A few questions from a new player

[oberlerchner123]

Hey everyone!

I recently bought this game on Steam and while I just stayed in the starting system so far - exploring planets, asteroid clusters and nebulae - I must say, I havn't enjoyed a game as much as this for a while.
I played the tutorial and skimmed through the forums, but I'm still left with a few questions.

While I was careful not to just ram into asteroids or burn up in atmospheres, I still managed to get blown up twice.
No combat was involved either. I was just cruising along a system at 5000 speed in clear and open space.
The second time I think I saw a blue spot in the middle of the screen. I'm not sure since it all went by rather quickly and it could have just been part of the explosion, but could it be that some stupid battleship decided to just exit from a jump right in front of my bow?
Did this ever happen to anybody?

I was also curious what the point in upgrading engines is.
It seams like all they do is raise the maximum setting for your IDS "cruise control" and burn more fuel.
If I am fine with the current speed and simply go to inertial for cruising anyway, is there any point in doing so?

I wondered which thrusters are boosted by wing systems too. Are inertial forward/backward and strafe control included?

Is it possible to put the IDS thrust and inertial forward/backward on the same joystick axis?
Not sure how useful that would be, but I wanted to try it out, but couldn't figure out how.

And the last one is more seeking opinions that a question I guess:
Which axis do you use for roll and yaw?
I tryed both the traditional airplane stick way of having roll on the X axis,
and the stranger roll on Z (twisting) and yaw on X.
While I'm used to the first from both Flight Sim games and a short real flight experience, it doesn't seam that practical in a spacecraft to me.
Using the X and Y axis regularly feels way more natural.
And since there is no lift in space, there aren't many reasons to bank to the side I want to go anyway.
Even if I do and keep myself on the horizontal plane I want to be on while banked to the side, by using all of those controls.
That would theoreticaly just use more fuel with no turn increase since you would have thrusters firing in 2 directions at an 90° angle ... right?
Familiarity or practicality, suppose it's up to me anyway. But I'm still curious for what everyone else uses.

[Edited on 18.1.2013 by oberlerchner123]

[Marvin]

If you read Vice's tips on how to run the race course, you'll find that it works best when your joystick has an aircraft-like profile.

[Capt_Caveman]

I prefer standard aircraft config for roll, pitch, yaw.

remember, the limits of normal flight dynamics (lift, drag, stalling) do not apply in space.

when you exploded you may have engaged jump drive by accident and warped into something

you may be able to assign to functions to 1 axsis
depending on your joystick and if you use its profile software.




[Edited on 1-18-2013 by capt_cronic]

[SeeJay]

Hi and welcome.

My stick is set as I have it in flightsims.

You should use what feels most natural
for you. Do some races just to get the feel
fir it. No matter if tou loose.

It happens that ship comes out of a jump
right in front of you. They even block jumpgates
sometimes LOL.

See ya out there.

[Rubber Chicken]

It seems that all of the inertial manuevering thrusters are in the wing sytem now, - including forward and reverse inertial.

I haven't been able to confirm it for myself, but it is said that weapons/shield energy recharge rates are improved by higher class engines. IDS-ON accleration as well.

Inertial F/R accel is all in the wing class though.

[Marvin]

I haven't been able to confirm it for myself, but it is said that weapons/shield energy recharge rates are improved by higher class engine,

DaveK tested this and his results indicate no difference between engine classes.

[oberlerchner123]

Thank you all for responding.

I can't imagine myself FTL jumping into something since I'm nowhere near the F2 key or the mouse when I'm holding my joystick. But who knows. heh
I did encounted a cruiser that exited FTL really close off my starboard bow and drifted in front of me.
Scared the crap out of me, but I managed to dodge it.
I wonder if the AI ships check if anything is in their path?

Thanks for the opinions on axis'. I decided to go back to standard flight controls for now.
Some atmospheric flight should put that right to muscle memory again.

Thank you for the info on thrusters.
Engines still have me somewhat confused with contradictary information, but I will watch that other thread and see what you guys figure out.

[SeeJay]

You can think of the engines as a battery.
The bigger it is, the more energy for weapons,
shields etc.

[oberlerchner123]

I see, like an alternator in a car.

[Marvin]

I see, like an alternator in a car.

More like SeeJay needs to send another email to DaveK. Or vice versa.

[Busch]

The recharge rate is the recharge rate, regardless of engine type or size, IDS or Inertial flight not withstanding. The larger the engine, the more power is made available. One modifying factor may be the frame upon which an engine is mounted. Larger engine - smaller frame - shifting/downgrading/manipulating other ships' equipment (build points) - possible 3kps fractional at IDS x5. I've done it on each frame from Talon to Sentinel. The Sentinel mikes out at 3.055 Kps with engine C-7. Talon thru Sabre - engine C-5 = 3.353 Kps - Talon; 3.335 Kps - Sabre. Raven w/ engine C-6 - 3.383 Kps. At the Guardian frame is where the thrust to weight ratio/dichotomy really begins to be "felt", imhyco.