Posts by NukeIt

Somebody, somewhere has already done at least a few of the Homeworld classic ships. I remember a long time ago playing with a mod that added the Taiidan interceptor as a playable HF... it didn't work quite right (IIRC it could only be damaged by missiles and mines), but the model and texture were correct.

Then there's this in the downloads section... I don't know anything about this one because I've never tried it- I will at some point because I'm a huge Homeworld fan, but I haven't had time for much gaming at all this month.

Perhaps in one of the rumors? Some of those are known to contain bits and pieces of various earlier versions of the FL story that just weren't edited out before release... like the 8 sleeper ships rumor that got everyone all steamed up back in the day. I think i remember seeing something somewhere about the Osiris not originally having a cloak, but it wasn't in character dialogue. If it was a rumor, then it has to be considered suspect information. If it didn't come from an in-game source at all, then it was likely part of the original story that got cut (just like most of the intro vid).

Orillion for me. You just can't top stealing a battleship, unless it's a battleship that cloaks. And, well, it is a battleship that cloaks. And Orillion stole it.

Nice! Wasn't expecting an answer so quick... can't wait to try it out.

I just cleared the campaign for the first time in years, and along the way I was reminded of one minor issue I've always had with FL- the length of time it takes for a shield to come back on after being knocked down. Using shield batteries is expensive and wasteful; for higher-tier ships a single activation can cost tens of thousands of credits when all you really needed was to jump-start the recharge process. Sometimes you're short of cash, or flying around in hostile space... for whatever reason, you need to stretch your supplies as far as possible.

So, bearing in mind that I have zero practical experience with FL modding despite having been around since the demo:

Obviously the game can recognize when the shield is full so it knows to only use a certain number of batteries, and it's possible to use batteries when you don't have enough to fill your shield, so there must be some function somewhere that decides how many batteries to use when the key is pressed. Is there some way to limit that function so that it only uses a single battery, no matter how many are available for use or what the shield's charge status is?

Also, would it be possible to map two separate activation functions, one of which uses only a single battery, plus the stock full recharge function?

I haven't been on here in so long I'd forgotten what my username was and thought it was on my old and defunct email account- filled out the whole registration form before it kicked me back because it recognized my email addy and I realized I could just reset my password after all.

I could've sworn I was using my Ion_Fury alias for FL, but I guess that was just in multi.

Anyhow, I've been feeling nostalgic recently, so FL is installed again and ready to rock. I somehow doubt I'll be able to jump in my old Patriot right away seeing as how I haven't played in years, but I'm sure I'll brush off the dust sooner or later. Good to be back.

I like that weapons are able to fire off-axis. It turns gunnery and piloting into two different skills, and thus allows players to develop tactics according to their own skills and not a common standard.

I don't like that FL maintains the "lasers don't travel at the speed of light" trope that's plagued science fiction since the dawn of the genre- but that's a different discussion.

There's a neat little trick/exploit that can let you level up faster without much effort in SP- buy a whole lot of cargo at a low price that is worth a significant amount elsewhere. Your current worth is calculated based on the best price you could get for your current cargo, rather than how much it was worth when you bought it. This doesn't always work, but if you're close to a level it can save you quite a bit of time.

Also, tractor everything while on a mission. Keep an eye out for the loot icon at the bottom of the screen and hit tractor all (B) every time you see it. After each battle, you can take a quick stock of what you've reeled in and make room for more valuable stuff (H-fuel is a pretty common drop in SP, especially when Rheinlanders show up, and is worth a decent amount in most places). You might already be doing this, but if you're not then I highly recommend starting- it will almost always take a chunk out of your next level before you even reach it.

Also, like others have said, avoid the use of ammunition-based weapons if you're having money trouble. Countermeasures are dirt cheap, so they're not much of a problem, but a full load of decent mines or missiles could easily cost you as much as your next level- or as much as some new ships. As for shield batteries and nanobots, don't use them unless you absolutely have to- even if your shields go down, try your best to evade until they come back up and only use batteries if you keep taking hits. Likewise, only use nanobots when you're on the edge of death- it is almost always cheaper to repair a ship on the ground than it is with nanobots.

