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_________________________________
[ HOMEWORLD GUIDE / WALKTHROUGH ]
_________________________________
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Guide author: Orgulo
Guide version: 1.4
Game version: 1.05
System: PC
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@-----------------@
TABLE OF CONTENTS
@-----------------@
1. INTRODUCTION
|<--------------->|
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 USING THIS GUIDE
1.3 CONTACT ME
2. SHIPS
|<-------->|
2.1 MILITARY
2.1.1 STRIKE
2.1.2 CORVETTE
2.1.3 FRIGATE
2.1.4 CAPITAL
2.2 SUPPORT
2.2.1 STRIKE
2.2.2 CORVETTE
2.2.3 FRIGATE
2.2.4 CAPITAL
3. GAME GUIDE
|<------------->|
3.1 LEVEL 1: KHARAK SYSTEM
3.2 LEVEL 2: OUTSKIRTS OF KHARAK SYSTEM
3.3 LEVEL 3: RETURN TO KHARAK
3.4 LEVEL 4: GREAT WASTELANDS
3.5 LEVEL 5: GREAT WASTELANDS
3.6 LEVEL 6: DIAMOND SHOALS
3.7 LEVEL 7: THE GARDEN OF KADESH
3.8 LEVEL 8: THE CATHEDRAL OF KADESH
3.9 LEVEL 9: SEA OF LOST SOULS
3.10 LEVEL 10: SUPER NOVA STATION
3.11 LEVEL 11: TENHAUSER GATE
3.12 LEVEL 12: GALACTIC CORE
3.13 LEVEL 13: KAROS GRAVEYARD
3.14 LEVEL 14: BRIDGE OF SIGHS
3.15 LEVEL 15: CHAPEL PERILOUS
3.16 LEVEL 16: HIIGARA
4. CONTRIBUTORS / CONTRIBUTIONS
|<------------------------------->|
5. VERSION HISTORY / UPDATES
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| 1. INTRODUCTION |
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1.1 INTRODUCTION
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This is my guide / walkthrough for Homeworld, the classic space RTS game from
1999. I know it's old but I'm getting into writing walkthroughs and thought
this would be a good one to do for my fourth. To be honest, I didn't write
this walkthrough because the internet was crying out desperately for another
Homeworld guide; I wrote it mostly because this was my favourite game for
about three years after it came out, and it's still in my top five seven years
after its release.
This guide is for the single-player game only. I tried playing Homeworld
online about three times but I got owned both by the other, more experienced
players and by my crappy, laggy PC. There is virtually no mention of the
multiplayer game in this guide, so don't bother looking.
There is unfortunately little in this FAQ except for the main single-player
walkthrough, because when I was trying to create other sections I realised
that almost everything I was including could already be found in the game
manual, so I just took them the hell out again. In fact I nearly left out the
SHIPS section too. There's just not much point in my putting in lots of stats
and menu descriptions, etc. when you can just look these things up in the
manual - this would be blatant filler and we all know it.
A pdf version of the game manual can be found on your Homeworld CD.
Even though I haven't read any, I'm sure there are other Homeworld guides
around. I wrote this guide on my own, having visited no forums or plagiarised
any other guides. This doesn't mean that my experience of the game is limited
or that I'm not qualified to write a guide like this: I have played the
single-player game to death and back, and I hope the content of the
walkthrough will convince you that I know what I'm doing and that this guide
can help you out.
P.S. For all those billions of people like me who were blown away by the music
in Level 3: RETURN TO KHARAK, you might want to know that the piece of
classical music is called "Adagio for Strings" by Barber, and it is available
in the public domain, in both string and choral versions.
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1.2 USING THIS GUIDE
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Please view this guide in a text viewer / editor with a set fixed-width
font, or else it might look a mess. I use Courier New, Size 10.
Use the Find command (CTRL + F) with the numbered contents menu at the start
of the guide, in order to quickly jump to the section you want.
I have put the main walkthrough section of the guide towards the end, after
all the other game information. This is not a design flaw - it's deliberate.
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1.3 CONTACT ME
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the game is now quite old, and since I now consider this guide complete, I
have no intention of updating it in the future and will therefore no longer
respond to feedback.
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| 2. SHIPS |
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This section describes all of the ships in the game, their strengths and
weaknesses. I've divided this section into two sub-sections: Military and
Support. Each of these sub-sections is further divided into four more: Strike,
Corvette, Frigate, Capital.
All strike craft must be periodically refuelled in carriers, controllers or
support frigates - keep an eye on their fuel levels by looking at each ship's
blue bar. All capital ships can self-repair up to half health.
In-depth descriptions of each ship can be found in the game manual, but my
descriptions are based on how effective or ineffective each ship is in the
game, whereas the manual would have you believe that all ships are equally
great. Maybe my versions will be of more use to you than the manual's.
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2.1 MILITARY
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These are ships which are primarily used as combat units, to either assault
enemies or defend against enemy attacks.
@------------@
2.1.1 STRIKE
@------------@
Scout
-----
These are the most basic combat ships in the game, and they're pretty much
useless except for use as bait. Their one saving grace is their special
ability: Speed Burst. Pressing Z will allow the scout to shoot forwards
extremely quickly, allowing it to escape from danger in a hurry.
Interceptor
-----------
Fast, useful against enemy fighters, and good in support of capital ships or
frigates for that purpose. Not much firepower however, and so they're little
use against any other type of ship, and should only be deployed in conjunction
with stronger ships. Feel free to use them as fodder later on in the game,
while your corvettes do all the real work.
Attack Bomber
-------------
These are fantastic versus any enemy strike craft, and still useful going up
against larger ships. If you must deploy strike craft to deal with enemy
frigates or capital ships, choose the bombers. For the same reason, these are
the best strike craft with which to defend things like harvesters or the
mothership.
Defender
--------
These would be better if they were faster, but as it is they can still do a
job. Good for deploying from under-attack carriers or grouping around resource
controllers just in case.
Cloaked Fighter (Kushan only)
-----------------------------
These are really a bit gimmicky; they're basically slower but better armoured
scouts. Their cloaking ability (Z) can sneak them past anything except
proximity sensors, but then you have to decide what to do with them. Send them
in against only enemies of pathetic strength, or as a decoy: against anything
bigger they're useless.
@--------------@
2.1.2 CORVETTE
@--------------@
Light Corvette
--------------
The only thing that makes these worth building - as the manual says - is that
they can hit enemy fighters flying at full speed, which is not something you
can say about many other ships. By all means build a few to complement your
other corvettes, but don't rely on them - they're just a bit too weak to
deploy against bigger ships.
Heavy Corvette
--------------
These are the best of the combat-oriented strike craft. They're tough, fast
(enough), and do good damage for their price. Their special ability is a brief
Burst Fire, which can do immediate damage to tightly-packed group of enemy
strike craft, though they factor in friendly fire.
Multi-Gun Corvette
------------------
When put out alongside heavy corvettes these things can deal with any amount
of enemy strike craft. They take a while to appear in the single-player game,
but they're worth the wait.
@-------------@
2.1.3 FRIGATE
@-------------@
Assault Frigate
---------------
These represent the first serious firepower you'll get, but they're more of a
stop-gap to hold you over until you get access to capital ships. When deployed
in numbers they can do a good job, but don't rely on them alone.
Ion Frigate
-----------
They do much more damage than assault frigates, but the down side is that they
have to be pointing right at their target in order to do it. This is fine
against slow-moving ships but not nippy fighters. Do not leave undefended.
Support Frigate
---------------
These are little more than support platforms, designed to repair and refuel
the fighters and corvettes escorting your bigger ships.
Drone Frigate (Kushan only)
---------------------------
The best of the frigates - so good that you might as well retire all of your
assault frigates as soon as you're capable of building these. Combined with
gravwell generators, a bunch of these things can erase enemy strike craft with
total ease and they hold up much better than assault frigates when facing off
against enemy frigates or capital ships.
Defense Field Frigate (Taidan only)
-----------------------------------
These protect your other ships from enemy fire (except ion beams, mines or
missiles). Big deal. Waste of time.
@-------------@
2.1.4 CAPITAL
@-------------@
Destroyer
---------
They're big, bad and tough, and they take a lot of beating. Pity you don't get
to build very many; but on the other hand there are loads of enemy ones
floating around, just begging to be salvaged.
Missile Destroyer
-----------------
These are pretty rare and by the time you get to build them you'll probably
already have maxed out your destroyers. If not, don't lose too much sleep over
it. They're useful against corvettes and the slower fighters, but they look a
lot better than they perform, especially once they've shot their initial load
of 32 missiles.
Heavy Cruiser
-------------
The toughest and most insanely powerful ships in the game. Capture these at
all costs, and retire your destroyers to replace them with cruisers, as long
as you have that much money.
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2.2 SUPPORT
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These are the ships in the background - usually best kept out of combat, but
often useful to supplement the main fleet.
