Returning Player, Where to start?

[Marstrike]

Ok so i have recently just returned to SWTOR after a couple months break. I was really excited to see the GSF added to the game and after watching a couple of youtube videos i couldn't wait to get involved.

 

I originally thought the "super secret space project" was going to be more akin to the x-wing / tie fighter series but after seeing it had more of an arcade feel and similar to say the Ace combat games i was just as pleased (being a fan of both styles tbh).

 

Anyway, i jumped right in and proceeded to get smashed all over the place. I think in the 10 or so games played i've had maybe 1 solo kill (my best game being 7 assists, 5 deaths lol). I'v given both starter ships a good try and probably had more success with the strike fighter. I am quite pleased that there is such a hard learning curve as i enjoy hard games and/or steep learning curves.

 

The reason i am posting is to get some information from the people who have been playing this for quite some time. I've read the guide on dulfy for the whole overview perspective but what I'm really concerned with is finding a good starter roll and not wasting the GSF currency. I think because i feel most comfortable with the strike fighter and it has a kind of all round role i would probably be best sticking with it.

 

I have read a couple of the posts around here and can see there is a lot of QQ regarding bombers, gunships, railguns, drones etc so i am aware of some of the more "specialized" ship types and weapons but i feel i would rather learn the mechanics, maps, power up locations etc and tricks before buying any of those.

 

So, could anyone be so kind as to post a rough road map or pointers for a good all round strike fighter or scout i would really appreciate it. Maybe even just point out some of the more sought out upgrades etc.

[GooberNoob]

Ok, I'll take a stab at it.

Try to avoid flying in a straight line unless you are shooting at a target or do not have any enemies on your screen.

Power management is a big thing in this game, F1 for power to weapons, F2 for shields F3 for engines and F4 to re-balance them. Unless you are shooting at someone or circling a satellite you will almost always want to have your power to your engines, engine power is life, slow moving ships tend to die and your engine ability is your primary (in some cases only) way to avoid missiles after they have been fired at you.

Note that i said after they have been fired at you, not when they are locking on, there is a difference in tones when the missile has been launched at you, i'm sure you've heard it over your 10 or so games already =) try to wait till the missile has been fired to use your engine ability so they waste a missile and put it back on cooldown.

 

When you have a ship targeted (E to target the enemy closest to your gun sights and then targets progressively further as you keep pressing E, R to target the last enemy to damage you) it has a lead indicator in front of it's direction of travel, that indicator is where the ship will be when a blaster bolt reaches it if it maintains its current direction and speed of travel, so it can be used as a guideline for where to aim but if they are dodging around you will have to guess at where they will be based on their pattern of dodging and where the lead indicator winds up.

Predicting where a ship that is dodging around in every which direction is quite difficult, which is why you want to be weaving and dodging when you aren't shooting yourself and is why its generally easiest to kill a target when they don't know you are there or are trying to go after someone else themselves.

 

Going straight at an enemy ship (called jousting when done with repetition) can be a good way to get kills vs targets that are targeting you when done with proper cooldowns (distortion field/charged plating and to a lesser extent quick recharge shield's ability) or at the right range, it takes some time to get it down, but the key is getting a feel for when its not going to go well and breaking off instead of following through, I can't quite fully explain it since I go by feel, but as a general guideline I tend to break off a joust by using my engine ability once there is a missile flying at me.

 

Survivability is always my first priority when building a ship, the first 2 upgrades on your engines to reduce the cooldown time and power cost are the most important upgrades you can get, followed by your thrusters (I almost always go regeneration thrusters) for scouts and gunships shields are my next priority since disruption field offers another missile lock break when maxed out, from there its a tossup where to go next, just pick a build that looks good to you and go for it =)

There is a good thread for ship builds on the front page of this forum: Stasie's Galactic Starfighter Guide (Ships, Components, Crew, Tips)

 

Other then that, try to find some good pilots to group with and just talk with them and try to see how they fly in matches. Most servers have gsf channels which you can join by typing /cjoin channelnamehere

for my server (the harbinger) the channels are:

republic: flyboys

imp: gsf

I hope that helps.

