1. Introduction
2. Basic Space Combat & Tactics
3. Advanced Combat Tactics
4. Dynamic Missions
5. Secrets/Cheats
1. Introduction
Welcome to the Star Wraith: Shadows of Orion strategy guide. This document will give you the information it takes to dominate the game, defeat other pilots in multiplayer, and cheat if you choose to. This guide is for Star Wraith: Shadows of Orion only, refer to other guides for earlier versions. This guide is offered for those players looking for inside tips and tricks to help complete the game and become more successful pilots. While the information contained in this document may give you an advantage, the single best way to improve your chances and abilities is to practice.
This guide may also be updated from time to time with new tips and to keep current with any revisions the game might receive.
Combat Region Map of the Alliance-Federation War
2. Basic Space Combat & Tactics
Since the dawn of the 20th century, the concept of combat aviation has developed from a bi-plane pilot pointing a pistol at another aircraft to ion-powered and shielded starfighters. Aircraft were developed to use the various environmental factors to attain flight while the latest spacecraft almost completely avoid using any outside environmental parameters for flight. This means pilots have had to learn new techniques and technologies to keep their edge over their adversary in an ever changing field. For many years, it was believed computers should be the only pilots of this new generation of fighter technology. And even today, many types of spacecraft still use a computer based pilot system. But in the figher role, the unpredictability and decision making abilities of a trained human have once again placed people back into the cockpit. This would never have happened had counter-technologies not been created by the Federation, which were easy to generate after capturing just one of our damaged computer-controlled fighters. Once the software was analyzed, the Federation could easily design their own pilot systems to counter our efforts. And the introduction of advanced shielding systems meant that the human pilot was more protected in a fighter combat situation than ever before. As a trained F-144E Star Wraith pilot, your job is to enhance your abilities to become the front line of defense in the protection of the entire Terran system. This section will cover basic combat and maneuvering tactics you can use to increase your chances for success.
Space Flight Dynamics
Space flight technology has changed dramatically since spacecraft of the 20th century first launched. Early primitive spacecraft were limited to using thrusters to turn and were often a distracting challenge to effectively fly. These thrusters were often not modulated, requiring the pilot to time the amount of thrust they used. Thrusting in one direction often meant continually moving until counter-thrusting was done. Needless to say, flying in space certainly consumed most of the pilot's attention. When combat began in space, it was obvious pilots needed a way to focus their attention on fighting rather than becoming overwhelmed with trying to fly their fighters. So just as jet fighters went from cable controls to "fly-by-wire" computer systems that allowed pilots to focus on fighting, space fighters also improved their flight dynamics. Primitive directional thrusters were retired in favor of modulated ion emitters that gave the pilot a near "point-and-shoot" flight model. The modern systems minimize sliding in various directions while performing high-G maneuvers. The emitters counter-act the the effects of intertia and constantly work to keep the fighter's movement and momentum as stable and predictable as possible. Some sliding is still allowed since immediate response would risk injury to the pilot from harmful G-forces. So the momentum of a modern starfighter generally keeps the flight model within 10 G's.
To acheive this level of performance, the flight system on the Star Wraith fighter uses vectoring thrust and various emitters on it's surface to control maneuvering. The example below shows how a right turn is acheived. Forward momentum is maintained by the main engines, while vectoring the thrust allows the back end of the plane to turn slightly. An emitter on the left side helps turn the front end of the fighter so that a smooth right turn is acheived when the pilot pulls right on the control stick. The fighter will then continue to mostly move in the direction it is facing, regardless of the intensity of the turn (although the harder your turn, the more sliding is allowed by the control system to prevent harmful G-forces). If the pilot returns the control stick to the center position, the right emitter will automatically help counter the rotation to allow the fighter to move straight toward the new direction. The pilot is not required to input thruster controls to counter rotations, slides, or movement... the control system does it automatically.
