One I use with some success when outgunned, outnumbered, and outclassed (bad mission choice or just wrong place at wrong level) -- see if this works for you in that kind of firefight: first strafe them coming in at you and best if above you. Before they close in thrust up hard and circle down on them as they pass below. Take out one maybe two on this pass. Then thrust away from them in zig-zag and up-down until your are almost out of bounds. Make wide circle around them and take down one at a time. Never let one tie you down too long or the others will come join. Go back to big circle and pick another. That one you can finish on next circle around. Keep circling till only one or two left, then take them out with straight pass and circle overhead come down on them, especially if they are behind you. Don't turn around on them, but circle up or down to get them from overhead or underneath. Anyway, lots of luck. I lost a few of these but find them the best fights to play. Still looking for a way to win more.

If you're using all your shield batteries - scan your enemies so you know what type of guns they are using. Factions tend to use the same type of weapon so get to know your opponent.

If they've got neutron weapons, use a positron shield. If they've got laser weapons, use a graviton shield. Carry the spare around and swap when required before a mission, depending on the enemy you're going to face. For e.g. Blood Dragons use lasers mostly, so don't go into a mission against them using a positron shield.

Get a good mix of weapons, 2 laser/photon, 2 neutron/tachyon and 2 particle/plasma as that will give you the best range of damage against different shield types, depending on your ship mounts and missile preference. I don't use missiles much because I'd rather have a gun shooting all the time than a missile occasionally.

you guys say that you must strafe alot but i i want to strafe it goes very slow and it doesn't work with mouse flyt

sry for bad spelling
can somebody tell me more about this

Circumcisor,

Thanks for the tip about shields. That helped A LOT. My piloting has also drastically improved and no I'm tearing through the enemy no sweat.

Infamous,

Strafing DOES work during mouse flight. Watch the little trails coming from your wingtips and you'll see. Remember, it makes aiming harder for you as well as them--so watch how the aiming crosses move when you strafe left or right, and adjust for it. But by successfully combining strafing, afterburners, and mouse flight, you're almost unstoppable against the computer.

Circling the enemy like a hawk, wobbling around like a drunken duck to avoid enemy fire, and jousting all work quite well.