[Marstrike]

Hey, thanks for posting such a quick in depth reply

 

I was aware of the movement, leading shots etc but not aware of the different modes. This is great as i remember the x-wing series etc having the ability to re-route power to different modes.

 

I was finding it hard to kill (like you said people i was chasing in a straight line etc) even after having several hits to them in both types of blaster fire, i now realize that most people are probably in full power to weapons when they have someone dead to rights.

 

I was finding it incredibly difficult to out run someone once they were chasing me. The map that is within a planets atmosphere wasn't so bad for missiles as i would often manage to fly round some cover before they achieved a lock and the times that they did achieve lock i would use the defensive cool down (barrel roll?) when in the scout, however sometimes this wouldnt fire and i presume it was due to using all or most of my boost. From what you said, do you mean that boosting alone will outrun a missile (if it was coming in a straight line ofc)

 

Also thanks for posting the upgrades, i'll be sure to get them straight away and possibly missiles and hopefully fair a bit better tonight. I'll also check that guide (which i should of read first tbh lol) and try touch base with some of the other GSF players on my server/

 

Once again, thanks for the great reply

[Armonddd]

I was aware of the movement, leading shots etc but not aware of the different modes. This is great as i remember the x-wing series etc having the ability to re-route power to different modes.

 

It's an exceptionally important feature. That said, don't use F4. There aren't any realistic situations where it gives you an advantage over other options.

 

I was finding it hard to kill (like you said people i was chasing in a straight line etc) even after having several hits to them in both types of blaster fire, i now realize that most people are probably in full power to weapons when they have someone dead to rights.

 

This is true. As a new player, you're also at a bit of a disadvantage because your weapons aren't upgraded (notably, most weapons have a t5 upgrade option to do massively increased damage to shields). I typically switch full power to shields shortly before a joust. It takes a second for the systems to adjust, but then you have a significantly larger shield buffer between you and the other guy.

 

Side note: when an upgrade tier has two boxes, you choose one, not both.

 

From what you said, do you mean that boosting alone will outrun a missile (if it was coming in a straight line ofc)

 

Once a missile is launched, it will hit you unless you use a lock break such as barrel roll. If you boost, you can increase the amount of time before the missile hits (sometimes dramatically). However, after a certain amount of time, the missile just teleports to you and blows up, because science.

[-Streven-]

I will just add on to what the previous poster said about dodging and weaving. It isn't necessary to do that all the time but it is vital once you're being focused on. Like most people I've taken barrel roll on most of my builds for its utility as a travel ability. I like to save it for when I really need it so typically I try to break missile locks by boosting and breaking line of sight which works probably 80% of the time. Boosting in a wide arc almost always breaks a missile lock. Since i boost a lot power management and lots of engine power are vital. In general engines are more important to your survival than shields.

 

While boosting away from danger I hit R since it's likely the guy pinging you with the missile lock is also the last one to have damaged you. This will help you decide what to do next. As a general rule you want the guy focusing on you as your focus.

 

Avoid tunnel vision. You can last a long time if your mobile and using the terrain to keep people from getting a bead on you. If you glaze over trying so hard to get a kill that you ignore all those red flashes and awful beepong noises you will die quickly. Most ships can be burst down in a few seconds.

 

Starting out try to get kills by getting on people's tails while they are focused on something else. Lower your mouse sensitivity until its easy to hold a bead on a straight moving target. Avoid jousting veteran players. If you find yourself in a turning battle and the other guy is lining you up for a joust, come at him like you want to joust then aim off center about 5 or 10 degrees and tap your boost. That's typically enough to throw off his aim and break a missile lock. Hopefully he just wasted a cooldown. You can decide whether or not to turn in behind him or try to break off the engagement.

 

If you are going tier 1 strike I will suggest taking quick charge shields with for their added bonus to engine regen and because they're easier to use starting out than directional shields. Heavy lasers are are great against bombers and softened targets. Ion lasers combined with cluster missiles is also quite effective and easy to use as your other primary and secondary components respectively. I personally take retro boosters with this build for the bonus to engine pool at tier 3 and the very useful backwards movement. It is the most useful/deadly engine component when used properly. However starting out it may be more useful having barrel roll at least until 2.7 hits.

