Advice for new Galactic Starfighter players from veterans

[Kain_Turinbar]

Well playing with noobs has been interesting today. Not nearly as many as I thought, just hang in there and in a few weeks you can farm the F2Ps! Edited January 15, 2014 by Kain_Turinbar

[dancezwithnubz]

1) Turn down your mouse sensitivity.

2) Do the tutorial.

4) Use F1-F3 often to transfer power.

5) Earn more requisition faster by helping capture and hold satellites.

6) Always target before firing!

 

 

+1 to all your points and to these ones in particular.

 

4) Use F1-F3 often to transfer power.

it cannot be overstated just how important power management is in GSF. Switching power to engines is, often, the first thing I do after I spawn.

I have these mapped to my mouse scroll wheel, that's how often I'm switching power around in a match. Flick Forward for Zoom Zoom (engines), Pull Backwards for Boom Boom (weapons), shift+backwards = Shields.

 

6) Always target before firing!

i click my scroll wheel to target, very quick, very handy.

 

5) Earn more requisition faster by helping capture and hold satellites.

+1,000.

don't chase someone if they run from the sat you're defending, let 'em come back. meanwhile, you're earning defense medals and all the juicy extra Requisition that comes with that.

I've lost matches by horrific margins, but I still walked out with 700+ requisition. how? Turret Destruction! the enemy holds all three nodes and my team is a less than stellar pug? i'll go bunker busting and just try and destroy as many turrets as I can. blast in, blow turret, blast out, loop round and come in for the next one.

Edited January 15, 2014 by dancezwithnubz

[archifikoss]

I'm not a stellar player by any means but I do have some experience in the game by now so here goes...

 

- GSF has a steep learning curve despite its simplicity. The first few fights you won't yet have a defined goal or method, and you will die a lot. Don't be discouraged, it will get better as long as you persist.

 

- Try to find a role that suits your playstyle and skillset. Are you a killer or an objective driven person? Do you feel more useful and comfortable on the offensive or on the defensive? Once you have pinned down your playstyle work towards improving in it - but try not to neglect the other "roles" too! It's good to have an all-round knowledge of GSF.

 

- Similarly, find a ship that suits you. I am an objective driven player and enjoy quick, agile ships, so the Novadive scout is my go-to ship for most games (I also love the type 2 though). Conversely I can't seem to perform well with the Quell.

 

- The controls are... odd. I would recommend lowering your mouse sensitivity as well as rebinding your keys. You can also reconfigure the UI if you want. Don't make erratic moves with the mouse, they will only throw off your aim and your ship can only turn so fast. Speed + direction changes are more effective than simply trying to evade at a steady speed. Also holding Rmouse to lock is a bit counter intuitive but you'll get used to it - you may want to get cluster missiles as soon as possible until you learn how to lock.

 

- Shoot where your target will be, not where it is (gunship railguns and missile locks excepted). The red reticule will help with that when you've targeted an enemy, you have to lead your shots. If you're experiencing lag you may even have to lead the lead indicator a bit.

 

- Use your power conversion - a LOT. It makes all the difference. IMO engine power is great to have as your default "mode" as it allows you more maneuverability and the ability to get to places you're needed faster. Switch to weapons when you've got someone in your sights and shields are a must when on the defensive in tight spaces (i.e. when you're trying to hold onto a node, your speed/turning does little to aid you in such tight spaces)

 

- Play to win and play for the team. Don't get delusions of grandeur especially at first - there are aces in the game who will wipe the floor with both you and me with one hand tied behind their back. GSF rewards teamwork and selfless play.

 

- Keep a cool head! Don't mindlessly chase people halfway across the map, don't take death personally, don't panic when fired upon and barrel roll into asteroids (TBH I still do that at times but much less now thank god). The calmer you are when you play, the clearer you will think and the steadier your aim and the better your flying will be.

 

- Don't be shy to ask for help... There should be dedicated chat channels on most of the servers. It's possible you will find a veteran who is willing to have you as a wingman. If not, you could try and stick close to a vet, observe them and give them a hand when you can.

 

I hope these tips were helpful!

Edited January 15, 2014 by archifikoss

[Danylia]

Quoting two great advices for emphasis (note, these are advices for veterans):

 

When I notice the score getting particularly unbalanced, I often use that opportunity to switch to a base ship I don't play.

An ideal opportunity to get the Achievements and/or Daily Requisition Bonuses. You'll likely still have the upper hand, but it won't be a faceroll anymore. And ...

 

Another suggestion to the veterans: if you see the matches are really unbalanced, switch sides!