@------------@
2.2.1 STRIKE
@------------@
Defense Fighter (Taidan only)
-----------------------------
These are great for as long as they survive. It's like covering your ships
with a protective field. They're life-savers with good speed and decent
armour, but the only problem is they won't do any damage to the enemy. They're
there so your other ships find it easier to do the damage by themselves.
Probe
-----
These are just one-shot attempts at revealing a path to a specific location.
They're usually destroyed by any nearby enemies, and there are virtually no
occasions in the single-player game where they're necessary.
Proximity Sensor
----------------
These let you know when the enemy is approaching, whether they're cloaked or
not. If they are cloaked, these things will reveal them to you: this comes in
very useful in certain missions.
@--------------@
2.2.2 CORVETTE
@--------------@
Minelayer Corvette
------------------
Ho momma! Build these and then build some more of them. Again, you only get
them late on in the game, but they come in useful so often that they're
indispensable. OK, they're slow and poorly-armoured, but they're not meant to
be sent into big battles. Mine resource clumps or routes through which enemy
capital ships must pass to reach you. You can also wipe out huge bunches of
enemy strike craft - which are normally too fast to be caught by mines - just
by sitting a gravwell generator behind the minefield and activating it when
the enemies approach.
Repair Corvette
---------------
These are always useful - keep an eye on any ships at yellow or red health
levels, especially valuable capital ships.
Salvage Corvette
----------------
Probably the most useful ships in the entire game. You should always have a
few of these floating about, ready to grab hold of any valuable frigates or
capital ships the enemy might send against you. They're slow and vulnerable,
but they're also cheap to replace when you inevitably lose some.
Resource Collector
------------------
These will collect the resources, which is appropriate. They will be swiftly
repaired when they dock with carriers or controllers.
Cloak Generator
---------------
These things cloak your ships for a while, though they'll explode when their
gauge runs out. Surprisingly, these actually work against enemy ships,
allowing you to sneak past and do horrible things.
@-------------@
2.2.3 FRIGATE
@-------------@
Resource Controller
-------------------
This is like a support frigate for resource collectors: they let you drop off
resources and conduct repairs. Much cheaper than carriers, which is the whole
point.
Gravwell Generator
------------------
Exceedingly handy against anything smaller than a frigate. Always send at
least one of these out with every frigate or capital ship group. Also good for
deploying alongside minelayers. They are automatically scuttled when their
gauge runs down, and try not to activate them when you're trying to do stuff
with your own nearby strike craft (including repair and salvage corvettes).
Sensors Array
-------------
They greatly upgrade your sensors manager, though you get them a little too
late in the game.
Research Ship
-------------
You can have a maximum of six of these, and they all link together. The more
you have, the faster your research will go, but really you can easily make do
with just one.
@-------------@
2.2.4 CAPITAL
@-------------@
Mothership
----------
Don't lose this. It's actually 'mothership class', but I have too little to
say about it which can justify giving it its own indexed section.
Carrier
-------
These are very useful, especially since your mothership can't move. You can
only have four, but the more you have, the quicker you can build
reinforcements (split each build between available carriers). When you do come
upon an enemy carrier that can be salvaged, try retiring one of the ones you
already have to get in some more money. Letting an enemy carrier go to waste
is a... waste.
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| 3. GAME GUIDE |
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This is the main walkthrough section, taking you from the first, introductory
mission near Kharak, through to the final showdown above the home planet,
Hiigara.
I played as the Kushan when writing this guide, mostly because they have
better unique ships and a much cooler mothership. If you play as the Taidan
you will once or twice be given different research options to the ones I was
given: I've noted these instances in the guide.
I've listed the fleet I left each level with (Kushan) to give you some idea of
how I was doing and how many ships I was losing or capturing. If you find that
your fleets are far smaller you might have more trouble than I did;
conversely, if you find your fleets are far larger you should breeze through
by sheer brute force.
These level guides are hardly the definitive strategies for the game, but I'm
assuming you're reading this because you want tactics that are certain to
work. These following are the best I could come up with through playing the
game back, but if you can do better then please stick to your own methods.
This being a static guide, I can't give you contingencies for every
eventuality. The following mission guides comprise just one way - my way - of
completing each level.
Good luck.
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3.1 KHARAK SYSTEM
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Sit back in your chair as you watch one of the most moving sequences ever to
occur in a video game. Hopefully you will have turned the music volume up and
have chosen to play as the Kushan - this is how to get the most out of the
launch of the mothership. Dry your eyes, pick your lower jaw up off the floor,
and let's begin.
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OBJECTIVE: HARVEST ASTEROIDS
OBJECTIVE: CONSTRUCT A RESEARCH SHIP
The voice of Command says something or other about tests, but the gist is that
your first tasks are to build a research ship and to begin harvesting. Get
your single resource collector to harvest the nearby asteroids, and build a
research ship from the build manager. The research ship should be ready long
before your resourcer returns, so get busy researching:
Fighter Chassis
Two new objectives appear.
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY TARGET DRONES USING A FORMATION
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY TARGET DRONES USING TACTICS
Command will have mentioned something about destroying target drones using a
formation, so stick your scouts in any old formation and send them forwards to
kill off the red drones. More drones appear to the east and this time Command
wants you to use tactics when taking them out. You must use formations and
tactics when ordered to in this level, otherwise Command will just spawn more
drones.
Once the second lot of drones is gone you don't need your scouts any more, so
retire them and build ten interceptors. Your resourcer will have returned in
the meantime and will be sitting idle, having exhausted all the available
resources. You will also have another upgrade waiting to be researched:
Corvette Drive
Research this while you build a salvage corvette. Command will have told you
to use one to salvage another drone, so send it out to drag the drone back to
the mothership.
OBJECTIVE: CAPTURE THE DRONE USING A SALVAGE CORVETTE
When the salvage corvette returns with the drone the level is done, and all
that's left is for you to hyperspace out of there by pressing J or clicking
the button on the taskbar.
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
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Fleet at end of Level 1:
Fighter: 10 Interceptor
Corvette: 1 Salvage
Utility: 1 Collector, 1 Research
Level 1 Build Options:
Scout
Interceptor
Repair Corvette
Salvage Corvette
Resource Collector
Probe
Research Ship
Level 1 Research Options:
Fighter Chassis
Corvette Drive
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3.2 OUTSKIRTS OF KHARAK SYSTEM
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We're off to meet the Khar-Selim, which will assist us in tuning up our
mothership's systems.
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If you haven't yet figured out from the music that something's not right here,
you soon will when Command tries to signal the Khar-Selim before eventually
locating its automated beacon. You're ordered to send a probe to the spot in
order to investigate, but don't bother.
Get harvesting and start researching:
Corvette Chassis
OBJECTIVE: SEND PROBE TO THE KHAR-SELIM
Meanwhile, send one interceptor over to the beacon - put it on evasive stance
for speed. When it gets halfway there your suspicions will be confirmed, as
you run into the burned out hull of the Khar-Selim drifting slowly through
space.
OBJECTIVE: PROTECT THE MOTHERSHIP
And then the first Homeworld enemies appear, on a direct course with the
mothership. They will likely skip your interceptors altogether and just start
hassling your research ship and your salvage corvette. Dock the corvette and
use your interceptors to defend the research ship. Your mothership will take
down a few and the interceptors can easily mop up the rest, including the
missile corvette.
You may also have noticed new research available:
Heavy Corvette Upgrade
OBJECTIVE: SALVAGE THE KHAR-SELIM
Command tells you to send a salvage corvette to the Khar-Selim to retrieve the
mission data recorder, but hang around until your research is complete.
Harvest as much as you can and use the money to build a repair corvette, three
more salvage corvettes (you'll find out why in the next level) and some very
useful heavy corvettes (I tend to ignore the light corvettes completely).
You should end up with one repair corvette, four salvage corvettes and seven
heavy corvettes. Send all your combat ships over to the Khar-Selim with one
salvage corvette and salvage the mission data recorder by clicking on the hull
with your salvage corvette selected.
When the salvage is almost done you will be jumped by more enemies. The
salvage corvette must reach the mothership intact.
OBJECTIVE: DEFEND SALVAGE TEAM
This is easy: just let your corvette hightail it homewards while your
interceptors and heavy corvettes get rid of the enemy fighters one by one.
Remember to use the corvettes' burst fire on groups of smaller enemies.
Unfortunately a carrier soon appears above the Khar-Selim, and it's
reinforcing the fighter squadrons. This might be a good time to bolt back to
the mothership with your strike craft and your resource collector, which
should still be trying pathetically to harvest those unharvestable asteroids
around the Khar-Selim wreckage. Stick everyone on evasive and dock them with
the mothership for repairs while you wait for the carrier to catch up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: Even with six salvage corvettes you can't successfully grab the carrier.
Don't try to attack it yet either, as you will probably lose some ships.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By this time your salvage 'vette will have returned and you can see and hear
the last transmissions of the Khar-Selim before it got blown to hell by
unknown enemies. Pity you didn't get that message about aborting the
hyperdrive test. Oh well, too late now.
Those enemies are still coming in and Command wants the mothership protected.
