FA off is horrible

Nick_Mikado

N
So I've been trying to learn FA off flying and i'm having a terrible time. As soon as I turn FA off the ship takes off in the general direction the mouse moves but then every attempt to fly to a certain location results in wild swings of direction. The slightest mouse movement results in the mouse moving to the full extent of movement in one direction and then in the opposite direction as i try to correct the over shoot.
I have a mouse with three ppi levels low med and hi but it doesn't matter which i choose the ship is still uncontrolable. I've tried different mouse sensitivity settings in game but i've had no luck there either.
I'm considering not touching the mouse and getting it to move via telekinesis :^)

I know i'm doing something wrong but what?
 

Cookie Smuggler

C
FA = flight assist
so FA on = ship computer will try to zero difference between control input and ship movement, so if you make a 90 deg turn nose up at 100m/s you will end up going "down" at 100m/s and the computer will thrust "up" to counter and keep you moving 100/s forward

FA off = real life performance, you will have to manually adjust for everything but this can be a good thing such as when an AI is chasing you the solution is to flick FA off then flip around so your pointing at the AI and can shoot them all while still moving along your original vector, AIs can only thrust up/down/left/right at this point to try to dodge your shots (or they try to get you following them so they can pull a reverse card on you)

i do have to ask though, why are you using a mouse to steer? why not the keyboard and use the mouse for headlook? (which can help with figuring out just where the AI vanished to if your canopy doesn't have a good viewing angle)
 
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alexzk

A
Nick_Mikado said:
So I've been trying to learn FA off flying and i'm having a terrible time. As soon as I turn FA off the ship takes off in the general direction the mouse moves but then every attempt to fly to a certain location results in wild swings of direction. The slightest mouse movement results in the mouse moving to the full extent of movement in one direction and then in the opposite direction as i try to correct the over shoot.
I have a mouse with three ppi levels low med and hi but it doesn't matter which i choose the ship is still uncontrolable. I've tried different mouse sensitivity settings in game but i've had no luck there either.
I'm considering not touching the mouse and getting it to move via telekinesis :^)

I know i'm doing something wrong but what?
Click to expand...
FA-off is joystick only basically. Actually, FA is special designed correction for mouse control. I managed to do 180 degree flip only during a year using mouse.
For kb+mouse setup 4 keys: 0% throttle, 25% throttle, 75% throttle, switch FA.
Then for fast swaps u do fa off/on and fast exact mouse move. To follow target u play buttons like piano 0/75/0/75 of throttle, which does similar curve in time as stick would do.
 
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CptArcher

CptArcher
I've been using fa off a lot lately. From someone learning fa off to another, just give it time and don't give up. Practice fa off at every orbital you come across, in every battle you enter, practice it landing and taking off. In time, you'll find yourself fighting tougher and tougher enemies in fa off, and tethering to orbitals getting easier and easier and you'll find yourself getting faster and faster at taking off and landing. Eventually, you'll find that some things are even easier to do in fa off like battle and holding a good aim and sometimes even landing believe it or not. Good luck CMDR

Btw, I am using fa off with an Xbox controller.
 

CptArcher

CptArcher
alexzk said:
Exactly. Hard to fire weapons by left mouse, when each button press in addition moves ship...
I think FA was designed for mouse. For sticks better off it.
Click to expand...

No way. Fa off is easier with a mouse. I'm only using Xbox controller because I play on Xbox. I also have a PC account and have fly fa off there and it is much easier.
 

alexzk

A
CptArcher said:
No way. Fa off is easier with a mouse. I'm only using Xbox controller because I play on Xbox. I also have a PC account and have fly fa off there and it is much easier.
Click to expand...
It is ok, until u need to press buttons ... especially on sides. Button press moves mouse just a bit - enough to give impulse in wrong direction
 

Cmdr Nemo

Cmdr Nemo
FA off in space is a more realistic mode because in space their isn't any resistance which wings, flaps, rudder's are dependent on to reposition a craft. An object in motion will stay in motion until such time as it's acted upon by another force. Using it in the confines of a planet or moon without any atmosphere again is realistic. However, utilizing it when in an atmosphere when atmosphere are added; Using FA off in an atmosphere will not be realistic.

