Disclaimer
This FAQ is copyrighted by me, C.Kraeuter, aka Silvermane. It may be
distributed freely as long as it is kept intact and complete (NO EXCERPTS!),
and includes this disclaimer.
Further, no money may be charged for the distribution of the FAQ. If you
decide to publish this FAQ on a website, drop me a line at
CaptainMeph AT hotmail.com .
Table of Contents:
A.1 Ship Stats
A.1.01 Axxel Lightlaser
A.1.02 Axxel Turbine
A.1.03 Bat
A.1.04 Battlestation
A.1.05 Bulk Carrier
A.1.06 Butterfly
A.1.07 Cargo King
A.1.08 Carrier
A.1.09 Cruiser
A.1.10 Dagger
A.1.11 Destroyer
A.1.12 Enforcer
A.1.13 Entrepreneur Mk I
A.1.14 Entrepreneur Mk II
A.1.15 Entrepreneur Mk III
A.1.16 Explorer
A.1.17 Fokker Starmaster
A.1.18 Freight Crawler
A.1.19 Freight Runner
A.1.20 Freight Walker
A.1.21 Gladius Mk I
A.1.22 Gladius Mk II
A.1.23 Gladius Mk III
A.1.24 Glaive
A.1.25 Heavy Hauler
A.1.26 Intertrader
A.1.27 Light Carrier
A.1.28 Multiporter Mk I
A.1.29 Multiporter Mk II
A.1.30 Pelican
A.1.31 Police Enforcer
A.1.32 Police Transporter
A.1.33 Rocketman
A.1.34 Shadowcat
A.1.35 Shadow Moth
A.1.36 Space Taxi
A.1.37 Swingback Fighter
A.1.38 Willow Wasp
C.1 Career Advice
C.1.01 Trader
C.1.02 Mercenary
C.1.03 Bounty Hunter
C.1.04 Police
C.1.05 Pirate
C.1.06 Scavenger
C.1.07 Armour, Shields & Energy
C.1.08 Weapons - More bang for your buck!
D.1 Miscellaneous
D.1.01 Cheats
D.1.02 Bugs
D.1.03 An example ship
D.1.04 Suggestions
A.1 Ship Stats
A.1.01
Name: Axxel Lightlaser
Mass: 10 Front Armour: 40
Hold: 8 Left Armour: 20
Quarters: 1 Right Armour: 20
Pylons: 0 Rear Armour: 20
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
One of the fastest (and weakest) ships around. Makes
for a decent high-speed courier, if you stick to the
small packages.
A.1.02
Name: Axxel Turbine
Mass: 20 Front Armour: 48
Hold: 16 Left Armour: 20
Quarters: 2 Right Armour: 20
Pylons: 0 Rear Armour: 20
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
The bigger brother of the Lightlaser. Can be a good
high-speed taxi and courier craft, and can be turned
into a decent ship for bounty hunting.
A.1.03
Name: Bat
Mass: 10 Front Armour: 40
Hold: 9 Left Armour: 20
Quarters: 1 Right Armour: 20
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 20
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Another small fighter, but this one can at least fit
missiles. Quick but fragile, as all of its brethren.
A.1.04
Name: Battlestation
Mass: 1100 Front Armour: 1650
Hold: 880 Left Armour: 1650
Quarters: 55 Right Armour: 1650
Pylons: 8 Rear Armour: 1650
Turrets: 6
Fighters: 8
The biggest ship in the game, a slow and ponderous
behemoth that can only dock at star cities. Too slow
for my taste, but with 6 turrets and 8 fighters it
carries an awesome amount of firepower.
A.1.05
Name: Bulk Carrier
Mass: 1000 Front Armour: 1500
Hold: 900 Left Armour: 1500
Quarters: 12 Right Armour: 1500
Pylons: 12 Rear Armour: 1500
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Sounds like a trader's wet dream, but can only dock at
star cities, which severely hampers it's ability to make
a decent profit by trading. Slow and underarmed, it's in
fact more of a pirate's wet dream.
