Cadet I/Minimap

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Cadet 1/Week 1

← Remapping controls

Minimap icons →

The Minimap

First and foremost, you must be aware that the minimap and any other system that gives you information can only give you information about what your team has detected. Undetected bases and ships do not appear on the map, nor on your command view nor on your HUD. However, as soon as you or any other sensor detects anything, the whole team receives the information.

The Minimap displays a lot of information in a very small space. Therefore, it is necessary that you understand every little icon displayed. At the top is the name of the sector in which you currently are or are currently observing through your command view. Right under are all kinds of small icons that you'll learn easily. They represent ships and stations present in the given sector. On minimap 1, we can see a scout of each team, 2 blue miners, and a refinery platform. Beside the minimap itself is the amount of He-3 in the sector. The number 264 does not represent $264, but 264 units of He-3, each corresponding to about 80$ (so this sector contains about 21 $120). Under the He-3 indication are the special rocks present in the sector and their quantity. A white rock is a He-3 rock. A green one is Silicon asteroid, orange is Uranium and purple is Carbon. Generic asteroids are not indicated on the minimap because they are so common.

The minimap itself displays the whole map on which sectors are represented by circles and aleph interconnections by lines between the sectors. Most maps are, like this one, designed so that they look geometrically simple. You could however have the exact same map displayed in a very complex fashion but keep the interconnections the same, keeping the exact same map but making it look awfully complicated.

An empty sector means that no team has claimed it. A colored sector means that the corresponding team has claimed the sector (has built a base in it). A sector that has more than one color has been claimed by at least two teams (see leftmost sector on minimap 1). Note that an uncolored sector may have been claimed by your enemy, but you don't know yet that they built a base there. A sector only becomes colored once you know there is a station in it. Beside each sector may appear little colored squares, they represent the number of ships inside each sector, so that you know approximately what is the amount of forces all over the map, with the colors corresponding to the team's color.

The large yellow arrow pointing down indicates the sector in which you currently are (if you're in space) or which you currently are viewing (if you've docked and are simply looking at the map). The green arrow indicates the sector on which you last left-clicked, as left-clicking on a sector generally starts your autopilot to take you there. A small red, blinking diamond indicates where you are currently ripcording. If you open the investments window (F5), and place your mouse over a certain station, small, red arrows pointing up will appear under the sectors where your team has detected asteroids that allow this station to be built. Placing your mouse over the icon to build an expansion complex will make red arrows appear under sectors where your team knows that uranium asteroids are present.

When you are ripcording (ripcord will be covered later), red diamonds appear under all sectors which contain a teleport receiver. The diamond under the sector where you are currently ripcording will blinking to indicate that it is the one which has been selected. Notice on minimap 3 here: I have started my ripcording sequence and red diamonds have appeared under each sector where a teleport receiver exists. However, only the one with the green arrow (the one where I clicked because I am going there) is blinking, indicating that I will be using the teleport receiver in this sector.

Around sectors can appear red or yellow circles which warn about dangers. In minimap 1, we can see a yellow circle around a blue sector. This sunny icon means that one of your stations is at risk of being destroyed or captured. A red, spiky circle means that an important ship, like a constructor or miner, detects an enemy in the same sector, or that an enemy bomber is present but not directly threatening any stations yet. A simple red circle means that an enemy ship has been detected in that sector, but does not necessarily represent a threat.

Notice the small red arrows pointing toward sectors containing a U rock.

Notice the red diamonds pointing where teleport receivers exist.

Getting around with the Minimap

As covered in the previous lesson, left-clicking on a sector on the minimap engages your autopilot toward that sector. If a teleport is available at that sector or at a sector closer to the one in which you are, a ripcord sequence will be engaged to get you to destination as quickly as possible. Ripcording will be covered in a subsequent lesson.

When you discover a new sector while scouting, it will immediately appear on the minimap You can then left-click on it to engage your autopilot, which will direct your ship toward the aleph to go in the newly discovered sector which you can then explore. This is most useful when scouting.

← Remapping controls

Minimap icons →