I'm getting lonely (re: bored) in Kessel killing scores of NPCs and the OCCASIONAL overt Rebel or Rebel-aligned Privateer, so I figured I'd write a guide (note I didn't say SHORT guide, since when do I write ANYTHING "short") on how not only to smartly PvP, but how to protect yourself or become more aware of your surroundings if you DO choose to overt to mine faction points.
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Rule Zero: You WILL suffer MASSIVE decay if you die (either by PvP or PvE enemies) in any zone except Deep Space. This decay is furthered in PvP based on the fact that player-mounted weapons will hit harder than any turret in this game and thus, do FAR more damage. (This is kind of a myth. Unless someone is purposefully targetting your engine or reactor when targetting you, the only damage you suffer from a PvP death is chassis - except in the RARE circumstance that the attacking pilot hits a 'hot spot' on your chassis which connects into the hp/armor of the component. It's because of this reason that short one/two-shot PvP fights are a BLESSING, not a curse - slugfests would RUIN your components.)
You acknowledge by overting that you risk this, as a pilot like myself WILL engage you if you're farming faction points on the basis I'm preventing you from furthering your side's war effort. The only time I will NOT engage an overt is when I view them helping someone take down a Vette. That's my only line. If you see me in Kessel, rest assured I've already seen you, as I never go more than about 30 seconds without checking my perimeter for overt players. (You get ~30ish FP for a simple TIER 3 kill in space. 50ish for a T5 fighter kill, and 192 for a T5 gunboat kill in Kessel. Some people would consider this worth the risk, as you get about 15 for ground kills which take FAR more time to square away. You have no recourse to complain if you get killed after overting - you clicked 'yes' to the factional station's request - it's YOUR fault if you don't check your surroundings on a regular basis to make certain no one is coming for you.)
1. Overt by visiting and contacting factional starbases in the same way you contact planetary starbases (stupidly enough, the Deep Space entry stations do NOT offer this service, so you have to find another). The process takes 30 seconds from clicking YES, which means about 5-10 seconds afterwards, start your hyperspace calculations to minimize your time staying in one place. You do NOT have to overt on the ground to overt in space, and it's suggested you DON'T, as you open yourself to possible ganking during the loading screens depending on your computer. (You're not technically overt in DS - you're 'semi-overt' - to get faction whilst grinding in there, you must overt before entering...which is somewhat problematic for privateers, considering to the best of my knowledge, you guys can't enter DS overt)
(Sorry if #1 is condescending to those who already know HOW to overt, but I've seen people who STILL think you have to overt on the ground to PvP in space, so I included it anyway. For those who REALLY don't know - the only reason someone would want to overt in space without the desire to PvP, is that when you're overt - every opposing faction target you destroy is worth quite a bit more FP than you're used to getting for killing an NPC on the ground - so much so, that if you're a maniac, you can cap your pool in a day or two)
2. When you enter ANY zone overt, your FIRST action should be to select 100% throttle (by default this is the "Home" key), as a sitting duck makes a tasty target. Your SECOND action should be to press "Z" (or whichever key you bind "Target Next Player Enemy" to), followed up with whatever key you have bound to "Target Nearest Player." You want to know what and who is around you - situational awareness is KEY. Your THIRD action should be to run a /who search to see who is in the zone - the higher the number that comes back, the more likely it is you're going to spot an overt. Be sure to look at titles, too - if you're Imperial and see a lot of "Alliance" titles, be on a higher state of alert. As usual, /anon pilots don't show up - and most PvPers run with /anon on. I do. (This is less true nowadays. JSFs, Bel-22s, and the new Heavies engage at full tilt at 100% throttle, making them lethal PvP platforms in the right hands. This still applies to older craft, though - on a heavier ship like the M22-T, you might find two distinct sweet spots depending on the engagement to build up a more potent lethality.)
