How does anyone fly a gunship

[Tenacity]

After trying out gunships recently (both the comet breaker and the quarrel), I have a newfound respect for (good) gunship pilots - the ones I always gripe about harassing my strike or scout when I'm not paying attention.

 

Honestly, I cant fly the stupid things. They're too slow and seem to have zero firepower when it matters. Even the defenses are terrible. Granted I didnt upgrade either gunship very far, but still.

 

I can go 10-20 kills and 0 deaths in a scout or strike fighter (honestly I do better in strike fighters now), but I cant get jack in the gunship.

[Drackly]

Mad skillz son. Mad skillz.

[MrWoolie]

After trying out gunships recently (both the comet breaker and the quarrel), I have a newfound respect for (good) gunship pilots - the ones I always gripe about harassing my strike or scout when I'm not paying attention.

 

Honestly, I cant fly the stupid things. They're too slow and seem to have zero firepower when it matters. Even the defenses are terrible. Granted I didnt upgrade either gunship very far, but still.

 

I can go 10-20 kills and 0 deaths in a scout or strike fighter (honestly I do better in strike fighters now), but I cant get jack in the gunship.

 

I too have unlocked and upgraded at least halfway on all the ships (except comet breaker, absolutely useless), and I am somewhat inclined to agree with you. Although I do view gunships with an extreme prejudice, mainly due to their ion railgun.

 

The strikes, especially the starguard/rycer, I find much easier to fly than a gunship or scout, primarily due to their shield regen. Since the stock strike can use ion cannons and directional shields, it is a lot more versatile on lancing. I would open with ion cannons, retro trust at the last second, and shoot a concussion missle at point blank. It creates a similar crippling effect as a gunship would, except they would also stop your regeneration for 6 seconds, during the time your only hope is popping a DCD.

 

However make no mistake, even though gunships are more difficult to use, all the star fighters in the game are shockingly easy to master, and there is a huge difference between a raw component and an upgraded one. I run distortion field w/ missle break and barrel roll on mine. With that set up, statistically no one should be able to lock on a missile due to the timing of the DCDs and the factor of distance gained while popping them. Simply run to help while you chain your DCDs. Ion "love taps" are also extremely useful, the part that ticks me off the most is that it is AOE damage, you can literally stop attackers and drain them of their blaster power at the same time. While your pursuers won't be able to lock on ether.

 

Gunships aren't all that hard to play, it may seem challenging w/o upgrades, but I can assure you of all the ships, I find it have the lowest skill ceiling, and rewards the most based on your experience than the other ships.

 

If you often find your shots missing, a trick I use is to zoom out and zoom in in quick succession to zero in on the target for a 100% shot if the RNG gods are with me. (I main Combat, don't judge.)

[Sadishist]

After trying out gunships recently (both the comet breaker and the quarrel), I have a newfound respect for (good) gunship pilots - the ones I always gripe about harassing my strike or scout when I'm not paying attention.

 

Honestly, I cant fly the stupid things. They're too slow and seem to have zero firepower when it matters. Even the defenses are terrible. Granted I didnt upgrade either gunship very far, but still.

 

I can go 10-20 kills and 0 deaths in a scout or strike fighter (honestly I do better in strike fighters now), but I cant get jack in the gunship.

 

Upgrade.

[Verain]

Take your Quarrel. Buy the first upgrade of slug railgun, then get distortion field. You should have barrel roll.

 

 

Now, your game is this: you go and snipe. When the enemies come for you, run to your allies, or the cap ship. Barrel roll, distortion field, barrel roll. Don't try to dogfight when you just can't win.

[Helig]

Gunship is your Sniper. Follows the same rules as the character class. Keep a few things in mind.

 

You're painfully obvious with the giant "IMMA CHARGIN MAH LAZOR!" nebula.

You need a good position with escape routes.

You need to use CC (Ion rail).

 

Good position generally involves not floating in open space, having at least your worst blind side covered by a nice, hard surface. Oh, and a good field of view. ALWAYS keep in mind where your capital ships are - barrel roll=>boost=>barrel roll in this direction whenever you feel like your safety is compromised (yeah, not a very honourable move, but it works, and that's what counts - at least as long as you aren't comfortable with the ship).

