New pilote needs assistance

[Zzabur]

Greetings !

When i played Elite, i was a child, i didn't understand what really was this game, but i was impressed to see ships in 3D on my screen !

When i played Elite 2, i was a teenager, i guess i spent hundreds of hours on my Amiga wandering through the universe, i think the feature i most liked was the "surprise jump", like if you were using a screwdriver directly on the drive engine

So when i saw Elite:dangerous, i knew i would like this game.

First impression is really good, no more silly arcade dogfight, i felt really immersed and the universe seems to be huge, like it was on Elite 2.

I completed tutorials, and learned how to pilot my Sidewinder, then i started a solo game to try my new space pilot life. Things became worse from this point I don't know if i really suck at piloting, but i think i couldn't complete any travel in more than 10 games restarted. Each time i took off from a station and try to travel, i ended as interdiction and being attacked. I tried to escape, but no matter what i am trying to do, my ship is destroyed in few seconds, can't do much things to escape. I switch SYS to shields as soon as i am pulled out from my cruise, try to boost away with some escape maneuvers to supercruise again, but the attacker seems to stick to my ass, when i turn without flight assist to see where it is, it just follow me like if his ship was far more agile and fast, no matter what is the ship, small or big.

So i redid a few tutorials, and tried to fight back, because i feel escape is just impossible with my ship. Then it's about the same, i can't even target my attacker before my shields are down, no matter how i strafe.

After a few days, i feel really disgusted, The game seems really FAR MORE difficult than what i did on tutorials, i am a bit tired of restarting games every 30 minutes or so, in Elite 2, i could at least complete some cheap waste deliveries missions before being attacked, and i could escape big targets i couldn't fight, and fight back when i met pirates about my size.

I don't know really why i seem so bad at piloting the Sidewinder ingame while i could handle tutorials (not easily, but after a few tried and reading some guides, i could deal with them). Any advices on how i can start a game without being blown up2 minutes after taking off?

I have never chosen a side yet, i am playing with mouse+keyboard (i have read that you can't decently play without a joystick, is it true?), i don't like much videos but i like to read many guides and try to use them ingame, i have already downloaded and read the guide on this board.

I'd glad for any informations that could help an old Elite 2 vet Thanks in advance !

 

[_Flin_]

I have never chosen a side yet, i am playing with mouse+keyboard (i have read that you can't decently play without a joystick, is it true?), i don't like much videos but i like to read many guides and try to use them ingame, i have already downloaded and read the guide on this board.

Get a joystick. There are good joysticks for 40.- €, like a Thrustmaster T.16000M or a T.Flight Hotas Stick X.
And cheap ones starting at 15.- €

Haven't been interdicted once yet.

Don't know how the game plays without a joystick.

 

[Belisarius]

I have a friend who plays the game with just Keyboard and Mouse and has no problems.
Therefore I´d say, a Joystick or HOTAS is a nice addition (wouldn´t want to miss my X-52) but you can do without.

As for evading interdictions ...
as soon as you hear the noise of getting interdicted reduce your throttle so that it is in the blue region (which means maximum maneuverability).
Also immediately try to locate the escape vector and try to keep the middle of your cockpit window constanly on the escape vector

 

[CMDR Generic EventHandler]

I have a friend who plays the game with just Keyboard and Mouse and has no problems.
Therefore I´d say, a Joystick or HOTAS is a nice addition (wouldn´t want to miss my X-52) but you can do without.

As for evading interdictions ...
as soon as you hear the noise of getting interdicted reduce your throttle so that it is in the blue region (which means maximum maneuverability).
Also immediately try to locate the escape vector and try to keep the middle of your cockpit window constanly on the escape vector

If you are going to run:
BEFORE you enter sc / jump, put 4 pips in engines and 2 in shields.
if you can't evade as described above. Drop all power before they finally catch you. Map a key to full stop.
As soon as you are in normal space. Line back up with your destination.
Hit Tab to boost, and keep hitting it as soon as it recharges.
While you are pressing tab and boosting, you want to make a circle with the ship around the destination target. Jinking like this will keep lasers from hitting you, mix it up with pressing up/down & left/right thrusters to make it more random.
When the jump drive cool down has elapsed, press Jump. Now keep boosting and circling around the destination target until you enter SC again. you should be able to get away before you shields collapse.