OBJECTIVE: DEFEND THE MOTHERSHIP
Again easy: keep everyone hanging around the mothership, with your salvage
corvettes docked inside. Use the mothership's auto guns by making sure your
interceptors and heavy 'vettes do all their dogfighting right beside it.
Command tells you that these ships are inferior to ours (no, really?), and
wants them wiped out, including the carrier.
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY THE ATTACKING FORCE
No problemo. The carrier won't come near your mothership, so go up and engage
it with all your combat ships. Use your interceptors to draw some of the
strike craft back to your mothership, whose guns can easily eliminate them;
and target the carrier with your heavy corvettes on aggressive mode. Take down
any enemy missile corvettes whenever the carrier ejects some; otherwise just
keep dogfighting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: You don't actually have to attack the carrier at all, just so long as
you kill enough of its escort ships.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eventually, after you've destroyed enough of the enemy ships, the carrier will
chicken out and run, at which point you can just dock all your ships with the
mothership and conduct repairs.
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
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Fleet at end of Level 2:
Fighter: 10 Interceptor
Corvette: 7 Heavy, 4 Salvage, 1 Repair
Utility: 1 Collector, 1 Research
Level 2 Build Options:
Light Corvette
Heavy Corvette
Level 2 Research Options:
Corvette Chassis
Heavy Corvette Upgrade
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3.3 RETURN TO KHARAK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Right, well, that didn't work. We're going back to Kharak to continue with the
mothership development, and to notify the planet of this new unknown threat.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arriving back at the scaffold, it's immediately apparent that something is
very wrong. The scaffold is lying in ruins and the entire planet of Kharak is
burning in the backdrop. More urgently, the precious cryo trays are under
attack by four assault frigates, and they must be defended in order to save
the colonists.
OBJECTIVE: DEFEND CRYO TRAYS
This part of the mission is important if you want some nice, shiny assault
frigates for free. Hopefully, you took my advice and built four salvage
corvettes in level 2, because these will enable you to grab three of the four
frigates and add them to your puny fleet.
By the way, get started on researching:
Capital Ship Drive
Meanwhile, send all four salvage corvettes over to the trays, escorted by your
single repair corvette. Wait until you receive a new objective.
OBJECTIVE: CAPTURE ENEMY SHIP USING 2 SALVAGE CORVETTES
Now send in two pairs of corvettes to grab the two frigates in the middle of
the four. These two will break away and begin firing on your corvettes, so
it's important to have the repair corvette repairing the foremost salvage
corvette as it approaches the nearest frigate. If you do it right your two
pairs of corvettes should be able to grab both of the hostile frigates without
being destroyed, while the remaining two frigates continue to fire upon a
second cryo tray (you will pretty certainly have lost one of the trays by
now).
Let your corvettes drag the two frigates back to the mothership, while your
repair corvette begins trying to repair whichever cryo tray is now being
attacked.
When the first frigate is taken into your mothership you will be shown a
cutscene of the flight recorder from the enemy frigate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: Bearing in mind that this flight recording is meant to be from the POV
of a slow-moving assault frigate, it manages to come up with some pretty
spectacular shots.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once the cutscene is over and you've seen what happened to the scaffold and to
the planet, you are able to build two new ships: a resource controller and a
support frigate. You are also given a new research option:
Capital Ship Chassis
This will let you build assault frigates, but by the time the research is
complete you may already have three in your fleet (the first captured frigate
mysteriously disappears into your mothership). Use your salvage corvettes to
grab the other two frigates, at which point the cryo trays are considered safe
and you are given another objective.
OBJECTIVE: SALVAGE CRYO TRAYS
This can be achieved by picking up each tray with one salvage corvette. If you
did this mission right you should have five trays to salvage; though it won't
make a lot of difference, as far as I know, just as long as you get one.
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 3:
Fighter: 10 Interceptor
Corvette: 8 Heavy, 4 Salvage, 1 Repair
Frigate: 3 Assault, 1 Support
Utility: 2 Collector, 1 Controller, 1 Research
Level 3 Build Options:
Support Frigate
Assault Frigate
Resource Controller
Level 3 Research Options:
Capital Ship Drive
Capital Ship Chassis
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3.4 GREAT WASTELANDS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We know who and why; and we also know where. Time to kick some genocidal
chassis.
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This is a small mission but there's a lot happening. First objective is some
nice simple harvesting.
OBJECTIVE: BEGIN COLLECTION OF RESOURCES
You should have built a resource controller by now, so have it move to the
nearby column of asteroids. Start collecting while you build some more ships.
Pretty soon after you begin harvesting, an enormous ship shaped like some sort
of cosmonautical whale will appear. These are the Bentusi, and they'll offer
you the chance to buy a new research:
Ion Cannons
If you don't have 500 RU's just wait for your collectors to get your money up.
Once the deal is done (or refused, though I suggest you buy it), the Bentusi
will warn you about the Turanic Raiders you've recently encountered.
Speaking of which, once the Bentusi scarper you'll have a few seconds to get
organised before more Raiders appear, this time trying to get the jump on your
resourcing operation. Pull everyone back to the mothership while you try to
take down all of the fighters around the area.
OBJECTIVE: PROTECT THE FLEET
Once enough of the enemy have been removed, six insectile ion array frigates
will emerge around your mothership and begin firing on it with their
destructive ion beams. If you like capturing powerful enemy ships, this might
be a good time to start grabbing them with your salvage corvettes (by this
point I had six corvettes built).
Some of the frigates will try to kill off your corvettes before they get near;
others will just continue to batter your mothership. It might take a few
reloads but it's possible to get all six of these frigates long before your
mothership is in any real danger. Keep the rest of your combat ships away from
the mothership while this is going on - don't attack the ion array frigates
and make sure that the ones you convert don't turn around and shoot at the
ones you haven't yet grabbed.
Anyway, you will now hopefully have all six frigates and you can add them to
the rest. Once the last one has been captured or destroyed, a big, fat carrier
appears in the distance above the resource clump, determined to finish off
what those ion array frigates couldn't.
Rush in and grab the other two ion array frigates which are escorting the
carrier - these two will definitely fire upon your corvettes but you should
make it if you're quick enough. While you're capturing the frigates, hammer
away at the carrier with everything else. Put all your frigates on evasive so
that they can keep up with its movement speed; and put your fighters and
corvettes in aggressive sphere formation to batter the carrier from all sides.
It should not take long to turn tail and flee.
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY RETREATING TURANIC RAIDER CARRIER
It's not hard to finish the carrier off before it disappears, and afterwards
it's just a case of rebuilding and repairing your considerably larger armada
in preparation for the next level. Don't let it escape though, otherwise it's
game over.
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 4:
Fighter: 15 Interceptor
Corvette: 10 Heavy, 6 Salvage, 4 Repair
Frigate: 4 Assault, 2 Ion, 8 Ion Array, 2 Support
Utility: 3 Collector, 1 Controller, 1 Research
Level 4 Build Options:
Ion Frigate
Level 4 Research Options:
Ion Cannons
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--[.]-->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.5 GREAT WASTELANDS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, we'll call that a false start: let's try again. Ahem. Time to REALLY kick
some genocidal chassis.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This level can be an enormous coup if you get it right, which is why you're
reading this guide :)
OBJECTIVE: INVESTIGATE THE ASTEROID BELT
Ignore the probe - send everyone in at once. They're obviously hiding among
the asteroids, so shove everyone forwards in one big group. When you reach the
upper arm of the asteroids, get your controller to sit up there while your
resourcers get harvesting. Meanwhile just push everyone else forwards, with
your frigates in evasive wall formation and every other smaller ship guarding
them.
Except for your salvage corvettes, that is. You're going to use them as bait,
so take them to about halfway between the mothership and the nearest clump of
asteroids, and leave them sitting here while your frigates go hunting.
After a while you will be give a new research option:
Plasma Bomb Launcher
Once your combat vessels have gone far enough into the asteroid belt, Command
will recognise the enemy vessels as the same who destroyed Kharak.
OBJECTIVE: ERADICATE ALL ENEMY SHIPS
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Here's what you're going to do.
You will first meet a few groups of X formation fighters, as well as two or
three banks of assault frigates. The frigates will be going after those
salvage corvettes you tied to the post earlier, which makes it easy for your
own frigates to chase after them and cut them down. While your frigates go for
theirs, your corvettes and strike craft should be wiping out the enemy
fighters.
When you are encountering the second group of frigates you will probably
notice those two resourcers trying to sneak along the right arm of the
asteroid belt. Send your salvage corvettes over to intercept them and capture
them - this will require four corvettes, so if you have any more just send
them back to the mothership. The corvettes will grab the resourcers and the
enemy won't build any more.
The enemy frigates will be trying to intercept your salvagers while they move,
so make sure they're dead by the time your corvettes are capturing the enemy
resourcers.
Midway through this ongoing battle, you will receive another research option:
Defender Sub-Systems
Now, this bit is important if you like free destroyers, and I know you do.
