New pilot help - frustrated, when does the game get fun?

[Maximillian Forrest]

Been playing 3 days. Hauled around enough cargo to eventually buy and upgrade a Cobra Mk III. Did a mission, accidentally hit some stationary NPC as I came out of hyperspace. Get wanted status. Headed to the system where I was wanted, to clear it up, because I didn't know how or what the process was for that. They wanted me to pay a 5,000 fine. I had less than that but about $250k in cargo that I wasn't allowed to sell because of the fine. I had no choice but to leave the station so they shot me down. Lost first ship and the cargo, now in significant debt. That right there is a terrible game mechanic.

Had an open assignment for a pirate hunting mission that should have been easy (for Harmless rating). Tried that, got destroyed again, now in more debt.

Went on another mission, got a wanted status and destroyed again and now in even more debt.

I want to give up, this is frustrating and not at all fun. There isn't even a way to reset from start or to reload so what is the point? I bought this for a single player experience, not whatever this idiocy is.

Can I reset from start? Should I have done more pilot federation missions before taking the job to explore and finding out only after that that kicks me out of the relative safety of the federation? CAN I STILL DO THAT? Just ed off and frustrated and stuck, do not know how to proceed in a way that makes the game an enjoyable experience. Also I hate combat, I do not have a good control setup (keyboard and mouse) for it and I have a condition that prevents my full concentration during time-sensitive things like that.

Just. I can't even.

It really pays to watch a few trading video’s on Youtube before kitting out a ship and going for it. You’ll be surprised by how helpful those are.

 

[Xaturn]

It really pays to watch a few trading video’s on Youtube before kitting out a ship and going for it. You’ll be surprised by how helpful those are.

Will give that a search later, thanks.

 

[Starshot_Jigawatts]

I feel your pain. The Crime and Punishment system in Elite is horrible for new players. It's almost abusive . I died more times in a station by being murdered for mistakes, than I ever did at the hands of pirates when I was new.

 

[Xaturn]

Do the training/tutorials available from the menu, although they won’t show you everything they are a great way of setting up and learning your controls and changing your bindings until you get things right for you.

Thanks I did most of them, they were definitely helpful, to a degree.

And stay in your sidewinder until you can afford the rebuy price of bigger ships. when you get killed you have just once the chance to rebuy your ship, if you can't at this time, that ship will be gone forever and you are back in a free sidewinder.

do simple courier missions at first - those which just say "courier" not courier in the name of democracy and the like - those are likely to encounter enemies. train to escape an interdiction in your sidewinder - until you can be pretty certain that you can escape an NPC interdiction. manage your speed when this happens, to have optimal maneuvering. revert power to systems and engine. This all takes practice - do that first in your sidewinder, until you feel comfortable, and you will have a much better time.

As far as power management goes - observe how the docking computer manages your power distribution during approach to the station - this helps understanding it.

Roll and pitch are faster than yaw - so instead to yaw, replace yaw by a roll and pitch combination.

All good advice, thank you.

For the first few sessions the game basically has a vertical learning curve. It can feel like a prettier version of Dwarf Fortress. But once you've gotten the hang of things it's actually one of the more relaxing games I know.

I never played DF but I will keep that in mind I guess!

That you came on to the forum to ask a question indicates that you're still interested. I take that as the part of you that likes a challenge not throwing in the towel. It is a heartbreaking, gut punch of a feeling to lose everything* with one or two simple errors.

*whilst you have lost your ship, you have gained experience, in this thread alone, you have been offered some really good advice,, get better modules, think more about defence than attack (shields and thrusters in the early days are better than weapons). All of those things are gains. You have lost some stuff, your time isn't lost though because you gained some stuff, stuff that only time and perseverance rewards.

3 big errors though, the first time was upsetting enough. And I will keep trying, at least for a little while.

I do appreciate the advice in this threat by more experienced players.

 

[Lysette]

ah, and when using supercruise assist, right hand panel ... set it to auto-dethrottle when arriving at a star after a jump - that avoids getting to near to the sun.

