Suggestions?

Rui · Post by **Rui** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:09 pm

Heya guys,

Have to say that im shocked and annoyed I didnt stumble onto this game earlier! Ive been after a modern spiritual successor to Elite since Hardwar which was the last game I thought did a decent job of it. So happy ive found this game, and im only just getting started

So my question is, ive been running around Sapphire doing some basic exploration, running a few contract (races, cleaning solar arrays etc) touched on mining, and im thinking about doing some further exploring with my first port of call being learning a little combat skills so that I can go and explore Evochron in ernest. Which starting sector would you recommend for getting some combat experience and continuing to build up a bit of revenue? Also I have read you can obtain military chassis', im wondering how the civilian light/med fighter chassis' (raven etc) stand up to those higher end ships?

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:16 pm

Hello Rui, welcome to the forum and the Sim. Any other surrounding system will give you some combat experience. Take a mission to escort or fight some bad guys and get paid for it. I recommend saving before you take a mission. You can earn military rank and money by doing military type missions in any of the war zones. See you out there sometime.

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:38 pm

Yes, save often. But you can ease into combat by checking out the Olympus system first. Fewer enemies to fight, on average, depending on the type of contract you accept. Or try multiplayer and join some of the other pilots as they rack up the credits by ganging up on Vonari. (But don't feel you need to charge right into the middle of the frey ... sometimes it's best to hang back a bit and let the vets do most of the work.)

Rui · Post by **Rui** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 1:19 am

thanks for the info guys. Im continuing to save a little more and then ill be making my way to Olympus to try my hand at a little combat.

I do have two more small questions. The first is regarding navigation. Is it possible to target space stations? Also is it possible to target planets? or to target the space ports on the planets, at the moment although i try to line up above a trading city by using the sector map, when im descending to the planet I dont seem to get any markers or HUD targets to identify where the cities are so that I can land.

Lastly is there a simple method for jumping towards a planet , every now and then i seem to set my jump coords a little to close and end up going splat. Is there a trick to this? Or is it trial and error and just getting the correct judgement?

Cheers!

Rui

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 1:50 am

The navigation map flip-flops ... meaning it's in two parts. The default part displays your overhead view (looking at the galaxy from above). When targeting an object, you should also check the rear view (looking at the galaxy from the side ... so that you see up and down) ... just in case the object is either above or below the galactic plane (horizon).

You can usually target planets (and stations) by right-clicking over the icon on the nav map. But you can only target cities by left-clicking over the "plus" sign ... checking to make sure you've set your cursor both in the overhead view and the rear view.

Unless you're really good, though, you need to fly (not jump) toward the city ... maintaining standard speed. Going too fast will cause your ship to burn up in the atmosphere.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:59 am

Hi Rui, welcome to the game and forum. Hope to see you out there !

warsign · Post by **warsign** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:22 pm

Welcome aboard.

Rui · Post by **Rui** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:42 am

Alright, so ive started some combat. Brilliant fun so far. Just doing some contracts in the Olympus system, my aim is to get a bigger ship than the talon before I explore a little more.

So far ive found that the most effective way to fight is to do an eliptical joust at roughly 1600ish with inertia on and take out the enemy ships on the pass. With a class 5 cannon I can take most of the ships im currently seeing in a single pass.

Im getting a few problems with incoming missiles and the general high rate of missile spam. On the approach its no problem to shoot them down and if any get past my firing arc then I use a few countermeasures. Are there any other tricks to dealing with high volumes of missiles?

Also im wondering if my approach to combat is along the right lines?

lastly, now that ive got a bit of cash in the bank, im wondering what would be a good investment for my ship, perhaps to increase survivability. Im still using the noob shield with a single shield booster. Is a shield upgrade high in the list of upgrade priorities? Or are there better things to spend your cash on?

Cheers guys!

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:32 am

Sheilds,Sheilds,Sheilds!!! lol. Good Hunting.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:09 am

Yes, Shields, Shield Booster, and Jumpdrive.

tha_rami · Post by **tha_rami** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:03 am

As for your jumping to planets problem, try hiring a navigator until you feel you've got the skills yourself.

While there is no 'right' way to fight, there are wrong ways. You are not touching any of those. Generally, keeping your speed high, making wide corners and using fly-by moments as offensive moments are accepted as the most effective way of combat.

Post by **Vice** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 5:05 pm

Also remember to cut your heat signature to make it harder for missiles to track you. By turning off your engines and thrusters briefly (IDS) while avoiding the afterburner, you can improve the effectiveness of counter-measures.

Rui · Post by **Rui** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:21 am

Thanks for all the info guys, its been very helpful.

