Tips and Tricks
By Stephen "Genghis" Brueckner
This section presents what might be called tactics. However, let's not get too
full of ourselves - we're playing a video game, not fighting a virtual war. This
eclectic assortment of tips and tricks is compiled from the Desent3 manual and
from the minds of the many fine pilots I have met online.
Descent is Dodgeball. This is a term I first heard coined by Bash. The gist of
it is that it is usually more important to focus on your dodging than your
aiming. The key is staying alive to continue fighting - if you slow down your
flying to aim, you'll probably be dead before the other guy. This general rule
applies everywhere except for LAN play. On LAN, you better be aggressive, or
you'll be toast.
Don't go for powerups/spew unless you're sure its safe. Many pilots use powerups
as bait if they know another ship is in the area. They will wait for you to go
for the juicy powerups, then hit you with all they've got in a neat little
ambush. This principle also applies during a dogfight. If you make a beeline for
a powerup during a fight, expect to be met by your opponent's fusion there!
Use rearview often. This is a big part of situational awareness. There are 2
schools of thought on rearview. Many pilots use the rearview window in the lower
corner of the screen to keep an eye on what's behind them. This lets you keep
your primary view forward, but the rearview is small and not detailed. Other
pilots prefer to use the full screen rearview toggle. This approach gives you a
great, detailed view of what's behind you, at the expense of losing your forward
view for a critical half-second.
Use all dimensions in a dogfight. Dodging up/down in the vertical plane will
often be harder for an opponent to adjust to than dodging left/right in the
horizontal.
Always be on the move. A stationary target is incredibly easy for an experienced
pilot to kill. Even when camping or sniping (often considered to be stationary
playing styles), a smart pilot will move around a small area.
Never fly in a straight line. A pyro moving in a straight line is almost as easy
to hit as a stationary pyro. Keep sliding in the vertical and horizontal planes
as you fly. Also, adjusting your trichord angle is an effective way to mix
things up.
Do not use auto-leveling. Some beginner pilots may like to learn the game with
auto-leveling on, but this habit should be broken ASAP. The game has 3
dimensions, and you will find it more natural to navigate in all 3 dimensions if
you don't have a leveling force pulling your pyro back to horizontal every time
you try to head up or down. Sometimes mouse players will benefit from
auto-leveling. Experiment.
Never run out of energy. Always keep an eye on your energy, and try to find an
energy center when you get low. A pilot without weapons and afterburners is
dogmeat.
Try to conserve afterburner during "down time." It is possible to run out of AB
even when you have plenty of energy, so pay attention. Use afterburner in
conjunction with triple chording to chase down fleeing pilots!
Lead your opponents. There are 2 factors that must be considered when leading
your shots (i.e., aiming in front of your opponent so your shots connect with
him). One factor is weapon speed - the nearly instantaneous MD requires no
leading, while the slower moving fusion requires a long. The second factor is
your ping. A pilot who is pinging at 100 milliseconds (ms) in the internet does
not need to lead as much as a pilot who is pinging at 300 ms.
Change Weapons Autoselect. The default weapons selection should be changed and
each pilot should customize their auto-selects to their own preferences. If you
can't use the MD because of high ping, move it to a low priority, or better yet,
deselect it. Many top pilots disable all autoselects and choose appropriate
weapons on their own. It is often dangerous to be fighting an opponent with
plasma, only to run over an MD powerup and have your auto-select kick in. Next
thing you know you're not firing your plasma anymore and your opponent takes
advantage of your momentary lapse to kill you.
Use secondaries to set up primary shots. The reverse is also possible. If an
opponent has limited options available on where he or she can dodge, you can
take advantage of that fact. Send a homing missile at their pyro, then when they
dodge in the only direction they can, you will have anticipated their move and
you can place your primary fire there to meet them.
Fly quietly when appropriate. In a one-on-one match, or when trying to sneak
into any enemy base in entropy, the sound of your afterburner or pyro hitting a
wall can alert the enemy to your location. Retreat backwards. If you turn tail
and run from a fight, you're begging for a missile up the tailpipe. Try backing
away from your opponent until the opportunity to dodge around a corner presents
itself. As you back away, you can keep him busy with your primaries and
secondaries.
Switch weapons in the middle of a fight. This is a great way to get a temporary
upper hand. It is most effective if you switch between fast-moving and
slow-moving primaries, or vice versa. For example, an opponent busy dodging your
fusion will not be ready when you suddenly switch to MD and send him careening
around the room. Also, vauss is a good weapon if an opponent has low shields.