A 1000 ways to die #1...
I recently updated my T16000M FCS (new cat ate the throttle cable) to an X-56 HOTAS system. I've had if for a little over 3 weeks. Finally got the control system buttons, sliders and axis all setup the way I liked (maybe). Started out flyin' trade missions, passenger missions and did a little mining to get familiar with the controls. Figured it was time to go fly a combat mission. I was ready, I knew the controls (yeah - riiiiiight).
Took an elite rated politician asassination mission which normally are fairly easy to do. Visited the shipyard and switched over to my Krait Mk2. Found the jerk pol (and he was a real jerk - kept broadcasting nonsense that proved that - pretty funny - someone at FD has a real problem with politicians in real life (me too) and has the typical politician personality and take on life and their place in it nailed down - surprised the heck outta me since ED is a British product - maybe I got 'em all wrong). The pol's ship was hanging motionless in space so I pulled up under its belly and came to a stop. Weapons not deployed and listened to his spiel for awhile. After a bit I took stock of the situation. Target was part of a 3 ship wing. He was in a python and was being escorted by 2 Viper 3's. There were a number of Fed Cops in the area.
Weapons deployed. 150m away from the target. I let loose an Alpha Strike (2 C3 G5 Short Range Blaster Pulse Lasers, 1 C3 G5 Inertial Impact Burst Laser and 2 C2 G3 Frag Cannons with Incendiary and Corrosive effects). The scumbag pol's shields went down immediately and hull integrity down to 50 or 60% - don't remember the exact number. At that point the problems started. Brain went out of the loop and what is (incorrectly) described as muscle memory kicked in. Target was slow to move off and I wanted to back out (I'm not totally a'gin rammin' but I try to avoid it when ever I can). Kept hitting the reverse throttle button - which - wasn't the reverse throttle button - it was the equivalent of the button on the TWCS I used to use (16000M FCS throttle). My ship was going no where and the nice EDDI lady was yellin' at me, "Hey dumb a.ss!!!! You're under ATTACK!"
And so I was - under attack that is - it took about a second of real time for that to sink in (stupid ought to hurt - and it did - eventually). By then the Python was on the run - I snapped out of it and turned to fight its wing mates while noticing the fed cops (I was allied with the feds) were streaking in to help the ahole pol and his hired thugs. I mashed the change firegroup button to switch to lasers only and the power distribution button to put 2.5 pips in both weps and sys and 1 in eng. And that DAMNED muscle memory bit me in the behind yet again as what happened was not at all what I wanted to happen. The switch fire groups button unlocked the target. The power distribution key did nothing because on the X-56 stick it was locked to menu up/down/right/left. So I was still set to 4 pips ENG and 2 SYS. Reacquired target and let loose another alph strike from about 1500 m away on the target. Frag's were almost useless and the lasers not so good either (I'm a knife fighter - like to get in close - use direct fire weapons which don't work all that great for me much past 1000m or so - but - sometimes ya just do what ya have to do).
2 shots later and weps are down to ZERO and won't fire and my brain is telling my hand push the bottom hat on the right dummy - push it! But my unconcious brain (recent studies have shown that the unconcious brain is really in charge) kept yelling to my concious brain - no dummy it's the top hat - push that or you're gonna DIE! So I kept pushing the top hat on the right trying to get pips into weps and sys with nothing happening. All the while maneuvering to keep those damned vipers and the feds off me. Maneuvering, boosting up to 480, shields getting ate up (I forgot I had 2300+ in hull integrity), no power to weps and only 2 pips in shields, down to 26% and it was time to bail. But it was too late. Boom - 1 each Krait Mk2's atoms merged with the black and I was floating - unconcious - nearby. Woke up at home base - cussing like a sailor (I was one in real life for 10 years and they do really cuss a lot - at least in the US Navy anyway - every now and then I wonder if they still do - what with all the politically correct and feminization of the American male going on now).
Which boils down to 1000 ways to die #1. Fly into combat without being fully trained on your control system and you die!
NOTE: Most of the default ED X-56 key/button/axis mappings I have changed over the past 3 weeks - and I failed to learn and practice enough with them to be effective in a fast action 5 vs 1 combat situation. My fault. Like I said stupid ought'a hurt.
