Ship specific Build and Gameplay Tutorial Videos

[Drakkolich]

I've noticed many players ask how to build their ships and then how to play with those certain styles. In the hopes of being able to answer those many questions I've made some videos explaining both the builds I use for some of the top ships out there as well as the upgrade path I use to get them there.

 

I made videos for the Sting, Mangler and Razorwire, if you guys really like them I'll try to make more for other ships or even just different builds.

 

Keep in mind I did these all in one take so I stumble a little bit while talking. Also 2 of the 3 games were actually very difficult so sometimes I lose my train of thought. For those of you who do enjoy the videos please let me know if you enjoy the difficult games with my more frantic commentary or the easy ones where I have to time explain more.

 

Thanks and Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JediMinerBob]

I was watching while you were recording the gunship tutorial and really enjoyed it. I liked when you talked about why sometimes it makes more sense to keep on engine power while shooting and learned you could "short charge" a railgun shot (I always thought you had to wait until it was fully charged). Great stuff! I look forward to watching the rest to see what I missed.

[OKonst]

These vids are - as always - really good!

I already linked them in my guild's forum and will continue to point everyone relatively new to GSF (and enthusiastic about it) I happen to stumble upon to your Twitch-Page.

[Waktoh]

Love your videos, you make it look easy Thank you

Brief, yet informative videos

/subscriber

[MaximilianPower]

I watched the mangler vids; both were well done, and wow, what a great game to serve as a tutorial. I don't have a lot to add, except maybe mentioning the utility of the "right click hard stop", and possibly the fact that you can shoot at an enemy you aren't actually targeting - and of course vice versa...hence if you see a GS in range and you aren't his target, that doesn't mean he isn't charging a shot at you. These points may be a bit beyond the scope of a tutorial, though.

 

I found it interesting that you use ion a lot less than I do...understood that in a TDM you're purely going for kills so a crit on a slug is huge, but even so, I tend to ion the hell out of everything (especially when enemies are in close proximity) in an effort to wreak general havoc and try to set up those killing shots. I wonder if it wouldn't make sense to record a second tutorial vid of a domination game...strategy and playstyle will inevitably be different there, i.e. clearing nodes/positioning/etcetera.

 

I'll check out the sting vids next. I can only assume you'll showcase the popular Laser Hose (RFL/BO/freq cap) build, lol.

[Drakkolich]

I watched the mangler vids; both were well done, and wow, what a great game to serve as a tutorial. I don't have a lot to add, except maybe mentioning the utility of the "right click hard stop", and possibly the fact that you can shoot at an enemy you aren't actually targeting - and of course vice versa...hence if you see a GS in range and you aren't his target, that doesn't mean he isn't charging a shot at you. These points may be a bit beyond the scope of a tutorial, though.

 

I found it interesting that you use ion a lot less than I do...understood that in a TDM you're purely going for kills so a crit on a slug is huge, but even so, I tend to ion the hell out of everything (especially when enemies are in close proximity) in an effort to wreak general havoc and try to set up those killing shots. I wonder if it wouldn't make sense to record a second tutorial vid of a domination game...strategy and playstyle will inevitably be different there, i.e. clearing nodes/positioning/etcetera.

 

I'll check out the sting vids next. I can only assume you'll showcase the popular Laser Hose (RFL/BO/freq cap) build, lol.

 

Those are great points to add if I ever do a Domination one, which honestly I'm not sure I will as I really don't play much Gunship in Domination. I don't really know all the great spots to position myself or what not, maybe I can get Verain to give me a crash course.

 

 

As for not using Ion as much as others I have been told that many times, I just value damage to hull way more then debuffing targets I guess. I did mention in the video a few times that I should have been shooting in Ion and was firing Slug however, in a game like that narrating everything I was doing was actually really difficult and did cause me to missplay a few times.

[Graveslice]

Amazing videos! Just subbed to your channel and look forward to more of your work.

[MaximilianPower]

Those are great points to add if I ever do a Domination one, which honestly I'm not sure I will as I really don't play much Gunship in Domination. I don't really know all the great spots to position myself or what not, maybe I can get Verain to give me a crash course.

 

 

As for not using Ion as much as others I have been told that many times, I just value damage to hull way more then debuffing targets I guess. I did mention in the video a few times that I should have been shooting in Ion and was firing Slug however, in a game like that narrating everything I was doing was actually really difficult and did cause me to missplay a few times.

 

Re: the bolded, yes, I took note of that. I was impressed that you managed to carry on as well you did. Pretty sure I couldn't manage to narrate a battle like that and remain as effective.

