Summary
- Start with movement, interaction, inventory basics, boarding a ship and simple flight controls.
- Add EVA and Quantum Travel once you are comfortable inside the ship.
- Avoid changing many keybindings before you understand which defaults actually cause problems.
On foot: movement and interaction
Your first session begins on foot. You need to use doors, lifts, terminals, inventory and signs. Many interactions are context-sensitive and become intuitive only with practice.
Take your time with basic tasks: leave your room, use a lift, find the spaceport and operate a terminal.
In the ship: flight and systems
In a ship, power, thrust, direction, speed and landing matter more than specialised functions. Learn how quickly—or slowly—your starter ship responds to each input.
If you change too much at once, it becomes difficult to tell whether a problem comes from your inputs, the ship or a setting.
- Start with basic movement.
- Then practise take-off and landing.
- Practise a simple Quantum Travel route.
- Try EVA carefully and in a safe environment.
EVA and Quantum Travel
EVA means moving through space outside a ship. Orientation and speed feel different, so practise without valuable equipment.
Quantum Travel is mainly about selecting a target, aligning the ship and engaging the drive. If it fails, check the target, distance and whether your position is obstructed.
Why no complete keyboard list
Star Citizen has many keybindings, but a complete list overwhelms beginners. Pick a simple objective and learn only the inputs needed to complete it.
Once you know which default controls are slowing you down, you can tailor the keybindings to your needs.