I gave it a shot, but screw GSF

[Archonitek]

Very StarWarsy and I love the way you can weave in and out of structures/tunnels/asteroids at high speeds like in the films. Pew pew pew! xD

 

Nothing feels better than power diving and timing it just right to thread yourself through a gap in the terrain.

[BlackflameSeven]

Nothing feels better than power diving and timing it just right to thread yourself through a gap in the terrain.

 

Please teach me this skill, I am convinced Power Dive has radar targeting tracking the nearest object, and when I press the button, it slams me straight into that rock/strut/wrecked ship etc etc...

[Ryuku-sama]

Please teach me this skill, I am convinced Power Dive has radar targeting tracking the nearest object, and when I press the button, it slams me straight into that rock/strut/wrecked ship etc etc...

 

Practice, practice and practice. I was a PDie user before BR was nerfed... And I still crash at time

[MaximilianPower]

Please teach me this skill, I am convinced Power Dive has radar targeting tracking the nearest object, and when I press the button, it slams me straight into that rock/strut/wrecked ship etc etc...

 

Power Die is my single most relentless and unforgiving enemy. Sometimes I feel like I've finally gotten the hang of it, but then a minute later I'll find myself face-planting into a rock.

 

I will say that if I'm going to self-destruct, it's more satisfying to do so via Power Die than any other engine maneuver. Because a Power Die-induced death is one with vigor, a suicide accomplished with aplomb, with style - indeed, with power. When you Power Die, you leave nothing on the table - face meets rock at maximum velocity. None of this slightly nipping something at the tail end of a BR, or gently backing into a sat fin with retro. Power Die SDs should show up in chat dialogue followed by a big red ! - because you died like you truly meant it.

[JediMinerBob]

In one of my first matches someone started to "scream" in the chat that why are there three (expletives) guarding C. Over and over again.

How did he find time to chat while flying?!? If he was chatting during his re-spawn time then I would suspect his screaming was frustration over his own play. (Or hers. Don't know.)

 

I admit, after the battle starts I don't see anything in chat, so if someone is screaming at me, or what I did, I am never going to see it. Reminds me of a story by Zig Ziglar...

[Ryuku-sama]

How did he find time to chat while flying?!? If he was chatting during his re-spawn time then I would suspect his screaming was frustration over his own play. (Or hers. Don't know.)

 

I admit, after the battle starts I don't see anything in chat, so if someone is screaming at me, or what I did, I am never going to see it. Reminds me of a story by Zig Ziglar...

 

Bah... Typing while flying is easy.. Typing while flying competitively isn't

[Archonitek]

Please teach me this skill, I am convinced Power Dive has radar targeting tracking the nearest object, and when I press the button, it slams me straight into that rock/strut/wrecked ship etc etc...

 

It's a simple 9 part process

 

1. Wear all blue except the left sock, which can be any warm colour.

2. Make sure planets are aligned.

3. Sacrifice a pack of gummy bears on an alter dedicated to Caelus, Roman God of the Sky

4. Aim your ship at the ground (relative to your ship)

5. Close your eyes.

6. Press Powerdive.

7. Say the phrase 'I think I can, I know I could' 5 times as quickly as possible

8. Open your eyes.

9. Congratulations, you have now successfully power dived straight down and levelled out through a gap in terrain, causing exclamations of awe and confusion among the enemy, causing multiple pilots to crash into walls as their instruments freeze up in appreciation of such precise piloting*.

 

*Note - the author takes no responsibility in any failure to complete this simple 9 part process in successfully power diving through a gap in terrain. Pilots are responsible for any inevitable deaths that are caused an attempt of this manoeuvre.

[Waktoh]

Yes, I know I suck, but really? Do you want people to try an queue again?

http://i.imgur.com/7wLaPey.jpg

[Verain]

It's not the responsibility of your pvp opponents to ensure you enjoy pvp. That's the responsibility of you and your teammates.

[nyghtrunner]

Yes, I know I suck, but really? Do you want people to try an queue again?

http://i.imgur.com/7wLaPey.jpg

There's nothing to be done about a match like that. For one, based on the screen, the game ended as 7v6, so you were short handed (I assume it was 8v8, and people left, but regardless).