[Marstrike]

Wow guys, seriously thanks a lot. Great information and Tips.

 

One last question regarding ships and the cartel market. I notice there are a few on there but it was my understanding those were just "quick unlocks" for what you can achieve with the GSF currency, is that right?

 

Also, should i stick with the either of the original ships i have atm and upgrade those or is going for say one of the other 2 strike fighters first probably the best option? I haven't looked too in depth at the ship stats so i'm not exactly sure if there is clear and cut advantages for the other ships or if it is just pro's and con's between the different attributes.

 

Great info, looking forward to GSF after work

[jedimessiah]

Some good advice above. Here are some good guides you can check out too.

 

I would save your req for upgrading some components on the ships you have before unlocking more.

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=729222

 

http://dulfy.net/2013/11/15/swtor-galactic-starfighter-new-player-guide/

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=704401

Edited March 30, 2014 by jedimessiah

[Marstrike]

Some good advice above. Here are some good guides you can check out too.

 

I would save your req for upgrading some components on the ships you have before unlocking more.

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=729222

 

http://dulfy.net/2013/11/15/swtor-galactic-starfighter-new-player-guide/

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=704401

 

Cool, thx. I did check out the dulfy one but will be sure to check the others too

[Slivovidze]

#1 - As a new pilot with unupgraded ship, don't get too cocky. Experienced guys with upgraded or even mastered ships will destroy you pretty much at will. Don't actually go for kills, go for damage. Be glad for every shot you land, but if you try too hard, you become easy prey. Once you get shot, run like hell. I still do that, most of the time. You will learn to distinguish situations when you can push a bit harder and survive. Result of applying this tactic will not be your appearance on top of scoreboard, but as a newbie you want to aim for the least amount of deaths possible. As you learn to survive, kills will come.

 

#2 - Mobility is everything. Even though you chose the strike fighter, I recommend giving a scout another shot. Strike fighters are indeed more all-arounders and are tougher than scouts, but with low upgrades they get destroyed very easily. Scouts on the other hand have higher mobility, allowing for more escaping, more maneuvering around and more dodging. I think that with scout, you learn to fly easier than with a fighter.

 

#3 - Stick with someone. I'm not talking about blindly following and doing everything they do, but until you gain your confidence, it is good to have some ally around and have approximate knowledge of what they are doing. If you are lucky and find a good pilot, they may save your butt when someone tunnel visions you, allow you to get shots on occupied targets, get some assists and even some kills (steals - joking, nobody cares about kill steals in GSF). Never fly into the fray alone, don't try to capture satellites alone. Once you learn the ropes you will be able to solo stuff, but as said in #1, don't get too cocky.

 

#4 - Don't attack unocupied enemies. Aim for those trying to shoot something down, escaping from someone else, or otherwise occupied people. These will be weakened, their power pools will not be full, their thingies might be on cooldown, and they will not be ready for you. If you find unocupied ship, chances are that they just came from spawn, or that they just regenerated their powers and waited out the cooldowns, and going for them will probably result in lengthy dogfight with equal chances on both sides.

 

#5 - Avoid prolonged duels. Even though it is kinda fun, long, two-ship fights are dangerous. You become occupied target, easy prey for possible third ship, you might lose your teammates and become a single ship behind enemy lines, you might be needed elsewhere... Of course there are exceptions. Fight for a satellite, for example. Or keeping enemy gunship busy. And more. But always take care about your surroundings and be ready to react if enemy gets upper hand. My personal rule is that if a fight takes more than 5 seconds, I'm out. This is also a lot easier achieved with a scout, because your enemy will probably not outrun your scout, but they can outrun a fighter and shoot you in the back, or deny your escape.

 

I still fly by these rules, with some modifications, and I do very well. Generally as a newbie it is important to have patience. A lot of it. Learning curve is super steep, match making is super dumb. But if you stick with it, there is lots of fun once you get to the "hell I'm good" part.

