How do you set up your fire groups?

Humourwriter · Apr 23, 2015

At the moment my Asp has:
- advanced discovery scanner
- kill warrant scanner
- frame shift wake scanner
- frame shift drive interdictor

Along with beam lasers and multi-cannons.

My joystick doesn't have six fire buttons (even if it did Elite doesn't support that many), so how do you think I should set up my fire groups so everything's relatively handy?

Bill.

Troa Barton · Apr 23, 2015

Humourwriter said:
At the moment my Asp has:
- advanced discovery scanner
- kill warrant scanner
- frame shift wake scanner
- frame shift drive interdictor

Along with beam lasers and multi-cannons.

My joystick doesn't have six fire buttons (even if it did Elite doesn't support that many), so how do you think I should set up my fire groups so everything's relatively handy?

Bill.

Fuego group 1 weapons however you like to split that up.
Fuego group 2 kws/wake scanner on 1 ads and interdictor on 2

Schattenbogen · Apr 23, 2015

Why not put all scanners on the same button ?

samz812 · Apr 23, 2015

quick noob question how do you quickly change between the fire groups ???

Crank Larson · Apr 23, 2015

I have my advanced discovery scanner in group 1. I didn't bother assigning anything else... I foolishly forgot to buy anything else I can assign.

Though when I did have a full complement of weapons, I had four or five groups set up. One was for discovery scanner, another had KWS and lasers (primary fire was lasers, secondary KWS), another had lasers primary and cannons secondary, another had all cannons (two each assigned to primary/secondary), can't remember the other group, but it was another variation!

How you set them up depends mainly on how you use them, I'd suggest. I would KWS while opening fire with the lasers (assuming target was wanted anyway), and as soon as KWS finished I'd switch to lasers and cannons (by which point it didn't usually take long before the target was destroyed). I had full cannons for when the target shields were down and I wanted to kill as quickly as possible.

uncle bulgaria · Apr 23, 2015

There's a key binding for it, go the pause menu and set controls it's in there somewhere, i use the mouse wheel button to cycle through them.

Crank Larson · Apr 23, 2015

samz812 said:
quick noob question how do you quickly change between the fire groups ???

I'm using Xbox One controller, and I assigned the left/right of the cross (below the left hand stick) to change fire groups. It worked well. I must get round to setting my Rhino up, though, as it has buttons aplenty...

Matzov · Apr 23, 2015

I use an Xbox controller too, and assigned the A button to switch fire groups.

CYB34 · Apr 23, 2015

You only need 2 fire buttons and 1 button to switch between the fire groups.
I'd go with the following:

Fire group A - (1) Large weapons / (2) small weapons (if any)

Fire group B - (1) KW scanner / (2) FSW scanner

Fire group C - (1) Advanced discovery scanner / (2) FSD interdictor (supercruise firegroup)

Killing Time · Apr 23, 2015

I have an X55 and use the pinky trigger to cycle the fire groups.
Typically I'll bind them with lasers as primary 1, kinetics as primary 2.
Then Ill have KWS as secondary 1, Discovery scanner as secondary 2.
Any others will go tertiary 1 and 2 as needed.

I used to run the KWS alongside primary 1 lasers so I could be scanning while I took down the target's shield, but I found two major problems with this:
Firstly, if the target pops chaff the KWS loses lock as well.
Secondly, when flying the vulture I was killing some small ships before the KWS had finished scanning.
So now I just wait to complete the scan before opening fire. Waiting the extra 10 seconds is worth it to ensure I get a complete scan.

Humourwriter · Apr 24, 2015

Thanks, everyone. Much appreciated.

Bill.

Mortifa · Apr 24, 2015

I set mine up in a different manner.

1.) (1) Discovery and (2)Frame Shift interdict.
2.) (2) KWS and (1) Beam Laser
3.) (1) Beam laser and (2) Multi-Cannon, Cannon cluster.

Faded Glory · Apr 24, 2015

I generally put my primary weapon (normally a laser) on fire group 1 primary, then the KWS on the secondary so I can scan as I am firing at them if necessary. Then, depending on my load out, I'll have secondary weapons on the primary of fire group 2. It really doesn't take me long to switch between fire groups. In my Asp, where I have a discovery scanner, I normally put it in a separate fire group (number 3).

jpaulwilson1982 · Apr 24, 2015

Group 1 - Discovery Scanner (1) and FSD Interdictor (2)
Group 2 - KWS (1) and FWS (2)
Group 3- Lasers (1) and Cannons (2)
Group 4- Chaff (1) and Shield Cells (2)

I use a 360 controller, so my X button switches fire groups, and A retracts/deploys.

Surly_Badger · Apr 24, 2015

I divide everything into "hurt stuff" and "hurt stuff real bad"

Nonya · Apr 24, 2015

On my Thrustmaster HOTAS I usually have the full-trigger-press set to fire everything and medium-press set to just fire energy weapons.
That way I can drop their shields with nothing but lasers and instantly bring on the multicannons to pop the hull.

Frenotx · Apr 24, 2015

I fly a python with the following setup: 2 large gimballed cannons, a medium seeker launcher, and a medium gimballed beam on the top, and a large fixed beam on the bottom.

Fire group 1:
Primary- m. gimballed beam + KWS; Secondary- large fixed beam

Fire group 2:
Primary- m. gimballed beam + KWS; Secondary- large cannons

Fire group 3:
Primary- KWS + FSD interdictor; Secondary- disco scanner + seekers

Captain Fizz · Apr 24, 2015

purplepomegranite said:
How you set them up depends mainly on how you use them, I'd suggest. I would KWS while opening fire with the lasers (assuming target was wanted anyway), and as soon as KWS finished I'd switch to lasers and cannons (by which point it didn't usually take long before the target was destroyed). I had full cannons for when the target shields were down and I wanted to kill as quickly as possible.

This pretty much.

If I'm using a disco scanner it's usually all I have

Or it'll be on it's own grp.

I'll have:
FG1 - Thermal + KWS.
FG2 - Thermal + Kinetic (Or more thermal)

So wee ships you use FG1, for bigger ships once KWS complete, go to FG2.

uncle bulgaria · Apr 24, 2015

I have mine set up usually in the form of initial combat then hurt them plenty. An example is my Vulture, FG1 is the fixed C3 beam on primary and the KWS as secondary. Once my scan is done (while softening them up with the beam - have to be careful if you get interdicted by an Eagle as it'll be dead before the scan is finished

) I switch to FG2 which maintains the fixed C3 beam as primary but introduces my C3 cannon to the party.

When I'm in a RES or CZ I delete my other FGs that deal with things like interdiction modules etc. although when in a CZ i leave it in FG2 permanetly.

Other ships are arranged along similar lines, I don't fly big ships with loads of hardpoints, if I did I may have to re-think my current philosophy.