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Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Simulator Enhancements (03/13/24)

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Author Topic: The 'I suck at combat' thread.  (Read 16573 times)

SCC

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #15 on: March 03, 2019, 06:39:36 AM »

Look at the bottom buttons in the refit screen. Below Autofit and Strip buttons, there's the "run simulation" button, where you can deploy some enemy ships to test how your current loadout fares.
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Other than that, you can experiment with different key binds.

Also — it's less that the game expects the player to pilot one of the ships manually, it's that it expects player agency. If you don't think you can pilot your ship well, you can leave it on autopilot and spend most of the time on the map, ordering ships around to make them more aggressive. Both grouping ships and issuing eliminate orders are useful for this.

Igncom1

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #16 on: March 03, 2019, 06:52:32 AM »

Also — it's less that the game expects the player to pilot one of the ships manually, it's that it expects player agency. If you don't think you can pilot your ship well, you can leave it on autopilot and spend most of the time on the map, ordering ships around to make them more aggressive. Both grouping ships and issuing eliminate orders are useful for this.

Yeah that's basically how I've been playing all of this time. It's a little different way of playing and managing the AI, but overall it is very rewarding when a plan all comes together.
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tylertoo

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #17 on: March 03, 2019, 07:58:50 AM »

On the loadout screen.

Excellent, had not noticed that.  Thanks!

If you don't think you can pilot your ship well, you can leave it on autopilot and spend most of the time on the map, ordering ships around to make them more aggressive. Both grouping ships and issuing eliminate orders are useful for this.

That sounds like it is worth a try also, if I continue to fail in the actual combat.  Onward!
« Last Edit: March 03, 2019, 08:01:06 AM by tylertoo »
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Goumindong

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #18 on: March 03, 2019, 07:11:29 PM »

The main suggestion to be better at combat is to do less.

Generally i only set one group of guns or missiles i am going to bother to try and fire. And if I have to swap mid fight its a pause.

So for the hammerhead the forward turrets go on group 3. The forward guns on group 2. The rear guns on group 4 (or 3 depending) and the missiles on group 1. Everything gets auto except the missiles.

Thwt way i have roughly one thing to do. Hold shift and put my mouse cursor over the enemy i want to shoot. Then i can just position myself relative to my target.

From there you will find that flying, aside from the more complicate ships like the shrike, is more about fitting than it is about flying.
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From a Faster Time

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #19 on: March 04, 2019, 04:37:57 AM »

Yeah that's basically how I've been playing all of this time. It's a little different way of playing and managing the AI, but overall it is very rewarding when a plan all comes together.
But doing that and piloting a ship gives the more benefit to your combat success.Unless you are doing a challenge run of "commander only", then I get it.
That sounds like it is worth a try also, if I continue to fail in the actual combat.  Onward!
Only as a last resort, PLEASE. The player has a far bigger potential than the AI and the only way you  will unlock that potential in yourself if you get experience from piloting ships.

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I don't understand....why would you use Flux Distributor, instead of slapping on 20 additional vents?
« Last Edit: March 04, 2019, 04:52:07 AM by From a Faster Time »
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Igncom1

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #20 on: March 04, 2019, 04:54:17 AM »

Yeah that's basically how I've been playing all of this time. It's a little different way of playing and managing the AI, but overall it is very rewarding when a plan all comes together.
But doing that and piloting a ship gives the more benefit to your combat success.Unless you are doing a challenge run of "commander only", then I get it.

Oh I know, I've just never really got around to learning and so I never have.

Not even a single play through have I piloted my ship for battles more then one or twice to try it out. I'm not a big fan of the tank controls and don't really know how to dive sideways, so I just let the AI do it. My only challenge is figuring out he right load-outs and strategy to play without ripping my hair out over the AI. But it's much easier then it used to be at least, with carriers being massively powerful due to the AI's fear of fighters that can't harm them.

I have never fought any serious battle myself, at most I'll make a combat ship my command ship due to picking the right buffs, but it's down to the AI to use them.

Pick and choose your battles, become antiquated with how the AI operates, and it's easy enough to play the whole game without personally firing a single shot.
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From a Faster Time

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #21 on: March 04, 2019, 05:07:36 AM »

Oh I know, I've just never really got around to learning and so I never have.
Exactly it's a viscous circle, which is why I suggest letting the AI handle it as the absolute last resort.
Pick and choose your battles, become antiquated with how the AI operates, and it's easy enough to play the whole game without personally firing a single shot.
You are missing out on part of the game, a very fun part.
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Euphytose

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #22 on: March 04, 2019, 05:08:06 AM »

There's an option that allows you to use arcade controls instead of tank controls.

Alex should really make this default because it's basically mandatory. Piloting a frigate is impossible unless you use this, or have your finger on shift all the time.
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From a Faster Time

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #23 on: March 04, 2019, 05:13:10 AM »

There's an option that allows you to use arcade controls instead of tank controls.
Alex should really make this default because it's basically mandatory. Piloting a frigate is impossible unless you use this, or have your finger on shift all the time.
I dunno, I always used the default controls and hold shift whenever it is needed. Really you mix the two things mid combat a lot depending on how you want the ship to move/shoot.
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Euphytose

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #24 on: March 04, 2019, 05:34:53 AM »

I almost never use tank controls. The only ship I need to use it with is the Conquest, or basically any other broadside ship. Otherwise I may briefly press it to shield my back to catch a torpedo or such. If that reverse behaviour wasn't there I think I probably wouldn't play the game.

I'm just hoping at some point he adds a toggle on top of a press to activate.
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TaLaR

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #25 on: March 04, 2019, 06:25:33 AM »

There's an option that allows you to use arcade controls instead of tank controls.
Alex should really make this default because it's basically mandatory. Piloting a frigate is impossible unless you use this, or have your finger on shift all the time.
I dunno, I always used the default controls and hold shift whenever it is needed. Really you mix the two things mid combat a lot depending on how you want the ship to move/shoot.
Same here.
- It's easier to remember to release shift when you need to quickly turn omni-shield behind, than remembering to keep shift pressed while you are doing it.
- You don't need to turn Hyperion to it's teleport destination (and doing so mindlessly could expose engines). Just need to release key, same as above.
- Piloting Conquest or Shrike(=broadside) takes more keys (need both turn and strafe keys simultaneously) than normal turn-to-cursor ships. Having to hold shift in process wouldn't help.

Doesn't mean I use tank controls that often outside of above scenarios.I just turn-to-cursor with shift pressed.
« Last Edit: March 04, 2019, 06:28:16 AM by TaLaR »
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Megas

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #26 on: March 04, 2019, 06:34:59 AM »

What are tank controls?  WADS or WADX and the like?  If so, I have used tank controls for various games over the decades and they seem natural to me.  I would not want so-called tank controls to lose their default status.
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Euphytose

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #27 on: March 04, 2019, 07:04:40 AM »

- Piloting Conquest or Shrike(=broadside) takes more keys (need both turn and strafe keys simultaneously) than normal turn-to-cursor ships. Having to hold shift in process wouldn't help.

Which is why I'd like a toggle. Admittedly it's very easy to do with AHK but it's probably not that hard to add to the game.
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SCC

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #28 on: March 04, 2019, 07:14:06 AM »

Tank controls are the default controls in Starsector. I find them more useful when flying bigger or non-frontal firepower focused ships, where positioning becomes more important than facing the enemy perfectly.
I wonder if locking ship's facing towards a specific ship, to free up mouse for better shield control, would be viable or not.

Euphytose

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Re: The 'I suck at combat' thread.
« Reply #29 on: March 04, 2019, 08:24:14 AM »

That's a neat idea.
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