Racing

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:25 am

Is anyone doing Racing with larger Frame civvie ships, aka Sentinel - Starmaster??

I've tried reading the old threads and the Tips.
I try to keep around 1000 - 1015. Anything above that and I'm out the side on the curves at some point. And using faster speed on the straights really doesn't help because the only straight portion is at the beginning of the races on all the ones I've tried.

If I keep around 1000-1015 I can generally make it through all the curves bu no way can I win a timed race nor beat an AI.
As said in older post - I get rammed from behind so if I increase speed (I'm in the curves by this time since I did a fast burn at the start to get ahead) I can't keep in the curves and if I slow down he's gonna beat me cause there are no more straight-a-ways to burn ahead of him again.

I decided not to try anymore in the Starmaster (even with it's C11 Wings I couldn't win a timed race) cause I have 4 crew members all at 100% and I don't want to to start losing their loyalty because of lousy races.

I concluded from the 2013 post that the upgrade then made it harder and I conclude that the 2014 upgrade must have made even more so. I know I'm a lousy "newtonian physics" pilot but I think the Starmaster with C11 wings should be able to win a timed race.

Oh, and like some other poster said - many of the back drops (planets, stars, clouds, anything with any brightness at all) make it impossible to see the course ahead of you.
I try to keep the ship toward the side that's going into the curve where ever that's heading.

Paul

[Edited on 3-18-2014 by PaulB]

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:43 am

Hi Paul.

It doesn't matter what frame/setup I use to beat the race. I use the same setup/approach to it all the time in any ship.

The race is much easier in the latest update. The tube is much larger now!

Set IDS x 2.
I keep my speed between 1000-1300.
Slow down to around 1000 before the turn. Then accelerate up to 1300 on the straights. Don't ever focus on the opponent. Focus on YOUR flying only.

I also roll my ship so I take the turns by using my rudders, not pitch. That way it's like skidding with a car or driving a hovercraft.
Point your nose well inside the turn and use afterburner to keep you in the tube if needed to
Never go in inertia mode. That is much harder!;)

I agree that planets, stars etc might make it much harder, but maybe you could mod the rings to your liking. A very dark shadow might do the trick!?

Good luck.

Rubber Chicken · Post by **Rubber Chicken** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 2:15 pm

The easiest way I've found is to put the heavy ship in storage for a moment, then bust down to a class one frame with class 2 (or higher) wings. You can still use the strafing keys with the IDS mode on for an extra boost to your turning. Push the strafe indicator to the center of your gun sight as you turn. An easy way I've found to brake is to set your IDS to 1500 speed and tap the Reverse Engine Thrust key as needed a bit before your in the turn.

Also when you jump to the start point have your speed preset, and set your compass to zero. Set your pitch on the artificial horizon indicator (the ladder bars on the sides of your gun sight) to zero as well. Jump to the waypoint, afterburn until you are at about 2200, then blow right past the AI at the start line. After that, the IDS mode will take you down to a comfortable speed for the first turn. Tap the afterburner in the straight-ways as needed, use the reverse engine thrust as needed, and like SeeJay said, add a bit of 'oversteer' in the turns to go through them a bit faster. Also try to go for a good racing line just like a racecar - outside, inside, outside.

I hope this helps.

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 6:36 pm

Or do the H2GE quest. No racing required.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 2:04 am

I'll try to reply to all 3 responses with one reply.

First, I've seen the term H2GE quest - but what is it???
I can't figure out what it's referring to. It took me forever to find and figure out IMG (and now it's escaped me again - no matter with my racing skills to date).

