Introduction:

Welcome to the twitchy fast paced world of GSF, IMO the premier Star Wars themed arcade style shooter! This guide is intended for new players, it has information about what to expect in the game, tips to help earn requisition, and other general tips. This is not a gameplay / tactics / build guide. Great information for new players though.

For gameplay tips / ship loadouts / tactics / Helper Lists and lots of other good information go here

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Stuff to Know About GSF

• Queue times vary from server to server. You can transfer or switch playing times if you find your faction is often outmatched or there are few games going.
   
   
  
• Use /who lost denon mesas if you want to see if there are any games going currently (this will display any games GSF games taking place) If you keep checking you can see when the game ends (and likely) when you will get the pop. (Note: This is a "who" command typed into chat - alternately you can type /who and then type lost denon mesas into the window)
   
   
  
• GSF is part of galactic conquests, check your mission log to see how you can be rewarded for playing each week!
   
   
  
• The players in each match vary A LOT, you can manage games full of new people on both sides to games with full preforms (4 man groups) on both (and everything in-between)
   
   
  
• Getting beaten / killed repeatedly is NORMAL , we have all been there. This game takes a while to get used to, many pilots have upgraded components which make them more dangerous. Watch out for them! Stay calm and keep at it.
   
   
  
• This is a team based game, meaning its designed in a way that promotes teamwork and grouping. Don't ignore this, embrace it! (when possible) Queuing as a group (even with just 2) can dramatically decrease the time between matches as well.
   
   
  
• Suiciding repeatedly to end a match is NEVER OK, just quit the match if your frustrated. Many players keep track of suiciders and report them to CSR's!
   
  

With the small size of each community I recommend trying to abstain from heckling, complaining, or being rude and abusive to other players. You can pretty quickly earn a reputation on most servers, and it really suits you to be polite (being a jerk may bar you from high level groups later in the game)

GSF Lingo: Acronyms frequently used in the forums

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Out of Game Tips:

• Grab the daily weekly, by completing these missions you can quickly buy components and new ships.
   
   
  
• There are GSF chat channels on most servers - type /cjoin gsf or /cjoin pilot (these are the most common names for GSF channels - If these don't work ask around to see if its different on your server.
   
   
  
• Be proactive, ask questions if there is something you don't understand. Ask veteran pilots (or other new players) if they want to group up.
   
   
  
• Check the forums! There are a multitude of guides that can answer many of your questions regarding builds / strategy. Do this before wasting your requisition on bad parts!
   
   
  
• Whenever you see players with 5 ships in their hanger, or players who performed well in a game ADD THEM TO FRIENDS LIST (cant stress this enough, so important)
   
   
  
• Look for a GSF guild on your server, these people often run groups. (this can make leveling easier)
   
   
  
• Save your fleet requisition for a new ship! Try not to spend this on components until you have filled out your hanger a bit. I suggest going for the 5k Fleet Req tier 2 scout! (flashfire, sting, ocula, skybolt)
   
   
  
• Fly what you want to fly: people all have ideas about how you should play, just ignore them. Fly whatever makes you happy. It can help to have a rounded hanger though. The most important thing is to find something you like
   
   
  
• Above all else have fun, that is what this is all about right? A positive attitude really helps you to learn, not everything in this game is obvious at first.
   
  

In Game Tips:

• There are two game types: Domination (fight for control of 3 satellites, first to 1000 pts wins) and Deathmatch (Compete for kills, first to 50 wins)
   
   
  
• In Domination it is important to get to the satellites as fast as possible (So that you can cap them and earn points.)
   
   
  
• Satellites cannot be captured while there are any enemies or defense turrets nearby. Remove these threats and stay near the satellite to capture it. (must be within 1-2k of satellite to cap it)
   
   
  
• NEVER leave a satellite unguarded. If you are the sole defender ask for help in chat
   
   
  
• In game communication is KEY. If you notice a wave of fighters coming in say something, ask for help. Many players will "PEEL" for you (destroy fighters that are targeting you) or support in other ways such as heals and ammo refill.
   
   
  
• In Deathmatch it is important to not get ahead of your team, especially in the beginning. This can separate you from the pack and make for an easy kill. (and an early lead for the enemy)
   
   
  
• A common tactic for organized teams is to form a deathball (a tightly packed group of bombers and gunships) if you see several bombers together or many ships in a ball then BE CAREFUL. Don't fly into this trap over and over, try to organzie with your team to pick off the mines and GS first then go for the kills!
   
