The Combat Tricks Tips and Hints Thread

[Vikinger]

....Going of topic a bit but I actually checked that out. There is a word that spells Whit But it have a completely different meaning. Often used as a negative statement. He has changed not a whit. or It does not make one whit of difference what we do.

Excellent. New knowledge for me too.Thanks.

For me as well even if I've been using the word a lot hehehe

[GlobusDiablo]

[Philip Coutts]

Here's one for you:

Don't fly in a straight line

Flying straight towards the enemy does 2 things. Firstly you make an easy target of yourself. Secondly it really increases the risk of getting rammed.

Use your thrusters and work your flight line as much as you can.

[RogueZephyr]

Here's one for you:

Don't fly in a straight line

Flying straight towards the enemy does 2 things. Firstly you make an easy target of yourself. Secondly it really increases the risk of getting rammed.

Use your thrusters and work your flight line as much as you can.

That's where I have been going wrong then...

[GlobusDiablo]

Here's one for you:

Don't fly in a straight line

Flying straight towards the enemy does 2 things. Firstly you make an easy target of yourself. Secondly it really increases the risk of getting rammed.

Use your thrusters and work your flight line as much as you can.

I know! And I've tried it. I just can't get it to work for me. I spend too much time trying to get him in my sights.

When I joust, my foe usually chases after me when I "flee". They can't see that I'm turning with FA-Off, and preparing to charge again. So there coming straight at me, and much easier for me to target. I know I'm easier to target too, but I was that already...

So in a sense, I'm leveling the playing field by bringing it down to my level.... Ah, nice...

And if I'm combating a better pilot, they usually don't have that many pips in systems/shield, giving me a slight edge.

[Philip Coutts]

Are you using gimballed weapons? They do make it a lot easier when you are not flying in a straight line to hit stuff. Also try different weapons load outs, I really like auto cannons as they don't really heat up and really rip through the hull.

[GlobusDiablo]

Are you using gimballed weapons? They do make it a lot easier when you are not flying in a straight line to hit stuff. Also try different weapons load outs, I really like auto cannons as they don't really heat up and really rip through the hull.

Yes. For the most part.

To be honest, I haven't been doing a lot of combat lately. I'm just flying about, running when interdicted, and taking the odd mission here and there. Waiting for something big. Say it with me: Asp Explorer. Ooohhh....

[Zarkon]

I'm using a keyboard+flightstick combination, so some of my tactics may not work on different setups. I have a throttle device, but decided not to use it as I am more comfortable with movement using the keyboard. Plus it will come in handy when the EVA expansion comes out. I will be able to go from flight mode to walking around much easier in the end.

I use the keyboard for main throttle control and strafing thrusters, plus I have several key binds for things like thrust +50%, +75%, -50%, full stop, etc. I strafe almost constantly during battle, which works fine against NPCs but doesn't seem to help much against real players.

Strafing up/down while slowly rotating helps to keep you from being an easy target, especially against suicidal fed fighters, but makes aiming difficult if you're using fixed weapons. Strafing also slows down your forward momentum, so if you're trying to catch up with a fleeing target, don't use the maneuvering thrusters.

Using up/down with left/right strafing, and alternating between them periodically sometimes helps against real players, but it doesn't take a good pilot long to figure out your tactic, so you need to constantly mix up your attack patterns. Against NPCs it really doesn't matter... yet.

The best advice I can give is probably about power management. It seems like a simple concept at first but getting the hang of toggling around the power distribution efficiently in the heat of battle took me months, and I'm still learning what some of the effects can be.

- Full pips to engines gives you the fastest acceleration and top speed of course, but it also gives you the quickest stopping speed as well. Full engines and 50% thrust gives you the fastest turning speed, forwards or backwards..

- When slowing down, your throttle setting determines how fast you decelerate, Example: you will slow down faster with speed set to 0% than you will with speed set to 50%. I usually hit full-stop to slow down, then increase throttle as the speed reaches my desired momentum.

- Same size or smaller AI ships will almost always start looping around in your blind spot when their shields are knocked out. Best thing to do is hit reverse with full pips to engines so you can get them back into your sights before their shields can recharge.

- Bigger ships always seem to make a run for it while using evasion maneuvers when their shields are depleted. To catch them, put full pips to engines, boost, and slow down as you close in on the target, before diverting power back to weapons or systems.

