Want to do some fighting in a ship? Galactic Starfighter (GSF) is a great way to do that. Let’s take a look at the ins and outs of how to play the GSF.
Hangar
The hangar for Galactic Starfighter is broken up into easy to navigate elements:
- Account Information and Fleet Requisitions: Fleet Requisitions are the GSF currency. This information is found along the top of the hangar window.
- Tabs: You will find tabs to various different sections of the hangar just below the Account information and Fleet Requisitions.
- Starting with Ships and going through to launch, the tabs help to walk you through the process of getting your ship ready for the battle.
- Each tab represents a separate aspect of the loadout for your ship.
- Panes: Within the tabs are separate panes that allow you to make selections, see changes, and access details about your components and ships.
- There are three panes to each of the tabs:
- Left Pane: Allows you to select various options.
- Center Pane: Displays the choices you’ve made and how they look or affect your ship.
- Right Pane: Details about your ship are displayed here, including component, cosmetics or crew member. You can also manage the component upgrades and paint jobs in the right pane.
- There are three panes to each of the tabs:
Launch
Getting your ships ready for battle.
From the Launch Tab you can review and ready your ship before entering queue for battle.
To ready a ship, click on the empty slot and select a ship from the menu that appears. If you would like to switch ships of an already filled slot, click on the slot and press the Select Your Ship button to bring up the ship selection window.
You can drag icons from one position to another on the bar or completely off the bar to remove it.
The details of the ships you choose will be displayed in the right panel.
At the bottom of the tab, you will find the ship ready bar. This will tell you which ships you have chosen to take into the battle. To join the action and start the battle, press one of the Queue buttons.
You have a choice of entering either Battle or Group Battle. Both choices put you in line for the next battle once enough players have entered the queue.
If you are playing solo, you would choose the Battle queue. For those in a group, use the Group Battle button to queue your entire group for the battle so you all can play on the same team. Advantages to playing as a group include being able to communicate during combat and coordinate your attacks.
Ships
Ships are organized by roles. These roles define a ships basic functionality. Within each of the roles, there may be many different ships, each having a little different way of doing that role.
By default, all pilots begin with one Scout role ship and one Striker Fighter role ship unlocked. As you gain fleet requisition, you can purchase new ships for all the roles from the Left Pane of the Ships Tab.
If you click on a ship role, you will see a selection of the ships you currently own for that role. Mouse over the ship to see the stats. To modify these stats, you can choose new components, crew and upgrades. The ship will display in the Center Pane, while technical details will display in the Right Pane.
Details include:
- Blaster, Shield, and Engine power pools and regen rates
- Hull health and damage reduction
- Engine speed, turn rate, evasion, and boosting
- Sensor and Communications range and dampening
Components
Components include a ships weapons, engines, systems, and defenses. All the ships come with a default group of components already equipped, which allows you to go right into battle if you choose. As you learn more and become a more skilled pilot, you can purchase components to suit your piloting style.
The components are broken into categories in the Left Pane. By clicking on a category, you will see all the components you already have and those you can purchase and equip.
If you click on a component, any physical changes will be seen in the Center Pane on your ship and the details and upgrade information will be in the Right Pane.
Clicking an owned component will equip it to your ship and add to your current loadout. Unowned components will be grayed out and have a purchase button alongside them.
Each component has it’s own set of upgrades that can be purchased using your Requisitions. These upgrades enhance certain parts of the component’s functionality like making engines faster or blasters stronger.
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are what you see, the visual modifications to your ship. These include paint jobs, blaster colors, and engine trails. These customizations have no effect on the performance of your ship, but do allow you to personalize the ship more to your liking.
Every ship has access to a variety of cosmetic options that can be purchased. The cosmetic modifications are listed in the Left Pane.
To preview an already owned modification, click on it to apply it to your ship. Purchasable modification are grayed out but will have the purchase button (
) next to their name.
Both owned and those that can be purchased can be previewed on your ship when selected.
Some cosmetics will have more customization options. These options will be in the Right Pane when you select a customization that has further options available.
Crew
Crew members are characters that can be assigned to various positions on your ship. They each have bonuses and additional abilities that help you.
- Support Crew: These crew members provide your ship with passive bonuses based on their positions.
- Copilot: The copilot provides an additional ability that can be used while in combat.
When you select a crew member, detailed information about them and their bonuses or abilities will be listed in the Right Pane.
You can purchase crew members by pressing the currency icon () next to their name. By default, any of your class companions will unlock as you encounter them on the ground.
Support Crew
There are four support crew positions and each crew member has one specific position they are allowed to fill. Each position is listed in the Left Pane. Clicking on a position will open a list of crew members eligible for that position, and selecting an unlocked crew member will assign them to the position. Again, locked crew members will be grayed out and have the purchase button alongside them.
As with the components, every ship may have different crew.
Copilots
Your copilot is chosen from among your currently assigned support crew.
Clicking on the copilot position will open a list of those currently assigned as support crew. Selecting a crew member from this list will assign them the role of copilot.
Your copilot will have their passive abilities applied along with an active ability added that you can use during battle. These abilities will appear with your systems, shields, and engine abilities on screen during combat.
Your copilot is also the voice of your ship and you will hear them giving commands while in battle.
Combat Display
Flight Controls
This is where a lot of people get confused. So, let me explain the controls a little.
Direction & Movement
 | Direction is controlled by moving your mouse. In basic terms, forward and back are up and down and right and left are turning side to side. ➤ W – Moves forward ➤ A – Rolls left ➤ D – Rolls right |
Throttle
All ships have a default speed that they will move regardless of whether you do anything or not.