I recently updated my T16000M FCS (new cat ate the throttle cable) to an X-56 HOTAS system. I've had if for a little over 3 weeks. Finally got the control system buttons, sliders and axis all setup the way I liked (maybe). Started out flyin' trade missions, passenger missions and did a little mining to get familiar with the controls. Figured it was time to go fly a combat mission. I was ready, I knew the controls (yeah - riiiiiight).
Took an elite rated politician asassination mission which normally are fairly easy to do. Visited the shipyard and switched over to my Krait Mk2. Found the jerk pol (and he was a real jerk - kept broadcasting nonsense that proved that - pretty funny - someone at FD has a real problem with politicians in real life (me too) and has the typical politician personality and take on life and their place in it nailed down - surprised the heck outta me since ED is a British product - maybe I got 'em all wrong). The pol's ship was hanging motionless in space so I pulled up under its belly and came to a stop. Weapons not deployed and listened to his spiel for awhile. After a bit I took stock of the situation. Target was part of a 3 ship wing. He was in a python and was being escorted by 2 Viper 3's. There were a number of Fed Cops in the area.
Weapons deployed. 150m away from the target. I let loose an Alpha Strike (2 C3 G5 Short Range Blaster Pulse Lasers, 1 C3 G5 Inertial Impact Burst Laser and 2 C2 G3 Frag Cannons with Incendiary and Corrosive effects). The scumbag pol's shields went down immediately and hull integrity down to 50 or 60% - don't remember the exact number. At that point the problems started. Brain went out of the loop and what is (incorrectly) described as muscle memory kicked in. Target was slow to move off and I wanted to back out (I'm not totally a'gin rammin' but I try to avoid it when ever I can). Kept hitting the reverse throttle button - which - wasn't the reverse throttle button - it was the equivalent of the button on the TWCS I used to use (16000M FCS throttle). My ship was going no where and the nice EDDI lady was yellin' at me, "Hey dumb a.ss!!!! You're under ATTACK!"
And so I was - under attack that is - it took about a second of real time for that to sink in (stupid ought to hurt - and it did - eventually). By then the Python was on the run - I snapped out of it and turned to fight its wing mates while noticing the fed cops (I was allied with the feds) were streaking in to help the ahole pol and his hired thugs. I mashed the change firegroup button to switch to lasers only and the power distribution button to put 2.5 pips in both weps and sys and 1 in eng. And that DAMNED muscle memory bit me in the behind yet again as what happened was not at all what I wanted to happen. The switch fire groups button unlocked the target. The power distribution key did nothing because on the X-56 stick it was locked to menu up/down/right/left. So I was still set to 4 pips ENG and 2 SYS. Reacquired target and let loose another alph strike from about 1500 m away on the target. Frag's were almost useless and the lasers not so good either (I'm a knife fighter - like to get in close - use direct fire weapons which don't work all that great for me much past 1000m or so - but - sometimes ya just do what ya have to do).
2 shots later and weps are down to ZERO and won't fire and my brain is telling my hand push the bottom hat on the right dummy - push it! But my unconcious brain (recent studies have shown that the unconcious brain is really in charge) kept yelling to my concious brain - no dummy it's the top hat - push that or you're gonna DIE! So I kept pushing the top hat on the right trying to get pips into weps and sys with nothing happening. All the while maneuvering to keep those damned vipers and the feds off me. Maneuvering, boosting up to 480, shields getting ate up (I forgot I had 2300+ in hull integrity), no power to weps and only 2 pips in shields, down to 26% and it was time to bail. But it was too late. Boom - 1 each Krait Mk2's atoms merged with the black and I was floating - unconcious - nearby. Woke up at home base - cussing like a sailor (I was one in real life for 10 years and they do really cuss a lot - at least in the US Navy anyway - every now and then I wonder if they still do - what with all the politically correct and feminization of the American male going on now).
Which boils down to 1000 ways to die #1. Fly into combat without being fully trained on your control system and you die!
NOTE: Most of the default ED X-56 key/button/axis mappings I have changed over the past 3 weeks - and I failed to learn and practice enough with them to be effective in a fast action 5 vs 1 combat situation. My fault. Like I said stupid ought'a hurt.
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