Maneuverability doesn't seem to affect me too greatly in this game, in terms of assistance off mode and as it should be. It's not a dogfighting game in the Ace Combat sense. I call assisted mode "atmospheric simulation," designed for mostly landing and traffic situations. In combat, you want to learn to use assistance off as much as possible. In assistance off mode, I can flip a b*tch on a dime...though, I will point out that a greater mass/ larger ship seems to create a lot of momentum that is hard to burst out of, should you need to pursue again...but nothing a little boost can't take care of. I use an Imperial Courier, tanked out and geared for, well, couriering. I have A4(?) shields, or whatever the best is for that ship, as well as point defense utility, and 2x A0 shield cell boosters, and heatsink. My shields, with the booster is as tough as that of a Python's. I don't seem to have any issue facing the enemy, vs my Imperial Eagle, my bounty hunting ship. Though, I at times want to take my Courier instead, anymore. But the Eagle just has that neat "X-Wing Space Fighter feel from the cockpit.
There is one thing I like Assistance On mode for, that I can't mimic in Assistance off and that's for the ability to tail someone and stay on their rear, when using an Eagle, and making it so they can never face you or get you within turret angles. Of course, this only works as long as they aren't going in reverse, or in A-off mode. I'll often times trail Cobra's, Vultures you name it...and stick to their rear everywhere they go, but once they boost away and lose me to put distance back into play, and I for some reason can't compensate, or am caught off card/ don't have any boost in my capacitors, it's back into assistance off until I can sneak up on them again.
The only thing I don't like about A-on mode, is that it takes too much thrust and constant running throttle to keep going forward. This doesn't make any sense. Even if your ship is constantly thrusting lateral and vertically to keep stabilized, it's not going to be breaking forward momentum so much as to need constant engine. Sure the engine might need to pule a little more to compensate for any sort of scrub off in forward momentum that Might occur, but no need for constant throttle. For instance, if I am just going straight and not touching my stick, there is really no need for stabilization and so, should continue going forward without constant throttle being on. I think A-on capability should be a separate, optional module to encourage more realistic play. For instance, the Sidewinder you first get should have it on, as people get used to the controls, but craft that you buy, do not. I also don't understand why super cruise is stabilized. You should be able to tumble at that speed and with more detrimental consequence, like colliding with a red giant LoL
