Favorite Combat Tactics

[TGHC]

You lot seem to be very tight fisted when it comes to missiles. If you've amassed a load of Wonga then buy hard hats and use em. They are helpful when you're being attacked by a bunch of fierce pirates, loose off a couple and they will run when their ecm's don't work, that evens up the odds and you can go after them once you've dealt with the other attackers. As someone mentioned earlier, it's best to target cargo carrying pirates like pythons with missiles first so that when you clear them up later you don't have to travel far and wide scooping their cannisters.

[drew]

Firstly, I try never to engage unless I've got enough fuel to witchspace out of the system. I always keep an active witchspace lock.

I tend to close to point blank range as soon as possible without firing, trigger the ECM as I pass (some ships have a nasty habit of firing missiles at point blank range), then shut the throttle and turn in behind them. I select the most dangerous target on the way in and laser them from behind until they are gone. Select next target, get behind, allowing laser to cool. Repeat. Occasionally use harden missiles if the laser gets too hot.

I tend to avoid injectors unless absolutely necessary.

I hit the hyperspace when my last but one energy unit is being drained, though I abort if the odds look in my favour during the countdown.

I've only been killed once recently - Got in a scrap with four vessels in a feudal system and then four more joined in for no apparent reason. Killed three seconds before hitting witchspace.

Cheers,

Drew.

[Arexack_Heretic]

I get killed rather alot....
but then I'm actively looking for trouble in a 'number5' racing adder, testing OXPs that spawn multiple PPC_A2's and such.

In this ship I use ECM rather sparingly, I rather use FI to avoid a CPL-closeproximitylaunched missile as it has only one energybank, that drains 2/3 when ECM is triggered. I need that power for lasers and shields.

You might think it's only logical that I get killed when flying in the ship equivalent of a wet paper shoebox. However its speed, agility and tiny profile, gives even NPCs trouble. This enables me to survive or escape most furrballs.
However, 5 PPC_A2s closing on multiple vectors with quad-pulselasers blasting can even pin the most nimble fighter.

[julyy]

How is this "playing dead" possible?
If I shut down my engine, rolling a little bit. I got blast to pieces.

[Corbeau]

How is this "playing dead" possible?
If I shut down my engine, rolling a little bit. I got blast to pieces.

I think they're just roleplaying

[reills]

Sort of chicken dirty fighting, but I get the baddies to chase after me, get out of the range of any "clean" ships then fire an e-bomb. I don't make the 900cr back in scooped cargo, unless I pick up an escape pod with a real nasty in it. I figure the profits in making the run overall offsets the occasional price of an e-bomb.

[lolwhites]

You lot seem to be very tight fisted when it comes to missiles.

I think missiles are just too tied up in my mind with being a Jameson, armed with a peashooter pulse laser. Once I got proper lasers front and back, it just became so much more satisfying to blast them with that rather than fire a missile.

The funny thing is that in spite of the price, I still take great pleasure in zooming through a knot of 10 or 12 pirates, dropping a Q-bomb and WFI-ing to a safe distance before hitting rear view and enjoying the show....

[Captain Hesperus]

There's a lot to be said about ramming too, as long as you have good shield enhancements and either an EEU or NEU. I've found it easier to flatten someone against the ol' Python's nosecone rather than waste valuable profit on missiles, E-bombs, Q-bombs or turning around to tail-gun 'em. Yeah, so it drops the resale value of the old bucket, but how can you reduce a resale value of 0Cr?

Captain Hesperus

[TGHC]

How is this "playing dead" possible?
If I shut down my engine, rolling a little bit. I got blast to pieces.

It all depends how many attackers and how aggressive they are. If you appear to be non aggressive, and no threat sometimes they will leave you alone.

[Cmd Northgate]

I arrived in one system to be surrounded by a group of pirates, then some more joined! As I began working my way through all the haze of ships, two police showed up. Great I thought, some help at last, then they hyperspaced away. Probably a wise move really, it looked like they took one look at the odds and thought, let's get out of here!

Well at least my kill count improved by quite a lot.

Still saving up to repair my Military Shield Enhancement.

I guess one combat tactic is have an exit strategy and have some spare fuel to get out of tricky situations.

Concentrate on attacking one ship rather than lots at once. In the original Elite, I read that firing at the tail pipe is a good strategy as the shields are weakest their. Also having a beam laser bolted onto the rear is useful to finish off an opponent as they fly past. I've not quite mastered that in Oolite yet.

