CQC (arena) Delivers!

Apart from the occasional inability to find matches, for me, at least, CQC delivers.
Learning to fight with these tiny ships has been a rewarding challenge. A challenge which grows daily as I work my way slowly and methodically up the rankings.

I remember my first few weeks thinking that everyone must be using cheats: How could so and so take me down so quickly...?

And I remember the times I sat in frustration staring at the respawn screen, gritting my teeth or seething as my KTD ratio plummeted into the low 30s.

But gradually, as I played and learned the maps, and more importantly learned to appreciate the foibles of the four available, fragile ships I realised that it was my own rather humbling lack of skill that was leading to my repeated and rather abrupt destruction.

Then, I can't pinpoint the time exactly because the transition was so gentle and almost imperceptible, the frustration began to melt away, bit by bit, to at first a grudging acceptance and then, most recently to anticipated excitement.

I have learned the names, if not the faces of my almost daily adversaries and have watched them rank up some faster, some slower than me. I have started to gain respect for those whose skills impress and those whose strategies confound and yet also for those single digit ranked beginner players who sit at the bottom of the table game after prestige dominated game but NEVER EVER GIVE IN. I see them start to climb the ranks as I did a few months ago and hope that they are going to soon be having as much fun as I am.

I don't play much, just five hours a week or so, so I doubt I will ever become Elite, but as I head towards my first prestige and soon after Champion, I look back and think what a wonderful, learning experience it has been for me.

Learn to put aside your doubts, learn to stop blaming others, learn humility and respect for rather than envy of others' skills and, most of all, have a blast as you feel yourself become more competent day by day.

For those of you who are struggling at CQC... do not give up. It is perhaps one of the most rewarding yet under appreciated aspects of Elite dangerous -all but an afterthought, some might say- but one thing is for sure, CQC Delivers!
 
I keep meaning to play it myself. It should be a great way of moving to using fixed weapons. I did really badly the first and only time I have played it but I do intend to go back. Just there is so much pulling me back to the main game at the moment.
 
I keep meaning to play it myself. It should be a great way of moving to using fixed weapons. I did really badly the first and only time I have played it but I do intend to go back. Just there is so much pulling me back to the main game at the moment.

Cheers for the quick reply. However, CQC weapons are not truly fixed. there is a modicum of tracking even with the "Fixed" mounts that makes playing CQC with a joystick possible... It's certainly no gimbal, but it's much, much less frustrating than fixed weapons in the main game. however, it does mean that if you're learning to PvP with a mouse and fixed weapons to give yourself a boost over those who play with the relatively inaccurate Joystick, you'll be disappointed.

You will also be disappointed if you are an ace manoeuvrability pilot because the tracking of enemies weapons will negate quite a lot of your "twitch" advantage unless you are running silent or stealthier, in which case weapons become truly fixed.
Imo apart from FAOFF and flight mechanics (boost, energy, heat) you might as well consider the two games separate.
 
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Its really fun and I definitly learned a few things there. And my god I love the Condor, such a lovley ship to fly, can't wait for it to be playable in the Galaxy!
 
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A group of people tend to laugh at Arena, for me it is the best training simulation to learn survival tactics in a risk free environment. It teaches situational awareness, fighting optimally with FA-OFF (not a requirement) How important correct pip management is to survival, the most important one is no matter how good you think you are, someone will always come along and make you realise that you have a lot to learn.

Raw dog fighting at it's best.
 
I really enjoy CQC when I play it, although sadly I'm so time-starved for half the year that I rarely, if ever, play for that time, even the main game.

It is interesting that the default loadout is the most balanced, and that the majority of the action is centred around the weapons enhance power-up. Personally, I'd like to see all the powerups removed, or at least a game mode with none, so that one can never put losing down to "well, they had the weapons enhance, of course they're going to beat me;" it might slow the game down somewhat, but it would enforce a more varied tactical approach, such as running away and hiding, then waiting till someone's not looking and ganking them good and proper from behind. Not that I'd ever do that to someone, of course. ;)

Since the whole thing is client-side, I'd also like to see custom games - enforced FA-off would be brilliant!

You're in the same time zone as me, so I'll add you next time I log in, with your permission. It sounds like you've played a lot more than I have, so I'll look forward to getting schooled, which can only lead to learning.
 