Planetary Flight
Another added challenge to the modern starfighter pilot is planetary entry and atmospheric flight. The Star Wraith fighter features several key technologies that simplify entering a planet's atmosphere. If you encounter a mission that requires striking targets on the surface of a planet, it's important to understand how the technologies work. First, your shields do a fair job of protecting your fighter from the massive heat caused by entering an atmosphere. Most M-class and similar planets have atmospheres with a density ratio of 20:1 or less which allows for safe entry, but some planets have very thick atmospheres that make entry impossible or very dangerous. Avoid entering planets that aren't designated for safe entry. When you descend into a planet, keep the nose of your fighter pointed directly at the planet through the entire entry, otherwise you may delay the process long enough to cause critical damage to your hull. Keep your speed at or below 70. As your fighter enters the atmosphere a bright red glow will appear in your view as the added friction builds massive heat. Visibility will be very difficult at some points as plasma begins to react with your shields, so it's important to maintain your course even though you can't see what's ahead so you don't risk burning up. Skimming the atmosphere is what you want to avoid, modern shield technology allows for nearly vertical descents at modest speeds. Once you reach a certain altitude, your reverse thrusters will fire and any plasma that was reacting with your shields will gradually fade away, allowing full visibility. Once your reverse thrusters fire, your indicated speed will be 1/10 of the value displayed in space and your avionics will switch to atmosphere mode. Your AGL (Above Ground Level) altitude will be displayed next to the fighter status display. Switching to atmosphere avionics also means you won't be able to use your jumpjets since you'd blow up pretty quick at those speeds. While in a planet's atmosphere, it's important to keep your eye on the altitude display and be careful not to run into the ground at speeds over about 50 since your shields can't protect you from solid matter collisions with terrain. Your maneuvering thrusters also require some forward momentum to keep you in the air, they aren't powerful enough to offer full hover flight. However, your directional thrusters will do their best to maintain the same point-and-shoot flight model acheived in space flight.
The Challenge of Space Combat
Combat in space means the pilot must keep track of a situation that involves every directional angle and any possible position. While the freedom of space flight allows maneuvering to be much more versatile, it also means more skill is involved to master the options available and counter those options from a defensive standpoint. In atmosphere combat, it was easier to keep track of targets since there were certain limitations and guidlines each plane had to abide by in order to maintain flight. Aircraft always moved in a forward direction, fought using a certain speed range, and were limited in the ways they could turn due to the limitations of air flight. So tracking a target aircraft and predicting it's future movement were easier tasks then they are today. In the realm of space flight, a target can approach from any position at just about any speed from any direction. And spacecraft can climb or dive just as fast as they can fly in any other direction, there are no dimensional direction restrictions. With these added challenges, the flight systems of fighter craft have had to adapt and present the pilot with the necessary information to help them effectively fight, without overloading them with too much information that might distract their concentration. The main method for presenting this information to the pilot is the Heads-Up-Display (HUD). The HUD is simply a transparent display panel that projects flight and target data directly onto the pilot's helmet visor.
The Star Wraith HUD system continues the concept of giving pilots what they ask for, keeping the display simple and the information it projects easily readable. Sticking to colors that are more artificial in their appearance helps distinguish HUD data from what the pilot might see in the environment. Not using colors such as orange or white and avoiding wildly colorful displays is mandatory to presenting clear information. Blue and green are generally considered to be the best choices for HUD colors and Star Wraith pilots are able to choose which one they prefer. Weapon and target data are typically colored red, flight parameters and friendly data are generally light blue or green in color. Information about your fighter and its weapons are displayed on the left side of the HUD. Energy and flight information is displayed on either side of the radar. Other craft information is displayed on the right side of the HUD. The target you currently have locked is displayed at the top of the HUD, along with its distance.
One of the most important combat tools is your 3D radar system. This device gives you the exact direction of every craft in the area. In 3D space, knowing the direction a target is approaching from is critical to completing effective combat maneuvers. The Star Wraith radar displays direction data from a birds-eye type perspective, as if viewing the combat area from above and slightly behind the position of the pilot. A light blue box is placed in the middle of the display and indicates the exact forward direction of the player. You can use this as a reference to determine how far you need to turn to face a particular craft in the area.
