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Learning to blow up ships - A Beginner's Guide


SeCKSEgai

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Now, there is a wealth of information in the stasiopedia - but as a new player its hard to make sense of it all. When I started GSF it was a bit overwhelming, just like how I felt when I first started SWTOR and was getting accustomed to the interface and areas.

 

The first time GSF experience for virtually everyone is pretty lousy. The tutorial is not only easy to miss but provides little information. The odds are stacked against you as you are bound to face opposition with more experience and more upgrades. Most people try gsf once for the introductory mission and never try it again.

 

DESIRE

 

If you're reading this, you've probably already had such an experience but would like to give it a chance. I practically hated GSF for a while, but as I had fond memories of Tie Fighter I hated more that I was so lousy at it. Luckily, I managed to improve enough before I gave up altogether.

 

The most important aspect to GSF is finding something to drive you. You will end up in one-sided matches most of the time, close battles are few and far between. While dominant wins are great for motivation, devastating losses are very much a reality. You'll need something, whether it be a desire to finally blow up that guy that keeps blowing you up, not wanting to be a weak player, etc.

 

X is to STOP

 

IF one does find the tutorial, they will be given the very basics of movement. WASD has become pretty standard for movement controls yet not once do they mention how to stop completely.

 

X is the default key to cut throttle to 0. It won't stop on a dime given your momentum but learning to stop in any ship makes the world of difference. I myself had to look at the key bindings to find out it was possible, as I assumed something so useful would have been covered in the tutorial if it was.

 

For example, it's very common to see bombers park on or underneath satellites, often referred to as ticking. Because turning and aiming are tied together, trying to hit a target parked in a crevice while moving past it can easily get most new pilots killed, either by eating mines or crashing into part of the sat itself, all the while getting shot at by other people.

 

WHY DO I BLOW UP SO EASILY YET DO NO DAMAGE

 

Most people who try GSF do so with the simple desire of making other ships blow up. When they do try it they find it very difficult if not outright impossible to kill something. Yet, on the flipside, they will often feel like paper and its common for them to be destroyed without even realizing what went on. If anything, this is what makes most players feel like there's no reason to ever bother with GSF again.

 

Unfortunately, there are a number of reasons for this.

 

Range

Accuracy

Evasion

Upgrades

Etc

 

ALL WEAPONS HAVE AN EFFECITVE RANGE

 

One of the tell-tale signs someone is brand new is that they will fire long before a target is in range. You can line up the targeting reticule perfectly, but if the target is beyond effective range you aren't hitting anything. With an array of weapon types, a majority of the blasters max at JUST 4000m (3900 really). To further compound the problem, range impacts accuracy. The closer you are the more accurate your blasters will be. Gunships can shoot from as far as 14900m away (listed as 15000m however) and can destroy new players before they even know where the shot came from.

 

The Firing ARC of CONFUSION

 

It is hard enough to line up a shot on a moving target. There are a number of penalties to be aware of even when you line up perfectly while in range.

 

If guns were fixed, it would actually be a bit simpler as you would always be firing in the same place and always centering your ship on your target. What they never clarify is that unless your target is in the very center of your screen, your accuracy is being penalized. To explain, for anyone who's played games like Tie Fighter, you aimed your guns by essentially aiming your ship. In GSF, your weapons work like a rotating turret and have a range of motion that gets penalized the further away you are from the exact center.

 

In other words, you can picture your firing arc like a cylindrical cone. The farther your target is from the center of that cone (range of motion/firing arc) the more you are generally penalized. A few weapons have upgrade options that can reduce some of that penalty, like the burst laser cannon and rail gun.

 

HOW AM I STILL MISSING?!

 

Even if your aim is solid and the target is perfectly centered (unlikely in most situations) you can STILL MISS. GSF has this thing called evasion. There's nothing more frustrating as a new player as firing on a target with the reticule lined up and seeing shot after shot fail to register a hit. Without getting into the math and mechanics, its easiest to think of it as another penalty to your accuracy.

 

For instance, my primary ship of choice is a sting/flashfire. My setup is 33% evasion without actives. When jousting (firing at each other head on) with a brand new pilot, his or her shots will barely land and what does just be absorbed by the shield while in return I hit far more consistently with a lot more damage.

 

The wingman co-pilot ability buffs accuracy and can be utilitized to help negate said evasion.

 

Don't JOUST as a new pilot.

 

Because of the GSF dynamics, the easiest way to shoot at someone is if they're heading directly at you trying to do the same thing. Until your knowlege and experience improves, avoid doing that as it's generally just going to get you killed. Instead of trying to play chicken, its a lot more effective to

 

SHOOT THE GUY SHOOTING AT YOUR TEAMMATE

 

When someone is shooting at someone else, they aren't trying to shoot you, which makes it far more easier to get behind them or at another reasonable angle and shoot them. It's impractical to expect voice communication level coordination in most matches with random people. But this simple practice not only helps to try and keep that teammate alive but also makes it easier to learn how to blow ships up!

 

UPGRADES MAKE A DIFFERENCE BUT AREN'T EVERYTHING.

