Pirating - newbie asking for help!

In normal flight, when you set the speed to zero, you stop. What's happening is you CPU is applying thrust in the opposite direction you're going to bring you to a halt. It's called CPU Flight Assist.

When you press the N key, you're in Non-Flight Assisted mode. If you're moving 800 m/s forward, you can turn your ship in any direction while still moving the same direction. Most games call this a 'slide' feature.

Throttle settings don't matter in Non-Flight Assisted mode. If you're traveling 800 m/s forward and press the S key, you'll slow down (firing thrusters in the opposite direction of your travel). If you press the D key, you'll still be traveling 800 m/s forward, but also angling off to the right.

It's basically the way real spaceflight would work... you'll keep moving in the direction and path you started in until some other force either a.) changes your direction, or b.) counteracts your velocity/heading.

Just hit N again to go back to Flight Assisted mode.

Oh yeah, you get a bonus to maneuvering while in non-assisted mode... makes combat easier.



No confusion; just wrong or right ... Only Solutions

I can't honestly remember having much trouble pirating early in the game. I think I found one or two really choice locations and then worked them for all they were worth. One surefire bet is the charitable sisters place (can't remember the exact name). I basically went there because I thought its a charity..... can't afford guards... plus I was probably feeling quite mean-spirited. But its a little gold-mine.... or so I found. Lots of convoys with 2 large freighters and only four little tug escorts. Even with the tug I found that sort of caravan quite easy to handle. Always attack the cargo ship first (at least one if there are two, but I usually go for both) until it drops its cargo...... no point taking on escorts when the cargo has ldsi'd outta there still attached to the freighter. Do what shane suggested, approach at speed, get your shots off and get away... however...... I tend to do it with flight assist on and always aim past the target, to the left or right, above or below (accelerating alot so when I turn to shoot the freighter my inertia still carries me past)..... but, if you turn as you pass the ships at a high velocity you will perform an arcing maneuvre around the collection of ships, meaning you can keep them within range for slightly longer and so get more shots off. It also means that you will not be travelling in a straight line (ie, easy prey for missiles) and that you will be able to do a kinda spiral maneuvre around the escorts. To do this, as you pass the ships and blast the freighter, get it to drop its load and then target one of the escorts.... They'll be kinda slow to react, having to accellerate from dead still if you get the group as its waiting to dock or jump and L-point..... as you fly past turn to face them, and start to accellerate towards and to one of the sides, using the lateral thruster keys ('a' or 'd'). Usually after the initial pass and one pass like this the escorts will be moving at speed and will not be such easy targets... but, if there are four they usually tend to split into two pairs of two. I find it easiest to handle them by passing at speed (not too fast) and repeating the actions above.... ie, aim to pass by them, but turn to face them as you pass, so inertia takes you past but the flight assist then brings you in a spiral around them. The AI ships don't seem to turn as fast as you, so if you judge it right you can spiral round fast enough to get their open asses or rear ends to be all PC and shiite. For weapons at the early stage I would suggest turret fighters and quad lights.... that way you can get the most shots off on the quick passes (hell I got me a patcom in ACT 2 and I still equip and use a quad light. Nothing like it when you spiral round, keeping in weapon range and having depleted shields with heavier weapons.... just cuts them up, tugs and fighters that is, corvettes need a few passes) and to mostly target convoys with tugs or small numbers of other ships (fighters/interceptors can be too fast and corvettes too heavy at the early stages).
One more note on combat..... an easy way to avoid missiles and also rapidly accelerate in a direction... use your L-drive manually (L key).... can be used to avoid incoming missilies and also in dogfighting to give a kinda turbo boost to stop your inertia moving you away from the target and towards it. Great for making lots of wuick passes in a short time.
Some of the L-points are also good prospects for cargo, look for both convoys coming in then leaving through the L-point as well as those LDSi'ing in to use the L-point (their easy to spot, large yellow balls on the 3-d globe display far away from the other traffic).... but try all stations and jump points and see what holds good plunder for you. I found it good to get the location finder mod, so you can see all the stations in a given system in a list, rather than using the starmap, which can be quite difficult.
As for blueprints, I don't really manufacture much..... except the odd replacement t-fighter after a hairy but lucrative pirating jaunt. Best to trade for anything you want early on, as the really good blueprints dont come until you complete more of the game. Also, when you select a cargo pod it will tell you if it is a trade item or not..... that means that there is a trade on the trade screen which could utilise the cargo, or that if you get it you can use it. Don't take that as a golden rule though.... pickup almost anything you find unless you know you have about 20 of them sat in the hangar..... even then it can be recycled though.
I think I've said enough for now, and I hope these words bring you good plunder and mighty victories. As anyone who knows anything about the true nature of piracy and the pirates of old, and can understand my signature, will also understand that I am kinda fond of the piracy aspect of the game..... I wish the story wasn't so mission driven, more built on respect and such, and a little more free-form. And so I hope this helps.

---#"Our last hope went out with Captain Mission"#---

Thanks for the info Trent_D. I tried you tactics and my success against well escorted convoys went up markedly. Although some of the cargo items get repetitious, there are certain things you can't have enough of. Like ores and radioactives (Gatling ammo) and bulk chemicals -- including oxygen -- for seeker missles if you use them. The best cargos of all are the occasional utlities that come through carrying weapons (grenades, REM missles, seeker missles, a ammo clips).
Go after them without hesitation. I even liberated a Gatling cannon at Blackeye.