Space Combat features two parties attacking each other simultaneously according to a simple set of rules. An attacker can engage in one attack every 30 minutes (known as a "fire delay"), while a defender can be attacked and return fire automatically for each round of attacks received. A squadron in a fire delay can still be attacked by others.

Space Combat can be conducted against other ships in Deep Space, System Space, Planet Atmospheres, and at the Ground Level, subject to the restrictions below.

Outside of Space Arenas (see below), Space Combat can only be initiated by a player squadron against a Hostile NPC controlled squadron. Currently, Hostile Space Bandits can only be found in Asteroid Fields.

The following ship classes may be used in Space Combat:

• Fighters
• Gunboats
• Light Freighters
• Heavy Freighters
• Corvettes
• Satellites
• Cargo Containers

The following ship classes have special restrictions placed on them. Within PvP locations, these classes can still be attacked by players, but they will be unable to return fire. Additionally, they will be unable to initiate an attack.

• Frigates
• Capital Ships
• Super Capitals

Space combat involves the players ship, plus any allied squadded ships, and occurs against enemy ships with their party members (known as a squadron).

When combat involves a Corvette class (or larger) ship, all ships can select which weapons fire. The weapon selection also applies to counter attacks.

When combat does not involve a Corvette class (or larger) ship, all ships involved fire all weapons.

1. Roll to hit:
   • Base Hit Chance (Maneuver vs Tracking)
   • Range Modifier
   • Length Modifier
   • Maneuver Comparison Modifier
2. Roll for base damage
   • Apply armor reduction
   • Apply damage type modifier
   • Apply ship class modifier
3. Subtract result from target shields/hull/ionic as appropriate

Mounted Weapons tracking stat (1-10) defines how effective a weapon is at tracking maneuverable enemies. The player Fighter/Capital Combat skill improves weapon tracking.

Ships maneuverability (1-10) stat defines how effective a ship is at avoiding hits. The player Fighter Piloting (or Capital Piloting) skill improves or detracts from the ships maneuverability stat:

This means that a highly maneuverable ship with a poor pilot could be worse in combat than a low maneuverable ship with a good pilot.

Table showing defender maneuverability after skill modification (left) vs attacker tracking hit chance (top):

The attacker combat skill check, and piloting skill check can make the resulting value non-round. In this case, the value is derived by linear interpolation with the two closest known values.

The chance to hit is next modified by a range penalty. As with Ground Combat, this factors in the attacker's distance from the defender, the optimal range of the weapon used, and the weapon's drop off value.

A smaller ship attacking a larger ship is given a hit chance boost, while a larger ship attacking a smaller ship is given a hit chance penalty. The ratio of lengths is used to calculate this hit chance:

A maneuver comparison modifier is applied using the following equation. This increases hit chance for attackers with better maneuverability, and reduces hit chance for defenders with better maneuverability:

Next, the damage is scaled by the weapon's firepower and the target's armor:

Damage is scaled appropriate to the weapon's damage type and the target type. "Personal (P)" damage types are typically on personal weapons and items. "Heavy (H)" damage types are typically on ships, vehicles, facilities and stations. "Orbital (O)" damage types are typically found on some facilities.

Weapons scale between classes of ship. Fighter energy weapons do more damage to other fighters, but do less damage to larger ships. Fighter explosive weaponry such as proton torpedoes do good damage to larger ships but less damage to other fighters.

Corvette weapons do more damage to fighters, but do less damage to larger ships.

Damage is first reduced by shields. Energy and Physical weapons damage is then applied against hull, while Ionic weapon damage is applied against ionic capacitance.

If hull reaches 0, the ship will be wrecked, and all entities inside will be destroyed. Any characters aboard will be evacuated into an escape pod (regardless of if the ship is equipped with escape pods).

If ionic capacitance reaches 0, the ship will be disabled for 24 hours.

Pilots engaging in space combat will earn a maximum of 40 XP per round. The XP earned is based on the percentage of shots that hit a target. Your ship must have a weapon and use it in order to earn any XP. You do not earn XP for counter attacks.

Combat tactics determine how entities target their opponents with the hits from their weapons. Combat tactics for the Player's ship and their Party can be changed from the Squadron screen.

Spread Fire is the default option for all combatants. Under this method, each individual hit from a combatant's weapon will target a separate member of the opposing party, chosen at random. A hit from a weapon will avoid a dead/invalid target until such a time as no other targets are available.

Focus Fire will have all the hits from a combatant's weapon target the same enemy, chosen at random, for an entire combat round. Under this option, even if an opponent dies or becomes an invalid target during the combat round, the combatant's hits will still target that opponent. Focus Fire does not allow you to select which member of an enemy squad you will target.

In a select few systems PvP space combat has been enabled. PvP space combat follows all of the above rules. You cannot die or be captured from PvP space combat. Those who find loopholes to do this will be punished.

All allowed ship classes may be used in Space Combat in a Space Arena system. There is no opt-out or opt-in for this feature. All ships in the system (of proper class) can be shot at any time by anyone.

Factions looking to compete against rivals can collect a group of players and request a Showdown match to be hosted by a Showdown Coordinator.

The following areas are Public Space Arenas and have space PVP enabled:

• Petabys Conflict Zone from (96, 5) through (100, 1)
• Serroco (100, 195)
• Derra (71, -166)
• Kowak (385, -239)
• Arvala (330, -260)