WOW. I am SO glad that I haven't seen this in a match yet...it would be enough to make me want to shoot them down myself.

This might be important as heck...are you GETTING hit a lot, but unable to hit anything, or are you not hitting and not GETTING hit? If it's the latter, then it might be your internet connection. If you see another player that seems to kind of almost "teleport" around, there and then not and then there again, that's internet lag. They are almost impossible to hit consistently, but they can't HIT much, either. Otherwise, and I hate to say it, because EVERYBODY says it, but...practice. Practice makes all the difference. There is a steep learning curve on this particular part of the game.

I have no ill-will at all toward new players, I was new and got killed all the time and hit stuff and died and died and died. I know how it feels at first. But PLEASE...the ops chat is NOT the place to ask for advice. That's what THIS is for, this forum right here. A player this morning was typing questions about game mechanics instead of fighting, while our team was getting creamed. I won't name names, I'm not trying to dump on the guy, I just want to state that wow, buddy, now ain't the time. In the spirit of fairness, I will now answer the questions... "How come (insert opposing player's name here) can hit me when they aren't directly in line?" Probably because they have improved their firing arc, which is exactly what is sounds like...they are now "on target" in a broader arc off the center line of their ship. "They're greyed out to me but they're still hitting me?" For the same reason...a really good player could get behind an object, and if their firing arc is better than yours, then yes, they could hit you while you could NOT hit them, if you were in the right spot relative to them and the object. That's a kind of crazy maneuver, in my opinion, but it obviously worked, so I ain't gonna judge. To reiterate...I encourage everyone to ask any game-play questions they have...just not in the ops window while a match is in progress, please. The player asking the questions is kind of letting the team down, and anyone who took the time to answer would ALSO be distracted from the match. I know that if you don't ask questions you don't improve, I just ask that you ask them at the correct time and place. To whit, right here. Thanks. And Happy Holidays, everyone!

Oh yeah. It isn't IMPOSSIBLE for a pick-up team to beat a pre-made, I've been on teams that have done it, but BOY, is it hard. 12 on 12, if 4 on the other side are a group that flies together all the time, you have your work cut out for you. Even a small group on Skype or Murmur or whatever becomes terrifying.

True. The matchmaking that is currently going on is (supposedly) NOT how it's going to work once the full launch happens. I know how frustrating it must be...I've been in a couple matches where I'm suddenly speed-killing other players and realize that they must be brand new, and I actually feel kinda bad. But the devs have said that come full launch, there is going to be a matchmaking system that will try to put players against more balanced opponents. It is still "early", so try not to get too frustrated...we need players!

Happened to me once too. Fortunately it hasn't repeated, but it does make me extra careful to try and NOT hit the satellites.

^^Agree. Too slow. And we killed each other a couple times today, but I didn't take it personally.

I've seen tons of posts and replies about "skilled pilots", from both factions, and I gotta say...bunk. Geared up ship? Also bunk. I've played enough solo matches to know pre-made groups by names when I see them, and they always roll. One on one? I've killed every "Board Topper" other-faction player out there on my server at least once if not multiple times. But so what? When a group works together they win the match. Case in point...today, I played a match grouped with one guy as my wingman (who is much better than me, by the way, I'm flattered he groups with me) There was another name I knew on our team, and the rest were 3-ship players that I'd never seen (and there aren't that many players on my server currently, so I know a lot of them, especially the ones that regularly play at the same times I do). On the other side was a partial pre-made- four names that I ALWAYS see together, and I recognized most of the others. Experienced, "skilled" pilots. We rolled 'em. Took two points, defended them well, gunships and strikes and scouts all doing what they do best. We won. The other side started out cocky, then got frustrated and started "grudge chasing" our players (who didn't fall for it, coming back to the points and back-up, bless 'em), and then they just started chasing kills. SAME EXACT SCENARIO, an hour later...SAME pre-made 4, and a group of players on the other side that I fear. Except this time, we GOT rolled...we took 2 points, and then all the strikes ran off hunting kills, leaving our gunships hanging in the breeze and the points undefended. The other side, meanwhile, played together brilliantly...scouts to draw cover off, strikes to kick butt, gunships to defend and cover. Solid team playing, and we lost. I applaud "skilled pilots". Sniper, dogfighter, missileer, gunship strike or scout, whatever you are, you should be proud of your ability But credit where credit is due, please...12 pilots out to "top the board", no matter how good they are, do not guarantee a win. So I doff my hat to the great team players out there. Nice work.

Thanks everyone for the replies! I'll be looking out for you on the fleet.