[Smivs]

In the original Elite, I read that firing at the tail pipe is a good strategy as the shields are weakest their.

The aft shields are as strong as the front, so this is not the case in Oolite at least. However, as they are usually running away when you are hitting them there, they are usually pretty beat up by then, so they will fall quite easily anyway.

Also having a beam laser bolted onto the rear is useful to finish off an opponent as they fly past. I've not quite mastered that in Oolite yet.

An aft Military laser is the way to go. On those ocassions when you are the one doing the running away you can nibble away at the bandits chasing you. Aft laser use is a bit of a skill, but as with most skills, practice makes perfect.

[another_commander]

Concentrate on attacking one ship rather than lots at once.

I think that you will find that this tactic will get you to press space very quickly in Oolite. Remember, all other ships in a group will continue to shoot at you if you concentrate on one only. It only takes a few moments to drain a ship's shields completely and this can very easily happen if you don't pay attention to what's going on around you because you are too busy trying to land one more shot on a particular ship. My recommendations in brief would be instead:

• Be on the move continuously. Do not offer an easy target to your opponents.
• Maintain situational awareness. Keep an eye on your scanner and know where the enemies are at all times.
• Use the environment to your favor, if you can (asteroids, stations, suns etc).
• Learn to use a rear laser. Even better if you learn to use also port and starboard ones.
• Have a hyperspace system set before you enter combat. You never know when you may need to perform an emergency hyperdrive spin.
• Use injectors. A lot. If you don't have them, install them. Asap.
• If they launch a missile at you and you don't have ECM or injectors, try launching a missile at them in response. They may activate their own ECM and that may get their own missile destroyed before it reaches you, if you are lucky.
• Judicious use of ramming can be very helpful in some situations. If you decide to go for it, make sure that you are on full shields.
• Remember that there is no shame in executing a Brave Sir Robin maneuver, when all else fails or if your chances of winning are null. Running away is a perfectly valid combat tactic.
• Always carry some cheap cargo, like food. If you are attacked by a group of pirates, you may get out of an otherwise nasty situation just by ejecting it and hoping that they will accept it.
• Be unpredictable. The AI in 1.82 is programmed to resemble more a human pilot. If you fly towards a certain direction steadily, they will try to shoot towards that direction more. If you change course suddenly, it will take them a moment or two to adjust their course and a moment or two may be all you need to turn the battle to your favor.
• Best if you launch missiles at close range. Gives them less time to trigger an ECM.
• If you are against a group with big and small ships, try to get the small ones out first. A Mamba can be destroyed much quicker than a Python, but its laser can do just as much damage to you.

Also, good job on resurrecting an 8-year old thread . But it's still far away from the absolute best record of 11 years (sorry, can't remember who holds it right now).

[Cody]

Even better if you learn to use also port and starboard ones.

My ROE forbid the use of side lasers! Cody's Caveat: never run out of fuel!

[Fritz]

For aft lasers use Reverse Control OXP. It was available in the original Elite, so it's perfectly ok to use it!

If I'm really in trouble (around 10 opponents or even more) I found that picking one and concentrating on him until he is dead is the best solution. But you should have a fast and strong ship with naval energy and shield boosters - and a working ECM. Injectors are not required, and I don't use side lasers.

Fly a spiral, look aft, target one of them (the weaker ships - Cobra 1s and 3s, Geckos, Mambas, Sidewinders - first if possible) and then, depending on shield and status and laser temperature, try to kill him while ignoring the incoming hits from the other ships. If your target isn't too close, it's safer to turn around and use the front laser because the other ships will need more time to target you.

You'll have to aim fast and precisely, if not, your shields will be down before it is done. If the first salvo isn't enough to kill the enemy, try to finish him off with the other laser. If you let him run away, he'll recharge his energy, and all the trouble was for nothing!

Then go into a spiral again, recharge, and pick your next victim. The first one is the most difficult, every further enemy will be easier. I found this strategy to be possible against up to around enemies. If they are more, you don't have the time to kill one before your shields have broken down under the fire from the others, and you'll suffer serious damage sooner or later.

[Cody]

For aft lasers use Reverse Control OXP. It was available in the original Elite, so it's perfectly ok to use it!

<scratches head> It was?