Information compiled by John R. Barnsley
GENERAL ADVICE
Your ship is really the "character" you'll develop, by equipping it with
armament and other gear. Concentrate upon learning to fly the ship first,
for which a joystick is essential.
Use the QUERY option to pick up messages and detect other spacecraft.
MAKING MONEY
Forget playing Hive, which takes too long to make credits. For trading,
outfit the ship with four cargo pods then load some cargo aboard. The best
trade route is to/from Denebprime, Deneb and Free Trader's, Bassruti.
The cargo lists and prices change every 24 hours at each Station, generally
fluctuating four to eight credits either way.
At Free Traders, buy forged CRs, Explosives and X-Rated Holos to sell at
Denebprime. At Denebprime, buy Brandy, Exotic Pets, Videogames and
Souvenirs to sell at Free Traders.
You can often get better prices on all items elsewhere, but these are the
most efficient trade routes for making money in a hurry. To sell
contraband, you need Forged Cargo Papers from Robocrook.
If planning a life of piracy, pick a Scow for your first target. Pack at
least ten plasma torpedoes and three SM-1 and two Nova missiles. A particle
beam laser is also handy. When firing missiles, be sure your opponent has
an inactive counter measure and isn't in an elude manoeuvre.
As you make more credits invest in Turbo-thrusters, more shielding and a
75% ECM unit (By completing certain missions, you'll get more gear).
ROBOCROOK & OTHER CHARACTERS
Robocrook appears randomly in bars across the quadrants. Keep offering
cash, and he may sell you some useful items: Forged Cargo Papers, Keycards,
the Ruby Cube. Other randomly appearing characters to seek out are Ilricki
(for useful information on Black Hand and the Manchi), Wandering Spaceman,
Veda the Ursellus (sells Amoebic Lenses), One-eyed Pirate, and the
Merchant. Bartenders always have current information and tips, and you
should talk to everyone you meet for more.
It's possible to steal from safes, but expect to pay a fine and get kicked
off the base or planet if caught!
THE MISSIONS
Most of these may be completed in any order, though a few require items
from other missions. Each mission's starting point is noted after its
name.
STEALTH BOX: MICON I
Talk to Sir Eld on Micon I, Karonus. He'll give you a Statuette to deliver
to Orellian at Hiathra Starbase. Do so, saying it is not a bribe. Return to
Eld, who'll give you some valuable information and a Stealth Box, which
reduces the chances of detection by enemy ships.
PILOT'S LICENSE: HIATHRA
This is obtained by answering multiple-choice questions when you meet
Orellian on Hiathra, Karonus. Ask him for the CRC-07 Form, used to visit
Koth Carrier.
CEBOK'S SISTER: KARONUS
Cebok tells you to find his sister on Lagrange for information on Hive.
Then deliver the letter to Cebok for more tips.
BEAM LOCK: DENEBPRIME
See Felsane on Denebprime for a quest to find the Beam Lock, which makes it
easier to target ships with your laser.
MICROCHIP DELIVERY
After meeting the Pirate in a bar and accepting the job, take the microchip
to Chisa at Free Guild.
NULL DAMPER: ARCTURUS
After finding Veda the Ursellus (who appears randomly in bars) and buying
the Amoebic Lenses for 250 CR, head for the ISS Koth, Arcturus. Use a
keycard to open the door to the restricted area, then go through and
immediately go to the left (to avoid the hidden floor alarm). Examine the
Power Generator in the back of the room and get the Transmutation Coil.
Take it to Professor Prosk on Micon IV, ZED N27. Accept the Null Damper
when offered.
REPAIR DROID: RANDOM
Eventually you'll encounter a Droid named LUX 23A, who wants you to look
for his Droid friend MAID. MAID is hiding at Free Trader's under the name
of CHISHA. Mention LUX and she'll come with you as a Repair Droid. Return
her to LUX, and you'll get no reward beyond a good conscience. Keep her and
you've got a very valuable Repair Droid for your ship!
