Amen, brother/sister. The point of having rare items in a game like this is that they're rare, and earning them is cool. With a gambling system like the Cartel Market, you don't earn things, you win things, but the point remains that winning them is cool. Granted, it has the ulterior motive of tempting you to spend a lot more money than you probably should, but it never lied to you and told you that it'd give you the dye pack you really wanted if you spent more money. You knew exactly what you were getting into. You played. You lost. If you had won, you wouldn't have started this thread, and as far as I'm concerned, once you've taken part in a system that you understand to be skewed against giving you what you want in its randomness, you forfeit the ability to criticize it for being random. That's why everyone here is making the comparison to the lottery. If you participate, you don't retain the right to be taken seriously when you call it an unfair sham. Also, if you believe that five million credits for something you obviously REALLY want is more valuable than the "loads of money" you've already spent on the Cartel Market, I have an all-black bridge I think you'd be interested in purchasing.

When an enemy is flying evasively or lagging the indicator jumps all over the place, not to mention when following up close, so there are plenty of times when whether or not you're actually on target is the subject of speculation. That aside, though, it's really just a point of frustration that I've heard echoed by a number of people I've flown with. Something about being given no feedback when underlying math is what's causing you to miss in a game like this is fundamentally annoying. Think about it in the context of the ground game in just about any MMO. If you deal no damage to an enemy, you're given an indication of why that happens (miss, parry, block, evade), and based on that information you can change your tactics or even your build. In Starfighter you can also miss for a variety of reasons (accuracy, evasion, player aim) but there's nothing given to differentiate one miss from another. If every time you did no damage to an enemy in the ground game the game was silent as to why it'd drive me nuts, personally, and in Starfighter it's arguably more important because things happen much faster. When I'm on target in a game where I have a cursor and am aiming manually, but can't hit them regardless of whether or not I'm on target, it's frustrating and it just feels like something is missing. Feedback from the game would hugely alleviate that frustration, and it would also serve as a way to introduce the concepts of evasion and accuracy in a game where you are manually aiming (traditionally unwelcome concepts) to new players in a practical way. I'm not suggesting scouts are OP, that evasion get nerfed, or that anything change other than that the game give additional feedback. It would not make the game easier or more difficult for anyone involved, but it would make these concepts a bit more approachable and I really just think it's a good idea. As for making the use of cooldowns more evident, I had stated I was hesitant about that for reasons that have already been repeated several times in this thread. Not really sure how you interpreted any of my points as "crying."

That is exactly what I had in mind.

In the example you gave, you're talking about an enemy you presumably can't see charging an attack to fire against you. Now, if you COULD see this enemy, you'd notice a giant halo of energy around them giving away what they're doing. Bioware did in fact see fit to show you when a Gunship is charging their railgun due to the devastating impact it can have on the flow of battle, so while I understand your argument, I don't think that example really does it justice. When a scout uses an ability that boosts their total evasion to 100%, that is as devastating a defensive measure as a fully charged railgun shot is an offensive measure, so it makes sense for there to be more of a clear indicator. Also, GSF already uses floating text to show the damage you're doing, just like in the ground game. Using floating text to show that your enemy is evading an otherwise well-placed attack (much like how you'll see "Miss" or "Evaded" in the ground game) makes sense. It helps you differentiate between missing because your aim is off and missing because their evasion stat is high which I personally feel is important in a game like this. You're not just tab-targeting and hitting "1-1-1" against these enemies, you're leading and shooting them with FPS style controls. When they evade a well-aimed attack because of an underlying evasion statistic, you should know that's why you missed.

Soooo much this. I've noticed most pilots laugh off blaster fire like it's nothing and only start to evade when they hear a missile lock. If you're using an ion cannon you're dealing as much damage as you would with your missiles, so it's kind of funny, but in all fairness it is much harder to detect just how badly you're getting wrecked by blasters right now. Blast the hell out of them when they're stationary and only lock missiles when they're fleeing and you're trying to keep them occupied with fleeing. This also works when you're trying to take down enemies making smooth approaches to turrets or enemies that are in smooth pursuit of allies- lock on missiles are a detriment to your efforts.