Ive outfitted my ship with some better equipment and i can nearly afford a raven now which looks quite the nice ship. I happily did some missions on Olympus and I think ive got the hang of how combat works.

I have a small question regarding shields. From what I can tell, the shield size affects the recharge rate, but the shield boosters are what determine how much punishment the shield can take before the ship suffers hull damage correct?

Also, is it possible to take damage while docked? And if so, are there any tips for surviving when in dock? When I was in Olympus I was targeted and engaged while at the station, but it was just missiles fire at range and the hostile was shot down by a couple of Navy ships.

Also as an aside, beam lasers, they have a much lower yield but seem incredibly expensive. What advantages, or disadvantages do they have over cannons?

Cheers

Rui.

Post by **Vice** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:55 am

I have a small question regarding shields. From what I can tell, the shield size affects the recharge rate, but the shield boosters are what determine how much punishment the shield can take before the ship suffers hull damage correct?

Boosters are like the capacitors/batteries of the system. They do help determine how much of a hit your ship can take and how much power reserves it has to work with to recover from those impacts. If you don't mind spoilers, the strategy guide has a section on ship systems: http://starfighter.home.att.net/evochro ... lguide.htm > 2.3 Ship Systems

Also, is it possible to take damage while docked? And if so, are there any tips for surviving when in dock? When I was in Olympus I was targeted and engaged while at the station, but it was just missiles fire at range and the hostile was shot down by a couple of Navy ships.

Yes and yes. The primary tactic is to make the area safe before you dock, then quickly completing any buying/selling/contract reviews. Other tactics include using the station's central hangar pylon for cover, right clicking on the station's nav map icon to plot a jump point directly to the hangar (then with pitch at 0, jumping directly into the hangar), and once you acquire one, dock while cloaked.

Also as an aside, beam lasers, they have a much lower yield but seem incredibly expensive. What advantages, or disadvantages do they have over cannons?

They work very well to deplete shields while particle cannons do a much better job of damaging hull armor.

hive_mind · Post by **hive_mind** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:06 pm

Originally posted by Rui
I do have two more small questions. The first is regarding navigation. Is it possible to target space stations? Also is it possible to target planets? or to target the space ports on the planets, at the moment although i try to line up above a trading city by using the sector map, when im descending to the planet I dont seem to get any markers or HUD targets to identify where the cities are so that I can land.

I don't think this question was actually answered, or maybe it was and I'm daft. Is there a way to target a station, planet, or asteroid using the targeting computer. I find myself missing the ability to target non-combatant objects to get range and bearing when flying around space. It seems like an odd oversight considering it's fairly standard in most space sims.

So is there a way to do this that I'm just not seeing?

Ravenfeeder · Post by **Ravenfeeder** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:42 pm

You can't shoot/destroy space stations, or, planets. Landing on a planet takes a while to get a hang of. You keep descending until you see a marker, with a green one, which takes you straight to the planet station, or a red one, which gives you the direction to fly in to get close enough for the green guidance marker.

On fighting missions, diving straight in, with guns blazing, might be fun, but, the missiles will swarm you, and in many cases you'll die. What you can do, is, don't set your cursor in the middle of the waypoint, unless you've selected picking up a lost item, instead, set your cursor at about a half way point on the WP, or on one of its star points. Hit Alt R and coast in until you are in missile range of the nearest enemy. Then it depends on what missiles you carry, excals are the best for this. Have you speed at Zero, your inertial on, and carry on coasting until you are about 2500 units away. At that point, his reverse thrust until you are about -1200 away. Stop there. At that range and minus speed no missile can reach you. You can pick them off like ducks in a barrel.

In many cases, all that remains is the capital ship. How I take out a capital ship is to set my heading just off the side of the Cap, aiming at the rear of it, go to max revs, inert on, and as I am passing it, it hammer with cannon. Plus, if my missile lock stays on I let lose a salvo of Excals. This won't immediately take it out. I sit back, about 2300, or less, keep hammering with the cannon, at the Eng (U), and the next salvo of missiles, or the cannon fire takes it out. Then I Alt Q (save) always save after a mission. Have fun.

hive_mind · Post by **hive_mind** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:59 pm

Yea.. I know you can't shoot them. I just want to be able to get a range and bearing. I hate flying towards a station or asteroid and not being able to tell how far away I am. I also hate coming out of ftl and not knowing where the station is and having to rotate around looking for it.

Obviously these are small issues in an otherwise great game, but they're still things I'd like to see.

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 12:02 am

Sometimes, when you ask what's the time, you'll be told how to build a watch.

