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.

 

Learning to disengage/reengage your throttle and reducing speed is a big part of it - and remembering that you turn much faster vertically than you do horizontally.

 

It actually doesn't end up being a fight over who flies faster - it's actually who can maintain precise control at a slower speed. Your goal is to make your opponent overshoot you (if they are faster than you) or to actually gain ground on him (if you are faster). You'll have to respond different ways flying against different opponents, so no one single strategy is ever going to work every single time.

 

Something I do is - use my roll keys (mine are bound to A and D) to rotate my ship (without turning it, difference between rotating and turning - think inversion) until my opponent is either at my 12 high or 6 low, then climb/dive to break the weave pattern.

Kill the guy, bam youre out.

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?

 

There's also an ability based upon certain crew members which can reduce a target's by 25% for a limited amount of time. So someone may be hitting you with that.

Learning to disengage/reengage your throttle and reducing speed is a big part of it - and remembering that you turn much faster vertically than you do horizontally.

 

It actually doesn't end up being a fight over who flies faster - it's actually who can maintain precise control at a slower speed. Your goal is to make your opponent overshoot you (if they are faster than you) or to actually gain ground on him (if you are faster). You'll have to respond different ways flying against different opponents, so no one single strategy is ever going to work every single time.

 

Something I do is - use my roll keys (mine are bound to A and D) to rotate my ship (without turning it, difference between rotating and turning - think inversion) until my opponent is either at my 12 high or 6 low, then climb/dive to break the weave pattern.

 

Yeah I known you turn faster when pitching, and I don't exclusively use one technique. I use a bunch of different techniques and all, some work some don't. Hopefully we'll get kind of a dogfighting school at some point from people who know how to perform some advanced techniques.

Honestly the accuracy needs to be fixed. I've been at near point blank range with an enemy gunship (me flying a scout), and NONE of my laser shots will hit, even though I can see them flying right through the other guy's ship.

 

The entire RNG system should be removed from GSF as far as I'm concerned. If my crosshairs are in the aiming lead reticule, my shots should be hitting. Evasion stats should all be changed to either reduce enemy accuracy (the accuracy of the lead reticule, so they have to adjust manually in order to hit) or an increase in manuverability and speed in order to add more pilot skill to the equation.

 

I dont like RNG frakking up what should be perfect dead-on blasts to an enemy craft.

Change direction.

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?

 

Charge up your engine pool while you're going in circles, then speed off, turn around and try to kill em.

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?

 

this is because most players cannot into basic CAM.

What does CAM mean ?

 

CAMera ? CAMeraderie ?

Creative Flying.

 

I don't agree with people who say "Dogfighting is all about circling". That is ridiculous. The dreaded "Death Loop" (Where two ships continuously circle each other, locked in a game of who will pull out first) is NOT what Dogfighting is supposed to be.

 

Try a 90 degree dive and right/left turn. That can work on some greener pilots. If you've got someone who is waiting for you to make a move like that though, a Snap Turn engine ability, or stopping completely can also work really well. Remember to speed up or slow down accordingly as well. Don't stay at one speed. And always remember there are two goals to breaking this loop: 1) To get behind your enemy and blast him or 2) To escape!

 

In a perfect world, you'd want to break off and be on your enemy's six, but that isn't always the case, so be careful when you do pull away!

Creative Flying.

 

I don't agree with people who say "Dogfighting is all about circling". That is ridiculous. The dreaded "Death Loop" (Where two ships continuously circle each other, locked in a game of who will pull out first) is NOT what Dogfighting is supposed to be.

 

Try a 90 degree dive and right/left turn. That can work on some greener pilots. If you've got someone who is waiting for you to make a move like that though, a Snap Turn engine ability, or stopping completely can also work really well. Remember to speed up or slow down accordingly as well. Don't stay at one speed. And always remember there are two goals to breaking this loop: 1) To get behind your enemy and blast him or 2) To escape!

 

In a perfect world, you'd want to break off and be on your enemy's six, but that isn't always the case, so be careful when you do pull away!