Once all of these frigates and fighters have been dealt with, put your own
wall of frigates on evasive and just turn around and head straight back to the
mothership. The enemy carrier will hove into view behind them, travelling just
a bit faster than your frigates. It will be escorted by two destroyers and a
support frigate, as well as some strike craft. Don't attack any of them yet,
just draw them into your trap - they will not attack you either, because
they'll be intent on heading for your mothership and salvage corvettes.
Your corvettes should have nabbed the resourcers by now and will be sitting
idle by the mothership. When the enemy carrier and destroyers are within
visual range of the mothership, turn your frigates around suddenly and start
battering the carrier with everything (still on evasive). Your escorting
strike craft can get rid of the enemy fighters, while you sneakily move your
corvettes in in two groups of three.
Send one of the trios to one destroyer, and the other trio to the other
destroyer. The corvettes will be targetted and probably hit by cannons and
maybe an ion beam, so make sure you have repair corvettes ready to get in some
quick repairs. You might lose one or two corvettes but don't panic - your
mothership is near enough for you to spit out more in time. If you're fast and
a bit lucky you can grab both of the destroyers while your frigates blast the
hell out of that carrier.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: It's very hard, but during the course of writing this guide I did
actually manage to get both destroyers, the support frigate, AND the carrier
successfully salvaged. I lost quite a few salvagers and the whole thing was
very messy, but some weird bugs also cropped up, such as all three capital
ships being captured at the same time and getting in each other's way. Because
of how hard it is, I'll just assume you'll only want the destroyers and are
content to kill the carrier off instead of trying to capture it. But well done
if you do manage to get all four ships - the carrier is a great catch at this
stage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The last remaining vessel should be that poor support frigate, which you can
get if you want. Finish any researches, replace any lost ships and you're OK
to just collect the last of the resources in the level, which shouldn't take
too long now that you have those two extra resourcers.
Using the above strategy I lost one salvage corvette, one repair corvette and
one interceptor: I gained two destroyers, two resourcers and a support frigate
(and the carrier, but it was a pain in the arse to get). Not a bad trade, I
think you'll agree.
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 5:
Fighter: 20 Interceptor, 20 Attack Bomber
Corvette: 20 Heavy, 10 Salvage, 6 Repair
Frigate: 5 Assault, 2 Ion, 8 Ion Array, 3 Support
Capital: 2 Destroyer, 1 Carrier
Utility: 5 Collector, 1 Controller, 1 Research
Level 5 Build Options:
Attack Bomber
Defender
Level 5 Research Options:
Plasma Bomb Launcher
Defender Sub-Systems
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--[.]-->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.6 DIAMOND SHOALS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We're off to see the enemy, but we've got to get there first, and our course
will take us through a dangerous asteroid belt.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are no enemy ships in this level, but it can still be dangerous.
OBJECTIVE: PROTECT THE MOTHERSHIP
Those incoming asteroids can do serious damage to your mothership if allowed
to impact on the hull, so you're going to have to destroy all of the rocks in
the mothership's linear path.
The auto-launch is particularly annoying in this mission, since your ships are
often ejected right into the path of an oncoming asteroid, at which point they
explode and die. Make sure you move all undockable ships behind your
mothership as soon as the mission starts, and dock all your smaller ships to
keep them out of danger.
Surprisingly, your capital ships are not the most effective at dealing with
the asteroids. That distinction goes to your attack bombers. Hopefully, you
have about twenty bombers by now, and in aggressive sphere formation they can
take out every asteroid long before they get near the mothership.
I'd still advise using your frigates and (if you have them) destroyers in
evasive wall formation to batter away at some of the asteroids, while your
bombers go for the others.
Speaking of destroyers, you will be given a new research option halfway
through the field:
Super-Capital Ship Drive
You can now build more destroyers if you want, but try to concentrate on
clearing the debris, and keep your repair corvettes trained on the mothership
so that they can quickly repair any damage from the odd stray asteroid.
Keep saving intermittently so that you can reload if you do lose one of your
frigates, or even a destroyer - the bigger ships often just aren't quick
enough in getting out of the way, which is another reason why you should bring
in your bombers to assist.
There are no resources as such in this level, but you can keep ordering your
resourcers to harvest anyway - they can pick up the odd RU or two from the
asteroids you're destroying. You might want to destroy as many asteroids as
you can catch, instead of just the ones the mothership might hit - this could
get you a bit more money.
Anyway, you will notice that the asteroid belt comes in two distinct halves,
with a clearing after the first half and a bigger one after the second. Once
you reach the second half, Command tells you that you've cleared the belt, at
which point the Bentusi appear again, with an offer of:
Drone Technology (K) / Defense Field (T)
The Bentusi tell you that they know nothing of the nebula you're heading into,
except that no-one returns. This is a message in itself, but you're committed
so you'd better get on with it. Rebuild, repair, and hyperspace out of the
belt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: My fleet at the end of this mission is dependent on the fact that I got
the destroyers, carrier and support frigate from level 5. I had to retire my
controller and the support frigate so I could afford to build three more
destroyers at the end of this level. Try doing something similar if you have
the same ships I had.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 6:
Fighter: 20 Interceptor, 20 Attack Bomber
Corvette: 20 Heavy, 10 Salvage, 6 Repair
Frigate: 5 Assault, 2 Ion, 8 Ion Array, 2 Support
Capital: 5 Destroyer, 1 Carrier
Utility: 5 Collector, 1 Research
Level 6 Build Options:
Destroyer
Drone Frigate
Level 6 Research Options:
Super-Capital Ship Drive
Drone Technology
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--[.]-->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.7 THE GARDENS OF KADESH
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Bentusi said: no-one returns. Well, we say: bugger that.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One look at the sensors manager will tell you that it's going to be one of
those days. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of nebulae? You will in a
minute.
OBJECTIVE: HARVEST NEBULA
Anyway, get harvesting, and put your combat ships into battle-ready formations </pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
while you're waiting. Shift your frigates and capital ships forwards and leave
your smaller craft around the mothership. Dock your salvage corvettes and keep
them there until the level is over - they're useless here.
After you've done a bit of harvesting the inhabitants of the nebula will
appear, pissed off that you've defiled their garden. Sit through the coolest
cutscene in the game and then crap yourself as the religious fanatics peel
away from their needle-like mothership in huge patterns of silky vapour
trails. See what religion does to you?
OBJECTIVE: DEFEND THE FLEET
Well, obviously. There are a lot of these little guys, but they're pretty much
all you have to face throughout this level. If you have enough of your own
fighters and corvettes then you can own these white guys for a long time.
Hyperspace will take eight minutes to get back up to speed. Spend the time
fending off the billions of enemy fighters while you wait for the main
mothership to appear. Once it does, send your heavier ships over and start
battering at it.
You do need to watch out for this big bugger: it can destroy your frigates and
destroyers easily; not with guns, but by turning quickly and smacking into
them. Stick everyone on aggressive wall or sphere, but when the ship moves
make sure your own ships move away in the same direction. As long as they keep
their distance while shooting at it, they should be OK.
Meanwhile, the enemy fighters are targetting your resource collectors.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: PROTECT RESOURCERS
This is a secondary objective and as such it's not a critical one, but it's
obvious anyway. Dock your harvesters with the mothership while your own strike
craft mop up. Take out those enemy fuel pods when you see them - without their
support the little ships can't refuel and will eventually just stop moving.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: Those fuel pods work for the enemy, but not for you. Don't bother trying
to salvage them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At some point during this battle you will receive this research option:
Fast-Tracking Turrets
This will allow you to build multi-gun corvettes, which are extremely useful
against so many fighter craft.
Anyway, when you do the mothership enough damage with your frigates and
destroyers it will hyperspace away. It will then reappear and spit out more
fighter ships. Hit it again with your capital ships and it will vanish again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: If you manage to send the enemy mothership into hyperspace three times
before you try your first jump, something weird will happen. Once it's
disappeared for the third time and you try to hyperspace away, your jump will
fail and your ships will auto-launch again. The enemy mothership will reappear
behind your mothership again, but this time when you approach it it will
hyperspace away for a FOURTH time, at which point the inhibitor field will
disappear and the level is complete. So you don't actually have to destroy it
at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Around about now, your hyperspace capability will return, and you can hit the
jump button.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: I encountered a bug in this level which makes it impossible to complete.
When Command tells you that the hyperspace module is back up and running, wait
for first Karen and then Command to speak. Do NOT hit the button or press J
until you've heard the line: 'Co-ordinates set. Engage hyperdrive!' If you
hyperspace prematurely, the enemy mothership will never reappear after you
send it into hyperspace for the third time, which means you're stuck.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hyperspace jump will fail and you just have to sit back and wait for the
enemy mothership to re-emerge, this time behind your own mothership. It will
come out with lots more strike craft and some more pods, which should all be
taken down around the vicinity of your mothership. Once most of them are gone,
send your capital ships over to the big guy and hit him again. This time he
won't hyperspace away (if he does escape then you've either already made him
hyperspace three times previously, or you've encountered the bug) and you'll
be able to destroy him once and for all.
