What am I doing wrong? Combat help REALLY needed?

Icarus365 · Post by **Icarus365** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 2:17 am

I've being playing Evo for just over a week now. I started off with a mining profile. For a while it was fun traveling around upgrading my ship but it soon got pretty tedious. I decided to start taking the combat contracts and was soon full of rage. I thought my ship may not of been up to it so I restarted as a combat pilot. Still no change though. I start a mission (any combat mission), jump to the nav point, get taken down my multiple targets instantly. The only way I can make a kill is either a random attack on a passing ship (not in a mission) or jumping in, launching a missile and jumping out asap. Can anyone give me any advice? I'm usually quite good at space combat games but this is really beating me.

Julius · Post by **Julius** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 2:35 am

It is not your ship, I have tried combat with just the starter ships, and could still do the missions (but with little margin for error)

Here is a thead on combat in this game that should help you out

http://www.starwraith.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8655

Icarus365 · Post by **Icarus365** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 2:48 am

Nice one. Just what I need. Could control method have anything to do with it? I'm using a Cyborg FLY 5 joystick. Even on the lowest sensitivity setting it still seems very twitchy compared to any of my flight sims. Staying on target is one of the biggest problems I'm having. What method of control do most people find the best?

Julius · Post by **Julius** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 3:48 am

Many just use mouse and keyboard. I used mouse an keyboard for some Time but recently got the CL pro-pedals, combat stick, and Pro throttle and I like using them far more.

One thing you can do is get a less maneuverable ship.

With keyboard/ mouse I did not use many features in combat. I mostly used the A key to strife to the left, leaving my other finger free to hit the C key to launch countermeasures and inertia forward and backward moved to the W and S keys. I also use the spacebar when I want my ship to move forward again instead of sideways, or up and down.

One cool trick is that if you strife and turn on IDS when you continue to strife the IDS will only work for the axis you are not strifing in. For example if you are going up and left and only want to go left hold the A key and turn IDS on and you will slow down your upward movement as your left strife speed stays the same.

One good way to practice is to select a point near your ship on the map so you see the nav marker in your HUD. Try to keep the same distance from the Nav marker as you fly in circles around it keeping the marker in your sights and about the same distance away.

I also always use the behind the ship view instead of the cockpit view. I find it much easier to see how I am moving by the location of my ship instead of the small O in the cockpit view.

From what I hear in the next extension of this game the AI enemy fighters will be both easier in the easy areas and harder in the harder areas.

[Edited on 11-12-2012 by Julius]

Busch · Post by **Busch** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 4:10 am

The very best "control method" IS what you find most comfortable and least distracting. Be it mouse-n-keyboard, joy-stick-n-kybd-n-mouse, game pad; or any combination thereof. Vice has gone a long way in making the most of control options at least available, for all "abilities". Fairness and balance. In MP-space, in North Saphire, at the PvP arena location, are those pilots who will give ya a leg-up on IDS/Inrtl combat techniques. Or, in the Tal CZ on solo-assignments, investigate the offerings at the Eclipse carrier. Sometimes the same cash values with slightly less in the way of "stressors". In Mp-space, most hosted platforms, there are player-built stations in the CZ/WZ's. Sometimes the pickin's are real good ! And most times, it really doesn't matter what role you start with. Eventually, one encounters the combat situation without any provocation what-so-ever...

Either/any of your choices can work famously ! It just depends on what you'd like to do, at any point in game-play. And that's the real beauty of this game environment !

Hope to see ya out there sometime !

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 4:27 am

There are two in-game adjustments you can make to your joystick ... both of them are available on the menu which pops up after pressing the Esc key. Also, as has already been stated, the heavier ships are slower-turning and, therefore, are less likely to overshoot your target when you're tracking in a turn.

Post by **DaveK** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 12:40 pm

In the Hints&Tips Guide (from SeeJay's site) there are several tutorials plus a number of discussions about combat techniques favoured by different pilots - along with this are suggestions and discussions about equipping your ship.