Very much this. After we crushed the Republic three times in a row (while I was only my moderately geared Strike Fighters), I switched to Pub alt, and the Republic (with many players from the previous matches) won the next two ones. It wasn't only thanks to me, of course. But in situation where most players are newbies with basic ungeared ships, every veteran in the team with at least moderate upgrades is worth all the gold.

 

And one more advice for newbies: follow the strategy, especially if laid out by an experienced player (a name you know or someone with a lot of ships). If they say "First group A, second group B", don't rush to C like a lone ranger. And when an incoming/defense for B is called, don't chase kills in the middle of nowhere.

Edited January 15, 2014 by Danylia

[CloudCastle]

I could really use some advice/encouragement. I've been playing GSF off and on since it came out last month and am finding it very difficult to get any better. Mostly I could use tips on playing a gunship.

 

I need help with:

 

1) Actually hitting anything and doing damage. My accuracy rates seems to hover in the teens. On a starfighter I know I'm supposed to be targeting first (I usually use the "e" key), waiting until I get in range, then firing at the lead indicator (or ship itself if using a missile.) On a gunship, I aim for the ship itself instead. From my screen, it LOOKS like I've matched my mouse curser to the thing I'm firing at, I see damage being done (sometimes) but inevitably, I always end the match with about 5,000 points of damage done. Twice ever I got 14,000 and 12,000 but I still haven't the faintest clue what I did differently to even get that. I'm guessing that I found players who were actually worse than me. Why is my accuracy and damage so low? It's really frustrating me. I try to slot the weapons with the highest accuracy rates.

 

On a gunship, even if I can manage to actually fire successfully at someone, it takes a while for the railgun to charge up, and I've never been able to kill anyone is less than 3 shots. Usually after 1 or 2 shots, they figure out I'm firing at them anyway and they run away faster than I can track them.

 

2) Staying alive in a gunship. I really want to play this ship, but I am a sitting duck in it. I swear sometimes the other team is in voice chat all planning on descending on me en masse, because I enter the map and next thing I know I've got 2-3 lock on missiles on me at once. Within seconds I'm dead, sometimes without even firing a shot. It's like I have a huge glowing target around my ship or som-, oh right, I do. I've tried running away, but of course I move at the speed of a glacier, so the best I've been able to figure is to position myself in the middle of asteroid fields and energy walls and that sort of thing, so I can dodge in and out and try to break the lock by LOS. This has worked sometimes. I know I've got barrel roll, but I get attacked too often for me to be able to count on it. It feels like it's always on cool down.

 

3) What should I be focusing my tactics on when playing a gunship? Where's the best place on the map for me to go to? I've tried sneaking to enemy satellites and plunking away at turrets (at least they are not moving targets and I can actually hit them ) but once I take out one, I usually have to book it on out of there because I get hunted down. I try to hide underneath objects and against walls when firing, but I'm not sure if this helps.

 

I've also tried hovering around friendly satellites and taking out enemy ships as they approach, but I seem to spend more time just trying to find someone in range...aiming...ooops, they flew away too fast...let me try again...aiming...ooops, they left my range, aiming...oops, someone else killed them, etc. Should I not be waiting until my railgun is fully charged? Should I park myself right next to a turret? (Seems like I'd be easy to spot and easy pickings) or do I hover on the edges of the area looking in? (What I usually do, but I don't get any points for defending.)

 

4) Should I be playing offensively or defensively? Do I run away or fight it out when attacked? Usually I run (er...oooze away like a sloth), but then I watched a video on Dulfy's site and she was using the rotational thrusters to basically spin around and beat the crap out of whoever was firing at her....and they'd be dead within seconds. I tried rotational thrusters. Sometimes it worked...but it was a guaranteed suicide. At least I went down fighting I guess. But sometimes it didn't work...I would spin around and find myself facing the wall of an asteroid or something. I assume they flew away too fast for me to catch.

 

5) How the heck do I stop a charged up railgun if I don't want to fire it? Too many times I'm aiming at someone and charging up, only to have them go out of my range or behind and an object, etc. I'm stuck with this charged gun sitting under my fingertips and if I let up on the mouse button of course it fires at nothing. (Probably contributing to my low accuracy rate.) I haven't found any site that explains how to abort a shot.

 

Help? This sort of flying game is completely new to me and sometimes I wonder if I should just throw in the towel.

[Nemarus]

I could really use some advice/encouragement. I've been playing GSF off and on since it came out last month and am finding it very difficult to get any better. Mostly I could use tips on playing a gunship.