In automobile racing, a driver that knows how to drift will take a curve considerably faster than a driver who doesn't. Same in space, going full speed forward, turning FA off will allow a pilot to turn their craft 180 degrees all the while maintaining their forward speed and direction. Because of the elements in an atmosphere, that will be almost impossible. The resistance caused by the atmosphere, wouldn't allow them to remain going forward in the same exact direction as they rotated to 180 degrees and they would as because of the resistance they would go off course several degree's from their original vector and they would eventually slow down.

Learning how to utilize FA off on occasion can be extremely useful, it does have it's advantages in space as well as near the surfaces of objects with no atmosphere. I generally only utilize it when doing pew pew at the various RES sites. But like other's have stated never with a mouse!
 

Shir

Shir
You need to have relative mouse on to play fa off. Mouse and Kbrd is fine for it. Map alternate keys for supercruise so relative mouse doesn't make it slower.

You can play Fa off constantly, but the most effective way is Fa off for maneuvering, Fa on for accelerating/decelerating. I constantly switch between them in fights these days.
 

alexzk

A
Shir said:
You need to have relative mouse on to play fa off. Mouse and Kbrd is fine for it. Map alternate keys for supercruise so relative mouse doesn't make it slower.

You can play Fa off constantly, but the most effective way is Fa off for maneuvering, Fa on for accelerating/decelerating. I constantly switch between them in fights these days.
Click to expand...
Yep. But you lose a half. With stick u can orbit & shoot easy. Because you just dont touch stick & dont turn it ON, actually that is main reason everybody speak about.
For example thargoids - flip and keep going (i.e. OFF) and shoot. Not possible on mouse, because you will do ON after flip and that will stop you.
 

CptArcher

CptArcher
alexzk said:
Yep. But you lose a half. With stick u can orbit & shoot easy. Because you just dont touch stick & dont turn it ON, actually that is main reason everybody speak about.
For example thargoids - flip and keep going (i.e. OFF) and shoot. Not possible on mouse, because you will do ON after flip and that will stop you.
Click to expand...

You don't have to go fa on after a flip using a mouse either.
 

alexzk

A
CptArcher said:
You don't have to go fa on after a flip using a mouse either.
Click to expand...
Duno...after a flip mouse goes out of moving area usually, or after a 2nd flip..any way..u pick it up and move back and mouse still senses it. Also pressing fire buttons on mouse shake it a little. And yes, I use minimal hardware dpi possible. With better dpi that will be headache even with FA ON.
 

FlyingBrickyard

F
Shir said:
You can play Fa off constantly, but the most effective way is Fa off for maneuvering, Fa on for accelerating/decelerating. I constantly switch between them in fights these days.
Click to expand...

Same, but I'm using a full HOTAS + rudders with toe brakes.

Took maybe a half hour to develop the correct "headspace" for FAOFF (thank you disposable Sidewinder named Pinball), but once I did, I don't even have to think about it anymore. The main thing to learn in FAOFF is that deflection input controls rate more than anything.

With FAON, moving the stick right will roll to the right for as long as you hold it, and when you release, you stop.
With FAOFF, moving the stick to the right even a tiny amount will initiate a roll (more deflection = faster), and when you release, you keep rolling. It will only stop if you move the stick left enough to null that initial roll.

Where people get into trouble is when they end up 'stacking' inputs and attempt to continue flying just as they did with FAON. If you're FAOFF and find yourself tumbling, you need to sort out one axis at a time. Center the controls, pick an axis, null that, and then pick another and repeat until you're back under control. Or just blip FAON for a moment and let the computer sort it out. ;)

I also turn on the 'mouse dot' or whatever that center dot is in the settings, even though I never use the mouse for control. I find it's helpful to have a boresight reference in all modes of flight.
 
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