Newcomer / Intro Frustrated, irritated, and failing to like this game so far

drgnmstr44 · May 14, 2017

First impression, game it terrible. tutorials in game need LOTS of work. LOTS!

A friend helped me get the insane mouse settings under control, the sensitivity slider isn't a slider but fixed points. I don't have a fancy joystick either.

Finally get though flying and docking. Again ZERO information about thrusters with keyboard and mouse. I pushed all the buttons till I finally found the one to make me thrust down. That should NEEDS fixed.

I get through the first combat easy enough but know what they failed to explain? the hud in the bottom center of the screen that shows where the targets are in relationship to you. I get put them in the front arc to shoot them. I don't understand the symbols and lines but able to slog through it.

Advanced combat, yeah right. TERRIBLE. get killed EVERY time. guy gets to a point where he can shoot the crap out of me and I can't see him or get him in front of me anymore. Best I got was taking shields down and finally figuring out how to shoot missiles (because again the tutorial didn't tell you how to do this) and hitting the guy maybe twice. I don't know really.

I really ant to like this game because a lot of my friend like it. I've played space flight games before but this one is really terrible at the moment. I'm frustrated, stuck and not really sure what to do.

Minoo Minou · May 14, 2017

First, keep your calm, the game has a lot of inputs to bind, take your time to setup your controls and understand what's going on. Unfortunately the game doesn't provide a lot of information in this regard.

Don't get frustrated too quickly, it's never a good idea. Add me as a friend ingame, we could wing up and share knowledge

Para Handy · May 14, 2017

drgnmstr44 said:
First impression, game it terrible. .........................

You do know there is a manual, right?

If you want a printable sheet of what YOUR controls are set to, go to https://www.mcdee.net/elite/ and follow the instructions on the page.

Otherwise, if you need help, just ask, lots of it available.

Chris Simon · May 14, 2017

Manual and keeping the default bindings is a good start. You can always rebind them later once you've found out what's what and where you want it.

Don't get too frustrated by the training missions. Nomen omen - They're training missions, not tutorial missions. There are, however, tutorial videos that will explain lots of things step by step. They are accessible from the same menu as the training missions. That and the manual (the link is in the top right corner of the launcher) will help a lot.

Other than that, yeah, this will take a long time. If you think you'd know everything in a day or two, you'll be disappointed. I play for two and a half years and STILL learning new things.

Zeus Cubed · May 14, 2017

Actually, trainin videos plus this forum are the real source of learning... I never managed to master the advanced combat scenario, but I am doing fine in actual game...
In this game, trying to know it all from the start does not pay off. Just like in real life, they teach you how to stand upright, and then you learn to walk and to run by yourself. The hard way...

Otherwise, nobody woyld get started. Too many things to learn.

Ashnak · May 14, 2017

Okay,

Keep Calm

That said - we all went through this. Call it an initation. There is supposed to be a manual, though. But yes, attacking the learning curve head first can be painful.

Ok, controls. Never tried this game using kb&m myself, but I had (still have) a few XBox controllers lying around. Not quite as bad as USB chargers, but they seem to tend to accumulate... Otherwise, the cheapest stick that's usually recommended is just short of 40 pounds (or whatever you use in your area), the thrustmaster Hotas X.

Key bindings. There are lots. Did you go into the Options - Controls menu and take a look? I venture to guess that a lot of people here (myself not excluded) have spent more time in this menu than you did in the game...

Flying, docking and combat. If you managed docking (the right way up and the right way around), you're ready to go. You don't actually need combat at the start, and you most definitely won't beat the advanced combat scenarios for quite some time to come. Those are called "advanced" for a reason. Always remember - your first ship is free

Symbols on the radar - rather easy. Solid are NPCs, outlines are players. Rectangles are harmless (mostly), triangles have deployed hardpoints (usually weapons), blinking are shooting at you. Colours denote their status to you.

As to what you should do - if you've mastered landing, docking, flying and hyperjumps, you're basically ready to go out there. Don't misunderstand me - you will die. Especially if you go into open to the current community goal (CG), but that's part of it. Try out everything - and remember, until you start upgrading, your first ship is completely free. After that, though, it starts to get expensive, so always remeber ED's rule #1: don't fly what you can't rebuy!

Rebuy: ok, if you look into your right menu (or in the shipyard), you'll have a field somewhere where it says "insurance". That's what you have to pay in case you die and want to get your old ship back. If you can't pay, you're basically back in the Sidewinder. If you press the wrong buttons on the rebuy screen, the same happens, so always read what you're pressing.

