[Guide] Beginner's Handbook

[Discovery Freelancer Tutorials]

New WIP Guide

. . BEGINNER'S HANDBOOK & GUIDE INDEX Initial Install & Setup Introduction Mining, Trading & Making Money Equipment, Ships, Combat & Missions Future Goals Tools & Resources Last Updated: 10 / 03 / 2025 .

. . First of all, thanks for joining Discovery Freelancer! New or veterans are equally welcome to get involved in our space roleplay community. It says on the tin that it's a universe of possibility, and that's exactly what this roleplay server aims at providing here. You might have already installed the game and the Discovery mod, perhaps even flown around a little bit. A handful of questions stand out among new players: How do I get started? What do I do first? How do I get that cool ship? Where can I blow someone up? All in due time, we gotta introduce you to the basics first. To give a bit of context, this guide will be covering the Pennsylvania Star System. This location within the game is designed to be "new player friendly" and has most basic versions of all the jobs, tasks & activities you will find everywhere else in the game. Good thing too, as when you first launch into space, you will be starting off in Pennsylvania. Below is a list of things to get you started. They range from the initial install of Discovery to standard trading all the way to blowing up pirates. We'll get you introduced to each, don't fret. .

. . Initial Install & Setup - Install thread - Launcher walkthrough - Creating your first ship - Restart commands Introduction - Game Controls - Basic FLHook commands - Server Rules - Discord Server - Official Factions - Other Guides Mining, Trading & Making Money - Heavy Water Mining - Selling to Cleveland / Planet Erie - First goal is the Albatross, then Serenity Equipment, Ships, Combat & Missions - Basics in Weapon Types & Stats - Basics in Ship Types & Stats - Basics in Standard Ship Loadouts - Combat and Battlezones - Basics in Accepting Missions Future Goals - Player Bases - Capital Ships - CODENAME weaponry - Exploration - SRP explanation - Starting your own Faction Tools & Resources Placeholder. .

Discovery Beginner's Guide

Updated for 4.91.1.8

Introduction

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Welcome to Discovery. Whether you’re a new player or an old player returning after a long break, in this guide you’ll find all the information you need to get you on your way into the intricate world of Discovery. The Discovery mod has heaps of new content for you to explore and it’s a lot to take in. So here you’ll find all the essential information, context and a load of tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your start on the server.

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First things first, this goes without saying for many of you but to play the Discovery mod you’ll need a copy of Microsoft Freelancer. If you’ve yet to get your hands on the Discovery Mod itself then here’s a download link that will get you started:

Discovery Freelancer

The Discovery Mod is secure freeware and downloaded directly from our server, so don’t be shy in downloading your copy. The installer will do most of the work and walk you through the rest, though it may take a few minutes to complete. Once your Discovery installation is complete you’ll be able to launch the game from the Discovery launcher link on your desktop. Now, the Discovery launcher is your gateway to Discovery and has all sorts of useful tools to help enhance your gameplay experience.

This first tab ‘Parameters’ is your control panel and has several toggles for in-game features as well as some alternate gameplay options. Here’s each one broken down:

• Chat Log: Records in-game chat logs to a text file on your system entitled ‘DSace’
  
• Append Logs: Continuously adds chat logs to the same DSace file for every session. When off; wipes the DSace file and starts a new one with every new session.
  
• Log Time: Includes/Excludes entry timestamps in chat logs recorded in DSace
  
• Log With Local Time: Records timestamps for DSace entries in local time. When off; records timestamps in UTC time
  
• Windowed Mode: Toggles your game to be played full screen or in a window
  
• Use Desktop Resolution: Toggles your game to be played at your screen’s maximum resolution
  
• Show Flight Text: Toggles an add on that streams text as you enter a new area in-game describing your location. This text will usually show as you enter/exit a new system or asteroid field. This toggle also applies to certain HUD text such as “Turret View”
  
• Show Lag Icon: Displays an icon in-game and online when your internet connection is causing lag
  
• Show Joining Players: Registers player characters in the HUD and chat screen that are logging into the server
  Show Leaving Players: Registers player characters in the HUD and chat screen that are logging out of the server
  
• Window Width: Allows you to manually set your window width when playing in windowed mode
  
• Window Height: Allows you to manually set your window height when playing in windowed mode
  
• Hide Unofficial Servers: Toggles the visibility of unofficial Discovery servers in the online server list
  
• Restore DSace: Restores the DSace.dll file which is commonly removed by antivirus software. This file is required to play Discovery.
  