 

At the end you also mentioned that "the other gunship didn't have any pressure on him so he was going crazy" (or something along those lines)...actually I think he did have some pressure, though granted, certainly not as much as you did. BUT I also got the impression he was using ion a lot more (he was frequently glowing blue), and i think that's where his big damage total might have come from. I literally JUST got out of a TDM where all i used was ion (largely for lulz, it was a blowout), and ended up with 116k damage - it's so easy to pile up silly numbers that way.

 

Anyway, didn't mean to derail your thread with GS minutiae, I know that's not the point - just thought it was interesting.

[nyghtrunner]

Interesting. I know you and I choose different builds with the Sting, but our general upgrade paths diverge in some pretty significant ways.

 

Obviously, putting BLCs and getting the Engine upgrades are extremely important, and I pretty much always do that first, but from there, I end up going very differently. I'll get T1 Cluster because timing, but after that, I start into the secondaries and other defensives, and never even touch Disto until I've got at least Lightweight Armor and Regen Thrusters maxed, and usually not until all of the secondaries are maxed. Then just beeline for Disto, then beeline for BLC T4, picking up the 1st tier TT or other extras as I have the spare Req.

 

I just figure that in most cases, the low offensive stuff just increases my TTK, but going for defensives first allows me to live more reliably.

 

I guess I should also note that I didn't even make the swap to Disto for the break until sometime late last year, and as such, view that missile break as an awesome bonus, but not required. I just got so used to using Quick Charge Shields and having just the 1 missile break that it isn't really that crippling on a Stingfire to not have access to the 2nd break for me.

 

I literally JUST got out of a TDM where all i used was ion (largely for lulz, it was a blowout), and ended up with 116k damage - it's so easy to pile up silly numbers that way.

Are you EVER going to have a 45k match again? Hell, even a 50k! I need to catch your damages!

Edited April 22, 2015 by nyghtrunner

[Drakkolich]

@max you could be right about him getting more pressure then I originally thought, it's really hard to tell that just the feeling I got since whenever I looked at he seemed to be firing chain shots just fine.

 

@nyght I think the difference is order might actually be because you use retros over barrel roll, I actually only use barrel about 50% of the time to break missiles it's mostly an escape or distance closing maneuver.

[nyghtrunner]

It's possible, although I think I tend to try to break missile locks more with range, quick turns, and LOS than I break them with Retros, which are kind of a last resort for me for 2 reasons:

1) It's predictable motion, and can set you up for Gunships if they're looking your way, and you're largely locked into your flight path as soon as you hit it. Unlike Barrel Roll, which is similar in a way, Retros keep you largely in the same spot.

2) The major power in Retros is when they're used as an offensive maneuver, rather than a defensive one. I know a lot of people would think I'm probably largely thinking about jousts, and Retros are nice there (or to give a second pass against stationary targets), but I've found that they're more powerful when I use them to change my angle of attack dramatically against people sat humping/following me, to create space and force people to run when we're in turning battles, etc. The ability to instantly change the angles of engagement to something I feel benefits me is something a lot of people never seem to be ready for. And even if they are, it usually puts that person on the defensive, and forces them to react to me, which is where I want them.

 

The CD time is a bit shorter, though, and as such, I DO use them as strictly defensive maneuvers if I have no other choice, but it's not why I put them on the ship.

 

That said, the Regen Thrusters become a lot more important with Retros because you don't have the same mobility as someone running PD or BR.

 

I guess it goes back to what I said the other day, in that I find the Stingfire to be a fascinating ship because of all the component synergies, and how there's not always a clear BIS. It's a pretty amazing package altogether, and to me, definitely the most interesting chassis/platform in the game.

[MaximilianPower]

Are you EVER going to have a 45k match again? Hell, even a 50k! I need to catch your damages!

 

lol, you probably don't want to hear about the 115k match I had immediately after the aforementioned one. Just a good day today thus far. I did have a 38k dom yesterday (denon, so hard to rack up numbers on that map) - it was mortifying. i'll link you my numbers next time i see you in game so you can see what you're up against. but as i've said - if I can't stay ahead of you in GS numbers, I should probably hang up my pilot suit. It would be like me jumping into a sting and suddenly topping your numbers there. That just shouldn't happen.

 

Apologies to drako for yet again derailing the thread. Back on topic, I'm going to watch the sting vids right now.

[JediMinerBob]

The only minor criticism I have is you chose three ships that no one starts the game with. When we chatted last night on your stream you said you intended to do videos of the other builds, so given that promise could you start with the Rycer and Blackbolt? Although you do focus on the mastered ship builds, knowing the purchase and upgrade order gives really good insight into what you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the components.

 

Thanks in advance for any consideration.