Radar Display Examples
Combat Tactics (Single and Multiplayer)
The MDTS can be used very effectively at certain speeds and angles of attack. It's best to use the MDTS when flying directly toward a target that is flying directly at you, or when a target is flying slow. As illustrated in the diagram below, keeping your target in one corner of your gunsight will maximize your ability to hit an enemy fighter while minimizing their ability to return fire. Make sure your speed is above 70 or so, otherwise you may fly slow enough for incoming gunfire to strike you. Try to be the first to shoot as soon as you are in range and be prepared to evade incoming gunfire if needed.
Your opponent's MDTS system can't compensate for strafe jet movement. Although at low speeds, the strafe jets can't move your fighter out of the way in time before incoming gunfire can hit you. It is best to use the strafe jets at high speeds, or to hide behind asteroids or space stations, then peak around a corner to launch an attack.
In most missions, it is beneficial to order your pilots to join formation, then approach an enemy squadron at an angle not directly toward them. Once fairly close, 400 meters or less, press the F key again to let them resume their attack. The AI in Star Wraith: Shadows of Orion will perform better at closer ranges. Always avoid letting your squadron just fly straight into an attack.
The best overall main gun is the Plasma cannon. Although if you are very accurate and skilled using the MDTS, the Maxim Ion cannon can be a major advantage for you, especially in multiplayer games.
The swirl approach (illustrated below) can be used to increase your evasion effectiveness. To do this, keep an approaching target at the edge of your gunsight so the MDTS is always active. Use the turn and pitch controls to move the target in a circular pattern around the edge of the gunsight. Begin firing immediately when the target is in range. If the target is approaching at a slower speed or flying directly at you, your shots will likely strike while their shots will likely miss. Make sure you use pitch and turn controls, not just roll. If you just roll in circles, you aren't changing your position and will be an easy target.
There are several important combat situations to keep in mind:
- If you take engine damage, afterburners won't work until your engines have repaired themselves to about 75%. Your Fulcrum Jump Drive won't function until your engines are at 100%. Engine damage is the most critical. If you have weapon or navigation system damage, you can still use your engines to get away and repair, but if your engines are damaged, you may not be able to escape and will likely have to evade.
- If you collide with another ship or object in space, you can use your strafe jets to avoid another collision or evade gunfire. You can also use your afterburner to quickly regain lost speed after an impact. Try to avoid colliding with other craft as it leaves you very vulnerable to attack. Occasionally, colliding with an asteroid or other ship can give you an optimal attack position on a target that is following you. But make sure your speed is low enough to do this safely (usually 70 or less is safe for asteroid collisions, most speeds are safe when colliding with other ships).
- If you take weapon damage, your primary guns will likely misfire. The rate of misfiring will decrease as the system repairs itself, but this process can take time. Do you best to evade enemy gunfire and try to buy yourself enough time to repair any systems that may be damaged.
Another very useful maneuver for both single player and multiplayer combat is the slide-n-shoot. This tactic involves using your strafe jets to slide sideways or diagonally while you are heading in for an attack. While keeping your target at the edge of your outer HUD gunsight (also referred to as the Cone of Vulnerability) and at a distance of about 500 meters, use the strafe jets to slide in the opposite direction of the edge to minimize the chances of getting hit by incoming gunfire. It's important to keep your speed over 50 at this point, 70 or higher is recommended. Also, make sure your MDTS is always on. This maneuver helps evade incoming gunfire more effectively and can usually let you get in closer for an attack. Begin firing at a distance of 500 meters or less and continue to fire until you need to turn away or decide to perform a different maneuver.
When a target is flying away, the effective range of your primary cannons is reduced since it takes longer for the shots to reach the target. It is best to fire only at close range when a target is flying away from you. Also, the farther away a target is, the less likely your shots will hit. It's best to fire only at a range of 400-500 if the target is approaching you directly, otherwise you may lose valuable weapon energy when you may need it later as the target gets closer.
