Fleet Manager and Ship Loadouts

New Player Guide

Fleet Manager and Ship Loadouts

Your ship is your way out of the city, your main tool for making money, your mobile storage box, your personal disaster machine, and occasionally your coffin.

Before you can fly it, you need to understand how to retrieve it.

Before you can upgrade it, you need to understand where ship loadouts live.

This guide covers the two main systems you will use to manage your ships:

  • The Fleet Manager
  • The Vehicle Loadout Manager

You do not need to master every ship component on day one.

But you should know how to call your ship, store it, claim it, and make basic loadout changes without accidentally turning your starter ship into a decorative hangar ornament.

What Is the Fleet Manager?

The Fleet Manager is the terminal used to manage your ships at a hangar, spaceport, or station.

You will use it to:

  • View your available ships
  • See where your ships are stored
  • Deliver ships to your current location
  • Retrieve ships to a hangar or pad
  • Store ships
  • Claim ships that are destroyed, missing, or unavailable

If you want to physically access your ship, the Fleet Manager is usually where that process starts.

Think of it as the front desk for your personal fleet.

Even if your “fleet” is currently one tiny starter ship and a dream.

Where Do You Find the Fleet Manager?

You will usually find Fleet Manager terminals in:

  • Your home hangar
  • Major city spaceports
  • Space station hangar areas
  • Vehicle retrieval areas
  • Some outposts, depending on facilities

At your starting location, there should be a Fleet Manager or hangar services terminal nearby.

Look for screens or kiosks near the hangar entrance, elevator area, or ship retrieval zone.

As always in Star Citizen, signs are your friend.

Unless the sign is wrong.

Which happens.

But start with the signs anyway.

Understanding Ship Status

When you open the Fleet Manager, each ship may show a different status.

Common statuses include things like:

  • Stored
  • Deliverable
  • Retrieved
  • Unknown
  • Destroyed
  • Claim required
  • At another location

The exact wording can shift between patches, but the idea is usually the same.

The terminal is telling you whether your ship is available here, somewhere else, already spawned, or needs to be claimed.

Deliver vs Retrieve

Two words new players often mix up are Deliver and Retrieve.

They sound similar, but they are not always the same thing.

Deliver

Deliver usually means bringing a ship to your current location so it becomes available there.

For example, if your ship is not currently stored at your home hangar or station, the Fleet Manager may need to deliver it before you can retrieve it.

This can happen when:

  • You are at a new location
  • The ship is stored somewhere else
  • The ship has not been made available at your current hangar yet

Think of delivery as moving the ship into the local system.

Retrieve

Retrieve means spawning the ship into a hangar, pad, or assigned location so you can physically board it.

Once you retrieve your ship, the terminal should tell you where to go.

You may be assigned:

  • A hangar
  • A landing pad
  • A docking port, for larger ships
  • An elevator destination

For most starter ships, this will usually be a hangar.

Once retrieved, head to the correct hangar and your ship should be waiting.

In theory.

It is Star Citizen, so “should” is doing some heavy lifting.

Retrieving Your First Ship

To retrieve your first ship:

  1. Find a Fleet Manager terminal
  2. Interact with it
  3. Select your starter ship
  4. Choose Deliver if required
  5. Once available, choose Retrieve
  6. Note the assigned hangar or pad
  7. Use the elevator to travel to that hangar
  8. Wait for the ship to fully appear
  9. Board the ship

Do not sprint across the hangar floor while the platform is moving.

Hangar machinery does not care about your enthusiasm.

Storing Your Ship

When you land at a station or city, you can usually store your ship using the Fleet Manager.

Storing your ship is useful because it helps keep it safe and properly registered at that location.

To store your ship:

  1. Land at a valid hangar or pad
  2. Exit the ship
  3. Go to the Fleet Manager terminal
  4. Select the ship
  5. Choose Store, if available

Storing is a good habit when you are finished using a ship.

It can reduce weirdness, prevent accidental loss, and make the ship easier to retrieve later.

