[bizzybody]

I'd love to see an all-in-one training mission that covers ALL of the in-game commands. It might take a while to run through, but the best way to learn all these would be to practice their use in the game environment without the interruptions of the missions where you're getting fired at with deadly intent!

Here's me, Mr. Total Newbie, going "Now what key combo calls the repair ship?" staring at the keyboard while I'm also attempting to waggle the joystick around to keep from getting killed.  (I haven't died yet! Playing on Easy so I assume I'd _really_ have to work at getting killed.)

Freespace 2 Default In-Game Commands Settings.

Targeting

Target Next Ship = T
Target Previous ship = Shift-T
Target Closest Hostile Ship = H, Button 3
Toggle Auto Targeting = Alt-H
Target Next Closest Friendly Ship = Shift-F
Target Ship in Reticle = Y, Button 5
Target Target's Nearest Attacker = G
Target Last Ship to Send Transmission = Alt-Y
Turn Off Auto Targeting = Alt-T
Target Subsystem in Reticle = V
Target Next Subsystem = S
Target Previous Subsystem = Shift-S
Turn Off Auto Targeting of Subsystems = Alt-S
Target Closest Attacking Ship = R, Button 7
Target Target's Target = J
Target Next Escort Ship = E
Target Closest Repair Ship = Alt-R
Target Next Uninspected Cargo = U
Target Previous Uninspected Cargo = Shift-U
Target Newest Ship in Area = N
Target Next Live Turret = K
Target Previous Live Turret = Shift-K
Target Next Hostile Bomb or Bomber = B
Target Previous Hostile Bomb or Bomber = Shift-B

Ship

Forward Thrust = A
Reverse Thrust = Z
Bank Left = Pad 7
Bank Right = Pad 9
Pitch Forward = Pad 8
Pitch Backward = Pad 2
Turn Left = Pad 4
Turn Right = Pad 6
Set Throttle to Zero = Backspace
Set Throttle to Max = \
Set Throttle to One-Third = [
Set Throttle to Two-Thirds = ]
Increase Throttle 5 Percent = = (Equal)
Decrease Throttle 5 Percent = - (Minus)
Afterburner = Tab, Button 6
Bank When Pressed = None
Turn (Yaw) Axis = Joystick/Mouse X Axis
Pitch Axis = Joystick/Mouse Y Axis
Bank Axis = None
Absolute Throttle Axis = None
Relative Throttle Axis = None

Weapons

Fire Primary Weapon = Left Ctrl, Button 1
Fire Secondary Weapon = Spacebar, Button 2
Cycle Forward Primary Weapon = . (Period)
Cycle Backward Primary Weapon = , (Comma)
Cycle Secondary Weapon Bank = /
Cycle Secondary Weapon Firing Rate = Shift-/
Launch Countermeasure = X, Button 4

Misc

Match Target Speed = M
Toggle Auto Speed Matching = Alt-M
Attack My Target = Shift-A
Disarm My Target = Shift-Z
Disable My Target = Shift-D
Attack My Subsystem = Shift-V
Capture My Target = Shift-X
Engage Enemy = Shift-E
Form on My Wing = Shift-W
Ignore My Target = Shift=I
Protect My Target = Shift-P
Cover Me = Shift-C
Return to Base = Shift-J
Rearm Me = Shift-R
Chase View = Pad *
External View = Pad . (Decimal Point)
Toggle External Camera Lock = Pad Enter
Free Look View = Pad 0
Current Target View = Pad /
Increase View Distance = Pad +
Decrease View Distance = Pad -
Center View = Pad 5
View Up = Hat Forward
View Rear = Hat Back
View Left = Hat Left
View Right = Hat Right
Cycle Radar Range = ' (Apostrophe)
Communications Menu = C
Enter Subspace (End Mission) = Alt-J
Increase Weapon Energy = Insert
Decrease Weapon Energy = Delete
Increase Shield Energy = Home
Decrease Shield Energy = End
Increase Engine Energy = Page Up
Decrease Engine Energy = Page Down
Equalize Energy Settings = Alt-D
Equalize Shield = Q, Button 8
Augment Forward Shield = Up Arrow
Augment Rear Shield = Down Arrow
Augment Left Shield = Left Arrow
Augment Right Shield = Right Arrow
Transfer Energy Laser->Shield = Scroll Lock
Transfer Energy Shield->Laser = Shift-Scroll Lock
Add or Remove Escort = Alt-E
Clear Escort List = Alt-Shift-E
Increase Time Compression = Shift-. (Period)
Decrease Time Compression = Shift-, (Comma)
Toggle HUD Contrast = L