 

That said, looking at your team's score, you did more damage than anyone else on your team. You also ended up with a much higher accuracy than anyone else on your team. 69% isn't amazing for a gunship, but it's not bad. The deaths and the damage are a bit of a problem, but to some degree are understandable for a newer pilot going into a very bad matchup. There's a lot going against you in this match, but I think still a couple of personal positives going for you, so try to focus on those, and build on them.

 

Observations on a gunship and your setup:

1. Fortress Shield isn't really very good. It's not AWFUL when you're engaged in sniping battles with only other gunships, but it absolutely makes you a sitting duck and food for scouts.
   
2. I would strongly recommend changing out your co-pilot ability to Wingman, rather than Hydro Spanner. Most of the vets and aces, with a few exceptions, agree that Hydro Spanner is a bit of a trap, and just not very good. There's a lot of discussion back and forth on the forums about it if you want to get into that history, but in general, the way I look at it: it will heal 245 hull, which is almost nothing. A mid range Rapid Fire Laser shot (which is the consensus worst laser in the game) will about completely negate all heals done. If you're looking for another defensive CD, Running Interference will, especially over time, "prevent" more damage than Hydro Spanner will ever heal. Just that Wingman is so strong on a GS, so I tend to recommend that.
   
3. The best gunships are always moving, and very rarely just get to sit there and tee-off on others. It's one of the things that separates competent gunners like myself from MaximilianPower, or Saevius, or Verain. They can still top the charts when under heavy pressure, and can fire on the run. This is another strike against Fortress Shield, to be honest, but I mention it more for you to keep it in mind. It's so easy to just scope and focus, and forget to move.
   

 

The biggest thing I can see based on your screen is that you had no one there to help keep pressure off of you and your team. That looks like the kind of match where having just 1 vet/ace on your team opens the game up a lot. Ferzz is very solid (I think it's Hozz from Imp side, but I don't know for sure), and pretty sure Traesha is an alt.

 

Bottom line, I know these games are frustrating, and wish I could have been there to help out. But these games, while they do happen, are generally the exception and not the rule. And as you yourself get better, you'll get to the point where you can start to make a real difference in games like these.

[nyghtrunner]

I guess what I'm saying is this...

 

Try to just write games like those off, and not let them get to you, because there's nothing you can do about them. Maybe use them as motivation to get better, if that works for you, but I would advise you to not let those games get to you.

 

If you find yourself in a game that feels that lop-sided, try to set small goals for yourself. Try to get 15-20k damage in. Try to keep your accuracy up. Try to not get killed. Try to round your team up, assault a single satellite, grab it, and focus only on keeping it. Those games are already lost, so try to focus on getting something positive out of it. That's honestly the best advice I know to give to players after those games.

[Waktoh]

I appreciate the help on my GS play. I was getting some advice from Saervin (sp) and others (sorry, bad memory) last night. I know I'm bad, and I have a way to go. I've played enough to know that I'll get better and that not every game is so bad. I was frustrated, but not as much as I used to be. I actually felt bad for the rest of my team as well because I can imagine folks just saying, f it, like I almost did at the beginning of this thread two weeks ago. Thanks Nyght.

[MaximilianPower]

Yes, I know I suck, but really? Do you want people to try an queue again?

http://i.imgur.com/7wLaPey.jpg

 

That sucked, sorry. It happens. As nyghtrunner said, there's not much to be done in a situation like that. Take your lumps, learn from it (if possible) and move on.

 

I think we chatted a bit in /gsf last night, right? I didn't realize it was you (I know the pub name but didn't remember the imp name). We talked about fortress shield. I mentioned that it's like hanging a sign around your neck saying "please shoot me", and that any scout who realizes you're using it will eat you alive. Situationally useful (GS duels, for example), but overall, DF just has so much more utility, especially considering the lock break. Saevius was also in on that discussion, iirc, and had pretty much the same point of view.

 

Feel free to hit me up for a group if you see me...of course I can't guarantee a win, but maybe I can help stave off the total roflstomps like these.