3. Imperials overt more often than Rebels, or so it seems to me at least. The only Rebel ship that can *reliably* go toe-to-toe with an Advanced or Interceptor is an A-Wing. X-Wings don't really stand a chance unless you land the first shot volley, because you will LOSE a turning war with the Adv or Interceptor regardless of what engine you have equipped. B-Wings, X-Wings, and Y-Wings are notches on the belts of seasoned Imperial PvPers. If you're going to FP mine, it's STRONGLY suggested you learn to do it in one of these small, fast, and maneuverable ships so you have a chance if you get jumped. (Most PvP engagements, where both parties are aware of each other's presence, are usually 50/50. The victor is usually apparent about 5 seconds into the fight. JSFs, Bel-22s, and Heavies might have the speed advantage, but that doesn't mean they're going to win all the time. That being said, a JSF/Bel-22/Heavy vs. a Y-Wing or non-Advanced X-Wing is about a 65/35 encounter.)
4. NEVER engage head-on - always try to come in from above or below, as most people don't know how to read the damn radar anyway, and they'll probably automatically assume you're behind them - so take advantage of that. Always assume the other pilot is better than you or has better weapons than you. However, feel free to assume he's a lousy shot though, and dance around like Fred Astaire on PCP - the more static and "blah" your manuevering, the more likely you're going to get your ass shot off. (This is even more true now with the JSFs and Bel-22s having twin cannon mounts, and Adv X-Wings with the capability of mounting heavier weaponry on the sturdier frame. Unless you're taking advantage of the X-Wing's extremely decent low-speed turning speed [i.e. 'the Turret maneuver'], this will only get you killed quicker.)
5. Speed/energy is life. Find the throttle setting on your particular craft-of-choice that grants you the MAXIMUM speed for the least tradeoff in maneuverability. I determine this by finding a static point in space and sending my ship into a 360-degree yaw rotation, counting the seconds it takes for the centerpoint of the reticle to reach that fixed point yet again. A good number to shoot for is five seconds from start to finish. Some will tell you a formula will tell you your best throttle setting, but I personally think it's all in how it "feels" to you - a formula might say 72% throttle is the best, but if you find you're happy with your turning at a higher throttle setting, go with that. Truth be told, though - 75-85% is usually the "sweet spot" on all but the heaviest of craft, and if you're using those "heavies," you really should be rethinking exposing yourself to PvPing in the first place. Find this number by manually typing /throttle .xx, where "xx" can be anywhere from 00 to 99 from dead stop to 99% throttle. Once you find that sweet spot, make it a hotkey on your toolbar. (Again, this is a bit less important with the JSF, Bel-22, and newer Heavies, since they turn at 100% efficiency at 100% throttle.)
6. Get a goddamned booster. If you can, get your hands on a MandalMotors M-Series or Novaldex "Hypernova" booster (it doesn't matter which one, they both share the exact same stats). They're both L4/RE4s and have *INCREDIBLE* stats for their level. Get a low-mass and a low-burning (look for around 15x.x or lower) plus a junker L4 to RE with and you'll have a booster than can pour on an extra ~264kph for a solid 15 1/2 seconds (the stock boosters burn FAR too fast, necessitating an RE for longevity). You'd be hard pressed to find a higher level booster that can beat the stats of one of these for the mass. I can't TELL you how many times these things have saved my ass in both PvP AND PvE. (This STILL makes sense...even moreso now with the potential glut of 9x-ish L8 Starmap engines and 1xx SW-engines entering the fray - the pre-nerf L6s aren't the fastest anymore.)
7. If you detect an overt, drop whatever the hell you're doing and think fast. You're usually hard-pressed to have more than one fighter on you in the massive engagement clouds in Kessel, and NPC blasters are pop guns compared to what players pack. Check his distance - if the numbers are decreasing VERY quickly, you can be pretty sure he's closing on you. It's your call whether you choose to fight or flee, but merely knowing someone's coming to kill you improves your chances of survival markedly since he loses the element of surprise - HE'S probably assuming you're oblivious to his presence. If you're FP mining and it appears he's NOT closing, you're probably better off to try and withdraw before he decides to take a look around - if you sucker punch and destroy him, you run the risk of him coming back in to hunt you specifically...possibly with friends or guildmates, and there goes your night (unless you're a nutjob like me, in which case you'll take on all of them guns blazing). (If you enter into DS, immediately check your radar screen for yellow dots, which represent players who WILL BE attackable [and vice versa] in a few more seconds. You have a small 'grace period' before turning full overt - if you see yellow dots, brace yourself - that's going to go red in a few seconds, along with a lot of other stuff.)