 

[[PS4] Lorenzo Waringos]

IDK if it has been mentioned yet but there is an auto docking module you can buy at most stations.

The upsides are:
It's cheap.
It only takes a size one slot.
It navigates entry and exit for you from the stations/bases/carriers.

The down sides are:
Not every station allows use of them, though in my time playing, I think I can count the amount times on one hand.
It makes you lazy, stops you from learning how to control your ship.
Once in a very rare blue moon, it fails and kills you.

 

[Xaturn]

I feel your pain. The Crime and Punishment system in Elite is horrible for new players. It's almost abusive . I died more times in a station by being murdered for mistakes, than I ever did at the hands of pirates when I was new.

Oh no it was absolutely abusive, at least until learning more about it here and easy ways to deal with the problems I had. That I can pay for fines and things at other stations - TIL.

 

[Xaturn]

ah, and when using supercruise assist, right hand panel ... set it to auto-dethrottle when arriving at a star after a jump - that avoids getting to near to the sun.

Yes. Although for some reason supercruise assist within systems sometimes just fails to decelerate and I need to manually decelerate and come around, try again, or just swear and do it manually.

IDK if it has been mentioned yet but there is an auto docking module you can buy at most stations.

The upsides are:
It's cheap.
It only takes a size one slot.
It navigates entry and exit for you from the stations/bases/carriers.

The down sides are:
Not every station allows use of them, though in my time playing, I think I can count the amount times on one hand.
It makes you lazy, stops you from learning how to control your ship.
Once in a very rare blue moon, it fails and kills you.

I like auto docking. I am rubbish at manually docking, I keep hitting into things. I can enter the hanger fine but setting down is terrible and I get fined.

 

[[PS4] Lorenzo Waringos]

Yes. Although for some reason supercruise assist within systems sometimes just fails to decelerate and I need to manually decelerate and come around, try again, or just swear and do it manually.

I like auto docking. I am rubbish at manually docking, I keep hitting into things. I can enter the hanger fine but setting down is terrible and I get fined.

The thing about that is, one day you might want to land on a planet, where there is no base. You cannot auto-dock that. It was the hardest thing for me to learn, so much so, that my son still reminds me of it to this day. I'd proper lose my mind over it. It is better to learn how to do it.

I'm not sure if this is right, someone will confirm, but try docking on a Fleet Carrier. They still have a timer but you don't get a fine for straying over another pad and they're quite a bit easier to land on. If it is just the setting down issue, this could be a great place to practice.

 

[Treya]

Elite's learning curve is one of the steepest out there, getting frustrated and feeling overwhelmed is a very common experience when starting out. The upshot is that one can always find something new to learn, to me that is part of it's appeal. Starting over and/or playing the tutorial missions has been mentioned, and if you haven't read it yet I can highly recommend the manual.
If you do give it another shot and reset your save stick around in the starter zone until you get your bearings. When you're ready to move on there is a special type of courier mission offered there that pays quite well but requires docking outside that zone. Pick it up but don't leave directly, instead go to the other starter zone stations where you can find more of these. The combined payout should be enough to get you a Cobra and some Equipment.

 

[Lysette]

bind comfortable keys to 25% speed, 50% speed, 75% speed and 100% speed - i use F4 to F8 for that - and have hyperspace jump on F9. most ships are either at 25% or 50% power better maneuverable - so in case of an interdiction just press the according speed key and divert power to systems and engine - you don't fight during resolving if the interdiction will be successful, so wasting energy on weapons is silly.

1 to 5 would not be a bad choice for speed control either 1 being 0% (but that is on X already) 5 being full throttle. You wouldn't have to raise your hand in this case. The most vital speed keys would be 2 and 3 - nothing is more comfortable than this and can be fine tuned by W and S if required. if you set up your key bindings correctly, you can fly it with WASDRF plus speed keys only (well, those keys get all a different meaning doing it like that, maybe i shouldn't have mentioned it). This gives your right hand the opportunity to manage power and whatever else is required.

 

[varonica]

Don't fit weapons? Why? I would be defenseless, wouldn't I?

