Weapon groups are a simple yet very effective way of rapidly switching between various weapon activation combinations.
Why are they useful?
Fighters and Bombers
Their main use lies in reducing the energy cost of firing in the following way:
When the target's shield is up, people mostly choose to use a weapons group which contains all the guns at their disposal, except missiles, torpedos, Mini Razors, Nuclear Mines and other similar gadgets.
However, when the target's shield goes down, people mostly choose to activate a group containing only the weapons which are effective against hull, aka hullbusters, and deactivate anti-shield weapons, aka shieldbusters. This way you can significantly save up on energy and lose little to none on damage achieved.
They are also very useful for firing weapons such as Cruise Disruptors, Mines, Various Missiles, and Mini Razors, especially with the Mini Razor which requires a good aim, and is therefore best fired when it's activated so the targeting computer can calculate it's lower trajectory speed in.
The same example, if not even more, goes for the Supernova Antimatter Cannon which is a bomber weapon very difficult to aim, and which also spends an enormous amount of power, and is therefore recommended to be kept in one separate weapons group.
Capital Ships
For capital ships, the main use of weapon groups is grouping of your weapons which have different flight speeds. If the flight speeds of your weapons differ by too much, you won't be able to hit practically anything. So for example, if you have a mixture of Cerberus and Solaris weapons it is best to keep the two in separate groups, because they differ by hundreds of m/s in flight speed.
Weapon groups are also very useful for grouping of special weapons such as the Cruise Disruptor, Heavy Mortar, Light Mortar, Battle Razor, Pulse Cannon, etc.
Experimentation is recommended.
How do I set up weapon groups?
Well, it is rather simple if you follow the instructions.
First, make sure to have your weapon activation tab open like this:
Weapons HUD Tab
This is needed to have a good overview of the setting up process. You'll understand later.
Now, do the following:
Press F1 -- > Options -- > Controls -- > User Interface.
A.K.A.
And then
In there you will find keys such as:
Activate Weapon Group 1
Activate Weapon Group 2
Etc.
Depending on how many weapon groups you require, map the corresponding number of weapon group activation keys, from 1 and further, to a maximum of 6.
In the image they've already been mapped to certain keys, but you don't have to use those if you do not wish. Alternatively, just use the 1, 2, 3, etc. keys.
Now, after mapping the desired number of keys, exit the options screen and once more pay attention to the Weapons Tab on your HUD.
After pressing the key of the weapons group you wish to set up, make the desired weapons green by clicking on them if they already aren't, or just leaving them be if they already are, and the undesired ones gray/white, by ignoring them if they are already so, or clicking them if they are green.
Repeat the process as many times as you wish, depending on how many weapon groups you need.
Good luck.
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I can usually set up weapons groups, but sometimes they groups will not register as me assigning them - they wont activate and de-activate - and often the computer forgets the weapons groups I have set when I dock.
Can you help please?
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Actually Andrzej both of them work and they work great.
Assign is useful when you want 2 similar groups, For example,
You have 6 guns total,
3 shield busters and 3 battle razors...
You want the 3 razors to be on in one group and then in the next group you want only 1 razor for let say small fighters. Assign group works when u have one group setup and then you want that setup coppied to the next group so you dont have to start up all over. Assign group is useless 98% of the time you play FL and will usually screw you up 99% of the time if you dont know how to use it or hit the wrong button by mistake.
Activate group on the other hand is what you want to make easy so you can switch between weapon groups fast, easy and in combat.
For example, you want your shield busters to be in one group, then quickly be able to switch to the other.
Anyhow activate weapon group 1, on the right lower list where all your weapons are, turn on and turn off weapons you want in that group. then switch to activate weapon group 2. Again select and deselect weps u want in that group. Now hit your button for activate wep group 1 and you will see the weps you choose earlier should light up.
' Wrote:I can usually set up weapons groups, but sometimes they groups will not register as me assigning them - they wont activate and de-activate - and often the computer forgets the weapons groups I have set when I dock.
Can you help please?
When you dock without having group 1 online your grouping systems gets a bit fuzzy.
make sure you always dock with weapon group 1 on.
Jumpgates and lanes and holes are exceptions.
its only a must if you dock with a base or planet.
When using weapon groups for chainfiring, keep in mind that you can bind a key to "Fire weapon group X" as well.
Personally I use this to great effect by having "Fire weapon group 3" set to middle mousebutton, and "Fire weapon group 4" set to the right side mouse button. For chain firing simply set mouse 3 to half the weapons you want to chainfire, click the middle mousebutton, wait roughly half the weapon recharge time and hit the right mouse button for continuous primary fire with all groups. Weapons will continue to chain. You can easily repeat this process on the fly rather then having to switch groups back and forth.
For ships without chainfiring needs you can still use this for other purposes:
- Bombers I've got set up to have the SNAC to middlemouse, fire torpedo or fire TCD to the side mouse button. Primary fire remains the cannon (unless doing long range bombing)
- Fighters I can either use chainfire on codes, or use the minirazor on middle mouse. Typically have mines set to the side button.
- Gunboats: Chainfire when using full cerberus, or when using a razorboat you can leave the pulse guns as primary, with the razors on the middle mouse (this will allow you to fire both in rapid succession, great for people who can snipe with 600m/s weapons). Side button can be set to the TCD.
- Transports: Definately for chainfiring the slow firing transport guns using middle mouse. Side mouse can be set to TCD or heavy countermeasures. (Heavy countermeasures easily surpass enhanced ones in effectiveness vs TCD - their duration is a lot longer)
- Capships: Chainfiring primaries if used against fighters. But typically I just have the mortar set to middlemouse. If equipped with missiles I set those to side button.
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' Wrote:Assign or activate? (Neither of them works, anyway).
Both of them work. Activate is more common because its more simple. Just press "Activate weapon group 1" key, and then select the weapons that you want activated. Then switch to group 2, etc. After you selected them, just pick which group you want to use by using the "Activate" key again.
Quote:Personally I use this to great effect by having "Fire weapon group 3" set to middle mousebutton, and "Fire weapon group 4" set to the right side mouse button.
I tried it. Not worked well for me. I use the right mouse button and Space button for chainfiring. Works good. Well it is a everyones personal like what keys they use.
![[Image: WeaponsHUDTab.jpg]](http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq168/_Flamewing_/WeaponsHUDTab.jpg)
![[Image: Options.jpg]](http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq168/_Flamewing_/Options.jpg)
![[Image: UserInterface.jpg]](http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq168/_Flamewing_/UserInterface.jpg)
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