 

[Kramster]

I have played mouse and keyboard and it works fine
I did have a problem at first until I switched 'pitch' onto keys and applied yaw to the mouse...it got way easier after that

 

[Zzabur]

Thank you all for your advices, i will keep trying harder, the game seems so great, i have been waited 20 years, so i hope to find fun in it

 

[Zzabur]

I am really disappointed, i can't even handle the training sidewinder faceoff mission, it doesn't matter how hard i try, the attacker hit me always, no matter how i strafe.

Using your advices, i sometimes manage to turn fast enough to get him in my crosshair, but then he hit me 10 times before i can land a single hit. I try to stick in the blue zone when i want to turn, it often ends in both ship turning around trying to catche each other. In this case, i shut off flight assist, and can hit him 2 or 3 times, but then i feel like a sitting duck, and he kills all my shields in a few seconds, even if i keep strafing.

I remember Elite 2 being hard to master, but in Elite:dangerous, i just feel like the AI is reacting instantly to any maneuver, don't miss hit even when i strafe, roll and turn at the same time. I keep on training and won't try another game until i can win this face-to-face, but i feel i will need hundreds of retried to get a win

 

[Dodger Long]

Thank you all for your advices, i will keep trying harder, the game seems so great, i have been waited 20 years, so i hope to find fun in it

Also mate, there was a time in one of the recent builds Interdiction was really bad, perhaps that was the time you were on, and has since been fixed, I to am not the best fighter and I have voice activated software ($8) so when I say power to sys, she does it when enemy flys past, I call for power to weapons, and I use X45 saitek, but if you can match the white circle (keep it in the gun sight ) until the blue line on left HUD reaches the top, you will EVADE indiction./

 

[DWorth]

Power management is also important in combat. Boost power to systems, and your shields will recharge more quickly. Boost power to engines and not only do you have a higher top speed, but you can manoeuvre more quickly. Boost power to weapons, and your weapons' energy banks will deplete less quickly and recharge faster.

If the enemy has you at a disadvantage (they're on your tail, for example) boost power to systems and engines to help weather the assault and either escape, or manoeuvre yourself to a position where you can draw bead on them.

Once you have them in your sights, boost power to weapons and let them have it.


Once you get a bit of cash and want to upgrade your ship:

Gimballed weapons are great if you're not so great at aiming (like me) as they will lock on to your target and aim themselves automatically.
Upgrading your powerplant and power distribution systems will give you more energy to play with, making your ship more nimble and making it possible to fire your weapons for longer.

 

[Zzabur]

Woohoo !! I finally killed that Crimson pilot !

I guess i begin to understand a bit more where i was failing :
-Like DWorth said, power management is very important, i think i did not anticipate the power needs, in order to win the fight, i sticked on engines+systems, the more i could on engines to manage to reach his ass
-Maneuvering is so easier since i am trying to stick in the blue zone with flight assist, i guess i was shutting it off too often, now i use always flight assist, except if i want to do a specific maneuver, and i switch it on ASAP after that to stick in the maneuver zone. SYS in engines also helped me a lot, i didn't realize the ship is far more agile when the good setting is on.
-When i was properly following him, i switched my power to weapons. First time, i did a mistake, and switch all power to weapons and didn't realized i took all power from engines :/ A few retries later, i understood i could switch power from shields to weapons/weapons to shield, but had to keep an eye on power for engines. I guess i need to learn a few combo like down/left/up/up to get an evade config, or down/right/up/right to switch to max weapon power. Anyway, power management was really an issue i guess.

The last fight i did, the opponent sidewinder couldn't hit me once after i escaped him, i just sticked to blue zone, could follow him quite easily, when he was trying to boost away, i boosted too. I needed some time as i am definitely not good at gunning ^^, but i could manage to get my vessel where i wanted it too.

The voice activated software is a pretty good idea too, i will check this, can you PM me the one you're using Dodger Long, please?

I guess this game will make me cry a lot lol, but i guess it's worth it Thank you again all, without your help, i wouldn't have make it through training missions, i hope i'll get better luck in the game and improve my skill as a coward to manage to espace pirates ships

I hope to see you in space ! A last question, are you playing open world or solo? I am sticking on solo until i find myself skilled enough at piloting, but maybe i am missing something.