The thing that bothers me most about GSF is the evasion stat. I've heard scout pilots vehemently defend it as the only thing that keeps them alive, and after hearing from them I have been convinced that it should be in the game (plus the idea of cybernetic warfare and distortion fields is pretty cool). The problem I have with it is that I would really like some kind of feedback that the reason I'm missing is that they're evading, and not that I'm lagging out or getting cheated. The best example I can think of to cite is in Team Fortress 2. Scouts in that game have an item (not sure what it's called) that enables them to dodge all attacks that hit them for a short time, much like the evasion-boosting cooldowns in GSF. However, there's a VERY clear indication that they're using the ability, and when you shoot at them you're given floating text that says "Miss!" to let you know that you're on target, but that your damage is being negated by the ability. That's what I'd like to see in this game- when you're on target, and would have hit an enemy if not for their evasion stat, you should be given some sort of notification that they did in fact evade the shot. I also feel like there should be a more obvious indicator that an enemy scout is using an evasion boosting cooldown, but I think some might argue that that would defeat the purpose, especially when being targeted by an enemy Gunship. What are your thoughts on ship evasion in GSF?

I agree with the OP, the death match style terminology doesn't fit very well with Star Wars. Hadn't really stopped to think about it but it's a good point. But, hey, at least the game doesn't say "G-G-G-GODLIKE" when someone achieves a "M-M-M-MONSTER KILL."

Yeah, you don't want to get into those wrestling matches. It just wastes your time and one of two things is going to happen: another enemy is going to show up and you'll be running for your life, or an ally is going to show up and your enemy will be running for his/her life. That also brings me to my answer: the best way to get out of that pattern is to have a wingman interject. It's all about teamwork. If you see an ally circling an enemy then get over there and help them out. You'll kill the enemy and free up your ally. On the other hand, if you can't rely on a teammate to come help you, boost towards them. If all else fails, and if you're determined to continue your silly little 1v1, boost away, turn, and "joust" with your enemy. At least one of you is more likely to die in that way.

Gunships are annoying when there are several of them working in tandem but... they also halt their movement entirely to attack. That's a pretty decent trade-off, especially when you can easily boost to close that distance in seconds. Now, if your engine pool is empty because of trying to shake pursuers when a gunship starts firing on you... welp. That's called getting outplayed. It happens. If you never expect to get outplayed in a competitive environment the joke's on you.

I've fought some good gunship pilots, but for the most part I find them to be pretty easy targets. I suppose it's possible (?) that every single gunship pilot I've fought is a noob but I've never been one-shot in my strike fighter. The only time I have trouble with gunships is when they're obviously coordinated with other gunships and fighters that support them. I really don't think they're in need of a nerf.

I think the alarm that sounds once a player who has locked you fires their missile is the coolest sound I've ever heard. But yeah, sometimes when I'm being hit with a rapid fire weapon I don't notice how badly I'm being ripped apart until it's too late.

I love seeing gunships in my strike fighter. More often than not it means a free, easy kill.

I do the same thing. Trying to navigate via the minimap isn't really possible in this. It takes a little practice to get used all the navigational information being present around the reticule but it works. I'm extremely colorblind and have bad vision overall so it's a mess for me and I still manage to know where I'm headed... most of the time.

Latest screenshot, taken for the 5 solo kill count. Trevis - FT-8 Star Guard - The Eventide - Jung Ma - 9 Kill Streak - 5 Solo Kills http://i.imgur.com/xdodSx9.jpg

According to my achievement information I've played 22 games with only 2 losses, both of which were automatic abort losses. I've already completed most of the "get x in a single match" achievements. I also consistently get top damage in my matches, I think with maybe three or four exceptions. I haven't spent a single dime. If you are losing it's not because your enemies have better ships and components. It's because you either don't understand how the game works or you're simply not good at it yet.

Try and use some logic here: if other people are doing well and you're not and all of these people are using the same control scheme, then isn't it possible that, maybe, you're doing it wrong?

I imagine the main gripe you have with this is the fact that pulling off an immelmann loop is an ability instead of a cool maneuver experienced pilots can pull off. I actually don't mind that at all... it reminds me of Starfox 64's open range combat. Having abilities in space actually makes a lot more sense than not having abilities in space would, especially in a science fantasy universe like Star Wars. Hacking, boosting sensors, etc. would be integral parts of mechanized space warfare and they add a cool individualized touch which is important in a game like SWTOR.

People have been lamenting the lack of space PvP since day one of launch. It was literally the first thing I read in General when I logged in for the first time at launch: "there's no space pvp ***" It was a massive gulf and it needed to be addressed. I love the way they chose to fill it.