- W – Increases to full throttle
- S – Slows beyond default speed
- X – Stops the ship completely.
- SPACE – Engine boosters giving top speed for as long as it has engine power
You can see your ships current speed on the throttle gauge on the right side of the screen.
Engine power
| Using the boosters and certain abilities will use up the engine power. The engine power is measured by a bar along the right side of your screen. Engine power will regenerate when not in use. |  |
Combat Controls
Targeting
In order to effectively destroy an enemy, you need to know how to target them.
- TAB – Targets the enemy closest to you
- R – Targets the enemy that most recently damaged you
- E – Targets the enemy currently under your reticule.
 | Once you target an enemy, you will see two reticules for them, one centered on the ship that turns red when they’re in range, and the second is the lead indicator that shows you where you need to fire in order to hit the target. |
Attacking
All ships have primary and secondary weapons.
- PRIMARY WEAPONS – Left Mouse Button. Most are blasters and require a basic aim and fire.
- SECONDARY WEAPONS – Right Mouse Button. A majority of these require you to lock on to an enemy. To Lock on, hold your Right Mouse button while a target is in range and let go of the button once the target is locked to fire.
- RAILGUNS – These are a type of secondary weapon only available to gunships. Pressing the Right Mouse button enters snipe mode and Left Mouse button charges the railgun to fire. The higher the charge, the more damage done.
Using Abilities
| The choices of Systems, Shields, Engines and Copilots will all give you additional abilities you can use while in battle. These abilities will show up in the number keys icon area. Some of these abilities may require you to have a target in order to be used. Icons for effects from abilities that are applied to you will appear on your shield indicator. |  |
Combat HUD
 | Combat: Most of the information you will need during your battle will be displayed in the center of your screen. Targeting Reticle: Your cursor position which is where your ship is pointed and where your weapons will fire. Firing Arc: A circle that shows the area within which a weapon may fire. Enemy and Objective Indicators: Icons indicating the direction of enemies and objectives not currently on the screen will appear around your firing arc. |
  | Scorecard and Map: Scorecard will show the current progress of the battle with team scores, objective indicators, and time remaining. Map will show you positions and movements of all the allies, enemies and where objectives are within sensor range. |
 | Power: Your ship has three power pools you can manage and can be regenerated by using the F1-F4 keys.: ➤ Blaster Power ➤ Shield Power ➤ Engine Power |
Battle Types
Domination
Taking control of satellites is the best way to score during a domination match. If the lights on the satellite are red, it is controlled by the enemy team.
Your enemies are not just other players, but also the defense turrets that appear near captured objectives.
If the lights on a satellite are white, neither team has a hold and could capture it. As long as there are no enemies within the capture radius of a satellite, it can be taken over for your team. Do your best to keep enemies outside of the radius or the capture will halt.
When all the lights on a satellite turn green, your team has captured the satellite.
Captured satellites will generate points for your team. In time, three defense turrets will appear if no enemies are within the capture radius to help defend it.
While generating points, your controlling a satellite will also create a respawn location nearby to help you defend it.
The team with the most points will win the battle.
Team Deathmatch
Team Deathmatch puts two teams of players against each other for PVP combat to see which team can get the most kills.
Each battle has power ups scattered throughout the map to give your ship powerful bonuses to your engines, blasters, shields, or overall damage.
- Engine Overcharge (Purple) – Refills engine power: increases your engine power regen, movement speed, and evasion.
- Weapon Overcharge (Yellow) – Refills blaster power and ammo: increases your blaster power regen.
- Shield Overcharge (Blue) – Refills shield power: increases your shield power regen and allows regen in combat.
- Damage Overcharge (Red) – Significantly increases your damage with primary and secondary weapons.
To win the battle, your team needs to reach the score limit before the other team or before the time runs out. You get points in only one way: DEFEAT ENEMY FIGHTERS!
Quick Reference – Starfighter
- W – Moves forward & Increases to full throttle
- A – Rolls left
- D – Rolls right
- S – Slows beyond default speed
- X – Stops the ship completely.
- SPACE – Engine boosters giving top speed for as long as it has engine power
- TAB – Targets the enemy closest to you
- R – Targets the enemy that most recently damaged you
- E – Targets the enemy currently under your reticule.
- LEFT MOUSE BUTTON – Primary weapons
- RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON – Secondary Weapons
- RIGHT MOUSE SNIPE MODE / LEFT MOUSE FIRE – Railguns on gunships only
- Targeting Reticle: Your cursor position which is where your ship is pointed and where your weapons will fire.
- Firing Arc: A circle that shows the area within which a weapon may fire.
- Enemy and Objective Indicators: Icons indicating the direction of enemies and objectives not currently on the screen will appear around your firing arc.
- Scorecard and Map: Scorecard will show the current progress of the battle with team scores, objective indicators, and time remaining. Map will show you positions and movements of all the allies, enemies and where objectives are within sensor range.
- F1-F4 Power Pools Regen
- Team Deathmatch Power Ups:
- Engine Overcharge (Purple) – Refills engine power: increases your engine power regen, movement speed, and evasion.
- Weapon Overcharge (Yellow) – Refills blaster power and ammo: increases your blaster power regen.
- Shield Overcharge (Blue) – Refills shield power: increases your shield power regen and allows regen in combat.
- Damage Overcharge (Red) – Significantly increases your damage with primary and secondary weapons.