Not always.

But often enough to be worth doing.

Claiming Your Ship

Sometimes your ship will not be available.

Maybe it exploded.

Maybe you died.

Maybe you left it somewhere.

Maybe the server ate it.

Maybe you parked it in a way that historians will later describe as “optimistic.”

When this happens, you may need to claim your ship.

Claiming creates a replacement through the insurance/claim system.

To claim a ship:

  1. Open the Fleet Manager
  2. Select the unavailable ship
  3. Choose Claim
  4. Wait for the claim timer
  5. Retrieve the ship once the timer is complete

Some ships can be expedited for a fee, reducing the wait time.

For a starter ship, claim timers are usually manageable.

For larger ships, claims can become more painful.

This is another reason small starter ships are good for learning.

Small ship, small mistake, small wait.

Claiming Is Not Failure

New players often feel like claiming a ship means they have done something terribly wrong.

It does not.

Claiming ships is part of Star Citizen.

Everyone claims ships.

Experienced players claim ships.

Good pilots claim ships.

Bad pilots claim ships.

People who say they never claim ships are either lying, extremely cautious, or have not played enough during a cursed patch.

Do not stress.

Claim the ship, grab some basic gear, and keep going.

Home Hangar vs Other Hangars

Your home hangar is tied to your primary residence.

This is usually where your persistent hangar is located and where your starting inventory is based.

When you travel to another station or city, you may still retrieve ships, but the hangar you use there is usually temporary or assigned for that visit.

This matters because new players sometimes expect every hangar to behave like their home hangar.

They do not.

A simple way to think about it:

  • Home hangar: your main persistent base for the patch
  • Other hangars: temporary access points for landing, storing, and retrieving ships while travelling

You can operate from other stations, but your home location remains your main anchor unless systems change in a future patch.

Ship Location Matters

Ships are location-based.

If your ship is stored at one station, it may not automatically be ready at another.

The Fleet Manager will usually show where the ship is located or whether it needs to be delivered or claimed.

If your ship is not available where you are, do not panic.

Check its status.

You may need to:

  • Deliver it
  • Wait for it
  • Claim it
  • Travel to where it is stored
  • Accept that the game has done something mysterious and claim it anyway

This is normal.

Annoying, but normal.

What Is the Vehicle Loadout Manager?

The Vehicle Loadout Manager is where you view and modify your ship’s equipment.

You can access it through your MobiGlas.

This system lets you inspect and change parts of your ship, such as:

  • Weapons
  • Missiles
  • Shields
  • Power plants
  • Coolers
  • Quantum drives
  • Paints
  • Modules
  • Utility items
  • Other vehicle components

Your starter ship comes with a default loadout.

That default loadout is usually enough for learning the game.

You do not need to upgrade everything immediately.

In fact, you probably should not.

Learn how to fly the ship before you begin performing surgery on it.

Opening the Vehicle Loadout Manager

To open the Vehicle Loadout Manager:

  1. Open your MobiGlas
  2. Find the vehicle or loadout app
  3. Select your ship
  4. View the available tabs and component slots

Your ship may need to be stored at your current location before you can edit it properly.

If a ship is not available, locked, or stored somewhere else, you may not be able to change the loadout until it is delivered or stored locally.

If the loadout screen is not letting you change things, check where the ship actually is.

The game is picky about location.

Very picky.

Possibly too picky.

Pending Changes and Saving

When you change a ship component, paint, or module, the change may appear as pending.

This means you have selected the change, but it has not been applied yet.

You usually need to press something like:

  • Save
  • Save Changes
  • Apply
  • Equip

The exact wording may vary.

The important thing is this:

Selecting a component is not always enough. You must save the change.

If your ship does not show the upgrade you thought you equipped, go back and check whether you actually saved the loadout.

Star Citizen respects paperwork.

Unfortunately.

Paints and Liveries

Some ships allow you to equip paints or liveries.

These are cosmetic skins that change the look of your ship.