Edited April 23, 2015 by JediMinerBob
wanted to change a phrase

[Drakkolich]

The only minor criticism I have is you chose three ships that no one starts the game with. When we chatted last night on your stream you said you intended to do videos of the other builds, so given that promise could you start with the Rycer and Blackbolt? Although you do focus on the mastered ship builds, knowing the purchase and upgrade order gives really good insight into what you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the components.

 

Thanks in advance for any consideration.

 

This was actually requested quite a bit and I'd like to address why I didn't start with those two ships.

 

We've been kind of on a mission to get everyone to spend that first 5000 fleet requisition on the Mangler/Quarrel and Razorwire/Rampart because it's just such a good investment as these ships are some of the best in the game and you can round out your arsenal. The Sting/Flashfire is one of the most diverse ships in the game and in my opinion probably the best ship.

 

Getting new players to watch these videos and go "hey, those ships look really good I should try those" seems like a great way to get them feel like they are playing at their possible best.

 

 

Now if I had made videos for the Rycer/Starguard and Blackbolt/Novadive first, many new players might have watched the videos and decided to spend that first 5000 fleet requisition to get further in one of the builds I showcased. This would be awful, in my opinion it's much better to get newer players off these ships as fast as possible.

 

However with all the great positive feedback I've been getting for these videos I'm definitely planning on making more now for other ships. I still don't know what ships I'll do next however and in the following videos will be recommending players who are just starting to pick up the ships from my other videos before investing in some of the more "for fun" ships out there.

 

I hope that helps clear up why I"m so tentative on making videos for the starter ships.

[JediMinerBob]

I hope that helps clear up why I"m so tentative on making videos for the starter ships.

 

Yes, it does explain your rationale, and I cannot quibble with it. That said, a basic commentary video on "here is how I think you should approach GSF" saying just what you did would also go a long way towards clearing up your intentions, as would a simple warning to not spend fleet to level up ship fast, would also.

 

I guess my view is that the "purchase order" portion of the video is the part I found the most valuable. There are a lot of mastered builds out there as it is, just like there are a lot of class guides that focus on what you should look like when you are level 60, but there are very few good (free) guides on progression.

[OKonst]

could you start with the Rycer and Blackbolt?

 

There is actually a really good Rycer-Tutorial with two extremely viable builds somewhere down the list of Drakolich's Twitch-Highlights. That video made the Rycer one of my favorite ships for lopsided matches where you might want to give the enemy a little breathing room while in no way crippling your fun at play

[Drakkolich]

There is actually a really good Rycer-Tutorial with two extremely viable builds somewhere down the list of Drakolich's Twitch-Highlights. That video made the Rycer one of my favorite ships for lopsided matches where you might want to give the enemy a little breathing room while in no way crippling your fun at play

 

I made that a long time ago, while still viable I thought it was way too long. I've been wanting to make these shorter version ones for awhile now, just seemed like it was never the right time.

 

I'll post a link to the twitch Rycer ones here.

Sadly with it's hour duration I can't put it on YouTube, sorry about that.

[Verain]

The real problem with a tutorial for the starter ships is that they are almost a political statement. If you give guides to ships in the meta, it's useful- "here is how people play GSF, do these things, buy these things". If you start pointing to ships that haven't been tested as tightly under competitive environments, how do you know the advice is all that great? While ALL ships are fun, the ships Drako has gone over are also played to win. Ships not appearing in the meta have builds we have less faith in, because no one has ever found something where you feel you need that ship.

[Linuxizer]

Keep in mind I did these all in one take so I stumble a little bit while talking. Also 2 of the 3 games were actually very difficult so sometimes I lose my train of thought. For those of you who do enjoy the videos please let me know if you enjoy the difficult games with my more frantic commentary or the easy ones where I have to time explain more.

 

Thanks for the videos! The difficult games are definitely more informative.

 

I still don't get the art of mine placement. Should I shoot them toward the satellite or outward? Should I keep exploding them or just wait for the enemy to trigger them? Do the snare effects require LOS? I think I saw a Hyperspace Beacon just off the wall of a satellite in your Super Serious stream and I'm not sure how you do that.

 

could you start with the Rycer and Blackbolt?

 

The choice of the first three videos makes a lot of sense by covering dogfighting, minelaying and sniping already. I'm interested in seeing the Blackbolt or Sting in Domination, especially with enemy minelayers to deal with.

[JediMinerBob]

I made that a long time ago, while still viable I thought it was way too long. I've been wanting to make these shorter version ones for awhile now, just seemed like it was never the right time.

 

I'll post a link to the twitch Rycer ones here.

Sadly with it's hour duration I can't put it on YouTube, sorry about that.

 

Thanks for the link Drako. That is exactly what I was looking for.