The hyperspace inhibitor field dissipates with the enemy mothership's demise,
and you're free to leave. Or to harvest the remaining resources, which I
suggest you do.
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 7:
Fighter: 20 Interceptor, 20 Attack Bomber
Corvette: 20 Heavy, 10 Multi-Gun, 10 Salvage, 6 Repair
Frigate: 5 Assault, 2 Ion, 8 Ion Array, 1 Drone, 2 Support
Capital: 6 Destroyer, 1 Carrier
Utility: 5 Collector, 1 Research
Level 7 Build Options:
Multi-Gun Corvette
Level 7 Research Options:
Fast-Tracking Turrets
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--[.]-->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.8 THE CATHEDRAL OF KADESH
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We're not free of these religious nutters yet. We've micturated all over their
front garden, and now it's time to set off a few stink-bombs in their
cathedral.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You wander right into a trap comprising not one, but three of those hyperspace
inhibiting motherships. Karen tries to reason with them, telling them that
your ships share a commonality with theirs, but they don't listen. In fact
they panic and launch their attack.
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY ATTACKERS
This level is probably meant to be more difficult than the Garden was, but I
found it easier. The three motherships will be surrounding yours in triangular
formation, and you'll have to get rid of all of them to escape from the
Cathedral.
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY HYPERSPACE INHIBITORS
Straight away send all your frigates in wall formation down to the inhibitor
behind and to the right of your mothership. Send your destroyers down to the
other one and ignore the third one for now. Enemy fighters will be swarming
all over the place by now, so set your own fighters and corvettes onto them.
Hide your salvagers in the mothership and send at least three repair craft
along with your destroyer and frigate groups.
Same tactics as before - batter away at each mothership while avoiding its
quick turns. Conduct repairs while you're firing on the ships, and both should
fall really quite easily. Of more concern is the multitude of strike craft
zooming around, so as soon as the two motherships are gone, send your capital
ships back to your own mothership for support, returning the enemy fire as
they move.
Your strike craft and corvettes will be making headway, and the only other
thing to watch out for is the health of your bigger ships. Oh, and the several
multi-beam frigates which will have appeared from nowhere and will probably be
targetting either your mothership or your destroyers.
You want these ships very much, so eject your salvagers and grab as many as
you can. They don't seem interested in taking down your salvage corvettes to
save themselves, so you might even manage to get all of them.
Three more will probably be approaching from up ahead, but the third
mothership will be running for the hills after seeing what you did to his
mates. Ignore it for now and try to capture the remaining multi-beam frigates,
while your strike craft take out the rest of the scattered fighters and fuel
pods.
This would be a nice time to take a breather and begin harvesting. Send your
controller or carrier way up ahead to the nearest asteroids and get resourcing
while you rebuild your fleet. In total I lost three ships, none bigger than a
corvette, so this should give you some idea of the state your fleet should be
in at this point.
Your resourcing operation might run into a little bunch of bombers, so send an
escort of strike craft and all your salvage corvettes along with them. What
the hell, send all your destroyers and frigates in behind them to deal with
that cowardly third mothership when the time comes.
Beyond those bombers I mentioned are seven or eight more multi-beam frigates
in broad formation, so if you have managed to come by a carrier you can grab
the frigates with your salvage corvettes and drag them to the carrier:
otherwise it's an extremely long and slow haul back to the mothership.
And finally, that mothership. Maybe it's my imagination, but this one seems
much quicker at turning around and smashing the hell out of your big ships.
Just be careful as you blow it to buggery, and wipe away the last of the
strike craft and fuel pods.
Hang around and pick up the rest of the resources in the area if you want,
though it might take quite a while.
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 8:
Fighter: 20 Interceptor, 20 Attack Bomber
Corvette: 20 Heavy, 10 Multi-Gun, 10 Salvage, 6 Repair
Frigate: 5 Assault, 2 Ion, 8 Ion Array, 13 Multi-Beam, 1 Drone, 2 Support
Capital: 6 Destroyer, 1 Carrier
Utility: 5 Collector, 1 Research
Level 8 Build Options:
N/A
Level 8 Research Options:
N/A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--[.]-->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.9 SEA OF LOST SOULS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do we ever stop getting pulled out of hyperspace? At least it's to a place
with a beautiful name, of which this game has a few.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hmm, curiouser and curiouser. An anomaly, eh? Dear diary...
Anyway, there's something lurking off to the upper left, and it's surrounded
by inactive ships.
OBJECTIVE: INVESTIGATE ANOMALY
This level is totally incidental, but that doesn't mean it's pointless. If you
do it right you can grab yourself a couple of valuable capital ships, though
if you do it wrong you could lose some of the ones you already have.
So let's do it right. Take all your combat strike craft and corvettes, put
them in evasive sphere formation, all in the one group, and send them over to
the ghost ship. Ignore all the other defense ships and just target the main
vessel with all of your little guys.
Command tells you that, while the alien vessel may be indestructible, your
weapons can at least disable the strange field around it. After you've done
enough damage to its hull, the vessel will drop its field and it won't be a
danger any more. The frigates and destroyers will have a difficult time
hitting your strike craft, much less destroying them, and you should be able
to disable the field long before you've suffered any serious losses.
Don't approach the alien vessel with anything bigger than a corvette, unless
you enjoy losing ships to the enemy.
At this point you get given every one of the big ships surrounding the alien
vessel, as well as a new technology:
Guided Missiles
OBJECTIVE: SALVAGE THE UNKNOWN VESSEL
Command now wants you to send in a salvage corvette (maybe those guys should
ask for a pay rise) and find out... just what the hell's going on here. Get
one to work on the alien ship's hull and it will soon return to the
mothership, bringing with it information on a new technology:
Gravity Generator
Gravwell generators are the bee's bollocks when it comes to disabling enemy
strike craft (as well as your own), so get some built if you fancy some of
that.
As if this wasn't enough, the Bentusi immediately appear. Never an exclusion
order when you need one. They want to trade for the information you've just
discovered, because they were too chicken to try to get it themselves. They
offer you:
Super-Heavy Chassis
So you can finally build more carriers. This would come in pretty handy in a
level with resources like this one has. They will also come in extremely handy
from the very beginning of the next level, so build as many as you can while
you wait for your resourcers to collect all of the horribly spread out
asteroids.
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 9:
Fighter: 20 Interceptor, 20 Attack Bomber
Corvette: 20 Heavy, 10 Multi-Gun, 10 Salvage, 6 Repair
Frigate: 5 Assault, 2 Ion, 9 Ion Array, 13 Multi-Beam, 1 Drone, 2 Gravwell
Generator, 2 Support
Capital: 6 Destroyer, 1 Missile Destroyer, 4 Carrier
Utility: 8 Collector, 1 Research
Level 9 Build Options:
Missile Destroyer
Gravwell Generator
Carrier
Level 9 Research Options:
Guided Missiles
Gravity Generator
Super-Heavy Chassis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--[.]-->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.10 SUPER NOVA STATION
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We've identified a 'weak point' in the enemy's defenses, and we're off to an
active supernova to take advantage of it. Brilliant, just brilliant.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You'll have to watch every move you make in this level, and you must be
especially careful with your harvesters. Stick to the dust clouds defined in
the sensors manager, otherwise your ships will gradually take more and more
damage.
Almost straight after the swooping cutscene finishes, you are give the option
of researching:
Proximity Sensor
These are less useful here than the minelayers, which you will be able to
build once you are given the chance to research:
Minelaying Tech
This will occur soon after you start moving your ships around to begin the
level. Group all your frigates and capital ships together in wall formation to
keep them packed together and away from the edges of the protective clouds.
Before you make any attempt on that far off outpost, why not harvest some of
the abundant resources?
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY RESEARCH OUTPOST
Send one of your carriers up and ahead to the smaller batch of resources, with
two or three harvesters trailing along behind it. Stick to the dust clouds if
you like, or just keep docking the harvesters with the carrier if they're
losing health. Once this mining operation is up and running, do the same with
another carrier and some more harvesters at the other, bigger clump way down
to the left.
Stick a few salvagers in this second carrier while it's moving (I used eleven)
so that you can capture the six assault frigates who will be lurking just
beside the big asteroid clump. Once these guys are captured you can harvest in
peace.
Your harvesting and researches will take a while, so begin moving your heavy
mob along the upper arm of the dust cloud, heading towards the outpost in the
distance. This arm of the clouds is far more heavily defended than the other
two leading to the outpost, but it's more profitable and easier to access. The
quicker you get along it the better, however, because the enemy will be
dropping mines at various positions along the extent of the cloud.
But the first thing you will meet is one or two bunches of fighters and / or
corvettes. These might be a problem, if only you weren't itching to use your
new gravwell generators (you did build at least one, didn't you?). The gravity
field renders the strike craft worthless, and your capital ships can wipe them
away dismissively.
