So, I just started to actually try ESFs, got the Reverse Maneuver down, the Banking turn, etc. some of the basic stuff. And after a little bit of time in game, the only things I can hit are Infantry, Vehicles, MAXes, and less-skilled pilots (Very uncommon), I can't engage a single ESF anymore. The only one I've ever engaged and ALMOST won was one where I reverse maneuvered straight into a Mossy. And that was during the downtime of the server, during uptimes 99.999999% of the time I get teamed on by 2-3 BR100 Pilots. Do you see this environment? It's not exactly "conductive" to new players. So, why should I try to do something in it, if it's barred off to players with lots of experience piloting... which is sorta a catch 22, so the only thing I can do is quit trying to get into the air, the air aspect of this game is impossible to get into, I was planning to use my first 1000 Certs (the first time I've saved that much, that is) to buy Hornets, (I liked them in VR) but I think I'll just be sticking to the Parallax, given that Sniping, Stalker infiltration, and HA/LA are pretty much the only classes I do quite well in. Long story short, I'm generally frustrated about this Meta, something needs to be done to make it just a little bit easier for newer pilots, in what aspect? I have absolutely no idea, but something needs to be done.
I put about 40 hours into air before I decided it wasn't for me and everything you say is on the money. The air game is extremely unfriendly to new players.
I think part of the issue is that people think they can be an ace in a day... it just doesn't happen. I'd encourage new pilots to ignore dogfighting initially, going A2G with rocket pods will provide more seat time getting used to the control basics. As time goes by they can add to their flying repertoire but trying to start with nose gun ESF dogfights doesn't allow enough flight time to acclimatize with the ESF controls. I'm far from the best pilot myself - but it all will start coming together given enough time flying. Taking the wrong approach ie. A2A dogfighting usually leads to a quick death, which is just bad when you need more time to get used to the controls and flight.
Moin I don't think it's so much a problem of "new players". I've seen plenty of people joining the airgame and becoming decent after a few days practise. But they had in common that they were pretty good gamers to begin with. If you're a bad player you won't notice this as much while playing infantry. You respawn pretty fast and the nature of the game allows you to get a kill here and there. Plus there are a lot of equally bad players around. The airgame is much more selective. It's harder to get into and more skill is required from you to be successful. There's some stuff that could be done for novice pilots. A proper tutorial and some way to practise in VR would be a start. But there's no way to make flying better for bad players without dumbing the game further down.
Find an air outfit, talk with the community pilots on your faction. A lone esf is easy ambush / destroy. Two + esf's playing partner, and cooperating not so much.
I can dogfight alright-ish (Overstatement), just that, the way the game is built with the ESFs being VTOL, it literally requires you to be a 4 Dimensional being using a 3 dimensional screen (in order to achieve 3 dimensional 360 degree field of vision) which is just, really? I'm a fairly good gamer in general, I have relatively normal just under 200ms reaction time, I can do well in a close quarters fight, I've found I'm best at sniping and infiltration in general, as it's both Slow and Strategical and very Fast. And I don't expect to be good at piloting in any way within a day, it's just that it's IMPOSSIBLE to get into piloting, I can't learn, because the skill cap is SO STEEP that it's impossible.
Just grab 8 or 9 friends and fly around in a zerg swarm ganking everything you see (lock-ons are optional) especially other new pilots, or embrace the frustration and keep plugging away until you improve. With patience and dedication you may one day become a true ace, then you can join the dominant air outfit on your server (faction switching is optional but encouraged), flying around with 3 or 4 other aces and ganking everything you see, with the added benefit of enjoying informal ceasefires with anybody decent enough to hurt you on the other 2 factions. #Airgame
Generally this should be the natural progression for new pilots: -Pull a plane, crash -Pull another plane, make it farther before being engaged and then crashing -Pull another plane, try to engage the target and probably die -Make it or break it, you decide at this point whether or not you want to keep flying -if you continue, you get better, get a rotary, get a wing mount (interceptor builds are probably out of your league) -learn more advanced maneuvers (RM, barrel roll, PS2 Immelman etc.) -start killing sentient players -repeat 5-7 until very good -properly in the air game and good at it This is how it seems to usually go: -Pull aircraft, immediately destroyed by a pro pilot -say "**** this" and decide its not for you -become sniper # 27 in the ground zerg Being able to fail not immediately after pulling the aircraft allows you to enjoy your flight until your inevitable crash. You might eventually enter and enjoy the airgame assuming you aren't rofl stomped by warp gate guardians (you know who you are). Its not for everyone. I gave a controls tutorial to most of my friends and still had a 90% crash rate on first flight (most couldn't deal well with the vtol system). The other 10% were stomped by enemy pilots almost immediately after spawning. I have yet to get a friend to join the airgame at least as a ground farmer.