DUCHESS AVENSTAR: DENEBPRIME
After fifteen to twenty cargo runs between Denebprime and Free Trader's,
you should have enough credits to fully outfit your ship, assuming you've
been adding equipment all along. You'll need at least 500 Armour, some
missiles, good Shields and a Particle Beam. Before you can successfully
communicate with Duchess Avenstar on Denebprime, you must prove yourself by
killing a few Manchi in space. (Destroying Vultures will help. After doing
so, she'll tell you about General Targon, AKA Rayson, and his mission's
code name....MAKE A CAREFUL NOTE OF THIS!!)
TARGON: MICON II, ARCTURUS
Though you can find him here, Targon is insane and needs an injection of
NSB before he can reveal anything to you. The NSB is at Bassruti Mining,
guarded by a mutant monster. To get it, land at Bassruti, walk around the
front of your ship to the left and down. Wait a few seconds by the southern
door; the monster will be trying to get to you but will get trapped in a
storage compartment. After a few more seconds, enter the door to your left.
Go through the door to the lower left in the Generator Room. Keep going to
the left, and you'll be in the Inner Office. Head straight for the filing
cabinet in the corner and search it for the NSB. Retrace your path back to
the ship. If this method fails, try again, but wait a little longer for the
monster to get trapped. You have to be careful not to accidentally lure him
out of the compartment. (Another way: lure the monster to the right side of
the room, keeping the trash pile between him and yourself. Go through the
southwest door, use the keycard on the south door, open the safe, get the
NSB and return to your ship).
Now you can head for Micon II, Arcturus, and find Targon rambling around
the halls. Talk to him and give him one credit. When you get an OTHER
option, take it and enter NSB. Then you'll get another OTHER option, so
type in the name of his mission that you should have noted earlier. He'll
spill all he can before going nuts again. Take this information to the
Duchess, who'll send you to find Droughton Gut, leader of the Scarlet
Brotherhood at Free Trader's Outpost.
PSIONIC SHIELD: GRYPHON
You'll need this item, which protects you from the powers of Vilinie, to
complete the final mission. First talk to Omas in the back room on
ConvecEast Mining Station, Gryphon. He'll ask you to rescue his wife from
the Black Hand Cult. She's at the Meditation Room in Trochal, Sigure. After
you talk to her, she'll tell you she's abandonded Omas. Return to him for
the Shield.
DROUGHTON GUT: FREE TRADER'S
Gut won't talk to you until you prove your allegiance to the Scarlet
Brotherhood. To do so, attack a few Tankers or Scows, take their cargo to
Free Trader's and talk to Omar. He'll grant permission to speak with
Droughton. After doing so, he'll help you steal the Chi-Gonger (Manchi Egg)
from Vilinie on Trochal.
MANCHI EGG: TROCHAL, SIGURE
Due to a diversion by the Scarlet Brotherhood, the guards will be in a
state of confusion when you land. Go straight to Vilinie's room. When she
stops and tells you to remove the Psionic Shield, DON'T. The guards won't
respond to her summons. Go to the far right of the room and pick the lock
on the door. Enter, take the Egg and get out of there!
ICHIKI & THE BAAKILI
After obtaining the Egg, return to Gut. He'll tell you to find a Baakili
trader and ask him about the Manchi. The Baakili also require payment -
some Dilithium Crystals from a trash pile outside the back door of the bar
in the upper corner of Ross Mining Station, Deneb (keep searching until you
find them). Keep searching bars until you meet Ichiki, then ask about
Manchi and pay him with Gems. Write down the co-ordinates he gives you for
the Manchi's home system, Ja-Karn. Return to Gut and tell him your
findings. He'll direct you to Prosk, the mad scientist from Micon IV.
THE WARP DRIVE & END GAME
Prosk is working on the Warp Drive. When you tell him the situation this
time, Prosk will warp you to the co-ordinates you give him; enter the ones
from Ichiki. You've got to be heavily outfitted just to reach the Manchi
homeworld. Plot a course for the planet, and SAVE the game frequently. This
saves you the trouble of having to start all over from the far corner when
you get blasted by a pack of Vultures. Once you reach the planet, land.
PLACES & PEOPLE
STAR SYSTEM PLACES PEOPLE
Karonus Hiathra Starbase Orellian, Cebok,
Micon I Outpost Robots, Sir Eld,
Miners, Barnett.
Gryphon ConvecEast Mining Omas, Old Miner.
Arcturus Koth Carrier Old Man
Micin II Mining Drak, Targon.