By the way, trail one or two unused carriers behind all of your frigates and
capital ships - they will come in handy later. I stuck repair corvettes in one
of the carriers and some minelayers in the other.
Farther along this arm of dust you will run into two or three different
minelayers, whose minefields must be bypassed in order to progress. Your
capital ships and carriers can take the damage, but just make sure you repair
them while they're moving.
Remember to keep an eye on your harvesters: they will probably be done by now
and they might be moving stupidly through the radiation. Send them back to the
carriers and keep them still and safe. And another thing: bring all of your
salvagers back from the resourcing carriers and send them all the way up to
escort your capital ships - you'll be needing them pretty soon. Now you can
concentrate solely on the ships you'll be using to attack that outpost.
When you're getting near to the outpost with your big ships, you will run into
one final obstacle: namely two destroyers and the game's first heavy cruiser.
They should be sitting just behind the last clump of enemy mines, and I
strongly suggest that you capture all three. Bait them into attacking your
destroyers, then hurry eleven salvagers in to grab them while they're busy
(the destroyers need three salvagers each, and the cruiser requires five).
Yes, it will take years to haul them all the way back to the mothership, but
this is well worth it.
It's up to you if you want to bring your six captured assault frigates and
your new destroyers and cruiser into the final battle, but it probably won't
be necessary.
Arrange your capitals and frigates into two walled, evasive groups and send
them both down to the outpost at once from a starting position in the dust
cloud just above it.
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY ALL DEFENSE FORCES
This basically means kill 'em all, though the ion frigates and assault
frigates are the priorities. That is, until the carrier tries to beat a hasty
retreat.
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY ENEMY CARRIER
Slap it down with everything you have in the vicinity - if it escapes you've
lost. Then concentrate on getting rid of the bigger ships guarding the
outpost, then the big wall of defenders, and finally the outpost. Four more
assault frigates will probably try to join the defense of the outpost from the
south, so keep an eye out.
If you sent your repair corvettes in with all your bigger ships, the chances
are they're dead from radiation by now. This is OK as long as you're not in
danger of losing any frigates, or worse, destroyers. If you have some ships in
the red when the outpost finally explodes, hit the hyperspace button as soon
as it appears and get your ships to Quick Dock - this should save them some
health if they were hovering in the radiation areas.
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 10:
Fighter: 20 Interceptor, 20 Attack Bomber
Corvette: 20 Heavy, 10 Multi-Gun, 11 Salvage, 3 Minelayer, 6 Repair
Frigate: 11 Assault, 1 Ion, 9 Ion Array, 13 Multi-Beam, 1 Drone, 2 Gravwell
Generator, 2 Support
Capital: 8 Destroyer, 1 Missile Destroyer, 1 Heavy Cruiser, 4 Carrier
Utility: 6 Collector, 1 Research
Level 10 Build Options:
Proximity Sensor
Minelayer Corvette
Level 10 Research Options:
Proximity Sensor
Minelaying Tech
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--[.]-->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.11 TENHAUSER GATE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another incidental mission, but another one where you can score some more free
capital ships.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's the Bentusi AGAIN and they're under serious attack from three assault
frigates, three destroyers, two ion frigates and a heavy cruiser.
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY THE TAIDAN / KUSHAN FLEET
First of all, the Bentusi can last a very long time before finally falling, so
don't panic just yet. You'll want to get a move on, but you'll also want to
figure out a way to get as many of those lovely ships as possible.
So far, I have not yet managed to get every one of these ships. To be honest,
I don't give a toss about the frigates, but I do want the three destroyers and
definitely the cruiser. My best so far is the cruiser and two of the
destroyers, so here's how to do it.
Pile all of your bigger ships forwards at once, targetting the frigates first.
The destroyers and cruiser will apparently never turn on your combat ships if
you don't fire at them, but they will head straight for your salvagers as soon
as you click on any one of them to try to grab them.
Anyway, destroy all five of the frigates and then take out one of the
destroyers. Then retreat, leaving the remaining three enemy ships still firing
at the Bentusi harbour ship. Next push all your salvagers forward and split
them into two groups - one group of ten and another group of just one. Send
the group of ten to the left, assuming that none of the three enemies are
around this area at the time; and send the other one to the right, to where
hopefully the two destroyers are hovering side by side.
Target the cruiser with that one salvager, then immediately turn it around and
flee it far in the opposite direction. If you got it right, the two destroyers
and the cruiser will all have stopped firing on the Bentusi ship and will be
heading for your lone salvager. Make sure your salvage corvette is running
away, but is still close enough to the three ships to hold their interest.
While that one is drawing their fire, move the other ten in behind the cruiser
and grab it before it knows what's happening. You might still lose a few
corvettes but you should manage to get a hold of it to tow it to your
mothership.
Now begin chasing the two destroyers with however many salvagers you have left
out of group of ten (except obviously the ones holding the cruiser). You
should have at least three free, which means you can grab one of the
destroyers from behind. By that time the cruiser will be captured and those
five corvettes will be sitting idle - send those after the other destroyer.
Anyway, however many ships you capture or destroy, once they're all
neutralised the Bentusi show you a very informative cutscene which should fill
in quite a lot of the story. Then they bugger off, leaving you to reorganise
your fleet for the next level, ideally with at least a new heavy cruiser in
the ranks.
By the way, do yourself a favour and lock your mothership and carriers before
you leave this level. It will help at the beginning of the next mission.
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 11:
Fighter: 20 Interceptor, 20 Attack Bomber
Corvette: 20 Heavy, 10 Multi-Gun, 11 Salvage, 3 Minelayer, 6 Repair
Frigate: 11 Assault, 1 Ion, 9 Ion Array, 13 Multi-Beam, 1 Drone, 2 Gravwell
Generator, 2 Support
Capital: 10 Destroyer, 1 Missile Destroyer, 2 Heavy Cruiser, 4 Carrier
Utility: 6 Collector, 1 Research
Level 11 Build Options:
N/A
Level 11 Research Options:
N/A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--[.]-->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.12 GALACTIC CORE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, it's been a while since we met some serious resistance, but the enemy
has finally got their collective finger out and are ranging heavy forces
against us.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As soon as you enter the level you're under attack, notably from three
gravwell generators.
OBJECTIVE: PROTECT THE FLEET
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY SOURCE OF GRAVITY FIELD
Your smaller craft should be locked inside your carriers anyway, but whatever
you do, get rid of the three gravwell generators first. Take out the frigates
next, and try to grab that yummy missile destroyer in the background if you've
ejected your salvagers. Eliminate the support frigates and you'll have a bit
of breathing room.
Don't waste too much time though. The main enemy forces are lurking in the
asteroid belt in the middle of the map, and they have tons of ships. Before
you send your frigates and capital ships into battle, build some proximity
sensors to accompany them. Guard your mothership with a few more and start
laying down a big minefield just in front of and under your mothership and
carriers.
Take your big ships into the asteroid belt and you should meet the enemy
fleet. They have two carriers, several frigates and millions of strike craft.
Your capital ships can practically deal with this lot by themselves,
especially if they're accompanied by repair corvettes, gravwell generators and
some prox. sensors. The sensors should detect the bunches of frigates and the
cloak generators with no trouble - wipe them out when you catch them.
By now you should have been given the new research option:
Cloaked Fighter (K) / Defense Fighter (T)
This big fight should give you little or no difficulty, and make sure you take
out the enemy resourcers who are flying around the place.
Once the two carriers particularly have been dealt with, it's time to get
everyone back to the mothership, because the enemy was launching a sneak
attack on your mothership and carriers while your combat ships were away.
They'll be approaching from underneath and ahead of the mothership. There will
be numerous frigates and strike craft, as well as - gasp! - a heavy cruiser
surrounded by lots of defenders in sphere formation.
If you've laid down a minefield you have little need to worry, since enough
mines can wipe out them, you and everything else. However, you probably don't
want to destroy the heavy cruiser while you're still capable of capturing it,
so take out as many of the escort ships as you can and then bait the cruiser
into attacking one of your capital ships. Run some salvagers in behind it
while it's occupied, and drag it back to your mothership.
If you've destroyed all the other enemy ships in the area, a friendly
destroyer will appear off to the right. This is Captain Elson, who's defecting
and wants your protection.
OBJECTIVE: PROTECT THE DEFECTOR
Wipe out the frigates and strike craft chasing Elson, and once they're gone
he's safe.
Now it's time to harvest all those asteroids while you rebuild your fleet.
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 12:
Fighter: 30 Interceptor, 30 Attack Bomber, 20 Cloaked
Corvette: 20 Heavy, 10 Multi-Gun, 11 Salvage, 3 Minelayer, 6 Repair
Frigate: 11 Assault, 1 Ion, 9 Ion Array, 13 Multi-Beam, 1 Drone, 4 Gravwell
Generator, 2 Support
Capital: 10 Destroyer, 2 Missile Destroyer, 3 Heavy Cruiser, 4 Carrier
Utility: 6 Collector, 1 Research, 8 Proximity Sensor
Level 12 Build Options:
Cloaked Fighter
Level 12 Research Options:
Cloaked Fighter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.13 KAROS GRAVEYARD
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elson is bringing us to the most desolate, lonely place in the galaxy, nay the
universe. First dates obviously aren't this guy's strong suit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: Surely this is the spookiest zone of space ever; even more so than the
sector containing the Xenon Mothership in X: Beyond The Frontier. It would be
so, SO nice if you could pinch that Junkyard Dog...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No messing about here. You get your first objective immediately.