Tried the Barrel roll, pulled it off first try, just forgot to afterburn, will look up the other ones, thank you , maybe I should continue with it, I might buy those Hornets, but the Parallax is such a good sniper, kinda tied like I was before. Was just frustrated before because the only thing in the air were Sharks, and I was only a small fish, the Sharks were very hungry at that time.
This game is just frustrating to anyone who isn't in an outfit and traveling in a pack. Most of the people I know who have tried planetside just quit after getting frustrated from being completely overrun. The "choose-for-you" spawn system certainly doesn't help. This bleeds into the air-game as well, but with the added bonus of new players not standing a chance against experienced players 1v1. So most players will just quit. All this "You're not pro enough!" ******** is not helping anyone.
i give up of trying to fly, almost in every situation all my friendlies get killed and i get ganked by 4 br100 +3000 directive points players
Air should have been ONLY support. It would make the game so much better. Air could do transport, supplies, radar and other logistics. Just not ganking from above with no warning. (Personally, I've learned how to avoid air when I'm on the ground, but new players do not know how to do that, and they are more likely to quit than spend the time and effort to be able to enjoy the game.)
I guess your best bet would be to make a friend with some skilled pilot and ask him to teach you / show you stuff. I have few hours of flying ingame compared to many pilots I kill. But it's only because I constantly asked people through tells to have dogfights with me and I did have dogfights with lots of different pilots and got some practice with one of the best. After you get some info from Elite pilots, find someone who's willing to learn along with you. Dogfight each other. Think about how to make your opopent miss etc. Your skill will grow, you'll hold in the air longer, you'll have much more fun even if you die, until then you can fly in pair with your wingman. And you will die often. Ganks and lock ons are a frequent occurence. I posted my "tips" in some of lasts threads about ESF. Find it (you can find it by looking at my posted replies). There are some nice advices there. Except how to dodge. If you have questions, send me a message here on forum, I will try to help. Good luck, air is tough, but once you start having some kills, you'll know the thrill. But it's also not that bad, you can pull ESFs often now since resource revamp. You have it easier since you don't need to wait for long = more practice time.
Its like this, you guys seen a shark swimming around and its being followed by all them lil fishis that feed of the shark and things that shark don't eat? Welp you are that lil fishy sort of. Find a BIG *** shark and follow it around. See how he gets food and eats. You'll get couple of meals your self and in time (hopefully) you'll grow in shark sort of. And remember the more lil fishies are around the faster they eat the meal and they can move to next one faster. Oh and if the lil fishies have tomcats/coyoties on secondary that's gonna help you erm eat faster? Happy hunting!
All credit to good pilots. For me the control system is so bad that I just find it impossible. I cant fathom why they made the air units nigh on impossible to control unless you put in a ton of hours practice. I've tried mouse, joypad and joystick and none of them seem to give that intuitive feel when flying.
Today someone told me i represented the worst in planetside air game i had run out of ammo maybe that was what got the worst or best of me i could not really shoot back with the nose gun, not a lot of certs, first the engagement radar will help you a lot in knowing where enemy planes are, then learn to do the basics like the Reverse Maneuver that you already know how to do mine does not look like in youtube most of the time, practice in the vr flying a little bit. So the secret in the air game is ganking do not let any one lie to you and tell you is skill so even if you are not in an air squad keep track where other allied esfs are if you need help buy 2 or three ranks of engagement radar at first it will help you a loot because there is a mark that indicates you the turn.
Yeah, it was rough for me at first to. Being in the VR trying to learn how in the world do i fly straight and turn, Then 1 day I just happened to notice i was getting better, I managed to kill 2-3 people. Then some time past and I started doing loopty loops with the RM destroying pilots in seconds. But yeah, this game does have a meta that caters to more experienced players. Even with their attempt to cater to the lesser skilled making the Tom Cats, but we all see how higher skilled players abuse those, and the idea doesn't really correlate to the price range.
