Arena Commander Tips & Tricks

Found this on Reddit. Some useful information.
http://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/27sd7j/ac_tips_tricks/

As I just discovered my off-the cuff comment[1] on AC strategy was good enough to be featured to the biggest Organization in SC[2] , I've decided it might be appreciated if I revisited it (and made it it's own post).

Before I begin: I'm not perfect! But I will revisit this post (as my others) based on your comments and anything new I pick up in my wanderings.

Before you get started in AC, there are a few things to consider while still in your hangar:

• You will probably want to disable motion blur by typing r_MotionBlur = 0 into the game's console ('`'/'~'). You can make this tweak permanent by putting it in a file named user.cfg in your[...]\StarCitizen\CitizenClient directory.
• If your framerate is sub-optimal, you may want to visit my performance tweaks[3] thread.
• While you will have to do so every time you log in, you can customize the loadout of your 'loaner' ship.
• To my knowledge, the best weapon in the game is the Omnisky IV.
• Hard-ammo weapons are very effective. I suggest the K&W Mass Driver, as it does not presently have limited ammunition.
• While swapping out your weapons, be aware that the center hardpoint on the 300i, and the wing hardpoints on the Hornet, have very poor cooling. (There was a glitch where they did not receive much power, but I believe this was fixed? Comment below)
• I don't know if this will work, as I don't own it, but - if you have the Origin 315p, you should try moving its engine and power plant to your 300i or Hornet, as they should both be more powerful. (Confirmed non-helpful.)
• VoiceAttack[4] is a very helpfulthis becomes an important adjustment[6] aid and macro tool. I will talk more about it in comments.

Now, the part you've been waiting for: Dogfighting tips.

1. When you enter a match, press Ctrl-Caps twice (to disable COMSTAB and make yourself harder to hit while turning), and ',' once (to tighten the focus of your radar orb).
   • Depending on personal preference, you can instead press Ctrl-Caps once to disable G-SAFE; leaving COMSTAB on in this case will help you to avoid blacking out. If you are feeling up to a challenge, press Ctrl-Caps three times to disable both G-SAFE and COMSTAB. You will need to either throttle down or use Caps Lock to avoid blacking out on turns. (Space is also an option.)
   • If your framerate is good, you might have a go at tying your rotation directly to your mouse withCtrl-F - this will help your agility.
   • You will probably want to start off using my basic recommendations!
2. As you will generally be hit in the rear shields, it is a good idea to divert as much power as possible to this location. You can easily do this by holding Ctrl and using the 2 key on your number-pad.
   • If you are using the 300i, this becomes an important adjustment[6] .
3. While pursuing an enemy, it can be helpful to rotate yourself to keep that enemy flying above you; this will give you better visibility and turning ability (you can handle more Gs pulling up).
   
   
4. Don't throttle down. Momentum is your best defense against enemy fire.
   • Throttling down is acceptable when you know no-one is following you. Try using M to have your ship decide how much thrust you need to follow your target.
5. Don't hesitate to break off your pursuit if you take fire from behind. Switch targets and consider thinning the crowd with missiles.
   • Especially in later waves, it can be a good idea to let your allies fly in ahead and distract the Vanduul. Use them as bait to allow yourself the freedom of picking your engagements.
6. Weapons are generally ineffective beyond 800m. Use this time to lead your target and get a good firing position.
   • Missiles can lock on at a range of 1,500m.
7. If your weapon reticule is not green, you do not have a firing solution. If your reticule turns into a diamond, you have an optimal firing solution.
   • While the guns do automatically adjust for target movement, you will likely still need to manually 'lead' on targets who aren't very near to the center of your view. If an enemy is being evasive, try adjusting your aim slightly inside of their turn.
   • A dot and line leading to your reticule indicates the actual firing position of your weapons relative to your target, if not currently in line. If need arises, you can use the dot to fire without a solution.
   • Diverting power from weapons in the Power Management (F3) screen will cause your weapons to track slowly.
8. Toggling Caps Lock to halt forward thrust is a very effective tactic when tracking targets within 400m. You will need to throttle up again immediately after. Be careful using this if you have multiple targets to worry about.
   • If performing a close pursuit, avoid flying directly at your target.
9. Managing weapon heat and power use is critical. Do not fire if you do not have a green targeting reticule (firing solution).
   • Long bursts and tight turns will drain your shields!
10. If you need to pull a high-G turn (or full roundabout), you can briefly hold Space to avoid blacking out (and turn slightly faster). Don't do this for long!
    • You can also use Space to help you achieve a missile lock.
    • This is also an acceptable alternative to toggling Caps Lock in some situations. I hope CIG will create a decouple-while-held key soon.
11. If you're going to blow up, or your ship is no longer combat-effective, use Alt-L to eject. This will save you one of your three 'respawn' lives!
    