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not trying to be funny or anything here, but shouldn't this thread be in the CQC forum ?

edit - although it looks like Ed Lewis doesn't use the CQC forum either .. carry on ...
 
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Its really fun and I definitly learned a few things there. And my god I love the Condor, such a lovley ship to fly, can't wait for it to be playable in the Galaxy!

+REP
Hey Bomba! I've had the fortune of matching up with you on occasion (and losing horribly to you in most cases). It has been very educational!
 
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I've had more consistent fun in CQC than in any other aspect of the game, period. (At least up until 2.1, which broke it enough that I'm taking a break).
 
Yep, PvP is fun.
I wish more players would consider / recognize PvP as the most exciting aspect of the game instead of running away from it and complaining on the forum.
i wish the game would go more in the direction of PvP challenge instead of the current PvE grind fest.
 
CQC is LOADS of fun, but unfortunately broken as hell on VR. Every game I load up, the camera defaults inside an asteroid as I wait for death so it resets inside my ship.

Unfortunately, the whole system of progression really discourages me from investing more time into CQC/Arena; more often than not I am up against a level 30+ who will waste me, and everyone else, in seconds.
 
A group of people tend to laugh at Arena, for me it is the best training simulation to learn survival tactics in a risk free environment. It teaches situational awareness, fighting optimally with FA-OFF (not a requirement) How important correct pip management is to survival, the most important one is no matter how good you think you are, someone will always come along and make you realise that you have a lot to learn.

Raw dog fighting at it's best.

Treble Seven! Thx and +REP. You are absolutely right. CQC is the great equaliser. Once you prestige you're back at the bottom. No weapon bonuses. No loadouts. It's pure experience... A learning experience. I've had my Asp handed to me on a plate more times than I can remember. Lol
 
I really enjoy CQC when I play it, although sadly I'm so time-starved for half the year that I rarely, if ever, play for that time, even the main game.

It is interesting that the default loadout is the most balanced, and that the majority of the action is centred around the weapons enhance power-up. Personally, I'd like to see all the powerups removed, or at least a game mode with none, so that one can never put losing down to "well, they had the weapons enhance, of course they're going to beat me;" it might slow the game down somewhat, but it would enforce a more varied tactical approach, such as running away and hiding, then waiting till someone's not looking and ganking them good and proper from behind. Not that I'd ever do that to someone, of course. ;)

Since the whole thing is client-side, I'd also like to see custom games - enforced FA-off would be brilliant!

You're in the same time zone as me, so I'll add you next time I log in, with your permission. It sounds like you've played a lot more than I have, so I'll look forward to getting schooled, which can only lead to learning.

Yes. When playing against a group of higher ranked players, it's as much a strategic battle for the power ups as it is pure combat. Learning where they are and their typical regeneration times is key to winning.

But TBH, if there were no power ups in the game, things might get boring for many of the top players since it adds a bit of variety and extra risk - a bit like engineers do in the full game.

Hosting games with enforced rules would be great but the base game itself lacks players, so further subdividing them would make things even worse for matchmaking. As it was, I was unable to find a match for over an hour yesterday. I managed to watch an entire episode of Game of Thrones and never found another player.

Feel free to add me. I'm Graxxor A Vidhelssen in the game!
 
I love CQC! My thumb, however, does not. That top hat switch wears it out... always having to change those pesky power settings. I had to resort to rebinding the arrow keys for power management on the keyboard to help but when I use those, I can't keep my hand on my throttle! Boost on the toe brakes, however, does wonders. :)
 
not trying to be funny or anything here, but shouldn't this thread be in the CQC forum ?

edit - although it looks like Ed Lewis doesn't use the CQC forum either .. carry on ...

Thanks for giving us permission ;-)

that's because CQC is rubbish :D

Rubbish is in the eye of the beholder. LOL.

I'd like to try CQC. When is the best time to get on and try to find games?

Unfortunately, probably in part due to the constant bad-mouthing on these forums, there are relatively few players so finding a match can sometimes be challenging. Usually, I just switch over to CQC when I get fed up with "exploring" (i.e. Jumphonking thousands of nearly identical systems.) but I always have something like Game of Thrones or Expanse to watch while I wait for the matchmaker to do (or not do) its thing.

Sometimes As soon as I click Deathmatch, I'm thrown into the midst of a battle. Other times, like yesterday, I wait for ages before a single match can be found.
 
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