Buying Stuff
Shops, terminals, buying or renting ships with in-game money, and upgrading your loadout.
1. How shops work
Shops are real stores in cities and stations. Walk in, look at items on display, and press F to inspect , try on or buy . Some shops use a counter terminal instead. Bought items normally go into the local storage or straight onto you.
2. Trade and service terminals
Not everything is on a shelf: Commodity terminals - buy and sell trade goods, ore and salvage. Item terminals - sell items you've looted. Rental terminals - rent ships and vehicles. ASOP terminals - manage, store and claim ships.
3. Buy ships with aUEC
Many ships can be bought with in-game money (aUEC) at ship dealerships in the major cities and some stations. Once bought, the ship appears in your ASOP terminal. This is the main way to grow your fleet without spending real money, and a great long-term goal.
4. Pledging vs. in-game buying
Ships bought on the RSI website ( pledges ) are tied to your account and survive wipes. Ships bought in game with aUEC are part of your in-game progress. You never need to pledge for more ships to enjoy the game. Many players fly only their starter ship plus in-game purchases.
5. Rent before you buy
Rent a ship for a day or a few days at a rental terminal. It's the cheapest way to try mining, cargo or combat ships before investing, and to find what you like.
6. Upgrade your ship loadout
You can swap ship components (weapons, shields, coolers, quantum drives, power plants) bought from component shops. Buy the part, then use the Vehicle Loadout Manager in your mobiGlas while your ship is stored or landed at that location. Check sizes and types: parts must match the slot. As of 4.8, save your loadout at the ASOP terminal so an insurance claim can restore it.
7. Armor, weapons, ammo and food
For personal gear: Armor - clothing and armor shops in cities and stations. Weapons and ammo - weapon stores. Buy spare magazines; ammo is not infinite. Food and drink - restaurants, bars, vending machines and convenience stores. Medical - MedPens and medical supplies at clinics and pharmacies. See this site's Shops and Locations pages for exact places.
8. Crafting your own gear
Since 4.7 you can craft items at an Item Fabricator using blueprints and materials. You start with a few default blueprints; more come as mission rewards. Material quality (for example mined ore quality) affects the result's stats. Fabricators can be bought and placed in a hangar or a large enough ship.