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Formation Flying And You!!!

This is a free discussion forum on Freelancer. This is the place to discuss Freelancer issues NOT covered by the other boards!

Post Sat Feb 15, 2003 6:30 am

Formation Flying And You!!!

The more i read about formation flying, the more i like about it.
however one issue just stuck out in my brain.
according to the PRBP's... evey ship has individual handling ratings... acceleration/deceleration, turn speed. ie. the light fighter could fly circles around a freighter.

So what happens when you have a formation of a light fighter in lead with two freighters on the wings?
1. does the light fighter make a tight turn and then wait for the freighters to finally catch up?
2. does it give the freighters a 'boost' to the lead ships handling rating?

If the latter, it would seem particularly dangerous to go up against them.
The light fighters guns plus a number of the freighters turrets would be deadly head on. and full turrets aft when coming up from behind would be deadly!
your only hope would be to attack on the sides, but the fighters nimbleness would guarantee that the port/starboard side wouldn't be a viable target for long.

imagine a diamond formation with a light fighter (Kusari Drake?) in front for minimal firepower up front but great maneuverability. Titans on the wings for awesome dual frontal Firepower and a Freighter (Rheinland Humpback?) covering the rear with turrets, not to mention a larger cargo hold for booty from destroyed ships. now this would require ultimate teamwork and patience, but imagine the rewards

all in all i figure that formation flying is probably like option 1. but it's fun to dream eh? especially when you don't have FL

...Just a random thought from a random mind

Post Sat Feb 15, 2003 6:52 am

Wow, good question. If formation leads with the characteristics of the lead ship, then itll really be weird cuz youll have freighters with the nimbleness of a light fighter. Deadly....

My guess is that the game doesnt do that. Im not 100% sure cuz i cant recall this happening before. Each ship retains its own characteristics so in your example, the lead ship will turn faster and stuff. Freelancer will compensate for this by actually increasing the speed of the followers a bit so they can catch up. Ive noticed this sort of thing happening in trade lanes and in normal formations.

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Post Sat Feb 15, 2003 8:05 pm

wait a second, in SL your fighter went into formation around the FRIEGHTERS or cap ships... then if trouble arived, which it did always.,.... you wouldbreak fromation and take on the target while the cargo holders went on their way. is this not happening with FL??
Phoenix out



From this celestial bough all but one did fall into the pitiless fires of reach.
A soldier’s ignominy to have dreamt while his brothers bled. But oh, for the rest of us his shame was our salvation.

Post Sat Feb 15, 2003 8:48 pm

You can enter formation with ships (like group members in MP) and your neuronet will do it's best to keep you near the formation leader. It won't always be able to, especially if the leader has a more maneuverable ship but it will at least keep you within a certain distance and pointed in the same direction.

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