Installation
See the README.
Start Menu
When starting Oolite, a menu with six options will be displayed.
Start New Commander
Start a new commander. Three starting scenarios are available by default, though expansion packs may add more. New players may wish to start with the Tutorial scenario which introduces the basics of flight and combat. A commander started with the Strict Mode option will never have any expansion packs affecting the game-play, even if these are installed at a later stage.
Load Commander
Load an existing commander file.
View Ship Library
View the specifications and descriptions of the ships and other common space objects.
Game Options
Opens the Game Options screen to allow for game settings to be viewed and changed (See Game Options below for more details).
Manage Expansion Packs
Install and remove Oolite mods, often referred to as OXPs (Oolite eXpansion Packs). Not all mod packs can be installed and removed by this method – others, especially older ones, can be found here.
Exit Game
Exit the game.
Controls and Commands
The current keyboard configuration can be edited by selecting “Keyboard Configuration” from the “Game Options” menu.
Oolite can be controlled using the keyboard, mouse and/or game controller.
The following list describes the default key settings.
In Dock Commands
| Key | Menu / Action | Sub-Item / Control | Interaction & Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 or F1 | Launch | — | Propels your spacecraft from docked station. |
| 2 or F2 | Quick-Save / Load | File Selection | Use ↑ and ↓ to select, Enter to choose. |
| Game Options | Autosave | ← → to toggle. When enabled, creates a save every time you launch from a planetary station. | |
| Docking Clearance | ← → to toggle. If enabled, docking without clearance at Galcop/OXP stations results in a fine. | ||
| Audio Settings | ← → to adjust Source Volume or toggle Music (Mac users also have "iTunes" option). | ||
| Spoken Messages | ← → or Enter to toggle. Uses selectable voice. | ||
| Display Mode | ← → to select screen size/refresh rate. Enter to toggle Window/Full Screen (or use F12 anytime). | ||
| HDR Brightness | ← → to adjust Max Brightness and Paper White levels (for HDR-capable systems only). | ||
| Graphics / Gamma | ← → to toggle Wireframe mode, Gamma correction, or Graphics Detail (Minimal, Normal, Shaders, Extra). | ||
| Field Of View | ← → to adjust (30°–80°). Lower values make objects appear larger; higher values increase peripheral vision. | ||
| Colorblind Mode | ← → to select: None, Protanopia, Deuteranopia, or Tritanopia. | ||
| Config Screens | Press Enter on Joystick or Keyboard configuration to view/change assignments. | ||
| System | End / Exit | Press Enter to End Game (return to menu) or Exit Game (quit to desktop). | |
| 3 or F3 | Shipyard | Outfitting | ↑ ↓ to select, Enter to purchase. ← → to move between pages. |
| 4 or F4 | Interfaces | Station/Ship | ↑ ↓ to select, Enter to open. ← → for pages. |
| 5 or F5 | Manifest | Status/Cargo | Toggles views. Use ← and → to move between pages. |
| 6 or F6 | Galactic Chart | Navigation | Mouse Drag to pan; Wheel or PgUp/PgDn to Zoom. |
| Selection | Click or Cursors to select. Double-Click for System Data. | ||
| Home | Home selects current system. | ||
| Routing | ^ plots route (Fewest Jumps/Time). Requires advanced navigational array. | ||
| Filters | ? highlights by economy, government, tech level, or sun color. Requires advanced navigational array. | ||
| Info History | Alt + ← / → to cycle previous system info screens for the F7 display. | ||
| Search / Info | Type Name to find (Entire Chart); i for tech info (Zoomed). | ||
| 7 or F7 | Database | System Info | Shows detailed planetary database for the system selected on the Chart. |
| 8 or F8 | Market | Selection | Use ↑ and ↓ to select commodity. |
| Buying | → buys 1 unit. Shift + → buys maximum possible. | ||
| Selling | ← sells 1 unit. Shift + ← sells maximum possible. | ||
| Smart Trade | Enter: If holding item, sells all. If empty, buys maximum possible. | ||
| Filters | ? cycles: All goods, Carried in stock, Carried, In stock, No transport restrictions, Transport restrictions. | ||
| Sorting | / cycles: Default, Alphabetical, Price, Quantity in stock, Quantity in hold, Unit mass. |
Flight Key Commands
Movement & Attitude
| Key | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ ↓ | Pitch | Nose up and down. |
| ← → | Roll | Rotate ship along the longitudinal axis. |
| , . | Yaw | Turn nose left and right. |
| Ctrl | Precision Mode | Hold while turning to move more slowly/precisely. |
| w / s | Speed Control | w to Increase Speed; s to Decrease Speed. |
Propulsion & Travel
| Key | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| j | Torus Jump Drive | Toggle in-system hyperspeed. Disabled by nearby mass/gravity. |