 

Because there is so much stacked against you as a new pilot, it can easily seem like upgrades are so important that skill isn't a factor. While certain key upgrades like Ignore Armor can make a world of difference, piloting ability ultimately is the heavier influence.

 

If you were to put an ace level pilot in a stock strike fighter ship with everyone else at a beginner level, that ace could easily achieve a kill count in double digits despite everyone flying the same ship. Because upgrades can essentially take forever and a day in the current system, the player is constantly having to gain experience. Often what sets pilots apart is simply how fast they improve and learn.

 

SO WHAT SHOULD I GET?

 

When I first started, I thought strike fighters would be what I needed because I wanted to focus on dogfighting and blowing up other ships. Months later and a few more strikers and I find I'm happy if I can just blow up one ship.

 

As I felt like I was making little progress I tried some gunships out. As I was learning all the components, the ones I picked that made sense to me at the time ended up being "noob traps". If no one bothers me I can get a kill or two, but I'm basically dead if someone wants to kill me.

 

My flashfire is one of the later purchases I make because I picture a scout as something that's supposed to be quick, nimble, easy to kill and with little firepower. I wanted to be a dogfighter but in strikers just weren't cutting it. The first match I felt a huge difference, as I had finally found a ship that responded the way I was expecting. It also eventaully allowed me to become a better gunship pilot.

 

By default you get two ships. The standard issue scout can be upgraded and used even in "competitive" level matches, though if you want to focus on dogfighting the sting/flashfire is ideal. I personally think that leveing a sting/ff with Burst laser cannons will not only make allow a pilot to become a better dogfighter but learn to aim better in general as well. If paired with cluster missles, you tend to naturally learn to stay on a target better in order to maintain that lock as fast as it is because of the short range.

 

Strikers on the other hand aren't in a great place and haven't been for some time. While an ion/heavy laser cannon setup can be decent and a cluster/concussion missle battery can do some damage, not even the support striker really fit into the current META.

 

If you're still getting a feel for everything, the rampart/razor is great as with just one component change (hyperspace beacon) you can change the entire dynamic of a battle. As powerful as Evasion can be, it does nothing against missiles and mines. It may not be fun for most, but a new player is far more likely to be more useful to his or her team in one of these than a striker when first learning the ropes.

 

Another great option is the 2500 req quarrel/mangler. Ion/Rail is the strongest combination overall, especially once the Ion AoE upgrade is added. Barrel roll is practically essential to gunship mobility and the other options will just make you an easy target.

 

There really is just a lot of information to digest when it comes to Galactic StarFighter, so hopefully this helps accelerate the learning process. Eventually you'll have to worry more about engine/power management, mobility, and a world of other things, but once you feel comfortable and confident in your ability to blow another ship up, it should sustain your desire to improve.

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  • 1 month later...

This forum needs a like button.

 

I never got passed the first fight, and sometimes wondered whether I should try again. I feel pursuaded and happy a weekend is coming up :D

 

Perhaps a stupid question: can all my characters access the same hanger and help eachother saving up for the upgrades, or is is character specific?

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This forum needs a like button.

 

I never got passed the first fight, and sometimes wondered whether I should try again. I feel pursuaded and happy a weekend is coming up :D

 

Perhaps a stupid question: can all my characters access the same hanger and help eachother saving up for the upgrades, or is is character specific?

 

Sadly, it's character specific. Don't let this deter you, though. Most people designate one toon specifically for GSF.

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It's "meta", not "META". It's the metagame, not the Mechanical Eternal Truth Apparent or whatever.

 

I'd be firmer about purchasing the Rampart/Razorwire and the Quarrel/Mangler. These ships aren't just amazing ships, they are also, as the "type 1" ships, half the price of all the other ships. This means that a new player can try out a scout, a strike, a gunship, and a bomber. Seeing some depth of play options immediately is a huge thing that will do a lot to sell the game to a new player- it will also let them figure out what they like the best. There are a few players who will really only enjoy scout, but even they won't be ill-served by this advice- if they hate the gunship and the bomber and like the scout, their experience on gunship and bomber will help them attack those two target types, and they can put their next set of fleet req into acquiring a type 2 scout.

 

I like that you spent so much time talking about the hit system too, that's a very confusing piece that discourages new players excessively. The "hit/miss/evade" mechanic is relies on knowing about stuff that doesn't show up in the GUI, as well as paying close attention to small queues that the GUI does provide, such as reticule shape, the brightness of a certain red, etc. Definitely a worthy discussion point for new players.

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No, it means "metagame". That backronym came about YEARS after the term had use across gaming, from video games to card games- it showed up on some LoL forum at some point as a cutesy thing. Just google- you'll see people asking "how do I beat my local meta" and things like that. Someone retrofit a goofy acronym, but it isn't taken seriously, even in LoL.

 

Also note: it doesn't even make sense. When the term came about, it was used to refer to things like deckbuilding and choosing options before the game. It still is. The one thing it never had anything to do with was "tactics". For that matter, choosing which LoL hero and build you go with is also not a "tactic". It's not just a backronym, it's a terrible one!