7a. This is why I say to use the "Target Next Enemy Player" key. Often PvP squads will function exactly as they do in-game, either hunting in wolfpacks actively hunting FP miners like you out, or they're mining PvE clouds, assuming relative safety in numbers. If you merely rely on "Target Closest Enemy Player" function, you get a misrepresentation of the possible strength of the group. (Z is your most important key when flying overt - use it often, use it well.)
8. Always fly /anon and run /who often (preferably in the transition times when looking for new targets). /who [faction] doesn't work because overts in space are still covert to the underlying game mechanics, and even if you find these people, you won't be able to damage them unless they overted on the ground AND in space. Situational awareness is key, so make sure to check the "Target Closest Player" key as well, as even though someone might be covert, they can tell someone who's looking where you are. (If I load into DS and see someone from a Rebel guild, you'd better believe I'm going to hunt for them. This goes for your passengers as well, so if you take someone on a POB or MP ship, get them to go /anon or you'll most likely run into trouble.)
9. If you are forced to engage and manage to destroy someone, put as much distance between you and where you killed him at as humanly possible. I have several very "untraveled" portions of Kessel already waypointed to retreat to if I engage someone to prevent him from being able to find ME if he decides to come a'huntin'. I don't run because I FEAR this, I do it because I want him (or his group) to have to split up or overextend himself to find me, giving me a further advantage as he might just give up or think I'm gone...and stop looking. (I generally loathe hit and running, but seeing as my reputation preceeds me, it's not uncommon after popping a team in Kessel or someone from a larger guild to find a few other people coming into the zone looking for me a few minutes or more later.)
Oh, and if you're going to bind any other key to "Target Next Enemy Player," make it the comma key. Its location next to the matchspeed key makes it possible to toggle between the two very quickly to prevent you from being jumped unexpectedly when engaging slow targets (which coincidentally was how I got my only PvP death so far). (Pssh, this should give you an idea of the date. I think I was 20:1 or something roundabouts writing this. I'm 50:6 now. Yeah, I know...big friggin' deal.)
Also, this is kind of a sh*tty (but still rather effective) tactic adapted from the ground game. If you're overt in a less-than-adequate ship and someone engages you, pour on the speed and scan for nearby friendly heavy support craft like gunboats, gunships, or even the Vette (if close enough). Once you get there, proceed to fly as close to (and even THROUGH) the hull of that puppy as much as is humanly possible. If your persuer even puts one bolt into the shields on that guardian ship while trying to hit YOU, the tables can turn rather quickly. Trust me, if they're getting pelted with fire from multiple turrets, *you'll* become their SECONDARY concern quite quickly, and in their hasty retreat, you might be able to put a few shots up their a**es and claim victory. (Gunboats are a HELL of a lot rarer in Kessel now, so this tactic really only works in DS now.)
And lastly - don't forget to roll. In a turning match, rolling STACKS on top of your yaw rate, so if you turn into someone while simultaneously rolling INTO them, you'll turn FAR faster than if you keep "wings level" the whole time. (This is a bit of a double edged sword in some craft. Being a bit of a connoisseur of svelte, thin fighter frames [since I'm an 'oldie' who was weaned in the PRE-HEAVY times], this always made sense for me. But with something like a B-Wing, X-Wing, or Kimo/M22-T, you want to present as little a target as humanly possible, and presenting a nice big-ass broadside to an opponent might not be the best idea.)
Message Edited by KaylBreinhar on 06-21-200503:56 AM
Death doesn't fly a JSF anymore...he flies a Gallente Thorax in EVE Online
Oh yeah...I would fathom most people neglect the chassis condition on their ships. You should view your chassis as a layer of armor, as it takes damage just like any other component. If it's anywhere below, say...700 points, it might be high time to start thinking about buying a new set of blueprints. After your shields and armor is gone, your chassis is the last line of defense, and if it's around 4xx/4xx, you've got maybe two hits (from an NPC) between you and more decay. If you engage a PLAYER with a ship at that chassis condition, you're a corpse.
JTL was designed as a credit sink - unless you're doing nothing but hunting NPC fighters while NOT overt and you're a crack shot, you're eventually going to have to buy a new ship.
Message Edited by KaylBreinhar on 12-10-200403:50 AM
Death doesn't fly a JSF anymore...he flies a Gallente Thorax in EVE Online
Additionally, (and I don't know why I'm imparting this), but boosters seem to carry with them a very nice secondary ability.