Oh, and rule #2: if you're flying as a trader, unbind the "jettison all cargo" key. I think on kb&m, that key is per default pretty close to a more often used key, and seeong all your precious cargo tumble oput of your ship when you actuallly wanted to lower the landing gear can be a bit frustrating....

d8veh · May 14, 2017

I made a video walkthrough for new starters. Just about all the comments say that they found it very helpful. As long as you can take off and land, you should be able to follow it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQJZMW33KCQ

MikeHawk · May 14, 2017

just plug in your neural interface & bind settings ... DUH

fossil · May 14, 2017

drgnmstr44 said:
First impression, game it terrible. tutorials in game need LOTS of work. LOTS!

A friend helped me get the insane mouse settings under control, the sensitivity slider isn't a slider but fixed points. I don't have a fancy joystick either.

Finally get though flying and docking. Again ZERO information about thrusters with keyboard and mouse. I pushed all the buttons till I finally found the one to make me thrust down. That should NEEDS fixed.

I get through the first combat easy enough but know what they failed to explain? the hud in the bottom center of the screen that shows where the targets are in relationship to you. I get put them in the front arc to shoot them. I don't understand the symbols and lines but able to slog through it.

Advanced combat, yeah right. TERRIBLE. get killed EVERY time. guy gets to a point where he can shoot the crap out of me and I can't see him or get him in front of me anymore. Best I got was taking shields down and finally figuring out how to shoot missiles (because again the tutorial didn't tell you how to do this) and hitting the guy maybe twice. I don't know really.

I really ant to like this game because a lot of my friend like it. I've played space flight games before but this one is really terrible at the moment. I'm frustrated, stuck and not really sure what to do.

There is a manual - which you obviously have not read.
And then you try advanced combat and get killed. Really ? You can't be bothered to read that manual, you have no experience of playing the game, you can barely control your ship. Do you know the meaning of advanced ? Do you really think that "advanced combat" means "combat for someone who can't fly their ship" ? Honestly. Some people.

pipo zelvelder · May 14, 2017

The KEEP CALM advice is always good, but if you are searching for a quick way to learn this game, I have to disappoint you: The tutorial is very incomplete; there are far too many video clips on how to do things to usefully select a few; There is so many advice on how to learn this game that you won't know which one to choose; and on top of that, the developers does not seem to care at all that new players find this game hard; Some players are even worse and give you the advice to git-gut (get good at the game), not realising they themselves are just as bad as you, but they git-used-to it...

HOWEVER, the game is not terrrible (your words)! It is a fantastic game, but it is made soo hard for beginning players, that FD will sooner be bancrupt and out of players, than be worldfamous and have the best game in the world (or maybe, as a side note, they are only interested in the top 5% of this game, nurturing htem and make them happy, and only using the 95% for the quick bucks: game sold, money collected, let them die;; I really do not understand why they don't make this game more accesible)

That being said, and conforming your worst thoughts: You CAN ACTUALLY learn this game and git-used-to it. I understand that docking is OK with you, so best thing to do is to trade a bit through the systems and get some money. I never beated the advanced opponent even once and I have this shining A-rated Anaconda now... (After a year of playing, do not expect fast progress, the developers deliberately withhold as much profit as they can to make all progress to be very, very, very, very slow)

My final advice is to set your mind to this adventuring mode: This game is really great, but it follows the philosophy that a game should be extremely hard to start with and then slowly becoming a bit better (but only a bit) in the hope that when it finally gets better (you git-used-to), you're addicted...

So keep up and do some simple trading stuff to get yourself underway, Once you are past the first 500 hours or so, you really git-used-to and be flying like the rest of us...

- - - Updated - - -

fossil said:
There is a manual - which you obviously have not read.
And then you try advanced combat and get killed. Really ? You can't be bothered to read that manual, you have no experience of playing the game, you can barely control your ship. Do you know the meaning of advanced ? Do you really think that "advanced combat" means "combat for someone who can't fly their ship" ? Honestly. Some people.

See? One example of someone telling you to "git-gut"; there are lots of those on this forum...

Thanx fossil, for proving my point

VR StarLightPL · May 14, 2017

Just to reiterate over what has been said already:

When I first run the game I spent about 2h in controls section in options, tweaking and testing on the basic flight mission (it was a bit different back then). Then I practiced the training missions to the point I felt comfortable with the ship. That took I think about two days. And I also read the manual which I printed, on work commute. Then went to solo, and played there "gitting gud" (it was pre-engineers, you'll understand in time) until I was comfortable financially and skill-wise that I can wander in open, knowing fully well that I am at a risk of ganking by far more experienced cmdrs with much much better A-rated ships.

I'm sorry, but with your attitude you sound like an impatient teenager. If that's the case, you're kinda excused ;-)

fly safe, cmdr.

lostagain · May 14, 2017

Dear Frustrated
Welcome to ED. Being frustrated is normal for all new players, me included. Read through the forum. Ask questions, you'll find many people here want to help and do.
Stick with it and you will learn what not to do first, then you'll learn the right way. That's how it is for me anyway.
I'm really enjoying this game even though there's a ton load to learn. Which is actually a good thing. This game is as big as it's Galaxy.
Hang in there and have fun.

