Is there a benefit to spending my time/missiles on engines, shield generators and those internal targets if they are not objectives? They give no XP, and they do not seem to hinder the ships after the targets are destroyed.

Is there a benefit to spending my time/missiles on engines, shield generators and those internal targets if they are not objectives? They give no XP, and they do not seem to hinder the ships after the targets are destroyed.

 

On some of the missions they open bonuses or a part of bonus missions. My advice would be to focus on the mission and any visible bonus missions first. Once you mastered the patterns and timing for finishing those, destroy anything and everything else as you repeat them to find the hidden bonus missions.

I'm pretty sure that destroying the shield generators yield xp. About 20 or so depending on the mission difficulty (basically more for the higher up missions)

Ah, I must not have unlocked those missions yet. What are those internal targets though, like the one above and below the engines on a Republic frigate?

Don't know what they are on Republic ships, but on higher levels as a Smuggler, you get shot at with ion cannons too (the turret on the top at the front end of an imp ship) so might be those? As to engines, the higher level you are, more bonus objectives appear.

Maybe thats what they are. I am barely above level 20, so I dont know when those would activate. They are strange though, they take 2-3 missiles to kill and dont really seem to do anything but damage the ship exterior when destroyed.