 

I need help with:

 

1) Actually hitting anything and doing damage. My accuracy rates seems to hover in the teens. On a starfighter I know I'm supposed to be targeting first (I usually use the "e" key), waiting until I get in range, then firing at the lead indicator (or ship itself if using a missile.) On a gunship, I aim for the ship itself instead. From my screen, it LOOKS like I've matched my mouse curser to the thing I'm firing at, I see damage being done (sometimes) but inevitably, I always end the match with about 5,000 points of damage done. Twice ever I got 14,000 and 12,000 but I still haven't the faintest clue what I did differently to even get that. I'm guessing that I found players who were actually worse than me. Why is my accuracy and damage so low? It's really frustrating me. I try to slot the weapons with the highest accuracy rates.

 

On a gunship, even if I can manage to actually fire successfully at someone, it takes a while for the railgun to charge up, and I've never been able to kill anyone is less than 3 shots. Usually after 1 or 2 shots, they figure out I'm firing at them anyway and they run away faster than I can track them.

 

2) Staying alive in a gunship. I really want to play this ship, but I am a sitting duck in it. I swear sometimes the other team is in voice chat all planning on descending on me en masse, because I enter the map and next thing I know I've got 2-3 lock on missiles on me at once. Within seconds I'm dead, sometimes without even firing a shot. It's like I have a huge glowing target around my ship or som-, oh right, I do. I've tried running away, but of course I move at the speed of a glacier, so the best I've been able to figure is to position myself in the middle of asteroid fields and energy walls and that sort of thing, so I can dodge in and out and try to break the lock by LOS. This has worked sometimes. I know I've got barrel roll, but I get attacked too often for me to be able to count on it. It feels like it's always on cool down.

 

3) What should I be focusing my tactics on when playing a gunship? Where's the best place on the map for me to go to? I've tried sneaking to enemy satellites and plunking away at turrets (at least they are not moving targets and I can actually hit them ) but once I take out one, I usually have to book it on out of there because I get hunted down. I try to hide underneath objects and against walls when firing, but I'm not sure if this helps.

 

I've also tried hovering around friendly satellites and taking out enemy ships as they approach, but I seem to spend more time just trying to find someone in range...aiming...ooops, they flew away too fast...let me try again...aiming...ooops, they left my range, aiming...oops, someone else killed them, etc. Should I not be waiting until my railgun is fully charged? Should I park myself right next to a turret? (Seems like I'd be easy to spot and easy pickings) or do I hover on the edges of the area looking in? (What I usually do, but I don't get any points for defending.)

 

4) Should I be playing offensively or defensively? Do I run away or fight it out when attacked? Usually I run (er...oooze away like a sloth), but then I watched a video on Dulfy's site and she was using the rotational thrusters to basically spin around and beat the crap out of whoever was firing at her....and they'd be dead within seconds. I tried rotational thrusters. Sometimes it worked...but it was a guaranteed suicide. At least I went down fighting I guess. But sometimes it didn't work...I would spin around and find myself facing the wall of an asteroid or something. I assume they flew away too fast for me to catch.

 

5) How the heck do I stop a charged up railgun if I don't want to fire it? Too many times I'm aiming at someone and charging up, only to have them go out of my range or behind and an object, etc. I'm stuck with this charged gun sitting under my fingertips and if I let up on the mouse button of course it fires at nothing. (Probably contributing to my low accuracy rate.) I haven't found any site that explains how to abort a shot.

 

Help? This sort of flying game is completely new to me and sometimes I wonder if I should just throw in the towel.

 

Well, first let me say that a Gunship is just a high-pressure environment, and the experience is always one of extremes. Since each shot takes so long, each shot will either be YAY! devastating or GRR! frustrating. There's no middle ground. Secondly, if no one's paying attention to you, it's low-stress because you're just taking pot shots. But once you ARE noticed, people will chase you to the ends of the earth (and rightly so).

 

The best tips I can give are this:

 

1) Fire at targets that are generally close to the center of your screen. The farther they are from the center, the more your weapon's accuracy stat is penalized (meaning even if you aim correctly, you may still miss).

 

2) Begin charging as you are lining up your target. Fire as soon as you feel a spike of confidence in your aim, even if your railgun is not fully charged. Usually this occurs when your target momentarily slows down to turn.

 

3) Use Barrel Roll for your engine component. It will let you traverse the map very quickly and efficiently (when traveling from a spawn point to a node, use it as a travel skill whenever it is off cooldown--it is far faster and cheaper than afterburners). It's also a great escape skill, able to propel you from zero to WAY FAST instantly, putting significant distance between you and those pursuing you.

