Combat is way too hard - getting too frustrated with ED

[danjo]

OP; your words echo mine - spooky... i did have a chance to play with a stick, and try the mouse; but i found the xbox controller easier to use.
i try to stick to trading, its easy.
fighting in a AI group was much better, as the attackers were not solely focused on ME.. unfortunately i cannot find those "areas" anymore where you could drop in for low intensity combat.
it all ended after getting attacked by a "nerd with headtracker!" - needless to say i lasted about 2 seconds out in the open... (yes i do remember exactly who he was too) - go pat yourself on the back buddy - well done pick off a noob without warning.

its nearly safer to just not leave the stations its even safer not even to start the game... its even cheaper if you just dont BUY it either, but i too was roped in as an avid original elite player, only to be preyed upon by bedroom-heros.

 

[flexy123]

Combat is actually SIMPLE, I found a trick which (at least in the combat scenarios) always works!

You simply fly far away/backwards so the enemy ship is just a small dot in front of you. Ships then stop flying erratically and actually stay centered e without moving a lot, you simply target them and shoot until the ship exploded.

(AI seems to be VERY, VERY stupid)

If you fly close up and dog fighting starts I noticed it's far more difficult to target and shoot.

Also...there was one combat mission where it's key to balance your power distribution, the one where you need to "boil" the anaconda. The combat missions also took me "some time", but once you figured it out (and with my trick) it becomes VERY simple.

Hint to devs: That AI needs some work. Try it out yourself, just fly back far enough and see it becomes very easy to shoot down ships as long as you manage to target them.

 

[Zvanya]

I found Crimson Triumph too much to handle too. So I decided to trade for awhile and come back to him later. I'm thinking to try again now that I have my new HOTAS

 

[forger]

when you fly in space you should use most of that - never fly straight unless your firepower is way over enemy, if you are even or you are weaker always use vertical thrust, always put more pips into shields (4 pips to SYS) when under attack and always put more pips to weapons when you are not under attack and are firing at enemy with energy weapons and always keep your speed in blue zone while maneuvering.

simple as that

 

[bassman]

I've spent several hours trying to kill Crimson Triumph with no joy. I've seen all the comments about practicing combat lots and using a HOTA joystick set-up but I have to say that I am not a seasoned gamer, I don't have lots of hours to invest in practicing (I have a family and a full time job), and I'm not willing to shell out lots of cash on fancy controller set ups.

Here is me beating him with the minimum of "trickery", No lateral thrust, no FA-OFF, I dont even bother to shoot him on approach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxJbOqqbtY0

 

[wstephenson]

Here is me beating him with the minimum of "trickery", No lateral thrust, no FA-OFF, I dont even bother to shoot him on approach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxJbOqqbtY0

Heh, with the minimum of roll + pitch as well. I don't think you rolled to aim until 1:30, doing it all with yaw instead. Nerf yaw more please, Mike, bassman demonstrates it's overpowered!

To the OP: notice how, when CT is flying towards the ship, bassman starts to turn around long before CT passes him, so he is on CT's tail very quickly and has lots of time to shoot him.

 

[neogeo]

Combat is not "too hard". Combat is a skill. It takes time. If you don't get any noticeable improvement in your skill after repeated attempts, then consider yourself "combat devoid". If you planned on playing the game primarily for its combat purposes I would suggest you try try again until you succeed. It really is a rewarding feeling. My personal experience with the single player scenarios was a little bit of frustration for some missions I had initial issues with but a load of satisfaction when I finally did (though that last scenario I never finished as PB came out by then and I find multiplayer more entertaining). The single player combat scenarios are designed to introduce you to maneuvering and managing your ship in different combat situations. Each scenario requires you to utilise a different approach. If you are approaching one scenario using the same method you did on the former, you will have a hard time. Just think about the goal of the scenario and try a different approach.

On the other hand if combat is not what you plan to do primarily in the full game, don't take the missions so seriously . It is always a good idea to get your combat skills "up to par" but E: D has many different roles you can play and ways you can play the role. Eventually you will be able to hire ship escorts or ship crew to do the combat on your behalf so you can focus on mining, escorting VIPs or bringing in that 400tons of gold to trade in an anarchy zone (good luck with that .

 

[Patrick_68000]

ED is a game in the long term. In your life you will certainly of days / periods of higher availability. The fight is not the only option in ED. There is also the flight ... p)

 

[Torgrim]

I also have a family and a job so my gaming time are also limited, I bought a cheap joystick then fiddle alittle in keymapping to ge things the way I want.

It's always a good idea to throttle down when hes turning, less speed faster turn rate, when you see your target go full speed, boost if you have to, then start blasting, rince and repeat.

 

[Space]

For me, combat is way too easy. The AI is too weak in its current state.

 

[Tox Laximus]

..and this is a good thing.

The casual crowd has twenty years of knuckle dragging games to play already, nobody is going to miss them if they pass this one up.

If you expect to have a magic unicorn crap purple loot on your chest just for logging in, this is not the game for you.

The clever games have difficulty levels then you cater for everyone, but common sense passed the devs by and they seem hell bent on making a game so tedious no one will play it.

