Awakening in the Frontier

With your Creation fueled and mobile, it's time to get your hands on a Gravity Scanner. This module is your gateway to discovering signatures and points of interest hidden throughout Frontier.

You can either manufacture one yourself or pick one up from an Access Dock.

Note: Your starter Creation comes equipped with a Mini-Printer and Material Processor, allowing you to manufacture basic modules on the go.

• Manufacture: Press Alt + I to open the Mini-Printer. Select Passive Gravity Scanner, load the required materials, and click Start to begin manufacturing.
• Visit an Access Dock: Use your newly acquired Leap Module to travel beyond the Creche. Locate an Access Dock, dock, and retrieve a Gravity Scanner directly from its available inventory.
• Equip the Scanner: Press Alt + H to open Module Management. Drag the Gravity Scanner into an available module slot and apply the fitting.

Now that you've learned the basics of your Creation's internal systems, it's time to acquire your first real survival tools: the Small Cutting Laser and Synthetic Mining Lens. These are more than just starter modules. They are your gateway to gathering resources, manufacturing equipment, and defending yourself against the dangers lurking beyond the safety of the Creche.

You can manufacture these modules yourself or discover them inside Machinery Crates scattered throughout the Frontier. Once you've acquired a Small Cutting Laser, you'll need to install it before putting it to work. Since it is an Exterior Module, open the Exterior Modules interface by pressing Alt + G and attach it to an available hardpoint on your Creation.

While crates may contain a variety of useful equipment, those found near the Creche often provide exactly what a new survivor needs to get started.

Pro Tip: Don't underestimate the Small Cutting Laser. While it's primarily designed for harvesting resources, it can also be used to damage and destroy Feral Drones, making it one of the most versatile early-game tools available.

In case if you plan to manufacture them yourself you need to; 

• Gather Resources: Venture just beyond the Creche and collect the raw materials drifting through space. These resources will provide everything needed to begin crafting your first modules.
• Manufacture Your Tools: Open your onboard Mini-Printer (Alt + I) and manufacture a Small Cutting Laser and Synthetic Mining Lens. With these equipped, you'll be ready to take your first steps toward self-sufficiency.
• Defend Yourself: The Frontier is anything but friendly. Equip your Cutting Laser and use it to fend off Feral Drones and other threats. For the first time, you'll have the means to fight back instead of fleeing.
• Mine and Process Ores: Asteroids are packed with valuable ores waiting to be extracted. Use your Cutting Laser to harvest them, then refine the materials through your Material Processor to produce the components required for future manufacturing projects.

Remember: Every experienced survivor started with a single Cutting Laser and a handful of raw materials. Master resource gathering and manufacturing early, and you'll be well prepared for whatever the Frontier throws at you next. 

The Frontier is not an empty expanse to simply travel through. It is a living, evolving environment filled with hazards, opportunities, and threats that can end an Incarnation if you're not paying attention. Learning how the Frontier works is just as important as learning how to fly.

• Heat Is Everywhere: Stars are more than distant landmarks. Their radiation can rapidly increase your Heat levels and threaten the safety of your Creation. Use asteroids, wrecks, structures, and other objects as cover when traveling through exposed areas. Smart positioning can mean the difference between survival and destruction.
• Feral Drones Are Watching: The dark corners of the Frontier are home to Feral Drones. Some patrol, some salvage wrecks, and others now actively mine asteroids for resources. These drones react to signatures and activity, meaning reckless movement and actions can attract unwanted attention. Staying hidden can often be just as effective as fighting.
• Beware Corruption: Encounters with Ferals can expose your Creation to Corruption (formerly known as Feralization). Pay attention to status effects on your HUD and learn what is causing them. Understanding these survival mechanics early will help you stay alive longer and protect the progress you've earned.
• Choose Your Battles: Not every drone you encounter needs to be engaged. Conservator groups may include mining drones, salvage drones, and combat escorts. Evaluating a situation before opening fire can save your ship and your resources.

Survival Tip: If things go wrong, remember that docking at a Refuge Living to fight another day is often the best decision a Rider can make.

Once your Creation is mobile and ready for exploration, press M to open the StarMap. The galaxy is not fully revealed from the start; every discovery must be earned.

• Explore Through Discovery: Your map now displays only systems your character has detected or personally explored. Travel to Uncharted systems to reveal their resources, planets, moons, and stargates.
• Use Your Sensors: Stars reveal themselves through their signatures. Bright stars can be detected from greater distances, while dim stars require you to venture closer. Different sensor channels may reveal systems long before you've physically visited them.
• Plan Your Routes Carefully: Route planning only works through systems you currently know about. There may be faster paths across the Frontier, but discovering them is part of the journey.
• Read the Stars: Once a system has been resolved, stars display their true colour and temperature. In multi-star systems, your compass now shows every visible star, helping you orient yourself and better understand your surroundings.
• Track New Discoveries: Newly discovered systems animate onto your map the next time you open it, building a personalized record of your travels through the galaxy.

Step 6: Docking in a Refuge