A.1.06
Name: Butterfly
Mass: 60 Front Armour: 72
Hold: 48 Left Armour: 108
Quarters: 4 Right Armour: 108
Pylons: 0 Rear Armour: 72
Turrets: 2
Fighters: 0
Don't let the slow speed and harmless looks fool you: This
Butterfly's twin turrets sting like a bee. Lots of space for
cargo or more fun stuff.
A.1.07
Name: Cargo King
Mass: 300 Front Armour: 450
Hold: 270 Left Armour: 450
Quarters: 12 Right Armour: 450
Pylons: 10 Rear Armour: 450
Turrets: 2
Fighters: 0
A big freighter, with decent defenses. Can't dock at Trading
Posts or Independant Stations, so you should plan your trading
routes in advance. Also makes a great asteroid miner.
A.1.08
Name: Carrier
Mass: 900 Front Armour: 1350
Hold: 720 Left Armour: 1350
Quarters: 45 Right Armour: 1350
Pylons: 8 Rear Armour: 1350
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 24
Stock up on those fighters, since they're your first, last and
only line of defense against whatever intends to take you out.
Once you're out of fighters, you'll quickly realize that you're
a 900 ton sitting duck.
A.1.09
Name: Cruiser
Mass: 400 Front Armour: 600
Hold: 320 Left Armour: 600
Quarters: 20 Right Armour: 600
Pylons: 6 Rear Armour: 600
Turrets: 2
Fighters: 0
The fastest and most nimble of the capital warships, for whatever
that's worth. Unless you want a well-armoured cargo hauler,
stay away from this.
A.1.10
Name: Dagger
Mass: 15 Front Armour: 32
Hold: 12 Left Armour: 16
Quarters: 1 Right Armour: 16
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 16
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Fast, fun, and armored with tissue paper. A good pilot in one might
be able to prevail in combat, but I myself prefer ships that don't
blow up after the first hit. YMMV. Live fast, die young.
A.1.11
Name: Destroyer
Mass: 700 Front Armour: 1050
Hold: 560 Left Armour: 1050
Quarters: 35 Right Armour: 1050
Pylons: 8 Rear Armour: 1050
Turrets: 4
Fighters: 0
Big, slow, well-armed. That is, until the energy runs out. Can only
dock at star cities, like most of the capital ships.
A.1.12
Name: Enforcer
Mass: 25 Front Armour: 56
Hold: 20 Left Armour: 28
Quarters: 4 Right Armour: 28
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 28
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
A decent, if a tad bit smallish ship, with just enough space for the
simple bare necessities of life in flatspace.
A.1.13
Name: Entrepreneur Mk I
Mass: 20 Front Armour: 48
Hold: 18 Left Armour: 24
Quarters: 1 Right Armour: 24
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 24
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Yeah, it's ugly. But it's fast, nimble and has a lot of cargo space
for it's size. Try it, you might like it.
A.1.14
Name: Entrepreneur Mk II
Mass: 35 Front Armour: 80
Hold: 31 Left Armour: 40
Quarters: 2 Right Armour: 40
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 40
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Sometimes a meagre 18 tons just ain't enough, and that's when it's
time to upgrade to the Mk II. Roomy, fast, affordable, what more can
an enterprising young trader ask for?
A.1.15
Name: Entrepreneur Mk III
Mass: 35 Front Armour: 80
Hold: 25 Left Armour: 40
Quarters: 6 Right Armour: 40
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 40
Turrets: 2
Fighters: 0
Where the Mk II is the lorry of flatspace, the Mk III is the bus. And
those two turrets will make sure the passengers stay safe on the
long journey.
A.1.16
Name: Explorer
Mass: 30 Front Armour: 72
Hold: 27 Left Armour: 36
Quarters: 4 Right Armour: 36
Pylons: 4 Rear Armour: 36
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Probably the most universal ship ever built. Can fill most roles,
though it excels at none of them. Buy one and experiment.
