i am horrible in Combat. Please help!

[Edmond Dantes]

I have a real hard time winning a combat. I have a mision where I'm supposed to kill 4 pirates in the Kini system. I've been able take down one of them (who was in a Sidewinder) and who basically just let me get in his 6 and shoot him. Otherwise my shields go and I'm quickly toast. I'm in a Viper IV with two pulse lasers, two mult cannon, and the best shield I can fit in there. How can I get better? Thanks for any help.

[Jankules]

practice makes perfect,and engeeniring the ship make you immortal vs npcs...pip management,correct build,and timing...fire discipline and a lot things need to be learned...just take it easy...

[Kit]

Youtube is full of tips and guides, but basically it goes down to:

1) outfit: every free module you have should be fitted with something to help you in combat ( shield boosters, hull reinforcers, heatsinks, chaff etc.) Find a calculator and try to minimax your setup. I.e. you are likely having 2 small pulses while your power and heat sinks allows you to fire 2 small beams, which have much more dps.

2) energy management: pips in shield reduce damage to them a lot. If you are taking hits without 4 pips in shields, you are doing it wrong.

3) Plain skill. Viper IV might be not the best choice for a novice, because it's tanky, but rather clumsy, if you're not using lateral thursters well, you're likely to not even be able to shoot at your targets, as they're always on your 6. Setup your controls and practice, you should be able to aim and shoot your target while moving your ship in any direction you want.

[['w']]

Originally posted by wilb:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hElXzArVdmM&list=PLST2VzDxDCrwvkU6wYfo-z4UhGbObjl_M

he got multiple videos

[Kittenpox]

If you've got multiple hardpoints, look at where those weapons are located upon the vessel.
Consider which type of hardpoint is going to be best suited to the task - Fixed, Gimballed, or Turreted.

I used to fly a Vulture as my primary combat ship. It has two large hardpoints on the top of the ship, either side of the cockpit. So as I'm the sort of player who is bad at aiming + didn't want to worry about ammo, I used a Turreted Burst Laser, and a Gimballed Beam Laser.
That way, the Turret could shoot targets 'above' me and I could use the Gimballed weapon to help auto-aim towards the target if they were in front of me. If the foe deployed chaff (space confetti) then I'd let my energy recharge and position myself so I was ready to fire at them.

Meanwhile, my FerDeLance used turreted pulse lasers which I could use to help in target aquisition (or swap out two for missiles, etc), and had a giant (Fixed) Plasma Accelerator on the underside of it.

Fixed weapons do more than Gimballed, and Gimballed weapons do more than Turreted weapons - but ONLY while they're actually hitting the target.

[Agony_Aunt]

If you really suck at combat OP, here is a tip.

Get a decent combat ship with a few hardpoints, ideally one that is rather tanky with lots of internals. Cobra Mk4, Fed Dropship, Python, to name a few. However, a ship with a SLF bay is a big boost, especially if you can fit a size 6, so any of the big ones or Krait... Gunship at a stretch, but it has limited internals.

B rate everything (not A!). You will need a taxi ship as well to move around as well, your jump range is going to be horrible.

Engineer all modules for integrity. Reinfiorced/shielded. Shields make sure you select the fast charge special.

Stick in some HRPs and MRPs.

Add reactive or military armour.

Add shield boosters.

Engineer armour for strength.
Engineer HRPs for mainly kinetic and explosive, although no harm in throwing one vs thermal.
Engineer SBs with even resistances.

Weapons. Turreted multicannons. Engineer for sturdy. Special effects, put one as corrosive, the rest as thermal.

Now go to any combat situation and just select targets and let your turrets do their work. Try to get close as you don't have long range. You should only need 1 pip in weapons, 4 or 3.5 pips to shields when they are up (drop to 2 pips when they are down to recharge).

When shields drop, don't panic. You should be able to tank a lot of damage.

I used this setup in a Beluga, i could sit in a combat zone without problem until my ammo ran out.

You won't be killing things fast, but you should survive almost anything.

I once took on a Python which had loads of SCBs, it kept getting my shields down and launching volleys of missiles at me, all which i just soaked up without a problem.

Here is a video of it in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndvlo_Iy2pw&list=PL4WTzb9BHhcPG6YvTIDktd_tVn_T-BdPK&t=0s&index=7

[Turih]

Originally posted by Agony_Aunt:

snip of a suggestion that I actually like

While I can appreciate the inventiveness, OP wants to get better. This build is more of a workaround. It will/might allow him to be able to kill stuff but the self-improvement potential is minimal.

