1. Introduction
Welcome to the official Arvoch Conflict strategy guide. If you have played the game and want to learn the tactics master pilots use, this is the guide for you. Arvoch Conflict offers a wide range of complexity, customizing, and control options which provides an adjustable level of difficulty and accomodation for a variety of gameplay styles/preferences. This flexibility makes the game deceptively simple, but there are a lot of tactics and options beyond the basic controls to give you an edge. Arvoch Conflict is one of only a few space-sims ever made that provides full freedom of movement control in an open space environment (all 3 direction axis and all 3 rotation axis). And unlike other games that might offer similar options, Arvoch Conflict is unique in that it provides variable control for every rotation and direction of movement. The game also simulates factors usually left out of most space-sims such as gravity, fuel, seamless atmosphere descents, nebula clouds, in-scene 3D cockpit (not just text and sprites placed on top of the 3D scene), and Newtonian physics. Other elements add to gameplay tactics such as tractor beams, cloaking devices, powerful bombs, energy management, and EMP weapons. The result is a collection of features and options unique to Arvoch Conflict that can be used to expand the gameplay to push your skills to the limit and give you an advantage over other players. Players with experience and knowledge often defeat ambitious rookies. This guide will help give you the knowledge needed to succeed and when combined with experience, you'll soon become a master pilot. While the information contained in this guide may give you an advantage, the single best way to improve your chances and abilities is to practice.
This guide may also be updated from time to time with new tips and to keep current with any revisions the game might receive.
2. Basic Game Information
Arvoch Conflict includes 10 Alliance spacecraft to fly, ranging from small scouts to lumbering heavy attack bombers. Each type of spacecraft offers a unique set of performance features, offensive capabilities, and defensive capabilities. One of the first goals of any player is to establish which ship best fits their flying skill and weapon loadout preferences.
Here are the ship descriptions from the game:
Ferret
Considered to be more of a mobile gunpod rather than a complete combat ship,
the P-181B Ferret is little more than two cannons with a cockpit and two
engines attached. It can't carry any missiles, but what it lacks in missile
and fuel capacity, it makes up for in speed, maneuverability, and firepower.
The Ferret can fly circles around larger ships and features an experimental
miniature cannon relay system, giving it the firepower of an interceptor.
With a skilled pilot, the Ferret can often defeat far more powerful ships.
Speed: 1150 C/2000+ A Agility: ~90 D/S Hardpoints: 0 Shield/Armor: 25/85
Pulsar
The P-182C Pulsar is the main scout of the Alliance military. It is light,
very maneuverable, and extremely fast. The B series upgrade adapted the
design to work with a jump drive, giving it a major advantage over other
ships designed for the same role. The Pulsar is also an excellent ship for
atmosphere flight and can hold its own in a dogfight with larger ships due
to its agility. Only its weak shields and limited fuel capacity keep this
ship from more combat oriented duties.
Speed: 1070 C/2000+ A Agility: ~80 D/S Hardpoints: 2 Shield/Armor: 45/105
Aries
The P-175A Aries blends many elements of both a Scout class ship and a
Fighter into one design. It performs much like a Scout with the range and
weapon capacity closer to a Fighter. It is often used as a light support
ship for short range bombing and attack missions.
Speed: 1050 C/2000+ A Agility: ~80 D/S Hardpoints: 4 Shield/Armor: 55/120
Wraith
The F-188E Wraith is the descendant of the F-144 Star Wraith from a hundred
years earlier. The original fighter was so far ahead of its time that the
original design is still a large part of this new version. Ion pulse
engines, optimized structure for atmosphere flight, high agility, speed, 8
secondary weapon hardpoints, and powerful defensive systems compliment this
superb fighter package. While generally assigned to fighter roles, it is
also widely used as an interceptor in Orion and Rigel border systems.
Speed: 1000 C/2000+ A Agility: ~70 D/S Hardpoints: 8 Shield/Armor: 115/145
Evoch
The F-228C Evoch was originally designed and built during the most recent
Vonari wars and is named after the Evochron system in which the conflict
took place. It features many advancements gained after our increased
knowledge of Vonari technology through intel and reverse engineering.
The Evoch is considered the front line fighter in systems that border Vonari
space. Many details about this fighter remain classified and only the best
pilots get the opportunity to fly it.