Another useful maneuver is the high speed attack. This tactic can be highly effective if used correctly, but it can also quickly destroy you if not done carefully. To perform this maneuver, make sure your starting distance is at least 1200 meters away. Use your jumpjet to get away from your target if needed. Verify your target is not approaching at jumpjet speed. Keep your target in the corner of your gunsight and hit the jumpjet. As you approach, make sure your weapon energy charges to at least 75% or more before attacking, otherwise you may need to wait and make another pass (and adjust your starting distance if your target is moving faster or slower). Try to secure a missile lock as you approach. Once your range is about 400-500, begin firing your main cannons (which should be well charged), your speed should still be well above 200 at this point. Turn slightly as needed to avoid any incoming gunfire, but always keep your target at the edge of the gunsight so the MDTS can track it. Once you are near point blank range (100-200 or so), fire your secondary weapon to destroy the target if the gunshots haven't done so already. The most important point to keep in mind when doing this maneuver is always watch for incoming gunfire and missiles. At jumpjet speeds, you will have very little time to react if a missile is launched or a stream of gunfire is sent your way. It's better to turn away and try a different maneuver then it is to attempt completing your run and risk being destroyed.
Remember to use your helmet cam views. If you have a game controller with HAT support, this can help you in a dogfight. Learn how to track a target visually with the HAT and still perform the maneuvers needed to obtain the optimal attack angle. With practice, the padlock view (V key pressed twice) can also help, but the HAT control is by far the most useful in an intense dogfight.
MULTIPLAYER TIPS
Flight Tactics
Avoid entering a "death spiral" with other players. That is, if your speed is close to your target's speed and you fly by them, then try to turn to face each other for another attack, you may start flying around in circles. This is nicknamed a "death spiral" and may leave you vulnerable to attack from another approaching player. It also allows your opponent time for their shields to recharge. If you get in a situation like this, there are a couple of things you can do. You can drop your speed to 0 which may allow you to turn in time to face your target, but you will be a sitting duck for other players. Be aware of your surroundings if you try this tactic. You can also hit your afterburner for a short burst of speed in one direction that may allow you to turn in time. As a last resort, you can hit your jump jets to get away from the situation, wait until your shields recharge before attempting to enter another conflict.
If your opponent is a jump jet junky and enjoys flying around you at high speed, you can use this to your advantage. If your opponent is flying directly at you at jump jet speeds and you have a missile lock, firing a missile will leave them very little time to react and chaff will likely not be effective even if launched in time since they will be flying toward the missile head-on. The Excalibur can particularly do a lot of damage this way. Gunfire can also be very effective since it takes a very long time to turn away at jump jet speeds.
If they jump jet away from you, you have the option to follow behind them. Do this quickly. If you're able to get in behind them, you will return to normal speed about the same time they do and their shields will be reduced from the jump. This gives you the advantage if they're facing away from you and need to turn around. If you need additional jump jet power, set your energy bias to E, this will give you an added 2-3 seconds of boost which can make for a large distance if needed. This can help you escape if another player is trying to follow you, giving you added time for your shields to recharge.
In multiplayer, there is a support station in most environments that offers reloading and recharging. If you can reach the station, simply fly into it and stop. Your systems will be repaired, weapons reloaded, shields recharged, and countermeasures refilled.
Weapon Tactics
The best overall cannon in multiplayer is probably the Maxim Ion cannon. You want to do as much damage as possible in the shortest amount of time. Practice to become a good shot with this main gun and learn what angles and directions work best with the MDTS (always leave the MDTS on). To minimize incoming shots from hitting you while approaching an opponent, keep your target near the edge of the outer gunsight marker near a corner. You can turn away slightly for short bursts to avoid incoming gunfire more effectively if needed.
Leech missiles can be a great multiplayer weapon. By stunning your opponent, they will not be able to fire at you or jump away, leaving them vulnerable to attack. They will also be without a radar and will have to spot you visually. The only thing that can save them at that point is their evasion skill.
