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FTL: Faster Than Light Guide
Version 1.3 (2014/01/21)
Written by An_D
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Copyright 2012-2014 Andrew Lau.
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Welcome to FTL! This is a great little 2-D spaceship simulation roguelike. I'm
An_D, I'll be your host on this, most likely, doomed voyage into space.
Secrets and pirates and slavers abound! And the rebels are hot on our trail.
Charge FTL drive, we're outta here.
Table of Contents
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1. Introduction
2. Basics
- Ship System Control
- Crew Control
- Weapon (Fire) Control
- Door Control
- FTL Travel
- Environments
- Sector Types
- Races
- Options *!* (coming...maybe)
3. Ship Systems and Upgrades
- Shields
- Engines
- Oxygen
- Weapon Control
- Medbay
- Drone Control
- Cloaking
- Crew Teleporter
- Piloting
- Sensors
- Door System
- Reactor
- Artillery Beam
4. Hints and Tips
5. Final Boss Strategies !!Spoilers Start Here!!
6. Ships and Unlocking
7. Micromanagement
8. Personal Stuff
9. Legal
x. Version History
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1. Introduction
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You are a starship captain charged with delivering vital information to the
Federation base. The rebel fleet is searching for you, steadily advancing
their ships across all systems. You must reach the next sector before the
rebels if you hope to survive and complete your mission.
Along the way you will meet allies and aliens. You will find secrets and face
treachery. Will the next asteroid field hold valuable scrap or turn your ship
into such? You'll never know for sure...
because this is a roguelike. That means every map is randomly generated and
the encounters are random as well. There are no continues.
The beings that travel through space have no need of fiat money and only deal
with physical scrap. Really, what use is a stack of 100 credit notes when the
hull is leaking air or your reactor has no fuel?
Keep hold of your courage and your wits when, not if, troubles come. Can you
do it? Can you survive this adventure that will take you Faster than Light?
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2. Basics
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The controls for FTL are pretty straight-forward. You can view them at any
time in the game by selecting the controls page from the escape (Esc) menu. A
tutorial is also provided from the title menu. At any time, press space bar
to pause the gameplay.
- Ship System Control -
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In general, the systems are controlled by clicking on the system icon with the
mouse. Left-clicking will add power to the system, right-clicking will remove
it. You cannot add more power than there are empty bars above the system, more
on that in section 3.
- Crew Control -
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Crew members are controlled by selecting them with the left mouse button and
moving them with the right mouse button. You can also select crew by clicking
their names on the left side of the screen as well as clicking and dragging
over crew members or their names. If want to select crew that aren't next to
each other you can do so while holding down the shift key. You can have up to
8 crew members at a time.
- Weapon (Fire) Control -
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The ship's weapons must have power before they can fire. Unpowered weapons
appear gray along the bottom of the screen. Left-click on a weapon to give it
power; powered weapon systems appear in white. You can see that active weapons
extend from the ship and change appearance as they build charge to fire, and
unpowered weapons retract into the hull; this is also true for enemy ships.
To fire a weapon, left-click on a powered weapon and the cursor will change
into the targeting cursor with a small number corresponding to the position of
the weapon on the weapons bar. You can also select the weapon using the number
key for that weapon. Left-click on a part of the enemy ship to select the
target. Bombs can target your own ship as well. You can choose to change the
target as many times as you want before the weapon finishes charging.
The AUTOFIRE mode allows the ship's weapons to fire as fast as they can build
charge. They will keep firing until you select a new target. Holding the
control (Ctrl) key while selecting a target will allow for individual use of
autofire.
Fully charged weapons appear green on the weapons bar and will remain charged
until you fire or power down the weapon, or if the weapon system takes
damage, more on that in section 3.
- Door Control -
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Doors are controlled by clicking on the door. Doors will stay in the position
you set them so don't forget and asphyxiate the crew. You can also control all
the doors with the buttons above the door icon in the bottom right corner. The
close button closes all doors. The open button opens all interior door on the
first click and opens all exterior doors on the second. This is extremely
dangerous and only useful in rare situations.
Door control is useful for starving fires and enemy boarders of air.