And how, exactly, do you know that those gunships are flown by "bad players"? What's your reasoning? I personally think that hiding in a turret is lame, but that doesn't make it a "bad" tactic...actually, since it effectively increases both the gunships armor and hitting power, by adding both from the turret, it's a GOOD tactic. Just because I don't LIKE it doesn't make it "bad". Just annoying to ME. So is your reasoning that YOU wouldn't do it, and you are a "good" player, therefore anyone who would do it must be a "bad" player?

I fly straight through turrets all the time...the first time, naturally, was by accident, but IMAGINE MY SURPRISE when I just flew through the thing like it wasn't there. I think that would qualify as a serious "***?", if not a "bug". What I HATE about this thread is that it is pointing out that hiding in a turret can be done, so now every frigging gunship is going to DO it. Grrrrr.....

I've been reading a lot of stuff about how people seem shocked that BioWare basically said that they weren't going to add PVE to Starfighter because it would be "too hard". Really? This is a surprise? What were they GOING to say, something closer to the truth, like "Our bosses have made it clear that any new content has to show at least a 300% return in subscription money on man-hours spent, or we're fired"? Come on now...BioWare, ShmioWare...EA holds the purse strings, and EA's idea of cutting-edge game design is "Oh, hey, let's release a new 'Madden Football'...what are we up to now, like, 'Madden 2,347'? Oh, it'll be RADICALLY different than the LAST one...THIS one will have the new AWAY GAME HELMET DESIGNS and an improved MASCOT skin!" I, for one, am kind of surprised that they even BOTHERED to do Galactic Starfighter instead of just adding on some "The Black Hole...PART 2!" crap. So I'm grateful for what we actually have. Would I like to see PVE content added? Oh, sure, but don't get me started on what I'd LIKE to see. I'm just glad to have a ship that doesn't run on rails...

Allow me to re-state my position...ONE SHOT KILLS take fun out of the game. I don't claim that GUNSHIPS take fun out of the game. In response to some of the comments (I'm not going to bother to quote them all)... Yes, when you find a gunship, they aren't hard to kill, unless they have a buddy. But having a buddy is TEAMWORK, and I have NO problem with that. Yes, effective sniping in a gunship isn't always easy, I know. Yes, if you and your teammates mob a gunship as soon as you are aware of it, you remove a lot of its power. Yes, flying in a straight line gets you killed. By everything, not just gunships. Yes, scouts are, by their very nature, thin-skinned. I don't expect my Blackbolt or Sting to have "survivability". I just dislike the "dead without a chance to evade or respond" part of the souped-up railgun. We get a tone for missile lock, how about a tone for "railgun charging"? Then at least you'd have a CHANCE at evading.

That's it, just the title. I've got nothing to add to that.

HEY_OOOOO! *rimshot*

It's also not that hard to kill gunships, or at least damage them enough to stop them from chaining kills. Now, I don't play on a pvp server (Jedi Covenant), but I don't think I've ever seen a gunship with that many kills. I also hate them with a passion, and will mercilessly hunt down anyone who uses one ^^THIS, oh boy, this. I don't think it's really fair to be pushing so hard for a nerf on the gunships...yes, the one-shot kills make me just as mental as anyone, but once you start figuring out how to hunt them, the poor things really suck...they can't maneuver, they're slow, and their close-in weapons are like pea-shooters. And having played one a few times, while you're sniping you are the DEFINITION of a sitting duck. Oh, and let's not forget the GIANT GLOWING CLOUD they produce when they're charging up to snipe, which is essentially a "Hey, come over here and kill me!" sign...

Honestly, if you really want to counter Gunships (not that that is always the best tactic, although I do enjoy hunting them myself), all you have to do is make them re-locate often. You don't even need to kill 'em, just don't let 'em sit and snipe. A fly-by attack almost always, in my experience, makes a Gunship go zipping away like a scared rabbit (a fat, slow rabbit, I might add) That statement is, of course, posited on the idea that the Gunship isn't LOOKING STRAIGHT AT YOU THE WHOLE TIME YOU'RE APPROACHING. Fly at them in a straight line without checking the little model of them in the upper right to see which way they are facing relative to you, and yes, you are dead. Because you essentially just flew down the Gunship's railgun's BARREL. Which isn't the Gunship's fault, is it? I KILL GUNSHIPS DEAD in my Scout all the time, because I hunt them carefully. But more often, I just get them to move, and then move again, because then they are pretty useless. And yes, that IS defending an objective...if a Gunship ain't sniping, it isn't killing turrets or other defenders. If by "defending" you only mean racking up defense medals for the board, then that's your problem. Gunships make me nuts, but I don't think they're OPed at all...ANNOYING, but not OPed. I don't think "annoying" really deserves a nerf.