OBJECTIVE: DOCK STRIKE CRAFT WITH COMMUNICATIONS RELAY
You also get given a new research option:
Heavy Guns
It might be a little late if you already have three cruisers, but never mind.
As much as I hate to ruin what could have been a great (or tedious) level,
you've probably noticed that you don't have to take a strike craft through the
graveyard if you can just fly over it instead.
By the way, you'll also be told of another research option:
Cloak Generator
Keep everyone else hanging back while you send a bunch of strike craft over
the top of the white dotted area - don't go overboard but make sure your ships
are at least high enough to avoid the auto-cannons. When they reach the spot
directly above the red dot which marks the position of the derelict, drop them
all straight downwards. They will be getting shot at by more auto-cannons,
which is why you should have sent a few ships instead of just one. Destroy all
the nearby cannons and then dock one of your ships with the relay station.
As soon as the ship has successfully docked, Elson informs you of the success
and then hyperspaces away. You can then hyperspace after him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: Should you foolishly decide to trek right through the middle of the
graveyard, you're in for a treat of weirdness. First of all there are so many
cannons firing from all angles that you'll be inching forwards achingly slowly
while you conduct repairs on your capital ships. Then, to your immense
delight, the invincible Junkyard Dog will break off his patrol to begin
stealing your ships, and there's not a damn thing you can do to stop him. The
Dog will haul your destroyer or cruiser or whatever through the nearest
hyperspace gate, and then he'll come back and nick another one.
You can't destroy the Dog and you can't stop him - but you can retrieve your
ships by ploughing right into the middle of the graveyard, where the Dog will
hide after he's stolen your second ship (look for the motionless red dot).
When you get near enough to your inanimate ships, Karen will tell you you can
get them back by salvaging them. This of course requires you to send in enough
salvage corvettes to haul them all the way back to the mothership. Good luck
getting them past the cannons.
I managed to lose a heavy cruiser by going through the middle - the Dog held
onto it and there was nothing I could do to remove him or get my ship back.
Not to mention the countless frigates I lost to the auto-cannons.
For God's sake, just go over the top!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________V1.3 CONTRIBUTION_______________________________
kirt <
[email protected]>
"on Karos graveyard, you can kill the junkyard dog. i've done it many times.
he just has a ton of health/armor. but with 16 multi beam, 10 destroyers, and
3 heavy cruisers he dies in about... 30 seconds or so."
---
Bugger.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________V1.3 CONTRIBUTION_______________________________
Well, what a weird and wonderful level. It's a pity it was so exploitable,
because there's too much weirdness in here to be ignored.
Forget about the resources - they're too much trouble to harvest, and you
should have plenty of money anyway. Quick Dock will let you bring your
intrepid strike craft back across the graveyard safely.
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 13:
Fighter: 30 Interceptor, 30 Attack Bomber, 20 Cloaked
Corvette: 20 Heavy, 10 Multi-Gun, 11 Salvage, 3 Minelayer, 6 Repair
Frigate: 11 Assault, 1 Ion, 9 Ion Array, 13 Multi-Beam, 1 Drone, 2 Support
Capital: 10 Destroyer, 2 Missile Destroyer, 3 Heavy Cruiser, 4 Carrier
Utility: 6 Collector, 1 Research, 4 Gravwell Generator, 8 Proximity Sensor, 2
Cloak Generator
Level 13 Build Options:
Heavy Cruiser
Cloak Generator
Level 13 Research Options:
Heavy Guns
Cloak Generator
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.14 BRIDGE OF SIGHS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They're really getting the hang of this level-naming thing. This is apparently
the ideal place through which we can sneak. 'Sighs' is about right.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: The Bridge Of Sighs is a real bridge in Venice. This level has nothing
at all to do with the bridge or its history, which leads me to believe that
they just picked it because it was a beautiful name. Works for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY FIELD GENERATOR
There's not much by way of resources in the map, so you'll probably want to
get started on that ludicrously huge sphere of ion frigates you may have
spotted hiding in the corner of the sensors manager.
You should be able to see a small clump of resources near the middle of the
map, outside the sphere. Head over here with a carrier and all of your salvage
corvettes. Send along a really fast ship too - a scout or interceptor.
While you're doing this send at least one minelayer corvette to each of the
three hyperspace gates you should be able to see in the sensors manager (the
tiny blue dots - one in the middle of the map, the other two at either side of
the sphere). Start putting down lots of mines around each gate - this will
come in handy later.
Once the carrier is positioned next to the asteroids, send your scout flying
towards the nearest part of the sphere, which should be much easier to make
out if you research:
Sensors Array
And build one, obviously.
Anyway, once your scout gets near enough to the sphere, the ion frigates will
abandon their posts and begin to mindlessly chase your scout (or whichever
ships got close enough to trigger them). Send your bait fleeing away to
safety, then fly your salvage corvettes in to grab as many of the frigates as
you can, at which point they can be dragged back to the carrier you parked
nearby.
In this way you can collect tons of the frigates and add them to your fleet,
though it gets boring after a while. I tend to stop at around ten or fifteen,
then I bring all my frigates and capital ships up to the carrier so they can
quickly destroy any other ion frigates who get too close.
You might also spot some enemy resourcers coming for those asteroids - salvage
or destroy them.
Once you've tired of nicking enemy frigates, it might be time to try to
complete your given objective.
Park everyone at that middle dust cloud, just above the hyperspace gate. By
now you should have carved a big hole in that sphere of frigates, and will
have cleared a way to the big field generator in the centre.
The thing about that gate (all three of them, in fact) is that, as soon as you
get any of your ships inside the sphere the gates will activate and throw out
big bunches of small ships, followed by small bunches of big ships. It is
therefore a good idea to have dumped enormous minefields all around the
immediate vicinity of all three gates by the time these ships emerge.
Unfortunately, the little ships come through first and take most of the mines
with them, so that there are not enough left to mop up the capital ships which
come through next.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: If you destroy a gate before the last of the smaller ships are gone, you
won't have to meet the bigger ships.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: DESTROY HYPERSPACE GATES
Like all secondary objectives, this isn't essential, but you might like some
more capital ships to try and salvage. If you want an easy life, just deal
with the ships who come through the first gate, then leave the other two gates
alone. If you do go and attack the other gates more ships will come through,
but they'll just stay dormant if you keep away altogether.
If you attack any of the gates before you are notified of the secondary
objective, they will spit out their ships anyway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: You might think it's a good idea to salvage any capital ships which come
through the gates, and it can be done so that you end up with more destroyers
and missile destroyers. The down side is that I've encountered an annoying bug
(or feature) which makes your corvettes go incredibly slowly with these ships.
And since your mothership is sodding miles away the salvage operations in this
map can take AGES.
One idea might be to bait any ships coming through the gates into chasing one
of your strike craft all the way back to the mothership's locality, so that
they go at their own speed rather than the speed of your massively slowed down
corvettes. Grab them once they get near enough, in order to save yourself some
time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While all this is going on, the enemy carrier hiding in the sphere will
periodically be sending out squadrons of fighters and corvetttes, none of
which should pose a problem to big walls of frigates and capital ships
accompanied by gravwell generators.
Phew. Anyway, once the gates have been dealt with you can finally make a move
on the generator. The ships making up the sphere should all have shifted back
into the wall of the map, out of reach and most of them no longer a danger,
giving you a clear route through. The generator is still guarded though, and
this guard force includes a carrier, a heavy cruiser, three or four destroyers
and maybe a couple more ion frigates. All of these except the carrier will
approach you as soon as any of your ships get close enough to the generator,
but the bright side is that they will chase whichever ships triggered their
response - another opportunity to grab some valuable ships while they're
occupied.
Be aware that the destroyers and cruiser will be accompanied by cloak field
generators, which must be spotted using prox. sensors if you don't want them
to slip by.
Once all these big guys are gone it's time to finally take out the generator
in the middle. The generator is made up of various parts rotating around an
axis, and there are some enemy resourcing ships hiding in the centre of it.
Treat the generator like you did those big motherships in the nebula - batter
at each moving part while keeping your frigates and capital ships hovering
just out of reach. These big things can easily burst one of your ships on
impact, so keep an eye on your their movement.
And grab that carrier if you don't already have four, and if you can be
bothered towing it all that way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: Without giving away a spoiler, you definitely want to have your ships
decently organised for the beginning of the next mission. You may have lost
quite a few ships in this level, but remember you can just retire as many of
those ion frigates as you have to in order to get your money up - they're
worth about 380 RU's each.
