switch between weapons based on the damage you need to deal. use high shield damage weapons against shield and use high hull damage weapons against hull.
you can build a weapon to be your kill all...but that will be late game and will require you to sacrifice some damage for the sake of just using one weapon.

each weapon does certain damage to a targets shield or hull. identify which weapon would be good in which scenario.
ie, using a Gatling against okkar from the start while it has full shield is a bad idea due to its high shield volume and the Gatling's poor shield damage.
utilizing a pulse laser against outlaw is a bad idea because of its high hull and the weapons low hull damage.

each weapon has many stats and they are there for you to read and understand. the game automatically does the math and applies weapon enhancements and upgrades to the stats for you. READ THEM!!!
you may come across a weapon that does amazing damage...but has ludicrous energy requirements. without energy, you cannot evade, use devices, fire back, or run away
you may see fantastic range, but notice the spread. if it is higher than 2 degrees, at a range of 2 km you're not going to hit very often against smaller ships and you might as well just be wasting your energy firing into open space. wait for it to come closer to make the most of your energy.
you may have a high damage per second(dps) weapon but low damage per shot. it may be worth using high dps weapons but low damage per shot to deal significant amounts of damage at close range
you may find a low dps weapon, but a high damage per shot. if you can nail every shot, it may be worth spending a little extra time on one target

all weapons have special characteristics that differentiate them from each other. some of them require charging to make full use of the damage output capability
understand the use of a weapon by reading the description.
the scattergun for example is a useless weapon to use at a range and will only deal little damage if not charged.
the shockriffle deals little damage if not charged

some upgrades are useless on some weapons. for example:
installing a range mod on a scattergun is useless due to its high spread. instead physically get closer to make sure your full shot hits.
installing a hull damage mod is useless on a high shield damage weapon like the pulse laser. even with hull damage mods, its primary use is shield damage so you best upgrade where it excels instead of its shortcomings
with a useless mod installed like one of the mentioned above. you are wasting valuable energy. best scrap the weapon and move on

access keys can be some serious help to you and your need for better weapons. seek out outlaws or okkar with an elite status. They may drop a key you can use to get a chance at getting better weapons from derelict colonial stations.
you may want to steal from or even kill g&b. they can drop weapons, credits, resource, devices. stealing doesn't make them angry for the jext jump. however killing them will make them angry for the entire sector.

know when a fight is too dangerous. if you see too many outlaws or okkar concentrated in a group, try taking them out one by one and running away to distance yourself so you get give yourself some time to recharge devices and energy before taking on the next target.
you may want to get right into a fight. if there are okkar and outlaw duke nuking it out, get your head in there and clean em up. they will likely keep shooting at each other and this will allow you to take them down without taking too much fire while they are distracted.

missiles are a low skill 90% guaranteed hit.
know which missile may be effective for which target. high shield damage missiles for okkar shields, high hull damage missiles for outlaw. Corrosion missiles are fantastic for any target.

some missiles have special characteristics.
corrosion missiles which deal damage directly to the hull...but over a period of time instead of right away.
heavy missiles are slow, but deal lots of damage on hit
plasma torpedoes are unguided and best used against large or stationary targets. once you learn a fast targets moving patterns, you can even use plasma torps against the small ships as well

devices can give you an upper hand or change the fight entirely. avoid going all passive devices.
as examples...
weapon overdrive increases weapon damage, rate of fire, AND it reduces your weapon energy consumption while active
energized boost can get you OUT of a group of enemies at the expense of your shield
mainframe override has a chance to hijack a target to fight on your side (you can only have one active target at a time)
all other devices can provide game changing mechanics that are designed to HELP YOU. do not ignore them

waiting for the "perfect time" to use a consumable just ends up in you not using them in the first place and i am guilty of this as well.
be less conservative with your consumable use, you can always make more and find more.
if you dont have room for a consumable, instead of scrapping it, use it and get into a fight to make the most of it. or you could swap it out and carry it to a fight where you can use it, then go back to the spot you dropped the consumable you cared about to get it back. make use of dropping things you cannot carry (this applies to missiles as well) instead of just scrapping them for the time being. you never know who may jump in and whether or not you will need a resupply. this avoids you needing to recraft the item you scrapped at a loss

if you are having energy problems, make energy injectors.
if you suck at dodging, make damage limiters.
if you want to deal damage as fast as possible, make damage boosters.
if you hate killing drones, make drone over rides.
they change the game in the heat of the moment because they do not require energy to use. make use of them, do not let them sit idle, avoid getting into the habit of scrapping everything you dont think you will need. best to drop stuff and come back to it later when you need it.

upgrading your weapons and devices should be a top priority.
reduce spread, increase range, increase damage, reduce energy consumption. etc
you will find new weapons with better stats. dont be afraid to swap your fully upgraded weapon out for something else. you can always upgrade that weapon as well.
upgrade your devices to increase their parameters...and even reduce their energy consumption. since you will be using these things multiple times, its best you make them have more of an impact on your target and less of an impact on you.

nomatter how many energy injectors you craft. you cannot constantly keep using your energy. you will run out. manage what you need to be doing and minimize your energy usage. make sure you have enough to get into a battle and fire your weapons, and make sure you have enough to RUN AWAY if things go poorly.
if you are out of energy, you are a sitting duck.

up left down right (counterclockwize).
up right down left (clockwize).
the goal is to draw circles on your screen with the ship (not the crosshair).
strafing from side to side takes you through the line of fire. move in a cyclic circular pattern onscreen to throw off enemy fire at a range.
this allows you to avoid taking constant fire from a target...or even any fire at all at a range. you need to pay attention to where the enemy was targeting prior for this to be effective

while g&b are not hostile to okkar, you can make them be hostile by getting okkar to shoot g&b stations and cause damage to them.
use g&b to your advantage against a particularly tough group of enemies.
use the lightening storms in space. they only deal damage to your shield, but it is free energy when you get struck. if energy is your problem, this is a life saver.
use foxes black holes by luring enemies into them, you get no loot, but it will deal with the problem.
hide behind objects if you need a break from enemy fire to regenerate energy.
use comhubs first and foremost if they exist in the jump. they will show you everything in the jump and you will know instantly where you need to go and you will not need to explore