• Optional Arguments: A field where you can input codes that alter certain features of the game. It is mostly used for registering new servers to the global server list.
  
• Forced Arguments: An unchangeable code field reserved for the moderators of the DSlauncher software
  

The second tab 'My Accounts' keeps a record of all your Freelancer online accounts. To log into any Freelancer server you will need a client ID, this is usually provided upon your first log in to the multiplayer version of the game. However, on the Discovery server the maximum number of characters you can have on a single account is capped at seven. So it is common for players to have multiple accounts to accommodate as many characters as they need. Additional accounts can be generated with a nifty tool called Discovery Launchpad and then imported using the Import/Export button on this screen. Then using this panel you can select which account you wish to have activated at any given time.

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Getting Started

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Before we get started it's worth taking note of some common jargon regularly thrown around by the Discovery community.

• RP - Roleplay
  
• PvP - Player versus Player
  
• ZoI - Zone of Interest (See section on ID's)
  
• PoB - Player owned base(s)
  
• OORP - Out of roleplay
  
• OOC - Out of character (similar to out of roleplay)
  
• SRP - Special roleplay
  
• Snub(s) - Small ships such as fighters and bombers
  
• Cap(s) - Large ships, namely Gunboats, Cruisers, Battleships and Carriers
  
• CD - Cruise disruptor
  
• EK - Engine kill (default key 'Z')
  
• F1 - Disconnect
  
• Ion Storm - An in-roleplay term used by players and the server admins to describe an imminent server reboot or if the server crashes.
  
• Regens - Hull and shield restoring items such as nanobots and shield batteries
  

You can get acquainted with a more in-depth list of jargon here.

Firstly you should familiarise yourself with the server rules to avoid stepping on any toes. The official server of the Discovery mod is Discovery Freelancer 24/7 RP. It is a roleplay server; an immersive environment for players to play the roles of the characters they have created. For this purpose it is against the rules to break roleplay at any time unless you are in a system outside of the roleplay environment such as Connecticut. However most players are forgiving of the occasional break in roleplay provided it is absolutely necessary. If you must speak out of roleplay it often helps to prefix your messages with double slash (//), stars (**), brackets ())) or any other symbolism that stands out. You should also reduce any of your out of roleplay messages' exposure to as few players as possible by selecting the player you wish to message from the list of online players in the Chat Window (Default ‘Y’ key). This will allow you to privately message said player. Alternatively, you may type /pm “Character.Name” <Insert message here>, to message a single player. Additionally, you may /fm Faction.Name <Insert message here>, to address an entire faction of players.

The Discovery universe is largely governed by equipment accessories known as IDs. All players must have no more than one ID mounted at any time. It is impossible to launch without one. These IDs occupy your ship's tractor beam equipment slot and change your beam's colour depending on what ID you mount. Most importantly, in the description notes of each of these IDs are rules that outline what you can and cannot do with that ID. The differences between each ID's parameters can vary, but all will outline your character's limitations with regard to:

• What actions are prohibited to you
  
• Any special combat and engagement rules
  
• What types of ships you are allowed to fly
  
• Where you are allowed to go and play to your ID, otherwise known as your 'ZoI' or Zone of Interest
  

A breach of these parameters is a direct violation of server rules, with the exception of leaving your ZoI. Please note however that upon leaving your ZoI, you may ONLY engage in PvP combat in self-defense. Unless you are trading/escorting a trader, it is generally a good idea not to leave one’s ZoI, as many players will view this as acting out of character. Each ID comes it's own reputation override. When an ID is mounted, your reputation with every faction will be automatically re-calibrated to match the political standing of the faction ID you have chosen. In addition your ship will be labelled with an NPC faction tag before your character name like other NPC ships in-game. It is important to be mindful that your reputation affects where you can fly safely and where you can land.

As for the player versus player (PvP) element of the game, there is a clear outline of the rules of engagement in the discovery server rules which cover every eventuality. But for to get you started the most important principles you'll need to understand as a new or returning player are these:

• All hostile engagements must be as a result of some form of roleplay. 99% of the time this will be a result of communication via chat messages.
  
