[Video] Sidewinder vs. Reverse

[Frenotx]

Was feeling silly, so I threw together a "super sidey" and went looking for trouble. Started a fight with a dangerous chieftain NPC, and ended up getting up getting a good example of why reverski is lame in PvE. Fought a deadly viper after this, and had an infinitely easier time keeping out of its firing arc than I did the chieftains. Small combat ship (with nastier NPC) easier to out-maneuver that much larger medium ship? Hooray balance. In any case, this was my first fight with build (and the first time I've flown a sidewinder period in quite some time), so please excuse my flying!
[video=youtube_share;E6xy7e5cz04]https://youtu.be/E6xy7e5cz04[/video]

Edit: And here's the Viper IV fight. Smaller combat ship, higher ranked NPC pilot, yet easier to avoid to avoid its firing arc than the chieftains. :hmm:
[video=youtube_share;FmzSRiii6QI]https://youtu.be/FmzSRiii6QI[/video]

 

[ForeverN00b]

I think some fa-off would have been your friend in that scenario. It would have been easier for you to maintain good ToT with your MC when his shields were down. Also, the AI does have certain patterns they like to fly in, but when a player goes faoff it becomes much more difficult for them to predict where you will be. You don't necessarily need to fly fa-off full time, but toggling it at key times would help you maintain your firing solution while not having to rely quite as much on your boost. Just my 2 cents.

As a side note, I find the sidey quite rewarding to fly in fa-off as it seems to have good lateral and vertical thrusters (I tried it with g5 enhanced drives).

In any turn war scenario like that against NPCs, fa-off seems to 'short circuit' their loop pattern.

Also, have you tried a dual enforcer or dual rail setup?

 

[Frenotx]

I think some fa-off would have been your friend in that scenario. It would have been easier for you to maintain good ToT with your MC when his shields were down. Also, the AI does have certain patterns they like to fly in, but when a player goes faoff it becomes much more difficult for them to predict where you will be. You don't necessarily need to fly fa-off full time, but toggling it at key times would help you maintain your firing solution while not having to rely quite as much on your boost. Just my 2 cents.

As a side note, I find the sidey quite rewarding to fly in fa-off as it seems to have good lateral and vertical thrusters (I tried it with g5 enhanced drives).

In any turn war scenario like that against NPCs, fa-off seems to 'short circuit' their loop pattern.

Also, have you tried a dual enforcer or dual rail setup?

Time on target wasn't really my concern. If I wanted to just point my guns at him, I would have had no issue. The challenge is not letting him point his guns at me. FA / off doesn't make your thrusters stronger. In fact, in some scenarios (canceling out lateral movement), it makes them weaker. As for the NPC not being able to predict where I'll be... well, that doesn't really matter much vs. a chieftain. Their rotation rates are so high that they can just quickly correct themselves if I "surprise" them. My boost timing can certainly use some work though, I'll grant you that. It's something I've been working on in my Viper IV, and since this is my first fight in this ship, CERTAINLY don't have a hold of yet in the super sidey.

As for the twin enforcer or twin rails builds:
I've tried the twin enforcer setup. It's amusing and makes for a great audio / visual experience, but runs out of ammo too quickly for my taste. It also makes anything that's packing SCBs an enormous chore to deal with. I haven't tried twin rails, but think the ammo would irk me on that one, too. I could do plasma slug, but I don't think the sidewinder's microscopic tank would hold out for long.

 

[Pauciloquent]

I can't REP you right new

Good fight... I got two tips for you #1 DON'T PANIC! slow down a bit (mentally), #2 use that chaff you installed otherwise it's just dead weight.

 

[ForeverN00b]

Time on target wasn't really my concern. If I wanted to just point my guns at him, I would have had no issue. The challenge is not letting him point his guns at me. FA / off doesn't make your thrusters stronger. In fact, in some scenarios (canceling out lateral movement), it makes them weaker. As for the NPC not being able to predict where I'll be... well, that doesn't really matter much vs. a chieftain. Their rotation rates are so high that they can just quickly correct themselves if I "surprise" them. My boost timing can certainly use some work though, I'll grant you that. It's something I've been working on in my Viper IV, and since this is my first fight in this ship, CERTAINLY don't have a hold of yet in the super sidey.

