Elite Dangerous | New Player Tutorial | Flight Assist OFF

An overview of the flight assist system, how it works, and when to use it, with examples of control behavior. Understanding this system is key to success in high level activities, PVP, Thargoid combat, Racing, and other more niche things. While it is intimidating, the fundamentals are easy to grasp, and like everything in this game, it requires time and practice to master.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:54 Assist ON Behavior
2:16 Assist OFF Behavior
3:29 Advantages & Disadvantages
6:38 Examples
7:32 Conclusion

[@tringalij]

Just to be clear though: F/A off is still NOT fully realistic. We’re still flying with atmospheric models which limit out speeds and slow us down with drag from landing gear etc. In space any ship can fly any “speed” at all, just some would take longer to accelerate. Elite 2 had that pure model and it was a nightmare to handle, especially on Amiga graphics. Where all pilots on the forums have complained with this iteration is how they dropped any reference indicator for your vector, which is something real fighters all have (and even several airliners). They elected to use this “space dust” to give you a sense of your flight vector but it’s not as good as an actual -O- reference symbol on the HUD.

[@abels.1853]

This flight model was implemented fairly early we could do cumulative speed vectors in beta meaning a viper could do past 1000km s pre engineers

[@GiantsOrbiting]

Im roughly 600 hrs into the game. Watching this video has shown me things that i may not ever figured out on my own. Thank you for such a well done tutorial. This is amazing. You are extremely well spoken and easy to follow. Ill need to watch this a couple more times, because i am not quick at learning. Still, i am super grateful for this video

[@aarongreer7621]

This is the best explanation for FA Off that I've seen so far. Most of the others I've watched emphasize learning "how to do it" without teaching about the reasons why it works in the first place. Many thanks.

[@OmegaPaladin144]

I use mouse and keyboard, and I find FA off amplifies natural jitter in my nose angle. I can quickly pop FA off to flip around in a dogfight,but holding a constant heading is rough - it feels like my sensitivity shoots through the roof. Now I like using alternate controls for landing. The precise thruster control is great for docking on burning stations and scooping cargo.

[@haydenday9047]

Try using the relative mouse mode. I had the same struggle you did until I turned relative mouse on. By having your cursor automatically reset to the center, the mouse behaves much more like a joystick, so instead of trying to manually re-center the mouse every time, amplifying your nose movements, your center position just ends up at wherever you've left your mouse.

[@wmgthilgen]

I've got nearly 10,000 hour's invested in ED. And all of it is envolved in either a private server with a few like minded player's or totally in solo. Thus the only combat with human's I've ever had is when viewing various You Tube video's. Watching the various video's of human's in combat with other human's. I've notice though some may do it on occasion, most never do it at all. While NPC's on the other hand do it most generally a 100%. I'm taking about a process that goes back to the days of old when Knight's use to "JOUST". If and when getttng the attention of an wanted NPC, they will almost imediately set a course directly at you and basically come at you in such a way that it basically a form of "JOUSTING". Having FA configured to turn on or off at the simple touch of a single button. Using a ship with only one large beam lazor, fully engineered for long distant as to get their attention. At the point where they will either fly over or under you. I dip my nose a wee bit, causeing them to go over. Turn off FA, nose up and continue until I've done a 180 degree back flip, and then turn FA back on. All the while my trurreted frag cannon's which I've targeted their power plant's are doing there job. If they haven't finished, by the time I've completed my 180 back flip, I'm now on their six and as they are turning to do another run aka joust. Becasue turning on the FA start's the thruster's from causing me to continue going backward's, simply wait until they are close enough, and do the same process again. Most generally, they are destroyed prior to my having to slightl dip my nose again and do another back flip using FA off.

[@plflaherty1]

Thanks! Good timing for me and my first AX ship.

[@SetabRP]

So I just started playing about a month ago despite having the game for what seems like decades. I did FA off the first week and felt like I wasn't ready for that considering I was still working out the controls with my HOTAS. But now my arm hurts after playing so I can tell I'm putting too much effort in countering the FA for the maneuvers I'm attempting. So ya, glad I saw this vid because it's time to go ahead and get some time with FA off.

[@padlnjones]

excellent, thanks... filled in some gaps in my understanding, as just trying to learn FA off...

[@saberling]

thanks dry! great vid as always!