Speed: 1100 C/2000+ A Agility: ~70 D/S Hardpoints: 8 Shield/Armor: 125/170
Razor
The I-108C Razor is a medium range interceptor. It has excellent shielding
and evasive capabilities to help it survive in ship defense roles. It also
carries enough fuel to maintain a protection engagement for a moderate time.
Excluding the Ferret, the Razor is also the fastest and most maneuverable
ship to carry a cannon relay system, which doubles its primary weapon energy
reserve. For short duration intercept and escort roles, this is an excellent
ship to fly. It's secondary weapons are limited, but most pilots agree the
advantage of a cannon relay system is worth it.
Speed: 700 C/1400 A Agility: ~55 D/S Hardpoints: 5 Shield/Armor: 145/200
Predator
The I-84E Predator is a heavy intercept ship designed for both close
support escort and large engagement protection roles. It's high fuel
capacity allows it to retain a defensive escort position without
interruption, which makes it a popular choice for long range convoys.
Some exploration teams also use this ship for long range scout duties.
Speed: 650 C/1300 A Agility: ~50 D/S Hardpoints: 5 Shield/Armor: 170/220
Raptor
The I-128A Raptor doubles as a heavy attack ship and a very capable
interceptor. It's speed is somewhat limited compared to other interceptors,
but the design makes up for low velocity with very powerful shields. The
Raptor can survive alone in engagements with several fighters that would
normally over-power less capable interceptors. The addition of another
secondary hardpoint and 150 units of fuel over its nearest in-class
competitor, the Raptor offers a powerful platform normally associated with
bombers in a more agile design.
Speed: 600 C/1200 A Agility: ~50 D/S Hardpoints: 6 Shield/Armor: 195/235
Lamprey
The B-147R Lamprey is the primary bomber of the Alliance. It features 8
secondary hardpoints, extremely powerful shields, 1250 unit fuel capacity,
and better maneuverability than the Neptune class. It uses a multi-layered
shield system that helps provide additional protection while moving in on a
target. The Lamprey shares its name with the original Cargo ship of the
Alliance. It was converted into a bomber 28 years ago and redesigned for
improved performance in combat roles.
Speed: 550 C/1100 A Agility: ~30 D/S Hardpoints: 8 Shield/Armor: 250/350
Neptune
The B-198A Neptune is the newest bomber in the fleet. Offering similar
agility as the Lamprey, it include 250 extra units of fuel and a powerful
shield system normally associated with light cruisers. The Neptune is
gradually being phased in as a replacement for the Lamprey, but command
wants to make the transition slowly until the Neptune has proven itself
further in combat.
Speed: 570 C/1140 A Agility: ~25 D/S Hardpoints: 8 Shield/Armor: 350/500
Here are the weapon descriptions from the game (Cannons / Missiles):
FlareBeam
The FlareBeam is often referred to as the Rookie's Gun. It's weak
and is the first weapon flight school cadets get to use in live-fire
excersises. However, in the right hands, it can still be a very
effective weapon. The FlareBeam fires at a very fast rate and
consumes very little energy. It's energy consumption is so low,
pilots can often continue firing the weapon for very long periods of
time before any recharging is needed. Because of this firing rate,
accuracy is not as important as with other weapons.
Projectile Type: Low Energy Firing Rate: ~125 R/M Yield: 30 RPD
FireFury
The FireFury cannon is a low yield, low energy consuming weapon.
While its yield is limited, it's very fast firing rate can often mean
a pilot is able to inflict the same amount of damage to a target as a
more powerful weapon in the same amount of time. Combined with its
very low power consumption, the FireFury is often selected by many
experienced pilots as a preferred weapon. Accuracy and combat flying
skill can make this an extremely effective weapon against far more
powerful cannons.
Projectile Type: Low Energy Firing Rate: ~120 R/M Yield: 40 RPD
StarGuard
The StarGuard is a projectile weapon that fires charged metallic cells
magnetically using the design principles of a rail cannon. It uses
little power and does a moderate amount of damage. Its main advantage
is the fast firing rate provided by its design. Both the Stalker and
the StarGuard are considered excellent choices for light fighter and
patrol combat duties.