If you learn to use your booster in micro-bursts (meaning activating and then immediately deactivating them), during the acceleration and deceleration phases you have a *very brief* (about a second) period of EXTREME maneuverability along the pitch and yaw axis. I think it has something to with the booster acceleration stacking on top of the engine's acceleration modifiers, but it may help if you can't seem to turn inside someone or something to get in a killshot.
Manuevering while in boost is complete crap, though - so practice these microbursts...eventually you'll see what I mean.
Message Edited by KaylBreinhar on 12-10-200403:59 AM
Death doesn't fly a JSF anymore...he flies a Gallente Thorax in EVE Online
Geniper Patterson - Proud Member of NRN A Jedi uses the force for Knowledge and Defense never for attack A friend helps you move. A Real friend helps you move bodies.
Mostly because Deep Space is a good way to die, decay or no. The most lethal thing in JTL isn't a turret-armed enemy or capital ship, but rather a swarm of eight B-Wings that all have happy missile racks.
Deep Space is just no fun, really...and that "trick" I talk about is all the more effective there with the two MASSIVE turret-armed capital targets and the armadas of gunboats/gunships flying about to use to one's advantage.
Death doesn't fly a JSF anymore...he flies a Gallente Thorax in EVE Online
KaylBreinhar wrote: Mostly because Deep Space is a good way to die, decay or no. The most lethal thing in JTL isn't a turret-armed enemy or capital ship, but rather a swarm of eight B-Wings that all have happy missile racks.
Deep Space is just no fun, really...and that "trick" I talk about is all the more effective there with the two MASSIVE turret-armed capital targets and the armadas of gunboats/gunships flying about to use to one's advantage.
i thought they were removing PvP decay penalties?
InVictus Kell - Smuggler for Life Started: Beta 2 Retired : 1-27-06
KaylBreinhar wrote: Mostly because Deep Space is a good way to die, decay or no. The most lethal thing in JTL isn't a turret-armed enemy or capital ship, but rather a swarm of eight B-Wings that all have happy missile racks.
Deep Space is just no fun, really...and that "trick" I talk about is all the more effective there with the two MASSIVE turret-armed capital targets and the armadas of gunboats/gunships flying about to use to one's advantage.
Good guide Jotun. I think the space PvP'er is a rare breed though, mostly because it's so prohibitely expensive and it can all be over in 2 seconds regardless. I also think the Rebel ships are once again underpowered, leading me to believe the money spent into it would be a waste.
Destroyer
GRWRRHHGGAAGHUHURR
>Official Stamp of Disapproval on the CU < ...has fathered half of the Eclipse population
It hasn't been prohibitively expensive for me because every piece on my highly-customized Advanced was either personally looted or bought on the bazaar by someone who didn't look closely enough at ALL the stats of their loot. The only two pieces on my Advanced that are player made are the ship chassis itself (obviously), a highly customized shield generator (that's been shown to soak up about five hits from an Advanced-level player-made gun), and one other component.
Since starting JTL I've made about 11 million in credits from it, but spent about 5 million to get to where I am. Seeing as 6 million would go for around 60 bucks now (using IGE's pricing) that the solonerf has crimped credit flow, the 14.95 I spent for it has been made up for.
Message Edited by KaylBreinhar on 12-10-200403:19 PM
Death doesn't fly a JSF anymore...he flies a Gallente Thorax in EVE Online
As an update, I'm trying to help Xinamm get to master pilot before I go for my JSF. Hope that isn't a problem, should be getting started in the next few days. Will PM you with a more definite time
Destroyer
GRWRRHHGGAAGHUHURR
>Official Stamp of Disapproval on the CU < ...has fathered half of the Eclipse population
Very good guide Jotun. I like the omission of spamming the heck out of your opponent, hoping they will lag out as you kill them. Dirty way to fight... or so I hear /innocent
I have always enjoyed our encounters in space, against each other, with each other, or just in passing. You are hands down the single best pilot I have seen. I am going to be bold and even say it is not because you are an uber pilot. I think it is because you are a THINKING pilot, and that makes you all the more dangerous.
I do have some maneuvers I want to practice with you sometime, if you are willing. Send me an ingame email.