   
  
• You have missile breaks! when you hear the lockon beeping be prepared to use your engine ability (or other ability such as distortion field if you have unlocked and leveled it) .
   
  these will break current missile lock, and some provide an additional period of time before you can be locked again. (its best to wait until the missile fires - IE when the red triangle flashes / beeps quickly - this wastes a missile for the enemy that fired it and forces them to wait for the cooldown before they can fire again.) Don't ever take a missile if you have a break available
   
   
  
• Weapons fire in GSF is based on RNG (random number generator) the game takes into account your accuracy, distance to target, and the targets evasion stat to determine if there is a hit. This means that even if you fire dead center on the enemies lead icon you can still miss. Certain abilities like Distortion Field can add evasion when used, look for the telltale glow around a ship to tell if they have used an ability.
   
   
  
• Your ship turns faster when going up or down rather than side to side. Be sure to roll so that you pull up or down when fighting an enemy ship. This way you can keep them in your crosshairs more easily.
   
   
  
• Fly defensively (don't fly in straight lines, try to wiggle / shake / turn frequently in order to throw off your attackers)
   
   
  
• Use LOS (line of sight) An enemy cannot fire or lock on missiles if he does not have a clear view. Make use of asteroids and structures to break missile locks and keep enemies at bay. This also helps to keep your missile breaks ready for when you need them.
   
  

Additional Tips (from myself and others - these are gameplay tips):

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Dispelling Rumors

• Veterans and Groups are not "Evil" or your "enemy". They are all real people and some are pretty cool, dont dismiss people just because they whooped your butt.
   
   
  
• Nothing is game breakingly OP (overpowered) - some are more powerful than others, most weapons are useful in some way or another (the trick is finding out how they are supposed to be used)
   
   
  
• VOIP (mumble Ventrillo) is not required for team play, half the time I am in a group its with no VOIP. Its still nice to have though (so go download it already!)
   
   
  
• Hardly anything "one shot kills" in this game. If you think you have been "one shot killed" you likely missed at least 1-2 other shots that hit at almost the same time. (A notable exception is when someone has Damage Overcharge, a powerup available in deathmatches. Watch for the red text warning, it means an enemy has found one)
   
   
  
• NO ONE IS HACKING, even people jumping around the map are just lagging As someone with thousands of matches under my belt I have never seen a single "hacker" only people with bad connections / computers.
  

Well thats about it for the what to expect / tips - be sure to checkout stasies guide it has builds for every ship.

Don't allow yourself to be a victim, every death is a mistake you can learn and grow from. Mistakes are normal, rather than blame everyone else (your team, the other team, the game etc) realize your not perfect and esteem to be better. Dont fall into the "come to the forums ************ about everything you cant change" trap, save your mental health and talk to people, do some reading, and get some practice.

Truly excellent post, man!

EDIT: Adding a couple other things not addressed in other guides.

Pincer's list above is great, and so is Stasie's guide linked to above.

But if you are playing, one of your questions might be, what's up with ship and fleet req? How should I spend them? What order should I buy upgrades in?

Ship requisition is earned as you play. When you earn ship requisition, one tenth of that is also earned as fleet requisition. Ship requisition is tied to a ship- you need around 150k to "master" a ship, which is defined as having one of every possible upgrade (ex: you have bought all the way down a tier for blasters, but not that you bought all the way down a tier for every blaster your ship can use). That's a lot of requisition, but the power isn't earned linearly- the early upgrades give you a lot more bang for your requisition buck. Once a ship is "mastered" it gains 10% extra requisition (so a game where you would have gained 1000 ship req and 100 fleet req is instead 1100 ship req and 110 fleet req).

Fleet requisition you COULD spend to get upgrades on your ship, but you NEED it to buy crewmembers and unlock other ships.

When you do your dailies and weeklies, you will get consumable items that will add some number of ship requisition to ALL your ships. This is currently 750 for the daily and 2500 for the weekly. You can also "pool" these. If you plan to buy more ships soon, consider holding off on using them, so they will count for the new ships as well!

