 40 | 4t |
| Large Capacitor | 1,200 MJ | 500 MW | 80 | 7t |
💡 The Capacitor Rule
Your capacitor discharge rate must exceed the burst draw of your weapons. A Railgun Mk III draws 300 MW when firing — if your capacitor only discharges at 250 MW, you'll brownout on every shot.
4. Battery Storage
Batteries store excess reactor output for emergencies. Unlike capacitors, they discharge slowly but store much more. Use them for: running life support if the reactor is destroyed, silent running (reactor off, battery only = near-zero heat), backup for critical station systems.
5. Power Distribution & Priorities
Use keys 1-4 to dynamically shift power:
- [1] Weapons priority: +30% weapon damage, −20% shields, −10% speed
- [2] Shields priority: +30% shield regen, −20% weapon damage, −10% speed
- [3] Engines priority: +25% thrust, −15% shields, −15% weapons
- [4] Balanced: Default distribution
When to switch: Weapons priority when you have a clean shot and the enemy isn't firing back. Shields priority when tanking incoming fire. Engines priority when disengaging or chasing a Scout. The best pilots switch every 5-10 seconds based on the situation.
6. Avoiding Brownouts
A brownout occurs when demand > supply for more than 2 seconds. Prevention:
- 20% headroom minimum — reactor output should exceed max draw by at least 20%
- Capacitors for weapons — never rely on reactor alone to power burst weapons
- Stagger module activation — don't turn on every system simultaneously
- Monitor your power gauge — the right-side HUD element shows current draw vs max output
7. Power-Efficient Build Templates
| Ship Type | Reactor | Capacitor | Battery | Total Mass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Miner | Small (80) | None | 1× Small | 7t |
| Combat Fighter | Medium (180) | 1× Medium | 1× Small | 16t |
| Heavy Combat | Large (350) | 2× Medium | 1× Medium | 31t |
| Capital Ship | Fusion (700) | 2× Large | 2× Medium | 48t |
Next: Heat Management — power generates heat, and heat attracts enemies.