This is the Official thread to my on-going project of making a PDF file with everthing about discovery in it. This is where people can post Articles on PVP, RP, ships, screenshots and anything they want.
CURRENT THINGS NEEDED
1/SCREENSHOTS! - I need screenies of Just about everything, mostly ships, so post them here.
2/Weapon Stats for all class 7 and up guns
3/Role-Playing Tips
4/Suggestions for the Guide
Also!
I need a background for the page. I want to have a background that is mostly white but the edges are blue and freelancer-ish and say Discovery at the top.
THat is all For now.
Verginix Out
EDIT Admins, if this thread is in the wrong spot, move it and delete this foot-note.
This is McNeos Guide to PVP, which I ahve re-posted here
The following PvP (player vs player) strategy and tactics paragraphs are by McNeo AKA Connor McNeil.
If you copy directly, please give credit xD. This applies to fighters only.
1. First step in fighter PvP combat is to learn how to aim. Do not concentrate so much on the targets ship.
focus your attention on the + that marks where to shoot. Aim for that at all times.
Shooting involves choosing your loadout correctly. To obtain maximum accuracy, choose guns that fire at the same speed (speed of projectile). This is because the freelancer engine does not compensate for different projectile speeds.
Also, you can try to match the refire rates as much as possible, but this is optional as
some prefer a steady stream of shots rather than a single hit with all their guns. The faster the projectile speed, the more accurate it will be. However, only faster fireing guns have high projectile speed, and they usually sacrifice energy/damage efficiency for this boost. Choose your weapons carefully.
2. To out turn your opponent, it is best to start turning as the target is about to pass you, unless you have a
clear shot at him. This will enable you to be on his tail as he is turning somtimes, which is as good as
free hits. ALWAYS use the diagonal edges of the screen to turn. Due to the increased distance of the centre to the diagonal corner of the screen over the distance to the top or side, you gain a turn advantage.
I should know, i got accused of cheating because of it. However, this ISN'T cheating, so do not fear.
This will enable you to make the most out of your fighters turning ability. It also helps to get used to a very
high mouse sensitivity as this will allow you to make quick changes in direction and shot placement, providing you with the few milliseconds you need to vanquish your foe.
3. When charging an enemy head on or passing near one facing each other, it is a good idea to strafe left, right, up and down constantly. Not to fast though. keep going a strafe direction for 1-2 seconds, as this throws off the enemy aim just long enough for you to dodge incomming shots. Also get used to all your strafes, otherwise your aiming will be affected by your own strafing, and that would defeat the whole point of strafing in the first place.
I suggest setting your wasd hotkeys for their respective strafe directions.
4. Turn in, and fly in engine kill mode, using thrusters only to navigate (and mouse to turn of course) while
PvPing. This means that you get a straighter shot at your enemy, though the trade off is he gets a straighter shot at you. This is why it is essential to know how to aim. Use thrusters plus strafe to obtain speed and strafe at the same time.
This tactic must be used against Light fighter MK II versions, otherwise the outcomes will be the same (if your in a VHF). You will lose. However, it isnt a generally good idea to fight a light fighter in a VHF. SHF's
(super heavy fighters) like the spatial, are almost immune to LF MK II's because even though they are large, they have enough armour (provided you have a mk VIII armour upgrade) to shrug them off. You only need to get in the occasional hit with a proper SHF loadout to make mince meat out of LF MK II's. However, if you encounter a smart pilot even with you in an SHF, the chances are quite high that you will be killed.
5. Dodge. Some people on the server like to torpedo you when running in the opposite direction to them. One of my fighters is equiped with a sunslayer torpedo launcher for just this purpose, though i can never seem to hit anyone with it. I myself have lost many fights because i didn't know how to dodge. I still dont do it much and it has failed to instigate itself in my subconcious mind when playing Discovery Freelancer.
Dodgeing involves a trade off between shooting time and not getting shot time. I am never willing to make this trade off unless I am outnumbered, so if you see me, you might want to torp me and ill be none the wiser .
The best ships for PvP in fighters are the LF MK II's. They have rubbish armour, mediocre shield, and only 4
weapons (somtimes even 3!)but their turning is insane. Use this to your advantage! Stay behind your enemy as long as you can. If he decides to use engine kill to turn, dodge by making random trajectory changes.
As he is about to pass, turn and then lay into him. It shouldn't take to long before you make mince meat out of your enemy.
