Tethering

Tethering is a mechanics that allows you to safely remain in space right next to a Citadel or Engineering Complex without being targetable and without taking damage from area of effect weapons.

Tethering mechanics

Tethering allow players with docking permissions to gain more or less temporary invulnerability near the structure. While tethered you cannot be locked or affected by area of effect based modules.

The following actions are allowed while tethered:

• Move around in space as long as you remain close to the structure.
• Use the directional scanner.
• Launch probes, use the probe scanner and recall probes.

The following actions or conditions will prevent tethering:

• Having an active weapon timer.
• If you're warp disrupted or scrambled so that the offensive strength overcomes your defensive warp core strength (see warp disruption for more information).
• If you do not have docking rights at the structure.

The following actions or conditions will break tethering:

• Locking a target (doesn't matter what) – will break immediately as lock starts, and won't refresh until target unlocked.
• Moving outside the tethering range (see range below).
• A ship that has been ejected from and is unpiloted will not be tethered. Your pod however, will be immediately tethered.
• Activating specific modules, as below:
  • Burst Jammer module.
  • Command Burst module.
  • Cynosural Field Generator.
  • Siege module.
  • Triage module.

While tethered you're unable to take certain actions:

• Cannot activate smartbombs.
• Cannot launch bombs from a bomb launcher.

Indicator

Tethering is indicated as an external effect on your ship along with a visual indicator of a faint blue line projecting towards your ship from the citadel.

While tethered, you'll see this icon on top of your HUD.

You'll also see a faint cyan-coloured effect coming from the citadel, while you're tethered.

Range

Tethering is activated upon undocking or entering a 10km range from the citadel docking ring. Since the docking ring itself extends far away from the structure, it means you can move around up to 80 - 100km from the undock.

The docking ring is indicated by a dotted line around the structure, in this case a medium Astrahus citadel.

Automatic repairs

Shortly after being tethered, the structure will repair any modules fitted to your ship as well as drones in your drone bay. This includes completely burnt out modules, although once repaired you will need to online the module in order to use it. While drones in your drone bay will be repaired, drones in space will not. Items in your cargo hold will not be affected by the automatic repairs.

Since there are a lot of public citadels and engineering complexes in high security space (that will allow anyone to dock) you can quickly and effortlessly warp to a nearby public structure to repair any damaged modules or drones, saving you from using nanite paste or pay for repairs.

Damage will be repaired while tethered, indicated by a repair icon over your HUD and a very noticeable translucent effect on you entire ship.