Combat System
ASTRA features real-time combat with three weapon types, a heat management system, and meaningful death penalties.
Weapons Overview
There are three weapon categories, each with 4 tiers:
Kinetic — Projectile Weapons
Standard projectile weapons. Point, shoot, hit. Reliable and straightforward.
| Weapon | Tier | Damage | Range | Fire Rate | Projectile Speed | Heat/Shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autocannon | T1 | 12 | 350 | 3/s | 600 u/s | 20 |
| Autocannon | T2 | 20 | 400 | 3.5/s | 650 u/s | 18 |
| Railgun | T3 | 35 | 500 | 2.5/s | 750 u/s | 25 |
| Railgun | T4 | 55 | 600 | 2/s | 850 u/s | 30 |
New pilots start with a T1 Autocannon.
Laser — Continuous Beam
Lasers deal continuous damage that ramps up the longer you keep them aimed at the same target. Breaking aim resets the multiplier.
| Weapon | Tier | Base DPS | Range | Heat Rate | Ramp Up | Max Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulse Laser | T1 | 5 | 400 | 15/s | 0.3/s | 2.0x |
| Pulse Laser | T2 | 8 | 450 | 14/s | 0.4/s | 2.5x |
| Beam Laser | T3 | 12 | 500 | 12/s | 0.5/s | 3.0x |
| Beam Laser | T4 | 18 | 550 | 10/s | 0.6/s | 3.5x |
Lasers reward sustained aim. Keep your beam locked on a target and damage ramps up significantly. Break line of sight to reset their advantage.
Missile — Tracking Projectiles
Missiles track their target automatically but are slower and have limited lifetime before self-destructing.
| Weapon | Tier | Damage | Range | Fire Rate | Speed | Tracking | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missile Pod | T1 | 25 | 600 | 1/s | 300 u/s | 60°/s | 2.5s |
| Missile Pod | T2 | 40 | 700 | 1.2/s | 350 u/s | 75°/s | 3s |
| Torpedo | T3 | 65 | 800 | 1/s | 400 u/s | 90°/s | 3.5s |
| Torpedo | T4 | 100 | 900 | 0.8/s | 450 u/s | 105°/s | 4s |
Heat System
All weapons generate heat when fired. If heat reaches 100, the weapon overheats and is temporarily disabled.
- Kinetic weapons generate heat per shot (18-30 per shot)
- Laser weapons generate heat continuously while firing (10-15 per second)
- Missile weapons generate the most heat per shot (35-60 per shot)
- Heat cools down at 12-25 per second depending on weapon tier
- Overheat lockout lasts 1.5-3.5 seconds
Managing heat is critical. Firing non-stop will overheat your weapon at the worst time. Use controlled bursts to maintain sustained damage output.
Damage Calculation
- Shield absorbs first — Damage reduces shield HP before touching hull
- Hull takes remainder — Once shields are down, hull takes full damage
- Hull at 0 = death — Ship is destroyed, loot drops
Regeneration
| System | Regen Rate | Delay After Damage | Cap in Space | Cap at Station |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shield | 5 HP/s (base) | 3 seconds | 100% | 100% |
| Hull | 2 HP/s | 8 seconds | 75% max | 100% |
In station safe zones, regeneration is 3x faster and hull regenerates to full.
Safe Zones
Stations project a 1,500 unit radius safe zone where:
- Weapons cannot fire
- No damage can be dealt
- Players cannot be attacked
Use stations as refuge when under attack.
New Player Protection
New players in weak ships (power < 50) are protected from attacks by powerful players (power > 150). If a protected player attacks first, they lose protection for 60 seconds.
Collisions
Ship-to-ship and ship-to-asteroid collisions cause:
- 3-second stun — All inputs are ignored, ship pulses red
- Bounce — Ships bounce apart based on mass ratios
- No damage — Collisions stun but don't deal HP damage
You can use collisions to stun opponents! Ram a fleeing ship to stun it for 3 seconds, then open fire while they can't maneuver.
Death
When your ship is destroyed:
- A loot container drops with some of your credits, resources, and equipment
- Penalties depend on constellation threat level (see Inventory for details)
- In Red zones, your ship is permanently lost
- You respawn at the nearest station with a free Sparrow if needed