I'm playing Freespace for my first time. But, I can't finish the first training mission! I do as the instructor tells me until I should "Go Full Speed". I then go at full speed but nothing happens, and the mission doesn't proceed. I'm just cruising around at max speed. Distributing maximum energy to the engines or using the afterburner doesn't make any difference.
So, what to do?

By 'full speed' instructor meaned use of afterburner too. Did you used it?

Have you tryed just replaying the mission again incase it just bugged out the first time?

Ugh, another one? Just how badly bugged is this game?
I bought this game as part of the Interplay promotion. I did not have the problem you are having, but I encountered a game-stopping bug in the Paving the Way mission. You're supposed to protect the Galatea until it can jump out of the system, but when it gets to the jump node, it just sits there for 15+ minutes, turning its ass in circles and getting pounded by asteroids until it blows up. I must have replayed the mission ten times to no avail.
There's another thread on the first page of this board, complaining of issues with other missions as well.
Oh, and my afterburners don't work. They just make a whining sound and do nothing.
I'm concerned that even if you get past the training mission, you still might end up getting stuck later on, like I did. Do you have Freespace 2 as well? If so, I would recommend installing FS2 Open and the Freespace 1 port. Instructions are at the bottom of this thread. You can play the FS1 campaigns in FS2, and it seems a lot more reliable. After I installed it, I finished Paving the Way on the first try with no problems, and I haven't hit any other show-stopping bugs yet (also, my afterburners actually work).
Optionally you can install upgraded graphics as well, but that's really secondary to being able to play the damn game :/
If you don't have FS2 and if restarting the mission doesn't work, you can just click the "skip training" in the upper right corner of the briefing screen. Training is broken up into multiple missions, so you're really not missing much by skipping the first one.

I'm thinking about getting this game myself it seems the freespace2 open mod is starting to look like a must have.
As for skipping the mission if you do end up doing that you can just watch them, I found this helpful lets play on the first 3 training missions.
[url=]http://www.viddler.com/explore/Goldom/videos/53/[/url]

igor8472: Yes, i've tried using the afterburners too.
Ralackk: I've replayed 3 times with the same result.
Mentalepsy: I'll try that FS2 Open thingy, hope it works...

Word of warning: it takes a good while to download and install the complete package, so if you're in a hurry, you might want to install the basics first just to see if it works.

How are you going full speed?
From memory (it's been a long time since I played FS1), there's a special maximum speed key you have to press when this order is given. It won't let you procede if you use throttle contol on the joystick or the accelerate/foward thrust button/key.

Yes you have to use the specific comand that with the default key button is "\"

Known issue, check HERE for a workaround for this and other FS1 related problems... since i've folowed those advices, i run the game just fine (the original GOG package, without any mods)

Hey, even I do that sometimes, especially on Mondays...

Sometimes the Italian layout is misleading, in the US layout characters like "\" or accented letters (like "è" for example) aren't in the same position as other languages layouts and many games while they ask to press a key they really mean the key that usually corresponds to that sign in the US layout.
Just try different keys and see if one of them works.