To change a paint:

  1. Open the Vehicle Loadout Manager
  2. Select your ship
  3. Find the paints or liveries tab
  4. Choose the paint you want
  5. Save changes

Paints do not usually affect performance.

They do, however, affect how smug you feel when walking toward your ship.

This is mechanically irrelevant but emotionally powerful.

Ship Components

Ship components are the functional parts of your ship.

Depending on the ship, these may include:

  • Power plant
  • Shield generator
  • Cooler
  • Quantum drive
  • Weapons
  • Missiles
  • Radar
  • Jump module
  • Other specialised systems

Different components affect different parts of your ship’s performance.

Some may improve survivability.

Some may improve travel.

Some may improve combat.

Some may mostly confuse you until you have watched three videos and opened a spreadsheet.

That is fine.

Start simple.

Weapons

Ship weapons determine how your ship deals damage.

Weapons can vary by:

  • Size
  • Type
  • Damage
  • Range
  • Fire rate
  • Projectile speed
  • Ammo or capacitor use
  • Mount compatibility

As a new player, do not obsess over perfect weapon builds immediately.

Your starter ship’s default weapons are enough to learn:

  • How to target enemies
  • How to stay in range
  • How to manage speed
  • How to fire without panicking
  • How to disengage when things go badly

Once you understand basic combat, then start experimenting.

A better gun will not save you if you are boosting backwards into an asteroid.

Ask many of us how we know.

Shields

Shields help protect your ship from incoming damage.

Upgrading shields can improve survivability, but they are only one part of staying alive.

You also need to manage:

  • Distance
  • Speed
  • Positioning
  • Power
  • Situational awareness
  • Knowing when to leave

A shield upgrade may help, but new players should focus first on not getting hit constantly.

Defence begins with flying better.

And occasionally screaming while boosting away.

Power Plants and Coolers

Power plants and coolers support your ship’s systems.

Power plants provide power.

Coolers help manage heat.

These systems matter more as you start modifying ships, pushing performance, or dealing with engineering and component damage.

For your first few sessions, you probably do not need to touch them.

If your ship works, let it work.

Do not pull out the heart of your ship because a forum post told you there was a technically superior option with 2.7% better whatever.

That way lies madness.

And spreadsheets.

Mostly spreadsheets.

Quantum Drives

Your quantum drive affects how you travel long distances.

Different quantum drives may vary in:

  • Speed
  • Fuel efficiency
  • Spool time
  • Calibration time
  • Range

For new players, quantum drive upgrades can become useful once you start travelling around Stanton more often.

But again, you do not need to upgrade immediately.

Learn how quantum travel works first.

Once you are comfortable jumping between planets and stations, you can start caring about whether your drive is fast, efficient, or powered by pure regret.

Modules

Some ships have modules.

Modules can change what a ship is capable of or how its space is used.

For example, a ship may have a cargo module or another specialised module depending on its design.

If your starter ship supports modules, they may appear in the Vehicle Loadout Manager.

Equipping a module may increase cargo capacity or change the ship’s functionality.

As with other loadout changes, make sure you save after equipping.

If you bought a module and it is not appearing on the ship, check:

  • Is the module stored at the same location?
  • Is it compatible with the ship?
  • Did you equip it?
  • Did you save the change?
  • Is the game having a moment?

That last one is not a joke.

It is a diagnostic category.

When Should You Upgrade Your Ship?

You should consider upgrading when you understand what problem you are trying to solve.

Good reasons to upgrade:

  • Your quantum drive feels too slow for regular travel
  • Your shields feel weak in missions you are actually doing
  • You want better weapons for beginner combat
  • You are specialising in a certain activity
  • You understand what the component changes will do
  • You can afford the upgrade without going broke

Bad reasons to upgrade:

  • Someone said your stock build is “trash”
  • You watched one video and panicked
  • You want to min-max before your first landing
  • You do not know what the part does
  • You are trying to solve a piloting problem with a shopping cart

Upgrades are useful.