Projectile Type: Cell Firing Rate: ~120 R/M Yield: 50 RPD
Stalker
The Stalker ER-8 is an enhanced model of the basic StarGuard design.
The Stalker uses the principles of a rail cannon to propel hyper-charged
metallic cells magnetically at extreme velocity. The advantage of the
Stalker is its relatively high yield with a minimal increase in power
consumption over the StarGuard. Also, due to the low level of heat
generated, this weapon can fire at a faster rate then other weapons
delivering a similar level of damage.
Projectile Type: Cell Firing Rate: ~115 R/M Yield: 80 RPD
Eclipse
The Eclipse cannon is a pulse disruptor weapon designed to inflict
heavy damage with low power consumption. Originally developed for ships
flying long range escort missions, the Eclipse has also proven very
effective in fighter and interceptor roles. It is considered by most
pilots and command officers to be an effective primary weapon in a
variety of combat situations.
Projectile Type: Reactive Firing Rate: ~115 R/M Yield: 90 RPD
Maxim-R
The Maxim-R is a revised version of the particle coil cannon developed
more then 120 year ago. The update provides a faster cycling rate and
uses a new platinum coil to improve energy charging to each particle cell.
It is a fast firing, efficient weapon for its damage potential.
Projectile Type: Particle Firing Rate: ~110 R/M Yield: 100 RPD
Trebuchet
The Trebuchet relys on a more traditional projectile firing system to
propel a small sphere of highly charged particles from the barrel. As a
result, the Trebuchet provides a high yield with a decent firing rate
and moderate power consumption. It is particularly effective against
the medium and lower power shield systems of Federation Scout and Fighter
class ships.
Projectile Type: Particle Firing Rate: ~105 R/M Yield: 120 RPD
Atlas
The Atlas cannon is an efficient energy field displacement weapon that
provides a well balanced mix of yield and energy use. Due to the nature
of its design, the firing rate is still relatively low to allow for
field charge before firing, but its power and energy use make it a
popular choice for many pilots in multiple target engagements.
Projectile Type: High Energy Firing Rate: ~100 R/M Yield: 150 RPD
Phantom
The Phantom HR-8 cannon is a new version of the original series
developed during the last Vonari conflict. While the Phantom has always
been a very powerful weapon, it's high energy consumption often reduced
its usefulness in battle. The HR-8 version adds several compact
capacitors to help maintain energy reserves between firing cycles and
helps boost the number of shots before a recharge is needed. Even in
this optimized form, it still consumes a lot of energy to operate.
Projectile Type: High Energy Firing Rate: ~95 R/M Yield: 220 RPD
Banshee
The Banshee is the Alliance's most powerful energy weapon and is the
product of several years of classified military research. It consumes
an enormous amount of power for each shot, but delivers a massive yield.
Originally engineered for larger capital ships due to it's high power
requirement, it was later adapted to work with smaller fighter and
bomber class ships. Pilots generally choose to avoid this weapon in
most combat situations due to its energy consumption. Although in
certain limited engagements, this weapon can prove very useful.
Projectile Type: High Energy Firing Rate: ~90 R/M Yield: 280 RPD
Echelon
The Echelon missile is the fastest and least powerful single secondary
weapon available in the Alliance arsenal. It is extremely maneuverable
and can hit a target at such a high velocity, the pilot of the targeted
ship often gets little warning before impact. While it may not have the
power of other missile types, its speed and agility can spell a quick end
for a targeted ship if 3 or 4 of these weapons are fired closely together.
The Echelon uses an optical tracking system that provides one of the most
secure target locks available.
Speed: 1400 Range: 1900 Yield: 480 RPD
Viper
The Viper is the most common missile used in the Alliance military. It's
blend of speed and yield provide an excellent balance that is useful in
many different combat scenarios. It stands out as one of the best choices
for intense fighter combat roles and medium range escort assignments in
particular. It's thermal tracking system provides a solid lock that is
difficult for a targeted ship to avoid.
Speed: 1200 Range: 1800 Yield: 540 RPD
Rockeye
The Rockeye missile was built for heavy combat roles and interceptor
assignments. It's slower then the Viper missile type and requires a
closer range for a lock, but provides a much higher yield that is useful
when engaging heavier class Federation ships. It's radar tracking system
isn't as secure as either the Echelon or Viper missiles, but larger ships
provide enough of a radar cross-section/profile to allow the missile a
high accuracy rate.