- FTL Travel -
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The FTL drive is how your ship crosses the vastness of space. To jump to the
next beacon, click the jump button on the top of the screen. A map will appear
to show you the available places you can go. If you enabled the option, you
can also see which beacons are within jump range when you mouse over a point.
Click on a nearby beacon and you will quickly jump there.
- Environments -
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There are several different kinds of surroundings you might find on your
journey. Some settings have no real effect, showing off the nice artwork of a
nearby planet or moon. Others can cripple or end your ship.
* Space: different appearances
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- no effect
* Asteroid Field: stray rocks fly about
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- rocks impact on all ships, fields have varying intensity
* Sun: you're too close!
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- solar flares periodically set fire to ships
* Nebula: gaseous clouds are all around
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- sensors are useless
- advancing rebel fleet is slowed
- may contain ion storms which halve reactor power
- Sector Types -
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When you reach the sector exit beacon, the JUMP map has an added option to
jump to the next sector. As the sector map shows, there are three basic types
of sectors: civilian, hostile and nebula. All sector types contain enemies
and usually at least one store. When you mouse over the sector dot, you will
see the specific sector type. Homeworlds have similar characteristics to their
controlled areas, with a chance to find unique encounters.
* Civilian Sector Types
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- Civilian: less hostile ships and more stores
- Engi Controlled: encounters involving Engi more likely
- Engi Homeworlds: the Engi have a problem, but they won't tell outsiders
- Zoltan Controlled: better chances to find a Zoltan crew member
- Zoltan Homeworlds: the Zoltan might share their technology if you honor
their ways
* Hostile Sector Types
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- Rebel Controlled: higher rate of rebel ship encounters, less aliens
- Pirate Controlled: more attacks from pirates, slavers and hostile aliens
- Mantis Controlled: more enemy boarders, more Mantis
- Mantis Homeworlds: a famous Mantis is looking for a new way of life
- Rock Controlled: they don't like outsiders, and they're not afraid to
show you with missiles
- Rock Homeworlds: a show of courage may change the minds of the Rock people
* Nebula Sector Types
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- Uncharted Nebula: filled with billowing nebula clouds, beware ion storms
- Slug Controlled: Slugs are most at home in nebulae
- Slug Homeworlds: secret knowledge can be more powerful than a weapon
- Races -
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There are 6 basic races in the universe of FTL. Most races have 100 health.
* Humans: have no special abilities at all
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- Cost 40 scrap to hire
- You can identify male and female.
* Engi: mysterious neutral beings that are exceptionally skilled engineers
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- Cost 50 scrap to hire
- Make repairs at 2x the normal rate but only deal 1/2 combat damage
- Special event options available
* Zoltan: allies of the Engi, rarely found outside their own sectors
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- Cost 70 scrap to hire
- Provide one bar of power each to the system occupied
- Only 70 health
* Rockmen: sturdy beings made of living rock
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- Cost 65 to hire
- Immune to fire damage
- Move at 1/2 speed
- Have 150 health
- Special event options available
* Mantis: vicious aliens with no regard for individual lives
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- Cost 45 scrap to hire
- Inflict 2x combat damage but repairs take twice as long
- Move at 1.2x speed
- Special event options available
* Slugs: telepathic slugs from outer space
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- Cost 45 scrap to hire
- Telepathy will mark enemy personnel locations and see into adjacent rooms
- Special event options available
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3. Ship Systems and Upgrades
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The Upgrade menu can be opened by clicking the Ship button on the top center
of the screen. The button will be grayed out if you are not in a safe
situation, i.e. under attack, in an asteroid field, too close to the sun.
From the ship menu you can perform upgrades with the scrap you've accumulated.
You can also view your crew from the Crew page and dismiss members if you so
choose. On the Equipment page you can rearrange your weapons and drones as
well as discard things when you don't have enough space.
- Shields -
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Shields provide protection from all energy weapons as well as asteroid
impacts. Every two bars in shields provides one layer of protection. Your ship
can have up to four layers of shields, each will block one shot. Single bars
do not have any benefit when powered.
Damage to the shield system results in loss of use for the damaged bars, also
meaning loss of layers of shielding if a pair is affected.