Remember, if you catch a veteran player who knows what hes doing in a VHF, and your in a LF MK II, keep a cool head and you will likely be the victor unless you are being pounded by millions of NPC's in the process.
In a 1v1 PvP fight, LF MK II's are the best possible ship you can use. They are, however, useless against
anything bigger than a SHF.
6. Missiles. I know what your thinking => "im rubbish at aiming...i know, ill use missiles". This does work to
an extent. Bear in mind though that veteran players can dodge very well, rendering even the sunstalker
and sidewinder missiles completely useless. This leads me to say that missiles are simply a 'noob killer'
for killing people who dont know how to dodge effectively (like me). They are also very expensive, so they
constitute a waste of a hardpoint slot. They are also very easily defeated by Advanced Countermeasures, which are very cheap at 100 credits a pop for an advanced CM flare.
7. Mines are a different matter. They come in handy when passing an enemy traveling in the opposite direction to you. If they are, then drop one just before you pass him. The hit rate is only about 10% as mines are slow.
However, they are very useful when they do hit. They are especially strong against vannila fighters due to their hitbox multiplying the damage. This can mean up to 40000 damage per hit, which is enough to kill the target in one hit, even if it has Mk VIII armour.
8. Countermeasures. Often overlooked by me, they are infact very handy when it comes to either:
escaping/ running away
attracting missiles and torpedos away from your general direction.
They also stop annoying NPC wasp distruptors from working against you. Always arm advanced countermeasures, you will probably need them. Never forget to stock up whenever you dock, as the AI controlling the CM launcher when it is on depletes the stock of flares very quickly.
9. Weapon groups. These are handy for changing from guns to torpedo in the blink of an eye, though i find them more of a hinderance than a help. It depends who you are. For capital ships, they are invaluable, but for fighters they are not necessary. Still, that could probably be a reason why i get killed.
Now to go over the classes of fighter in more detail:
10. "What about bombers?!" i hear you cry. Well, i have never pilotted one, but i know they excell in doing their capital ship killing job. They are also quite useless in a dogfight and have a comparitively weak loadout (in guns) compared to a VHF. They do however have two (2) Torpedo/ Cruise distruptor slots. Most mount 2 Antimatter torpedos on those slots. Slow projectiles, but deadly.
A)
Super Heavy Fighter (SHF)
There are very few of these in existance in the dicovery mod. They generally have exemplary power cores, a wide selection of gun slots, mountains of armour, lots of cargo space (for a fighter) and sub-par maneuverability.
They are also quite large targets. I find these useful for pirating, because while the transport can get through
your level 10 sheild quite quickly, the hull is quite resistant to civilian transport turrets. Therefore, the
SHF can keep pounding the target until it either dies or gives up and pays you (if your a pirate).
They can also be useful in fleet battles as support for gunboats. This is because one SHF that i have flown has two (2) mine launchers. Thats 2x nuclear mine (but not ammo) launch/second. It also has a Torpedo/Cruise distruptor slot for you to arm possibly an AM cannon in it, making it one hell of a fighter-bomber.
Their main use is pirating in my opinion though, as fleet battles are quite rare (either your not there, or, like
me, your in the wrong place at the wrong time).
Typically come with level 10 and 9 guns and turrets with level 10 shield slot, countermeasure slot, along with some mine slots and a single torpedo/cruise distruptor mount.
B)
Very Heavy Fighters (VHF)
These are the mainstay of most forces, and reliable too. They are typically mounted with four (4) level 10 guns, two (2) level 9 guns, and a single turret. In most cases, the turret doesn't fire forwards, but the Guardian and Sabre are two exceptions to that rule. The extra firepower from that turret could come in handy.
Equipped with 1 Torpedo/Cruise distruptor slot, they can make light bombers capable of PvP with some success.
However, the choice of a cruise distruptor or torpedo is always an arduous one, because your target could
always run if it is losing, and with an anti matter cannon installed that would give you very little time to
kill them.
VHF's are balanced to be a versitile ship, rather than a specialised machine. They can do many things, but they are not the best in any of them. They can kill capital ships (in numbers), fighters and bombers, but cannot do any of these tasks better than specialised or more expensive hardware.
Typically come with level 10 and 9 guns, but less than the SHF. Also come with a countermeasure slot, mine slot and torpedo/cruise distruptor slot. Medium amounts of armour come as standard. Expect around 8000 to 12000 hitpoints per VHF. There are some exceptions though.