[nyghtrunner]

I appreciate the help on my GS play. I was getting some advice from Saervin (sp) and others (sorry, bad memory) last night. I know I'm bad, and I have a way to go. I've played enough to know that I'll get better and that not every game is so bad. I was frustrated, but not as much as I used to be. I actually felt bad for the rest of my team as well because I can imagine folks just saying, f it, like I almost did at the beginning of this thread two weeks ago. Thanks Nyght.

Any time, man. Any time.

 

Definitely understand frustration and venting. Happens to me as well. But as you said, not every game is so bad, and honestly, the ones that are great more than offset the bad ones for me. I understand feeling bad for your team as well (hell, sometimes I find I just don't have the heart to pull the trigger on a kill shot when I'm on the opposing team in matches like the one you linked), but not all people will feel that way, and there's nothing you can do about that.

 

But man, I will tell you what... The most rewarding experiences I've had in this game/module involve the times in which my team groans going into the match and seeing the other team, and then, after a hard fought battle, seeing people all excited and happy to win the match! Even if I had to carry the match, I don't care about my stats, I don't care that I had to carry, it's just awesome to see everyone get excited over winning a game they thought they had no shot at winning going in. And you'll have those games, too.

[Svarthrafn]

When I end up in games like that, I just find my nearest ally and stick to him, or find a friendly gunship and provide cover for him. Together we can at least rack up some kills, even if we can't win the match. Edited April 24, 2015 by Svarthrafn

[Waktoh]

Zuck! That was one of the other main guys giving advice last night. I knew I should have been able to remember.

 

I definitely know what you mean Nyght, one of my favorite WZ games was in a 30-59 Ald Civ War, our team had lots of lower levels. We knew the other team had higher levels after the first run though for pylons, people started to drop, but we hung in there. A fierce fight, alternating nodes, stealth caps, etc. We inched out a win by getting enough points to bunker on Grass. Glorious

[habmaniac]

I am so glad this post gave me the incentive to keep on going. Simply by checking out a couple of instructional youtube videos I finally feel like I am getting the hang of this now. So much better than the tutorial. I was constantly going into firefights with my shields on full recharge, not realizing that I was totally gimping my lasers.

 

Deathmatches still mess me up as the lack of structure gives me a little too much to process sometimes rather than, go to A, defend B etc. but slowly I think I will get this down. Now that I have popped into the over 30 category in WZ I think I will be spending more time in GSF. At least there I feel skill has a bit more chance to flourish.

[EyesOfRed]

i think its fair to say that, at least in my experience, the small player pool plays a big part in feeling outmatched some games.

 

Theres just not as many people playing GSF, and the really good pilots, fly the most often. I've only just started getting into it recently, i have almost certainly less than 50 games flown, but I've ran into many of the names I see on these boards repeatedly. Theres just a colossal skill gap between the average/new player, and the chart topping Aces.

 

Its bitter sweet to see the guy who wrote that sweet ship guide you're following, on the enemy team hahaha. Doesn't help that I probably spend as much time on the forums as I do flying in game, so I start recognizing names on both sides in the pre-game lobby. Better yet, they often seem to queue up together in big clumps, amplifying the issue. You're far more likely to run into a landslide one way or the other, than a close, evenly matched game.

 

I've literally gone from like a 9-8-2 game (K/A/D), where I was near or at the top, to like an 0-4-7 one in dead last the very next game. That happened to me like 2 days ago, both games flying my 'best'* ship.

 

*by best, i mean a goofy *** t3 strike build i came up with trying to die less and pick off stragglers. lmao. now I can consistently pull off more damage in that than I can in a sting or mangler Im so not meta.

[Pilgrim_Grey]

I am so glad this post gave me the incentive to keep on going. Simply by checking out a couple of instructional youtube videos I finally feel like I am getting the hang of this now. So much better than the tutorial. I was constantly going into firefights with my shields on full recharge, not realizing that I was totally gimping my lasers.

 

Deathmatches still mess me up as the lack of structure gives me a little too much to process sometimes rather than, go to A, defend B etc. but slowly I think I will get this down. Now that I have popped into the over 30 category in WZ I think I will be spending more time in GSF. At least there I feel skill has a bit more chance to flourish.

 

Yeah, power management is huge. I invested in an mmo mouse a while back and it's really nice to be able to hit one of the three buttons easily to swap to whatever power would be helpful at the moment (and not have to take your fingers off the WASD area). You want to be changing those all the time due to your situation. Really handy advice I got early on for GSF.