Speed: 1000 Range: 1700 Yield: 720 RPD
Starfire
Named for its powerful yield, the Starfire missile is an effective anti-
bomber weapon. It is a good choice when engaging a slow moving target
with heavy shielding. The Starfire activates a high energy electrical
implosion charge at the moment of impact, which helps quickly drain the
shields of a target before a secondary charge ignites for additional damage.
Speed: 900 Range: 1500 Yield: 800 RPD
Exodus
For brute force, the Exodus is the weapon of choice. It is slow and
requires a close range lock, but the power of the Exodus missile can often
destroy an entire Scout or Fighter with one shot. It's titanium casing
and shield inverter allow it to penatrate the shields of its target before
detonation. This lets the missile directly damage the hull of a targeted
ship, causing far greater damage. Effective for anti-bomber missions and
intercepts against larger ships.
Speed: 800 Range: 1400 Yield: 1080 RPD
Leech
The Leech EMP missile disrupts the electronic systems of a target,
disabling weapon systems, navigation systems, and jump drive systems.
When it collides with a target's shields, it explodes to disrupt the
shielding, then fires several terminal pins into the target which activate
the EMP system. The pins continue the EMP disruption for roughly 30
seconds at which time the target's systems will start to come back online.
Speed: 1000 Range: 1800 Yield: 80 RPD
Excalibur
The Excalibur is self-constructing missile system that fires 8 high speed
missiles per cycle. The Excalibur stores the materials needed to construct
each set of 8 missiles in compressed form, then assembles them after each
firing cycle. It takes the device roughly 30 seconds to build each missile
set. Due to the size of the device and the materials needed to build
numerous missiles, it takes up all 8 hardpoint slots on ships that are able
to carry the device.
Speed: 1800 Range: 2000 Yield: 240 RPD (X8)
Stealth
Stealth devices can completely hide a ship for a period of roughly 60
seconds both visually and electronically. They use a combination of
holographic projection, electronic field generation, and thermal cloaking
to hide a ship. The device's power cells eventually run out and the device
is discarded from the hardpoint once the stealth cycle is finished.
Speed: N/A Range: N/A Yield: N/A
Fulcrum
The Fulcrum torpedo is the most powerful secondary weapon in the Alliance
military and uses a fulcrum field explosion system. It lacks a targeting
system and doesn't require a lock before firing. Pilots simply aim the
weapon at the intended target and fire when ready. Great care is required
when using this weapon as the explosion it generates is large enough to
destroy the ship that fired it if in range. It's best to launch the weapon,
then turn away from your target to get away as quickly as possible.
Speed: 400 Range: 1500 (auto detonate) Yield: 18800 RPD
Generally speaking, scouts are best for high speed reconnaissance missions, rescue, and recovery. Some pilots also prefer a scout for construction missions, although most agree that the defensive systems are just too weak to offer adequate protection during such missions. Most pilots agree that fighters are best for most small ship offense and defense combat duties, construction missions, mining, escort, and short range attacks. Interceptors are generally considered the best for defensive roles against incoming hostile ships in low to moderate numbers. Protecting stations and cruisers from bombers is aided with the cannon relay system interceptors are equipped with. Bombers are best used for attacks directed against large targets and are usually most effective when escorted by fighters.
Ship Systems
All Alliance spacecraft have several main systems. Each will be detailed below.
Energy System
The energy system is powered by a magnetically suspended anti-matter reaction that generates power, then stores it in cells located in the middle of the hull. Energy is divided between the primary weapons and the shield system. The pilot can boost power to one system or the other in flight to optimize energy for either offense or defense.
Weapon System
For added sensor evasion and stealth, Alliance spacecraft hold their secondary weapons internally. A small bay door opens in the middle of the fighter, the weapon is lowered, then quickly fired. Secondary weapons are stored on a rotating mount. The pilot can toggle through the loaded secondary weapons in flight and the system will rotate the selected weapon into firing position.