A.1.17
Name: Fokker Starmaster
Mass: 15 Front Armour: 32
Hold: 13 Left Armour: 16
Quarters: 2 Right Armour: 16
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 16
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Another fighter, though with a tailpipe missile launcher and a cool
retro look. Try one, then settle for something better armored.
A.1.18
Name: Freight Crawler
Mass: 35 Front Armour: 80
Hold: 31 Left Armour: 60
Quarters: 1 Right Armour: 20
Pylons: 5 Rear Armour: 40
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Slow, with lots of cargo and the most godforsakenly awful armour
configuration of all the ships. Still, great for mining asteroids
and hauling cargo. Just don't try to dogfight in one.
A.1.19
Name: Freight Runner
Mass: 300 Front Armour: 540
Hold: 270 Left Armour: 360
Quarters: 8 Right Armour: 360
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 540
Turrets: 2
Fighters: 0
Roomy, well-armed and well-armoured. Can't dock at Trading Posts,
but will make a kick-ass freight hauler that's also pleasing to
the eye.
A.1.20
Name: Freight Walker
Mass: 120 Front Armour: 216
Hold: 108 Left Armour: 144
Quarters: 4 Right Armour: 144
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 216
Turrets: 1
Fighters: 0
Well, it's not too pretty, but it's fast enough to chase asteroids
and big enough to mount a Minemaster 3000. A prospectors wet dream.
Can't dock at Trading Posts, though.
A.1.21
Name: Gladius Mk I
Mass: 22 Front Armour: 56
Hold: 18 Left Armour: 28
Quarters: 2 Right Armour: 28
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 28
Turrets 0
Fighters: 0
For the bounty hunter on a budget, the Mk I provides enough room
for you and a live victim, and can be fitted with enough equipment
to make sure you catch that guy in the first place.
A.1.22
Name: Gladius Mk II
Mass: 25 Front Armour: 56
Hold: 20 Left Armour: 28
Quarters: 1 Right Armour: 28
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 28
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
The ship for the mercenary who's strapped for cash. A bit more
spacious than the Mk I, but you'll have to fly alone. Also a good
choice for the aspiring pirate.
A.1.23
Name: Gladius Mk III
Mass: 60 Front Armour: 144
Hold: 48 Left Armour: 72
Quarters: 2 Right Armour: 72
Pylons: 4 Rear Armour: 72
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Too slow for efficient bounty hunting, but a great choice for the
trader with some self-defense in mind. Also makes a great pirate
ship, since it's faster than the transports you want to rob, but
well-armed enough to blast the cops.
A.1.24
Name: Glaive
Mass: 20 Front Armour: 48
Hold: 16 Left Armour: 24
Quarters: 2 Right Armour: 24
Pylons: 4 Rear Armour: 24
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
A nasty little ship with 4 missile pylons. Makes for a decent bounty
hunter's ship, but is too small for efficient piracy. No place for
the booty in the boot, you see.
A.1.25
Name: Heavy Hauler
Mass: 400 Front Armour: 720
Hold: 320 Left Armour: 720
Quarters: 12 Right Armour: 240
Pylons: 4 Rear Armour: 720
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 4
As the name implies, it's big and it hauls stuff. Pirates should
approach from the right, and traders should stock up on those
fighters, since that's about all that'll keep those pesky pirates
at bay.
A.1.26
Name: Intertrader
Mass: 100 Front Armour: 120
Hold: 90 Left Armour: 180
Quarters: 4 Right Armour: 180
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 120
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Slow, ugly and turns like a pig, but it's the biggest ship that can
dock at Trading Posts and pirate bases. One for the shady purveyor
of illicit goods.