• You must have good reason to attack another player and it must be within the rules of your role. If your faction is outwardly hostile to the opposing player's faction, this is reason enough. Though you'll find that there are a great many grey areas in discovery which require a reason to be established through roleplay. A few examples are extortion, piracy, activism, police action and bounty hunting.

Making Money

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As you fly around Pennsylvania you'll soon realise you'll need to find a source of income to fund your adventures. A common way to pay the bills for most new starters is to head to the nebula behind Erie and mine Helium. This can be done by first purchasing a piece of equipment called a mining emitter or mining array and then shooting the debris hurtling around the nebula. As you do helium will slowly accrue in your cargo hold. You can then sell this on Erie and turn a handsome profit.

Another way to pay your way is to ship goods from bases of low demand to those of high demand. These runs can be long but make a considerable profit if you know what you're trading. You can even combine both of these methods and ship your mined helium to somewhere further afield that will pay a higher price and make a complete profit.

Alternatively, if you are flying a Freelancer, Miner, or Bounty Hunter ID, other players can hire you as an escort or scout to protect them or alert them of danger. These players will typically be flying transports, and may be amenable to paying you to make sure pirates don’t extort them. If you notice that a transport employing you is full of ore, don’t be afraid to ask for a little extra money, as ore tends to sell better than any other commodity type. Two or three million is a reasonable enough amount to ask for as a down payment for your services. If you manage to successfully deter a pirate from stopping your employer, they may or may not grant you a bonus payment, although it’s not guaranteed; you can always ask for a bonus and the worst that they say is “no.”

It's then up to you to decide what you do with your hard earned credits, just don't spend it all at once.

Game Mechanics

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Now that that's out of the way, let's move on to some basic game mechanics. The full list of user controls can be found in the Options menu of the game which can be accessed from the main menu or while in flight (by pressing F1). This will give you a run down of the complete list of functions in the user interface for your ship. You can also map custom keys to better suit your style in this menu, though it's recommended that you keep the default settings if you're just starting out.

If you're getting stuck, here are some functions frequently asked about by other players getting started on discovery.

• Enter - Opens a chat box you can enter text messages into that will be broadcast to other players in the vicinity
  
• F1 - Brings up the game menu
  
• F2 - 'Go to' Shortcut
  
• F3 - 'Dock' Shortcut
  
• F4 - 'Formation' Shortcut
  
• Y - Brings up the player status list where you can see who's online and where they are
  
• Shift+W - A shortcut that activates/decativates (deactivates) your cruise engines
  
• G - Deploys nanobots
  
• F - Deploys shield batteries
  
• Tab - Activates thruster
  
• Mouse Scroller - Accelerates/Decelerates your impulse speed
  

FLHook

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Freelancer Hook or 'FLHook' for short is a plugin to the freelancer console that forms the basis of how players can interact with most of Discovery's additional features. It allows you to issue pre-programmed commands to the game to make use of certain useful tools and objects. You enter these commands into the chat box as you would any other message and the game will pick it up. For example typing:

/givecash David 10000000

...will send 10,000,000 credits from your ship's bank account directly to David, lucky guy. Most FLHook commands begin with a forward slash like this and there are a great number of them that have all sorts of functions. A full list of FLHook commands and how to use them can be found here but for the sake of convenience, here are some more useful FLHook commands that you'll find handy starting out:

Text underlined is text you need to replace with the relevant information it describes. Text in italics describes what that command does.

• /l chat message sends a message in local chat
  
• /s chat message sends a systemwide message
  
• /g chat message sends a message to members of your group
  
• /pm chatmessage playername sends a private message to another player
  
• /r chat message sends a message to the last player to send you a private message
  
• /givecash charactername quantity sends credits to the mentioned character
  
• /help brings up the help menu
  

A cool FLHook command to use as a new player is to give your character a branded start with any one of the /restart commands. These commands will reset your ship to the discovery default (stargazer) and issue it with an ID and respective reputation of one of the factions of discovery. In addition, your ship will start on a base pertaining to that faction and populate that character's navmap with data readily available to that faction. But be warned that this command will also reset that character's bank account to the discovery default.

