Getting Started
- Finish the tutorial. Do not skip it.
- First matches: learn the camera, free look, and throttle. Do not buy every system.
- Buy the kill system first (missiles on most jets, guns on pure gunfighters).
- Stay near your wingman. Solo is for veterans.
- Check party aircraft levels before queueing. Keep the level gap small.
Controls & Settings
- Cursor aim is the recommended control for most players. Try it in custom matches.
- Free look / look-and-shoot: check six and scan without turning the jet.
- Padlock keeps the camera on a locked target once you have it.
- Settings tips: raise FOV and camera distance for better awareness. Disable cannon auto-zoom if it distracts you.
- Optimal maneuver speed: the highlighted bar on the speed indicator. Stay near it when you need to turn hard.
Core Flight Tips
- Energy management separates good pilots from great ones. Feather the throttle. Do not hold full afterburner the whole fight.
- Stop flying in straight lines. Change direction and altitude.
- Watch the minimap constantly. Friendly = blue, enemy = red.
- In Team Deathmatch, go toward your team after respawn, not the biggest enemy pile.
- In Air Superiority, head to an uncaptured point with the fewest enemies.
- Do not get target-fixated. Disengage if you lose situational awareness.
Common New Pilot Mistakes
- Chasing with an empty missile pod or overheating guns.
- Flaring too early (on soft lock or right after launch sound).
- Ignoring rearm rings and running dry mid-fight.
- Flying alone into a merge against a full team.
- Upgrading every plane to high level too fast and getting bad matchmaking.
Matchmaking note
Keep planes around level 3, 8, 11, or 20 when possible. Jumping past those points can put you against much stronger opponents. Practice in custom matches against bots first.