Tutorial: Power Priorities Explained

[@Pretyping]

If anybody is wondering, the music is from FTL Faster Than Light, good choice dude.

[@Exigeous]

Well shit, that didn't take long! While I haven't actually played FTL I heard some of the music and thought it would fit well - I was getting a bit tired of the same Elite music all the time ;-)

[@Pretyping]

Oh in that case i recommend it, its a really fun and challenging game with great music of course.

[@Fabelaz]

Yeah, amazing choice. I wish I could use it as custom dynamic soundtrack for all my space needs.

[@K0YK]

You should try it, it's a really neat little game.

[@acegalaxiusquantum1119]

I’m glad he used it. Really brings out the nostalgia. I’ve been managing my power in ships since 2012 and I didn’t even realize it was training me for Elite.

[@evasuser]

Power priorities: PRIORITY 1: life support and critical 01:01 Thrusters Life support sensors FSD (possibly) Priority 2: defensive systems 01:11 Shield generator Shield boosters Chaff Heatsinks Priority 3: offensive systems 01:20 weapons distributor scanners Limpets fighter bay Priority 4: 01:40 FSD (watch the video) Priority 5: 02:12 everything else non combat FSD interdictor fuel scoop SRV bay discovery scanner cargo hatch 02:18 exception 02:38 PRI-1 critical systems must be in 40% power

[@MrDeanWooldridge]

Thank you. Helpful to see it written down.

[@gabeghiby6935]

thanks bro'... that's what I needed for my written guides notes...

[@iansharmacook]

Played since launch and learnt something new today about the 40% output, although I am a PvEer I will be reviewing my ship power priorities because of this excellent video!

[@beetusmaximus7498]

Your videos are great, they've been answering a lot of questions I didn't even know I had. Please continue to create content, it's greatly appreciated

[@bparlan]

I spent my whole last night thinking about how to work this Vulture's power stuff out. At the second 50 you just mentioned it!

[@Exigeous]

Good deal ;-)

[@emuhead]

Always learn something when watching your videos. Never knew about under 70% malfunctioning, or the 40% power plant. 👍

[@blargiefarg93]

I always love your usage of FTL music.

[@TheWilldrick]

I suspected it on other videos but now I'm certain. it WAS the awesome FTL music! These videos should be in the tutorial section ingame, great work! o7

[@fourswords77]

Music is incredibly relevant

[@murdoch9106]

This was awesome, been playing since beta but I have not had to bother too much with power management and deffinently not to this level. I dont fly in open mostly because I've been poor and fly alone and dont see much point, so in PVE its not as big of a deal. In PvP where people will shoot at your PP its a big deal. So this was great, thanks X! ;) /M Edit: Also.... FIRST!

[@Exigeous]

Thanks, I wanted to cover both sides, the PvE'er who just needs to make sure everything powers on and the combat pilot who needs to make sure things stay online once they take damage. Oh and damn you for "FIRST!" - I have a friend who drove me crazy with that when I started!! :D

[@murdoch9106]

CMDR Exigeous damn Jeff! 🤣

[@KnaifuYuri]

I understood this when I started pretty quick. My List: 1. Thrusters, FSD, and Life Support (core basics) 2. Defensive Modules 3. Weapon Modules 4. Utility Modules 5. Useless/Rarely Used Modules

[@DavidMulligan]

I thought I fully knew how this worked yet I learned a couple of things and you gave me even more to think about. Thanks

[@Glowhyena]

Thank you for uploading the video that helps me to understand what I'm supposed to use the power priorities.

[@j.vinton4039]

I’ve been playing since launch, and I still have 0 idea how to manage the power.

[@DanTKD87]

It's a good morning. 2 new videos from Exigeous and a coffee.

