I have found that you can still fly Tier 1. I’ve rocked up a match with a full roster of Tier 1 fighters and been put against mostly T1 opponents. What T2 ships were present were Rank 4, and take it from me a Rank 4 ship is not Tier 2; it’s Tier 1.5.
Maybe I just didn’t notice because I reached Tier 2 in a different period of the game (0.7.x) but I have found the transition from T2 to T3 is a seriously rough one so I am going to assume the same is true of T1 to T2. With that in mind, let me try and offer some advice that might help.
Repair Costs:
Turn off auto-repair. Trust me, if you fly your ship until it falls apart and repair it only when it forces you to, you will save money in the long run. This is doubly true if you only fly one ship in any given mission.
Keep in mind as well that earnings grow as you move through the tier, but repair costs appear to be static. This means it costs more, relatively speaking, to fix a Rank 4 than a Rank 6 because you earn less.
On the subject of earnings…
Get to Rank 6 as fast as possible!
Rank 6 ships earn a lot more than Rank 4, and even the transition from 5 to 6 is noticeable.
If you plan to fly Rank 4, then it might be best spending as much time in PvE as you can to earn money that way. If you know what you’re doing you should be able to get through a PvE without dying, which keeps your outgoings as low as possible.
Once you get to Rank 6 you should start looking at how equip the ship as best you can, and what factions you need to level up to optimise your desired ship. Be aware that you may need to grind 2-3 factions to get your ideal loadout. There are tips for how to do that as well…
Farming Military Loot:
Again, PvE will help here as it will give you guaranteed military loot, and the potential for experimental loot. Flying Rank 3 ships in Tier 1 will also help - all the military loot dropped flying R3 should be Tier 2. It can be frustrating when you never seem to get the loot you want / need, but even a single Military item on your ship can help you perform that little bit better.
Get a Wingman:
When I moved into T2 I had two friends who were also moving up with me, and we flew together as much as possible. Having someone to share the experience with might make the journey a little more bearable.
Alternatively, befriend a more experienced pilot - one who you can tag along with and support during the battle. Their more powerful ship will help you earn assists and stay alive, and their superior knowledge of how the game works will help you learn strategy and how to achieve your goals.
It is amazing how much difference a little experience can make.
Closing Thoughts:
Tier 2 isn’t just “Tier 1 with better ships.” Tier 2 is a totally different beast. The playstyle is very different; you need to learn to make better us of modules, to interact with other classes more, and how different weapons and their modifiers interact. Tier 1 is a straight up fly-and-gun dogfight experience, but Tier 2 demands that you learn not just how to kill people, but who to kill and when.
You can still fly as a lone wolf if you like, providing you learn how, but until you’re sporting a ship of pure blues and purples your best bet will be to stick with the pack and learn how to support and augment your fellow pilot. Once you’ve got your foot in the door and some shiny new toys, then you can go back to flying solo if the mood takes you.