Random Mission Tactics
This might be considered a Spoiler, I don't know. But this is just something I found out after messing about with space physics.
Take a mission, launch to space and engage cruise speed. Fly towards the waypoint. Especially if you're destroying ships for the mission, this works well. Nothing says in the game that if you're travelling at cruise speed without cruise engines you cannot fire. Cut your engines using Z as you approach about 3.5K from your waypoint. Small bits of space dust will slowly decrease your speed, but without power being diverted to the engines, you're free to fire. You can still turn around, so lock on to the nearest enemy and fire once you're in range.
They will miss you with their weapons because you're going at roughly 285km/s or so, and you can get a free load of damage in without danger. As soon as they're past you, hammer W to drop to combat speed and engage your thrusters to catch up with them. You're now right behind them, and have skipped the most dangerous part of any bit of combat: the first run. All the fighters in a wing can make very short work of your shields if you attack them head-on at anything less than cruise speed, so try this on harder missions.
Take a mission, launch to space and engage cruise speed. Fly towards the waypoint. Especially if you're destroying ships for the mission, this works well. Nothing says in the game that if you're travelling at cruise speed without cruise engines you cannot fire. Cut your engines using Z as you approach about 3.5K from your waypoint. Small bits of space dust will slowly decrease your speed, but without power being diverted to the engines, you're free to fire. You can still turn around, so lock on to the nearest enemy and fire once you're in range.
They will miss you with their weapons because you're going at roughly 285km/s or so, and you can get a free load of damage in without danger. As soon as they're past you, hammer W to drop to combat speed and engage your thrusters to catch up with them. You're now right behind them, and have skipped the most dangerous part of any bit of combat: the first run. All the fighters in a wing can make very short work of your shields if you attack them head-on at anything less than cruise speed, so try this on harder missions.