------------------------------------ | SPACE COMBAT TACTICS | | VERSION 2.0 | | BY: | | MIKE "WOLF" DELPRETE | | | | | ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- BEGINNERS TACTICS 1. MAKE YOUR MIND UP EARLY WHAT YOU WANT TO BE, A PIRATE (ME), A MERCHANT, OR A MERCENARY. 2. IF A PIRATE, BLOW UP MERCHANTS AND GET THEIR CARGO THEN SELL IT, BUT WATCH OUT FOR MILITA OR CONFEDS. IF MERCHANT, GET GOOD CARGO RUNS AND MISSIONS. MERCENARY: JUST GET LOTS OF HUNTING MISSIONS AND DO A LITTLE OF BOTH TYPES. 3. AFTERBURNERS: YOUR BEST FRIEND - USE AFTERBURNERS TO BYPASS ENEMIES YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ENGAGE. USE THEM TO FIGHT BY LOCKING ON AN ENEMY AND SHOOTING, THEN USING A-BURNERS TO MOVE AWAY, THEN GO BACK AND SHOOT MORE, REPEAT PROCESS UNTILL ENEMY IS DESTROYED. 4. RAMMING IS A GOOD TACTIC, IN FULLY LOADED CENTURION OR LEV4 SHIELD ORION, USE AFTERBURNERS TO RAM OPPONENTS AND USUALLY DESTROY THEM. DON'T RAM MERCHANTS (DRAYMANS) OR CAPITAL SHIPS (YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN). 5. GET ALL IR MISSLES, AND 2 MISSLE LAUNCHERS IF YOU CAN. USUALLY 2 IR MISSLES CAN TAKE OUT A TALON. BEFORE BUYING IR MISSLES, MAKE SURE TO SELL ALL OTHER MISSLES. 6. TORPEDO LAUNCHERS ARE CHEAPER, BETTER ON CAPITAL OR SLOW MOVING SHIPS, AND AMMO FOR THEM IS CHEAP. BAD FOR DOGFIGHTING, UNLESS YOU ARE REAL GOOD. 7. TURRETS ARE ONLY GOOD FOR TRACTOR BEAMS, OR WHEN RUNNING AWAY FROM ENEMIES. PUT GUNS THAT DRAIN LESS ENERGY BECAUSE YOU WILL USUALLY ONLY USE THE GUNS WHEN RUNNING, AND YOU WILL PROBABLY NEED THE POWER FOR AFTERBURNERS. 8. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE HUNTER 6i RADAR, IT HAS COLOR AND LOCKING (MUST HAVE LOCKING TO FIRE IR MISSLES). THIS RADAR IS GOOD FOR BEGINNERS WITH LITTLE MONEY, LATER GET THE HUNTER INFINITY. 9. OXFORD IS A GOOD SYSTEM TO MAKE MONEY BECAUSE IT ONLY HAS 4 NAV POINTS. MOST MISSIONS WILL TELL YOU TO PATROL THE 3 NAV POINTS. GET AS MANY OF THESE AS YOU CAN, AND COMPLETE THEM AT ONCE (I.E.: TAKE OFF, GO TO ALL NAV POINTS, LAND AND COLLECT ALL THE MONEY. 10. WHEN YOU BUY AN ORION FOR THE FIRST TIME, DON'T GET DISCOURAGED, IF IT HAS LEVEL 1 OR 2 SHIELDS, IT WILL NOT BE GOOD. GET LEVEL 3 SHIELDS AND ENGINE AND IT IS GREAT. BETTER WITH HIGHER LEVELS. ALWAYS BUY ENGINE UPGRADES FIRST. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ COMBAT TACTICS AGAINST INDIVIDUAL SHIPS BROADSWORD: THIS IS A TOUGH CONFED SHIP. FIRE LOTS OF MISSLES OR TORPEDOES AT IT, AFTER FIRING GUNS AND WEAKENING THE SHIELDS. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ITS SLOW SPEED BY GOING IN, ATTACKING, THEN GOING OUT. DEMON: A PRETTY WEAK BOUTY HUNTER SHIP. USUALLY CAN ELIMINATE IT BY GOING HEAD TO HEAD, BUT WATCH OUT FOR ITS TORPEDOES, THEY CAN BE DANGEROUS TO A WEAK PRIVATEER. DRALTHI: THIS SHIP IS NO BIG THREAT WHEN ALONE, BUT WHEN IN PAIRS OF MORE THAN 3 THEY ARE DANGEROUS. THESE SHIPS ARE ALSO QUITE AGILE, SO USE GUNS AND MISSLES WISELY. DRAYMAN: A SLOW MERCHANT VESSEL, VERY EASY TO KILL, EXCEPT IN GROUPS OF 4 (A NAV POINT IN THE NEW DETROIT SYSTEM). WHEN ALONE, CUT YOUR SPEED THEN ATTACK WITH GUNS UNTILL ITS SHIELDS ARE GONE, THEN FIRE MISSLES, THEN GET CARGO. WHEN IN GROUPS, KEEP HIGH SPEED, AND MAKE MANY PASSES (USE TURRETS ALSO WHEN GOING AWAY FROM IT). GLADIUS: A WEAK MILITA FIGHTER. GO HEAD TO HEAD AND BLAST IT OUT OF SPACE. BEWARE: WHEN 3 OR 4 OF THESE GUYS ARE AROUND, UNLESS YOU ARE AN EXPERIENCED FIGHTER, RUN. GOTHRI: A BIG, HEAVILY ARMED KILRATHI SHIP. FIRE MANY MISSLES AT IT, THEN GET BEHIND IT AND BLAST AWAY. AVOID CONTACT WHEN POSSIBLE! KAMEKH: LARGE KILRATHI CAPITAL SHIP. USE LOTS OF MISSLES AND GUN BURSTS TO DESTROY THIS THREAT, AVOID WHEN POSSIBLE. PARADIGM: IF YOU ARE A PIRATE, AND ENCOUNTER ONE OF THESE, RUN! YOU CAN ALSO USE THE SAME TACTICS AS ON THE KAMEKH. STILETTO: A LIGHT CONFED FIGHTER, THAT YOU CAN DESTROY BY GOING HEAD TO HEAD THEN STICKING ON ITS REAR. NO NEED FOR MISSLES ON THIS FOE. TALON: A REAL POOR FIGHTER THAT IS USED BY EVERYONE IN THE GALAXY. JUST GO HEAD TO HEAD AND SOON IT WILL BE GONE. WITH SEVERAL OF THESE GUYS AROUND, IT CAN PROVE DIFFICULT TO KILL THEM ALL QUICKLY. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASTEROID TACTICS 1. IF IT WON'T AFFECT YOUR MISSION IN ANY WAY, THEN PUT ON INVULNERABILITY. 2. WHEN JUST FLYING THROUGH THEM, AND THERE ARE NO ENEMIES NEAR BYE, PUT SPEED TO ABOUT 300-350, SLOW DOWN IF TOO FAST. 3. ALSO WHEN FLYING ALONE IN ASTEROIDS, JUST ARM THE WEAKEST GUN(S) AND TRY TO SHOOT ASTEROIDS THAT YOU MIGHT RUN INTO. 4. WHEN ENGAGED IN COMBAT IN ASTEROIDS, USE MY AFTERBURNER TECHNIQUE: USE AFTERBURNERS, THEN MOVE THE SHIP (JOYSTICK) UP-DOWN, UP-DOWN, OR LEFT- RIGHT, LEFT-RIGHT. DO THIS FAST UNTIL OUT OF ASTEROIDS. YOU MAY HAVE TO EXPERIMENT WITH THIS TO PERFECT IT WITH YOUR SYSTEM AND SHIP. 5. AVOID COMBAT IN ASTEROIDS, UNLESS YOU ARE A REAL ACE. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ESCORT TACTICS 1. YES, WE ALL HATE ESCORT MISSIONS, UNLESS YOU ARE A VERY GOOD PLAYER, BUT HERE ARE SOME GOOD TIPS. 2. THERE ARE USUALLY ONLY ONE OR TWO FIGHTERS IN A BATTLE THAT WILL GO AFTER A MERCHANT YOU ARE PROTECTING. TAKE THESE OUT, AND THEN JUST DESTROY THE REMAINING FIGHTERS AT EASE. 3. WHEN ALL FIGHTERS IN FIRST WAVE OF ATTACKERS ARE DESTROYED EXCEPT ONE, THEN JUST FOLLOW HIM AND DON'T DESTROY HIM. THIS ALLOWS FOR YOUR SHIELDS AND THE MERCHANT'S SHIELDS TO REGENERATE. WHEN ALL SHIELDS ARE AT MAX, THEN BLOW THE TALON OR WHATEVER OUT OF SPACE! 