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Significant Add Ons

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The Discovery mod has loads of content for you to discover like new ships, systems and equipment. Plus our development team have been busy creating additional innovative mods that bring whole new layers to the game. Here is a list of some of the more significant mod features with useful links to how you can use them:

POBs

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Player owned bases or 'POBs' for short are a significant addition to the mod that allow you as a player to build and develop your very own space station. As you fly around online you'll notice some of them by the health bar that accompanies their HUD graphic. POBs have various functions and aren't always as welcoming as most other stations. Some are open as trade centres and can offer competitive prices for rare commodities such as mined ores. However, most of these bases function as manufacturing facilities for special equipment such as cloaks and jump drives.

Constructing and managing a POB is highly demanding of both your time and credits. So some of the most successful POBs are run by syndicates of players that contribute to their maintenance. It's important that you get familiar with the relevant rules that govern POBs if you intend to interact with them. Unlike standard bases, they can be destroyed and like PvP rules there are do's and don'ts you'll need to abide by. To learn more about how to set up and manage a POB, check out the following thread here.

Special Equipment

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As previously mentioned, POBs are often used to manufacture special equipment otherwise unavailable on the open market. Discovery has incorporated some old familiar gadgets as well as some brand new ones for you to play around with. The mechanics behind how they work and their limitations can be found here. As for the special equipment itself, here's a short list with a description of each:

• Cloaking Devices - Devices that turn your ship invisible and undetectable by scanners.
  
• Cloak Disruptors - Devices that disrupt any ships attempting to cloak in the area.
  
• Jump Drives - Devices that work like portable jump gates to anywhere in the Mod.
  
• Hyperspace Survey Modules - Devices that produce coordinates of specific locations for you to use when using a jump drive.
  
• Hyperspace Survey Matrices - Devices that act like homing beacons for all ships with jump drives, allowing ships to warp into the vicinity of the beacon ship.
  
• Docking Modules - Modules that allow for players to dock with other players' ships.
  

Mining

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Mining has come a long way since Freelancer v1.0. If you're familiar with the original game then you'll remember a minor feature which yielded commodities such as water when you shot small rocks in asteroid or debris fields. In discovery this basic concept has been completely redesigned to create a whole new dynamic that's much more worthy of your time. The basic concept remains the same, except now when you shoot a rock the ore will be immediately deposited into your hold. You can even alter this to fill the hold of a companion by selecting their vessel in the HUD while you mine. There are now several ways you can modify your vessel to improve yield and generate money quicker. Mining zones with unique, rare and high value ores are dotted all around the sector. All the information you need to become an expert miner can be found here. It's important to note that the mining mod is designed to reward team work. So mining can be very lucrative when you band together to form a mining operation. But also be mindful that these operations can attract unwanted attention.

Additional Factions

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The Discovery mod is host to a diverse range of factions. The original four houses of Sirius have now increased to six with Hispania, while divided, now considered a house, and the recent addition of Gallia, who are descendents of France. As well as this, there have been a number of independent factions added which has broadened the variety of role play on offer offered to the player. To name a few:

Sirius Coalition - A revived communist movement with a grudge to settle with the alliance houses
Artificial Intelligence - An enclave of pragmatic sentient machines originating from a remote planet in the Omicrons
Nomads - A hostile alien race bent on the destruction of human civilisation
The Wild - A hostile enclave of humans assimilated into the nomad hive mind
Hellfire Legion - A revolutionary navy born of the lane hackers, gunning for the downfall of the Liberty government
Bretonian Privateers - Captured and conscripted outlaws deployed by the Bretonian armed forces to wreak havok upon Bretonia's enemies.
Intelligence Factions - Like the LSF, the other three original houses have formed their own intelligence corps
Guard Factions - Highly protectorate versions of existing factions that aggressively guard important and secret bases of those factions

Cosmetic Add Ons

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While the Discovery mod has brought a lot of new ways to play, it has also brought a few nice add ons that give you the means to pimp your ride. You'll find any ship you purchase including the one you start with has an equipment a slot for an engine. While an engine is a pretty essential piece of hardware for any ship, the Discovery overhaul on engines gives you the ability to purchase engines with different visual effects. Ever wanted a Rogue engine on a Kusari fighter? Well now you can for a nominal fee. Different engines are available on the bases of factions that frequently use them. So for example you'll find a Liberty engine on Manhattan, Fort Bush and just about any legal base in Liberty.
Another significant add on allows you to change the colour and type of various lights on your ship. The pimpship system is part of FLHook and is accessed and operated through various commands you punch into the chat box. To find out how it works and a full menu of lights click here.

