Pretty much the title. It seems a lot of dogfights degenerate into this kind of circling game. It's annoying, and very ineffective because it seems like your blasters can't hit a moving target at close range. Generally I just pick a direction and boost out, and hope to juke them in some way. Does anyone have any tips on this? Edited December 10, 2013 by Enexemander

Dog fighting in any flight game, either air or space, are all about "circling". If you don't enjoy that, then dog fighting isn't for you.

The engine abilities are your friends for this. Hit the Koigran Turn, Barrel Roll, or whatever you have and get the hell out.

Dog fighting in any flight game, either air or space, are all about "circling". If you don't enjoy that, then dog fighting isn't for you.

 

This game in particular is not good for this, because there is a SEVERE accuracy penalty to close range fighting. You can't circle and then fly towards each other firing. You will both miss 95% of the time with your sights dead on.

 

So we need to find a better way.

This game in particular is not good for this, because there is a SEVERE accuracy penalty to close range fighting. You can't circle and then fly towards each other firing. You will both miss 95% of the time with your sights dead on.

 

So we need to find a better way.

I agree. Dogfighting isn't very good in GSF.

 

So just use engine skills, use boost and objects to outnameuver the opponent.

I agree. Dogfighting isn't very good in GSF.

 

So just use engine skills, use boost and objects to outnameuver the opponent.

 

I was looking for something a little more precise or well thought out than that. Obviously, I've gotten that far on my own. I just haven't played flight simulators much so I don't have a feel for the tactics.

I was looking for something a little more precise or well thought out than that. Obviously, I've gotten that far on my own. I just haven't played flight simulators much so I don't have a feel for the tactics.

 

Sometimes, and it's risky to do this depending on how far behind you your opponent is, if you cut your speed (hit X) they'll swoop past you. Again its risky. If they see what you're doing they'll just cut their speed too and blast you.

Sometimes, and it's risky to do this depending on how far behind you your opponent is, if you cut your speed (hit X) they'll swoop past you. Again its risky. If they see what you're doing they'll just cut their speed too and blast you.

 

Combo this with Retro Thrusters though and you can set yourself up nicely. It does leave you a sitting duck for gunships though.

Scissors usually does it.

This game in particular is not good for this, because there is a SEVERE accuracy penalty to close range fighting. You can't circle and then fly towards each other firing. You will both miss 95% of the time with your sights dead on.

 

So we need to find a better way.

 

I have noticed the same thing about close range accuracy. Based on the tooltip your accuracy should be at its highest in close range combat (less than 1000m). In reality you almost always miss even when the lead indicator reticle is a huge circle. I have literally been on the tail of my target with it square in the middle of my sights and I can't hit them.

 

I wonder if that is an actual bug and close range accuracy is not working properly?

Use space bar to get some distance and then do a turn Edited December 10, 2013 by paowee

Whenever i end up in a endless spin match, i do the following, wait for him to come into sight again, where both of us take a few "potshots" at eachother, then engage Barrel Roll. You will gain quite some distance from your target.

 

Turn around quickly and try to kill him while he charges after you. Most inexperienced players wont notice your trick initially and you will have abit of more time to turn around.

 

Thats how i fight in my gunship against scouts/strikers. I sometimes boost for a few seconds after the Barrel roll, but that depends what im fighting.

 

I try to charge up and hit them while they go after me and use feedback shields just when they enter their weapons range. If i manage to hit them with my railgun and take out or weaken their shield, my primary weapons + feedback usually suffice for a kill, especially against scouts.

 

Notice, my ship is not yet fully upgraded, not even close to it Only dampeners and hopefully soon my Slugger

Retro thrusters.

The comments upthread about close range accuracy (or lack thereof) match my own experiences.. I've had several times where I could SEE the shots going straight through the middle of the target spot, and not a single hit registered. That may be a lag effect, though. Sometimes you can sort of hose your fire around the edge of the target reticle and find the spot that you "really" need to be shooting at. If, of course, someone doesn't take advantage of you futzing around with the weirdness to blow you out of the sky.

Yeah, you don't want to get into those wrestling matches. It just wastes your time and one of two things is going to happen: another enemy is going to show up and you'll be running for your life, or an ally is going to show up and your enemy will be running for his/her life. That also brings me to my answer: the best way to get out of that pattern is to have a wingman interject. It's all about teamwork. If you see an ally circling an enemy then get over there and help them out. You'll kill the enemy and free up your ally.

