Ask me anything / Training

[FercPolo]

No I actually don't know who that it, but that's because I haven't been playing this week. My Mains are on Bastion actually, they are Drakolich Imp side main, Drakolích Pub side main, and DrakolichSoloQ Imp side solo queue only character. If someone is killing everyone though please tell me what faction so I can go fight him, that sounds fun.

 

Ha, I understood you were actually playing on Bastion. I said alt because I wasn't sure if you still used a variation of Drakkolich for the character.

 

Some dude named Bendoverr was absolutely slaughtering people the past couple days. Few other decent pilots all day, but that dude stood out.

Edited September 8, 2014 by FercPolo

[Verain]

Pike + CP = Error 404 No bomber found.

 

You can't find it because it LOSed all your lock on stuff, timed your charged plating, and you couldn't hit him at all.

 

StarGuard + HLC + Quad + Conc = Error 404 No gunship found.

 

Look more. You just can't catch him because you got ioned once and are incapable of movement. The only threat you pose is that he'll have to charge up twice to kill your stationary strike.

 

Pike + Ion + Cluster = Error 404 No shield found.

 

Better yet, use a concussion instead. But again, who gets hit with these missiles that much?

 

StarGuard + Ion + Cluster = Error 404 No scout found (except BLC scouts, or scout that see me before I see them)

 

Your claim that a Starguard counters a Sting is why I had to post. This is laughably ludicrous. By all means, take your Starguard versus Drako or Stasie in a Sting.

 

Comet Breaker + anything is seen = Error 404 no Comet Breaker found.

 

Comet Breaker does fine damage. It's a fragile ship, but unlike the Starguard and the Pike, it can perform a solid role.

[tomatosquish]

Why do I keep losing missile lock?

 

This only happens with certain people which has lead me to believe they are doing something I am unaware of. I know you have the whole maneuvers thing and ducking behind an asteroid or whatever, but what about people who are just bumming about in wide open space and not using these maneuvers? I have them dead in my crosshairs and am usually hammering away at them with blasters but just before I get lock I lose it.

[Ryuku-sama]

Why do I keep losing missile lock?

 

This only happens with certain people which has lead me to believe they are doing something I am unaware of. I know you have the whole maneuvers thing and ducking behind an asteroid or whatever, but what about people who are just bumming about in wide open space and not using these maneuvers? I have them dead in my crosshairs and am usually hammering away at them with blasters but just before I get lock I lose it.

 

Distortion Field or latency.

[Drakkolich]

Why do I keep losing missile lock?

 

This only happens with certain people which has lead me to believe they are doing something I am unaware of. I know you have the whole maneuvers thing and ducking behind an asteroid or whatever, but what about people who are just bumming about in wide open space and not using these maneuvers? I have them dead in my crosshairs and am usually hammering away at them with blasters but just before I get lock I lose it.

 

If you look on page 13 of this thread I answered this already. If you still need more help feel free to post again.

[tomatosquish]

If you look on page 13 of this thread I answered this already. If you still need more help feel free to post again.

 

I went back and read what you wrote there, sorry I missed it I only skimmed the pages.

 

That said, I still don't quite get it.

 

I mean ok distortion field and EMP can break missiles, at least with EMP (not sure on distortion) that has a visible effect, what I am seeing has none, furthermore after a few more times I checked the ships they were using which dont offer distortion field (I see this a lot on the beginner strike fighters... not just scouts/gunships and bombers) unless it is a companion skill which I admit I haven't looked into fully as I found the ones that work for me.

 

So then latency? I could see that if they are moving across my screen or dodging in and out of cover and I am seeing them in the open when they are not... but this is happening in open space and when I am chasing them even in straight flights (whiile they are chasing a teammate of mine).

[Ryuku-sama]

So then latency? I could see that if they are moving across my screen or dodging in and out of cover and I am seeing them in the open when they are not... but this is happening in open space and when I am chasing them even in straight flights (whiile they are chasing a teammate of mine).

 

Even then. If the server loses the connection with their client, you won't be able to lock, even if he is still flying in a straight line. From my experience, there is very little margin around a lock-on breaking because of latency.

[StrixHiraeth]

Even then. If the server loses the connection with their client, you won't be able to lock, even if he is still flying in a straight line. From my experience, there is very little margin around a lock-on breaking because of latency.