Shields can be manned by a crew member. The shield recharge time is reduced by
10%, 20% or 30% depending on shield experience. Crew gain shield experience
every time a level of shielding is damaged. Only the person manning the shield
station gets experience.
System Cost: 150
- Level 3: 20
- Level 4: 30
- Level 5: 40
- Level 6: 60
- Level 7: 80
- Level 8: 100
- Engines -
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Engines power the FTL drive used to jump from beacon to beacon. The engines
also help you dodge incoming attacks. The more power you put into the engines,
the higher the evade percentage and the faster the FTL drive charges.
Damage to the engines results in loss of use for the damaged bars. In
addition, if the engines are unpowered the FTL drive stops charging and the
ship cannot dodge anything. The engines must have power for the FTL to engage.
Engines can be manned with your crew providing an added 5%, 7% or 10% evade
depending on engines experience. Crew gain engine experience every time
something is dodged in combat, the word MISS appears. Only the person manning
the engineering station gets experience.
Upgrade Cost
- Level 1: Dodge: 5 / FTL 1x
- Level 2: Dodge: 10 / FTL 1.25x
- Level 3: 15, Dodge: 15 / FTL 1.5x
- Level 4: 30, Dodge: 20 / FTL 1.75x
- Level 5: 40, Dodge: 25 / FTL 2x
- Level 6: 60, Dodge: 28 / FTL 2.25x
- Level 7: 80, Dodge: 31 / FTL 2.5x
- Level 8: 120, Dodge: 35 / FTL 2.75x
Improved engines open up more options with certain events.
- Oxygen -
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Everyone needs oxygen to breathe. The O2 system replenishes the ships air
constantly while powered. Increasing the power to the O2 system increases the
rate at which the air is replenished.
REMEMBER, your crew needs oxygen. As the air depletes, rooms will turn a
deeper shade of red. Rooms lacking enough O2 will show the floor striped with
orange to warn you of the danger. When the overall amount of O2 in the ship
reaches 25% the alarm sounds, but certain parts of the ship may have less air
due to damage or fire. Oxygen is literally the life of your crew.
Upgrade Cost
- Level 1: O2 Refill Boost: 1x
- Level 2: 25, O2 Refill Boost: 3x
- Level 3: 50, O2 Refill Boost: 6x
An improved oxygen system offers more options for certain events.
- Weapon Control -
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The weapons system provides power to your ship's weapons. Each weapon has a
power requirement and the weapons system must supply enough power in order for
those weapons to work. You can rearrange the order of the ship's weapons by
clicking and dragging the weapon along the weapons bar on the bottom of the
screen or in the equipment menu.
Damage to the weapons system results in loss of power to the weapons starting
with the rightmost on the weapons bar and going left.
Weapons can be manned which will reduce the charge time of the ship's weapons
by 10%, 15% or 19% depending on weapons experience. Crew members gain weapons
experience every time a weapon is fired. Only the person manning the weapons
station gets experience.
Upgrade Cost
- Level 1:
- Level 2: 60
- Level 3: 25
- Level 4: 35
- Level 5: 50
- Level 6: 70
- Level 7: 90
- Level 8: 100
Certain types of weapons allow special options with certain events. Stronger
weapons in general can also lead to additional options.
- Medbay -
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The Medbay is where members of your crew can go to heal their damage. Medical
bays that are 2x2 large can fit up to 3 people at a time. Some ships have a
2x1 bay that can only hold 2 crew.
System Cost: 60 (courtesy of Buretsu from GameFAQs)
- Level 1: Healing Boost: 1x
- Level 2: 35, Healing Boost: 1.5x
- Level 3: 60, Healing Boost: 3x
Some events have more options when equipped with an advanced medbay.
- Drone Control -
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The drone control system provides power for the types of drones equipped on
the ship. Each drone has a power requirement. For a drone to function, the
drone control system must have enough power available, and the ship must have
enough drone parts. Drones are created instantly, but drones that operate
within the ship, system repair and anti-personnel drones, need a short time to
start up.
Most drone control systems have 2 slots for drone types. All come equipped
with a basic drone schematic.