A.1.27
Name: Light Carrier
Mass: 700 Front Armour: 1050
Hold: 560 Left Armour: 1050
Quarters: 35 Right Armour: 1050
Pylons: 6 Rear Armour: 1050
Turrets: 1
Fighters: 12
The good news: You get a turret. The bad news: They cut your fighter
complement by 50%. Still, it's only a 700 ton sitting duck once it
runs out of fighters.
A.1.28
Name: Multiporter Mk I
Mass: 500 Front Armour: 900
Hold: 300 Left Armour: 600
Quarters: 11 Right Armour: 600
Pylons: 4 Rear Armour: 900
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 8
The biggest trader that can still dock at Trading Stations. The Mk I
sacrifices cargo space for a larger fighter escort.
A.1.29
Name: Multiporter Mk II
Mass: 500 Front Armour: 900
Hold: 400 Left Armour: 600
Quarters: 9 Right Armour: 600
Pylons: 4 Rear Armour: 900
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 4
The biggest trader that can still dock at Trading Stations. The Mk II
sacrifices a larger fighter escort for cargo space.
A.1.30
Name: Pelican
Mass: 70 Front Armour: 168
Hold: 60 Left Armour: 84
Quarters: 4 Right Armour: 84
Pylons: 4 Rear Armour: 84
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Just like the Gladius Mk III, the pelican is too slow for bounty hunting.
But it'll make a fine, well-armed trader or a nice prospector's ship. Also
quite pleasing to the eye, and the rear-mounted missile launchers will keep
pursuers at bay.
A.1.31
Name: Police Enforcer
Mass: 25 Front Armour: 56
Hold: 20 Left Armour: 28
Quarters: 4 Right Armour: 28
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 28
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Just like the regular enforcer, but you get a spiffy siren and you can call
for copper backup.
A.1.32
Name: Police Transporter
Mass: 80 Front Armour: 192
Hold: 70 Left Armour: 96
Quarters: 14 Right Armour: 96
Pylons: 4 Rear Armour: 96
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Makes a good trading ship, with the added benefit of copper backup if
desired. Too slow for actually hunting pirates, must be all of those donuts.
A.1.33
Name: Rocketman
Mass: 40 Front Armour: 60
Hold: 32 Left Armour: 60
Quarters: 2 Right Armour: 60
Pylons: 6 Rear Armour: 60
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
For the missile-loving maniac out there, the Rocketman provides an
unprecedented amount of pylons for a ship of it's size. Good ship for
bounty hunting, even though it's a bit big. But hey, you get a nifty siren
to play with.
A.1.34
Name: Shadowcat
Mass: 40 Front Armour: 96
Hold: 32 Left Armour: 60
Quarters: 2 Right Armour: 60
Pylons: 4 Rear Armour: 24
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
A good allrounder and a perennial favorite among bounty hunters and pirates
alike. Even makes a decent trader or miner. Just keep those guys away from
your weak rear, and you'll be fine. Available with leopard spots or tiger
stripes.
A.1.35
Name: Shadow Moth
Mass: 35 Front Armour: 80
Hold: 28 Left Armour: 50
Quarters: 2 Right Armour: 50
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 20
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
The smaller, quicker brother of the shadowcat, and equally versatile. Also
equally vulnerable in the rear.
A.1.36
Name: Space Taxi
Mass: 35 Front Armour: 80
Hold: 21 Left Armour: 40
Quarters: 10 Right Armour: 40
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 40
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
The ideal spaceship for large families, small-time travel organisations or
big time slaver lords. Comes with a spiffy siren.
A.1.37
Name: Swingback Fighter
Mass: 10 Front Armour: 60
Hold: 9 Left Armour: 10
Quarters: 1 Right Armour: 10
Pylons: 2 Rear Armour: 20
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Another fighter. Waver-thin side and back armour, so try to get them to
hit you in the front.
A.1.38
Name: Willow Wasp
Mass: 20 Front Armour: 54
Hold: 16 Left Armour: 20
Quarters: 1 Right Armour: 20
Pylons: 3 Rear Armour: 40
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
One of the better armed (and armoured) fighters out there. For when you
really, really need to get to your bounty on time.