 

Ela-iza--sage heal? More like Ela-iza--Slippery Bomber. The only bomber I know of that can regularly outmaneuver me

[Ryuku-sama]

Ela-iza--sage heal? More like Ela-iza--Slippery Bomber. The only bomber I know of that can regularly outmaneuver me

 

Lol.... Wait until I get my Nova out.. You won,t know what will hit you But thank you. It's nice to be considered as a threat

[Ramalina]

I went back and read what you wrote there, sorry I missed it I only skimmed the pages.

 

That said, I still don't quite get it.

 

I mean ok distortion field and EMP can break missiles, at least with EMP (not sure on distortion) that has a visible effect, what I am seeing has none, furthermore after a few more times I checked the ships they were using which dont offer distortion field (I see this a lot on the beginner strike fighters... not just scouts/gunships and bombers) unless it is a companion skill which I admit I haven't looked into fully as I found the ones that work for me.

 

So then latency? I could see that if they are moving across my screen or dodging in and out of cover and I am seeing them in the open when they are not... but this is happening in open space and when I am chasing them even in straight flights (whiile they are chasing a teammate of mine).

 

The unhittable ship that moves in a perfectly straight line is one of the classic signs of extreme latency, well unless it's an evasion stacking battlescout that's just messing with you.

 

There's a bit of an art to dealing with missile locks and latency. The first step is to recognize the signs of severe latency. Ships that jump in location, move in perfectly straight lines, spin as they move, etc. Also ones where your lock tone mysteriously breaks repeatedly (and you know it's not distortion field or EMP). In general a very laggy ship is not a desirable target for missiles.

 

There are things you can do to compensate though.

 

1. Figure out were they are going. Hard to do if they're turning a lot, but do the best you can.

 

2. Try to be aligned with their direction of travel, as if you're following them. You don't want them flying across your field of view if possible, because it makes it much more likely that they will leave the cone of space where you have valid missile locks. It doesn't have to be a perfect alignment, but parallel flight paths are much better than orthogonal flight paths in this case.

 

3. Stay well within launch parameters. Basically leave yourself 20-30% extra range and target distance to edge of firing arc. This makes it much less likely that they'll go just across the line for a fraction of a second.

 

 

The up side to a high latency target, is that if you can manage to compensate for the latency in terms of keeping them in valid lock parameters, they are going to have a harder time hitting their missile break before the missile impacts. The delay that eats into your targeting also subtracts the same amount from the time that they have between the missile launch warning tone and the time it impacts their ship.

[tomatosquish]

I guess I'll settle for latency as the answer then...

 

Thought it does seem odd that it breaks lock but I will be constantly hitting them with my blasters.

[Drakkolich]

I guess I'll settle for latency as the answer then...

 

Thought it does seem odd that it breaks lock but I will be constantly hitting them with my blasters.

 

Well without any video information its really hard to know exactly whats going on. The abilities we described and latency are really the only things in game that can break locks without being really obvious like them flying behind a mountain or something. Could it be something as simple as your right click on your mouse being weird perhaps? I'm grasping at straws but I don't know what else to suggest.

 

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

[Crazy-Wolf]

I'm grasping at straws but I don't know what else to suggest.

 

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

 

Sometimes, it is just frustrating, when you lock on a target and all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, your lock brakes. Especially when you have a avery narrow targeting arc like with protons. If my opponent turns hard right (or left) and hits the boosters, my lock will brake even if I manage to keep him within the centre of my screen. But well, if you know when it happens, you can get used to and deal with it, yet it still remains an unpleasent effect.

 

 

Question: Feedback Shield.

 

How does it actually work? The tooltip says, it charges up over 15 secs and that it is released off primary weapon fire. But how exactly does it work, what triggers it, and does it release its dmg automatically after 15 secs or do I have to activate it a second time to do so? If an enemy uses it, should I keep attacking him while the buff is up?

Edited September 13, 2014 by Crazy-Wolf

[Drakkolich]

Question: Feedback Shield.

 

How does it actually work? The tooltip says, it charges up over 15 secs and that it is released off primary weapon fire. But how exactly does it work, what triggers it, and does it release its dmg automatically after 15 secs or do I have to activate it a second time to do so? If an enemy uses it, should I keep attacking him while the buff is up?

 

Feedback shield is a buff applied to yourself when activated, for the next 15 seconds if any enemy shoots you with a primary weapon (Anything that you use left click for, examples: Light laser cannon, Heavy laser cannon and Burst laser cannon) while the buff is up he takes damage instantly. It only works for 1 attack then the buff is depleted and you must wait for the cooldown to come back up to use it again. it does about 900 damage, and it crits for around 1350, to be able to crit with it though you must have the talent to do so.