 

4) Upgrade your Slug Railgun to have 100% armor piercing. This lets you one-shot satellite turrets with about 2/3rd's charge. If nothing else, you can move from node to node (using Barrel Roll) destroying turrets, which will get you lots of requisition.

5) Use a one-two punch of Ion Railgun then Slug Railgun. Ion Railgun, fully charged, will vaporize just about anyone's shields. Follow up with a Slug Railgun to take out their hull.

 

6) Speaking of Ion Railgun, once fully upgraded, it is probably the most powerful component in the game. It can hit up to 4 targets in a single shot (the damage arcs from the primary target to 3 nearby enemies). It can severely slow your target or fully drain their engine and weapon power, making them a sitting duck for a follow-up Slug Railgun hit.

 

7) Use Burst Laser Cannons for your primary weapon. That'll give you some teeth if you're forced into close range combat (though usually your best bet is to just run away).

 

8) When you flee pursuit, flee toward allies. If your team has a node, go to it, especially if it has turrets. Otherwise go to your allies--they will likely pick off your pursuers. Otherwise you'll really just delaying the inevitable. Don't ever think you can flee from a Scout fast/far enough to turn around and railgun them.

 

9) Don't be afraid to help take and hold satellites. Take position within about 12k of a satellite (usually above or below it, to avoid notice). Help clear out the enemies and turrets. Once it's clear, Barrel Roll in toward the satellite and help capture it... meanwhile tab-target endlessly to look for incoming enemies farther than 15k away. If you find one, set up to shoot them as soon as they come within 15k.

 

10) Hunt other Gunships. The biggest threat to a Gunship is another Gunship--and usually the first of the two Gunships to fire is going to win.

[CloudCastle]

Thanks for the tips, Nemarus. I appreciate the advice! I see all these threads on how OP gunships are but very little on how these supposed super-players are getting so good in the first place! At first I thought it was a good learner ship because it flew so slowly that I had more time to get my bearings and learn the controls, but now I think it's actually far harder to play well than any of the other ships.

[Nemarus]

Thanks for the tips, Nemarus. I appreciate the advice! I see all these threads on how OP gunships are but very little on how these supposed super-players are getting so good in the first place! At first I thought it was a good learner ship because it flew so slowly that I had more time to get my bearings and learn the controls, but now I think it's actually far harder to play well than any of the other ships.

 

I do think that's true.

 

If you want a ship that is the opposite of the Gunship--it's the Bomber, coming in February. I had a lot of experience with them in beta, and they are definitely a more ... relaxing experience. Instead of moments of terror and stress, you're basically riding in a giant turtle. You can upgrade for huge shields and hull, and depending on which Bomber you pick, you can either drop mines or drones. The drone Bomber also can drop repair drones which heal hull and shields (of both you and allies).

 

The downside of the Bomber is that it has no missile evading ability, so it really needs to use cover to keep others from breaking missile lock. But most of its damage comes from its drones and mines, while it can fly around with all power to shields.

[JadedJasper]

Thanks for the tips, Nemarus. I appreciate the advice! I see all these threads on how OP gunships are but very little on how these supposed super-players are getting so good in the first place! At first I thought it was a good learner ship because it flew so slowly that I had more time to get my bearings and learn the controls, but now I think it's actually far harder to play well than any of the other ships.

The trick is that Gunships are so deadly than any experienced player who sees one immediately switches to hunting Gunships, and some of them are really good and have tricked out starships specifically for hunting Gunships.

 

Nemarus's basic advice for Gunships is all good, but even the best Gunships die a lot. The most effective way to stay alive in one is to join a Gunship wolfpack and cover each other. Even when it's an ad hoc arrangement it's much more difficult for opponents to run you down, as you can sprint/stop away and when foes slow down to shoot you they're easy targets for the rest of your pack. Pairing with someone armed with Concussion or Proton missiles can work too.

[RCSlyman]

I'll add a little bit to what Nemaras has been saying from my own experiences.

 

First of all, your throttle is your friend. I can't stress this enough. Boosting towards someone just barely out of range can often make you overshoot, and it will definitely jack with your aiming. Put your power to engines for a moment, throttle up, and get them in range plus an additional 1000m. Switch to weapons, line up, and start blasting. Once you get a handle on flying your ship, THEN start doing quick burns to close behind. When you're actually firing at anything not in a straight line with your flight path, throttle back. For some reason, you will find it easier to hit.

 

Roll with it, baby. Your other friend is your roll. No, I don't mean the Barrel Roll ability. I mean your directional roll, as in banking. Your turn rate differs between your pitch (up and down) and yaw (side to side), with yaw being the weaker turn. Get familiar with your roll keys, and try to do most of your turning using pitch, especially if you're in a turning war with someone. Be prepared for some disorientation at first, as you can often times find yourself flying "upside-down".