Damage to the drone control system results in loss of power to the drones
starting from the rightmost on the drones bar and proceeding left.
System Cost: 80
- Level 2:
- Level 3: 20
- Level 4: 30
- Level 5: 45
- Level 6: 60
- Level 7: 80
- Level 8: 100
Several types of drones enable special options for certain events.
- Cloaking -
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The cloaking system is used to hide the ship from enemy sensors. Increasing
the power to the stealth system allows the ship to remain cloaked for a longer
period of time. When cloaked, the enemy cannot target the ship and the ship's
evasion increases by 60%. The recharge time after the cloak ends is 20
seconds. Cloaking is instant; there is no initial charge time, only recharge
time.
Firing when cloaked shortens the duration of the time in cloak. This can be
avoided with the Stealth Weapons augment. If there are intruders on board they
cannot be recalled while the ship is in cloak. The reverse also applies to
your away parties when the enemy ship is cloaked.
System Cost: 150
- Level 1: Cloak: 5 seconds
- Level 2: 30, Cloak: 10 seconds
- Level 3: 50, Cloak: 15 seconds
Cloaking enables special options with some events.
- Crew Teleporter -
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The crew teleporter does exactly as its name says. Most teleporters can only
send two crew members at a time, but all can recover up to four. Teleporters
only recover crew in the same room. Crew in adjacent rooms will be left
behind, as will crew that are still moving into position. Enemies cannot be
moved using your teleporter. Teleportation is instant; there is no start-up
time, only recharge time.
Crew members can take damage up to the instant they are recovered. That means
it is possible to recover a dead body if teleported too late. As mentioned
before, teleporters cannot move crew when the target ship is in cloak, this is
also true for enemies.
* ALL CREW MEMBERS CURRENTLY ON BOARD THE ENEMY SHIP ARE LOST when the ship
is destroyed or FTL jumps away.
System Cost: 150
- Level 1: 20 second cooldown
- Level 2: 30, 15 second cooldown
- Level 3: 60, 10 second cooldown
The crew teleporter opens up some options with certain events. An improved
teleporter allows even more options.
- Piloting -
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The piloting sub-system allows a crew member to plot FTL jumps and dodge
attacks when manned. The piloting station must be manned for the FTL drive to
charge and make jumps. Upgrades to the system allow the ship to retain some
evasion ability even when un-manned. Piloting doesn't require additional power.
Crew members add 5%, 7% or 10% evade depending on piloting experience. Pilots
gain experience whenever something is dodged in combat, the word MISS appears.
Only the person at the piloting station gets experience.
Upgrade Cost
- Level 1: Needs pilot to function
- Level 2: 20, Auto: 1/4 evasion
- Level 3: 50, Auto: 1/2 evasion
An improved piloting system offers more options for select events.
- Sensors -
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The sensors sub-system helps you see into the rooms of your ship and gives you
information on enemy ships. Sensors do not need additional power.
System Cost: 40
- Level 1: See ship interior
- Level 2: 25, See enemy interior
- Level 3: 60, See enemy power use
Advanced sensors (Level 3) give more options with certain events. As far as I
know, Level 2 sensors do not have event options.
- Door System -
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The door sub-system controls the operation of all ship doors. Upgraded doors
can stop intruders for a time and slow down the spread of fire and the loss of
air. The door system does not require additional power.
Damage to the door system will result in less effective use of ship doors.
System failure will keep all doors in their current positions, but people can
still travel through the doors.
System Cost: 60
- Level 1: Normal doors
- Level 2: 20, Blast Doors
- Level 3: 50, Improved Blast doors
- Reactor -
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The reactor provides the ship's systems with power. Upgrades to the reactor
increases the available power. There are a total of 25 power bars.
Upgrade Cost
- Up to 10 bars: 20 each
- Up to 15 bars: 25 each
- Up to 20 bars: 30 each
- Up to 25 bars: 35 each
- Artillery Beam -
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The artillery beam is only available on Federation Cruiser class ships. It is
a beam weapon that aims and fires automatically and can pierce any shields.
The beam does one damage for each room hit. More power reduces charge time.