- Full pips to systems strengthens shields against attacks, but doesn't seem to do much in regenerating them faster. Best thing to do when shields are out is boost away with FA off until shields charge back up. Or find an asteroid/dreadnought to hide behind.

- Full pips to weapons have different effects depending on what you have mounted. Obviously,with energy weapons, it increases recharge rate and slows down over-heating, but I have found that for gimbal multi-cannons, it increases the accuracy and damage rate quite a lot.

So basically, when engaging each enemy, I start out with even power to all systems, and rapidly change things depending on the situation. The key thing I am currently training myself to do is to reset back to an even distribution after each maneuver, so I can constantly toggle between all three systems many times during each fight. It's only in the past few weeks that this has started to become an instinctive reaction for me, and I'm not having to look down to see what my distribution is or have to think about what I need to set power to.

DISCLAIMER: Not responsible for death due to collision while strafing! I have killed myself more than once from crashing into asteroids and battle cruisers while using maneuvering thrusters. Be VERY mindful of your surroundings.

Sorry for the wall of text. I'm sure to other players most of this is simple and obvious, but it's what I've been using lately and, again, works great against AI opponents. Cheers!

[GlobusDiablo]

...The best advice I can give is probably about power management. It seems like a simple concept at first but getting the hang of toggling around the power distribution efficiently in the heat of battle took me months, and I'm still learning what some of the effects can be.

- Full pips to engines gives you the fastest acceleration and top speed of course, but it also gives you the quickest stopping speed as well. Full engines and 50% thrust gives you the fastest turning speed, forwards or backwards..

- When slowing down, your throttle setting determines how fast you decelerate, Example: you will slow down faster with speed set to 0% than you will with speed set to 50%. I usually hit full-stop to slow down, then increase throttle as the speed reaches my desired momentum.

- Same size or smaller AI ships will almost always start looping around in your blind spot when their shields are knocked out. Best thing to do is hit reverse with full pips to engines so you can get them back into your sights before their shields can recharge.

- Bigger ships always seem to make a run for it while using evasion maneuvers when their shields are depleted. To catch them, put full pips to engines, boost, and slow down as you close in on the target, before diverting power back to weapons or systems.

- Full pips to systems strengthens shields against attacks, but doesn't seem to do much in regenerating them faster. Best thing to do when shields are out is boost away with FA off until shields charge back up. Or find an asteroid/dreadnought to hide behind.

- Full pips to weapons have different effects depending on what you have mounted. Obviously,with energy weapons, it increases recharge rate and slows down over-heating, but I have found that for gimbal multi-cannons, it increases the accuracy and damage rate quite a lot.

So basically, when engaging each enemy, I start out with even power to all systems, and rapidly change things depending on the situation. The key thing I am currently training myself to do is to reset back to an even distribution after each maneuver, so I can constantly toggle between all three systems many times during each fight. It's only in the past few weeks that this has started to become an instinctive reaction for me, and I'm not having to look down to see what my distribution is or have to think about what I need to set power to.

DISCLAIMER: Not responsible for death due to collision while strafing! I have killed myself more than once from crashing into asteroids and battle cruisers while using maneuvering thrusters. Be VERY mindful of your surroundings.

Sorry for the wall of text. I'm sure to other players most of this is simple and obvious, but it's what I've been using lately and, again, works great against AI opponents. Cheers!

Thanks Zarkon. Good read. Not too much in my opinion. Very informative. I agree that power management is key, and yet when I watch some of the youtube aces, many of them are flying around with pips in neutral setting (2 for each).

Which ship is best for combat in your opinion. I need size (so I can take some hits ). I really can't wait to get my hands on the Asp.

[Cmdr Kharma]

Here's a vid of me dog fighting.....

Up close and personal......Always try to get close for maximum damage....

Always try to come in from above or below...That way you have a better/larger target than on the tail or head on....

If going head on watch out for ramming...If you cannot avoid a head on run use your thrusters to throw you slightly off a dead straight line.......

I have 3 pips in sys and weps.....I'm in a viper so don't need eng so much......If action gets too hot I just boost away with FA off..

I only turn FA off in combat to "Flip" on a close in ship that I'm having trouble getting in my sights the normal way.....

I vary my speed to keep/get close to the target.......

Anyway Here's the Vid......12 Mins taking out Fed Scum..........

http://youtube.com/v/Cgf7cAOIC3s