No rocket science at work here, folks. Carbidium gives the best
armor/weight-ratio,and despite being the most expensive armour to repair,
it's worth every single credit.
Flares are cheap (though limited) and can be used to get rid of a
tailing missile, despite being of a lower tech level. In a pinch, an
ejected cargo pod can do the same when properly timed. EMP Devices will
kill missiles with impunity, but put a massive strain on your energy
reserves. And, finally, XOX Reprogrammers only can reprogram missiles up
to level 2, meaning there are quite a few that you will be a sitting duck
against. They are also astoundingly expensive.
B.1.04 Escape Pods
Name: Escape Pod
Mass: 10 Front Armour: 25
Hold: 10 Left Armour: 25
Quarters: 1 Right Armour: 25
Pylons: 0 Rear Armour: 25
Turrets: 0
Fighters: 0
Take my word for it: you don't really want to ride in an escape pod, since
it's the sure-fire sign that something went awfully wrong with your last
ship. Still, handy to have in those hardcore "dead is dead"-type games.
Name: Equipment: Cost:
Genie Escape Pod Thruster 40.000
Xanadu Escape Pod Thruster, Hyperdrive 80.000
Wolf Escape Pod Thruster, Hyperdrive, Machinegun 120.000
Divide the SWF by the mass of your ship to determine your hyperjump range.
B.1.06 Missiles
Name: Mass: Agility: Level: Damage: Cost:
Adams J6 Mine 3 None (unguided) 2 600 2.500
Adams J7 Mine 4 None (unguided) 3 800 3.500
Anemonic Torpedo 4 None (unguided) 2 600 6.000
Baker XVII Missile 1 Very High 3 200 3.000
E-1 Stun Missile 1 Moderate 0 150 3.000
E-2 Stun Missile 2 Low 2 400 8.000
Eagle Missile 1 Moderate 1 200 2.000
Elemental Missile 1 Low 1 200 1.500
Iko C Missile 1 Very High 4 350 8.500
Iko V Missile 1 High 2 300 3.500
Iko X Missile 1 Very High 2 300 4.000
Kuzai M-1 Missile 1 Low 0 300 1.500
Kuzai M-4 Missile 1 Low 2 250 2.000
Lockback DD2 Missile 1 Very High 0 250 2.000
Lockback DD4 Missile 1 Very High 1 300 3.000
Panther Missile 1 Moderate 3 250 2.500
Razor T1 Torpedo 1 None (unguided) 0 200 1.000
Razor T2 Torpedo 2 None (unguided) 1 400 2.000
Skyforce Missile 1 Moderate 2 150 1.500
Swordfish Missile 1 Very High 2 350 5.000
Starblade Missile 1 High 3 300 3.000
Swingblade Missile 1 High 0 150 1.000
Tiger Missile 1 Moderate 1 150 1.500
Tyler 9 Torpedo 3 None (unguided) 2 500 3.500
Unless you have money to burn, I recommend firing missiles only in very tight
situations, or when the target's bounty exceeds the cost of the missile.
Torpedoes are rather useful when going up against capital ships and stations,
and usually can't be reprogrammed or fooled by a flare. Just make sure you
have enough of them.
Oh, and learn where the missile launchers of your ship are located. It's quite
frustrating to get bagged by your own missile as it tries to take a shortcut
through your bow.
Nothing special here. The longer the range, the more you'll see, and the
further out you can lock onto the nearest target or enemy. My personal
favorite is the R20, being compact and having a decent range. But then I
tend to fly a crammed little Shadowcat.
B.1.08 Robots
Name: Mass: Capability: Cost:
Clara Medical Robot 1 Medical 4.000
R2-M Medical Robot 1 Medical 2.500
R3-M Medical Robot 1 Medical 3.000
R9 Maintenance Robot 1 Maintenance 3.500
Uriel J Droid 1 Maintenance 18.000
Warhorse Robot 2 Maintenance 1.500
X1 Repair Droid 1 Maintenance 1.500
YY-99 Medical Robot 1 Medical 9.000
Robots fulfill the function of crew members, but add mass instead of
occupying quarters. They're also rather expensive at first, compared
to regular crew.
