Warfare & Tactics

Question about pvp from the new pilot

I've been training up skills to try pvp for my first time. I wanted to know if training engineering and nav skills more so then gunnery would benefit the new pvp player? I see lots of people rush right away to train uber gun skills, and they always seem to fail right away against others. Is it the player, or skillset path that determines a favorable outcome?

A balance certainly helps, and pushing one thing to V means you have a lot of skills languishing that could be easily bumped up in the same skill training period. The one thing with pushing gunnery is trying to get tech II guns which really helps; not due to improved damage, but due to gaining access to tech II ammo which can definitely give you the edge in certain situations. For example: Hybrid Null ammo can let you get considerably better damage projection (range) while using blasters.

Thermodynamics is also something that is harder to 'unlock' but once you get it it really gives you an advantage.

As a general rule, push all relevant skills which benefit your ship to III which really doesnt take that long but getting tech II guns and thermodynamics definitely helps. Tackle skills and navigation are really not as important as fitting and tanking skills as a general rule while starting out.

Overall, just keep plugging away and while low skilled, fly cheap and you will still be learning tactics and pvp mechanics so that when your skills do start to even out against the competition, you have a lot of experience under your belt which would be a much better starting point than had you just run missions while waiting to be 'ready'.

There is much more to pvp than your skillpoints.

First, train the ship skills. The ship bonuses are huge.

Second. The core gunnery/ missile skills (tracking, falloff, explosion radius) have a !huge! Impact on dps.

I'd take those two categories to level 3, then level 4 before I worry about thermodynamics or tech 2.

Then I'd do applicable navigation Skills to 4.

Then tech2 guns.

Then thermodynamics.

That's how I'd do it.
Mo

Overheated player has advantage of being able to overheat (almost) every active module not only guns. So overheated tackle (scram/web/disruptor) will reach further, overheated propulsion (ab/mwd) will allow for faster closing in to catch you or to faster distance from you and GTFO. Overheated repper will cycle faster (or rep bigger chunks? I never remember which one) hence ship will tank more dmg.

Thermodynamics is great skill and I would say you should train it even before t2 guns but maybe after basic t2 tank mods (dc, repper, shield extender). Especially that it requires Engineering at V which in turn is great skill for fitting as it will boost your PG by 25% (5% per lvl).

Additionally to gunnery skills, you should train Electronic Warfare Drone Interfacing, and put some ecm drones into your ship, they can save your life in many situations.