Clear, contact, engaged: when a fight starts
Published
In short: each ship is either clear, in contact, or engaged. Contact means an enemy could reach you in 6 seconds: leave now and you live. Engaged means 3 seconds: the point of no return, and your pilots take over.
At a glance
| State | Means |
|---|---|
| Clear | no enemy close |
| Contact | an enemy could reach you within 6 s |
| Engaged | within 3 s: the point of no return |
How it works
- Two rings round every enemy craft: its reach, plus how far it flies in 3 seconds (engage) and in 6 (contact).
- Easy in, slower out: you enter a ring at once but leave only past 1.25 times the contact ring, so the state doesn’t flicker.
- The unit card shows the state, and pilots take over on the engage ring. See pilot stances.