[Hathdock]

I've been playing SWTOR for a while but not GSF. I've decided to try it out and just want some quick advice on my first ship. I just want something that will help me survive long enough to see if I enjoy the "play". I have nothing unlocked, and I'm afraid if I spend too much time reading everything before I jump in I'll get bored and not bother playing. If I enjoy the this aspect of the game I'll definitely start doing my own research, thanks.

[Drakkolich]

I've been playing SWTOR for a while but not GSF. I've decided to try it out and just want some quick advice on my first ship. I just want something that will help me survive long enough to see if I enjoy the "play". I have nothing unlocked, and I'm afraid if I spend too much time reading everything before I jump in I'll get bored and not bother playing. If I enjoy the this aspect of the game I'll definitely start doing my own research, thanks.

 

Well of the two starter ships you have the Blackbolt/Novadive which is a paper thin fast ship thats very maneuverable. It starts with better weapons then the other starter ship but they are very aim dependent and if you are just starting might be hard to get used to. The other ship is the Rycer/Starguard its a little slower and has a few more hit points, so you might get an extra second to react to being shot at. It also has the ability to swap between 2 different primary lasers which might be good to figure out what kind of lasers you like. The missile on it is a lock on with medium range which is a little less aim dependent then the rockets on the Blackbolt/Novadive.

 

I'd say try them both out and see the difference I enumerated, try to feel why I'm saying that. For even your first 10 games don't worry too much about dying or winning the game, just get used to not crashing and try to land a few shots. The learning curve is very steep and with no easy way to teach people its best to just dive in and expect the worse.

 

If you are looking at buying a new ship for your first one, the Mangler/Quarrel is a great starter gunship if sniping is more your thing. Everyone on the forums clamors about how awesome the Sting/Flashfire is (and they are right, once you figure everything out), but it really needs a few upgrades before its tanky. Without someone flying practice it will feel like flying paper. Still though if you like dogfighting there is no better ship out there.

 

I hope that wasn't too much information, if you would still like more help please feel free to ask more questions.

[Hathdock]

Thank you I will, and since I am just getting off work now, I'll go try them both. Thank you for the advice.

[Ryuku-sama]

It starts with better weapons then the other starter ship but they are very aim dependent and if you are just starting might be hard to get used to.

 

RFL + pod is better than RFL + HLC + conc??? pods = HLC, RFL = 0. Rycer has better stock weapons.

[DamascusAdontise]

. Could it be something as simple as your right click on your mouse being weird perhaps?

 

Don't discount this one, for quite a while I was having issues with missile locks acquiring and breaking very quickly in succession. I thought it was a bug until it started to happen while I was sniping in a GS as well. Turned out the right click was going out on my mouse..... Eventually it was unusable and for a couple days I couldn't lock missiles.

[Caustic_Agent]

I've been playing SWTOR for a while but not GSF. I've decided to try it out and just want some quick advice on my first ship. I just want something that will help me survive long enough to see if I enjoy the "play". I have nothing unlocked, and I'm afraid if I spend too much time reading everything before I jump in I'll get bored and not bother playing. If I enjoy the this aspect of the game I'll definitely start doing my own research, thanks.

 

Honestly, I prefer scouts over the fighter. The fighter feels like a sitting duck, scouts consumer less energy when doing the engine boost.

So if mobility suits you, a scout can help a lot. The biggest step for me was actually editing the keybindings to find proper targets and threats.

[Daekarus]

The biggest problem I have is actually hitting other ships with my lasers. Not necessarily keeping my aiming reticle over the lead indicator, that's easy... but for some reason a VERY significant number (say, 80%) of my shots miss even if the target is flying straight and unswerving... nothing like that ever happened in my other flight games like TIE Fighter or Freelancer. Am I supposed to lag-shoot in this game? As it is, the only way I usually ever get hits is if the target is moving mostly towards me or away from me.

[Ramalina]

The biggest problem I have is actually hitting other ships with my lasers. Not necessarily keeping my aiming reticle over the lead indicator, that's easy... but for some reason a VERY significant number (say, 80%) of my shots miss even if the target is flying straight and unswerving... nothing like that ever happened in my other flight games like TIE Fighter or Freelancer. Am I supposed to lag-shoot in this game? As it is, the only way I usually ever get hits is if the target is moving mostly towards me or away from me.

