I came this close to beating FTL for the first time

[project_mercy]

Even if your pilot never leaves the helm, it's worth getting that second level in the piloting subsystem just so a single stray shot can't zero your evasion for several seconds, and the level is dead cheap too.

There are also blue options on some systems for advanced piloting. It's almost always worth the scrap.

[Muir1998]

I beat the game on easy for the first time after about 85 runs. I was using the federation cruiser (defeated the second flagship in the rebel stronghold) and knew I was going to do well from the start.

In sector 1 I found a burst laser mkII and found enough scrap to power it. I also maxed out shields, found a flak I and maxed out the artillery beam. I also put a lot into engines. Bought a. Hacking system and got it to level 2. I then beat the flagship with little difficulty. Spam all weapons onto the shields and eventually you'll do enough damage.

the reason I won was that after I had beaten it, I checked the stats and found that that was the run in which I had hit the most sectors, and collected the most scrap. That's the secret. Hit all the beacons you possibly can. With a little bit of luck, you can get good weapons and win. Hope this helps!