I don´t think I´ll ever understand how some people find political motives in the most unlikely places...it´s almost as if they have a clear idea of what they´re going to find, then go off looking to see what fits that notion. Oh, wait, maybe that´s it right there. I´m not well-versed in political science, though, so I´m not an expert on the subject, but it does not appear to be the game that has a political agenda here. Games make bad political statements- only gamers play games, and gamers make up a very small percentage of the world´s population. If someone wants to make a point about politics, they go to the media and get their face on TV, or in a newspaper, where millions and millions more people will see and hear what they have to say. It just doesn´t make any kind of sense to spend wads and wads of cash and months upon months, even years on developing a game, just to make a point about politics. ESPECIALLY when that game is already known to be a niche title that will likely not become the be-all-end-all of gaming. If someone, for whatever reason, decided they wanted to make a political statement with a game (unlikely), they would pick a better-known title...for example, they might make a mod for Half-Life 2 or Counter-Strike Source- or better yet, the already controversial Grand Theft Auto series. They would not use a title like Freelancer, whose predecessor never quite caught mainstream attention. Remember: people who want to make an important statement will do so, wherever possible, in such a way that it catches the attention of a wide and varied audience. Games don´t do that. For one, games appeal mostly to the age group which is the LEAST politically active- that being young adults, and to a lesser extent, children. Everybody knows that young people don´t vote, so nobody tries to appeal to them (which only causes a vicious cycle effect). TV, right now, is the most powerful medium for making any kind of statement. If one wanted to affect the thinking of this country´s youth by any means, it would be a popular TV show, NOT a relatively unpopular game series. Freelancer incorporates recognizable elements of modern culture and recent world history (the past 200 years, give or take) to make it easier for the player to identify with the characters and the storyline of the game. It is a common technique in the entertainment industry- it does not mean that the game has political undertones. The developers at Digital Anvil most certainly did not cook up this fictional universe while yelling "fight the power!" Their motive was, as with the vast majority of games, movies, TV series, and most everything else, money. "How can we get more people to play this game and like it?" Not "beware of the MAN." You are looking for a deeper meaning where only a shallow, simple one exists.

I´d post reruns of my favorite little Osiris prank, but trent just spoiled the mood for that one. ´Tis a shame, that one always gets a few giggles...

There are mods for download here which add in the Paralyzer launcher...not to mention others which add in various "missing" elements of the game (the highest levels of the OTHER two types of shields, the Starblazer, etc). How to do it yourself...well, your guess is as good as mine; I´ve never tried. As for the trigger...use the GoTo command to go to the waypoint. Unless you have some kind of glitch going on, the trigger should not miss if you take the autopilot´s route. If it still does, try heading straight for the hole in manual flight (since the autopilot often corrects course for objects that are not in your path, that is usually the most direct way to do things)

Nope. Not in virgin FL, anyway; you can only get aParalyzer launcher by modding one into the game. The ammo fetches a pretty penny from arms dealers, though, and that´s a good way to make a quick buck (or several hundred thousand). And to Toot: France and Italy were defeated before SL began. The sleeper ships were launches 100 years after that, and had not even been concieved yet (as, at the end of SL, the Alliance was winning and had no need for such an extreme desperation plan). And there were only five of them, not eight. There is only one reference to there being eight, that being a bar rumor. That rumor has other false information in it (namely, the location of the sleeper ship launch facility) which means that the rest of the rumor ought to be taken with a grain of salt.

I´m rather partial to the good ´ol Anubis, as far as VHFs go (and with me, they don´t go too often). Quite a solid ship, not to mention being the only VHF with a single class rating across all its hardpoints, the cheapest to buy, etc. The only downside is the rather limited window of opportunity in which to procure one.

My battle cry? . . . . <i>&quot;oh... shIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!&quot; </i> <img src=smilies/icon_smile_wink.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

Sometimes if feels good to waste a bit of cash. I mean, when you´re MEGA-pissed and just need to vent, there really is nothing like planting $7,229 worth of high explosives right smack in the kisser of whichever poor douche stumbles across your path first. That goes for any type of missile, torp, or mine. That, and if you´ve got the money to spend on missiles as your primary armament, you´ve got the money to blow off a Sunslayer or two every now and then. If you don´t have enough money to consider $7,229 chump change, you´ll never be able to afford refilling the rest of your hardpoints on a regular basis.

Tip for avoiding piracy by neutral AI pirates: Carry around a few units of worthless (cheap) cargo in addition to your main payload. Scrap metal, Oxygen, and Water are the best three, since they cost next to nothing at all no matter where you land. If you happen upon a would-be pirate (AI), chances are they´ll demand that you drop the cheap crap instead of your real payload. This way, you can give them what they want and skedaddle without worrying about losing any time or money.