B.1.09 Scanners
Name: Mass: Data Provided: Cost:
Assassin Scanner 1 E, N, S, T 12.500
BQ-101 Scanner 1 N, T 3.500
BQ-404 Scanner 1 K, L, N, P, T 7.500
BQ-606 Scanner 1 E, K, L, N, P, S, T 32.500
D4 Cargo Scanner 1 C, N 1.750
D5 Cargo Scanner 1 C, K, L, N, P 12.750
D6 Cargo Scanner 1 C, E, N, S 17.500
Designation Scanner 1 N 500
Eriador-W Scanner 1 E, N, S, W 7.500
Eriador-X Scanner 1 C, N, T, W 22.500
I-Spy DTX100 Scanner 1 E, N, S 5.000
Police Scanner 1 K, L, N, P 5.000
Predator Scanner 1 K, N, P 3.500
Predator II Scanner 1 K, N, P, T 6.500
Predator III Scanner 1 E, K, N, P, S, T 30.000
Predator IV Scanner 1 E, K, N, P, S, T, W 40.000
R-100 Scanner 1 N, P 850
VT1 Trading Scanner 1 I, N 5.000
VT1 Trading Scanner 1 I, N 6.500
VTX Trading Scanner 1 I, K, L, N, P 25.000
C=Cargo
E=ECM
I=Import/Export
K=Kill Bounty
L=Live Bounty
N=Ship Name
P=Pilot Name
S=Shields
T=Tracking
W=Weapons
Scanners. Use the above table to determine which is the right model for you,
and take note that the predator series of scanners won't provide you with
the live bounty of the target.
Remember that the shield will be recharged prior to the energy banks, so
if you run out of juice and have a shield, you can usually kiss your ass
goodbye as neither guns nor countermeasures will operate. So remember:
Short, controlled bursts!
There are other thruster sizes available, but they're remnants from an
earlier version of the game. As of today (1.09), you can only fit one size
of thruster on your ship, so you basically can only choose between cheap
and slow or expensive and fast. Stick to the latter, all that saved money
won't do you any good when you've been outrun by pirates.
B.1.12 Toys (Pets & Misc.)
Name: Mass: Cost
Autochef 9000 1 750.000
Gelpad Command Seat 0 1.000.000
Hyperdrive Part? 0 2.500.000
Hyperdrive Part? 0 2.500.000
Hyperdrive Part? 0 2.500.000
Hyperdrive Part? 0 2.500.000
MT1 Music System 0 1.500.000
J9 Slave Robot 1 2.000.000
Pet Cat 0 2.500
Pet Dog 0 2.500
Pet Parrot 0 8.000
Pet Monkey 0 15.000
Pet Tiger 0 150.000
Actually, none of those parts has any impact on the performance of your
ship. But they're damn nice to have around, nonetheless, and provide an
opportunity to burn excess money on something semi-useful.
Plus, your very own pet parrot! No real space pirate would be caught dead
without one!
C=Cargo
P=People
C*=Cargo, Refines Cargo (See Below)
P*= People, Minces Passengers (Passengers->Meat/Fish)
VC=Vaporises Cargo
VP=Vaporises People
Minemaster Conversion Table:
Alloys -> Metal
Clothing -> Textiles
Fruit -> Water
Industrial Chemicals -> Water
Meat -> Biological Derivatives
Medical Biomatter -> Biological Derivatives
Ores -> Metal
Rock Fragments -> Crystals
Semiconductors -> Crystals
Staple Foods -> Biological Derivatives
Toxic Waste -> Water
Different horses for different causes. The maximum mass of a tractor beam
determines the size of objects that can be assimilated. Cargo pods have 5
tons of mass. Escape pods, fighters and the smalles of asteroids ring in at
10 tons, and the bigger asteroids weight 25 tons, the same as some of the
smaller ships and the police enforcers. If your scoop can handle it, just
suck those bastards in.