 

You want to note that the beginning ships are in no way worse than others. If you fall in love with one of them, it is absolutely okay to fly it till you retire. You of course want to experiment, buy other ships and try them out, what if you'd find yourself another love. But once you get good with your first fighter, your performance will not be any worse than the guy who is good with his Pike. I myself fly NovaDive from the beginning, and I am a flying menace.

 

The Cartel Market ships are just reskins of ships obtainable through playing. When you buy them they have no upgrades, same as if you buy a req ship. The difference is that they get 10% extra requisition from the beginning, while you need to master a req ship to get this bonus.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Slivovidze

[Nemarus]

Here's some super simple tricks:

 

Turn down mouse sensitivity to about 20-30%.

 

Use either Burst Laser Cannons for close up fighting ... or don't do close up fighting. Getting closer to your target is NEVER in your best interest unless you are using Burst Laser Cannons.

 

If you don't have access to BLC's, then pick the laser that has the longest range on the ship (Medium Lasers or Quads are 5000m, Heavies are 6000m). Then use a Range Capacitor to max out the range. Upgraded Medium or Quads will then have a range of 5750m, upgraded Heavies will then have a range of 6900m). With your range now maxed out, engage at 500-1000m shorter than that max range, and try to keep them in that spot.

 

At that spot, enemy movements will be much smaller, and it will be much easier to keep them centered in your sights. You'll be able to get longer sustained fire on them and rack up much higher damage and kills.

 

Don't even try and use Lights or Rapids. Rapids are underpowered, and Lights are VERY difficult to use effectively.

 

I repeat: getting closer does you NO good. The actual "target" (the lead indicator) you have to hit doesn't get any bigger at closer range--instead it just gets faster and harder to track.

[Armonddd]

One last question regarding ships and the cartel market. I notice there are a few on there but it was my understanding those were just "quick unlocks" for what you can achieve with the GSF currency, is that right?

 

I'll use the Skybolt/Ocula as an example.

 

You can purchase the Flashfire/Sting for 5,000 fleet requisition. It's a type 2 scout, meaning it has the same base stats as the Novadive/Blackbolt but different component choices.

 

You can purchase the Skybolt/Ocula for 1800 CCs, or off the GTN. It is also a type 2 scout, and thus has the same stats and component choices as the Flashfire/Sting.

 

The Flashfire/Sting and Skybolt/Ocula come with different components pre-loaded, but you can change those around. There's no competitive advantage to flying one over the other; with the same builds loaded, they will perform identically. However, many will argue that the Flashfire and Sting are more attractive than the Skybolt/Ocula. (Side note: cartel ships share skins across factions.)

 

The Skybolt/Ocula earns +10% requisition from the start. The Flashfire/Sting earns +10% requisition after it is Mastered, which is to say you have fully upgraded one component in each slot. Over the course of the ship's lifetime, this comes out to about 15k extra requisition, which really isn't much. You could game it for more by deliberately not upgrading something all the way, but you'd be gimping yourself to do so (and in a lot of cases you don't particularly need multiple options per component slot).

 

There are two big advantages to having a Skybolt/Ocula in addition to the Flashfire/Sting. For starters, if you're willing to dump a fair amount of cash into GSF, you can use the ship as an extra "req bucket" for your daily and weekly quests. From there, you can convert their ship requisition to fleet requisition (click the ">>" icon at the top of the hanger page, between the ship and fleet requisition numbers). This allows you to funnel requisition into one ship, allowing you to upgrade it faster. I can't tell you what to do with your money, but it takes around 5,000-6,500 cartel coins to take a ship from stock to mastered using this strategy, depending on how much you play it (and assuming you don't change your build midway through).

 

The other, more long-term, advantage is that you get to fly the same ship with two builds. I do this with my own Flashfire and Skybolt -- I have one build I prefer for general purpose matches, and one build for fighting skilled pilots. Every ship class can take advantage of this, though some better than others.

 

Also, should i stick with the either of the original ships i have atm and upgrade those or is going for say one of the other 2 strike fighters first probably the best option? I haven't looked too in depth at the ship stats so i'm not exactly sure if there is clear and cut advantages for the other ships or if it is just pro's and con's between the different attributes.

