#Thoughts on fighting. - http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/1/13523
#Direction and Vision of PvP Combat - http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/13854
= Choosing Your Weapons =
There are plenty of ships and weapons available for use in combat, and the type of ship and loadout you choose will have an impact on your performance as a pilot. Experiment and pick what's best for you. Many pilots specialize in a specific type of combat and have their own layouts of choice. For a beginner, it is a good idea to hone your skills in one ship before moving on to another, but remember that as you gain experience, it's a good idea to expand your skills to include multiple ships and weapons. Anyone can specialize in one ship and loadout, but a veteran fighter can fight in any ship you give them, and that works to their advantage.
== Ships ==
There are many different ships in VO that are suitable to combat, and many of them are more suitable to a specific style. If you find that one kind of ship doesn't work well for you right away, you can either practice in it to adapt and improve, or find another.
'''Heavy Ships'''
Heavy ships such as the Hornet, Centaur and Ragnarok have an appeal of extra firepower that is hard to ignore. Offsetting this are their inability to move and evade quickly, and a large cross-section that makes them an easy target. They also have more armor, to deal with some of the extra damage they will take in a fight. To be proficient in a heavy ship, a pilot has to deal with all of these features and develop a combat strategy that uses them to his or her advantage. Heavy pilots must be prepared to take damage and exchange blows without fear of getting hit in order to deliver a heavy dose of firepower. They strafe and turn slower, so the pilot must stay aware of the situation to prevent opponents from getting above, below or behind them. Due to the difficulty in evading fire for extended durations, heavy pilots should aim to get in quickly, and kill quickly to end the fight. Fights between two heavy ships can be over in a matter of a few seconds.
'''Light Ships'''
Light ships such as the Centurion, Vulture and Valkyrie are more agile and smaller, allowing them to evade fire more easily. This comes at the cost of a reduction in armor and overall firepower. Light pilots need to react quickly and make their shots count. Often it is necessary to change tactics constantly, getting in close to deliver a stream of fire, or controlling distance in a standoff to avoid a heavy hitter and give the pilot more time to react. Due to their agility and turn rate, light ships can be more difficult to aim as well as to hit, so fights between two light pilots can turn into an endurance match.
{{SCAR|info=If you are having difficulty aiming in a light ship, I recommend that you get used to aiming in a heavy ship first, and then graduate to a light once you become proficient at it; a heavier ship will turn slower, forcing you to plan your aiming better and allowing you to execute it more smoothly. A steady hand is essential.}}
== Equipment ==
Great variation is also available in the weapons you choose to equip. Energy weapons provide endurance and require energy management to use effectively. Ordnance such as rockets have a limited ammo supply, but are effective in well-planned strikes. Homing missiles have very little manual accuracy, but can track a target without your assistance, allowing you to fire and forget. They are easy to dodge however, so should not be relied upon in PvP. It is often a good idea to fly with a mixture of energy and ordnance, allowing you to balance your strategy and pace your attack.
'''Energy Weapons'''
Some energy weapons such as Gauss, Plasma Devestator and Gatling Turrets have a wide range of auto-aim, making it easier to hit your target at close range, but their auto-aim can destroy their accuracy at a long range unless you turn it off. Smaller, faster weapons are better when long-range precision and accuracy is required, but they also require more skill in aiming manually.
'''Ordnance Weapons'''
Ordnance weapons such as Flares and Jackhammers are easy to use, but take some practice in becoming efficient with them. They travel more slowly than energy, allowing your target more time to evade at long ranges. They also have an additional handicap at exceptionally close ranges, as the proximity fuse does not arm until a short time after it has left your ship, so it may streak right past your target without detonating. When using ordinance, pace yourself and conserve your ammunition. Wait until you have clean shots to fire, and don't panic and fire it all off at once. Because rockets' forward velocity is impacted heavily by the velocity of your ship, you can aim them better when pressing forward. It is essential to coordinate both your strafes and aim for a good rocket 'throw'.
{{SCAR|info=I recommend that new pilots learn to use energy weapons that don't have excessive auto-aim in order to practice their aiming abilities. If you can fight well with a small auto-aim, you can fight decent with a large one, but the reverse is not typically true.}}
== Some Popular Ship+Equipment Layouts ==