[@Exigeous]

Don't think I want to know what the 3rd thing is - I know what something boring and a cup of coffee can do to me ;-)

[@stoney5137]

Great video! As an unorthodox hack, I set my life support to level 3. In case my power plant get's damaged and my output is reduced, going on emergency life support is a VERY obvious indicator that it might be time to go.

[@Exigeous]

Sure, not a bad idea at all.

[@ZsoltLauter]

What's the point of sensors having top priority? What are the must-have features sensors provide?

[@redoutlander]

Yea im wondering this too. I guess it would be important in a dog fight so that you can target your adversaries.

[@MosthostlaWeb]

Could you update the build links on this? Particularly curious on the Volture setup. As probably anyone else who bought one and has power issues.

[@karsonkammerzell6955]

Yo. I realize this is back in the Bronze age of 2018, but I had to reply. Thanks for the info! I just recently started outfitting a Type-9 and found myself having to fiddle with this system, lol. The only difference is that my cargo hatch is P2 cause I take my cargo to the almost-death, lol. I worked hard for this so work harder to kill me bro! Which they do...so I like to think I'm keeping pirates from becoming too lazy and entitled, lol.

[@ural0304]

How would you suggest power management for an explorer? For example a severely underpowered PP where the thrusters might be over 40% themselves? It might stink not to have anything else available when you’re trapped in a neutron star’s cone!

[@dragenoid09]

Hi loved your guide on power distribution. But I noticed you used a hud mod, do you mind saying which one? I love the colorscheme 😅

[@jaimered6300]

Nice, will implement this new knowledge today on my ship

[@BenevolentMutation]

Damn I've been doing this all wrong! I always tried making them all as close to 5 as possible without getting the exclamation point LOL

[@firdaushbhadha2597]

What about explorers? People who don’t usually run with many weapons. Would recommend we replace our mining equipment with weapons?

[@MRDACK86]

On my explorer ship, i don't run any hardpoints or a shield. An explorer should be all about jump range. IMO

[@DanutSoare]

Thanks. Today I've learned something new.

[@shocks738]

thank you dude amazing video i didnt even realise this was a feature. you just saved me for future fights. *Salute

[@rocren6246]

I cannot set priority to my power plant. It has no number. Other modules has 1-4, but power plant cannot be set to any number. It is empty there, and I cannot do anything. I can't retract my hardpoint, and can't recall my fighter. Is this a huge bug?

[@MartinBartonLartonFargo]

Not a bug. Your power plant is what supplies all power. It’s 100% necessary, therefore it can’t be prioritized.

[@whatever1618]

The non-engineered vulture can only run priority 1 and 2 modules with weapons deployed according to coriolis-beta. Did calculations change in that app?

[@richardbuchs3815]

Thank you for your reply!. Helps a lot.

[@JH-fw4pf]

Really useful thanks! Quick question. When you deploy hardpoints, does it include the power demands of everything across hard and ultity points, even if they are in different fire groups?

[@goldfinger-9992]

J H Yes everything draws power from hard and utilities regardless of fire group (unless you’ve deliberately set a module to inactive in the modules tab). An example would be 2 heatsinks in the same fire group and bound to the same key, setting one to inactive - so they both don’t fire at once and only one is drawing power. When one has used all its ammo it can be powered down (inactive) and the other powered up (active). Hope this helps.

[@ravenshadow6537]

CMDR Thx good video and good FTL music.

[@richardbuchs3815]

Good video and learned alot about combat settings. But sure wish that you all who make these excellent how to's, would make one for those of us that aren't into Combat! How about one for Power Management for " Normal" ship handeling, Please? Again, thanks for the info. Informative.

[@Exigeous]

If you're not doing combat there is little reason to worry about power as it only factors in when you're either over power with weapons and shields or you take damage. For an exploration ship you just need enough to run everything and you're done. That'd be a short video.