 

It's mostly pros and cons. I would argue that the type 1 scout and type 1 strike fighter you start with are inferior to the type 2 versions you can unlock, but that's just me and my playstyle. For each ship, I can name several players who push that ship to the limits and perform excellently with it.

 

As a general overview, obviously slightly biased by my experiences...

 

Scouts in general: Very fast with high burst capabilities. Very fragile -- you'll need to choose squishy targets so you're not in the line of fire for very long. Superior mobility (getting from place to place) and maneuverability (making tight turns and hugging obstructions for cover). Very hard to hit at higher levels of play, especially with missiles. An exceptional scout can turn a handy defeat into a narrow win simply by racking up kills.

Type 1 scout: Access to EMP field, a fairly powerful utility ability that's also moderately effective at shutting down mines and drones. Superior sensors, though base sensor ranges are high on all ships. Can maintain high speeds for longer with access to Shield-to-Engine converter, supporting a hit-and-fade playstyle.

Type 2 scout: Superior weapons capabilities and superior durability compared to the type 1 scout. Currently considered the best dogfighter in the game at high levels of play.

 

Strike fighters in general: The jack-of-all-trades ship. More durable at the cost of mobility and maneuverability, which makes them easier to kill at higher levels of play. Their missiles tend to be stronger but with longer lock-on times, making them more effective against less nimble targets. High-end play requires knowing how to land a lock against a slippery target and how to best take advantage of what mobility and maneuverability you have.

Type 1 strike: Access to two different lasers. Can equip specialty lasers and swap depending on what's needed at the time. Currently suffers from lack of a decent short-range blaster, making them mid-range combatants, and from a "reload time" when switching weapons (you must click the mouse button after switching weapons to continue firing, which means you can lose some critical shots).

Type 2 strike: Access to two different missiles. Like the type 1, can swap missiles depending on the situation and the target. Has a wider range of missiles available than the type 1 has blasters. With the right selection of missiles, the type 2 can get a lock on any target.

 

Gunships in general: Fairly fragile and very low maneuverability, but boast exceptional range, burst capability, and CC. Currently overtuned (partially because of bugs), and will likely be brought in line in upcoming patches. Must always be alert for threats, both in your field of view and on your minimap. High-end play revolves around dominating the battlefield with ranged burst and control capabilities while avoiding as much damage as possible. Many matches are determined, at least in part, by the quality of gunship support.

Type 1 gunship: Has access to all three railguns (slug, ion, and plasma), but can only bring two to battle. Slug railgun has the best burst capability in the game and can very easily pick off weakened targets with no warning. Ion railgun strips shields and, with upgrades, drains massive amounts of weapon and engine power in AoE. Also sports the best close-range weapon in the game, but lacks the maneuverability to use it to best effect.

Type 2 gunship: Currently looking for a role to excel in. Trades the ion railgun for a variety of torpedoes, with inferior short-range options. Unfortunately, slug railgun is far more powerful at ranged combat than torpedoes are. Arguably more durable than the type 1, but likely not by much. Plays like a strike fighter that traded mobility, maneuverability, durability, and blaster power for a railgun.

 

Bombers in general: Extremely slow and clunky with decent shields and exceptional hull, making them hard to kill at closer ranges for novice players. Places mines or drones to fortify a particular area, both of which tend to ignore shields and evasion while stressing lock-breaking abilities. Have a reputation for being "easier to play" than other classes, though skilled pilots deal a lot of damage with their lasers despite low maneuverability and high tracking penalties. A lot of their work comes from the AI. Very good at fortifying a position, largely due to a lack of widely-available counters, and can easily turn a match because of this.

Minelayer: Drops powerful mines behind them to deny space. Extremely good at fortifying a node or defending allied gunships. Because mines have a large detonation radius and no arming time, they are also exceptional at eliminating pursuers. Tend to act as a hard counter to scouts, who would otherwise likely be the most influential ship in the game. Can support the team with hyperspace beacons, which act as a respawn point.