OP get a cheap small (preferrably manoueverable) ship (viper, eagle, cobra mkIII, DBS, anything that you don't mind dying in) and outfit it to your best knowledge. Do not engineer it, go dogfighting with it and practice, practice, practice. If you have watched any videos, try to apply tips that are mentioned. Find what style suits you best. DO NOT RESOLVE TO FLYING ON REVERSE. You can also go to station and try doing some acrobatics around it like LICKING the walls of it, flying under/through all the thingie-ma-jiggies and doing as tight and close fly-bys as possible. You can also contact some player for sparring or a practice duel where he will be evading you while you are trying to shoot him down.

So many possibilities.

[Agony_Aunt]

Well, yeah, he said get better, but he might have just meant give me a build i can kill things with ;)

Actually, the VM4 can actually be kitted out as a decent tank like i described. Not great, but no worse than the CM4, which i also did with the heavy build i described.

Otherwise, yeah, he needs advice on how to fly better, and i wouldn't use the VM4 as a dogfighter, i'd definitely go with the VM3 then in restricted due to credits to a small ship or just want something fast and nimble.

[Turih]

Originally posted by Agony_Aunt:

Well, yeah, he said get better, but he might have just meant give me a build i can kill things with ;)

Actually, the VM4 can actually be kitted out as a decent tank like i described. Not great, but no worse than the CM4, which i also did with the heavy build i described.

Otherwise, yeah, he needs advice on how to fly better, and i wouldn't use the VM4 as a dogfighter, i'd definitely go with the VM3 then in restricted due to credits to a small ship or just want something fast and nimble.

If he learns how to fly properly in bulkier ship like CM4 or VM4, he will fall off his chair when he outfits VM3 or other similar ship and takes it out for a spin. It would be like the saying "train hard, fight easy" or whatever.

[Agony_Aunt]

Originally posted by Turih:

Originally posted by Agony_Aunt:

Well, yeah, he said get better, but he might have just meant give me a build i can kill things with ;)

Actually, the VM4 can actually be kitted out as a decent tank like i described. Not great, but no worse than the CM4, which i also did with the heavy build i described.

Otherwise, yeah, he needs advice on how to fly better, and i wouldn't use the VM4 as a dogfighter, i'd definitely go with the VM3 then in restricted due to credits to a small ship or just want something fast and nimble.

If he learns how to fly properly in bulkier ship like CM4 or VM4, he will fall off his chair when he outfits VM3 or other similar ship and takes it out for a spin. It would be like the saying "train hard, fight easy" or whatever.

Heh, yeah, its always a major shift when you go from a tank to a dogfighter or big ship to small.

[The Colgate King]

Originally posted by Edmond Dantes:

I have a real hard time winning a combat. I have a mision where I'm supposed to kill 4 pirates in the Kini system. I've been able take down one of them (who was in a Sidewinder) and who basically just let me get in his 6 and shoot him. Otherwise my shields go and I'm quickly toast. I'm in a Viper IV with two pulse lasers, two mult cannon, and the best shield I can fit in there. How can I get better? Thanks for any help.

Two words, stop jousting. Especially in a viper, you are going to lose a jousting match, the thing isn't built to stand there and tank blows to the face. Learn how to maneuver your ship out of fire and into an advantageous position, if you do that you can go 4 pips to weapons without having to worry about your shield integrity. A lot of people think your shields are the most important defensive thing you have in combat, but in most cases they are dead wrong. The thing that will keep you alive are your thrusters. If you are getting shot, dump power to your shields and engines, stop trying to trade punches, disengage and maneuver so you can get into a better position. Believe it or not this is what the Viper is good at. It can leg it when it needs to and get into a better spot.

[Kittenpox]

Cobra Mk4 is not available to new players, last I heard.

[Agony_Aunt]

Originally posted by Kittenpox:

Cobra Mk4 is not available to new players, last I heard.

True.

[Edmond Dantes]

Yes. I know I’m not flying right. I know I shouldn’t joust, I know I should try to be on the enemy’s 6. I just can’t figure
out how to get there. I really need a combat maneuvering tutorial. I haven’t found one. All the combat videos seem to just talk about what weapons to equip and such

[Insert Name]

google WWII dogifghting tactics might help :)

[Gropax]

one way for easier combat since its NPCs is turrets. turrets can make NPC fighting into easy mode since all you have to do it fly the ship and kinda keep it in the firing arc. 4 turret pluse lasers or 2 pulse and 2 multi cannons will make short work of 4 pirates. and for a vipre mk4 tons of armor is your friend. it has crap for shields but can be made into a good hull tank.