Another thing to make sure of is that your minelayers are docked alone inside
one of your carriers, while all your other dockable ships are split between
the other carriers. Your minelayers have to be ejected immediately at the
beginning of level 16, but they will be brought out pretty much last if docked
with every other fighter and corvette.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 14:
Fighter: 30 Interceptor, 30 Attack Bomber, 20 Cloaked
Corvette: 20 Heavy, 10 Multi-Gun, 9 Salvage, 5 Minelayer, 6 Repair
Frigate: 11 Assault, 7 Ion, 7 Ion Array, 12 Multi-Beam, 1 Drone, 2 Support
Capital: 10 Destroyer, 2 Missile Destroyer, 3 Heavy Cruiser, 4 Carrier
Utility: 8 Collector, 1 Research, 5 Gravwell Generator, 9 Proximity Sensor, 2
Cloak Generator, 1 Sensor Array
Level 14 Build Options:
Sensors Array
Level 14 Research Options:
Sensors Array
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--[.]-->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.15 CHAPEL PERILOUS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pulled out of hyperspace yet again! The enemy have one last gasp attempt to
keep us away from our Homeworld. Another fantastic level name.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As soon as you appear in the map a cutscene will begin, showing a big asteroid
getting sucked in by the gravitational pull of an absolutely gigantic asteroid
which bursts the smaller one without even feeling it. This behemoth is on a
direct course with your mothership, which raises questions about why they
designed the mothership to be incapable of movement.
OBJECTIVE: DESTROY THE OBJECT
The asteroid isn't alone either - it's escorted by tons of fighters and
corvettes, as well as quite a lot of frigates and a few destroyers. Happily,
you don't have to take them all out to beat the mission - just the asteroid.
This level is designed to weaken you before the final confrontation, so don't
let it. Assuming you have three or four carriers, send them forwards in a
line, heading for the asteroid. Guard one or two of them with a gravwell
generator, which should render all those billions of enemy strike craft
impotent.
While your carriers are holding the enemy at bay, send in all (and I mean all)
of your frigates and capitals forwards in evasive stance (for speed). Keep
them together and ignore any enemies you meet on the way (more gravwell
generators will help with this). The idea is to head straight for the asteroid
and start battering it with everything.
There's not really much else to say about this mission. Once you take down the
(admittedly very tough) asteroid you get your hyperspace capability back
within about five seconds. Hit it and then Quick Dock to pull all of your
ships out of danger right away. You should hopefully have killed off the
asteroid before those enemy frigates got anywhere near your mothership, and if
you're lucky, the most you'll lose is a carrier and maybe a gravwell
generator.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: That asteroid has some electronics in the back of it, which might
explain how the enemy got so lucky.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OBJECTIVE: HYPERSPACE JUMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet at end of Level 15:
Fighter: 30 Interceptor, 30 Attack Bomber, 20 Cloaked
Corvette: 20 Heavy, 10 Multi-Gun, 9 Salvage, 5 Minelayer, 6 Repair
Frigate: 11 Assault, 7 Ion, 7 Ion Array, 12 Multi-Beam, 1 Drone, 2 Support
Capital: 10 Destroyer, 2 Missile Destroyer, 3 Heavy Cruiser, 2 Carrier
Utility: 8 Collector, 1 Research, 2 Gravwell Generator, 9 Proximity Sensor, 2
Cloak Generator, 1 Sensor Array
Level 15 Build Options:
N/A
Level 15 Research Options:
N/A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--[.]-->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.16 HIIGARA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is it: we've arrived at our Homeworld, and all that remains is to dispose
of the emperor and the last of his goons.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bugger. Karen's gone and you're under serious attack. Oh well, she was crap
anyway. But never mind that now - what about those frigates coming at you?
OBJECTIVE: ERADICATE ENEMY FORCES
Easier said than done. First of all, minelayers own this level for a very long
time, so get them to work immediately. Park them in front of your mothership
and start dumping more and more and more mines.
Meanwhile, bring all of your frigates and capital ships forwards in wall
formation and watch out for the frigates attacking from in front of and
underneath the mothership. Soon more ships will vector in; heavy cruisers,
missile destroyers... the works. All of them will be targetting your
mothership, and it will soon fall if you allow them through.
Have repair corvettes constantly healing the mothership just in case, and
don't worry about losing any ships other than that one in this first battle.
Go for the cruisers and destroyers first - they're by far the most dangerous.
Your salvage corvettes shouldn't be getting shot at at all here, so try to
grab at least the cruiser while it's busy. Then wipe out the remaining enemies
and take a breather.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: You probably won't be using any corvettes other than repair, minelayer
and salvage in this final mission, so retiring any combat corvettes to make
room for more useful ones might be a good idea, especially for minelayers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Right. Now. See that red dot floating around near the asteroid cloud to the
right? That's an enemy carrier, so either go and salvage it or just bring it
down with strike craft. Don't worry, it doesn't have any escorts. Shift your
own carriers to each of the two asteroid clouds while you're at it, and begin
harvesting.
It's now very important to set down the single biggest minefield you've ever
seen in your life. I had ten minelayers, and even that was nearly too few.
Send a few to the upper left area behind your mothership; a few more to the
lower right rear; and lots more to the area about halfway between your </pre><pre id="faqspan-3">
mothership and the big dust cloud barrier in the distance. Start dropping
mines like never before, especially in the frontal area: this will save you
much grief later.
After a while more enemies will appear, this time through hyperspace, way
behind and above the mothership. Don't send all of your heavy ships - try
about half or a third to meet this challenge. The ships you'll meet include
three or four destroyers and a heavy cruiser, as well as maybe ten or twelve
frigates. Try to cut them down before they reach your mothership, and don't
worry about losing any ships of your own in this fight. If any do slip past
you and reach the mothership, your mines should make short work of them.
The enemy tries this again, possibly before you've even dealt with the first
lot. The new batch will be coming from behind your mothership again, but this
time from the lower right. These guys don't have any destroyers with them, but
you'll still want to send along a considerable force to combat their cruiser
and more frigates.
While you're fighting this second bunch of goons, you may notice a lot of big
ships appear in the area in front of your mothership, which should, by the
way, be covered in ridiculous numbers of mines by this point. The mines will
take out a few of them, but they'll attack anyway, and they're targetting your
mothership yet again.
Head over there with any frigates or capitals who aren't still fighting with
the two groups who hyperspaced in. Hammer at the cruiser(s) first, then the
destroyers. If you've mined the area properly you should be able to get the
jump on them with ease, especially when Elson materialises and offers you a
destroyer and a few frigates for the cause.
More of Elson's ships will start heading straight for the enemy mothership
way, way in the distance, and it's time for you to follow him. Get all
frigates and capitals together in three or four groups and push them all
forwards at once. Your mothership is safe now, so make sure it's repaired and
then just leave it alone while you launch this final attack.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: If you want to soften up the mothership and its guards before you meet
it with your big ships, you could try sneaking some minelayers and a strike
craft in behind it (try using a cloak generator for stealth). Arrange your
minelayers in a line near the enemy mothership, just far enough away that
their mines will not hit anything when they come out.
When you've laid down enough mines, send your solo strike craft at the
mothership and fire on it, then retreat to behind the big minefield. The
missile destroyers and cruiser should chase it, and your mines will do great
damage. Hopefully, the ships will be destroyed altogether, otherwise the
support frigates will just heal them up again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Getting across the map will take a very long time, but you should meet
surprisingly little resistance. You can see how many ships the enemy has in
your sensors manager - I met three cruisers and two missile destroyers right
in front of their mothership. This really is the final battle, so throw
everything at the combat ships and support frigates, then just unleash
everything you have at the mothership itself. It's a sitting duck without its
guards, and it should fall in no time, with a disappointingly weedy explosion.
Game over. Congratulations :) Sit back and listen to the interminable Yes
song.
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| 4. CONTRIBUTORS / CONTRIBUTIONS |
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Version 1.0 -
27 September 2006 - Michael Sarich: Copyright Disclaimer
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Version 1.1 -
N/A
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Version 1.2 -
N/A
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Version 1.3 -
N/A
19 August 2007 - kirt <
[email protected]>
Contributed to section 3.13 LEVEL 13: KAROS GRAVEYARD
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| 5. VERSION HISTORY / UPDATES |
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Version 1.0 completion - 03 October 2006
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Version 1.1 completion - 01 February 2007
New disclaimer
Section 1:
1.2 USING THIS GUIDE - Improved information
1.3 CONTACT ME - Improved information
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Version 1.2 completion - 02 August 2007
New disclaimer
Section 1:
1.3 CONTACT ME - Updated information
Miscellaneous:
Corrected various typos and formatting errors
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Version 1.3 completion - 19 August 2007
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Version 1.4 completion - April 2017
Guide is now considered complete
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Thank-you for using this walkthrough. I hope it helped you out, or at least
taught you how _not_ to play the game. At the very least, I hope you found it
entertaining.
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This guide was written and formatted with the excellent Metapad:
http://www.liquidninja.com/metapad/
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