Newb questions

[Hissatsu]

Greetings.

Once again, terribly sorry if this is answered somewhere, but i've read for like 2 or 3 hours and still didnt find answers for my questions.

First of all, i am new to Allegiance, i was actually looking for a new MMO to play, and from game to game, from Darkfall to Eve Online, i came to this. Looks VERY promising and fun, in a sense, that you develop the skills, not your character, looking at videos of pro games it seems very team based and very interesting and fun (like, C&C Renegade upgraded and gone in space with new map every time and much more complex mechanics)

I have installed the game and went through the tutorials. I have pretty decent computer gaming skills, as i think, and i played alot space sims (so few good space sims out there actually, it hurts), best ones i can name are Terminus, Parkan, Independence War II: Edge of Chaos... Always wanted to play with a stick, but like all games out there are so done for mouse it hurts (like.. freelancer series, hell, like every game!). Even games like X - they require mouse for menus so hard its impossible to play with a stick comfortably. Still, playing this game with mouse is like TOO hard, and for one single reason - your cursor is hidden! You cannot actually know how much thrust you apply to turn your ship since your cursor is not shown in mouse control mode.

So here is my first question - I have a Saitek X52. Its a "flight control system" - better to see it, like, here http://www.amazon.com/Saitek-X52-Flight-Co...m/dp/B00030GSJY
* Will it be possible to play entirely on the joystick, without using at least the mouse, at all? (obviously, in player mode, not in command mode)
* Maybe someone already used this joystick and has a keymap that is easy to use?
* Is it possible to map thrust so that 50% to 100% is forward thrust, and 50% to 0% is backward thrust, or i must use the single button to thrust backwards?
* Does joystick actually give benefits over mouse? I mean its a matter of preference of course, but what distinct advantages for a pro player would joystick give over a mouse, and mouse over a joystick?
* Maybe i should forget the thrust part of my X52 whatsoever and use keyboard plus the stick part only, since precise precents of thrusts are rarely used, more like halt, 100% forward, 100% backward, and match speed and thats all?

Second question - i've heard about this newbie training program, but its very complex, hard to understand, what this program of "selflearn" actually is. It says "you can read without registering" but then this takes you to a "register" page. I registered but it only said "check forums" and i still cant access the "privatE" forum, i think, at least all i see is some posts that are from 2007 year. Can someone just simply guide me, where do i read this training material, and how do i participate in training sessions ingame, if any?

Third question - i've read that i have to install teamspeak2, but then, i joined the server and the channel is empty. Then i read about Mumble. Do, which one is in use, and which one should i actually install to voice chat? And... how do you prevent people from joining opposing team channel to spy on it?

Fourth question - I've read about some "high res" graphics. But there is a whole forum dedicated to them, and the "download" topic here http://www.freeallegiance.org/forums/index...showtopic=27157 is confusing. Isnt there an all-in-one pack that will change my game to high res graphics? If not, which files exactly do i have to download in order to have theese "high res" graphics?

Fifth question - I've read about Cores. So this game essentially has numerous possible sets of ships and rules to play with? Shall i somehow install those "cores" to try out different modes of play? Or is it just for fun, and only basic game play mode is popular enough to play it regularliy?

Thanks!

[l1ngus]

Hi, to answer your questions:

QUOTE (Hissatsu @ Jun 26 2011, 01:58 PM) * Will it be possible to play entirely on the joystick, without using at least the mouse, at all? (obviously, in player mode, not in command mode)

No. You will still need your mouse for checking the minimap and changing to other bases, initiate your ripcords, to check f6 (teamscreen) and f5 (stuff your commander currently buys). But you can fly with your joystick instead of a mouse.

QUOTE (Hissatsu @ Jun 26 2011, 01:58 PM) * Maybe someone already used this joystick and has a keymap that is easy to use?
* Is it possible to map thrust so that 50% to 100% is forward thrust, and 50% to 0% is backward thrust, or i must use the single button to thrust backwards?
* Maybe i should forget the thrust part of my X52 whatsoever and use keyboard plus the stick part only, since precise precents of thrusts are rarely used, more like halt, 100% forward, 100% backward, and match speed and thats all?

Yes, fine controlling the thrust of your main engines is not very important in Allegiance. It's not like a flightsimulator, where energymanagement is everything. Instead of conserving energy your sidethrusters are essential. You can set keys for thrusting in every direction (including backwards and forwards). Pressing these buttons is the main job of your left hand. You can set that to the keybord or to the thrust part of your stick. It doesn't really matter. Just make sure you feel comfortable with it, as you will press those buttons all the time.

I also would advise you to not map too many functions to the right hand, as it can throw off your aim.

QUOTE (Hissatsu @ Jun 26 2011, 01:58 PM) * Does joystick actually give benefits over mouse? I mean its a matter of preference of course, but what distinct advantages for a pro player would joystick give over a mouse, and mouse over a joystick?

You will get different answers to that questions. There is both: Very good player, who use a mouse and very good players, who use a joystick. It will be best to just stick to the method you are more familiar with.

QUOTE (Hissatsu @ Jun 26 2011, 01:58 PM) Can someone just simply guide me, where do i read this training material, and how do i participate in training sessions ingame, if any?