    
12. Watch for missile warnings. Wait a moment, then use Z to deploy flares.
    
    
13. When a named enemy appears, try to take them out with a missile during your first pass at the wave.
    • It is also a good idea to be generous with missiles when fighting Vanduul Alphas.
14. Between waves, you can throttle down to replenish your shields.
    • A high throttle and rapid maneuvering will hurt your shield capacity and regeneration.
    • If you have distance on your enemies, it is helpful to spend some time cycling targets and allowing your ship to scan them. Your radar orb will subsequently provide more useful information.
15. You can customize your power delivery.[7] I'm not entirely sure what to recommend here, as I am not yet sure what adding or removing power to systems does. (Comment below?)
    • G1 is weapons. Adding or removing power here will affect the speed at which gimbaled weapons track targets.
    • G2 is avionics. Adding or removing power here will affect the output of engines and thrusters.
    • G3 is shields. Adding or removing power here will affect how long shields take to refresh.

 

A look at some advanced features possible with VoiceAttack

So I've been playing with this VoiceAttack program for a few days now and I think it's absolutely fantastic. I've added a few (some not all that useful) features that I wanted to share with everyone. I'm sure others may find enjoyment in it.

Here's a short video of some of the things I've done to my profile

What have I changed?

• Added a few commands that weren't there before (Zoom, countermeasures, step through targets instead of cycling)
• Streamlined many of the commands, trimming out the "bloat" words
• Added a profile that doesn't use the prefix/suffix system (I call it "Public" mode)
• Added the ability to toggle the use of the keyword ("Sara" in my case) on and off mid-fight
• Added "protected" commands. VoiceAttack will only listen to these commands if a certain phrase is said. It's not all that impressive on the profile side, but the effect is kinda fun. (Note, protected commands only function when using the prefix/suffix system. In the public profile you just need to say "Override" followed by the command you want)
• Added the ability to stop listening to all commands. When using the prefix/suffix or global recognition system you can still fire commands even when VoiceAttack is not listening. This method stops all inputs besides the initiate phrase.
• Added a "saved state" feature that will return you to the proper profile once you resume listening to commands

What do I need?

• Import StarCitizen-Public-Profile.vap
• Import StarCitizen-Public-NoCommands-Profile.vap
• Import StarCitizen-Protected-Profile.vap
• Import StarCitizen-Protected-NoCommands-Profile.vap
• Import StarCitizen-Protected-Alfred-Profile.vap
• Import StarCitizen-Protected-Alfred-NoCommands-Profile.vap
• Two TTS voices. I'm using two different voices from the Ivona 2 TTS pack. Australian Nicole and British English Brian.

How do I configure them?

The profile export system doesn't seem to keep commands that reference other commands. You'll have to correct the issues manually. I've made a list of each one below. Be sure you import all the profiles before taking any of these steps.

Public Profile:

• In "Stop Cycling" you need to point each "Unknown" to one of the NonSuffixAction elements.
• Double click the first "Unknown" element, hit OK, and use the bottom dropdown to point the action to "NonSuffixAction Cycle Bogies"
• Double click the second "Unknown" element, hit OK, and use the bottom dropdown to point the action to "NonSuffixAction Cycle Camera"
• Double click the third "Unknown" element, hit OK, and use the bottom dropdown to point the action to "NonSuffixAction Cycle Friendlies"
• Double click the fourth "Unknown" element, hit OK, and use the bottom dropdown to point the action to "NonSuffixAction Cycle Safety"
• In "Stop Mimicking" you will have to point the "Unknown" element to "NonSuffixAction Mimic Speeds".
• In "Override Deny Commands" You need to point "Change Profile" to "StarCitizen-Public-NoCommands"
• In "Override Enable Keyword" you need to point "Change Profile" to "StarCitizen-Protected"

Public-NoCommands profile:

• In "Allow Commands" you need to point "Change Profile" to "StarCitizen-Public"

Protected Profile:

• Make the same changes for "Stop Cycling" as you did in Public Profile
• Make the same changes for "Stop Mimicking" as you did in Public Profile
• In "Override Deny Commands" You need to point "Change Profile" to "StarCitizen-Protected-NoCommands"
• In "Override Disable Keyword" you need to point "Change Profile" to "StarCitizen-Public"
• In "Override Switch Keyword Alfred" you need to point "Change Profile" to "StarCitizen-Protected-Alfred"

Protected-NoCommands profile:

• In "Allow Commands" you need to point "Change Profile" to "StarCitizen-Protected"

Protected-Alfred profile:

• Make the same changes for "Stop Cycling" as you did in Public Profile
• Make the same changes for "Stop Mimicking" as you did in Public Profile
• In "Override Deny Commands" You need to point "Change Profile" to "StarCitizen-Protected-Alfred-NoCommands"
• In "Override Disable Keyword" you need to point "Change Profile" to "StarCitizen-Public" (When re-enabling keyword, it will take you to the default keyword)
• In "Override Switch Keyword Sara" you need to point "Change Profile" to "StarCitizen-Protected"
• There's a chance that you may have to go through each command and select the second voice profile. This only takes a minute or two

Protected-Alfred-NoCommands profile:

• In "Allow Commands" you need to point "Change Profile" to "StarCitizen-Protected-Alfred"

Where do I get the files?

• Profiles can be found here[2]
• VoiceAttack can be found here[3]
• Voices can be found in several locations on the internet...You may be able to fly the 'ol Jolly Roger... I use the Ivona 2 TTS pack

Hopefully someone else has some fun with it! You can always just download the Public or Protected profile if you don't want to deal with all the configuration.