Note that the cartel market has ships for sale (as does a pack which normally hits the GTN, the Type 2 gunship). These ships are identical in abilities to the ones you buy with requisition, but have a different art style. Note you can also have multiple copies. The ships DO "count as mastered", meaning you get the 10% req earned- this means you need to earn about 13,000 ship requisition less to get them to top. You can buy any of these from other players, though you will often have to look for someone looking to spend cartel coins for credits.

The game offers the ability to convert ship req to fleet req for cartel coins. This allows for two things:

1)- You can get faster access to crew members and ships. This is honestly done by a lot of GSF players- I'd actually guess most. It's about 200 cartel coins to grab 5000 fleet requisition from a ship with 5000 ship requisition, and 50 for the 1250 needed for a crewmember. I see a lot of players supplementing a little bit with some coins to make this happen- once you have these crewmembers unlocked, you can use them on all your ships, and once you have the ships unlocked, the daily tokens will make more stuff.

2)- You can get faster access to ship components. This is MUCH more expensive, and I think it's a lot less common. I won't recommend it, but if you have the cash and the desire, here's what to do: you open up all the ships you can (this includes cartel ships) and you earn ship req on them through the tokens. Then you convert ship to fleet req with cartel coins and spend the fleet req on whatever ship you are looking to master. This can cost up to 6000 cartel coins.

Don't panic! You don't need to do either of these things. The first one is kind of common, and the second one rather rare. It's important to note that the coins don't get you anything in game that you just couldn't get without them.

Once you have ship requisition, each ship has things that are very important. In general, most of the more expensive powers (the 5k and 10k ones) will give you less total power per requisition. While I can't list everything, I will list some very important requisition buy points for your consideration:

> The third tier on distortion field offers a missile break. Even though this is 10k, it's very game changing for the requisition.

> The third tier on slug railgun offers armor ignore- a solid deal for 5k.

> The cooldown reduction for any engine maneuver that breaks missiles, such as koigran turn, snap turn, barrel roll, and power dive. These are only 2500, and are stupendously important.

> All upgrades on the weapon you are using more tend to be powerful. The first three of these cost 1000, 2500, and 5000, and normally give pretty reasonable returns. If you are deciding between 10k and 15k types of upgrades, strongly consider your weapons first, barring situations like the distortion field missile break.

> The lesser components below (each ship has four of: thruster, reactor, armor, magazine, capacitor, sensor) normally offer a lot of bang for the buck (with the general exception of sensor). While it's easy to look up builds and see which ones are correct, consider switching to the "correct" one that you want to play with, and buying the first upgrade rather early. This is 1-2k per component, and it can make a big difference for small requisition.

> All the missiles offer reduced lock-on in their first couple tiers. This is very important to the missiles- generally your biggest upgrade you'll get.

> All the railguns offer reduced charge time. This greatly increases the potency of the railgun- make at least one of these very important on a gunship.

> Rocket Pod's tier 1 grants them full armor ignore. This makes it possible to quickly strip turrets, and greatly increases your damage with them versus many ship targets. It's extremely valuable.

If you have two weapons that are exclusive (for instance, the blasters on a Starguard/Rycer, or the railguns on the Quarrel/Mangler) consider focusing on one first, and favoring its use.

Obviously as you play, you want to buy all the upgrades. But this should hopefully help you spend it effectively, if that's a concern.

Don't be afraid to "waste" a little bit of requisition trying things out. You may find that you like a certain weapon combination better than most, or that it works better with your friends.

Ship companions are rather important. You can find the ones that are recommended in Stasie's guide. But in general:

> If you are Empire, your default offensive companion doesn't have +6% accuracy, a very good secondary. Consider buying your offensive guy first on Empire.

> If you are Republic, your starting offensive guy is not as bad. You will still eventually want the one that you consider ideal for each ship, but your first upgrade could easily be in engineering or defense.

> Your default engineering companion has "engine efficiency", one of the strongest passives in the game. Think twice before swapping this out. Three of the six companions have this passive, and if you have to use one of the others, be mindful when boosting, as your range is dramatically shorter.

> If you have a leveled character, you'll have some extra companions compared to a level 1. Both C2N2 and 2VR8 are popular, but they are not mirrors- C2N2's mirror is Blizz, and 2VR8's mirror is Yuun. Meanwhile, your class could very well have granted you a companion who is superior for one or more ships.