Electric Kite · May 14, 2017

My first impression of your post was terrible.

Ideally..what do you want here exactly? Do you want everyone to agree with you the game is terrible? Would that make you feel better?

Because thats not gonna happen. So......

Anyway..another one added to the old ignore list.

On you go.

Zenith · May 14, 2017

I remember my frustration with the obscure control system, the lack of initial guidance and getting to grips with simply flying my ship in and out of a station. Somewhere along the line, frustration started to decline. Eventually conquering what frustrated me led to a strong sense of achievement!

I would only suggest that you persevere at getting past what frustrates you. The learning curve for this game IS hard, but it rewards you with a feeling of getting somewhere if you stick with it.

I've been playing 2.5 years and I still get a kick out of requesting Launch, lifting off the pad, retracting landing gear and nudging my ship's nose up towards the slot. I bought a Thrustmaster T-Flight X HOTAS joystick and it helps put you "in the game" when you can physically hold your ship's controls.

This is a tongue in cheek look at that frustration...

Gully Foyle · May 14, 2017

Electric Kite said:
My first impression of your post was terrible.

Ideally..what do you want here exactly? Do you want everyone to agree with you the game is terrible? Would that make you feel better?

Because thats not gonna happen. So......

Anyway..another one added to the old ignore list.

On you go.

Don't ignore him.
Give him the help he needs.

OP: get thee to a player training group forthwith!

- - - Updated - - -

Zenith said:
I remember my frustration with the obscure control system, the lack of initial guidance and getting to grips with simply flying my ship in and out of a station. Somewhere along the line, frustration started to decline. Eventually conquering what frustrated me led to a strong sense of achievement!

I would only suggest that you persevere at getting past what frustrates you. The learning curve for this game IS hard, but it rewards you with a feeling of getting somewhere if you stick with it.

I've been playing 2.5 years and I still get a kick out of requesting Launch, lifting off the pad, retracting landing gear and nudging my ship's nose up towards the slot. I bought a Thrustmaster T-Flight X HOTAS joystick and it helps put you "in the game" when you can physically hold your ship's controls.

This is a tongue in cheek look at that frustration...
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u320/magic1085/784f92b1-f9cf-457d-b287-c7434a522df8.jpg

You're a nut.
When you going to join the Alliance? We are all nuts there. And drunk from Mahon's Pale Ale.

Electric Kite · May 14, 2017

Gully_Foyle said:
Don't ignore him.
Give him the help he needs.

OP: get thee to a player training group forthwith!

- - - Updated - - -

You're a nut.
When you going to join the Alliance? We are all nuts there. And drunk from Mahon's Pale Ale.

But its not my job to convince anyone this game is good.

I admire anyone who has the energy and time to spend doing that.

But not me. o7

fossil · May 15, 2017

pipo zelvelder said:
See? One example of someone telling you to "git-gut"; there are lots of those on this forum...

Thanx fossil, for proving my point

Please explain how "read the manual" equates to "git-gud" ? The OP was moaning about not being able to understand the display and the controls - both of which are covered in the manual. I believe that reading the manual would help him - do you dispute this ? Or do you construe this post to also mean "git-gud" ?
It seems to me that reading the manual would be the first and most obvious thing to do. Instead he chose to moan. Perhaps he can't read ??? Mind you - you seem to have difficulty understanding the words you read.

Winterwalker · May 15, 2017

drgnmstr44 said:
First impression, game it terrible. tutorials in game need LOTS of work. LOTS!

See I think there's another way to look at this.

When Armstrong / Aldrin landed on the moon there were no tutorials at all. Sure there was equipment training, which you have in the game tutorials if you're prepared to do them, but in the end the only solution is to get out there in the spirit of adventure and work on the skills you need. I think this gives ED the sense that space is a dangerous place where unexpected and sometime inexplicable things will happen and if you don't apply yourself to working out the problems, you'll end up dead.

The 'working it out' - that the OP finds frustrating - is actually part of the game I'm afraid, as ED just isn't an outer space shoot'em. Any ship you end up flying has to be bought and paid for in game.

Dsign · May 15, 2017

I enjoy games with complex gameplay and slow learning curve. I kinda had my fair share of hand holding games...
The feeling of satisfaction when you're finally ready to do something, after hundreds hours of practice. That's something I think ED is doing pretty well
I guess you can't please everybody.

Para Handy · May 15, 2017

Winterwalker said:
See I think there's another way to look at this.

When Armstrong / Aldrin landed on the moon there were no tutorials at all. Sure there was equipment training, which you have in the game tutorials if you're prepared to do them, but in the end the only solution is to get out there in the spirit of adventure and work on the skills you need. ..............

I think that they would argue that the MANY MANY hours they spent in simulators (multiple) helped a little bit.

[alien]