Words from the Veteran's {Vet's Post Hints Here}

[Jon Tetrino]

A great man once said: "Don't take two ships if it’s enough to do the job - take ten."

This hold true, and so do many of the principles behind combat. But a few have been overlooked. These tactics, despite being rather well known to the more seasoned pilots, take an age for those who have just purchased their first fighter to realise.

Hence I am going to explain them here.

First things first, actually piloting. It’s a bitch to begin with and unless you remember that you’re in space, it wont be long before they are scraping you off the side of a station. In space, momentum counts. Don’t expect to be able to cut your engines and stop as soon as they die... don't even expect to be able to turn without sliding in the opposite direction to where you want to go first. In the seat of your cockpit, you don’t realise just how far you 'slide around' out there. Watch yourself.

Its all good and well equipping six Beta PAC's to your Buster - you have six times the firepower. Of course, you also have six times the energy drain... not so bad if your a crack shot, deadly if you have a habit of giving unwanted warning shots.

Pick your targets wisely. It might be so that that particular weapons transport looks like a perfect target. But before you shoot, stop, and think. The transports are quite often able to handle themselves well enough in a fight, and that’s not taking into account the usual array of fighters that are defending it. Bad idea then, but that’s the deal. High risk, high profit, higher chance you'll meet your maker.

Know the capabilities of your ship. You may well be able to take on a group of M5's and a group of M4's or maybe even an M3... But if you’re the target of a large fleet, it’s best to run and cut your losses than fight and end up on a Split slave-trading vessel.

Dodging. It never hurts to run, especially when you’re massively outnumbered, and to successfully dodge is easy enough. Max the throttle, roll anti-clockwise while strafing starboard. Not much of a movement, and you will be hit occasionally by the weapons fire, but the small circles you make are enough to cause plenty of near misses but very few actual hits. Brilliant if you’re outnumbered, and a tactic still brilliant if you’re the one laying the heat and there’s just this one laser that causes you grief...

...Finally, and this is the most important lesson, never, under any circumstances, take anything for granted. Ever. That Paranid M3 may only have IRE's in the forward mounts, but the sting in the tail could be an ever-so-deadly Beta PAC. Just when your thinking that PAC has been destroyed from the damage you inflicted, the enemy pilot unleashes a full, unexpected volley towards you.

If you will not take the above in and listen well, then at least heed these words.

It’s dangerous in the Void. Watch your back, cause it’s watching you.

Remember my words

Theo.

EDIT: Im hoping this topic can be allowed to be bumped as hopefully it can and will hold useful information for people from the veterins of the X series (as well as other players). The title was changed when i made this edit, the 24th January 2006.

[Brianetta]

My backs's watching me?

[Jon Tetrino]

My backs's watching me?

lol sarcasm doesnt suit you brian

[Starfire13]

My backs's watching me?

Yeah. Freaky eh? Now you know what that external camera really is.

[DemaeRamen]

LOL@Brianetta.

[nephi]

Oh thank God. I thought this was gonna be another "I am a huge fan of the X-series but this sucks I am taking it back" thread when I saw the topic.

Good advice Theo, I especially like how you added the direction of roll necessary. That one has saved my butt quite a few times.

[Jon Tetrino]

Thanks

[yingjai]

yea... good tricks... i can dive right into a nova now and it cant even dent my shields..

[geoff]

Dont turn up at a gun fight with only a knife

[Jon Tetrino]

The lurker speaks the truth

[handzon]

i used to carry squash mines with me and drones, a couple of mines dropped and activated normally thin the ranks out, always a good pirate hunting tool id lay a field, send one or two drones to get their interest by laying patterns of 2-4 mines along youd even up the odds quick smart. hope we still get squash mines in x-3,(ozy still waiting)

[Jon Tetrino]

i hope we still get squash mines in x-3

even better, u get mines that track and follow a target as well as the SQUASH mines

[handzon]

thanks theo that made my bloody day that did, my minds on overdrive devising tatics allready. do you know how far they travel or how fast.
or how the a1 reacts to them. and blast radius.?

[Jon Tetrino]

thanks theo that made my bloody day that did, my minds on overdrive devising tatics allready. do you know how far they travel or how fast.
or how the a1 reacts to them. and blast radius.?

only whats in the book im afriad - i havnt bought any yet

The TRACKER mine is developed for short-range blockades. Once triggered it flys towards its victim. The only way to survive a TRACKER mine is to outrun the mine long enough to trigger its self-destruction

[Ryuujin]

Your lead-aim doesn't work if you're strafing/drifting, so it helps if you can catch the enemy flying nice and straight, and unleash a clean, accurate barrage with as much energy as you're comfortable with, and you can take out a target instantly, then you can pull away using your tail gun while you find a new target, pick a more efficienct loadout, and recharge.

[Jon Tetrino]

Your lead-aim doesn't work if you're strafing/drifting, so it helps if you can catch the enemy flying nice and straight, and unleash a clean, accurate barrage with as much energy as you're comfortable with, and you can take out a target instantly, then you can pull away using your tail gun while you find a new target, pick a more efficienct loadout, and recharge.

Thats a good tactic if you have a rear turret

[Sam L.R. Griffiths]

Some good sound advice you have given us there!

I am currently flying a 4xA-PBE/2xIonD Mako. Personally, I use Straff-Up and Roll-Clockwise as my primary avoidance manouver (I am using a Logitech Dual-Action Gamepad and have adopted this to great success against M3s/M4s/M5s). However, I also keep a stock of Silkworm missiles on board to deal with the occasionally problematic M4/M3.

4 Silkworms fired from a range of under 10km can take out a Khaak M3 - Vital M4 survival technique I have found. 5 Silkworms fired at the same range will wipe out most Pirate M3s or atleast leave them with a very weak hull.

Alternatively, a combo of IonDs and A-PBEs can be devastating to an M3, long time to wipe it out but it has less chance to fight back especially with a close quarters fast target. Just watch that your target don't turn Kamakazi!

[bendyspex]

Any tactics for an M6, as they are quite maneuverable, but not as much as a fighter. Alos, they have more turrets, so I would like to know the best way to keep them all busy and useful.
Thanks

[DemaeRamen]

Can a Mako take PBE guns?

Also I see they are very expensive but how good are they?

[Sam L.R. Griffiths]

Any tactics for an M6, as they are quite maneuverable, but not as much as a fighter. Alos, they have more turrets, so I would like to know the best way to keep them all busy and useful.
Thanks

Not even got an M3 yet, but of the M6s the Argon Centaur seems to have the edge (3 turrets )