 

Aiming - always, *ALWAYS* aim for the small central circle, and not the "big" one. Ion Rail makes it easier because it has a slow effect when sufficiently upgraded. A Mastered Ion cannon is the biggest pain in the arse for the enemy team. Obliterates shields in 1 shot, slows, giving you a clear shot for Slug that would usually shred their hull. Oh, and it hits humpers around a sat. Even if you hit a turret. Tee-hee.

Edited January 25, 2014 by Helig

[silvershadows]

Take your Quarrel. Buy the first upgrade of slug railgun, then get distortion field. You should have barrel roll.

 

 

Now, your game is this: you go and snipe. When the enemies come for you, run to your allies, or the cap ship. Barrel roll, distortion field, barrel roll. Don't try to dogfight when you just can't win.

 

 

Be warned that if you develop a reputation for running to the capital ship, you will be targeted mercilessly.

[Armonddd]

Be warned that if you develop a reputation for running to the capital ship, you will be targeted mercilessly.

 

Run for the cap ship! If you can drag three of them with you, that's three of their guys out of the fight at the cost of just you.

[dancezwithnubz]

Be warned that if you develop a reputation for running to the capital ship, you will be targeted mercilessly.

 

this. you will be branded coward and traitor by the good pilots of both sides.

 

besides, having played around a bit with a gunship lately (i feel dirty!), i can honestly say staying within roll-boost-roll distance of the cap ship is a stupid strat. you massively gimp the area of the battlefield you can dominate for the certainty of 'safety'. by spending so much time running away, you're seriously lowering your contribution to your team and you wind up with almost zero requisition.

 

it's just a losing strategy from the start.

 

getting nailed? head for your TEAMMATES, not the cap ship. continually getting nailed before even getting a shot off in a gunny, switch ships.

[Tenacity]

Think I'll just stick to my strike fighters, I do great in them.

 

Might try out bombers when they come around, but given how good I am with missiles, I dont like the idea of flying a ship that's completely vulnerable to missile locks.

[Zharik]

this. you will be branded coward and traitor by the good pilots of both sides.

 

besides, having played around a bit with a gunship lately (i feel dirty!), i can honestly say staying within roll-boost-roll distance of the cap ship is a stupid strat. you massively gimp the area of the battlefield you can dominate for the certainty of 'safety'. by spending so much time running away, you're seriously lowering your contribution to your team and you wind up with almost zero requisition.

 

it's just a losing strategy from the start.

 

getting nailed? head for your TEAMMATES, not the cap ship. continually getting nailed before even getting a shot off in a gunny, switch ships.

 

But Roll, Boost, Roll distance is the center Satellite?!?

[Helig]

Be warned that if you develop a reputation for running to the capital ship, you will be targeted mercilessly.

 

Won't work on prey with minimal situational awareness. You'll just spook them off for a dozen seconds, and, if you keep chasing them, you'll also earn their ire. They will be targeting you specifically. Expect to be blown up whenever you're engaged in a fight with someone else, because someone with a 15km combat range, and pretty much invisible to your sensors while at that range has obvious tactical advantage.

[reclipsed]

Won't work on prey with minimal situational awareness. You'll just spook them off for a dozen seconds, and, if you keep chasing them, you'll also earn their ire. They will be targeting you specifically. Expect to be blown up whenever you're engaged in a fight with someone else, because someone with a 15km combat range, and pretty much invisible to your sensors while at that range has obvious tactical advantage.

 

QFT. I got lucky a few times against one of them elite godmode gunships. Expect to be tunnel killed for a half dozen matches because you scratched his perfect sco- er paintjob. Seriously, Gunship pilots can really hold a grudge

[Tenacity]

QFT. I got lucky a few times against one of them elite godmode gunships. Expect to be tunnel killed for a half dozen matches because you scratched his perfect sco- er paintjob. Seriously, Gunship pilots can really hold a grudge

 

I dont think ship type matters when it comes to holding a grudge =P I was flying my strike the other night and had a sting pilot that kept killing me when I was going after others, so I tunneled in on him and tore him to pieces several times in a row until he left me alone, lol.