 

On the other hand, if you can't rely on a teammate to come help you, boost towards them. If all else fails, and if you're determined to continue your silly little 1v1, boost away, turn, and "joust" with your enemy. At least one of you is more likely to die in that way.

If you find yourself in this situation often, then your title isn't the question you should be asking, because you should rarely, if ever, be doing this.

 

Regardless of what ship you are flying, you should be trying to engage targets of opportunity - in other words, someone who isn't aware of you, or is otherwise occupied. As an above poster said, you can be everyone's wingman, especially if you are queued solo, and therefore, cannot rely on anyone else to be yours.

 

This may not score you lots of medals or kills, but you are likely to survive a lot longer, and you will learn to watch the battle as a whole, and choose where and how to make the most impact for your team. Don't worry, there will always be people who engage in circle...parties...leaving you with plenty of targets of opportunity.

 

It always amazed me how many people did this dance in SWG, and thought that PYR > Speed...it wasn't there, and isn't here either.

 

I'm not throwing stones at you, OP, or anyone else - my answer to your question is to engage in these dogfights as little as possible, if at all.

 

Riôt

Well after you're in this tight turning hairball that you shouldn't be in, rely on old timer logic... do something different.

If you haven't out-turned this guy within a couple passes, then on the third pass hit the after-burn, to setup a longer joust pass, being prepared to use your specials, missles, and unload guns... the idea is going for burst dps, no need to run, with full frontal shields and full gun energy un-used.

 

As said, the longer you're in this hairball, the more likely it becomes a 2 vs 1... sometimes you're the 1.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Sarlegant

If you find yourself in this situation often, then your title isn't the question you should be asking, because you should rarely, if ever, be doing this.

 

Regardless of what ship you are flying, you should be trying to engage targets of opportunity - in other words, someone who isn't aware of you, or is otherwise occupied. As an above poster said, you can be everyone's wingman, especially if you are queued solo, and therefore, cannot rely on anyone else to be yours.

 

This may not score you lots of medals or kills, but you are likely to survive a lot longer, and you will learn to watch the battle as a whole, and choose where and how to make the most impact for your team. Don't worry, there will always be people who engage in circle...parties...leaving you with plenty of targets of opportunity.

 

It always amazed me how many people did this dance in SWG, and thought that PYR > Speed...it wasn't there, and isn't here either.

 

I'm not throwing stones at you, OP, or anyone else - my answer to your question is to engage in these dogfights as little as possible, if at all.

 

Riôt

 

 

I would have to agree with this. I just started GSF last night and queue solo. First few matches I was engaged in these loops and decided that I was best served helping others that were engaged already. I actually started getting kills with this tactic and not ramming myself into things in the process.

It's called a lag roll...

 

While pulling back in your death spiral do a 360 degree roll at minimum speed (not stopped!). If your opponent isn't paying attention, you'll end up on his tail. If he is paying attention you might get boned.

 

The other option is to stop for a second and then start again to see if that throws him off.

 

Otherwise boost towards a group of your buddies and see if they can peel him off.

 

I also like boosting through tight spaces and seeing if they are good enough to follow.

The best way to get out is to have someone pick your opponent apart from a distance.

I'll second Retro Thrusters. Blast back, and by the time they roll out of the loop you can already have a lock.

Scissors usually does it.

 

This, though it can also keep you in an infinite loop.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scissors

 

Here you go, OP. Follow directions

This, though it can also keep you in an infinite loop.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scissors

 

Here you go, OP. Follow directions

 

That was a really good read. Thank you for that!

That was a really good read. Thank you for that!

 

There's a few links at the bottom of that Wiki article that can give you more explanation of other dog-fighting maneuvers/tactics. I've actually been pretty engrossed in reading them - I used to want to be a fighter pilot anyway

There's a few links at the bottom of that Wiki article that can give you more explanation of other dog-fighting maneuvers/tactics. I've actually been pretty engrossed in reading them - I used to want to be a fighter pilot anyway

 

Yeah it's a good read, and I've been trying to do it before reading that cause I knew about it, it's just hard to envision what exactly you should do with the controls. Really a lot of the old school dogfighting maneuvers are pretty applicable to this game it's just a matter of learning to do them.