Primary weapons feature the Multi-Directional Targeting System, or MDTS, which auto-aims the gun barrels toward a targeted ship based on speed, distance, and flight direction. The angle range of the MDTS is indicated on the pilot's helment visor HUD and is known as the 'cone of vulnerability'. The target must be within gun range (about 500 meters) for the MDTS to automatically aim the gun barrels. Pilots who think they can do a better job of aiming can turn off the MDTS and aim manually. But most pilots prefer to use the accuracy provided by the MDTS system.
Shield System
The shield system uses four directional arrays that project an energy field around the ship in the shape of a sphere. Each array has its own dedicated power storage system and emitter, so they are entirely independent and unaffected by the status of other arrays. If an array loses power, the pilot can boost power to the needed array by taking it from other arrays. The system also provides an equalize option that evenly distributes power to each array. Many rookie pilots make the mistake of not managing their shield arrays, making them easy targets for attacking ships. Managing the shield system is one of the most important elements to surviving combat.
Propulsion System
All Alliance spacecraft use ion engines for propulsion. The Evoch and Wraith fighters uses a unique (currently classified) ion-pulse system that allows the ships to fly faster than their mass would typically allow with the limits of thrust provided by conventional ion engines. Engines have three modes: cruise (generally referred to as 'military burn'), afterburner, and fulcrum field mode (often referred to as 'jump drive'). During cruise mode, the engine operates at normal fuel burn and thruster rates. When you change course, the engine and maneuvering thrusters will fire to adjust your flight path to match the direction you are facing and speed selected. Cruise mode burns fuel at an efficient rate, so it can take some time for your speed to match the level you selected after making course changes. Afterburner uses about 10 times as much fuel in exchange for high performance. Using the afterburner is only recommend when you need to rapidly change your flight path, such as when evading incoming enemy missiles or gunfire. It can also be very useful if you need to recover lost speed quickly. Holding the reverse thruster key/button while firing the afterburner provides nearly the same level of thrust as in forward mode. The fulcrum field mode forms a gravity field around your ship that acts like two opposing magnets acting on the power output of the engine. The result is an extreme amount of speed, good for escapes and rapid travel to mission waypoints. The drawback to the fulcrum mode is all shield arrays are dropped, the energy system is depleated, and the engine is reduced to about 80% of full capacity and must gradually cool down. It is not recommended that you use the fulcrum mode to jump directly into a combat situation, but instead, jump to a point away from any hostile ships to give your systems time to recharge and cool down.
You can override automatic IDS maneuvering thruster control by holding a thruster button down. If the IDS wants to fire the left thruster to adjust your flight path to the direction you are facing, you can hold down the right thruster button and the IDS won't fire the opposing thruster, allowing you to temporarily continue to drift until you release the button. You can also turn off the IDS entirely and drift freely in the zero gravity environment of space.
3. Advanced Combat Tactics
Arvoch Conflict includes numerous combat controls and features that provide lots of options to attack or evade. So many in fact, that it might be a little overwhelming at first. So this seperate section is offered to provide further details on more advanced combat tactics that can be useful once you have the basics down.
The Challenge of Space Combat
Combat in space means the pilot must keep track of a situation that involves every directional angle and any possible position. While the freedom of space flight allows maneuvering to be much more versatile, it also means more skill is involved to master the available options and counter those options from a defensive standpoint. In the realm of space flight, a target can approach from any position at just about any speed from any direction. And spacecraft can climb or dive just as fast as they can fly in any other direction, there are no dimensional direction restrictions. With these added challenges, the flight systems of spacecraft have had to adapt and present the pilot with the necessary information to help them effectively fight, without overloading them with too much information that might distract their concentration.
HUD (Heads-Up-Display) and Cockpit Displays
The main method for presenting environment and combat information to the pilot is the Heads-Up-Display (HUD) and three cockpit displays. The HUD is simply a transparent display panel that projects combat, orientation, and target data directly onto the pilot's helmet visor. The three main cockpit displays provide information on your ship's status, your target's status, and the environment around you.
A term all pilots need to become familiar with is 'situational awareness', which is an important concept that requires continually monitoring the information provided by the displays and keeping track of nearby threats. The more aware you are, the more time you give yourself to plan attacks, avoid vulnerable situations, and give appropriate orders to your wingmen. The primary method of situational awareness is known as 'gauge watching'. This simply means continually watching all of your gauges, often cycling looking at each one. The next step is visual observation, simply looking out through the cockpit glass to watch for threats and objects. By combining these elements of situational awareness, you will become more effective at making quick decisions.