[Mallorik]

Theres no such thing as a good gunship pilot, just bad scout pilots.

[Davionix]

Oh, you think good flying is your ally, but you merely adopted the flight. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn’t see the speed of other ships until I was already a mastered gunship; by then, it was nothing to me but lightning fast! Your fancy flying tricks betray you, because they belong to me. I will show you how I have learned to fly, whilst running away from an angry swarm of fighters and scouts. Then, I will shoot you. Your precious Distortion Field, gratefully accepted. I will need it. Ah yes, I was wondering what would break first. Your hull, or your shield.

[DarthVindictus]

After trying out gunships recently (both the comet breaker and the quarrel), I have a newfound respect for (good) gunship pilots - the ones I always gripe about harassing my strike or scout when I'm not paying attention.

 

Honestly, I cant fly the stupid things. They're too slow and seem to have zero firepower when it matters. Even the defenses are terrible. Granted I didnt upgrade either gunship very far, but still.

 

I can go 10-20 kills and 0 deaths in a scout or strike fighter (honestly I do better in strike fighters now), but I cant get jack in the gunship.

 

For one flying stock ships this late in is going to get you wrecked, you're flying against mastered ships at this point.

 

For another, flying a gunship requires a completely different mindset, snipe and move, snipe and move, keep between 12-14k range on your targets if you can.

 

If a scout or strike engages you, realize you have very little chance of beating them in close combat, unless they're already severely weakened, like, they're on fire, and you have burst lasers.

 

Unupgraded, you're toast, that's all there is to it, upgrade barrel roll and distortion field first, so that you can have a shot at getting away.

 

Run to allies, run to allied satellites, run out of line of sight, and yes, run to spawn. If they're dumb enough to run after you all the way to spawn, they deserve to get frustrated over getting destroyed by turrets.

[dancezwithnubz]

But Roll, Boost, Roll distance is the center Satellite?!?

 

whoops!

 

i meant: roll-boost away from cap ship.......

 

For one flying stock ships this late in is going to get you wrecked, you're flying against mastered ships at this point.

 

it's the skills acquired while mastering those ships that's more the problem.

 

i top-scored a couple of matches yesterday in a NovaDive with only a couple upgrades & again in a completely stock Quarrel.

[DarthVindictus]

this. you will be branded coward and traitor by the good pilots of both sides.

 

besides, having played around a bit with a gunship lately (i feel dirty!), i can honestly say staying within roll-boost-roll distance of the cap ship is a stupid strat. you massively gimp the area of the battlefield you can dominate for the certainty of 'safety'. by spending so much time running away, you're seriously lowering your contribution to your team and you wind up with almost zero requisition.

 

it's just a losing strategy from the start.

 

getting nailed? head for your TEAMMATES, not the cap ship. continually getting nailed before even getting a shot off in a gunny, switch ships.

 

If you're in an organized group, that's a more sound strat, in a PuG, your allies are less likely to protect you. I usually try to go for allies and allied satellites first, if that doesn't break pursuit or get them killed and I'm still hearing lock on noises every 3 seconds, have to go to capital ship.

[DEATHICIDE]

The real trick is to snipe on "your side" of the map.

All too often I see gunships trying to jet over to satellites, chase someone who just did a failed run on them and shooting their lasers as if they morphed into a strikefighter all of a sudden.

 

Plowing headfirst into a swarm of scouts, or an area where one is likely to appear when your engines won't be able to save you, just to get a shot off on one guy, or score some cheap cap requisition is a horrible move.

 

Premades can get away with some of this crazy because they are, for example, on voice and know that they are bait for a swarm of allies who are hanging back on purpose to pounce.

So, just because some seem to be ok doing these things, or have done them to you successfully, does not mean that it is something you should be doing to work your game.

 

Best lesson for new gunship pilots = you are not a strike fighter, you are not a scout, so stop playing like one.

Get used to being (far)away from the dogfights if you want to make any sort of difference for your team.

[DarthVindictus]

whoops!

 

i meant: roll-boost away from cap ship.......