Good luck, and spend wisely!

With the small size of each community I recommend trying to abstain from heckling, complaining, or being rude and abusive to other players. You can pretty quickly earn a reputation on most servers, and it really suits you to be polite (being a jerk may bar you from high level groups later in the game)

So much this. I once had to ban a guy from our guild groups because of his lack of common sense in vent. As far as I know, he stopped playing GSF soon after.

Tips to Win By:

If you get hit, F*CKING MOVE.

It doesn't matter what hit you. It doesn't matter how much or how little damage it did. You need to not take damage. Taking significant damage and surviving is a fairly rare occurrence; as a novice player, it's simply not on the table.

I get so many kills from people who don't realize that being shot at means you're going to die. Some weapons in this game can kill dogfighters in 3-4 hits without any kind of support or cooldowns (1-2 with lucky/bullsh*t crits); the fastest theoretical kill takes less than half a second. Even just jerking your mouse and boosting can throw my aim way off; keeping a finger on your engine ability is almost always a good idea.

I get so many kills from people who don't realize that being shot at means you're going to die. Some weapons in this game can kill dogfighters in 3-4 hits without any kind of support or cooldowns (1-2 with lucky/bullsh*t crits); the fastest theoretical kill takes less than half a second. Even just jerking your mouse and boosting can throw my aim way off; keeping a finger on your engine ability is almost always a good idea.

I have to laugh at this, when im under fire I do a weird wiggle thing, especially when approaching gunships. The whole time im thinking how stupid I must look and how this will never work..... then they miss.... so I keep doing it. Those little things make a huge difference.

Look through and map your buttons! While some buttons, like the strafes, aren't very useful for new players (they do have uses though!), others, such as "camera on target", are SUPER useful. You will use them to determine whether a target on screen is going to railgun you or not, etc.

Make sure you are in the habit of targetting what is under your mouse (that's a keybind), as well as cycle targets (default is tab). Learn your throttle positions (boost, full, default, low, and stop).

I have to laugh at this, when im under fire I do a weird wiggle thing, especially when approaching gunships. The whole time im thinking how stupid I must look and how this will never work..... then they miss.... so I keep doing it. Those little things make a huge difference.

That feel when the whole right side of your screen turns yellow-red from a near-miss.

Just get a mastered Scout (preferably a Flashfire/Sting). Easy mode. -bp

Hi, please don't disrupt threads. Thanks.

Hi, please don't disrupt threads. Thanks.

...that was actual advice. Just look at the record thread, the myriad videos on Youtube demonstrating effectiveness...

What advice would you prefer I give? -bp

...that was actual advice. Just look at the record thread, the myriad videos on Youtube demonstrating effectiveness...

 

What advice would you prefer I give? -bp

Advice that isn't two patches old?

Advice that isn't two patches old?

Seems to still be decent advice, if the post-2.7 leaderboard is to be believed.

Seems to still be decent advice, if the post-2.7 leaderboard is to be believed.

Skill ceiling and skill floor are two very different concepts.

A good pilot in a Flashfire will perform very well, and may even set world records under certain arbitrary metrics.

A novice pilot will find the Flashfire unnecessarily fragile until he or she gets the hang of evading. Strikes are honestly better to learn in, and gunships are a bit more "easy mode" (at least for getting kills, which boosts confidence if nothing else).

Skill ceiling and skill floor are two very different concepts.

 

A good pilot in a Flashfire will perform very well, and may even set world records under certain arbitrary metrics.

 

A novice pilot will find the Flashfire unnecessarily fragile until he or she gets the hang of evading. Strikes are honestly better to learn in, and gunships are a bit more "easy mode" (at least for getting kills, which boosts confidence if nothing else).

I would think it would be a more case-by-case basis, but the numbers so far support both ends.

Okay. Get a mastered Flashfire (if you're used to faster gaming) or a Quarrel (if you're not).

Better? I'm sure there are other suggestions that can be offered too, but these are mine.

I would think it would be a more case-by-case basis, but the numbers so far support both ends.

 

Okay. Get a mastered Flashfire (if you're used to faster gaming) or a Quarrel (if you're not).

 

Better? I'm sure there are other suggestions that can be offered too, but these are mine.

