User:Chiff/sandbox

= Essential Items Guide = This is a highly opinionated guide on the most essential items in Star Citizen as of Alpha 3.12.1.

#1 - A Helmet (Free)
This might sound silly because every player owns an Odyssey II Helmet by default, but that doesn't mean you're actually wearing one. Vacuum exposure is a very easy and embarrassing way to die. Check you're wearing a helmet every time you step into an airlock. By default, the keybind to toggle helmet is [H]. The easiest way to spot that you aren't wearing one is that text chat is not available on the HUD.

#2 - MedPens (50 UEC each)
The situation may change with the introduction of the Medical profession, but for now, if you are bleeding, there is only one means of preventing a swift death - and that is being in possession of a MedPen. Just as importantly is remembering to equip it in your mobiGlas, otherwise the default [C] keybind will do a whole lot of nothing while you die from a broken leg. You can buy them in every location that has shops.

#3 - Cryptokeys (199-1600 UEC each)
Every Outlaw worth their salt is sitting on a small pile of Cryptokeys. And this being an Alpha, sometimes you might just find yourself on the run from the law inadvertently due to a bug, edge case, or let's face it - lack of trigger discipline. No Cryptokey, no access to the CrimeStat reducing feature of Security Posts - leaving prison as your only means of returning to civilized society, but it's a really good idea to avoid winding up there... for hours... Your options will depend on whether or not you're already barred from most of the system. If you have access to New Babbage, then your best bet is probably the icePick for 1600 UEC from The Factory Line. Otherwise, you'll have to choose between the fast, unreliable Ripper for 1245 UEC, the slow, reliable Re-Authorizer for 450 UEC or the super cheap-o Walesko for 199 UEC from Technotic on GrimHEX. There is actually another way of acquiring one if you're stranded as an outlaw far from HEX - by accepting but not completing the mission Array Hack.

#4 - Arclight Pistol Battery (60 cap) (7 UEC each)
The Arclight is sold basically everywhere for between 693 and 833 UEC - and everyone who backed SC more than a few months ago owns one by default anyway, so it makes sense to stock up on ammo for it. After all, primary weapons have a nasty habit of being dropped if you die while wielding them. You never know when you might find yourself at the barrel-end of someone else's gun, so being prepared is a must. The ammo is ridiculously cheap, working out at just 0.12 UEC per shot. As with the other items, make sure to equip the gun and ammo before heading out. Ammo, unlike guns, can be bought at any gun shop, so you won't need to spend long searching to find this.

#5 - FS-9 LMG (2540 UEC) & FS-9 Magazine (120 cap) (11UEC each)
While an pistol can be the difference between life an death under fire, it's really not a great choice of weapon to take with you when clearing a Security Post. As mentioned above, this is something you might find yourself needing to do to clear your CrimeStat level. Having a weapon suitable for the job not only increases your chances of survival (and therefore avoiding prison), it will help you clear the location much faster. While weapon choice is a matter of taste, there are some clear factors in what you should buy in case of emergency. For instance, the possibility of server desync prohibits recommending shotguns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers or really anything that doesn't fire in full auto with a large ammunition pool.

Probably the best recommendation is the FS-9 LMG for several reasons:
 * Availability - Area18, New Babbage, Port Olisar, GrimHEX, HUR-L1, HUR-L4, MIC-L1, ARC-L1
 * Ammo Count - 120 rds
 * Fire Rate - 800 rpm

#6 - Hydration - Varies
Yeah, in real life this would be #1, but in Star Citizen the penalties for death are relatively minor depending on your situation. Death by dehydration can fail several different missions, which could also mean a Reputation System demotion or dismissal. Also, if you are in proximity to law enforcement or a bounty hunter at the time and are under an active CrimeStat, the death will cause you to wake up in prison. Mostly though, it's just a bummer to be disrupted in the middle of whatever you were doing. Not all landing zones sell anything to drink annoyingly, but all Rest Stops sell Vestal Water near the ASOP Terminals. You can access stowed consumables with [I]. You'll need to take off your helmet to actually drink it, just... be sure that you're not EVAing or something when you do.

Side note - if you're planning on escaping prison, stock up on Vestal Water from the Commissary first. The steal-able Ursa might have a free supply of Oxygen, but Aberdeen's heat will dehydrate you very quickly.

Side side note - You can use the "add to crate" option in the Personal Inventory to create a crate from a consumable, which can be handy for getting unstuck I.E. dealing with the GrimHEX Elevator Bug.

#7 - Pyro RYT Multi-Tool (243-485 UEC) & TruHold Tractor Beam Attachment (320 UEC)
Star Citizen has quite a deluge of "crate missions", where you must get from A to B with a 0.25 SCU cargo crate or several. As the XenoThreat event proved, the TruHold makes a massive difference in how effective a single player can be at carting these crates around. You can purchase the tool and attachment in many locations including Area18, Lorille, New Babbage and CRU-L1. One thing to bear in mind is that most older missions haven't been fully set up to take advantage of this device and won't register tractor beam movement as completing an objective, so you'll still need to do a bit of manual handling to make sure the mission updates properly.