EVE New Citizens Q&A

So I've been trying to improve at PvP in any way I can, and it seems like lots of people recommend using manual piloting. Whenever I watch pvp videos however, very rarely do people use it.

Is it something that people use to get to engagement range? For example spiralling in, or slingshotting. And then using keep at range/orbit for the rest of the fight? Or do people manually orbit around their targets too? It seems like manual piloting a brawling ship would be almost impossible. I'd appreciate any tips/advice, because I couldn't find any great guides.

Tracking and Spiralling - by Agony Unleashed

While the above video is very useful OP needs to realise that a lot of people talk a lot of bullshit and brag a lot. so it's a "oh but you have to manually pilot, didn't you know?". In many situations it's not need at all or would give such a small advantage that, really, it won't change the outcome of the fight. As long as you remember to not hit orbit at a range vastly different from what you're at because the AP will turn completely into/away from the target making it easy for them to hit you, and stuff like that.

Been trying to find a fight you had where manual piloting would have made a difference but not really the case. You're far better off understanding the basic mechanics, tactics, ship fittings etc etc. Without those it won't matter how much you manual pilot.

Without manual piloting, a frigate can never beat a turret battleship if they start at long range (50km+). The battleship will kill the frigate in between 1 and 3 volleys.

With manual piloting, the frigate is massively favored in the engagement.

Manual piloting matters less if you are not in a frigate and can survive a hit or three.

Well yeah. Sig tankers and anything that needs to spiral in absolutely needs to manage it manually.

Granted though I feel that in most other cases gregor is on point.

That said it can and has gotten me out of scenarios I had no business surviving (never mind actually winning).

It's imppportant to be ready to start double clicking as a brawler,
generally I'll concede it's sort of pointless but there's moments it can turn certain death into not so certain death.

Another would be when they are switched on enough and actively minimize your transvesile, if you're just orbiting they've a good shot at timing a couple of volleys and popping you.

Iv both lost ships and kept them alive based on whether I twigged they were at this or not .

Rlml / drone focus hulls don't give a **** what you do but turrets definitely do.

Yup, rlml orthrus is terrifying , even with a Sig that sise you're going to pop.
At least with drones you can go down fighting, but that damn catfish will eat you regardless.

What are the chances that someone who is fairly new to eve and pvp, runs into a solo BS and can kill it? The majority of fights people will get in to are frig on frig and stuff like that, that is if it was even a fight that could have been won in the first place. There's no use to dazzle newbies with mad footwork going "manual piloting!" before they understand and grasp the basic stuff.

Also, your example makes good sense but I get the feeling that the OP was talking about actual combat itself so a "how about you learn the basics first" applies :)

Winning an engagement doesn't necessarily mean scoring a kill. Sometimes pinning the battleship down until another person arrives is a win.

Frigates are hard to fly because manual piloting is so much of their power.

I one-volleyed a player once in a highsec war situation because while their Atron was well fitted (T2 plates and resist mods, prop and tackle, light guns) they didn't realize that burning straight away from my battleship was a bad idea.

There is no way I would have popped them if they were spiraling out.

Again, I'm not talking about basic spiralling. I'm talking about the actual fight (not the approach or exit) where people will manually steer the ship instead of using orbit, stay at range or whatever. A relative newbie who doesn't know the basics of pvp, who lacks any real experience giving him the calmness and oversight to really be in control of what he's doing, such a player is not helped by people telling him he shouldn't use orbit at 500m but should do it manually instead.