Our Community Survival Guide to Space Combat

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Korvo

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sᴘᴀᴄᴇ ɪs ᴀᴡᴇsᴏᴍᴇ. The views are awesome. The spectacles are awesome. The warfare in space is awesome. None of us (or at least, I'd imagine the overwhelming majority) wouldn't even be here if we didn't appreciate space and the wonders it brings. After all, we're all Star Wars fans here.

That said, it is no secret that the majority of users shy away from participating in space combat on the site. Even as a whole, it is far less frequently used on the forums. In the words of another user (@+SpaceJesus+) who voiced such concerns;

[fancybox2]"We all know nobody likes dogfighting [...] I, however, believe the major reason people dislike dogfighting is not because it is innately bad PvP but simply because not many people know how to do it effectively in the first place"[/fancybox2]

I read this a while back and it really resonated with me since then.

Some of you may or may not know, but I had previously written a guide on the much more technical aspects to space combat and warfare as a whole. While I was quite proud of it, it was most certainly lacking a very fundamental element. As said by another user (@RedneckLoves);

[fancybox2]"One thing I found seemed to be missing from that particular guide is how to actually POST effectively in dogfighting threads [...] it is still quite confusing when trying to get the mechanics of dogfighting down."[/fancybox2]

I'll say this right now; I am not any kind of authority on space PvPing. I am not space PvP guru. Hell, I'm not even a space PvP veteran. I've not participated or won battles in space any more or less than anyone else willing to do it. You may read some ideas of mind that you think are inefficient, or perhaps you have an idea of a better way to do stuff -- that's perfect! That's wonderful! Personally, I am a major supporter of being innovative - especially in space combat.

Space is a completely different beast than land (and by "land", I mean any situation where conventional gravity is in effect, so that includes fighting within a space station and such). Even if you've never been in a fight, you know, methodically, how to fight. You've seen it done on TV and movies, you can conceptualize how to work things out. Space combat is a very alien concept in comparison, as 99% of the population can't relate to it. The closest analogy we commonly make is aerial combat, specifically warplanes or jet-to-jet fighting, but even that is relatively limited as most people aren't pilots, nor are most familiar with the idiosyncrasies to the degree of feeling comfortable in how to "fake it".

I'm a mega sci fi nerd, and my love for it holds no prejudice. Star Wars, Star Trek, StarGate, Dark Matter, Titan A.E., Battlestar Galactica, etc., I love it all. As such, I'm relatively familiar with "technobabble". I frequently use it because I enjoy the "flavor" it brings, but IT IS BY NO MEANS NECESSARY. In truth, space combat is best done when actions are rooted in simplicity. Now what do I mean by this?

My personal rule of thumb: Be understood. Do not get overly complex in describing what you're doing. Some actions are understandably inherently extravagant, but do your best to accurately, and efficiently, describe your actions. I'm not saying you can't be deceitful or cunning in battle, but space combat is often complex enough without deliberately adding to it. The best way to be understood is to make sure you're not drowning your posts with unnecessary details. This is good for any kind of PvP, but especially here. This kind of fighting is already foreign-feeling to many, and a lot of overly detailed text can be burdensome and lead to confusion. Confusion often can lead to miscommunication. And with OOCs in mind, we all know where it can descend to from there. That in mind, it is my preference to deliberately not make particularly long posts for starfighter combat posts.

Now that that's out of the way, how to actually do it? Well, it's a lot easier than you might think. As stated earlier, I'm familiar with some technobabble and other sci fi elements, so I use it sparingly.

[fancybox2]"The pilot saw the danger and quickly flew his ship to the left as fast as he could, evading the proton torpedo"[/fancybox2]

...and...

[fancybox2]"The pilot checked the flashing of his proximity sensors. Forcing down the throttle to maximize the fighter's engine output, he banked his vessel portside to elude the proton torpedo, glimpsing its ionic wake trail off into the void"[/fancybox2]

...ARE THE SAME POSTS. The actions are effectively identical, just one has more babble in it whereas the other is more to the point and simplistic. This is an example of what I meant by how easy it is; the latter might seem more "legit", but the actions of the former are every bit as valid. I'm not saying the latter post was bad, because that's kinda like how I do my own (#nerdalert), but the extra details it had was ultimately unnecessary. The same actions could be achieved without all the fluff. It is the same with the majority of actions in space combat.

Don't be afraid of simply stating what you're doing. There's nothing at all wrong with it. Here's a second example;

[fancybox2]After turning his ship around, the pilot swerved his ship back and forth to avoid getting locked on to as he fired his lasers at the enemy ship[/fancybox2]

...and...

[fancybox2]Pulling back on the throttle at the end of a Gandder's Spin, the pilot re-engaged his primary engines, accelerating to attack speed as he quickly fell into the Corkscrew Weave, making quick and erratic maneuvers to combat the enemy's targeting acquisition systems as he unleashed another laser volley onto his opponent[/fancybox2]

...both are effectively accomplishing the same thing; a second attack run begins, evasive maneuvers are preemptively taken and it concludes with an attack on the enemy. One has more fluff, one is more straightforward; both are fully valid.