When I started, I was getting my hard candies shot off ALL THE TIME. I know that's frustrating. Thing is, I've played lots of "space fighter" games, and that's how it ALWAYS goes, at first. It always takes a while to get the hang of the controls, but once you do, you'll see a MARKED improvement in your performance. As has been said...PRACTICE. If not being an "ace" by the third or fifth or tenth match is enough to get you to quit, well, that's just silly. It's a CHALLENGE to get better. I wasn't even ON the board, the first dozen or so matches I played. Now, about 30-40 matches in, I'm routinely in the top 5. Learn the maps, there are only two currently. Once you get the layout of an area, everything gets easier. At first, play defensively. Stay close to friendly objectives, and don't go chasing kills by yourself, until you can get enough requisition to upgrade your ship. And as has also been said already, figure out how you like to play, and "ship up" accordingly. Concentrate on upgrading one ship that you like, rather than trying to keep all three at the same level. Personally, I'm a Scout junkie...a speed freak, turret-killing objective grabbing opportunistic "surprise" killer. I don't like Gunships because I don't like sitting still and I don't like Strikes because they're not fast enough and don't turn tightly enough for me. But everyone's play style is different, find your own. And here's something I haven't seen here yet (but may have missed)...work on your accuracy. Practice with the reticule, and check your accuracy rating at the end of the match. You'll only have a second or two (most of the time) to hit your target, and you want as much fire on target as possible. There are targeting "sweet spots" that vary based on distance, direction, the target's armor and components, etc. Don't just "hose and pray"...the target can see the shots going past, you know! I've gotten out of getting killed because the enemy opened up too early and warned me I had someone on my butt. Several actual air combat aces from both World Wars listed "marksmanship" as being more important than "piloting skill" in air combat, so it's obviously worth working on.

As far as I can tell, you get points based more on the things that get you medals...killing turrets, taking objectives, and defending objectives. Stay within a certain range of an objective for a minute, medal awarded. 2 minutes, medal, etc. Killing turrets gets you Assault medals, as does taking objectives. I may be wrong, but I don't believe that kills get you requisition points...it's objectives that get you that... And in response to the players who go nuts over other players hunting kills at the expense of objectives, not only do I feel your pain, but "hunting" on your own is actually harder than defending your teammates...an player who is intent on chasing a kill is much easier "opportunistic meat" than one defending. I get many more kills on players who are busy chasing my teammates than on ones actively defending sats. So not only does it not really help win the match, but it makes one an easier target for others. Lose-lose. As I said above, if you're up by 400-500 points, hey, do as you like. If you're up by 100, it's still anybody's game, so play it smart!

Even if they are pulling a "banzai" to deny another player a kill, well, so what? I mean, it is a little chicken-s&$t, but whatever, it doesn't really affect the match except to the other side's slight advantage. If they are hawking the boards SO much that they'd rather have to re-spawn than give a kill, then they suck as team players. Of course, they MIGHT be suiciding so that they can come back with a fresh, full load of missiles and a new hull...which is also a bit lame, but at least more understandable.

Many views no replies...I guess the answer is "No, no-one is interested"... ...so, would any existing guilds take on a casual 55 Merc DPS who is willing to do ops, Flashpoints, and Starfighter, but isn't really interested in other PVP?

UPDATE- Make that "Scout" almost exclusively...just got my Sting (insert evil laugh here )

Completely agree. I was in two yesterday, one was 997-1000, one was 998-1000. My team lost both, but MAN, they were fun. I'd prefer to lose a really tough, close match to winning an overwhelming victory...1000-183, I figure we just pimp-slapped a bunch of brand-new players, and that isn't anything to be proud of. Worse, I worry that that kind of match might put new players off the expansion entirely, and THAT'S no good.

UPDATE- Started playing the Sting and I love it. Since I consider it part of a Scout's job to disrupt Gunships, I love the cluster missiles...I don't get that many kills right now, I'm not upgraded, but the "lock tone" tends to make 'em scoot...and when they're scooting, they aren't sniping. So even if I don't HIT them, I'm doing good work.

I just started flying a Sting, and it isn't all tricked out yet, but it really doesn't seem OPed at all to me. I immediately went from a fairly respectable kill count (in my Blackbolt) to zero or one kills per game. Here's the interesting thing...I had the same number of assists. I was playing less aggressively because I knew I was in a "not yet upgraded" ship, and yet, defending and backing other players more, I was still helping out just as much. Also, my accuracy rating (does anybody else check that?) was the same. Honestly I think it's play style, more than the ship, that affects the boards, but whatever, teamwork still wins the match. Two brand new Scouts or Strikes working well together will still kill my butt, no matter what kind of components I have installed.