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The war license is the permit the Stellar Authority issues to anyone who wants to fly PvP. No license, no war: outside matches, a ship without a license in force doesn’t enter any PvP and can’t be lost to another player. With it, a ship destroyed by another pilot is lost for good, but the license’s insurance pays back part of its value.
War mode
Section titled “War mode”War mode is in the HUD’s DIPLOMACY panel. When it’s on, your ship can attack and be attacked by any other pilot who is also at war. It only turns on with a valid license and turns itself off when the license expires.
War mode is one of the forms of PvP. Corporation wars, planet war zones and the Fortress War don’t depend on it, but they also only apply to those with a license in force: without one, your ship stays out of all of them. Only team matches (Arena, MOBA and Siege) don’t require a license. The full rules are in PvP and wrecks.
The license is in force when it’s valid (not expired) and covers the value of the ship in use (see Switching ships).
Cost and validity
Section titled “Cost and validity”You get the license at the SHIPYARD of any station, with your ship docked. The price is the repair value of your active ship: 10% of the class price. It lasts 7 days.
Switching ships
Section titled “Switching ships”The license covers the value of the ship it was taken (or renewed) with. If you switch to a more expensive class while the license is valid (buying at the SHIPYARD, swapping to a ship from a garage or winning one at auction), the game immediately charges the top-up: 10% of the difference between the class prices. Switching to a cheaper ship costs nothing.
If you don’t have the credits for the top-up, war mode turns off and the license doesn’t cover that ship, so it stays out of all PvP. To complete it, go to the SHIPYARD and use the WAR LICENSE button (in this case it shows as TOP UP): it only charges the difference, with no tests and no change to the expiry date.
| Class | What it is for | Price | Level | Speed | Hull | Shield | Weapons | Hold | Warp | Tank | PvP insurance | War license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multipurpose | Does a bit of everything without excelling at anything. | not for sale | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 100 | 100% | 400 ¢ |
| Mining ship | Mines twice as fast and carries lots of ore; slow and lightly armed. | 25,000 ¢ | 5 | −15% | +10% | −10% | −30% | +150% | −10% | 140 | 80% | 2,500 ¢ |
| Explorer | Fast, long warp and a strong scanner; fragile, with a small hold. | 30,000 ¢ | 5 | +25% | −20% | −10% | −30% | −40% | +50% | 200 | 80% | 3,000 ¢ |
| Freighter | Huge hold and a strong hull for trade; slow. | 45,000 ¢ | 10 | −20% | +40% | — | −40% | +300% | −10% | 160 | 70% | 4,500 ¢ |
| Fighter | Weapons and agility for combat; minimal hold. | 50,000 ¢ | 10 | +15% | −10% | +20% | +40% | −60% | −20% | 90 | 60% | 5,000 ¢ |
| Battleship | Heavy weapons, hull and shields for fortresses and bosses; slow and thirsty. | 90,000 ¢ | 20 | −25% | +80% | +50% | +60% | −30% | −30% | 150 | 50% | 9,000 ¢ |
The PvP insurance column shows how much of the ship’s price the insurance pays if it’s destroyed in PvP with a valid license. The more a ship is built for war, the lower the coverage: the starter ship is fully covered, the Battleship by half. A ship rented from the Stellar Authority has no insurance.
The tests
Section titled “The tests”Getting the license for the first time takes two tests, and you have to pass both: failing any stage fails the whole thing. The fee is charged at the start.
Theory
Section titled “Theory”There are 5 multiple-choice questions, drawn from a question bank, and you need at least 4 right. They cover the basics for anyone who’s going to fly at war:
| Topic | Where to learn |
|---|---|
| Four-sided shield and flip | Combat basics |
| License, insurance and what happens to a destroyed ship | This article and PvP and wrecks |
| Warp, fuel and emergency tow | Fuel |
| Damage and equipment wear | Damage and repair, Equipment |
| Ship classes and garages | Ship classes, Garages |
| Hold, workshop and market | Inventory, Workshop, Market |
Practical
Section titled “Practical”Once you pass the theory, you start the practical test from the SHIPYARD. It has two parts, one after the other:
- Ring race against the clock, on the first race track at Sol. The time limit depends on the track record and on your level: the higher your level, the less time you get (the limit is shown when you start). It doesn’t count for the leaderboard and gives no prize.
- 1v1 duel against a pirate of your level (a heavy one from level 10 up), near a planet in the Solar System. You have to take it down within 3 minutes without being destroyed. Losing the duel fails the test, but it doesn’t count as a death: you don’t lose cargo, credits or experience.
Win the duel and the license is issued on the spot.
Failing
Section titled “Failing”| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| First fail | You can try once more by paying 50% of the fee |
| Second fail | A 24 h wait; after that, a new attempt at full price |
Renewal
Section titled “Renewal”- While the license is valid, or up to 30 days after it expires, renewing just charges the fee again, with no tests, and adds another 7 days.
- If it expired more than 30 days ago, the tests come back.
- The renewal fee is based on whichever ship is active at that moment.
The Galactic Citizen gets automatic renewal: on the last valid day the license renews itself, taking the fee from your credits. It isn’t free: if you don’t have enough credits, the game warns you and doesn’t renew.