Or just find a ship you enjoy and get good at it. No need to funnel people into playstyles they might not enjoy because ace pilots are good at them.

Skill ceiling and skill floor are two very different concepts.

 

A good pilot in a Flashfire will perform very well, and may even set world records under certain arbitrary metrics.

 

A novice pilot will find the Flashfire unnecessarily fragile until he or she gets the hang of evading. Strikes are honestly better to learn in, and gunships are a bit more "easy mode" (at least for getting kills, which boosts confidence if nothing else).

I think new pilots fall into this trap often, they see a Type 2 Scout dominating in a match, pick one up to try it themselves and promptly get melted. The thing has little to no defense (its squishiest ship in the game) and is HIGHLY dependent on evasive flying.

After they get melted they think "well maybe its components" so they read the guides, gear the ship out... and then get melted again. There is a playstyle that goes with the T2 scout, and if you don't have that mastered its a crap shoot. IMO the T2 scout is not easy mode, it has a moderate skill floor (skill required to pilot) and a very high skill ceiling.

That being said, I would appreciate more constructive content in this post Sidenti =) This isnt really about the meta, its about helping new players to understand how to be good (inside and out of the match). If they want to debate loadouts they can go to Stasies thread in the link (but please dont trash that post either)

(Edit: If your serious then put more information in as to why its a good choice, such a short statement seems like trolling, if unintended sorry )

Great tips, I didn't even think about a section like this! I'll add a link in my guide.

Also, yeah, keep the garbage out of useful threads. We could all go around spamming "lolgunshipflashfirebomberspremades" all day but is there really a point in defiling what little useful information there is on these forums? All ships are a decent choice when starting out - they all have advantages and disadvantages and they'll all teach you how to play better. Different individuals have different preferences (and tolerances) for mobility, health, damage, range, etc.

I think new pilots fall into this trap often, they see a Type 2 Scout dominating in a match, pick one up to try it themselves and promptly get melted. The thing has little to no defense (its squishiest ship in the game) and is HIGHLY dependent on evasive flying.

 

After they get melted they think "well maybe its components" so they read the guides, gear the ship out... and then get melted again. There is a playstyle that goes with the T2 scout, and if you don't have that mastered its a crap shoot. IMO the T2 scout is not easy mode, it has a moderate skill floor (skill required to pilot) and a very high skill ceiling.

 

That being said, I would appreciate more constructive content in this post Sidenti =) This isnt really about the meta, its about helping new players to understand how to be good (inside and out of the match). If they want to debate loadouts they can go to Stasies thread in the link (but please dont trash that post either)

 

(Edit: If your serious then put more information in as to why its a good choice, such a short statement seems like trolling, if unintended sorry )

Brevity can be a good thing.

I recommend the builds because they're the most capable. I wouldn't recommend something that isn't. -bp

Brevity can be a good thing.

-bp

Off Topic:

Brevity is always preferred, so long as understanding is conveyed. If comprehension of your point is not transmitted in the amount of words you have chosen to limit yourself to, then your brevity has no more effect nor affect than a belch.

Further Off Topic:

What is the "-bp" you sign off with? Curiosity begs me to ask.

A few further recommendations:

1. Fly the type of ship you enjoy. You'll have to play around with them to see what you prefer (and get some components upped a little), but it'll become clear soon. I am bored to death by bombers. I find them lame. But some might see how well they can do and think they have to be flying them when they don't (insert any ship class for "bombers" as well--we all have our preferences. I like Strikes over scouts, but scouts over gunships... and those are the only three I play).

2. In addition to Armonnd's "move if you take a hit" (really good advice), I would also recommend not flying straight at your target. There are exceptions to this rule (like if a satellite is clear or you're chasing another fighter), but this is pretty much always the case if your target is watching you or looking for attackers. Satellite defenders are often looking for attackers on the same horizontal plane as they are (note always, but even the good ones often get distracted here because that's where most attackers come from). And you should always circle in closer to a gunship if they're targeting you--make them work for that hit, or hold their charge for longer and waste weapon power so they don't have it when you are up close.