_shameless post hijack/add-on_ <img src=smilies/icon_smile_wink.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> <b>The un-un-un-official beginner´s guide to ammo-based loadout management </b> Tools of the Trade: SUNSLAYER TORPEDO (ALL HF/VHF) - The big kahuna, the king, god of missiles. Expensive as all hell. The launcher can be found only at Bruchsal base, owned by the Bundschuh. CANNONBALL MISSILE (C9) - The most powerful non-torpedo ordinance you can acquire. Slow to travel, tracking leaves a bit to be desired. Delivery like a brick through a plate glass window. Available on planet Malta (maybe Crete as well, I´m not sure). CATAPULT MISSILE (C5) - A cost-efficient, midrange missile option. Four Catapult missiles are as powerful as a single Cannonball, but are more or less between one sixth and one eighth as expensive. Very good for LFs or Freighters that are under class 7 (since missiles do not support ´even´ classes, C5 missiles are the best you´ll fit on a class 6 ship) FIRESTALKER MISSILE (C9) - A less powerful, more agile missile. Handy for eliminating smaller, faster targets. Available in the same places, and a few more than, where Cannonballs are sold. THE most expensive ammunition of ANY missile. HORNET DISRUPTOR (ALL FIGHTERS) - Very, very useful. It can be used not only to block cruise-assisted escapes, but also to shoot down opposing missiles, torpedoes, and mines (especially mines and torps, since those won´t go after countermeasures). Or take the Wasp as a low-cost alternative. You can find one or the other pretty much anywhere that sells weapons, and the ammo for both is cheap. NEUTRALIZER MISSILE (C7) - The most powerful EMP missile you can get WITHOUT MODS (the Paralyzer launcher is not available anywhere unmodded, not even in loot drops). Handy, but often you´d be better off just landing something big and meaty in the bad guy´s kisser. Available in most places that sell Class 7 weapons. SUNSTALKER MISSILE (C7) - *NOTE* This is the lowest-level stalker missile you should consider. In general, any stalker missile that deals under 1000 damage is not worth the effort, as it will take you too long to kill the enemy, and you may run out of ammo. LANCER MISSILE (C7) - Another highly damaging missile. Recommended for (naturally) class 7 and 8 ships such as the Banshee, Valkerie, Humpback, and Falcon. SCREAMER MINE (ALL) - A very damaging high-end mine. Good if you don´t have the money for Rippers or if you can´t get your hands on a Ripper launcher. Available at suppliers with the highest-level equipment. Very useful as bombs, or to drop on tradelanes as you enter to prevent pursuit. RIPPER MINE (ALL) - Editor´s choice, numero uno, THE most versatile high-end weapon in the game (seeing as how it will mount on ANY ship, bar none). Highly recommended for pilots of low-end craft for a little extra &quot;oomph&quot; in the firepower department. Same uses as the Screamer, but more potent and more expensive. And it makes a lovely &quot;blatt!&quot; noise when it goes off. Launchers are available ONLY around the Omicron Alpha Unknown Jumphole, and there are only two of them at any given time. If you get your hands on one, do yourself a favor and keep it. ADVANCED COUNTERMEASURES (ALL) - It goes without saying, you should have the best defenses possible. CMs won´t work on Torps or Mines, but they will distract Disrupters and Missiles. Since they cost so little, there´s no reason nto to have the best. I could go on listing missiles, but it stands to reason that if you are flying a lower class ship, you need a missile that will fit on your hardpoint. Unless you are strapped for cash, always take the biggest, baddest launcher that you can cram on. If you do need to save money (well, then you shouldn´t be boating missiles or using high-end mines and torps), you can usually substitute two of the next launcher down and pay less for the ammo (but not have as many shots), or four of the launcher two levels down, and so on. Also, if you can, mix missile types. A one-to-one ratio of stalkers and standards is a good combo- then you have a balanced loadout that has heavy firepower as well as a high-accuracy finishing blow. An EMP missile launcher can save ammo in your other launchers by taking the shields down a bit, so use one if you have room. Use your thruster as you launch a missile or torpedo. The boost of speed will carry over to the missile, and missiles do more damage at higher impact speeds. Therefore, a good opening move (which often ends up as a finishing move) is to engine kill out of cruise and plant a Sunslayer or Cannonball right in your target´s face. Stagger your missile fire- never launch a full volley simultaneously. Sometimes, the area effect blast of one missile will destroy the others before they can impact. Launch each tube individually at half-second intervals. This will also give you a greater rate of fire, as your first launcher will be cycled and ready by the time your last one has fired. Drop mines in close proximity to the enemy. Do not pop one off several hundred meters away expecting them to run into it. Lay it so close that they can´t help but run into it (or,a s it were, keep it from running into them). If you´re a beginner at mine bombing, ram the enemy and drop a mine as you rebound off them. You should clear the blast radius just as the mine goes off (you might take some damage, but they will take more). As a one-two punch, use missiles and mines together. Volley your missiles, then do a flyby and drop a mine. Lather, rinse, repeat.

IMHO, the Drake is the best of the available choices at that point. It is one of the three most maneuverable ships in the game (the other two being the Starflier and the Patriot), and has only slightly less armor and firepower than its bigger brother, the Dragon. Maneuverability seems to be more valuable than armor in the campaign portion, since the number of enemies the game throws at you is prequently enough to blast you in a second or two of concentrated fire even with the most heavily armored ship around. Maneuverability equates to less enemy fire hitting you, which equates to less bots and batts used, and less spent on repairs.

Some mods allow it, others don´t. Those that do, you need to be careful which bases you choose to dock with- because you will often appear in the hangar just like you would if flying a fighter or freighter. Sometimes, you can get yourself stuck pretty good.

My favorite spot is midway between Ft. Bush and Norfolk shipyard. Lots of shipping traffic from hacker/outcast/rogue enemies, and the midpoint of the lane is far enough from both end points to make sure that only a few tradelanes become hostile after your raids are done. No risk of ticking off enemies that stand a chance of killing you, either. That´s about the lowest-risk way to go about getting chummy with the Hackers...and the Rogues and Outcasts, while you´re at it.