 

[deusx_ophc]

Most games cater for the casual player as in someone who works and plays a couple of hours a day, ed has a very narrow market and wont sell many copies.

i this mine to keep for the future pls ?!

 

[Patrick_68000]

For me, combat is way too easy. The AI is too weak in its current state.

To play in mode Ironman, should increase the difficulty ...

 

[madmac]

I wouldn't worry too much....

Im in the same boat, I can't decide if it is me getting used to using a joystick or my terrible maneuvering skills, but I have only manged to beat him once in a whole day of trying.
I just went back to practicing my skills and when I was bored took some time out to do some trading.
Playing the game is teaching me new tricks all the time, I wasn't using my thrusters at all, now I am (poorly) but will get better in time.
I have started turning FA off when trying to turn quickly (again poorly) but can see how it improves turning speed and I will improve over time.
Next step is to try and target CT and then use the crosshairs in conjunction with FA off to see if that helps me turn quicker and find him more accurately after turning. At the moment, he comes at me guns blazing, I try and slide around and shoot him, but at some point am forced to loop the loop as he is behind me, and as I come out of the loop he is coming at me straight away.

Combat takes time, which is partly why I bought the beta, so I can spend this time learning how to fly the damn ship, you would laugh if I told you how long it took me to figure out the whole 'escape vector' supercruise thing.

If you want to pick up and play well straight away, then it isn't going to happen, Im in the same boat, my gaming time is limited and Im frustrated as it will take me weeks to get where some people are skills wise after a weekend. Not a lot I can do about it though and I will still be better off than alot of the noobs come final release time :smilie:

 

[Darth Krayt]

The combat is entirely optional so you can skip the single player missions if you wish and you can also skip combat in the full game - running away is a valid tactic.

If you want to practice combat though, take the 2nd mission and simply practice flying behind the enemy without shooting until it becomes second nature. When you feel confident enough you can start shooting.

For the 3rd mission you'll have to play around with the power management, get close to the opponent quickly and stay behind him. If he gets past you, slow down, pull up or down and use vertical thrust to bring him back in front of you. When he's shooting at you, full power to shields, when he's running away, more power to engines and weapons. Don't fire unless you're sure you'll hit.

If all the controls feel overwhelming, go the 1st mission and practice there. If the controls feel awkward to you spend time customising the controls to your liking. I've been playing ED for a few months now and I'm still occasionally tweaking the controls.

 

[Vandaahl]

I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say...

Lol, I am aiming at the NPC's who are getting slaughter by the millions in and around stations nowadays

 

[Vander Mey jr.]

Come on, combat isn't that hard. (Honestly, I don't even understand why everyone is talking about lateral thrusters. I don't even have them mapped except for landing...)

What you absolutely cannot do, though, is ignoring power management.

If you're trying to get away, or giving chase, you need four pips to engines (or use FA-Off / Boost, I hope they re-introduce Boost bleed-off before this goes life...).

If your shields are down, you need four pips to system to get them back up ASAP.

If you have the enemy's tail -- i.e. you can shoot at him, but he can't shoot at you -- you need four pips to weapons so you can give him hell before his shields come back up.

Anyone who thinks power management can be ignored and two pips for everything are just fine... ah well.

I'm playing with a Logitech T16000. Not an expensive joystick, but plenty good enough to get through to the last two single missions. That doesn't mean I whoop ass in-game, or that I haven't been shot down a time or two by NPC's because they out-gunned me, but I got my bunch of kills allright, and am not afraid of any NPC in the same class of ship as myself.

But really, combat in E isn't any more difficult than in comparable games like e.g. War Thunder.

 

[Ramireza]

The clever games have difficulty levels then you cater for everyone, but common sense passed the devs by and they seem hell bent on making a game so tedious no one will play it.

ED is not hard. The difference between ED and many other (modern) games is : Players that act dumb have to face the consequences. Thats all.

If you say : "I dont care to learn how to fly my ship, thats no fun!" Ok, do it, just ignore the basics.

But then face the consequence, your virtual death. Thats not ED´s or Frontiers fault, its YOURS, easy as that. Believe me, the Game is way to easy at the current state, i and i am NOT a hardcore gamer nor i have the time to play several hours a day.

But maybe these to 2 things make a difference : I love the challenge and i am eager to learn new things, thats all you need to master this Game at the moment.

 

[CTR69]

I've spent several hours trying to kill Crimson Triumph with no joy. I've seen all the comments about practicing combat lots and using a HOTA joystick set-up

Stop playing it as a flight sim and start as FPS. Use strafe, reverse and no-assists fligh mode to keep him at your 12

 

[streki]

I've been finding combat hard too. I've got my new viper and took on an Anaconda, but the blasted thing was outmanoeuvering me! I did figure out staying 'in the blue' and using vertical thrusters did enhance my turn rate so sort of 'cracked it'.

Vertical/lateral thrusters are essential in combat. Also, stay as close as you can to the Anaconda. If you're right on top of them, they'll not keep up with your turn rate, but if you're a mile away, your thrusters need to move you much further and the conda will draw a bead on you.