3. Until you get a feel for a game (and somewhat related to #2), try not to play a game of chicken with someone that wants to take you head on. If they're waiting for you or turning in order for this to happen, they must be pretty sure they can take you: they either of the burst damage or defense to not have to worry about what you can throw at them. After you play for awhile you can learn what you can take and what you can't, but until then it's better to be safe than sorry.

I think new pilots fall into this trap often, they see a Type 2 Scout dominating in a match, pick one up to try it themselves and promptly get melted. The thing has little to no defense (its squishiest ship in the game) and is HIGHLY dependent on evasive flying.

 

After they get melted they think "well maybe its components" so they read the guides, gear the ship out... and then get melted again. There is a playstyle that goes with the T2 scout, and if you don't have that mastered its a crap shoot. IMO the T2 scout is not easy mode, it has a moderate skill floor (skill required to pilot) and a very high skill ceiling.

 

That being said, I would appreciate more constructive content in this post Sidenti =) This isnt really about the meta, its about helping new players to understand how to be good (inside and out of the match). If they want to debate loadouts they can go to Stasies thread in the link (but please dont trash that post either)

 

(Edit: If your serious then put more information in as to why its a good choice, such a short statement seems like trolling, if unintended sorry )

Maybe it's me, but MMO players tend to gravitate towards the easiest/most powerful classes/items/equipment available. This is a pretty common fact.

When 9 out of 10 people playing with you are all flying the same ship, this doesn't say, "Oh 90% of people have the same playstyle", but rather, "10% of players choose not to just wtfpwndominate."

Call it playstyle if you will, but people don't theorycraft MMO's to have the most entertainment. They do it to min/max. Same with everyone tending to fly the same ship.

Maybe it's me, but MMO players tend to gravitate towards the easiest/most powerful classes/items/equipment available. This is a pretty common fact.

 

When 9 out of 10 people playing with you are all flying the same ship, this doesn't say, "Oh 90% of people have the same playstyle", but rather, "10% of players choose not to just wtfpwndominate."

 

Call it playstyle if you will, but people don't theorycraft MMO's to have the most entertainment. They do it to min/max. Same with everyone tending to fly the same ship.

This is true, people will always gravitate towards what is easiest. In the case of GSF though whats easy for one person is not easy for another, the classes are really very different. I dont see anything with a 90% occurence, most of the time you cant even count on 50%. Some prefer the balls to the wall speed of scouts, while some prefer the somewhat slower but highly armored strike, others work with the long range king GS, while still others prefer the slow plodding bomber.

Each has strength, and each can be piloted in "advanced" ways, some less than others. All are powerful in the right hands, we can argue which is most powerful but again this is subjective: each person has a skillset and it will likely fall under one or two of the ships types we have available (fast, survivable, long range, and support)

On Bastion at least I see more Strikes than anything else, followed by scouts, then GS, and lastly bombers. This is the typical makeup, it varies from game to game. Some can be heavy GS / Bomber while others might be almost all strikes. I rarely ever see a majority scouts though, they function best supporting other slower ships and you cant do that in a majority roll.

(Edit: Thanks Pilgrim, added modified versions of the tips to the gameplay drop down. Ill be adding a credits section as a thank you at some point for those that are helping out.)

Maybe it's me, but MMO players tend to gravitate towards the easiest/most powerful classes/items/equipment available. This is a pretty common fact.

 

When 9 out of 10 people playing with you are all flying the same ship, this doesn't say, "Oh 90% of people have the same playstyle", but rather, "10% of players choose not to just wtfpwndominate."

I think the tendency to gravitate toward any class that seems to have an edge is more from the misguided notion that the edge (whatever it may be pr how strong it is) means the player will have fun. It's logical in some ways. "Oh, if only I have this class, I shall wtfpwndominate and have fun." But this is the same thinking behind people ragequitting and getting upset over needed class balance changes... and people quitting a game sooner than later. If you're playing something because you think it's got some kind of edge and not because you like playing it, you're doomed to disappointment in the MMO world. Learning that trick is helpful for just about everyone, I've found.

I always try to speak out against it, because especially in a game like GSF where there is a need for the different classes, it can weaken your team quite a bit. My three main pilots each have their class of ships that they focus on, but they keep 2-3 others just in case the team needs some variety. I don't like it, but I've switched to a gunship if no one is flying one on our team or if the 1-2 we have just aren't helping much on a satellite, etc. It can make a big difference.