Return to the Skies

I hadn't played the Galactic Starfighter component of SWTOR in any serious way since it was released in the 2.x update cycle. Recently I've been looking to give one of my level 75 characters a particular focus, especially for Conquest, so I decided to really dig into GSF at last.

Two factors helped me with this. The first is that GSF progress and rewards are tied to each individual character, rather than your Legacy, so it makes sense to have just one Republic and one Imperial character focus on it. Secondly, the Daily and Weekly quest rewards are quite generous with Tech Fragments, presumably to encourage more people to play the mode.

I couldn't just pick up and play, though. My head canon needed placating first... Every character needs a good RP reason to do something!

So the first couple of hours of my GSF experience were spent getting just the right flightsuit costume sorted...

Meet Gale Rantilles, my Commando Combat Medic and part-time starfighter pilot. Until I learn how to properly heal in group content she'll be earning me Tech Fragments in GSF.

Queuing up, I was initially a little concerned at the long wait time for a GSF match. On a Saturday night, getting on for midnight, I got only one match in 45 minutes of queuing. If that was a representative rate of match-pops it may take more than a week to complete the Weekly quest! Subsequently queuing between 9.30 and 10.30 in the evening provided no such problems, so I might have to make GSF the first stop of the evening.

I was prepared for my first dozen or so matches to be pretty brutal. Most guides I've read highlight the steep learning curve and the high death rate until you manage to equip your ship a bit better, and my experience followed this path.

The first few battles were tough. A lack of experience and a low-spec'd ship resulted in a lot of early exploding. Then, about seven matches in, losing at a Domination game, something turned. The enemy team seemed to suddenly spread themselves too thin. I managed to capture a satellite, then another. The enemy responded, but it wasn't enough. We won by a handful of points, coming from several hundred behind. It was great, and the sense of achievement brilliant. 'I really like Galactic Starfighter!', I thought.

Like all PVP it's tough when you're losing. Even tougher when you're being hammered. Early on, you'll start to think it isn't worth it. But then a match will come up that changes your fortunes and your mind.

Swtorista has just started a new series on the basics of GSF and, as always, her content is highly recommended.

Happy flying!