Many players consider the Excalibur the ultimate weapon since many of their opponents aren't sure how to avoid this weapon, especially at close range. Fortunately, there are effective evasion tactics against it. One technique is to bait the player carrying the Excalibur into firing the weapon when you have your jumpjets charged. If the weapon is launched at close range, you can still take a few hits and survive by jumping away. Turn away before making the jump, otherwise you may jump right into the series of missiles. You will be able to easily outrun the missiles and even have enough time to circle around and come in for an attack before your opponent's Excalibur is able to reload.
FIGHTER SPECIFIC MULTIPLAYER TIPS
For most combat situation, the two best choices for multiplayer gameplay are the Star Wraith and Raven fighters. The Quasar and Shadow are a little too weak to be effective in multiplayer combat with other players and should only be considered if you want to handicap a player. Here are some important combat concepts for both offensive and defense strategies using either the Star Wraith or Raven.
STAR WRAITH - Offense
The main advantage is speed which should be used as often as possible. Keeping the energy reserve near 80-90 percent when guns aren't needed will help provide a rapid response when the jump drive is needed. Even the afterburner provides a healthy speed advantage over any other Alliance fighter. Such speed capabilities can be used to quickly hide behind an asteroid or other object if a missile is locked on as well as obtaining a distance when time is needed for subsystem repair. It's a good idea to stay well aware of all enemy fighters in the area so if you get outnumbered or outgunned, you can get away in a hurry. Avoid letting yourself get into close combat situations with an escape. When you can't use speed, you lose the main advantage this fighter offers. Maneuverability is another advantage of the Star Wraith. With practice, flying by a target at high speed, then turning to engage can provide an optimal attack position much faster then in other fighters.
STAR WRAITH - Defense
The best tactic against the Star Wraith is to limit its ability to use speed. You can accomplish this several ways. First, flying in asteroid caves will make the jump drive (the main speed advantage the SW has) almost useless. Asteroid fields can also be useful to minimize the opportunities for using the jump drive. You can also use leech EMP missiles to disrupt the jump drive. Baiting a Star Wraith pilot into continually using guns will also keep their energy reserve too low to use the jump drive. Securing missile locks at long ranges and firing at point blank ranges will maximize the potential for a hit.
RAVEN - Offense
Shield power is the main benefit with the Raven. And boosting power to the shield further improves this advantage. Attacking any other fighter head-to-head is the Raven's advantage. Close range combat is also the best way to use the Raven. Environments such as asteroid fields and asteroid caves can give the Raven exactly what it needs... namely slow moving opponents with little room to evade.
RAVEN - Defense
Avoid letting yourself get in the middle of two or more fighters. This can leave you vulnerable to either gunfire or missile attacks that the Raven can't defend against. In a one-on-one match, the Raven can be unstoppable, but when incoming gunfire is doubled or tripled, it's lack of speed can be a drawback. Stay ready on the afterburner and jump drive to avoid situations like this. Also be aware of any enemy fighter approaching at high speed and be prepared to turn perpindicular to their direction to avoid getting hit by any missiles fired at close range. If present, stay close to the reloading station to replace countermeasures and missiles as needed (you will likely use a lot more countermeasures in the slow moving Raven).
3. Advanced Combat Tactics
Star Wraith includes several combat gameplay features that provide lots of options to attack or evade. So many in fact, that it might be a little overwhelming at first. So this seperate section is offered to provide further details on more advanced combat tactics that can be useful once you have the basics down.
As of this writing, Star Wraith is the only space-sim that I know of which features HUD based directional indicators for pitch and yaw (something that's standard on jet fighter simulations, but seems to be left out of space-sims, even though they can be very useful for dogfighting maneuvers). These displays will be important when performing the high precision maneuvers discussed in this section. It's important to be aware of your direction in relation to the universe around you. This way, you can make more informed decisions about which maneuvers to perform and at what timing. When the yaw indicator is at 180 and the pitch indicator is at 0, you will be flying straight ahead relative to the direction you were when you launched from the carrier (or respawned in multiplayer). So when your yaw indicator is at 0, you'll know you're headed in exactly the opposite direction. Your pitch indicator will display a value between -90 and 90 (the U indicates whether the result is negative or positive, upright is positive, up-side-down is negative), this tells you how far the nose of your fighter is from the horizon (level flight relative to a carrier's or docking station's orientation). Here are a few images to illustrate this concept further:
A very important consideration when performing maneuvers using the yaw and pitch indicators is to be aware of your roll angle. Your yaw and pitch displays will always indicate accurate angles for the direction your are heading, regardless of the roll angle you're at. So keep in mind that if you are flying level with 0 yaw and 0 pitch angles, then roll right 90 degrees, turning left or right will then effect your relative pitch, not your yaw. When you're preparing to perform a maneuver, you may want to turn to 180,0 or 0,0 before beginning your maneuver until you're familiar with how these directional displays work in relation to all three rotational angles.