 

Also, if you're a striker/gunship against a scout, it's better just to flee while you can. If you don't, they'll eventually catch you, and then it's GG

Also, if you're a striker/gunship against a scout, it's better just to flee while you can. If you don't, they'll eventually catch you, and then it's GG

 

Yes, Scouts have Maneuverability advantages that Gunships and Strikers do not (But a stock Scout may or may not have better turning than certain upgraded Strikers). So eventually, a Scout Pilot will get the best of you in a tight turning situation.

 

After all, the Scouts role is close quarters ship to ship hit and runs .

What does CAM mean ?

 

CAMera ? CAMeraderie ?

 

Combat Air manouvres

 

since star wars starfighter combat is wwII>korea>vietnam era prop>jet dogfighting

Also, if you're a striker/gunship against a scout, it's better just to flee while you can. If you don't, they'll eventually catch you, and then it's GG

 

not true, it's skill based, any class of ship can beat any other class of ship, at any upgrade levvels of any variation of type in a dogfight. as space pvp is skill based.

 

a thourough greasp of basic CAM lets me outfight pretty much anyone in anything.

not true, it's skill based, any class of ship can beat any other class of ship, at any upgrade levvels of any variation of type in a dogfight. as space pvp is skill based.

 

a thourough greasp of basic CAM lets me outfight pretty much anyone in anything.

 

Yeah, sure, when the scout has the advantage in close combat, it should be able to be beaten by equally good pilots?

 

No. If you have two equally good pilots, one in a striker, the other in a scout, and have them do the 'circle of doom', the scout will come out victorious most of the times. It wouldn't be balanced if the striker could beat the scout at it's field of expertise (all of this is based on the pilots being equally in skill and having the *same* upgrades).

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 agree.

I mostly queue solo, and I find myself essentially being an "opportunist"...either cruising up to a satellite watching for the cover to get pulled off and then smacking turrets, or going high over a battle and looking for stragglers and players focused on their own kill.

I also hunt gunships, but that's 'cause I HATE 'em.

And not just 'cause they kill me all the freakin' time.

Really, it isn't just that.

Well, okay, it's MOSTLY that.

Combat Air manouvres

 

since star wars starfighter combat is wwII>korea>vietnam era prop>jet dogfighting

 

Thanks. English isn't my first language, meaning that some of the abbreviations circling here ( pun intended ) are unknown to me.

Yeah, sure, when the scout has the advantage in close combat, it should be able to be beaten by equally good pilots?

 

No. If you have two equally good pilots, one in a striker, the other in a scout, and have them do the 'circle of doom', the scout will come out victorious most of the times. It wouldn't be balanced if the striker could beat the scout at it's field of expertise (all of this is based on the pilots being equally in skill and having the *same* upgrades).

 

circle of doom is expressly NOT a CAM.

 

it's a refusal by two idiots to use any form of cam at all.

circle of doom is expressly NOT a CAM.

 

it's a refusal by two idiots to use any form of cam at all.

 

Or, it's the highest form of meta game...

Honestly the accuracy needs to be fixed. I've been at near point blank range with an enemy gunship (me flying a scout), and NONE of my laser shots will hit, even though I can see them flying right through the other guy's ship.

 

The entire RNG system should be removed from GSF as far as I'm concerned. If my crosshairs are in the aiming lead reticule, my shots should be hitting. Evasion stats should all be changed to either reduce enemy accuracy (the accuracy of the lead reticule, so they have to adjust manually in order to hit) or an increase in manuverability and speed in order to add more pilot skill to the equation.

 

I dont like RNG frakking up what should be perfect dead-on blasts to an enemy craft.

 

I agree with this. It is very frustrating to see a well-lined up shot wasted because of RNG.

"X" or "S" to slam on the brakes while barrel rolling through a 180 negative G or positive G (atmospheric) dive - dependent on what's around you. If they're at range then you'll square up to them head on. If they are at close range then you'll pass them going in opposite directions. If they can stay on your 6 and shoot you down after that then they deserve the kill. Edited December 16, 2013 by GalacticKegger