Hey All,

I understand that rockets are the name of the game now, but for the life of me I'm having such a hard time locking onto targets and getting rockets to fire successfully. Any tips or tricks would much appreciated.

Specifically I'd like to know:

(a) how to increase your lock-on range? It feels like I'm getting locked onto from super far away whereas my lock-on range is incredibly limited.

(b) how to decrease lock-on time? Takes too long for my rockets to fire even with the appropriate upgrades.

© how to decrease the range at which you are locked onto? Same as (a) above. How can I be more defensive?

This won’t have a lot of specifics because there’s a lot of tangibles you’re not asking about, and tons of varied opinions, but...

1. Missile upgrades on your components menu of your hangar will have range and lock improvements.

2. Upgrades are not the same from one missile to the next. So check the upgrade options before you commit to a missile. Some potential upgrades can be pretty OP.

3. Not all missiles are the same. You’ll find that some have a really long range but slow lock time, or short range and fast lock time. Pick your priority. Most favor short and fast while buffing their speed and evasion turning them into a hard punching dog fighter. Also, different ships different missile options. EMP and cluster missiles are worth looking into if they’re available(atm, in general).

4. Downfall to missiles: most ships have a lock drop. If your missile is too slow or too far away, you’ll be wasting a lot of ammo. Also limited ammunition, might want to consider extending that in component upgrade if you can.

5. Lastly, crew skill tab. Check those out. Very handy to get those aligned with your personal preferences and priorities with each ship.

(a) how to increase your lock-on range? It feels like I'm getting locked onto from super far away whereas my lock-on range is incredibly limited.

 

(b) how to decrease lock-on time? Takes too long for my rockets to fire even with the appropriate upgrades.

 

© how to decrease the range at which you are locked onto? Same as (a) above. How can I be more defensive?

ironrd covered most of the important points above, but to add a little more: can you tell us which type of missile(s) you're trying to use, and on which ship? You mentioned "rockets" but that name is specific to a scout secondary ("rocket pods") which are relatively short range and dumbfire (no lock-on, basically functioning like another blaster). So I'm assuming you're referring to missiles/torpedoes. I'm just not sure which ones. I ask because there are a lot of variables involved. To explain further:

a) range is dependent on the weapon, and also on the specific ship. Of the lock-on options, proton torpedoes have the longest range, cluster missiles the shortest. Generally, the longer the range, the longer the lock-on time required. Also note that the gunship frame offers a 20% range buff on all missiles/torps - meaning, for example, a cluster missile launched from a condor will lock on from 20% further away than the same missile on a flashfire. A proton torpedo launched from a comet breaker will lock on from further away than a protorp launched from any strike (nearly railgun range).

b) Sounds like you've already taken a look at the upgrade trees, so you're aware that some lock-on improvements are available this way. Most strikes also offer a magazine option called "efficient targeting" - which also decreases lock-on time.

c) Evasive flying takes practice. Awareness is key - try to keep tabs on the enemies in your vicinity. In general, you want to avoid flying in a straight line, and stay near objects/structures as much as possible. A missile lock requires line of sight all the way through the lock-on process. If you're able to put an object/structure between yourself and your enemy, the lock will be broken. Sometimes I find it useful to target whoever's chasing me and tap C, which swings the camera in their direction (but doesn't alter my path). This gives me a better idea of where they're coming from, so I can figure out the quickest means to break their LoS with my ship. This can be dangerous, though, because for a moment I can't see what's in front of me. Again, takes practice.

You'll notice that when you're trying to land a missile on a good pilot, he/she will try to do the same thing to you. For example, you might be attempting to lock on to a ship and the guy ducks behind an asteroid at the last second. If you watch their flight path carefully, sometimes you can anticipate this and keep them in your targeting circle. Easier said than done, of course.

A couple of other notes: most engine maneuvers break missile locks, but a couple of other components do so as well. EMP field (systems component on Blackbolt/Novadive and Sledgehammer/Decimus) offers an upgrade option (tier 4) that will break locks not just for you, but for 3 nearby allies too. Distortion field (shield component) also offers an upgrade (tier 3) that will break missile lock attempts. However, once the missile is in flight, it won't help. Even so, sometimes it can buy you a couple of extra seconds. You may want to consider using these components until you get a better handle on defensive flying.

On the flip side - your enemies can use certain components to render your missile breaks ineffective. Namely, EMP field and remote slicing (the latter is only available on Clarion/Imperium), both of which can be upgraded to disable your engine maneuver. EMP missile can do the same thing. So if you find yourself hammering the 3 button to no avail, this might be why. Check your debuff tray, and/or look for a red message which states you've been disabled.

Anyway - let us know what missile you're trying to use, and which missiles you seem to have the most trouble avoiding. We can probably offer some more specific advice, or at least let you know if there's anything you can do to improve your chances.

Nce information here. I'm one of those who have started to do GSF since the merge. I don't even know how you lock a missle on, period. It's a secondary thing and I haven't found how you use that yet.

Then welcome to the GSF party.

There are a few different kinds of secondary weapons, but most (aside from rocket pods and railguns) are lock-on missiles/torpedoes, which work as follows: get close enough to target (range dictated by type of missile/torp), center target (as much as possible), hold down RMB while keeping your enemy within the targeting circle. The game will let you know when the lock is complete, at which point you just release the RMB. Bombs away.

In practice, against moving targets who don't want to eat your missiles, it's never quite that easy.

GSF actually has a tutorial level, which - while woefully incomplete - can serve to give you some (very) basic tips on controls and missile locking. Hit 'H' to open your hangar, then the '?' symbol in the upper right. Give that a shot. Lock missiles on drones/turrets for practice. After you complete the level, you can fly around and get a feel for movement in 3d space. Your ship is indestructible here, so you can go nuts.

If you have other questions, fire away. And/or join the GSF Discord channel, which gets quite a bit more traffic than this forum. That goes for OP, too - if you have specific projectile questions, they may be well-suited for Discord. It has channels for #help and #builds, plus server-specific channels which are useful if you're looking for a group.

ironrd covered most of the important points above, but to add a little more: can you tell us which type of missile(s) you're trying to use, and on which ship? You mentioned "rockets" but that name is specific to a scout secondary ("rocket pods") which are relatively short range and dumbfire (no lock-on, basically functioning like another blaster). So I'm assuming you're referring to missiles/torpedoes. I'm just not sure which ones. I ask because there are a lot of variables involved. [...]

 

Anyway - let us know what missile you're trying to use, and which missiles you seem to have the most trouble avoiding. We can probably offer some more specific advice, or at least let you know if there's anything you can do to improve your chances.

Thank you MaximillianPower! Your answers in the previous post were very helpful for explaining to me the nitty gritty mechanics. Especially the information about EMP Field and Distortion. After learning recently about how to lock-on and getting better at it, it was driving me nuts as to why I couldn't lock on to certain players even when after waiting for them to blow their evasive maneuvers. Most likely what I am encountering are some really good ace pilots that fly with pre-made teams and coordinate the use of such abilities.

My apologies on the lack of specificity. I can appreciate the technicalities that come with the expertise! You are correct in that I do not mean Rockets, but Torpedo's specifically Proton Torpedos on my strike fighter. Since the time of posting, I have become better at being able to launch these and will continue to practice.