Now for some advanced tactics. The first and most important point when dogfighting in any Alliance fighter is speed is life. Do your best to keep your speed as high as possible, especially when you're up against more experienced pilots. Avoid colliding with anything, as a sudden decrease in speed can leave you vulnerable to attack. If you are unfortunate enough to collide with an opponent or object in space, check for the closest enemy fighter and be prepared to use your strafe jets while firing as soon as possible at the nearest fighter. Being the first to open fire at low speed can mean the difference between victory or defeat. If you collide with an asteroid or some other object that doesn't shoot back and the nearest enemy fighter is at least 500 meters away, then you'll likely have time to accelerate before getting hit by enemy gunfire. Use your afterburner to quickly regain lost momentum and remain constantly aware of the enemy fighters in the area. If you need to evade incoming gunfire from a nearby enemy fighter, keep your direction as close as possible to perpindicular of the direction your opponent is headed. This will minimize their chance of hitting you. Once your speed is high enough, you can gradually start shifting the angle to your opponent so you start flying away. You may need to continue adjusting your direction to keep a near 90-degree angle since an enemy fighter will gradually be able to move in behind you if you just keep going in the same direction. The key is to balance the angle you are to the enemy fighter to maximize the rate of increasing distance while minimizing the opportunity for your opponent to hit you with gunfire. Once your energy reserves are high enough, you can use your jumpjets to get away as needed.
One very effective tactic involves baiting your opponent into the position you want them, then turning the hunter into the hunted. Keeping your approach angle wide enough to avoid enemy gunfire, approach your target until you are very close, perhaps within 200 meters or so. Then hit your jumpjet and fly directly away from your target. When you reach a distance of about 700-800 meters, quickly turn and face your opponent while applying your strafe jets in a diagonal direction. As you bring your target into the HUD's Cone of Vulnerability (COV), keep the target at the opposite edge of the COV that you are applying strafe jets to. So if you are strafing down and left, keep your target at the upper right corner of the COV. Once in range, start shooting. You need to turn and face your opponent quickly and not let the range get greater than about 800 meters to prevent your speed decreasing too far and leaving you more vulnerable to incoming fire. Keeping your speed above about 200 MPS is an important aspect to this maneuver and when properly executed, it is almost impossible for your opponent to hit you.
Diagonal strafe jet movement is more effective at evading incoming gunfire from a target approaching head on. If you're approaching a target that is heading directly toward you, diagonal strafe jet movement adds another element of movement that is difficult to track. Combined with high speed and keeping your target at the edge of the COV, using such strafe jet movement will make it nearly impossible for an enemy fighter to hit you at most ranges.
Distance can also mean survival. Avoid letting yourself get too close to your opponents. Getting too close can allow your enemy to obtain an optimal angle of attack and also risks collisions. If you are in a close dogfight, watch your inbound missile indicator carefully and be ready to launch counter-measures as soon as possible. Also, if you get into a spiral with another pilot where neither of you can turn in time to face the other, keep an eye on your 3D radar and direction arrow to stay away of your opponent's position. They may decide to suddenly stop, which may give them an angle directly above you, leaving you vulnerable to attack. If your opponent manages to get an optimal attack angle on you and your hit by gunfire, change your direction rapidly (again keeping the angle to your opponent perpindicular to their direction) and use your jumpjet or afterburner as needed to put some distance between you and your opponent.