Check in here. I just gave you access to the private forus.

QUOTE (Hissatsu @ Jun 26 2011, 01:58 PM) Then i read about Mumble. Do, which one is in use, and which one should i actually install to voice chat? And... how do you prevent people from joining opposing team channel to spy on it?

We currently use mumble. The actual adress is: mumble.alleg.net
Usually people don't "spy" on the enemy team and you can see on your overlay, if pople do so. For squadgames we use password protected channels/servers.

QUOTE (Hissatsu @ Jun 26 2011, 01:58 PM) which files exactly do i have to download in order to have theese "high res" graphics?

There is no installer for all files. You have to download different packs of high res files. You can find most of them on this page: http://www.mesialonline.com/Allegiance/alleg.html. Some more are can be found in various topics of this subforum.

QUOTE (Hissatsu @ Jun 26 2011, 01:58 PM) I've read about Cores.

You don't have to worry about different cores yet. Cores are basically a mod of the game. You have all required files to play on the cores, that are actually used. There are some differences between the cores, but you don't really have to care about them until you have some bsic clue about the game.

[SpacePenguin]

#1: I don't have any answers for this one, but I'm sure there is someone who is more qualified to respond than me, as I haven't used a joystick since the 90s

QUOTE (Hissatsu @ Jun 26 2011, 07:58 AM) Second question - i've heard about this newbie training program, but its very complex, hard to understand, what this program of "selflearn" actually is. It says "you can read without registering" but then this takes you to a "register" page. I registered but it only said "check forums" and i still cant access the "privatE" forum, i think, at least all i see is some posts that are from 2007 year. Can someone just simply guide me, where do i read this training material, and how do i participate in training sessions ingame, if any?

#2: Heh, I see what you mean. That is pretty dumb. I may change the links later so that other newbies aren't as confused. In the mean time, you can read the first part of the material here (What is Allegiance?). Also, if you haven't noticed there is a navigation box on the right hand side of the webpage. You can continue working through the material by using it.

There is also a second training course called Cadet II which goes into much greater depth about game knowledge and tactics. The wiki states that you must sign-up and complete AFS (not simply read through the material) before you can participate in the course. However, the Cadet II course material is all on the wiki... can you find it?

QUOTE (Hissatsu @ Jun 26 2011, 07:58 AM) Third question - i've read that i have to install teamspeak2, but then, i joined the server and the channel is empty. Then i read about Mumble. Do, which one is in use, and which one should i actually install to voice chat? And... how do you prevent people from joining opposing team channel to spy on it?

#3: Again, this is likely the result of wiki links not being updated sufficiently when things change. AFAIK, we have transitioned to Mumble. Some squads may still use Teamspeak, but you may have more luck finding people on Mumble. You can read about that here and get things set up. If you find that you log in to Mumble and no one is there, try to ask in game if anyone would like to jump on Mumble with you. Unfortunately, despite this being one of the best ways to learn the game, there hasn't been a populated Mumble server (afaik) in a while. Don't let it discourage you; just ask around.

QUOTE (Hissatsu @ Jun 26 2011, 07:58 AM) Fourth question - I've read about some "high res" graphics. But there is a whole forum dedicated to them, and the "download" topic here http://www.freeallegiance.org/forums/index...showtopic=27157 is confusing. Isnt there an all-in-one pack that will change my game to high res graphics? If not, which files exactly do i have to download in order to have theese "high res" graphics?

#4: The hi-res TEXTURES can be found here. This page will have links that will either direct you to .zip files with the textures themselves or send you to another website, www.mesialonline.com, where there is a plethora of upgrades to download. Mesial's website is legit, no worries.

Installing these hi-res textures will either entail running an executable that will do it for you automatically or manually replacing files in your Allegiance/artwork or Allegiance/artwork/textures folder. I caution you when doing the latter, and you should definitely make a backup of your entire artwork folder before manually replacing files. I wish there was more progress in making these things more accessible (such as an option upon installation) but progress is slow around here with our small group of volunteers.

One more thing - once you replace textures or install the texture pack .exe's, you must set the texture size in game to 2048 in order to see the benefit of most textures. It's in the Esc menu, although I can't remember the specific submenus. Just look around.

QUOTE (Hissatsu @ Jun 26 2011, 07:58 AM) Fifth question - I've read about Cores. So this game essentially has numerous possible sets of ships and rules to play with? Shall i somehow install those "cores" to try out different modes of play? Or is it just for fun, and only basic game play mode is popular enough to play it regularliy?

#5: You can read about cores here. Generally speaking, you do not need to install cores. They were installed with the game and when they change they will be sent to you via AutoUpdate. You can try out a particular core by making a new game and selecting the core on the right hand side of the appropriate menu.

Playing other cores is not as popular as it used to be, but you may find a Star Wars core game going on once in awhile. If you want to launch a game WITHOUT players on the other team, make sure to join a team yourself and then uncheck the other team. That description will make more sense if you try it in-game.

_______________________________________________

I hope I answered your questions sufficiently. If not, I apologize; I may have skimmed over some parts in the attempt to answer all of them quickly. I'm sure others will chime in and fill in the gaps accordingly.