That said, check out the Starfighter Combat page on Wookieepedia.
It is very helpful if you want to catch on to more terms
But again, this also is not totally necessary.

Thus far, we've covered a few of the actions that takes place in space combat. If that seems like it's short, that's because it is; starfighter combat is, ultimately, methodically simple. Stage one is detecting and identifying your opponent, but that can be bypassed in straight-up battles... or I suppose, if you're an indiscriminating MWAHAHAHAHA bad guy.

Stage two, approach / entering the attack run. In a nutshell, two enemies are flying toward each other and ready for a fight.

Stage three, attack however you want. Laser cannons, torpedoes, evil rabid space bunnies, etc. Hurt the other guy.

Stage four is technically optional, but will almost never be. It's maneuver. If you've attacked and failed, you're going to be left open (assuming you're not chasing your enemy ala Vader and the TIEs vs the Rebel pilots on the Death Star trench). To make an analogy, a lot of starfighter "duels" are like jousting. Both enemies fly toward each other giving it their all, but it will typically be fly-bys, and thus they will fly past each other. You've basically left your back wide open, so you have to maneuver for two reasons; close your blind spot and/or prepare a second attack run before the other guy. This is where things can get sticky, and were creative thinking can really help.

Stage five is normally running away. Yup. Running. Well, that or just being the last guys out there after killing your opponent. It's disengagement. This is either running away (ala hyperspace jump the hell outta dodge), when one or both sides just stop fighting (say a truce is called), or when victorious (the enemy is dead and thus there's just no one left to fight). In the latter two cases, there's really nothing to do; it pretty much takes care of itself. With the former, this can be relatively dangerous since you're gonna be running from what I would imagine to be a superior opponent or superior numbers. And to run, you'll usually be proverbially and literally turning your back to them as you're taking off. So yeah, kinda dangerous if someone is hellbent on killing you (in truth, this part is basically the same as how a land fight might go, if an enemy retreated).

With that synopsis out of the way, there are also other things to consider;

  • Learn the starfighter maneuvers. Trust me, this helps greatly. I listed some, but Wookieepedia has even more.
  • Pay attention to your starfighter's capabilities. Which vessel is faster? Which has better armor and shielding? Which has more torpedo payloads, if any at all? Things like this can help you RP better with your fighter. For instance, Jedi starfighters are faster than Sith fighters, but aren't as tough. They also don't have hyperdrives, while the Sith starfighters do ( an advantage most Sith don't really take advantage of, from what I've seen :/ ). Some fighters may have rotating turrets, some may have multiple laser batteries - in short, be familiar with what you're flying, at least from a technical aspect.
  • REMEMBER YOU'RE IN SPACE! Space is not linear. You don't have to fly just left or right, or even just up or down. There are countless vectors you can take. Dodging is a HUGE aspect of starfighter combat, and there's so many easy ways to do it. Think outside the box, use the massive vacancies around you to your advantage. If it seems cool in your head, write it out and do it. You might be surprised at how easily it can flow.
  • If you have a wingmate, COORDINATE WITH EACH OTHER. Trust me, fighting with someone that has your back takes the pressure off you both. It also opens up more maneuvers that you can do, since some, like Crosscurrent and the Corellian Slip (both very good), require at least two pilots. It is also much, much harder to fight a coordinated attack with starfighters than it is a coordinated attack while fighting on the ground. At least, in my experience.

In the end, so many details could be need to be fleshed out since a lot of this might arise on a case-by-case basis -- I couldn't possibly cover them all. However, if such questions do arise, ask them here where, ideally, they can be answered. That said, it wouldn't be by just me alone. There are a few others here that have done starfighter PvPs. @Vosrik and I once had a very fun starfighter battle, and @Ecclessey too (who will be gone till December :( ) has also shown himself to be knowledgeable in the practical sense.

So anyone can chime in, and anyone can answer questions brought up, if they want. In fact, I couldn't encourage it more. This is why I went and named the thread our survival guide, as opposed to "my", "the" or even "a". The best way for everyone to learn is when many people participate, together. If you have ideas, share em. If you have questions, share em. If you have answers, share em. If you have experiences, share em. If you have suggestions, KEEP EM TO UR FRAKKIN SELF!1!1!! share em :p

Not sure how much traction, if any, this might get since dogfighting has a wayward reputation, but if anyone wants to get into it, or is even just curious, then let's have a part and help make our guide ;)
 

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Will probably never use.

But, great resource.

Love you, Korvo.
 

Korvo

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Holy crap, this got stickied?!
 

Korvo

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In January... lol.
WHAAAAA???
5YXcIlG.gif
 
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