 

Tab targeting isn't the only targeting out there. Not to say it isn't useful, as it locks onto the nearest ship. But you also have last-hit targeting, which locks onto the last person that hit you, and reticule targeting, which locks onto the ship immediately in your sights. Get familiar with those, too.

 

Joysticks might not work, but gamepads sure do. If you have one, use it. I have a Razer Nostromo, myself. Features 15 buttons, thumb trigger, scroll wheel, and analog stick. By default, that analog stick controls thrust and roll. You can program everything else to suit your wants. I'm fairly sure that most, if not all market gamepads work the same way. It makes life a whole heck of a lot easier in the pilot's seat.

 

Don't be afraid to try off-the-wall stuff. Flying is as much an art as it is a skill. You know how you get better? You try things. Strange things like flying through incredibly tight spaces with your boosters on. What's the worst that can happen? You go back to the respawn point. You try again. Maybe this time, you manage to thread it. You try it again, and you crash spectacularly. You keep doing it until you can get through more times than not. What does this give you? An edge. Sometimes, it's that edge that gets you through a fight. So try stuff when you feel comfortable flying.

 

Lastly, remember: It's only a game. Have fun with it. Learn from your mistakes. Get better. Don't fret those 0 kill days, we've all been there. Learn and grow, the skill will come with time. There's been a group of players flying for a month now, we have beefed up ships, and even if we're flying a clunker to level it up, we will likely still outperform you. For now. Don't get discouraged. Almost everyone was low man on the totem pole at one time or another. You'll get there. I promise.

[Kuratla]

I did the weekly on two alts last night and saw, for the first time, tons of new players in GSF. It was good to get a match quickly and it was good to have lots of new players to kill. However, my side also had a lot of new players and it was ultimately frustrating playing with them... but I hung in there and completed both weeklies.

 

Couple pieces of advice for the new players that I noticed last night.

 

1) One or two, max, to guard nodes. In one match, the Imps had C and B and we had A but 6 (yes, SIX) of our players were guarding A. Perfect way to lose. When I told them to move, they stayed.

 

2) Listen to your teammates. The Subs who have played the game for month or longer know GSF quite well. If they say to go somewhere or do something, they know what they are talking about.

 

I saw several good players on my side get so frustrated that they stopped queuing. I didn't go that far but it was difficult. I'm hoping that in a week or so, the new players get the hang of it and it'll be much better. Then we get to go through it all again when the F2P guys get access.

[BrianDavion]

The trick is that Gunships are so deadly than any experienced player who sees one immediately switches to hunting Gunships, and some of them are really good and have tricked out starships specifically for hunting Gunships.

 

Nemarus's basic advice for Gunships is all good, but even the best Gunships die a lot. The most effective way to stay alive in one is to join a Gunship wolfpack and cover each other. Even when it's an ad hoc arrangement it's much more difficult for opponents to run you down, as you can sprint/stop away and when foes slow down to shoot you they're easy targets for the rest of your pack. Pairing with someone armed with Concussion or Proton missiles can work too.

 

 

JJ is absolutly right on this bit. Vetern pilots have been pretty much conditions to hate and fear gunships. so when we see one we tend to make a point to kill em.gunships are a pretty nasty foe in the right hands. and in the wrong hands, well we like em in the wrong hands, they're easy kills

 

 

BTW I'm gonna back the other veterns in the reccomendation to use your "off ship" you're still gonna do well and you can actually get some requsition on the ships you don't use much

[Whitelightr]

Some basic tips based on what I've been seeing:

 

1.) Avoid getting into the spray-and-pray style. Yeah you'll land some hits, but generally you come up 1-shot short of the kill. Usually 2-4 well placed shots is enough, hitting 3/11 shots just isn't effective.

 

2.) Learn when to use missile lock and when not to. While the first thought is lock it early, remember you're giving the enemy a warning you are there.

 

3.) Constantly work on improving your target selection, defensive flying and how-to counter Defensive flying. You can always improve there, and it helps regardless what ship you fly.

 

4.) Don't try to fly whatever someone else deems OverPowered this week. Fly what suits you. I know players that fly strikes great, but the can't fly a scout to save their lives, even though people claim scout is EZ-mode and overpowered. Its about what fits your style.

 

5.) Grab the cheap upgrades first instead of going all out on one component. The first 1-2 upgrades in every tier provides great little boosts for nearly nothing. Get those to help you out. Then start mastering whatever components you want.

[Nemarus]

Bumping this in advance of new F2Players tomorrow.