I just downloaded the game and I must say it's beautiful. I have noticed that controlling the ship is nearly impossible with KB&M and a HOTAS is a MUST next payday. I played the combat tutorial and cannot for the life of me get my ship to turn around without nearly coming to a complete stop and it turns SOOOO SLLOOOOW. Not sure if its just me, or the ship they give you.
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Newcomer / Intro New to ED
- Thread starter AeldWulf
- Start date
Welcome to the Galaxy Commander!
I was extremely nervous when I first started playing. Made several "decisions" which, in retrospect, were perhaps not the best. (Don't drop a load of meat inside a space station. They don't like that.
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Also note yaw is slow by design, roll and bank to turn. But, regardless of your control setup, you'll get used to it, and you will find a method that works for you. Trust me on that.
I was extremely nervous when I first started playing. Made several "decisions" which, in retrospect, were perhaps not the best. (Don't drop a load of meat inside a space station. They don't like that.
).Also note yaw is slow by design, roll and bank to turn. But, regardless of your control setup, you'll get used to it, and you will find a method that works for you. Trust me on that.
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You don't need a HOTAS. I use an Xbox controller and get along just fine. I'm sure a HOTAS would be more immersive though.
Quick tip. Your turn rate is faster when your throttle is half-way in the blue zone. What we call the 'sweet spot'.
Quick tip. Your turn rate is faster when your throttle is half-way in the blue zone. What we call the 'sweet spot'.
Your right about a HOTAS being more immersive for flying an ED ship - just look down in the cockpit and see what your virtual pilot is using, the joystick looks very much like an X52, throttle up and your pilot moves his throttle as well, very nice.
I think the X52 is a great choice for this sim, the stock bindings are very intuitive and work very well - its also relatively inexpensive and the yaw control on the stick makes docking a walk in the park.
I think the X52 is a great choice for this sim, the stock bindings are very intuitive and work very well - its also relatively inexpensive and the yaw control on the stick makes docking a walk in the park.
Welcome to the world of Elite Commander, as people have said above the blue zone on your throttle is the key to quick turns, keep it there and your trusty Sidey will outmanoeuvre most ships. All I can say to any new player is stick with it, even back 30 years ago with the original Elite it was a struggle at first. ED was no different for me, you'll see posts from me on here getting help! Stick with it, the moment when you "get it" is the best moment you will get from any game. I promise you.
I used a rumble pad first, but I got a used Hotas-X for very little money and that works much better. Don't let the combat tutorial annoy you, hunting down NPCs is a bit easier, because you change the weapon loadout...
Good luck out there.
Good luck out there.
I am playing with mouse and keyboard and I must say it took me couple of days of experimenting with the controls to find the right one that suits me best. I've also watched tutorial videos on youtube, and realised yaw isn't really useful in turning (which is counter intuitive to me in the beginning). Instead, roll 90 degrees and moving up or down makes a turn much more effective.
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looks like I need to get a bluetooth dongle so I can use my controller. I didn't know you could use them.
Is using thrusters along with stick movement to rotate the ship advised?
I have tried, but cant really tell if they make much difference.
I have tried, but cant really tell if they make much difference.
Using the thrusters can certainly help you get on target sooner. E.g. during a standard roll, pitch-up manoeuvre then the target will be "above" you as you pitch up. Using up-thrust will bring the target into your sights sooner than if you did it entirely by pitching. It doesn't increase rotational speed, rather it reduces the amount of rotation you need to do.