Now, I've tried a number of the things y'all mentioned.
Latest: I took a prior save game with the Sentinel and changed the config in the Shipyard:
Wings 13
Engine 4
Cargo bays 3
Shields (6? whatever it took to allow Wings 13)
Timed Race:
(1) I set heading to zero, pitch zero and jumped with Ids speed ( I use X2 or X3) set to around 1100 and after burned to 1600+ for a ways past the Tube entrance and then let speed drop to 1100 or so.
(2) I try to do Aburn sort spurts
(3) With the above Frame config I don't think I let speed drop below 1100 at anytime
(4) I don't think I Aburned mush past 1300-1500 for more than a "very" few seconds. (I have a Dpad postion programmed for RevThrust - but the Dpad is over on the left near the Analog Stick so not so easy to use both - need more right side buttons on the gamepad)
(5) I haven't tried Roll because I thought I read in a past post that it was not recommended - I can give it a try - but I don't see how Roll can help. Roll doesn't turn you it just rates you along your Z axis - you still have to Pitch or Yaw to make a turn.
But Roll is too sensitive (to me) using my xbox 360 gamepad or Logitech 3D Extreme (I wish there was a seperate sensitivity for Roll axis)
(6) with this config I stayed in the Tube but "still" did not finish the timed race.

And I have a terrible time concentrating on the gamepad and the Tube and the Timer so I tend to ignore the Timer and hope for the best.

Which Race is hardest, a Timed race or an AI race??? (I've tried both but not won either as I said)

Frequently the darned thing wants to put my race facing the blasted Star (note I have tried taking races from different stations though to try and avoid that).

Problem is I don't want to keep a Frame "just for racing" even if that was the solution. I want to fly the frame I like (and as I said I haven't done any real combat) and so far I like the Starmaster. I just wish I could put the max Wings and Shields on it but the compromise I made is the best I can do:
C7 Mark I engine
C9 Shields
C11 NH Mk I Wings
C2 (800) fuel tank

Too bad I can't hire an AI Pilot with 100% Experience and 100% Loyalty to fly the races for me - lol.

Paul

Post by **Marvin** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 6:01 am

Unless you're doing a quest contract which requires you to fly the race in a specific sector, you can try doing one in an empty sector (except for the trade station ... where you get the contract) far from the star or a planet. That should keep you from being blinded.

As for the H2GE quest, it requires quite a bit of reading ... and paying attention to what you read. You can find it here:

http://www.evochron2.junholt.se/quests/marvin/h2ge.htm

Cursor over objects in the screen shot to determine which one to click on first (hint: the ReaMe is a good place to start).

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 7:09 am

I don't think you read my post correctly.

I use roll so I can use rudder (yaw) to take the turns. I hardly use the pitch at all when doing a race. (Only slightly to compensate for any unintentional pitch input when I roll).

Since most humans are more used to drive a car then flying in space, it's more logic for us to take the turns by yawing (rudder) left or right. (Skidding with a car)

I don't say that yaw is better than pitch. It's all about what YOU prefer. When you are good in ship handling, you can do it either way or a combination of the both.

Keep trying, you'll get there eventually.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 5:09 pm

From post: 168115, Topic: tid=11283, author=Marvin wrote:Unless you're doing a quest contract which requires you to fly the race in a specific sector, you can try doing one in an empty sector (except for the trade station ... where you get the contract) far from the star or a planet. That should keep you from being blinded.

As for the H2GE quest, it requires quite a bit of reading ... and paying attention to what you read. You can find it here:

http://www.evochron2.junholt.se/quests/marvin/h2ge.htm

Cursor over objects in the screen shot to determine which one to click on first (hint: the ReaMe is a good place to start).

Hmmmm........ "fairly good memory" - man that let's me out - LOL

Paul

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 12:36 pm

Well I've finally beat some AI at racing using the Mammoth by putting C13 wings on it and a whimpy C5 engine and #2 (800) fuel tank - but only by the skin of my teeth.
I need another pair of hands to deal with Yaw/Pitch stick and Strafe Stick and Roll triggers and Ids Reverse Thrust & Afterburn on my Xbox 360 controller - plus a brain better able to multitask.

Now with a similar configed older pilot profle with a Sentinel I can do better - but that's so solution for me as I've said - because the Crew/Equipment/Hardpoint limits.

However - with neither ship am I able to complete a Timed Race (no AI pilot). I always run out of time or out of the Tunnel from pushing the speed limits too hard for those size Frames.
I'll never know if 4 hands would help unless I happen into a field of radiation and mutate.

Paul

Post by **Marvin** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 3:38 pm

I feel your pain. The only acceptable solution, if you insist on racing, is to compete against other pilots in MP. Unlike the AI, they have no real advantage.