Also take note that you can pull an object of any size with any tractor beam;
crashing asteroids into bases is thoroughly possible, not to mention cheaper
than torpedoes.
I'll let the numbers speak for themselves. Remember that turrets usually
fire continously once activated, and tend to drain your energy reserves
fast, before you install 6 plasma turrets on your shiny new battlestation.
C.1 Career Advice
C.1.01 Trader
Trading is probably the easiest and safest way to get cash, though it might
take a while.All you need is some cargo space, the more, the better, and some
note paper (though I recommend a Trading Scanner, to speed things up). Just
find out which bases export which cargo category cheap, and which bases in
the vicinity import the same cargo. Then set up a trade route, and with a bit
of patience, you can rake in a lot of money.
You might want to get a bigger ship and a cargo scanner, other than that, there
is no necessary equipment for trading. And while we're at bigger ships, keep
in mind that no ship larger than 100 tons can dock at a trading post, and
that 500 tons is the maximum docking size for a trade station.
C.1.02 Mercenary
A good road to fame, fortune and a cold shallow grave in space. Basically,
you'll need a combat-capable ship fast enough to outrun your target. Oh, and
you'll also want a radar, some armor, a tracking scanner, a shield and quite
possibly a bigger gun; at least you won't have to worry about cargo space,
since none is needed.
Just check the Space Stations for missions, and then go after the target. As
easy as that, but keep in mind that your target might be bigger and better
armed. If you want to do the life capture missions, you'll need a tractor
beam capable of sucking up people. And, finally, don't forget to visit the
police bases often to pay your fines, you can rack up quite a bounty on your
head by careless freelancing.
C.1.03 Bounty Hunter
Just like the Mercenary, you'll need a fast, combat-capable ship, a tracking
scanner and, for added cash-flow, a Man Trap-type tractor beam. Just visit
your local police station, enter the desired delinquents into your tracking
scanner and then go get them.
Live capture usually nets about twice as much credits as killing the quarry,
so try "or alive" instead of "dead" sometimes.
C.1.04 Police
Just like a bounty hunter or mercenary, but your choice of ships is rather
limited. The best thing about being a cop aren't the donuts, but the fact
that you can call for backup, allowing you to take on large targets with a
little help from your friends.
C.1.05 Pirate
Arr, matey, there's booty to be hauled aboard! You'll need a ship capable
of outgunning and outrunning traders, a cargo scoop (let me recommend the
micromage here) and a cargo scanner, so you can check out if there's booty
in that ship. You should also make sure that there's enough free cargo space
to haul the loot, so I'd stick to the medium sized ships. Just blow 'em up a
little bit (if so inclined ask them to drop the loot first), suck up the
valuables and cash them in at the nearest station.
C.1.06 Scavenger
One of the more serene ways of earning cash. You'll need a decently sized ship
quick enough to chase down asteroids, a gun, a cargo scoop and a metric
shitload of free cargo space. Just blow up some rocks until you have the
desired size, target them and scoop them up. Getting a radar will shorten the
time needed to locate a suitable chunk of rock, and a minemaster scoop will
convert the scooped goods into a much more refined and valuable state. Unless
you scoop up extraneous cargo pods, that is.
C.1.07 Armour, Shields & Energy
Armour can be boosted by buying the appropriate items, but the gain is
relatively minor compared to the weight. Also, you won't be able to mount more
than 1-5 tons on the smaller ships.
Shields offer much more protection, but it's non-directional, meaning it will
go down on all 4 sides, no matter where you've been hit. Even worse, shields
drain energy and will drain energy even when your guns are empty.
Make your choice.
C.1.08 Weapons - More bang for your buck!
