Why is Combat so Boring?

Blackcompany

Banned
B
Just an endless joust. That's it. Forever grinding down enemy shields while we fly head on at each other and then circle back. Using FA off on a Courier with performance drives and still getting out maneuvered by a Viper IV. Not that it matters; as a game play activity its an awful experience.

I am just wondering WHY its so bad. Do ships really need all this shielding to grind through? I feel like Medium weapons are worthless against even small and medium ships...making what should be a brief, explosive, adrenaline fueled experience into an absolute slog.
 

Sterling MH

Banned
S
Blackcompany said:
Just an endless joust. That's it.
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The problem is you're playing it wrong. The spaceships have 6 degrees of freedom, and one thing to absolutely remember is that you haven't got any air resistance to push you round, so your speed to turn depends on how much spare jet exhaust you have for manoevers: so cut your velocity or you'll turn like a whale.

It's so bad because YOU are so bad at it. You're playing it like this is some arcade F15-Eagle shooter. It's not. It's not even a flightsim, because those are in air. Stop playing the game as if it were a different game and learn how to fight in this one.

Or skip combat and do one of the other routes to progress in the game.

EDIT: Or play CQC, which is adrenaline packed combat rushing.

For IRL examples, see any footage of tank battles between panthers and shermans after D-Day to see what trying to attack a ship bigger, better armed and better armoured looks like when it's not dragged out for "suspense".

Pro tip: Don't be the little one.

EDIT2: See X forums for people complaining about how grindy killing a capship was with an M3 fighter. Then reflect on what that means they're asking for.

See also the difference between UK football and USA football. UK version is low scoring and the winner is a lot to do with luck, USA is high scoring therefore there's very little luck involved, disney movies notwithstanding.

Without the grind, you can fail too quickly and a lucky strike can see you at the rebuy screen wondering if it was some hax.
 
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STARB0YY

STARB0YY
Blackcompany said:
Just an endless joust. That's it. Forever grinding down enemy shields while we fly head on at each other and then circle back. Using FA off on a Courier with performance drives and still getting out maneuvered by a Viper IV. Not that it matters; as a game play activity its an awful experience.

I am just wondering WHY its so bad. Do ships really need all this shielding to grind through? I feel like Medium weapons are worthless against even small and medium ships...making what should be a brief, explosive, adrenaline fueled experience into an absolute slog.
Click to expand...

Man if you think combat is boring then try the rest of the game, you will likely fall asleep.
 

AutoMechancal

A
Love it. You can't out manouver a viper IV with a courier, but I can dance around a player FDL with a corvette. Maybe the reason combat sucks is because you suck.

That said the ttk does get stupidly high when you move to the bigger ships, but that's why you fly in wings and have ships with dedicated roles.
 

mp4x

mp4x
Yeah, as the others are saying, if you're just jousting I'd reccomend watching some combat videos on Youtube to see how to use your thrusters, distance and positining better for more enjoyable combat
 

Winterwalker

Winterwalker
Sterling MH said:
Without the grind, you can fail too quickly and a lucky strike can see you at the rebuy screen wondering if it was some hax.
Click to expand...

Makes sense really. You have shields to protect yourself and NPC's have shields, because otherwise, they'd just pop without standing any kind of challenge. If you're getting out-turned then I'd say you're on a hiding to nothing turn fighting, get some distance and tank. And of course, if combat is boring, can always start a love train? (arf)

[video=youtube;kQvmCzILBfE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQvmCzILBfE[/video]
 
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Blackcompany

Banned
B
Thanks for the info. Will take a look at the Courier thread. Might learn something, because I am having trouble wrapping my mind around the 6-DOF combat for certain. I do however feel that the Shield Recharge/Chaff spam is getting out of control where AI Ships are concerned.

As for the rest of the game, I like delivery and passenger stuff. I find it relaxing.
 

vindicator jones

vindicator jones
If your jousting constantly, your doing it wrong..

Things to remember

Use your throttles blue zone
Use thrusters
Watch enemy engine trails to judge their movement
Use Engine Pips

Stop over using boost. Boost is an effective tactic when used correctly, but over use of boost always ends up in a jousting match.