Defenceless? I haven't had weaoons fitted for years, the last time was a mine launcher on my python when they were useful. It's far easier to run and/or escape interdiction. The problem with weapons is that you think you have to stop and fight, you don't. Do missions, run or evade, when you have enough money for a few rebuys and to properly equip your ship then worry about weapons. Practice against easy enemies, get advice on best weapons fit out, try different things.

At the moment I suspect you are more frustrated than anything else. I died the first time I left the starter system, it happens and the freewinder is when you should be testing stuff out.

Good luck CMDR, and remember fun doesn't always mean winning, sometimes you can lose and still have fun!

 

[Lysette]

IDK if it has been mentioned yet but there is an auto docking module you can buy at most stations.

The upsides are:
It's cheap.
It only takes a size one slot.
It navigates entry and exit for you from the stations/bases/carriers.

The down sides are:
Not every station allows use of them, though in my time playing, I think I can count the amount times on one hand.
It makes you lazy, stops you from learning how to control your ship.
Once in a very rare blue moon, it fails and kills you.

yeah, especially finding the sweet spot on a landing pad might take some practice.

 

[Lysette]

Weapons are overrated on a sidewinder - I have none at all - better jump range instead. Why would i want weapons on that ship?- it's for courier missions, smaller transport missions and landing on a planet and drive around with my SRV - that's it. it is not as cheap to outfit the sidewinder as it appears - mine is around 580k.

And those "cheap" fighters are as well not as cheap as you might think - they are in the million credit range with good equipment.

well, the basic EVE rule is valid in ED as well - don't fly what you can't afford loosing.

 

[here_it_comes]

If you want to get into combat, go to a nav beacon or RES (not hazRES) in a high security system. Don't start fights, but dogpile onto wanted NPCs once security starts the fight. Once you get the hang of that, you can start picking fights and have security to back you up.

Also, never fly without a rebuy.

 

[Retropolitan]

Yes. Although for some reason supercruise assist within systems sometimes just fails to decelerate and I need to manually decelerate and come around, try again, or just swear and do it manually.

I like auto docking. I am rubbish at manually docking, I keep hitting into things. I can enter the hanger fine but setting down is terrible and I get fined.

It's been a long time, but what I remember from starting out is that it was a long series of things that each seemed impossible and frustrating. But every one of those things became so easy before long that I didn't even think about them any more. As others have mentioned the tutorials and starter missions are a huge improvement over what we used to have.

You should reconsider your approach to docking, though. Docking and launching, which you do so often, are the best practice you'll get for putting your ship where you want it to be right when you want it to be there. It's just one (of many) skills to master and it will repay you in many ways.

 

[Mountain Tiger 1]

Just curious. Why is no one mentioning winning the interdiction minigame to avoid interdictions. I never do the trhottle down to submit method. I just follow the blue verctor until I evade the interdiction and go about my merry way. Much prefer that over to submitting and FSD out of normal space.

 

[Wrecked]

Thanks for the tip about a reset/delete.
Wanted status is one thing but being unable to pay a fine because I am locked from selling cargo to raise money to pay the fine until I pay the fine is inexplicably silly, especially when getting shot out of the sky for leaving to sell the cargo so I can come back to pay the fine.

Agreed. The crime and punishment system isn’t well implemented. You should be able to sell at the space port, perhaps at a reduced rate, but should still be able to.

 

[Mountain Tiger 1]

Another way I like to get combat experience is to go to Weapons Fire USS Threat 1. The advantage to this is you almost always get to initiated the fight which is a huge advantage. I actually recommend spending some time in your sidewinder and learning to kill things with it because if you can do it with a sidewinder, things het much easier when you move to other ships.

 

[here_it_comes]

Just curious. Why is no one mentioning winning the interdiction minigame to avoid interdictions. I never do the trhottle down to submit method. I just follow the blue verctor until I evade the interdiction and go about my merry way. Much prefer that over to submitting and FSD out of normal space.

Most give this advice to deal with getting interdicted by CMDRs in Open.