Upgrade Cost
- Level 1: 50 second charge time
- Level 2: 30, 40 second charge time
- Level 3: 50, 30 second charge time
- Level 4: 80, 20 second charge time
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4. Hints and Tips
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Here are some of the basic strategies I've picked up from playing. Some of
them apply to real life as well.
* Your crew is the life of your ship.
- Without crew members the ship is useless. Protect your crew.
* Overwhelm problems.
- When the situation becomes dire you don't have time to wait. Identify
which problem is the most important and concentrate everything into
overcoming it. Only move onto the next problem if you have left-over
resources.
* Fire in salvos.
- This is an extension of the tip before, but it deserves mention. You have
much better chance to overcome enemy defenses if you fire your weapons
together.
* Know your weapons.
- There's no point in firing a heavy laser into a shield only to follow
with a bomb. Learn the abilities of your weapons and when to use them.
* Blast doors are worth it.
- The blast door upgrade is a cheap and effective way to gain more control
over your ship. They delay intruders, hinder fires and greatly reduce air
loss. What more could you ask from a 20 scrap upgrade?
* Take advantage of the weak.
- If you ever encounter an enemy that you completely outclass, don't be in
a hurry to finish off the ship. This is a good chance to let your crew
gain combat experience.
* Flee from the strong.
- When a fight is going badly, think about running away. It may feel like a
waste, but you may waste even more in repairs, ammunition and the lives
of your crew if you stay to the end. You can't complete the mission if
you're dead.
* Specialize, but...
- Many times you'll be better off by concentrating on one way of dealing
damage. That being said, always be aware of your weaknesses. Four lasers
are great until you meet a ship with four shields. Likewise, dual missile
launchers can destroy most any ship until you run out of missiles or find
a ship with two defense drones.
* Be open to change and chance.
- You may have a plan for your ultimate ship, but you won't always get the
right drops. Work with what you have, not what you hope to get.
* Never give up.
- You may think it's over. You might have one crew member or 1 hull left.
Don't give up. You don't know the limits of what you can do until you try.
P.S.
* Don't mess with giant spiders. Just don't.
- If you don't have a special (blue) option when facing spiders, just
leave. It's not really worth the life of a crew member. You might hire
another crewman with the scrap you receive, but you only get supplies if
you succeed and you get nothing AND lose crew if you fail.
* AI controlled ships can't fix hull breaches.
- Any system damage in a room with a hull breach will remain because of
repair priorities. Hull breaches rank above system damage, but AI ships
can't fix them at all.
(courtesy of kmanweiss of GameFAQs, confirmed with in-game testing)
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5. Final Boss Strategies !!Spoilers Start Here!!
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You've made it to the final sector. Congratulations! You want rest? No, you
get to fight a huge enemy flagship. Go on.
Aside from an overview of the final battles I'll be including some set-ups and
tactics that have been effective for me.
Some things you want before you reach Sector 8
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* As many crew members as you can get
- In direct comparison, your ship is at a disadvantage in almost every
category. You can win only through your cunning and leadership. For that
you need enough people to do things for you.
* A way to bypass or overcome 4 shields and a defense drone
- Word of advice, 5 shots from lasers will not really do it. The flagship
has a rather high evasion rate.
* Defenses against all types of damage, especially missiles
- The enemy flagship can inflict all 4 types of damage: ion, laser, missile
and beam. Its weapons also fire in bursts of 3, except the beam. The beam
can pierce 1 layer of shields.
* Level 2 Sensors
- You want to see what's going on in the enemy ship.
The rebel flagship will be fought over the course of 3 battles. Each battle
has its own hurdles and that's what makes this final confrontation difficult.
! - First Battle - !
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The first battle is probably the most familiar of the three boss fights. There
is nothing you haven't seen before, it's just all there at once.
For weaponry it has an ion cannon, heavy laser, missile launcher and beam
cannon. The ion, laser and missile weapons all fire in bursts of 3. The beam
can pierce 1 layer of shields.
The flagship has 4 layers of shields, this is true for all three battles. All
its systems and sub-systems are improved, that means Lv3 blast doors and a
stronger medbay to FTL captains that favor boarding parties.