4. WHEN ESCORTING, YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAY NEAR THE SHIP YOU ARE PROTECTING. JUST STAY WITHIN 10,000 K'S OF IT WHILE DOGFIGHTING. IF SHIPS ARE ATTACKING IT, THEN STAY CLOSE AND DESTROY THEM FIRST, THEN DO STEP THREE. 5. ESCORT MISSIONS MAY BE DIFFICULT, BUT WITH PRACTICE, YOU CAN WIN! 6. TRY PUTTING ON INVINCIBILITY AND GOING OUT AND LOOKING WHAT THE BATTLE WILL BE LIKE. YOU CAN FIND NUMBER AND TYPE OF FIGHTERS, AND WHERE YOU WILL ENGAGE THEM. THEN MAKE ARRANGEMENTS IN GUNS OR MISSLES ACCORDINGLY. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- BEST SHIP TYPES/WEAPON LAYOUTS 1. IN MY EXPERIENCE, THE CENTURION WAS THE BEST SHIP. IT WAS FAST, MANAUVERABLE, AND HAD A LOT OF ROOM FOR WEAPONS. THE ORION WAS ALSO GOOD FOR RAMMING TACTICS, AND IT HAD GOOD PROTECTION. ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T USED IT MUCH, THE GALAXY IS A GOOD SHIP WHILE USED IN THE RIGHT HANDS, ALTHOUGH I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND IT FOR COMPLETING THE STORY LINE. THEN THERE IS THE TARSUS, IT IS A GOOD SHIP, BUT UNDER POWERED AND THE LACK OF A TURRET FOR A TRACTOR BEAM IS NOT GOOD. 2. THE BEST WEAPONS FOR ALMOST ANY SHIP, ARE 2 (4) TACHYON CANNONS. THE PLASMA CANNONS COST TOO MUCH AND DRAIN POWER A LOT. THERE MIGHT BE A BETTER COMBINATION (BELIVE ME, I LOOKED!) WITH GUNS, BUT FOR NOW, I RECOMMEND THE TACHYON COMBO. 3. AGAIN, THE BEST COMBINATION OF EXTRAS IS A ECM3, REPAIR DROID, AS GOOD AS RADAR YOU CAN GET, A TRACTER BEAM IN A TURRET, AND TWO MISSLE LAUNCHERS. YOU ALSO SHOULD HAVE 20 IR MISSLES. THEY ALLOW YOU TO CONCENTRATE ON ONE ENEMY AT A TIME. I HAVEN'T USED FF MISSLES AT ALL, BUT I AM SURE THEY HAVE THEIR USES. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MISSIONS 1.Q: WHY WON'T THE TRACTOR BEAM WORK PROPERLY? A: WELL, FIRST IT MAY BE THAT YOUR CARGO BAY IS FULL, BUT MOST OF THE TIME THE CARGO JUST FLOATS AROUND YOUR SHIP WHILE TRYING TO GET IT INTO THE HOLD. I JUST LOCK ON THE CARGO WITH THE TRACTOR BEAM, THEN GO TO THE COCKPIT AND TRY TO RAM THE CARGO. YOU WILL NOT DAMAGE THE CARGO, UNLESS IT IS NOT LOCKED ON BY THE TRACTOR BEAM. ANOTHER TRACTOR BEAM PROBLEM IS THAT YOU CANNOT LOCK THE TRACTOR BEAM ONTO SOME CARGO. MOST LIKELY, THE CARGO IS TOO FAR AWAY. 2.Q: WHEN I COMPLETE A MISSION, AND GO TO EVERY NAV POINT, AND DESTROY EVERY ONE IN THE AREA, WHY DO I NOT GET PAIDED (OR GET FIRED) FROM MY EMPLOYER? A: SOME TIMES YOU MAY HAVE THE INVULNERABILITY OR UNLIMITED AMMO ON, WHICH STOPS YOU FROM COMPLETING THE MISSION. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT YOU STOPPED SOMEWHERE ON THE WAY. YOU *CANNOT* STOP WHEN GOING ON A CERTAIN MISSION TO A CERTAIN PLACE (THERE ARE A FEW ACCEPTIONS). GOOD LUCK, HOPE IT HELPS. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, CONTACT ME: 71023,2715 MIKE "WOLF" DELPRETE