[karajorma]

I'd love to see an all-in-one training mission that covers ALL of the in-game commands. It might take a while to run through, but the best way to learn all these would be to practice their use in the game environment without the interruptions of the missions where you're getting fired at with deadly intent!

I've been building a tutorial for the Battlestar Galactica mod recently so I've been both playing and writing them and I don't think you're likely to see an all-in-one any time soon.

1) The Tutorials for FS2 are good. If you really want complete training before flying you can always go to the techroom->Flight sim->Campaign missions and press CTRL + ALT + S. All 6 training missions will then be available.

2) A single long training mission would be pretty boring. People want action when they start a game. Most are willing to accept that they'll have to learn the controls for a game like FS2 but there's a limit to how long they want to spend before they can play the game.

3) Training missions are for newbies. Newbies can screw up in the strangest ways. Forcing them to play the entire training mission again frrom the start would not endear them to the mission designer.

4) Training missions are boring as hell to write.

[S-99]

I think you'll find the already existing fs2 training sessions some of the best training sessions you've found in any game. The next time you need to learn something new in the beginning of the game, fs2 brings up a training mission. It teaches you on a situation change basis. Such as when you fly a new fighter, or are beginning to use aspect missiles.
Another thing to fs2 is that is has a ton of commands, but instead of learning them all, you need to find out which ones you will use all of the time and make you're own custom setup. Like you like to use the support ship key combo, but me on the other hand like to use the command menu to summon the support ship. The command menu is easier for me, because i can do a whole bunch of commands among calling the support ship. But yeah, some buttons you should really get friendly with for an ease of difficulty on fs2 controls is "target next closest hostile ship", "target escort ship", "target ship in reticle", "target next closest friendly ship", and the communications menu. My average fs2 control and experience centers a bunch around those 5 features. After that recommended ones of course are max speed, zero speed, and match speed. After that you'll constantly change your control scheme until you come up with the perfect control scheme ever(like i have). And especially there's a lot more sensor commands you'll be using also, just not as much as the sensor commands i already mentioned(about a quarter of my keyboard in fs2 is devoted to sensor controls...aka by me the sensor strips, all in one easy to reach location for me to access with one hand without any migration across the keyboard ).

[bizzybody]

1) The Tutorials for FS2 are good. If you really want complete training before flying you can always go to the techroom->Flight sim->Campaign missions and press CTRL + ALT + S. All 6 training missions will then be available.

Just tried that but training mission 6 doesn't show up.

[Dark Hunter]

I think the key combo is is Ctrl - SHIFT - S, not Alt-S.

[Cobra]

yeah, it's shift.

ok, i dislike training missions after the first time I've played 'em. They DO get kind of useless afterwards.

[karajorma]

No idea why I wrote Alt. Must just be habit from writing CTRL + ALT + DEL all the time

[bizzybody]

How about a training campaign? At least one that covers all the fighters, bombers and the various weapons.

"We'll start with a couple of practice bombing runs against an unarmed freighter." ...work up to making runs against a ship that's shooting back, then finish up the bombing training by calling in fighter cover. Another one for targeting turrets and subsystems, etc. The one current training mission where all you do is learn shield and energy management is like the very beginning basics of basic ground school for a pilot.

Broken down like that, players could practice whichever aspect they need help with.

Like real military training, first learn the equipment and how it operates, _then_ use it under simulated combat conditions so you aren't having to figure out how to fly the plane and avoiding incoming fire at the same time.

[Mars]

The thing is, by the time most people find Hard Light, Game Warden, or that one place  , they're already pretty far into the game.

[Unknown Target]

Besides, why do you want to play so much training? The game is pretty easy to pick up, just hop in and play.