 

 

 

it's the skills acquired while mastering those ships that's more the problem.

 

i top-scored a couple of matches yesterday in a NovaDive with only a couple upgrades & again in a completely stock Quarrel.

 

Some component upgrades are kind of hard to replace with just manual skill. An unupgraded gunship is going to struggle with lock on missiles with the longer barrel roll cooldown and higher cost. That 5s is a missile locked onto you and impacting your hull.

[KhoasEternal]

Flying a gunship takes some patience. A gunship will begin to shine once you are able to get the upgrades and learn when/how/where to use your F1-F3 energy conversions and your various abilities. Gunships are not for everyone. As a Gunship pilot, as you and your ship improve you will get a name for yourself and that will increase the likelihood that you will be focused by your opponents.

 

For the pilots that I have worked with as far as their gunships are concerned, the biggest factor is to understand that the Gunship is not an in-your-face fighting ship. You have primary weapons that might as well be your secondary weapon because everything you do well is relying on those railguns. Find a good wing-man or two, your survival is based on your teammates defending your position. If you're going to park, park on a Sat.

 

Where to fly when you're being focused? This depends on your luck of the draw team. As you learn to utilize you ship, you are going to be able to play tag with several ships after you and your ship. If you have more than two chasing you down, do not go flying towards a minimally defended sat unless they're ready for you. You'll likely end up losing it if you can't stop to assist your cleanup. Fly them towards the capital ship or somewhere away from your sats.

 

Some tips. Pay attention to your map, it'll help a great deal. Play with your sound on to hear missile locks to disengage them as needed. F2 is just as important as F1 and F3 - ask anyone of my opponents who get stuck with playing ring around the Sat with me on The Ebon Hawk server. =)

[DarkDajin]

A sattelite is a gunships best friend.

 

As a self-proclaimed CQC gunship expert..

The best defense for gunships are the main structures of the sattelite. The gunship has the highest strafing speed of all the ships. Use the structure of the sattelite to defend yourself, pop out of cover and blast someone in the face.

 

Superior flying skills will also allow you to use the fins of the structure to scrape off some annoying pursuers, just make sure to roll and slide yourself through the fins so you dont clip your own wings.

 

In the right hands and with the right build, my quarrel can outshoot and maneuver any ship.

 

Making people panic by shooting them point blank in the face with the burst laser works just as well as it does on the scout. The fact that you can take much more punishment makes it all the more intimidating.

 

5v1 in a CQC GS is the most fun I've had in GSF.

Quickscope ion hits on close targets to hit everyone around you, making Strike Fighters suicide by weaving through the sattelites fins, toggling F3 and F2 to speed up and slow down to make tighter turns, blowing up scouts that have lost track of you with a 1.2k burst laser crit and of course pretending to run away and hitting the scope button to stop dead in your tracks to shoot a slug up the tailpipe of the ship that just flew past you.

 

There are so many tricks a gunship pilot has available. Not just the tedious point, shoot and run away tactics I see here.

 

 

Be agressive and be unpredictable.

Edited January 26, 2014 by DarkDajin

[Danylia]

this. you will be branded coward and traitor by the good pilots of both sides.

 

besides, having played around a bit with a gunship lately (i feel dirty!), i can honestly say staying within roll-boost-roll distance of the cap ship is a stupid strat. you massively gimp the area of the battlefield you can dominate for the certainty of 'safety'. by spending so much time running away, you're seriously lowering your contribution to your team and you wind up with almost zero requisition.

 

it's just a losing strategy from the start.

To be honest, it's a bit hard to blame players for that strategy when some maps literally beg them to use it. I'm looking at you, Lost Shipyard Republic side.

[RivenDusk]

Sideways. All the ships in GSF regardless of base maneuverability make banking turns with a fairly wide arc, but if you pull up or down you change directions much more sharply. So considering most people seem to keep themselves level on X and Y, I instead level myself on Z and it pays dividends. Of course, when I've been engaged I'll flip my axis to whatever angle best benefits a survivable dog fight, but otherwise I like to keep it sideways.

 

It is initially a bit disorienting though, and could make the average player a bit nauseous.