As mentioned above, one effective tactic you can use when close to an opponent is to suddenly decrease your speed. You'll want to be well aware of any other enemy fighters in the area before performing this maneuver, or you risk leaving yourself as a sitting duck. When an enemy fighter is mostly perpindicular to your position, but perhaps turning in toward your position slightly (as illustrated in the image above), suddenly decreasing your speed can give you an optimal angle of attack above your target (or other similar position that leaves your enemy vulnerable). Continue using strafe jet movement to keep some movement to retain the optimal position and fire with guns as soon as possible. If your opponent catches on to your tactic, they may also slow down to try and achieve a similar angle on you. So try and be the first to begin firing to increase your chances for success.
Another important tactic to use involves exploiting the environment around you. Here is one maneuver you can use for a variety of environments that have objects or terrain to hide behind. When you need recovery time, fly behind the protection of an asteroid or other object and come to a stop. If needed, use your strafe jets to keep yourself hidden from your opponents until you have the needed shield or weapon energy. Keep your distance from the object so you can build momentum before performing this maneuver. You can use the minus key to fire your reverse thrusters so you can back up a little, if needed. Wait until you have your target locked as desired and when it's on the far side of the object at a distance of at least 500 meters. When you're ready, point the nose of your fighter directly at the object you're hiding behind and hit your engines (afterburner for added thrust). Begin using your vertical strafe thruster to climb above or descend below the object while keeping your nose pointing forward (changing angle only if needed to avoid a collision). As your speed builds, you should be able to fly by the object quickly enough to bring your target into view and rapidly fire missiles and cannons as needed. Continue using your vertical strafe thruster for added evasion and adjust your orientation to keep the target in your gunsight. This will take some practice and you'll eventually develop a timing that works best to keep your target far enough and heading toward you at the right angle for this to work best. The result will be you minimze your vulnerability to attack while increasing the element of surprise for attack against your opponent.
4. Dynamic Missions
The mission structure in Star Wraith: Shadows of Orion is fully dynamic, and also requires careful mission selection in order to win the campaign. Choosing a wrong mission or losing the correct mission will immediately send you down the losing path. Winning path mission sets always contain more then one available mission. The losing path contains only one mission at a time. This way, you can tell which path your on by how many missions you have to choose from. If you fail the losing mission, the game will end right away. Completing the mission will likely return you to the winning path.
Read the mission briefing carefully. When selecting a mission, consider what goals would be best to acheive security and victory for the Alliance. Hints are given in the briefings as to which mission is the winning one.
Here are some tips to completing the campaign:
- Get clan support by escorting the Admiral and responding to requests for help.
- Consider large targets and border threats a priority.
- Securing sections of space can be beneficial to the Alliance.
- Pay more attention to Vonari threats if it directly effects the Alliance.
4. Secrets/Cheats
Odds are, half of you skipped to this section. So without any further delay, here's what you're after.
The first thing to remember at the beginning of a mission is that each enemy craft is set to attack each fighter in your squadron from left to right. That is, the left approaching enemy fighter will be set to attack the left fighter in your squadron (all from your perspective at launch). The next enemy fighter over will attack the next fighter over in your squadron, and so on down the line until there are no more friendly fighters left. Once the limit of friendly fighters is reached, every enemy fighter to the right from that point on will be set to attack you (that's why there are usually 1-3 more enemy fighters in a mission then friendly craft). You can use this to your advantage. Leaving your squadron behind, you can jump jet behind a fighter headed toward one of your wingmen and attack them. They will not fire back at you, and usually won't have time to evade until after you're able to destroy them, if you make your attack quick. In escort missions, it is very important to destroy the two fighters that are set to attack the ships you are escorting (usually the 4th and 5th enemy fighters).
Tired of getting destroyed over and over again in the single player campaign? There is a cheat that can help you out. Although not recommended since it detracts from the challenge of the game, you can give yourself invincibility by entering your pilot's callsign as "imacheater" in lower case letters, no quotes. You're shields won't drop again until you change your callsign. Obviously, this option will not work in multiplayer.