[nyghtrunner]

Yeah, power management is huge. I invested in an mmo mouse a while back and it's really nice to be able to hit one of the three buttons easily to swap to whatever power would be helpful at the moment (and not have to take your fingers off the WASD area). You want to be changing those all the time due to your situation. Really handy advice I got early on for GSF.

It doesn't necessarily need to be an MMO mouse, although that helps. I'm still rocking a Logitech mx 518, which is effectively the same mouse I've been using for like 13 years (I've been through like 5-6 of the same line, probably). It's really pretty basic, but I love the feel.

 

Anyway, I have blaster power bound to the "forward" thumb arrow, and engines to the "back". It's a total guess, but with most ships, you want to have 1 of those 2 active probably 80-90% of the time, so they're the most important to have instant access to. Depending on the ship, I'll sometimes bind shields to the mouse wheel press, but generally, I just end up hitting F2 if I need power to shields. But it absolutely helps out a LOT to bind power management in a way that you don't have to move your hands off the stick, so to speak. Just having to think/worry about WASD and 1234 with the left hand makes life a lot easier. With scouts and strikes especially, moving from one to the other fast and efficiently is just so key.

 

Also, in my experience, F4 (equal distribution) is nearly worthless. I think it's always correct to have power going to a specific purpose.

Edited April 25, 2015 by nyghtrunner

[tunewalker]

To be truthful at this point the most frustrating matches for me arent so much the blow outs on either side... if I am faced with THAT many aces that I cant do anything, then I know I am just not queing at the right time. To me the frustrating ones these days are the ones where I have like 3 deaths but like 30 Kills and 2 assists and like 80-100k damage, and we STILL lose 32 points to 50..... with no one on my team having a kill (the 2 assists, were assisting asteriods in finding power diving Targets ) and like 5-6 deaths often....

[AlrikFassbauer]

if I am faced with THAT many aces that I cant do anything, then I know I am just not queing at the right time.

 

In my case, I've given up GSF because of that. When I'm not contributing, then I'm just not playing anymore.

Good for those who don't want me.

[Nasja]

Yes, I know I suck, but really? Do you want people to try an queue again?

http://i.imgur.com/7wLaPey.jpg

 

I completely understand you didn't queue again. I can however recommend, if few / no imp aces are online (do put them in your friendslist) you are off course welcome to change to a pub toon. We don't care how much experience you have (I don't think the imps do either, just mentioning though), if you are doing your best (which as we can see you do) we will do our best to give you a good experience.

 

The biggest thing I can see based on your screen is that you had no one there to help keep pressure off of you and your team. That looks like the kind of match where having just 1 vet/ace on your team opens the game up a lot. Ferzz is very solid (I think it's Hozz from Imp side, but I don't know for sure), and pretty sure Traesha is an alt.

 

Yeah, their "best" equaled our "worst" in that match. I am curious though, if you thought I was someone's alt, who's alt did you think I was

[Nataph]

I understand what you are all saying. On the Bastion, depending on the time, pubs and imps both have very good sides..

Now, at times, I tend to get into the impside which is lacking at that moment, and tbh, if you learn one ship very well and play against the better side, you will have fun. You will notice you are the top gun there and start doing the most damage and kills. You will notice you are the one playing on your side doing everything and the other side will notice it.

I have won a few games on my own destroying over 25+ ships in games and hitting 70= damage.

GSF is the place where getting owned is fun oppose to warzones.

do not give up. learn a ship and perfect it and make them pay.

[tunewalker]

I understand what you are all saying. On the Bastion, depending on the time, pubs and imps both have very good sides..

Now, at times, I tend to get into the impside which is lacking at that moment, and tbh, if you learn one ship very well and play against the better side, you will have fun. You will notice you are the top gun there and start doing the most damage and kills. You will notice you are the one playing on your side doing everything and the other side will notice it.

I have won a few games on my own destroying over 25+ ships in games and hitting 70= damage.

GSF is the place where getting owned is fun oppose to warzones.

do not give up. learn a ship and perfect it and make them pay.

 

As long as that ship isnt Strike before what ever patch they decide to buff it launches.