Dronecarrier: Drops drones to launch missiles, fire blasters or railguns, and/or control areas of space with interdiction (snaring) technology. Less effective at area denial than minelayers due to inferior burst capability, but computer-controlled shots can take out otherwise "invincible" pilots. Can support the team with repair drones, which reverse hull damage and can be upgraded to either reload missiles (useful for scouts and strikes with few deaths) or repair shields (giving the team a significant advantage when fighting around a point).

[mattycutts]

first reply covers alot of what you need to know,

 

In team death match - always check to see where ya team is, do u have a defensive line, is there any repir drones deployed, if so once u sustain a fiar whack of damage fall back heal up then get back to the fight.

 

Class difference - dont just focus one ship kind, in most cases that will handicap you, i fly every ship class so i know the weakness and strenghts of every ship and u wont so ya at a disadvantage.

 

Class - remember certain class types are the sort of counter to other ships, youll struggle against good bombers potentially as a striker but youll be great at taking out gunships if you master how.

 

Most important one:

 

Get to know your team mates u see regular, drop them a whisper start to get grouped up with the regulars u can count on, and also learn who are the aces of the opperasite faction so u know who needs to be focused more.

 

When upgrading my rule of thumb i follow is: dont just focus one thing to the end. i normally do following:

 

3 upgrades to primary weapon

3 upgrades to secondary weapon

then 2 upgrades for armour

2 upgrades for engine ability

once these bits done ill then revisit and get the final 1 or 2 upgrades for each upgrade type.

 

Good luck and wish u all best, this pvp type is more important about skill so learn everythign u can and stick at it and youll see the rewards

[Marstrike]

first reply covers alot of what you need to know,

 

In team death match - always check to see where ya team is, do u have a defensive line, is there any repir drones deployed, if so once u sustain a fiar whack of damage fall back heal up then get back to the fight.

 

Class difference - dont just focus one ship kind, in most cases that will handicap you, i fly every ship class so i know the weakness and strenghts of every ship and u wont so ya at a disadvantage.

 

Class - remember certain class types are the sort of counter to other ships, youll struggle against good bombers potentially as a striker but youll be great at taking out gunships if you master how.

 

Most important one:

 

Get to know your team mates u see regular, drop them a whisper start to get grouped up with the regulars u can count on, and also learn who are the aces of the opperasite faction so u know who needs to be focused more.

 

When upgrading my rule of thumb i follow is: dont just focus one thing to the end. i normally do following:

 

3 upgrades to primary weapon

3 upgrades to secondary weapon

then 2 upgrades for armour

2 upgrades for engine ability

once these bits done ill then revisit and get the final 1 or 2 upgrades for each upgrade type.

 

Good luck and wish u all best, this pvp type is more important about skill so learn everythign u can and stick at it and youll see the rewards

 

Im on the Red Eclipse and have had nothing but massive losses, I can see and have been told that alot of the reps are pre-made's. Do you experience this a lot?

 

Seriously, i took screenshots of 10 of the 12 games i had last night (first 2 were massive losses) just so i could look and every single game was the same. TDM imps would have 2-5 kills and the rep's maxed, same issue with conquest.

 

Im not into being farmed (the same goes for WZ) so failing to actually get into it.

[SammyGStatus]

If you're getting stomped by premades, you have two options

A) Slip into the shadows where you must hone your skills, unbeknownst to your foes, and return stronger than they could possibly imagine, only to squash them before they realize what transpired

B) Get your own premade! I know it's not extremely popular (I often have to convince people to play and if after a minute they aren't into trying it, they most likely wont be), but you need to find common-minded people like yourself who're sick of getting rolf-stomped and band together. Use a VoIP program. Communicate!

 

There is a third option but it's a bit drastic, involving a panty raid on the beta sorority and blackmailing the girls to distract the reps while you flay their corpses (Think similarly to Theon losing his "favorite part" to Ramsey in Game of Thrones). Personally, I think B is the easiest way to go, as it'll both develop your skills AND stop the premade slaughters, but the third option may entice some. Drink in the knowledge of those who've posted before me and happy flying!