Before we head off for our first space combat (Jabiim) as a lowly Space Cadet, a short intensive time in boot camp will help prepare you for ultimate space combat success.
All the better to line your coffers with credits.
Space combat in swtor is much like an arcade game. Your ship travels a predetermined path along a 'rail'. You can, and will need to, move your ship to dodge obstacles but you can't really change the path or the speed of the forward progression. This isn't a free-for-all space dogfight.
Ship Controls
Left mouse click - fires one blaster
Left mouse hold - fires continuous blasters
Right mouse click - fire one missile
Right mouse hold,drag and release - paint up to 4 missile targets that launch on release
Spacebar - barrel roll
Print Screen - photo
Quickslots 1 - 4 - on use ship accessories
- Switch power to blasters
- Switch power to shields
- EMP
- ?
W-A-S-D (or whatever you remapped) - move ship
Mouse pointer- aim & target
Moving your ship and finding targets is straightforward. You move your mouse and your ship follows. Your mouse pointer will turn 'red' when moused over an enemy target. With your mouse pointer over an enemy target left and/or right mouse click. Your blasters and missiles will lock on and make their way to the enemy and go boom.
Sometimes you will want your mouse pointer aim going one direction and your ship dodging another direction. This is when the keyboard movement keys are really handy. Note that turn-left and turn-right key mappings are the most important for dodging. Strafe left/right does nothing.
Hint! Dodge big rocks. They hurt if you run into them.
I'm playing Empire side. Friendlies have red tails and enemies have yellow tails. Distant inbound enemies are yellow specs. As soon as you mouse over a distant yellow spec and get a red targeting symbol you can let loose your blasters. You don't need to 'lead' the enemy, nor do you need to stay locked on until the blow. It helps to have an idea of how many blaster shots are needed to take out an enemy.
Using Torpedos -
hat tip Mazater
For those wondering how this item works: You'll
have to find a shielded target (you'll know a shielded target from a
blue "pulse" around it when you shoot at it with normal lasers; also
your mouse icon will change when you mouseover a valid target), click
right mouse button and keep it held down until the "locking" animation
around your cursor finishes and then let go of your right mouse button.
The locking process takes a few seconds, so be patient.
Ship HUD
Around the edges of your screen are the display of important things you need to know during battle.
Your primary and bonus objectives are in the upper right. Along with the time remaining to successfully complete the mission.
The mission will fail if you do not complete the primary objectives in the allotted time. The mission will also fail if you die.
Bonus objectives are nice to complete for the added XP and credits.
The missile launch and bay. This image indicates 12 missiles remaining with 2 available to launch from the bay. The launch bay only holds 4 missiles at a time and slowly reloads as they are fired.
A target can not be painted for missile lock if the missile bay is empty.
Your ship HUD display is just like a companion panel. So I guess during space combat your ship is your companion.
Should I name my ship? I think I would like to call her
Helva.
The 'healthbar' shows the remaining armor value of the ship. When the bar reaches all the way to empty, you and your ship die. Your ship does not take 'durability' loss - isn't that nice!
This ship is taking damage, quite a bit but not complete. This armor has degraded a small bit.
Ship shields at 100%.
Note! Shields do not regenerate while you are firing blasters or missiles!
Shields and shield generators are ship items purchased from a Ship Upgrades vendor or your local friendly cybertech crafter.
Some of the ship items have an 'on use' ability and are found in the quickslots. Used just like any other quickslot, but you want to key click them, not mouse click.
Just sayin'.
Space Battle
A few things to get use to looking for during space combat.
See those little bitty yellow specs in the upper right quadrant? Just above the space rocks? Those are inbound targets. Taking out them out at distance is win.
Target marks! And these are primary quest objectives.
Lots of enemy target markers.
A shield target. Shielded targets need more ordinance to take out.
This is an enemy frigate. A missile target is painted with a blue target circle.
May your space battles be epic. Your credit gain stupendous. Your XP boost to die for.
Up next in this Space Combat 101 series will be a Space Cadet story. All about preparing for and maximizing your first space combat mission.