The Guide does have a lot of spoilers as well so be careful about what you read - the contents list is linked to the relevant pages so you can jump straight from contents to page and avoid seeing spoilers by mistake.

The Guide is the distilled wisdom of many many players!

-splosives- · Post by **-splosives-** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 1:00 pm

Some things I always tell any new combat pilot:
Never use IDS in combat. In order to be a master combat pilot, you must also master inertial flight. Also reconfigure your controls so inertial forward and inertial reverse are bound to easy to use keys.
Never engage the enemy head on, always from an angle.
Keep your speed high enough: 1000+.
Use countermeasures against missiles, or just shoot them down if you're out of CM's.
Use a cannon with at least 700 range: Flarebeam, Icespear, Maxim-R. (most experienced players use a Flarebeam)

[Edited on 11-12-2012 by -splosives-]

Letoras · Post by **Letoras** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 1:06 pm

Get into multiplayer and join other players in missions, it will be easier to explain and understand combat.

Especially an [FF] pilot

:P

Icarus365 · Post by **Icarus365** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 1:53 pm

Thank you all for the input. It's really helped me out (and I now know all your tactics).
I'm finding it loads easier controlling with keyboard and mouse. The problem with the joystick is just with the twist axis (set to turn left and right). The slightest movement in the stick translates to far too much movement. This is costing me too much time centering on a target. I'm gonna try and tame the sensitivity of the stick with a joy2key program, see if it helps.
Again, thanks for all your help. There isn't many forums as friendly and helpful as this.

[Edited on 11-12-2012 by Icarus365]

[Edited on 11-12-2012 by Icarus365]

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 3:49 pm

You have come to the right game and comunity!.......

:P

EN4CER · Post by **EN4CER** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 3:54 pm

I had the same issue. I had to increase my dead zone and decrease my sensitivity but now I couldn't imagine using the mouse again. Also I think the biggest secrets for fighting AI are:

1. Approach at an angle (this has been mentioned) and by that he just means not head on. Approach facing them but on the outside. Use your strafe thrusters in inertial mode to line up. This inertial strafe jets make a HUGE difference in lining up your approach.

2. Don't go so fast. If you managed to get a single ship in range and the others are out of range then slow down (reverse + afterburner). You can kill nearly any ship in one single pass using this method. If you're using a really fast ship then this tactic becomes even more viable. Missiles max speed are 1200 I think. So I've found a good speed is 1400 for fighting since it allows you turn around very quickly. Speaking of turning quickly you can turn even faster by using your strafe jets in conjunction with your afterburner. This takes a bit of practice since you have to line your ship up for maximum efficiency.

3. Don't joust, flank!!! This is something that I instantly noticed PVP players trying to do to me. When you are strafing past a group of enemies you should already be in the process of turning around. This is ONLY possible using inertial mode and even some players that PVP regularly aren't using this trick.

I'll assume you already have weapon/shield management down (using low level lasers and high level particle cannons, using lasers to take out shields and cannon to take out hull, full weapons power 95% of the time, etc). Taking the above 3 points into mind + your energy management makes nearly every AI situation trivial.

Also if you have an abundance of cash start using the stealth field. I can't stress how underused this mechanic is. The biggest advantage that it gives you is the ability to get close before being fired on. It allows you to completely reset and retry if you find yourself in the middle of a bad pass.

Finally the biggest hint I give you is to just hop into multiplayer and be another player's gunner. This allows you to see exactly how vets are approaching, flanking, and escaping.

[Edited on 11-13-2012 by EN4CER]

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 4:05 pm

From post: 148556, Topic: tid=9972, author=EN4CER wrote:I had the same issue. I had to increase my dead zone and decrease my sensitivity but now I couldn't imagine using the mouse again.

That's worth repeating. With my current joystick, I need a "dead zone" of 2 to keep my ship from banking right. Yet the setting doesn't hinder my ability to maneuver.