Get close to your target, force them to boost at you, while you remain in the blue zone and turn around to face them from behind while they recover from boost turn lag.

Use boost and FAOFF to turn around 180 degrees as your target passes you and get on their tail faster.

Use lateral thrusters to spin around your target..

There are many things you can try.
 

-VR- Max Factor

-VR- Max Factor
Blackcompany said:
Just an endless joust. That's it. Forever grinding down enemy shields while we fly head on at each other and then circle back. Using FA off on a Courier with performance drives and still getting out maneuvered by a Viper IV. Not that it matters; as a game play activity its an awful experience.

I am just wondering WHY its so bad. Do ships really need all this shielding to grind through? I feel like Medium weapons are worthless against even small and medium ships...making what should be a brief, explosive, adrenaline fueled experience into an absolute slog.
Click to expand...

Don't joust. Combat is great in this game. Not entirely sure why you are jousting in a courier, a very maneuverable ship, much better then the Viper IV. It's not the game or the ship, but it's pilot that is the issue here.
 
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vitriol

V
Combat with big ships is even duller. Got interdicted by an Anaconda in my Cutter once. Cue holding down both mouse buttons for ten seconds. The hilarity of bringing 7 G5 multicannons to bear on one target will never get too old (you can't even see the target for all the particles), but some variety would help.

Sorta wish they would take a page from Rebel Galaxy and Battlefleet Gothic Armada and let us do broadsides and launch multiple fighters and all that. Throw in short range teleports. EMP blasts. Torpedo nets. Going to need bigger ships though.
 

metatheurgist

metatheurgist
With enhanced thrusters a Courier's optimal mass is 90. Check your weight, if it's much more than that then V4s will fly circles around you.
 

Red Fox Four

Red Fox Four
For more interesting combat I highly recommend getting a Viper Mk3 and combat fitting it with Fixed guns.

Reason why is because using fixed guns means you have to pay extra attention to how the enemy ship is moving. How is he aligned compared to you? Is aligned so if he boosts he'll fly off to the right and out of your screen? Whenever I use fixed guns I constantly watch the enemy ship and it's contrails to see how he is moving as well as watching the lower-left holo-image of the ship to see which way he is facing compared to myself, and I constantly make adjustments the bottom my ship is aligned with the bottom of his ship since whatever maneuver he then pulls I can quickly react to it and stick to him.

This gives you valuable practice when it comes to staying on your target and keeping them in your sights... the alternative is to waste your ammo and most likely get shot to pieces yourself.

Here's an example of my PvE combat Viper Mk3: https://eddp.co/u/SVTKX8Nf

Stripped down FSD and Life Support to cut weight. Don't need FSD anyhow since I only use it for local system combat, and if I need to move it I use ship transfer option or simply upgrade FSD. Life Support above D grade is lulwut? and only used by explorers. For anyone inside the bubble a station is reachable in under 5 minutes.

Fixed Multicannons and Bursts (though you can go out with all multi-cannons if you want real fun).

HRP in Military slot and Mililtary Grade Hull. Can stack more HRP in the other internal slots if you want more hull armor at cost of losing about 4 speed at 4 pips, or simply drop the HRP and Military Grade Hull if you want to cut mass and be more agile.

I have a Viper like this stationed in my home system and I frequently take it out for either local REZ sites or Combat Zones to have some fun and to hone my fixed gun aim.

And yes, I could have used an Eagle but unfortunately the Eagle is just a bit too weak in firepower to make it enjoyable... plus the Eagle is so light and agile it doesn't really give you good practice on how to manage thrust and avoid "skidding" during combat. I find Viper M3 to be perfect for that purpose.
 
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jgm

jgm
Here's an alternative Viper: https://eddp.co/u/A6bRPLMW Massively fast and agile, very little shielding but designed to run away when shields are down and recharge rather than stay and take damage.

Combat in this wouldn't be boring.
 

Faybs

Faybs
I've made a fair bit of cash hunting anacondas in a vulture with a pulse laser and frag cannon. No jousting there, need to always stick to its soft belly and ride that steer...

Edit: Hmm, now that we have corrosive weapons that negate hardness I should be able to do that in a multicannon DBS.
 
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