[@fuzion4134]

Meant to ask this in your hud tutorial but under your ship icon on right and above you hull remaining is a series of 5 or so lines that I have seen change with icons that I don't know what they mean? Can u explain them please? I assume they are maybe status effects but I can't find any info...thanks

[@Exigeous]

I think you're referring to the icons that show the various experimental effects that hit us - like regen, caustic, impulse attack, etc. It's bee on my list for a while to do a video on that specifically, consider it bumped up the list.

[@CMDRArsenCross]

Came to check this video to see if any correct information was provided due to the incorrect details in the new "things you're probably doing wrong video" and it is indeed incorrect. The only thing you got right is the 40% malfunction. I suggest updating this guide.

[@willielast]

this is great itsso helpful, but i still dont 100% undertsand, lol. If I am under 100% usage can I just leave it alone? I just bought my first Python. Have mostly A rated stuff but i use it for mining.

[@sadskytristeciel1439]

Wow, again very good video and information. Thank you. : )

[@roadrageman1210]

What freakin button or key did you press to change priority,

[@Exigeous]

Whatever you have mapped as your left-right menu key, same that you use when in the Starport Services menu.

[@evasuser]

Superb video, I wonder why Frontier doesn't hire Cmdr Exigeous to make the tutorial videos. Until now we have to put up with the useless in game "tutorials".

[@tomekc1113]

very well done :) thank you!

[@kajeralocse]

Thanks Commander! Its clear to me now. o7

[@cameronprice2916]

How'd you get a blue HUD?

[@shugaroony]

Find your GraphicsConfigurationOverride file and change the Matrix colours inside the file by fiddling around with the numbers. Here's a forum link with screenies of just some of the colours you can have. Be aware this can also change the colours you'll get outside your ship as well. forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/259311-NO2O!-The-Definitive-List-of-1-7-2-2-Compatible-HUD-Colour-Color-Configs-(please-add-yours!)

[@Frankforsthoevel]

Why Life support on 1? I have it on 4 and it will function as an additional warning if my powerplant has some malfunctions and you have plenty of time with a d life-support. but I fly an Anaconda.

[@Exigeous]

Yeah, nothing wrong with that at all - remember this is a guide for beginners. Once you understand how it works you can make your own intelligent decisions.

[@Luckfish3]

I agree, I always put LS on a lower priority. If things are so dire that I drop down to 40%, I'm okay sucking on a mask for a couple of minutes. Also, for a (non-pirate) combat build, I just down-power the cargo hatch.

[@hans-joachimbierwirth4727]

Noone needs life support in critical situations. Put it on priority five.

[@johnnymclaneutah]

i wish there was reset button for the priorities of you f things up in there.

[@welcomb]

Allowing cargo to spill isn’t exactly the definition of "fail safe"

[@Exigeous]

"Fail Safe" means when something fails it doesn't lock, as if you were inside you'd be trapped. "Fail Secure" would imply it would hard lock and not open until power is restored. So yes, in this context "Fail Safe" is "bad" but that doesn't change the meaning of "fail safe". Make sense?

[@welcomb]

I suppose so if you define it that way. Though I don't see how a closed cargo hatch will trap anyone given that there's almost always other exits and emergency escapes. Wikipedia defines fail-safe as "A fail-safe in engineering is a design feature or practice that in the event of a specific type of failure, inherently responds in a way that will cause no or minimal harm to other equipment, the environment or to people." Just imagine a cargo ship on our seas or an airplane were to have a cargo hatch that fails-safe and drops stuff in our ocean or out of the skies. I'd hardly think that's acceptable. As an engineer myself I work with the notion that a fail safe should be safe and not dangerous. Allowing cargo to jettison out the hatch sounds pretty dangerous to me. But yeah, that is the name of this game. ;)

[@Exigeous]

Well to me it's more about being trapped - if a door locks when power goes out then that's certainly not safe. Not trying to be pedantic, as you're right in this case it's sorta silly...