Today is my third day playing it and I outperform just about everyone I play with, except Jaxin, who consistently outperforms everyone in the universe (I'm Trevis on Jung Ma). The bit about getting owned by people with better ships is totally untrue. It still comes down to skill and wit for the most part. High level upgrades are expensive and while I'm sure it's possible to have some components fully upgraded or near to fully upgraded already via fleet req transfer, I certainly haven't noticed it. If it's not your style of game, you can either accept that you're not very good at it and practice until you're decent or accept that you're not very good at it and stop playing. You're not losing because the game is unfair. I recommend doing the tutorial once or twice and reading other tips and stuff on the forums. I've posted a few times about my tricks with a Strike Fighter that put me at top damage almost every match and I've read some other amazingly detailed posts too by other pilots.

I for one love the Strike Fighter and have barely played as anything else. I'm also consistently top damage in matches (occasionally beat by a Gunship) so I feel like I have a decent handle on it. I use the standard Republic loadout (Rapid Fire/Heavy Laser and Concussion Missiles). My strategy is really just to use my teammates. If I'm under attack from multiple sources I take evasive action. If I'm not, I try to approach allies that are under attack and use their pursuers' smooth approach vectors/reduced throttle to blast them away without having to bother leading them. I also use the Concentrated Fire co-pilot active ability, the crits really stack fast. Most players I've found will continue attacking if they've caught scent of an easy kill, even as you utterly annihilate them from their six. That's another thing to keep in mind. Even if you've got a kill in sight, if you start taking damage while your throttle is reduced, get out of there. Also, Strike Fighters seem to be pretty capable of destroying Gunships. Sometimes I'll boost straight at one, reduce throttle in range of my heavy laser and start blasting while locking a missile. They've yet to outlive me in that scenario, not once, even when they're firing at me. The only ones that survive are the ones that flee, and by then it's usually too late. As far as those dogfighting entanglements go, I find myself in them often and they're not really ideal. I can usually defeat other Strike Fighters this way, but Scouts are annoying to contend with. Typically I try to head towards allied Gunships while evading, prioritizing shaking their locks and boosting when I'm clear of them. Gunships love Scout kills and I'm sure they'll thank you for getting them in the clear and open.

I understand what you meant haha, I've only seen a couple of enemies doing it. What I mean was it's suspicious that they seem to be fine when they're on approach and attacking and then suddenly start teleporting around when I'm in pursuit. Felt like lag switching but who knows for sure.

I definitely agree with this. It does seem like some enemies are fine on the approach and start lagging out considerably once I'm on their tail. Kind of suspicious, but I love the controls and find them very responsive and capable.

Insofar as GSF is basically "warzones in space," I'm quite satisfied with it. The experience was made to be fun and it is fun. My issues with it come from the fact that it is completely isolated from the rest of the SWTOR experience... it's like a sideshow attraction right now as opposed to an actual game mechanic. You can even start piloting your fighter craft at level one which is a huuuuge conflict of interest with the game's story, especially if you're a smuggler. That's my biggest complaint with it so far. I'm not expecting to see fully fledged open world space travel/combat in SWTOR, even if that's what a lot of people want. But I also disagree with the idea that this game mode is incapable of delivering a memorable experience. In the long term it may fall short of satisfying everyone, but that remains to be seen.

Are you talking about the line or the arrow? That is in fact what the red arrow does, but there's also a line that shows where your mouse cursor is outside of the weapons circle. But reducing throttle will help you pitch faster, and rolling will also help maneuver them back into your line of sight, and that will likely come naturally with experience.

Yeah man... in no way does adding a brand new, isolated mechanic ruin a game. Either you weren't playing SWTOR anymore because you already thought it had been ruined by something else, or you were still playing because you were still enjoying the available content and won't be affected by the new game mode. GSF was slated to be PvP in space since the beginning, as far as I know, and prior to this there was absolutely no PvP in space. In a Star Wars MMO. That's something people have loathed since day one. Seriously, the first thing I read in Ord Mantell General when I logged in for the first time on launch day was a conversation about how much it sucked that there wasn't Space PvP. I'm loving it and I think it'll only continue to get better. It's unfortunate that it wasn't the expansion you wanted but I think it was the expansion most people wanted.