Project Stardust controls should be verified in the live interface before combat. The official Roblox description states that normal play requires a mouse and keyboard; unsupported devices may be limited to viewing the tech tree. Bindings, prompts, and ship-specific panels can change, so this guide organizes actions instead of pretending one old key list is permanent.
Confirm the input environment
Launch from the official Roblox experience and use the desktop client with a connected mouse and keyboard. Let the main menu load, click once inside the game, and confirm that camera and pointer focus behave normally.
Close overlays that capture input. If the cursor remains stuck or the camera will not respond, press Escape to distinguish an open Roblox menu from an in-game lock state. Use the mouse lock fix before making system-level changes.
Do not install a script, macro, extension, or outside controller tool to obtain basic input.
Learn movement first
In a safe opening moment, test forward and reverse thrust or throttle, steering, vertical or orientation controls if the current ship uses them, and the behavior when inputs are released. Observe acceleration and stopping distance.
Turn gently and watch the full hull. Large ships need much more clearance than the camera may suggest. Learn whether the current control changes heading immediately or builds rotation over time.
Choose a route with enough space before entering structures or a crowded formation.
Learn camera and pointer states
Identify the normal camera-look state, the state that exposes a free cursor, and how menus affect them. The live prompts and settings should identify any mouse-lock action. Test it away from combat and return to the original state.
If a touch-capable computer creates conflicting pointer behavior, treat that as a Roblox or operating-system input issue until the live game proves otherwise. Community players have reported touch conflicts, but the fix is not universal.
Never paste browser-console commands or delete unknown configuration files from an unofficial post.
Learn targeting
Test how the current interface selects, cycles, or clears targets. Watch range, lead, arc, lock, and status indicators. Do not assume every weapon group uses the same target state.
Select a target the team is already engaging rather than cycling constantly. If the target leaves range or cover blocks the solution, decide whether to reposition or clear it instead of chasing blindly.
Current on-screen feedback is more reliable than a binding remembered from an older video.
Learn weapon groups
Identify each group and the facing it covers. Test direct weapons, missiles, point defense controls if any are exposed, and spinal systems separately. Observe reload or recharge and avoid pressing every group simultaneously.
Missiles may require a current target or valid launch state. Spinal weapons require hull alignment. Dual-purpose defensive systems can create a choice between anti-ship fire and protection under current behavior.
Use weapon types after the controls are clear.
Learn interface focus
Menus, chat, tech-tree panels, and settings can capture keys or the cursor. After closing one, click the game view and test a harmless input before entering combat. If typing appears unexpectedly, press Escape and inspect the active panel.
Avoid opening a large tree or settings panel while the ship travels toward danger. Stop or remain with the formation first.
If the interface remains unresponsive after closing overlays, rejoin a normal server before changing more settings.
Learn carrier commands separately
Community players report commands such as attack, heal, pursue, escort, guard, intercept, scramble, launch, idle, dock, and spectate. They also report access through various mouse, keyboard, or interface controls. Names and bindings can change; confirm every command in the current carrier panel.
Test launch, selection, one order, and docking before complex combat. Watch whether craft have ammunition, a valid target, and a clear state. Use the carrier guide for roles and tactics.
Check settings safely
Change one input or camera setting at a time and test immediately. Record the original value. Avoid changing Roblox, operating-system, mouse software, and game settings together because the cause becomes impossible to isolate.
Use built-in reset options when available. Restart the Roblox client after a persistent focus problem. Reconnect the input device if necessary.
System-wide touch disabling should be a temporary diagnostic only, with a known way to restore it.
Practice under low pressure
Use a starter or familiar ship and spend one ordinary match on movement and arcs. In the next, focus on targeting and cycle timing. Add specialized systems later.
Stay near teammates and continue serving the objective. Practice does not justify idle farming or arranged servers; the official description prohibits farming servers.
Review the first control error and repeat only that action in a safe opening.
Common control problems
A stuck cursor can be an open menu, accidental lock state, focus loss, touch conflict, or temporary client issue. Unresponsive keys can come from chat focus, a changed binding, keyboard layout, overlay, or current ship state. Carrier craft that appear idle may lack ammunition, target, or a valid order.
Do not call a behavior a game bug until you reproduce it after closing menus and rejoining. Capture the visible prompt, ship, server date, and action.
Control checklist
Verify client and devices, movement, stopping, turning, camera, pointer, targeting, primary weapons, secondary systems, menu focus, and retreat. For carriers, verify craft selection, current orders, launch, and docking.
Then use combat to turn the inputs into decisions. Good controls are not fast button presses; they are predictable actions you can execute without looking away from the objective.