[@joshuajanuary3847]

Blaze it 4:20

[@talonfreak2003]

These powerplant priorities in your video are not optimal for pvp. Priority 1: Thursters and fsd only. Priority 2: Defenses excluding SCB Priority 3: Offensive capabilities and primary SCBs and sensors Priority 4: Ancillary combat systems such as life support, backup SCBs Priority 5: Everything else. Fuel scoop, cargo scoop, kill warrant scanner

[@Exigeous]

Not sure why a PvPer would put FSD on priority 1 as I'm never going to run from a fight - that also, depending on the build, would put you over 40% for P1 meaning if you get a malfunction you lose thrusters too.

[@talonfreak2003]

You might not run from a fight, but most do. If your shields drop on any ship then either your drives, powerplant or fsd will be targetted. Big ships tend to get powet plant targetted. Medium ships get their drives targetted. Fsd + thrusters shouldn't put you over 40% power unless you're running engineered drives on a non engineered powerplant.

[@Exigeous]

Completely disagree that most do - in fact most experience PvP pilots would never leave a fight. As for running a non-engineered power plant you clearly don't fly hull tanks do you? I have to armor my power plant with maybe monster and of course I run dirty/drag drives. At the end of the day the goal with the video was to *explain* how it works with examples so that commanders can decide what they want to do. If you can't handle dying in PvP go right ahead and put your FSD on 1 - personally I always fight to the death as why wouldn't I, it's a game after all.

[@talonfreak2003]

Quite the assumption about my flight preference. I typically fly hull tanks with an occasional fdl/vette. Armored powerplants provide more than enough power to have thrusters and fsd as priority 1. In fact, I just checked. They do. Experience from doing pvp is that people don't tend to stick around in big wing battles. Maybe 1vs1s, but not wing battles. We fight a lot of big wing battles against Vail, Killer Elite, Elite Space Rangers, Newtons Fusiliers, Broke Gear Gang, Alae Mortem and more. Good luck telling them to stick around. Against Vail and Killer Elite, you can be certain your power plant will be targetted. If your intent is to explain how power priorities work, you should have used priority 1 fsd due to the video being intended for newer users. Setting a low priority fsd is fine if you have fast boot or intend to stick around to the death.

[@Exigeous]

Again remember this is a guide for new players - NOT an introduction to PvP. By the time you progress to PvP, with knowledge learned from sources like this video, you can then make your own decisions - so if you want to put it on 1 so you can run from a fight you're absolutely welcome to do that. As I said I don't ever run from a fight, period, wing or not. I'm either going to fight to the death or to GG like an honorable pilot as I could care less if I die. For those that are serious about PvP and fight at the hub you don't need it on 1 either as if you GG you've conceded the fight so again no need to run. If you'd like to post a link to your video on the subject feel free and I'll approve the link.

[@yosharian]

Sorry CMDR Exigeous but a lot of this is just plain bad advice... And you didn't even go into detail about power cutoffs.

[@Exigeous]

Not sure how explaining how things works is bad advice but you're welcome to post a link to your own video tutorial with your own advice.

[@yosharian]

CMDR Exigeous posted a lengthy explanation in your reddit thread already

[@Exigeous]

Cool, thanks for the input. Realize I'm not necessarily giving advice but rather making sure people understand how the mechanics work. There are lots of ways to do this, some more valid than others, but that wasn't necessarily the goal - again rather to explain how it works so players can make their own decisions.

[@DNH17]

Top class videos but they do not explain really things. Just go fast over facts and just speak very fast about things. It s not explanatory. For example: how does coriolis and shipyard work? You speak about these but do not explain. This is not good explanation video if you forget to do that... it s just a video as many others.

[@Exigeous]

Many of these are more advanced tutorials - if you don't understand the basics of the game then this is NOT the video for you. You need to play through the basic tutorials in game before you can move on to move advanced one and post comments on many of my videos that you aren't ready for yet.

[@MartinBartonLartonFargo]

Very helpful video, CMDR. o7