You can target planets and other objects only via the navigation console. Just remember that the 2-dimensional map can be flipped so that you can see from both above and from the side (rear). The side view comes in handy when trying to target an object that's either above or below the galactic plane.

Post by **Vice** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 12:36 am

I don't think this question was actually answered, or maybe it was and I'm daft. Is there a way to target a station, planet, or asteroid using the targeting computer. I find myself missing the ability to target non-combatant objects to get range and bearing when flying around space.

It's been answered several times before elsewhere on the forum, but I'll be glad to post a response again. There are two targeting systems you manage simultaneously, ship targeting and object/navigation targeting. You don't have to give up tracking one for the other and each system provides you with the information needed for each type of object (including range and bearing for objects like stations and planets).

When the expectation of tracking non-ship objects with a ship tracking system comes up, these questions surface:

- Why would you want to target those objects with the ship targeting system? You can't trade with them using the trade console, they don't move, they don't change their orientation, you can't harm them, and they don't shoot you. The only real information you need for them is their location and distance (ie the bearing and range info you stated), which is already provided for you by the navigation tracking system. And if you want more specific location information you can right click on their icon to lock on to them with a navigation waypoint.

- Why would you want to give up tracking a ship to track a non-ship object? Especially when none of the added information would be of any use? If you can track both simultaneously, you can keep track of a ship that may be a threat or cause interference while also tracking an object you want to dock with, such as a station or carrier.

It seems like an odd oversight considering it's fairly standard in most space sims.

Players who seek a stationary object tracking system that deletes ship tracking to do so often do come from other games where this sacrifice is necessary. This game simply lets you keep track of both kinds of objects simultaneously with two separate targeting systems.

[Edited on 12-1-2009 by Vice]

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 1:16 am

Btw, both tracking systems show up on radar. The difference (besides radar symbology) is that you target another ship by either clicking on the ship (as highlighted via the HUD display) or using the keyboard but you target stationary objects by clicking on the icon displayed on the navigation console map.

hive_mind · Post by **hive_mind** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:31 am

Originally posted by Eclipse
Navigation markers are great for getting bearing to stations, planets, gates, or asteroids. You can set the navigation marker on objects by right-clicking on the nav map icons when fully zoomed in.

I see that know. Not as convenient as I'm used to but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it.

I always thought it was silly in other games to target noncombatant objects with weapon tracking.

I'm sure any system that could detect a fighter in space could also detect a space station.

In Vice's games you can track combatant objects separate from noncombatant, which has always seemed to be a huge improvement to me.

It does eliminate the problem of accidentally locking on a station rather than an enemy fighter. In a game with good key commands that's not a big deal, but there's a lot of games out there with lousy control schemes.

Welcome to Evochron.

I'm not exactly new to the games. I just took a few versions off.

Accountant · Post by **Accountant** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:35 am

I love the current two-way tracking system, but I also think I see what hive_mind is getting at. The navigation system is great, but it cannot be used to track objects that do not show up on the NAV map. What would be, IMO, an excellent addition to the tracking system (and wouldn't really change the purpose of either system) would be to add a function whereby you could set the navigation tracking system to the object (i.e. not a ship) that is currently in the targeting reticule of the ship. This would be very similar to how we can target ships that are in our crosshairs.

Another possible feature could to add a keystroke to cycle the navigation system through noncombatant objects that appear in the target sphere. For example, we can currently press "T" to cycle through combat targets. Why not be able to press "Alt T" to set the navigation computer to stations, gates, and other objects that appear in the target sphere?

I think these would be possible ways to add to the functionality of the targeting systems while still retaining their distinct core functions.

-Accountant

[Edited on 12-1-2009 by Accountant]

Accountant · Post by **Accountant** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:07 am

Alt+T already has a function.

So it does......that would have been nice to know a loooong time ago

Alt+Y also works, really it doesn't matter the key binding (or if there even is one). I think just having the feature available would be great.

-Accountant

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:27 am

That is a great idea.

Post by **Vice** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:35 am

It's possible, maybe as both a mouse selectable option and gunsight selectable (with it's own dedicated key function, although those are running out

There are some sorting/priority issues for it though and it may be somewhat limited if only objects in visual range could be selected (you would still be able to target them on the map though). Range and COV detection might be something of a challenge for large objects such as planets, where you might have a smaller object in front or to the side that you want to select, but the planet's relative size in the HUD and/or position overrides such a selection. It's an interesting concept though, might try out some ideas for it.

The navigation system is great, but it cannot be used to track objects that do not show up on the NAV map.

That's true, although some objects are intentionally obscured/cloaked from navigation sensors to keep them fairly hidden and must be spotted visually. Apart from those though, are there any others that would need navigation tracking that aren't visible on the map?