The introduction of Space Combat Maneuvering [SCM] is a significant change to dogfighting that brings ships closer during combat. This results in more intense skirmishes and better aligns ships with their intended roles. For instance, light fighters can now better use their increased maneuverability to evade heavy attacks, whereas gunships can rely on their strong firepower and high defense.
SCM is your default flight mode. Your ship can regenerate its shields and you have full access to its weapon systems and countermeasures.
In addition, your ship has maximum maneuverability in this mode, allowing it to weave its way around obstacles and granting you maximum control in both atmospheric and space combat.
While SCM offers several benefits, it comes with a significant limitation: the maximum speed of all ships is capped to ensure the optimal balance between forward thrust and maneuverability. This maximum speed varies widely from one ship to another depending on their specific role and size.
Additionally, SCM stands out by providing access to a diverse array of Operator Modes, further enhancing its utility.
NAV mode is primarily designed for swift traversal or quick escapes. Transition between SCM and NAV by holding down the 'B' key on your keyboard, with a brief delay between mode swaps.
Your HUD will display an indicator for the currently utilized mode in the top left corner, including spool time while modes are swapping.
First things first: In NAV, your shields, weapons, and countermeasures are deactivated. So, you should think carefully about whether and when you switch from SCM to NAV or vice versa. In return, you have high speed at your disposal.
The default Operator Mode in NAV is Quantum Operator Mode [QTM], where your quantum drive will automatically spool once you enter NAV mode. To initiate a quantum jump, align yourself with a quantum-jump marker and long-press the Left Mouse Button.
NAV features two valuable additional modes, accessed by pressing the middle mouse button.
In Flight Operator Mode [FLT], you can unleash maximum thrust from your engines. This allows you to focus solely on reaching your destination at high speed or swiftly making an escape, free from the distractions of the Quantum UI.
Scanning Operator Mode [SCN] ensures that you don't miss ore deposits, shipwrecks, or enemy ambushes, even at high cruising speeds.
With the introduction of the Master Modes, Star Citizen Alpha 3.23 is taking flying and space combat to a whole new level. However, the journey is not over yet, and we will update this guide as we iterate on the various flight modes.
In the meantime, please test SCM and NAV mode extensively and report your feedback to the Feedback section of Spectrum! See you all in the 'verse!