 

It's important to understand that in GSF gunfire is governed primarily by RPG style dice rolling, not by physics modeling. Here are the major ones and suggestions on how to deal with them.

 

Hitting with lasers can be affected by several factors:

 

1. Be within a good range. Some blasters have excellent accuracy at all ranges, others (most of the short range ones) experience a significant drop in accuracy at long range. For short range cannons you want to try for 2000 m or less for best results. In general at ranges of 3000 m or less you should be ok with most blasters, at longer ranges it really depends on what you have equipped.

 

2. Use available accuracy boosts. Make sure you have a crewmember that has the pinpointing passive. The wingman active helps a lot too. Some cannons also have upgrades that improve firing arc and reduce tracking penalties, take them if you consistently have trouble hitting.

 

3. Make sure that the lead indicator is in the center of your firing arc. It sounds like this and range may be the core of your problem. The further the target's lead indicator is from the center of your screen, the worse the tracking penalty to your accuracy is. These penalties can be very large near the edge of the firing arc circle. At close ranges in order to do this you may have to turn until you're leading the target's lead indicator and then back off on your turn rate and fire a burst as they cross the center of your firing arc.

 

4. Learn to spot and wait out evasion buffs. Most engine maneuvers, distortion field, and several crew active abilities either increase the target's evasion or decrease your accuracy. If you see someone use one or more of these don't waste energy shooting at them. Wait until the buff on their target window and/or the debuff on your target window has worn off and then shoot them.

 

5. Practice steps 1-4. Practice a lot.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Ramalina

[Ryuku-sama]

The biggest problem I have is actually hitting other ships with my lasers. Not necessarily keeping my aiming reticle over the lead indicator, that's easy... but for some reason a VERY significant number (say, 80%) of my shots miss even if the target is flying straight and unswerving... nothing like that ever happened in my other flight games like TIE Fighter or Freelancer. Am I supposed to lag-shoot in this game? As it is, the only way I usually ever get hits is if the target is moving mostly towards me or away from me.

 

There is two variables to think of when you're talking of accuracy. The accoracy over the range and the tracking penality. The accuracy over the range will tell your effective range. The maximum range at which you will hit IF your target is straight in front of you. HLC, quad, LC and ion can fire at max range and still hit relatively well. LLC can't hit **** over 3000m. BLC falls over 2000m. The tracking penalities tell you how off center you can be to hit. BLC can fire all the way to the edge of his firing arc. LLC lose its accuracy at about the edge of concusion firing arcs. Quad, LC and ion effective edge is the same of rocket pods firing arcs. HLC's effective firing arcs are slightly lower than quad's.

 

It isn't perfect but it is the best representation I can explain to someone that doesn't imply feelings. Another thing to think about is how easy you can follow the target inside this firing arc. The closer the target is the harder it is to actually hit the right spot inside the reticule (this is only true at very close range, under 1000m) and the harder it is to simply follow your target by turning.

[Starlite_Chobo]

Hi,

 

Thanks for this helpful thread. I'm pretty new to gsf, having gotten interested in it from doing it for the conquest points. One thing I'm noticing is that I'm having real trouble hitting targets that are very close -- maybe under 1000-500m. It seems like the ship and the target reticle practically take up my entire screen, so you think it'd be impossible to miss. But nothing connects even though graphically it looks like the lasers are hitting the target. Any tips for this? I don't have the same trouble from a bit farther away. I typically play a flashfire, but this is true for me on all ships.

[Ryuku-sama]

Hi,

 

Thanks for this helpful thread. I'm pretty new to gsf, having gotten interested in it from doing it for the conquest points. One thing I'm noticing is that I'm having real trouble hitting targets that are very close -- maybe under 1000-500m. It seems like the ship and the target reticle practically take up my entire screen, so you think it'd be impossible to miss. But nothing connects even though graphically it looks like the lasers are hitting the target. Any tips for this? I don't have the same trouble from a bit farther away. I typically play a flashfire, but this is true for me on all ships.

 

That's totally normal. With time you will learn how to exactly hit someone that closse. I can,t really explain how I do it myself. It's more of a feeling than anything else. As to why it is that way, we think the actual point you have to hit so the server register your lasers as 'hits' doesn't scale as much as the reticule. SO basicly while the reticule scale a lot under 1000m, the hitbox doesn't or, at least, not enough so you can hit easily. Beside experience, there is nothing that can fix this. Just be sure to use your lasers inside their efficient firing arcs.. The rest will come with time and practice.