C)
Heavy Fighters (HF) [versions with level 9 guns only]
I treat these the same as VHF's but they are in fact quite different. They are the compromise between VHF and LF Mk II. In exchange for a chance against both classes and retaining its superiority over SHF's, it loses the ability to combat capital ships to any meaningful degree as its power core is weak as is its equally weak shield.
For compromise in fighter combat, they are the best. They have four (4) level 9 guns, two (2) level 8 guns, and a turret, an exact mimmick of the VHF loadout, but a level down.
Their maneuverability is quite reminiscent of a tuned down LF Mk II, so you have a fighting chance against them. Also, you have a larger armament than the Light fighters, so you can inflict more damage per second, providing that you can hit them, which you should be able to with practice.
Typically come with four (4) level 9 slots, two (2) level 8 slots, a single turret, a countermeasure slot, a
mine slot and a torpedo/cruise distruptor mount. Expect medium to light armour on HF's; around 7000 to 9000 hitpoints for most HF's
D)
Light Fighter Mk II (LF Mk II)
These fighters are superior to all other fighters if both combatants have the same skill but one is in a
heavier fighter class. These give you the advantage in turning, meaning you can hit them while they can't hit you.
It is, however, imperative that you take as little hits as possible from the target. This is because
light fighter Mk II versions have on average about 6000 hull. With a Mk VIII armour upgrade, thats 15000
hitpoints. That is less by 7000 than the spatial SHF without ANY armour upgrade.
If you are being shot at, dodge immediately. It only takes a few hits and you will be blown out of the water.
For a dogfight, these are almost unbeatable. Their light armament is enough to take down a VHF, and with time weaken an SHF to such a point where it is either forced to retreat or die.
It does not have a torpedo slot, due to its sub standard power core. This means that you can only mount a cruise distruptor on it, which comes in handy when preventing your prey from escaping.
Pilotting a LF Mk II requires extreme concentration to pilot, as one mistake can cost you your life. The rewards, however, are fantastic. With great risk can come great reward or great ruin. With an LF Mk II, you have the capibility to completely destroy every fighter that comes your way. If you even see a hostile capital ship on your scanners, bail out of the area immediately. Even with support, you are a fly compared to any capital ship, and two volleys is the maximum any light fighter can sustain before being destroyed. Also, a single missile or flak shell will take you out if your sheild is down, so stay well away from capital class ships.
I was think of doing just that Majkp. I was going to dig up that thread in a few days and take the articles there and put them in. Thanks for giving me the link! This is going to be a player oriented project.
Verginix Out
Update!
I need a title Page, one that will fit your standard size full page of a Text Document. The person with the best title gets it included on the first page of the Guide. Put those Photoshop skillz to the test!
Verginix Out
well im poor with photoshop as i know of no ways to do just about any effects, but i try:
![[Image: FreelancerManualbackground.png]](http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/McNeo_2006/FreelancerManualbackground.png)
I can take away the images if you want. Its pretty simple....but simple is good somtimes:laugh:.
It said it was A4 in Photoshop, so it should be...
The image in the Top left hand corner is of Nightfall following an outcast NPC, and the one in the bottom right is DarkOddity in his Rainbow. I always did like that crow.:lol:.
Not mean't as a title page, but rather a background for all the information on each page.
Ill get to a title page now:D
Edit: Heres the title page:
They are both very basic as im really rubbish at anything to do with any software editing. Including photos. Oh well, hope they serve some use to you QV:)
![[Image: FreelancerManualtitlepage.png]](http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/McNeo_2006/FreelancerManualtitlepage.png)
The picture in the top right above the contents bar is Angel's pick of the Rhineland northern fleet in Sigma 13
The picture in the centre is Nemik's starflier getting mined by a Wolfhound.
Two classics:cool:
Make the main title less bright Green, cuause its liek super shiny and bright and hurts my eyes. A differ colour will do.
I was thinking a blue-ish kinda colour, like on the
www.discoveryfl.com or whatever the main discovery page is now. It would suit it. And for the background for each page, I just want a border, not an entire background.
Verginix Out
Well, i only know how to use the Gradient function...i have no idea how to do any borders other than microsoft word...lol
Ill make the Title blue...do you want the pics to still be there?
Im going to work:D
I'll make one for you but I just can't find time [sarcasm]between banning people[/sarcasm] and such.
Seriously, I'll make one or two ideas.
Everything is appreciated, as well as screenies of all the ships and random things that look good.
Verginix Out