Fuel Mechanics in Star Citizen Alpha 3.1

In Alpha 3.1, all of our ships have a Hydrogen Fuel Tank and most have a Quantum Fuel Tank, snubs being the common exception. The ship’s thrusters consume fuel stored in the Hydrogen Fuel Tank and convert it into thrust with a small draw from the Power Plant. When in Quantum Travel, thrusters use the fuel contained in the Quantum Fuel Tank.

A common misconception is that fuel is only used during Boost or Afterburner. Actually, fuel was intended to be consumed during any use of the thrusters. Most ships have a Fuel Intake, again snubs tend to be the exception, that regenerate fuel from the environment. Fuel should usually regenerate faster than what standard maneuvering burns while in space. Sustained maneuvers involving Boost or Afterburner, as well as use in atmosphere, will consume more fuel than can be regenerated. This will deplete the fuel bar located on the HUD. Stopping these maneuvers will typically refill the fuel bar, although most ships need to be moving for the regeneration to occur. Hence, if a ship is left running while landed, you may return to discover it has less fuel in it.

If you run out of either type of fuel, the only way to refuel your ship is by visiting a Cry-Astro station or filing an insurance claim at an ASOP terminal.

The Future Fuel Cycle

The first step to moving your spaceship is to create thrust and fire it out of a thruster. The broad, in-game explanation behind creating that thrust is as follows:

1. Fuel Intakes scoop natural gases from the environment and funnel them into the ship. a. To get the most amount of gas into your ship, seek out areas of concentrated gas. b. Using your Fuel Intakes in regular space may scoop limited quantities of gas or none at all.

2. These gases are converted into plasma. a. Fuel Intakes will do a basic conversion on a limited range of gas types. b. Refineries will provide more conversion options.



3. Converted plasma is stored in the Fuel Tank, previously called the Hydrogen Fuel Tank. a. These tanks can only store one type of plasma at a time.