One of the most important combat tools is your 3D radar system (the center cockpit display). This display gives you the exact direction of every craft in the area. In 3D space, knowing the direction a target is approaching from is critical to completing effective combat maneuvers. The Arvoch Conflict radar displays direction data from a birds-eye type perspective, as if viewing the combat area from above and slightly behind the position of the pilot. A light blue box is placed in the middle of the display and indicates the exact forward direction of the player. You can use this as a reference to determine how far you need to turn to face a particular craft in the area.
Remember to use your helmet cam views. If you have a game controller with HAT support, this can help you in a dogfight. Learn how to track a target visually with the HAT and still perform the maneuvers needed to obtain the optimal attack angle. With practice, the padlock view (V key pressed twice) can also help, but the HAT control is by far the most useful in an intense dogfight.
Combat Tactics
Your combat skills are critical to your survival in Arvoch Conflict. Practice is the single best way to improve your chances and there are many tactics you can use for survival. For good practice, spend some time in Training session 5 (attacking drone ships). Learn how hostile ships dogfight and develop some strategies to use against them. You will likely come up with your own style and unique combinations of offensive and defensive strategies. Below are some effective tactics and tips you can use.
Understanding the Physics Involved
Realistic physics bring many challenges to the realm of space combat. But it can also give you new techniques to use for success. Probably the single most important rule in space combat is avoid flying straight in at your target. Doing so makes you an easy incoming target for any hostile ship. Instead, you need to approach your target at an angle. To do this, point the nose of your ship away from your target, but keep the target in your visible range on-screen (or just slightly off-screen). Hit your afterburner to build up speed to about 800-1200, if needed. Then disable the IDS (Inertial Dampening System, default space-bar) at a range of about 700-900 meters. Turn and face the target and make sure the combined speed of your sideways slide and forward momentum still exceeds 700 (otherwise, you might not move out of the way of incoming gunfire fast enough). You may want to manually activate thrusters to increase your speed further, if needed. Once you are in range, open fire. Hostile ships will have a much more difficult time hitting you with gunfire when you are flying at an angle like this.
Roll Control
Most combat space craft can roll faster than they can pitch or yaw. This is an intentional part of the design found in Alliance combat ships to accomodate the limits of human pilots (G forces aren't as much of a factor when rolling as they are when yawing or pitching, especially at high speeds with the IDS on). In many instances, you may find it is faster and more accurate to roll left or right (combined with pitching and/or yawing) to bring a target into your gunsight than it is to use yaw and/or pitch alone. Make sure to practice flying combat maneuvers in the Freeflight mode to learn how to use the performance capabilities rolling offers.
Regulation of Distance
Enemy pilots will often try to close the gap between them and you as quickly as possible. This helps minimize the time you have to obtain a missile lock. If they can catch you in a situation where you have to turn quickly to face them at a range of under 1000, they can often fly a rapid approach to prevent you from getting a missile lock. They will fly right at you, then turn away at close range to break the missile lock. The best tactic against this common enemy strategy is to use your maneuvering thrusters to prevent them from being able to directly approach you. While facing your attacking target, fly in a direction that is somewhere between perpendicular and 45 degrees to your target. Continue facing your target to keep them in the gunsight for a missile lock. By not flying directly at them, you will gain more time, increasing your chances to obtain a missile lock. This will also give you attacker more time to fire a missile at you, so be prepared to launch countermeasures and/or fire at any incoming missiles.
Speed is Life, Use the Fuel
As indicated in the previous tactic, speed is life. Try to never let your overall speed drop below at least 700 (to verify, quickly add speeds indicated on your '/\ \/' and '< >' slide indicators along with your main 'VEL:' speed gauge). In just about all other areas of the game, it's good to conserve fuel. But combat is where you need to use it and that's really what you are conserving it for. Don't be afraid to use your afterburner and maneuvering thrusters frequently to help keep your speed high and obtain good attack positions. Staying alive is much more important then worrying about how much longer the mission will last. Just avoid entering any fight if you have less then about 50 units of fuel on board. You can avoid entering a fight by falling back and ordering your wingmen to cover for you.