[@Cmdr_GO13BT]

Thank you for sharing the dynamics of fa on and off. I use fa on 99% of the time during pvp matches and can tell you that fa on offers the ability to change vectors both during boost and after the boost stalls. This is especially handy with ships which tend to drift, like the FDL. Using this technique, I'm able to evade slower moving projectiles like plasma accelerators or frags. I do use fa off under certain circumstances but I don't see it as mandatory for combat. Switching between the two modes would be most advantageous. I'm on PS4 and use the standard controller, so perhaps this has an impact on the flying styles. You can see examples of using fa on in my videos. Oh, Awesome setup you have there btw👍

[@CAL1MBO]

Use scoop/gear brake boosting in FDL

[@Cmdr_GO13BT]

@@CAL1MBO I do from time to time

[@cohenworrior898]

You're probably right, I'm just happy I can land manually. 🧑‍🚀

[@Sp4ceJunki3]

My man, you know how long Virpil is backordered? I’m stuck with t16000m’s lol. This is the ultimate setup I’m looking for!

[@MrVylaern]

What yaw, roll and other mapping on your hotas? Where do you have boost button?

[@DryHeatAndSand]

I keep boost on the throttle, yaw is mapped to a set of rudder pedals, pitch and roll are on the stick.

[@jesseowens1492]

What do you have on your two peripheral monitors? Can they be synced up with the display of the game on the central monitor?

[@DryHeatAndSand]

One runs OBS, and the other runs reference material. Sometimes KZbin, sometimes inara. They can't be synced to the main monitor, since their resolution and response rates are too low.

[@adamw8818]

Sorry to ask this randomly, yet is there a quicker way to find the "plot route" yellow circle in the map, you know where you jump from system to system, it doesn't show up on my compass and I have to fly around just to use FSD

[@clickbaitmagician7989]

I'm sure you know by now, but left of your circle map HUD that shows ships/etc, there's a small circle with cross hairs. Line the dot up in it if it's filled in. If it's just an empty circle it's behind you.

[@leslieviljoen]

What HOTAS is this? Is the laptop for Inara? :)

[@Sylusssss]

Fa off in almost every situation besides landing, flicking it for some manuvers or correcting an uncontrolled spin For mouse users using relative mouse with fa off can allow for many manuvers that otherwise are not possible

[@eliaspanayi3465]

I like to call it slippery mode, because it feels like driving a car on ice, and makes you more slippery and hard to read in combat

[@yummyzerg]

Just started, but @ 0:15 This is wrong. Different ship thrusters have different thrust in the different modes; some inputs are stronger in FA on, others in FA off. So, turning is faster in FA off, for example, but your vertical thrusters are less powerful, iirc.

[@OldManPaxusYT]

my mind just boggles how often i hear cmdrs say they don't use F/A-OFF, at all....I ask them, 'Well, what the hell do you do when some baddy you're fighting, is out-turning you?!', or 'What do you do when you're struggling to stay on target?'... 🤯🙄

[@abels.1853]

You can still joust. Use mines or force shell or even fly back wards. Things out turning is great but not mandatory hell if you can predict the person you can boost in a place where they will be. Iam fully fa off except for landing. Just bc it's easier for me to aim fixed weapons while fa off

[@HailRider]

Yea... but with mouse and keyboard all you get is a death wobble

[@64SGH]

Change z to space bar, and spam that shit

[@OrcBro]

MMM... yea, ok this game is definitely not for me if i need this kind of setup to play...

[@DryHeatAndSand]

I got started on a pair of cheap joysticks. Many commanders use keyboard and mouse, and there is a default Xbox controller map available. I grew into the setup that you see in these videos over the years. Use what you have, see how it goes, upgrade as you see fit, if you see fit.

[@CaptainBrash]

You don't "need" any setup for Elite. Lots play with KB+M or controller, some play with a stick and throttle, others play with two sticks. Most people don't start off with £500+ worth of flight controls, there are much more budget options but not still necessary at all.

[@AZCPOAWolfDen]

Sorry. I fell asleep listening. Felt like a NASA lecture.

[@DryHeatAndSand]

I've been told that I have a great ASMR voice.

[@mirandela777]

ED is a DEAD game, with Devs banning players in the Forum each time some dare to criticize the incompetence, bugs and stupidity of this dead game. The only thing bigger than the Elite Devs incompetence is their ego. Is a dead game, do not bother to publish content, players number just reached THE lowest level ever, and the official end will occur on 6 of September, in less than 1 month, when Starfield will be released.

[@DryHeatAndSand]

May I refer you to my Nuclear Option Review. I've been experimenting with other game content, but so far none of it performs as well as what I make for Elite Dangerous. I plan to make more content for Nuclear Option as it continues to develop.

[@CaptainBrash]

This comment aged terribly.

[@christopherdaffron8115]

@@CaptainBrash I was going to make the same comment before I read yours :)