[SpacePenguin]

lol l1ngus

[l1ngus]

Sorry. I posted that note, so we can avoid beating each other to it...

[FreeBeer]

With regards to the joystick, yes you can use one but it will not impart any special additional benefits over a mouse (other than personal preference issues). Some of our top players use a mouse, some a stick. Consider both are equivalent.

With regards to Saitek, I believe there is an issue with that particular driver/hardware and Allegiance's current release. Many of us use the Logitech 3D Pro without issues, but there can be some with Saitek. Some work was done on the Saitek for the next release, but further development has pretty much gone on hiatus. (We're an all-volunteer group so subject to the free time of people who care to do such things.)

As for thrusting, Alleg does support multiple thrust keys. You can press forward and up, for instance, and the total thrust will be shared in those directions1. You can't finely adjust that, though, nor is there an indicator in the HUD. Despite that, it does work and makes sense within the game - I don't think there'd be any advantage to have that kind of control the way the game plays out.


1. Without going into a ton of detail (it's covered in the Cadet II material ), power going to thrusters is a ship-specific detail. Some ships have a side thrust modifier of 50%, and 25% for reverse for instance. So if you're pressing up and left (both 50% modifiers in this example) you'll get 25% up and 25% left compared to thrusting forward. Just play and experiment and you'll get the feel of it soon enough.

PS: Welcome!

[Axel Kolle]

Newb teaching Newb, so feel free to correct me, oh holy grandfathers of Allegiance. (Anyone who joined 04 or earlier)

1. Give NotJarvis a little time to unlock the Newbie forum for you, it is a Sunday, after all.

In the meantime, read this on common mistakes. http://www.freeallegiance.org/FAW/index.php/Common_mistakes.

2. Self Reading: Start with the Flight school on the very first page before you enter the forum.

3. It is painful, but reconfigure your control defaults immediately. Note though the training missions want the default for some reason. It is not that difficult to reconfigure, and can be done even in the lobby of Alleg, but unfortunately not offline.

Here is the link address in the Wiki. http://www.freeallegiance.org/FAW/index.ph..._my_controls%3F.

There are downloadable keymaps

http://www.freeallegiance.org/FAW/index.ph...bie-Keybindings. Several for joystick use and mouse

and Steady Hands Keybinding http://www.freeallegiance.org/FAW/index.ph...nds-Keybindings. What I like about steady hands is that a lot of targeting keys are quick to hand. For the start you can get away with Target hostile enemy, Target Friendly, Target Center. Target Lifepod.

4. You can map power to the throttle, most joysticks should see it automatically. Scroll to the key/Axis in question. Hit Enter, move the joystick axis or press the key. Press Enter to accept. Test if the axis isn't reversed.

You have power as in a plane controlling your speed, and thrusters. You want the thrusters easily accessible. WASD or ESDF, or on a throttle HAT if you have a joy/throttle HOTAS combo.

Do not forget that when flying mouse you can use Keypad 0 to switch from flying to cursor mode. (The Virtual Joystick Key in the Controls menu)

Back thrust is, unfortunately, only a key. I reduce throttle to 0 and then hit backthrust. As a scout pilot I find Forward thrust useful to accelerate when manoeuvring has dropped my speed. You use up/down/left/right to maneuver and hopefully evade the enemy fire.

Hi Res requires: Setting the texture size under Graphics Options to maximum (2048) or as high as you can.

Doing a registry hack (unfortunately) to set the ingame resolution to the more modern displays. I use 1680 by 1050. If you are not comfortable with that, don't. Just in case I will not go into detail here. But feel free to ask, it is quite easy. You want to rightclick your desktop, click properties and write down the numbers showing. Large Number first, Lower Number second. Do not mess this up.

Alleg should run nicely at even such high resolution on older computers as well.

Dowloading the textures you want to improve. And pasting them into the Alleg Artwork folder.

TIP: a) install Alleg
b) log on to the game server. Create a game account if you don't have one. Let it update to R5.
c) Exit
d) Zip the whole Allegiance install. This saves bandwidth if you need to undo your changes.And is faster.
e) Install what you want.
f) Test and revert to the backup if necessary. Just revert to the original location.

And: Make sure your forum account and your game account are the same name or similar when you create them.

[Axel Kolle]

Ooops. Damn you guys are fast.

[Axel Kolle]

Everything can be found in game under ESC ( And then G C to remap controls.)

ESC O A X to increase Texture maps to max. Press X until you see (2048)
ESC G B to set your bandwidth. The default is 56k, and surely your connection is a bit faster? Helps with lag a bit. Set to a number close to what your internet conn can do.
ESC P to see your ping.
Alt F will give you a bit more detail on your connection.

Leave use texture pack under graphics options alone if you mod your graphics. You do not want to use that if you mod.

[Hissatsu]

Well thanks for reply guys. Are those "problems" known as "does not work at all"? Because i cannot bind a single joystick button or axis like at all. With or without saitek drivers installed! My other logitech joystick which is complete crap and unplayable, however, does get recognised (but isnt any good for me anyways...)