Welcome Newbie Players

Journeyman · Post by **Journeyman** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:40 pm

Hello, I'm Journeyman and I'm a newbie.
I've been searching for a space-flight game I can play, using a flightstick I recently acquired cheap.
I know, after having played two games last weekend, that my skills as a pilot (SWG, Descent, etc) are in need of remedial training in general, and specifically to learn how these ships fly and the situational awareness in these games. Honestly, the first game was a real eye-opener. If it hadn't been for some handy adult beverages, I might not have stuck around.

I'm enrolled in the Cadet 1 atm, and looking forward to flying with you all soon.

Respectfully,
Journeyman.

Post by **FreeBeer** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:35 pm

Welcome Journeyman!

Don't let the initial WTF? mess you up too much. It takes a long time to get a handle on the game, but it's worth the effort. Stick with the Cdt Program and keep asking questions!

Necoc_Yaotl · Post by **Necoc_Yaotl** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 10:35 pm

Greetings. Just found out about this game, it seems interesting. The only other RTS hybrid I've played with a similar concept to this is Natural Selection.

So, what should I be doing to get started? I'm reading through the wiki now, is this Cadet I program what I should be signing up for? Three weeks seems rather excessive for learning the basics of gameplay. Is it really that complicated?

What size of population does the game currently have that plays regularly?

Makida · Post by **Makida** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:25 am

Hello there! The game is indeed awesome and unique.

There are about 600 regularly active players, which is not a lot, but there's always at least one game on. Depending on time of day you may get anywhere from 10 to 30 or more players on each team (sometimes more), and often there'll be smaller side-games as well.

To get started do the single-player training missions first, of course. Aside from that reading the wiki is pretty much the best way to get started, so congrats on already being on that.

Cadet I is, in fact, a private forum in which you and other newbies will read assigned parts of the wiki as "homework," and then ask veteran players questions about what you've read and your experiences in the game, discuss it with other new players, etc., in a setting explicitly meant for that. (You need to finish Cadet I to get into Cadet II later, where you get tips and strategies that are not on the wiki; squads recruit from the graduates of that.)

The game is complicated because there's a lot of stuff in it: Lots of different ships and technologies, a lot of strategies for using them, and a lot of stuff to keep track of all the time, both for your own situation and the overall strategic situation for your team. The hardest part, really, is just knowing what you should be doing at which point of time -- good situational awareness. That's the hard part to learn, but it will come with experience, and the stuff you'll learn in the wiki will help you keep track of what's happening around you.

The best way to learn is of course just to play, while reading the wiki to learn how stuff works. It's not too hard to do basic things in the game, such as scouting, probing, and keeping friendly ships repaired and alive, so focus on that to start and you'll always be useful to your team. Over time you'll need to learn how to fill a wide variety of roles, requiring very different approaches to the game -- and when to fill which role. Welcome and good luck! ^_^

Adept · Post by **Adept** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 7:07 pm

Journeyman wrote:QUOTE (Journeyman @ Nov 5 2009, 08:40 PM) Hello, I'm Journeyman and I'm a newbie.
I've been searching for a space-flight game I can play, using a flightstick I recently acquired cheap.

Hi Journeyman. Turn on "Quadratic control response", and up the sensitivity on your joystick until you get a good, precise feeling. Make sure you have good controls set up for up / down / left / right / forward / back thrusts. Especially the side & up/down thrusters are vital, as they are how you can dodge incoming fire.

The rest is just a matter of practice and working to learn something from every game.

Welcome to the best game in the world all of you. I'll see you guys in space

Elzam_ · Post by **Elzam_** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 7:59 pm

Helloooooo. I just started, I see my sister play it sometimes and I figured, "Why not?" I play the practice missions and I think I'm getting the hang of it, hope to see you guys in game! Is there any place I could find someone to really teach me to play? I cant really fly well

spideycw · Post by **spideycw** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:07 pm

Hitting F1 when in the game lobby will definitely help you. Besides that I would recommend enrolling in the Cadet class which should certainly help you improve your skills!

fuzzylunkin1 · Post by **fuzzylunkin1** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:18 pm

Elzam V. Branstein wrote:QUOTE (Elzam V. Branstein @ Nov 18 2009, 01:59 PM) Helloooooo. I just started, I see my sister play it sometimes and I figured, "Why not?" I play the practice missions and I think I'm getting the hang of it, hope to see you guys in game! Is there any place I could find someone to really teach me to play? I cant really fly well

Maybe your sister could teach you!

Elzam_ · Post by **Elzam_** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:38 pm

I've seen Luna play, she gets shot up... alot

notjarvis · Post by **notjarvis** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:04 am

Elzam V. Branstein wrote:QUOTE (Elzam V. Branstein @ Nov 18 2009, 07:59 PM) Helloooooo. I just started, I see my sister play it sometimes and I figured, "Why not?" I play the practice missions and I think I'm getting the hang of it, hope to see you guys in game! Is there any place I could find someone to really teach me to play? I cant really fly well

There is a learning Guide Here

I suggest you read through the CDT-I material, and sign up for the CDT-I course. The community provides excellent training courses.