| h | Hyperdrive | Activate Witchspace jump. Requires a target selected on F6 chart. |
| g | Galactic Hyperdrive | Activate the inter-galactic jump drive (if installed). |
| i | Fuel Injection | Activate afterburners/Witchdrive injectors (if installed). |
Weaponry & Combat
| Key | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| a | Fire Laser | Fire main weapon for the current view facing. |
| _ | Weapons Lockdown | Toggle safety lockdown on/off. |
| e | ECM | Activate Electronic Counter-Measures to destroy incoming missiles. |
| p | Pause | Pause/Un-pause. While paused, press 2 or F2 to access Options, or o to toggle HUD for screenshots. |
Missiles & Pylon Equipment
| Key | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| r | Identify Target | Activate ID system (deactivates missile/mine system). |
| t | Target/Arm | Enable missile targeting or arm mine. Locks missile if ID is active. |
| y | Cycle Missiles | Switch to next available pylon. Requires Multi-Targeting System. |
| Shift+t | Target Missile | Immediately target the nearest incoming enemy missile. |
| u | Unarm / Safety | Deactivate ID or put missiles into safety mode. |
| m | Launch/Drop | Fire locked missile or drop armed mine. |
Selectable Equipment & MFDs
| Key | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| n | Activate | Activate currently selected equipment. |
| Shift+n / Shift+Ctrl+n | Cycle Equipment | Select Next or Previous equipment in your inventory. |
| b | Mode Change | Change mode for the selected equipment (if applicable). |
| Tab / 0 | Fast Slots | Activate equipment in Fast Slot 1 (Tab) or Slot 2 (0). |
| ; / : | MFD Controls | ; to rotate current display; : to select next display area. |
| + / - | Target Memory | Lock on to next/previous target in memory expansion (if installed). |
Sensors & Navigation
| Key | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| z / Shift+z | Scanner Zoom | z cycles zoom (1:1 to 5:1); Shift+z resets to 1:1. |
| \ | Compass Mode | Cycle targets (Planet, Station, Sun, Target, Beacons). |
| | | Compass Reverse | Reverse cycle the Compass Mode. |
| ` (Backtick) | Comms Log | View recent ship-to-ship message history. |
Docking & Utility
| Key | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| c | Autodock | Begin/Abandon docking sequence. Requires Docking Computer. |
| Shift+c | Instant Dock | Fast docking without the sequence. Advances game clock 20 mins. |
| Shift+l | Docking Clear | Request, cancel, or renew docking clearance with a station. |
| s | Docking Music | Toggle music during the automated docking sequence. |
| Shift+d | Eject Cargo | Jettisons one cargo pod into space. |
| Shift+r | Rotate Cargo | Choose which cargo type is at the "front" of the eject queue. |
| Esc Esc | Escape Pod | Quickly double-tap to abandon ship (if installed). |
Viewscreens & Systems
| Key | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 or F1 | Forward View | Look out the front of the ship. |
| 2 or F2 | Aft View | Look out the back of the ship. |
| 3 or F3 | Port View | Look out the left side of the ship. |
| 4 or F4 | Starboard View | Look out the right side of the ship. |
| 5 or F5 | Status/Manifest | Toggles between Ship Status and Cargo Manifest. |
| 6 or F6 | Galactic Chart | Toggles between Zoomed and Entire range charts. |
| 7 or F7 | System Data | Shows the Planetary Database for the selected system. |
| 8 or F8 | Market | Access the Commodity Market. |
| v | External View | Toggle between external free-look views. |
| ↑ ↓ ← → | External Camera | Use arrow keys to rotate the camera in external view. |
| Caps Lock + Mouse | External Free-look | Move the mouse while Caps Lock is on for free-look in external view. |
| Shift+f | FPS Toggle | Show/hide the frames-per-second counter. |
| F12 | Screen Mode | Toggle between Full Screen and Windowed mode. |
| Shift+Esc | Quit | Immediate exit to desktop. |
Mouse Flight Controls
To enable mouse flight (available in Full Screen mode only), use the following toggles:
| Key Combination | Action |
|---|---|
| Shift + M | Toggle mouse control (X-axis = Roll) |
| Ctrl + Shift + M | Toggle mouse control (X-axis = Yaw) |
Active Mouse Commands:
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Mouse Left/Right | Roll or Yaw (depending on toggle mode) |
| Mouse Forward/Back | Pitch |
| Primary Mouse Button | Fire main weapon |
| Secondary Mouse Button | Center all controls (cancels roll/yaw and pitch) |
| Mouse Wheel Up/Down | Increase or Decrease speed |
Game Data
Game data such as your saved games and expansion packs are stored in certain locations depending upon the setup:
| OS | Type | Default Game Data Folder |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | NSIS | <Oolite installation folder>/oolite.app |
| Windows | MSStore | %localappdata%/Packages/OoliteDevTeam.Oolite_x4yhmcdj37sz2/LocalCache/Local/Oolite/oolite.app |
