Full Throttle.

[Blackbirdx61]

is there a command I am missing that locks engines on full throttle till I tell them otherwise?

I just bought this game a few days ago; Really enjoying it, accept that I'm pretty helpless in combat; and am not sure I want to spend $60 more for a baseline joystick for one game.

My biggest problem in combat seems to just be deceleraction, I use a Naga Hex Mouse and If I take my thumb off the boost control for a moment ....Wwwwherrr....I know how to disable flight assist, and that sets up a Newtonian enviroment that has problems of its own; but Maybe I just have to get used to fighting like that but for the moment a command that would just lock the engines on max output would be great.

[mmmcheesywaffles]

No. When you boost you lose sheilds. You don't want that.

[Belteguesian]

When you "nudge" the boost button the engines go to full throttle. You can not go boosting indefinitely.
In "Options/General Options" (beginning the game or pressing Esc) you can assign a key that would do just that.
You also you have the choice (in Game Options) to make the ship stop if you enter the map or not (I always use don't stop since I can always pause the game and give any orders through the map I like).

[Blackbirdx61]

Cool, TY Both. BB.

[Blackbirdx61]

I'm used to just pressing W to move, like you would in port; but that did not seem to work, so I was using X, on the scout; seems I have to use X to build up speed; then W to lock that speed in, so I've set up a Marco for now that helps that. Tried the Fighter tutorial since. Still did badly but at least I was in the fight 110% improvement. TY both for the nudge in the right direction I was totally lost.

[NPC]

You should not need anything to "lock" the max speed, because it should go there and stay there with just a single quick tap of the boost key. In the tutorial the guy even mentions that it's a common way to jump to max speed with the press of a button.

If you're using an actual throttle controller, or otherwise set the throttle axis to a second joystick like I do, you'll need to remember that any fiddling with the throttle stick will change current speed, and can immediately drop you if you had previously set to max via either the X key or the boost.

[Blackbirdx61]

Thanks all. I think I'm where I need to be for now.
But I expect I'll have more questions soon enough; its a pretty unique game in my experience at least. Part Flyer, part 4X; and for me combat normally involves putting a broadsword though something ugly's skull. So this is a good step out of my normal.

[NPC]

I hope you like staring at map screens and right clicking order commands, because that's about 90 percent what this game ends up being. I say this as someone who enjoys those things, but often sees other new players not expecting that kind of long term game play. In any case, have lots of fun, it's a great game!

[Ydyp]

Originally posted by Phasmaphobic:

I hope you like staring at map screens and right clicking order commands, because that's about 90 percent what this game ends up being. I say this as someone who enjoys those things, but often sees other new players not expecting that kind of long term game play. In any case, have lots of fun, it's a great game!

It all depends on your playstyle, it is not needed for you to build your own empire and can just pick your personal ship and build a small or large fleet around it and leave them all in their respective roles without ever giving them extra commands.

Same goes with stations, after initial setup you can just let them run without your intervention and manual ordering everything around. Is this the most effective way to play? No, but it is still a possibility.

Also OP there are 2 settings in the controls that say full reverse and full forward. Those are however only set to those speeds when you hold the button and revert back to 0 afterwards. But as others said tap the boost key for full forward and it will stay there, and if you only tap it it takes minimal shield.

Also there are settings to make boost a toggle instead of a hold button. If you prefer that more.

[Blackbirdx61]

YDYP: Thanks lots of good info there. I'm definitely looking at a more hands on approach. I was reading in another forum, someone who sold off his empire, and is quite happily smuggling virtual weed. That sounded pretty interesting. Still just running through the flight school tutorials was some of the best fun in a game I've had in years. I definitely like the flight simulator aspect of the game. That and some of the Space art out there is just way cool. Anyhow Thanks all for the replies. BB

[Daggoth]

Originally posted by Blackbirdx61:

I'm used to just pressing W to move, like you would in port; but that did not seem to work, so I was using X, on the scout; seems I have to use X to build up speed; then W to lock that speed in, so I've set up a Marco for now that helps that. Tried the Fighter tutorial since. Still did badly but at least I was in the fight 110% improvement. TY both for the nudge in the right direction I was totally lost.

Pretty sure in default controls "W" is strafe upward. ASD are left down and right. Lateral motion, for dodging fire and fine control when landing.

Z/X are incremental speed controls. Tab boosts to max speed (and beyond as long as your shields hold out) and backspace is grind to a screeching halt.
So yeah, tapping tab should tell your ship to go full speed (may take a few secs to get there. Holding tab burns shield and goes fastfastfast. When you let off tab it may feel slow because you're at boring normal speed, and when you're in docks your normal speed is limited to 50m/sec.
If you don't want to burn shield, holding X should quickly move the throttle to max.

[(TnA) ToyssBox]

You can try the Wheel on your mouse for the speed control. Tip- Highway travel.. tap the 'Backspace' to drop off the lane. (Though be warned you could slide out into the L XL traffic.)

[MasterShake]

Mouse wheel for smooth speed control combined with tab (quick for instant max speed gain, prolonged for closing/creating gaps in fight)? Proved working fine enough for me.

[Blackbirdx61]

Good Stuff TY All, Short for time, Hi Ho and off to work I go.

[Knightingale]

Just tap the boost quick and it will go to normal "full throttle" without using shield power.
I use X for engine shut off.

I also changed mine to a similar WSAD, forward, back, strafe left, and strafe right because I am also used to that layout. Then Shift W and Shift S is up and down for landing or dog fights.

I've tried switching W to the boost and Tab to moving forward but it never felt right.

It really feels like the controls come from an old DOS era of space sims when we used arrow keys as the standard. So things don't really work the way we want them to.

For example, if you press W first, then Shift key, it won't register. So I have to be mindful to hit Shift first then W. And then it works. These are basic control mechanics we solved 20 years ago so I don't know what's up with that.

[Blackbirdx61]

Hi Knight, that's how I bound my WASD for now, I may swap the W and Shift W controls. Seems I'm using the later more recently. but as to your DOS comment; yes I am old enough to get that totally, and the default keybinds do feel like an after thought to me. Like putting Fire a 2nd weapon on the L, while docking commands something not done in combat are tied to D? Actually thinking about that I might well think up a swap for the Shift D. Anyhow good stuff got me thinking, appreciate that, Happy Hunting BB.