Edited by Verain
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No, it means "metagame". That backronym came about YEARS after the term had use across gaming, from video games to card games- it showed up on some LoL forum at some point as a cutesy thing. Just google- you'll see people asking "how do I beat my local meta" and things like that. Someone retrofit a goofy acronym, but it isn't taken seriously, even in LoL.

 

Also note: it doesn't even make sense. When the term came about, it was used to refer to things like deckbuilding and choosing options before the game. It still is. The one thing it never had anything to do with was "tactics". For that matter, choosing which LoL hero and build you go with is also not a "tactic". It's not just a backronym, it's a terrible one!

 

I am aware of the greek prefix "meta" Verain. You like many people misuse it since it does not mean "standard" or "best". On the contrary it means behind or different. The acronym version is contextually more accurate than the perverted non context that you are trying to use it for.

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An example of metagaming in GSF would be Krixarcs in a T2 scout losing an arranged duel against Siraka a T2 strike. Siraka used charged plating because Kirxarcs was using shield piercing insted of armor piercing in the game before.

 

In a more general sense metagaming in GSF is knowing what to expect in a match and building ships to counter as many as possible situations in an effective way. Some components are proven to be very effective in a lot of situations and ships with those components are usually considered to be "in the meta".

Edited by Danalon
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An example of metagaming in GSF would be Krixarcs in a T2 scout losing an arranged duel against Siraka a T2 strike. Siraka used charged plating because Kirxarcs was using shield piercing insted of armor piercing in the game before.

 

So that's what all the trash talking in GSF chat the other day was about lol.

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I'd have to agree with Verain on this one - the only time i ever heard it as "Most Effective Tactic Available" has been from GSF.

 

Even when I was playing LoL we didn't break down meta that way Lendul.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metagaming

Wikipedia really? Well at least Nigel Howard agrees with you and Verain. You did check the source right? Verain is right the current and correct form of META came from LOL. That doesn't mean it's usage is wrong especially the capitalization. META the acronym contextually better fits the common usage which is to refer a way or thing being best rather than the Greek prefix.

 

As far as just the stand alone spelling debate I submit the word "radar'. Correctly spelled it would be.

 

RaDaR

Radio

Detection

and

Ranging

 

We can also try "modem". Correctly spelled it would be.

MoDem

Modulation

Demodulation

 

In the end this is just a case of Verain putting his fussy pants on and well Reiyn you are just doing what you well...umm...do.

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SCUBA

 

Self-

Contained

Underwater

Breathing

Apparatus

 

Just because the acronym existed before the word entered common usage, doesn't mean it has anything to do with Meta becoming an acronym.

 

The last time we had a disagreement it was over whether a player being able to shoot through a one way wall was an exploit - something in itself pretty minor but you argued your point of view as fact despite the rest of folks in channel seeing otherwise.

 

It's a good thing to stand up for what you believe in but when evidence to the contrary is provided, it should also be a simple matter of saying, oh I didn't know that. For a time in GSF I had started to adopt the Most Effective Tactic Available acronym since it made sense and I never bothered to define Meta before. When I bothered to take a few minutes to look up the origin I was like oh, I understood the meaning but there was no acronym in its origin and the in-depth meaning goes beyond that.

 

You are more than welcome to stand by your perspective but its pretty silly for it to be a significant point of contention.

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SCUBA

 

Self-

Contained

Underwater

Breathing

Apparatus

 

Just because the acronym existed before the word entered common usage, doesn't mean it has anything to do with Meta becoming an acronym.

 

The last time we had a disagreement it was over whether a player being able to shoot through a one way wall was an exploit - something in itself pretty minor but you argued your point of view as fact despite the rest of folks in channel seeing otherwise.

 

It's a good thing to stand up for what you believe in but when evidence to the contrary is provided, it should also be a simple matter of saying, oh I didn't know that. For a time in GSF I had started to adopt the Most Effective Tactic Available acronym since it made sense and I never bothered to define Meta before. When I bothered to take a few minutes to look up the origin I was like oh, I understood the meaning but there was no acronym in its origin and the in-depth meaning goes beyond that.

 

You are more than welcome to stand by your perspective but its pretty silly for it to be a significant point of contention.

 

You never cease to amaze me in your ability to not get it. I brought up the other acronyms as examples that people no longer capitalize correctly and it is okay. Which was directed at Verain since he was the one taking issue with the spelling. Are we clear now or do I need to type s...l...o...w...e..r?

Edited by Lendul
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I am aware of the greek prefix "meta" Verain. You like many people misuse it since it does not mean "standard" or "best". On the contrary it means behind or different. The acronym version is contextually more accurate than the perverted non context that you are trying to use it for.

 

No, it means "metagame".

 

^^Not sure if srs or trolling....

 

Most

Effective

Tactic

Availible

 

It's "meta", not "META". It's the metagame, not the Mechanical Eternal Truth Apparent or whatever.

 

One distant female relative of mine has "Meta" as her first name. Seriously. And I do know at least one another female person with that.

 

In my opinion, "meta" just means "the overall big picture".

Meta-discussions are discussions about discussions and about discussing in general.

Edited by AlrikFassbauer
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