| Linux | AppImage | <AppImage folder>/GameData |
| Linux | Flatpak | $HOME/.var/app/space.oolite.Oolite |
Linux
The AppImage can be configured to use alternative locations by setting various environment variables:
| Environment Variable | Value | Game Folder |
|---|---|---|
OO_DIRTYPE |
xdg | $HOME/.local/share/Oolite |
OO_DIRTYPE |
legacy | $HOME (old folder structure - not recommended) |
More intricate setups are possible by specifying individual environment variables for different folders:
| Environment Variable | Description | Default Path (if unset) |
|---|---|---|
OO_SAVEDIR |
Directory for saved games | $GAME_DATA/SavedGames |
OO_SNAPSHOTSDIR |
Directory for screenshots/snapshots | $GAME_DATA/Snapshots |
OO_LOGSDIR |
Directory for game log files | $GAME_DATA/.logs |
OO_MANAGEDADDONSDIR |
Directory for OXPs managed by the game | $GAME_DATA/.ManagedAddOns |
OO_USERADDONSDIR |
User-specified directory for OXPs | $GAME_DATA/AddOns |
OO_ADDONSEXTRACTDIR |
Directory for extracted OXPs | ${OO_USERADDONSDIR:-$GAME_DATA/AddOns} |
OO_ADDITIONALADDONSDIRS |
List of extra addon search paths | |
OO_GNUSTEPDIR |
GNUstep directory | $GAME_DATA/.GNUstep |
OO_GNUSTEPDEFAULTSDIR |
User preferences defaults file location | $GAME_DATA |
Changing user preferences
The user preferences defaults file OoliteDefaults.plist contains various game settings which will include some of the following:
- Autosave (Off/On)
- Sound Volume (Mute to 100% in increments of 5%)
- Music mode (Off/On)
- Full Screen Mode and Display Resolutions
- Wireframe Graphics (Off/On)
- Graphics Detail (Minimum, Normal, Shaders Enabled, Extra)
- Gamma correction (0.02 to 4.0 in increments of 0.02)
- Field Of View (30° to 80° in 20 increments)
- Javascript Runtime (in mib)
The file is created after Oolite first execution. It is located in teh game data folder on Linux, while on
Windows it is in a subfolder GNUstep/Defaults/.
The file looks like this:
{
"debug-settings-override" = {
};
"gamma-value" = 1;
"volume_control" = "0.5";
}
The recommended way to change these settings is to use the in-game options menu. Troubleshooting or the need to experiment with more advanced options, may lead to directly editing the file. For the changes to take effect, the file must be edited and saved before executing Oolite.
For more information please refer to hidden settings in Oolite.
Test Builds
Starting with Oolite 1.77 there are two different versions of the game. A normal version without debugging tools and a
slightly slower version with debugging options that can be used with the console. This test build version will be
useful for oxp developers. It can be found under the releases and
has has _test in the name.
The test builds have the following extra features:
- When pressing Shift+F, the FPS display will show additional info, including a TAF indicator.
- A console can be used, to type in JavaScript commands, interfacing directly with the Oolite universe and its entities.
The following debugging options are accessible while paused:
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| 0 | Dump a list of all entities in the log-file. |
| b | Enable collision test debugging. |
| c | Enables octree debugging. |
| d | Enables all debug flags. |
| s | Enables shader debug messages. |
| x | Enables drawing of bounding boxes around all entities. |
| n | Disables all debug flags and displays HUD again. |
| ← and → | Time Acceleration: Halves or Doubles the Time Acceleration Factor. |
Helpful Information
For more information on playing Oolite visit https://www.oolite.space.
Browse the Oolite Wiki.
Check the Frequently Asked Questions.
Most Oolite mods, often referred to as OXP’s (Oolite eXpansion Packs) are available here , or from the Expansion Manager in the game.
The Oolite Development Project Page is located on GitHub.
For answers to questions about playing Oolite, customizing Oolite and anything else Oolite related, post to the Oolite Bulletin Boards. It’s the friendliest place this side of Riedquat!
Your feedback is essential to keep improving Oolite. A lot of effort has been put in making Oolite stable. In the rare event Oolite crashes, it will be highly appreciated if you let us know by raising an issue or by creating a topic in the Testing and Bug reports section of the Oolite Bulletin Board. In both cases, attaching the crash log can be very helpful in solving problems. It is located at:
| OS | Log folder location |
|---|---|
| Windows | <Oolite installation folder>/oolite.app/Logs/Latest.log |
| Windows (MSStore) | %localappdata%/Packages/OoliteDevTeam.Oolite_x4yhmcdj37sz2/LocalCache/Local/Oolite/oolite.app/Logs/Latest.log |
| Linux | $GAME_DATA/.logs/Latest.log |
We are immensely grateful to all the people who have been testing Oolite and tediously bringing it towards perfection.
Thank you all!