Updated AC Manual Link (Title looks like old one, but its a new version) https://robertsspaceindustries.com/media/hwb5x45eghhelr/source/AC-Manual-1-0-V6.pdf
Lobby Tips and Tricks This is perhaps the most important and useful section to anyone of any experience level studying this course material. I saved the best for last. Lobby Tip #1 ALWAYS Cycle your SHIP, GAME MODE, and MAP before launching - This means selecting any other ship (if you only have ONE available, you can skip this) and then going back to the one you want, bouncing from BR to another game mode such as a race and back to BR if BR is your desired mode, and flipping from Broken Moon to Dying Star and back, depending on which one you want to play. Always cycle ship, mode, and map before launching a game to avoid bugs (helps to prevent mis-represented ship selection, which by default, will give you whatever is alpha-numerically first, typically a 300i, Avenger, or F7C if available, numbers before letters in ASCII). This also helps to prevent lobby errors where you hit a load screen for awhile and then bounce back to lobby. If the bounce back happens, try a different map and/or mode as needed. Sometimes certain maps or modes are bugged temporarily (used to be completely unplayable for entire patches). Lobby Tip #2 If you are planning on playing as a group, have EVERYONE relaunch their client and re-arm their ships at the same time, then invite everyone and be ready to start the match QUICKLY after cycling ships, mode, and map to help avoid bugs. Yes, it's a bit of a pain to spend 5-10 minutes resetting everyone, but it's less of a pain than having one or two people getting bugged out and lost from a match or unable to receive an invite, then chaining their problems into more people's problems and not launching for an hour. Lobby Tip #3 Learn to use BACKSPACE instead of exiting a lobby, hitting backspace from the lobby will cause you to go back a screen WHILE STAYING IN THE LOBBY! You can use this to add someone to your contact list without breaking lobby, refresh your contact list invite ability, or access the holotable for a last-second equipment change. Once you are ready to return to the lobby, simply hit ESCAPE as usual and select Arena Commander, BAM straight back to the lobby. ***SUPER IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOU USE BACKSPACE, YOU MUST GO ALLLL THE WAY BACK TO THE HANGAR. DO NOT STOP HALF WAY. ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE LOBBY WITHOT GOING ALL THE WAY OUT OF THE MENUS WILL CRASH YOUR GAME. YOU CAN BACKSPACE ALL THE WAY OR CLICK THE EXIT BUTTONS, EITHER IS FINE.*** Lobby Tip #4 Use the console to verify the status of a sent invite. To open your console (which likely will not be available or necessary when the PU comes out) press the tilde key ` located to the left of your number 1 and below ESCAPE. AFTER you send an invite, open the console and check for one of two messages [SEND OK] or [PLAYER NOT ONLINE] (something to that extent). There are cases where a player shows up as online (green dot in contact list) and the invite is NOT succesful. Conversely, there are cases where a player shows as offline (grey dot) and you CAN invite them + verify the invite was sent properly using the console. If a player is showing online, you sent an invite and it says [PLAYER NOT FOUND] and you know the player is online/they are telling you they are online, they MUST relaunch their client for an invite to work, simply refreshing your list with the above tip and trying again will not work. Thanks @Baior for telling me another way around this: you can have the bugged player who can't receive invites start the lobby and invite others (assuming there is only one bugged person, this is a much faster workaround). Holotable Tip #2 There is a gimbal mount and a weapon that you can scavenge from your weapon test stand. Compliments of "Xeen"