Plan Your Escape
Keep track of your carrier and any support cruisers in case you need to escape quickly for reloading/recharging/refueling. Be prepared for an emergency departure in advance by keeping your energy reserves high when your shields may be low, subsystems damaged, weapons depleted, and/or when you're low on fuel. In many dogfights, you may find yourself facing a steady stream of reinforcements and having an escape plan can help keep you alive if things don't go your way. If a nebula cloud or asteroid field is nearby, either one can provide good cover to help you make an escape if you need time to recharge before engaging the jump drive.
Avoid Atmosphere Combat When Possible
Avoid atmosphere dogfights. You'll be much more vulnerable at the slow speeds and limited maneuverability caused by atmosphere flight. Try to make the area safe before you descend into a planet atmosphere.
Take Control and Surprise Your Attacker
Turn the hunter into the hunted. If you are being followed by a hostile ship and have no obstacles ahead of you, you might want to attack flying backwards. There are a couple of ways to accomplish this. First, fly directly away from your attacker, keep your speed above 900 and allow the hostile ship to slowly get closer until they reach about 1000-1500 meters. Then turn off your IDS and turn around 180 degrees so you are flying backwards and pointed directly at the hostile ship. Secure a missile lock and fire before the hostile ship gets within gunfire range. If you don't have any missiles or don't want to waste any, use the same tactic, but when the hostile ship is at about 1000-1500 meters, point the nose of your fighter down by 90 degrees and hit your after burner for about 3-5 seconds. Then bring the nose of your fighter back up to target the hostile ship. With the IDS off, the afterburner move will give you plenty of downward momentum to make it much more difficult for the hostile ship to hit you with gunfire (you can perform the same downward slide with maneuvering thrusters, it will just take a lot longer to build up speed). And you will be in a great position for an attack once they get within 500 meters. You may need to activate certain thrusters to fine tune the maneuver so you can achieve the right momentum.
Using Momentum
If you get stuck in a face-to-face attack situation with a hostile ship, you can quickly alter the attack into using momentum for evasion. Immediately after the first fly-by, pull up at a medium rate and hit the afterburner. As you reach the 90 degree mark, you'll be adding a lot of momentum in sliding perpendicular to your original direction. At some point between about 120 and 180 degrees (just before facing your target), you'll want to stop the afterburner and turn off the IDS. This will allow you to continue your slide at a high enough speed to evade incoming gunfire and counter-attack.
Reverse Thrusters Can Use the Afterburner Also
A useful tactic to know is your reverse thrusters on afterburner provide nearly the same level of power as your main forward afterburner. Hold the reverse thrust key/button down and hit your afterburner to greatly increase the power of your reverse thrusters. If you ever need to back up in a hurry or increase reverse speed, this option can come in very handy.
Countermeasures Also Require Skill to be Effective
How you use countermeasures is critical to their effectiveness. CM's are basically an ECM type device that drops behind and below your ship slightly. Missiles will usually travel fast enough to get very close to you before the CM's can trick them into exploding. It usually takes 3-5 CM's to bombard a missile with enough radiation/energy to get it to explode before it hits you. CM's can point their focused energy signals at any missile in a 360 degree range, but they need time for their beam of energy to cut through a missile. If a missile is heading straight for you and you're moving forward at it, then you're leaving less time for the CM's to work. Best advice in that situation is to launch the CM's early (before the proximity alarm rings) to give 3-5 units enough time to hit the missile with focused energy and cause it to explode before it hits you.
Use Your Opponent's Limited Tracking Against Them
You can run away from hostile ships much faster by travelling at high speed and turning off your IDS. While flying directly away at over 2000 with the IDS off can allow you to slowly escape, you can use other techniques to escape faster. Other ships can only monitor your forward velocity, so flying in a sideways direction can often cause them to slow down when they observe your forward velocity decrease. To maximize your escape rate, turn away from the ship(s) you want to escape from and increase your speed to 2000 or more. Turn off the IDS, then turn or pitch 90 degrees so your indicated forward velocity is near 0. The hostile ship(s) will usually slow down when they observe your forward velocity decrease.