But experience is better.

Do You Need External Tools?

Eventually, yes.

If you get into ship builds, you will probably use external tools to compare components, weapons, and performance.

Useful tools may include:

  • SCANZ.SPACE Ship Builder
  • Erkul
  • Star Citizen Wiki
  • Universal Item Finder

But for your first few sessions, you can keep things simple.

Your starter ship can fly, land, travel, and do basic missions without becoming a spreadsheet project.

The spreadsheet project comes later.

It always comes later.

Basic New Player Ship Routine

Here is a simple routine to follow when using your ship:

  1. Go to the Fleet Manager
  2. Deliver the ship if needed
  3. Retrieve the ship
  4. Go to the assigned hangar
  5. Board the ship
  6. Power on
  7. Contact ATC
  8. Leave the hangar carefully
  9. Complete your mission or travel
  10. Return to a station or city
  11. Land properly
  12. Repair, refuel, and restock
  13. Store the ship if you are done

This routine will save you a lot of confusion.

It will not save you from every bug.

Nothing will.

But it helps.

Common Fleet Manager Problems

My Ship Is Not Here

Check the ship status.

It may be stored somewhere else, need delivery, or require a claim.

I Retrieved My Ship but Cannot Find It

Check the assigned hangar or pad.

Use the elevator and look for the correct destination.

If you are at a large station or city, it is easy to go to the wrong place.

The Hangar Doors Will Not Open

You may need to contact Air Traffic Control.

Do this from the pilot seat before taking off.

If the doors still do not open, something may be bugged.

Welcome.

My Ship Says Claim Required

That means the game considers it unavailable, destroyed, missing, or otherwise not usable.

Claim it and wait for the timer.

My Loadout Changes Did Not Apply

Check whether:

  • The ship was stored locally
  • The component was compatible
  • The component was available at that location
  • You saved the changes
  • The loadout system is behaving in the current patch

Sometimes you did everything right and the game still says no.

Take a breath.

Try again.

Then ask someone in SCANZ if it keeps being weird.

Common Loadout Mistakes

Changing Too Much Too Soon

Do not rebuild your entire ship before learning how it flies.

Change one thing at a time so you understand what changed.

Buying Components Without Checking Compatibility

Not every component fits every ship.

Check size, type, and compatibility before spending credits.

Forgetting to Save Changes

This one gets everyone.

Equip the item, then save.

Do not trust the loadout screen until the change is actually applied.

Moving Gear and Components to the Wrong Location

Items are location-based.

If your component is stored at Area18 and your ship is at Baijini Point, that may be a problem.

Keep track of where your parts are.

Thinking Better Components Replace Practice

A better ship helps.

Better flying helps more.

The best loadout in the world cannot fully protect you from entering a hangar at full speed like a missile with anxiety.

SCANZ Recommendation

For brand-new players, keep your first ship simple.

Start with the stock loadout.

Learn how to:

  • Retrieve the ship
  • Store the ship
  • Claim the ship
  • Take off safely
  • Land safely
  • Refuel and repair
  • Complete basic missions
  • Understand where your ship is located

Once you can do those things comfortably, then begin experimenting with components, weapons, paints, modules, and upgrades.

Your first goal is not to build the perfect ship.

Your first goal is to stop losing the ship in increasingly creative ways.

Perfection can wait.

Recovery cannot.

Final Advice

The Fleet Manager and Vehicle Loadout Manager are systems you will use constantly.

At first, they may feel clunky, but they become second nature once you understand the basic loop:

Retrieve the ship. Use the ship. Land the ship. Store the ship. Claim the ship when the universe gets ideas.

Do not stress about perfect loadouts early.

Your starter ship is there to teach you the game, not carry your entire future.

Fly it.

Scratch it.

Crash it.

Claim it.

Learn from it.

Then, when you know what you actually enjoy doing, start upgrading with purpose.

Next Guide

Next: Getting Around Cities and Spaceports