Starter Guide

Hello pilot,

welcome to the Crossfire Universe! If you are here for the first time then please read the following information which can make your start a much smoother experience. The basic differences between vanilla and Crossfire space are:

• NPCs: In Crossfire space they move better, they evade, use countermeasures, nano bots and shield batteries. So fighting in Crossfire space is much more difficult, but on the other hand it offers much more fun/challenge when you learn how to move and fight.
  Note: Check "Combat Guides" (in CF Launcher or here) if you want to learn more about combat in Crossfire space.
  

  
  

• Trading: Routes and Prices for common commodities change daily (dynamic economy). This means you can't use the same route each day for trading common commodities. You will need to explore to gain info about most commonly traded commodities and routes. Bases owned by criminal factions offer common commodities but also highly illegal "Black Market Goods" (SWAT-PORTAL Wiki contain details about each BMG commodity - link). These BMGs can be bought and sold on fixed routes, offer very high profit and can be bought only with an equipped Smuggler Crossfire role-play license. Crossfire has also one special legal tradable cargo - Container, which can be bought (equipped) only with trains. Containers trade routes are only between factions capital planets (like Planet Manhattan, Planet New London etc.). Lastly, the difference between vanilla and Crossfire trade is that common commodities use different amounts of ship cargo units (for example: 1 Tobacco need 2.5 cargo units and 1 Polymer needs only 0.5 cargo units).
  Note: More info about tradable goods can be found on Swat-Portal's Crossfire Wiki - link.
  

  
  

• Reputation (NPCs): Except for the usual hostility for those NPC factions which are in "red" you will see soon, that you need to have some minimal neutral reputation (-3 bars) with base owner when you want to buy their weapons, equipment, ammunition or ships.
  Note: Commodities are not affected by reputation.
  

  
  

• Escape pods (NPCs): Crossfire universe offers a way to maintain your finances whilst fighting (check base's bars for missions). From each (almost) killed NPC will drop an Escape pod. These have various prices depending on rank and can be sold on prison stations (like those in Texas). Also the reward for base missions are much higher than in vanilla.

Now you could be interested to know how to start (from scratch) now that you know that all in Crossfire space is more difficult compared with vanilla .. don't worry, starting is not so difficult if you follow next guide (this basic one works for SP and also MP):

• Visit the ship dealer on Planet Manhattan and buy their Rhino freighter. This ship is the best buy for a trading start. It offers bigger cargo space, more armor, can be reasonably well armed just from the planet equipment dealer.
  Hint: Buy guns and turrets with the fastest fire rate.
  

  
  

• Start exploring all bases linked with Trade-Lane (TL). In each base buy ALL commodities (and check available trade routes). When you start with Planet Manhattan and return there you will have in your database 9 bases. Between those bases (stations, planets) commodities will change each day. You should be able to have your first 1M in less than 1.5 hour and still only be in New York.
  Hint: Do not go to Detroit Munitions unless you know at least the basics of how to fight NPCs.
  

  
  

• To make your trading easier it can be a good idea to manage your reputation with NPCs (criminal NPCs factions). If you do not want pay for bribes (especially Junkers bribe in Rochester base hidden in debris field behind Planet Manhattan can be invaluable), you can try to manage your reputation by destroying factions containers. Example: If you destroy four Deep Space Engineering containers near Baltimore shipyard, you will be neutral for all NPCs in New York and also some other criminal factions in Sirius.
  Hint: Be prepared that container's owners and police NPCs will not like it when you start damaging those containers.
  

  
  

• If you like to trade, start exploring nearest available systems. Cheapest traders ships available for you are Humpback, Swashbuckler and Dromedary. While using those ships you can raise your money MUCH faster than with a basic Rhino.
  

  
  

• If you like to fight do missions, from the rewards then you can buy any cheap fighter and start to hunt NPCs and sell their dropped pods in prison stations.
  Hint: Explore systems near New York, you can find more suitable cheap fighters for "pods collecting".

Multiplayer. Whenever you join Crossfire multiplayer, you need to know:

• Crossfire has its own role-play. You do not need to actively take part in it, but when you reach a certain level, other players can interact with you in Crossfire role-play (you can meet pirates wanting to tax you, police who might want you to pay fine or drop illegal cargo if you trade illegal goods, mercenaries can hunt you if you have a bounty placed on your head). It is a very good idea to read the multiplayer rules prior starting. They are on the server page or in space next to Planet Manhattan (you cannot fail it when undocking). Do not be unpleasantly surprised later.
  

  
  

• In Crossfire space there are systems which are owned by clans which pay for its use with real money. This offers those clans the right to set their own rules for their system. The decision to follow those rules is up to your discretion. If you ignore, or do not know that a system is owned by a clan and will not listen to the warnings which can come, can get you into trouble.
  Note: a list (actualised) of all Crossfire clans and their home systems can be found on Swat-Portal - link.
  

  
  

• Please do not forget that if you play multiplayer, especially if you have only small experience in this area, it is good to know how to communicate with others and listen to advice. In New York you are "safe" against other players and there you have the best opportunity to learn multiplayer specialties.
  

  
  

• In MP you can use console commands: In the chat window (press Enter) type /help for list of all commands that are available to you.