As for the twin enforcer or twin rails builds:
I've tried the twin enforcer setup. It's amusing and makes for a great audio / visual experience, but runs out of ammo too quickly for my taste. It also makes anything that's packing SCBs an enormous chore to deal with. I haven't tried twin rails, but think the ammo would irk me on that one, too. I could do plasma slug, but I don't think the sidewinder's microscopic tank would hold out for long.

Ok fair points, I see what you mean if the exercise was simply to stay out of his firing arc then faoff probably wouldn't have helped you much. The vulture and FAS are similar in that they can point their nose with ease without regard to blue zone speed. Personally I don't see it as a concern I think the whole blue zone mechanic is silly anyway *looks at his Python*.

 

[Frenotx]

I got two tips for you #1 DON'T PANIC! slow down a bit (mentally), #2 use that chaff you installed otherwise it's just dead weight.

Indeed! I was super tired at the time, and I'm used to having a lot more health to throw around (my Viper IV is a tough nut to crack). Combining the two leads to sloppy piloting.

As for the chaff, I had debated between putting a shield booster in that slot or the chaff. Completely forgot I had the chaff in there. It wasn't until I was reviewing the footage that I noticed my mistake. XD Quite the face-palm moment.

 

[Pauciloquent]

Indeed! I was super tired at the time, and I'm used to having a lot more health to throw around (my Viper IV is a tough nut to crack). Combining the two leads to sloppy piloting.

As for the chaff, I had debated between putting a shield booster in that slot or the chaff. Completely forgot I had the chaff in there. It wasn't until I was reviewing the footage that I noticed my mistake. XD Quite the face-palm moment.

HAH done the same myself.

On the Sidewinder I would go Chaff over Shield Booster, The shield gains with a booster are too small and it delays shield reform - small ship + chaff... super hard to hit.

 

[Frenotx]

HAH done the same myself.

On the Sidewinder I would go Chaff over Shield Booster, The shield gains with a booster are too small and it delays shield reform - small ship + chaff... super hard to hit.

That's my thinking, too. The shield booster actually adds a good chunk of health and effective recharge speed (resistance augmented), but the chaff seems like a better option. My -plan- is to stay out of the firing arc of the enemy as much as possible, but that obviously doesn't always work out vs. ships like the chieftain, FAS, and FDL.

Edit: Added another fight to the OP. :3

 

[CMDR The Riz]

That's my thinking, too. The shield booster actually adds a good chunk of health and effective recharge speed (resistance augmented), but the chaff seems like a better option. My -plan- is to stay out of the firing arc of the enemy as much as possible, but that obviously doesn't always work out vs. ships like the chieftain, FAS, and FDL.

Try boosting with lateral thrust along their yaw axis - all ships (even those pesky FASes, Chieftains, Clippers... and those darn FDLs) have gimped yaw rotational rates. Going along this axis means that your target will have to either track you along their yaw axis (in which case you will win out) or you will force them to pitch + roll, which will give you a few more seconds out if their firing arcs. They can point their noses in your general direction, but that doesn't mean they have their guns on you.

As others have said - don't forget the Chaff

You could also try reducing your thermal signature with either Silent Running, a Thermal Vent Beam Laser (my favorite), or by clever shipbuilding (G5 Armored Powerplant and Thermal Spread works wonders here!). That should give your target more difficulty with aiming their gimballed weapons when combined with trying to stay on their yaw axis.

 

[DocPossible]

The first vid is really nice Frenotx. I'm afraid it mirrors my feelings about the current flight model too. I can't see it changing for the better though. Power creep affects every MMO that there has ever been and it never gets wound back.

The whole small ship vs big ship thing only works if the small ships are more manoeuvrable than the big ones and can keep out of their main firing arc. Big ships counter by equipping turrets and with a bit of good game design fun ensures.

Truesilver made some comments in another thread about the number of utility points on the FDL - the idea being originally that it was a bounty hunter's ship so would have things like a wake scanner and a kill warrant scanner equipped. Ofc everyone just fits shield boosters. Variety loses out to min maxing...