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Community Marketplace

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In-Game trading has come a long way from ship to ship trading. With the integration of the '/givecash' command you can pay other players any time any place for various goods and services. The '/movechar' commands allow you trade entire ships with other players. With these two commands a whole new marketplace has emerged in second hand ship trading on the Discovery forums. The Discovery Marketplace is also the central hub for rare equipment dealers who deal in CODENAMES, cloaks, jump drives and much more. Remote payment has also made hiring bounty hunters and mercenaries much simpler. You can post a bounty or go hunting yourself on the Discovery bounty board. The link for the Marketplace can be found here, and the Bounty Offices here.

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Current Affairs

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Over its lifetime the Discovery mod has covered events spanning 20 years after the defeat of the nomads in the dyson sphere. Many of these events have now become ingrained as lore and have reshaped many of the factions you know. Therefore it's important to keep in mind that the politics in Sirius are now considerably more complex and have shifted drastically since the status quo of V1.0. Here are some of the most notable events in Discovery history that still affect current affairs:

813 A.S - The Outcasts forge a short lived alliance with the Liberty Rogues, Mollys and Golden Chrysanthemums which disintegrates after their involvement with the nomads is made public
814 A.S - A war breaks out between Kusari and Bretonia that lasts four years until it is interrupted by a flanking invasion by the Kingdom of Gallia in Tau 31
817 A.S - A gallic rebel force known as The Council clear a passage through to the rest of Sirius to warn the other houses of the coming Gallic invasion
817 A.S - Bretonia, Liberty, the Independent Miners Guild and Orbital Spa and Cruise sign the Curacao Treaty officially making Magellan and Cortez joint protectorates of the two houses.
817 A.S - Liberty declares war on Rheinland after rising tensions about experiments conducted by Liberty on Nomad material. Rheinland severs jump links to Hudson and Bering to halt the Liberty advance. The war concludes five years later.
818 A.S - The Gallic invasion force arrives in the Tau systems decimating the Kusari and Bretonia fleets engaged there
818 A.S - The Nomads mount a full scale assault on Toledo which is reduced to a smouldering husk

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Events

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With the incorporation of the auto-update in the Discovery Launcher software, the Discovery Dev and Admin teams can now make minor changes to the mod overnight. This helps with keeping on top of bugs but also serves to change a few things around for special events hosted by the mod management. These events are always publicised on the Discovery forums front page and almost always involve prizes to participants ranging from rare equipment and commodities to cold hard cash.

Some of these events help determine the direction of the Discovery timeline, so they're also great opportunities to fly the colours of the factions you want to see win.

FAQs

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Why can't I launch?

You need a scanner, an ID and an engine in order to launch from a base. All of these come provided when you create a new character.

Why am I getting a green power plant message every time I launch?

You will likely have incompatible technology on your ship or have exceeded the hardware limitations of your ID. Check the technerf chart to troubleshoot what may be causing the problem.

Why can't I enter formation with other players?

You need to be in a group with another player in order to enter formation with them. You can do this by selecting them in the hud and selecting the 'invite to join group' icon in the bottom left box, or by typing:

Code:

/i character name

Where can I buy a cloak or jump drive?

Cloaks and jump drives are manufactured by other players and can be best obtained through the equipment vendors section of the community marketplace.

How come I can dock with some bases but not with others?

Your ability to dock on bases all depends on your reputation with the faction that owns that base. If your reputation is too low then your docking access will be denied. Player owned bases also restrict access to players as a norm.

How do I build my own base?

You can find everything you need to know about building a base in our Discovery Player Base Guide.

Links

• Discovery Mod Download & Install
  
• Discovery Server & Forums Rules
  
• Discovery Wiki
  
• Server Commands
  
• Discovery Launchpad
  
• Tutorials & Support Forum
  
• Discovery RP 24/7 Rules Forum
  

Credits

Content - Ash
Editing - Sand_Spider
Editing - JorgeRyan

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Discovery Server Rules • Tutorial Database • Player Requests • Wiki Subforum  • Tutorials