Some musings by me on the different weapon types...
Machine Guns, Miniguns and Cannons usually deal pretty decent damage, drain no
energy and are pretty light, but they're hard to aim as you don't see any
projectiles.
Lasers are pretty fast and easy to aim, but tend to be heavy and drain enery.
The stun gun is similar to a laser, but quite power hungry and with low damage.
Even worse, it can't kill, so if your target refuses to surrender you'll have
to break out the missiles.
Plasma deals a lot of raw damage, but the projectiles are rather slow, and the
power drain is enourmous.
Artillery plainly sucks, as you can't aim it properly and it takes a whopping
1,5 seconds to reload after each shot. The only application where I find it
actually useful is for blasting asteriods when mining.
Unguided rockets combine some of the better parts of plasma and machine guns,
but the projectiles are rather slow. Still, not a bad choice.
Flamer type weapons deal a lot of raw damage and are great for base busting,
but they also are heavy and go through your energy stores like a chainsaw
through a stick of butter. Their range is abysmal, too.
As you can see, there is no "best" weapon in the game. You have to take the
good with the bad.
D.1.01 Cheats
There are 4 known cheats in the full version, which are entered in the "Name"
field when starting a new game. They are pretty self-explanatory. Remeber that
the cheats are case-sensitive when entering them.
Double Damage - Doubles the damage of your weapons.
One Million Dollars - Lets you start with one million credits.
Ten Million Dollars - Lets you start with ten million credits.
One Ton Upgrades - The mass of all pieces of equipment is reduced to 1 ton.
D.1.02 Bugs
As of 1.09, the game is remarkably bug-free. Still, there seem to be a few
minor glitches:
-The Police Station is missing a wall; this can't be seen from all angles,
but is rather annoying where it can be seen.
-Mission Targets sometimes are reported as killed subsequent to them jumping
out of a sector. While I'm sure it can happen, I do have serious doubts that
an undamaged carrier can be killed within 0,5 seconds of arriving in a new
sector.
Which basically means that I have a shielded Shadowcat with ECM, missiles,
radar, scanner and scoop, capable of jumping 20 lightyears with decent armour.
The core generator might look too weak, but since all it does is power the
thruster and recharge the shields, it's completely sufficient.
D.1.04 Suggestions
While I tremedously enjoy the game, I did come across a few parts that could
use some improvements. Please take note that the following are merely my own
opinions, and in no way the universal truth.
-> The ability to turn shields off.
As it is now, a shielded ship running out of energy and shields is dead, as
it will take an eternity for the shield to recharge, whereas the player needs
the energy for the guns.
Turing the shield off would at least give him a fighting chance.
-> Bigger core generators for capital ships.
Right now, it's far too easy to destroy a capital ship. Just shoot them once,
evade their turret fire for about 10 seconds, then kill the sitting duck. Most
of the time, they can't even move after firing their turrets at you for those
few precious seconds. Also, the larger shields take far too long to recharge,
putting a strain on the core generators for what seems like minutes.
-> More medium sized ships.
As much as I enjoy the shadowcat and the rocketman, the game could use a few
extra ships in the 30-70 ton range.
-> Improved missile launchers.
I just *hate* it when my freshly launched E-1 missile slams into the bow of
my ship, disabling me and leaving me to the tender mercies of my enraged
target. The Shadowcat is particularly prone to suicidal launching
behaviour.
->Improved target cycling.
Identifying your target with a radar tends to be rather diffcult, since you
can only cycle between the targets on your screen. It would be nice if one
could cycle between all the targets in radar range.
->Provide the "Toys" with a few (harmless) in-game functions.
Mere text comments from passengers would be sufficient, I guess, though the
music system could be coupled with some media-player type functions. Maybe
add some different stlye status displays one could purchase. Or add an
entry for today's menu for the autochef on the status screen.
Corrections? Bugs? Suggestions? Mail them to me at
CaptainMeph AT hotmail.com, so I can include them.