The troublesome part of this fight is the advanced cloaking system on the port
(left) side of the rebel flagship. All the system damage you manage to inflict
can be repaired while the flagship cloaks and charges its weapons. This can be
avoided if you have crew on board the flagship when it cloaks. You cannot
recover your crew until the cloak ends, but you can target the flagship with
your fully charged weapons. Increased evasion from cloak still applies.
My target priorities:
1. missile launcher
2. shields
3. ion cannon
4. beam weapon
If you find your shots missing too often, I suggest destroying the engines and
the piloting station. If you cannot do enough damage to last until after the
ship comes out of cloak, you'll have to take out the stealth system or risk
losing the fight.
A point of interest, the rebel flagship keeps the same crew throughout the
battles. If you kill the entire crew, the flagship's AI will take over and it
will function like the other AI ships, automatically repairing damage. The AI
repairs systems slower than live crew, but it does so constantly, regardless
of how many systems are damaged. If you leave one of the enemy crew alive, the
AI will not engage and the rebel crewmen will be hard pressed keeping such a
huge ship running by himself. I prefer to keep the gunner of the heavy laser
alive because he can't even reach the other systems from his isolated room.
After you bring the enemy's hull to zero, the flagship will escape by FTL
jumping to the next beacon. There is no timer or penalty for delaying, so take
time to make sure everything is shipshape and make any necessary repairs and
equipment changes. When you're ready jump to the next beacon.
!!! - Second Battle - !!!
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The second battle is a drone battle. You can see that the port side of the
flagship has broken off and with it, the cloaking system and ion weapon. This
battle will introduce POWER SURGEs. For this fight it will mean a sudden swarm
of enemy attack and beam drones that have no business being anywhere because
there's nothing to power them, hence the name power surge.
The enemy will have attack, defense and beam drones active, one of each type.
The flagship will also constantly deploy boarding drones to harass your crew.
It will eventually run out of drones, but by then your hull will probably be
full of holes.
My target priorities:
1. missile launcher
2. drone control
3. shields
4. beam weapon
My first priority will again be the missile launcher. I feel it's especially
important in this battle to disable the weapon as soon as you can because your
crew won't have time to run around and fix systems.
If you took my advice and killed off most of the enemy crew, then they won't
be running around undoing all of your hard work while your crew drowns in
boarding drones.
When you bring the flagship's hull to zero it will again FTL jump away. Take
time to repair systems and hull breaches, and get your ship and crew back into
fighting form.
!! - Third Battle - !!
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The third and final battle is here, you're so close! You can see that the
starboard (right) side of the flagship has fallen off so no more pesky drones
or beam weapon. The rebel ship has the green circle indicating a Zoltan shield,
but you'll find it's more like a Super Zoltan shield because it absorbs much
more damage.
The power surges return in this fight in the form of a huge salvo of heavy
laser blasts. Every several surges the super-shield will recharge instead of
the laser salvo.
My target priorities:
1. Fire everything!
2. missile launcher
3. shields
Unless you need to conserve ammunition I would fire all of your weapons as
soon as they charge until the super-shield is down. The super-shield, like
normal Zoltan shields, blocks missile and bomb impacts as well as prevents
teleportation onto the enemy ship, so there is no need to group attacks or
wait for other weapons to charge. After the super-shield is down, the battle
is not very complicated. During the battle, any unoccupied enemy crew will
teleport to your ship and start trouble, beware.
When you reduce the enemy hull to nothing, the rebel flagship is finally
destroyed and you are victorious!
That is unless you're hit and sunk by a last-second laser or missile from the
flagship. Or your crew dies in a fire. Or they asphyxiate. Or that fire causes
enough system damage to destroy your ship. But we know you kind-of-won.
Specific Advice
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* You want some way to avoid the missiles.
- You'll have to face them 3 times, so why not have a way to counter them?
- Defense drones are highly suggested, two Mark I drones work best because
they only target projectiles and ignore the many lasers and ion blasts
which also fill the sky. As an added bonus, defense drones also target
enemy boarding drones.
- Cloaking is also effective, but I find the cooldown for cloak is longer
than the charge time for the tri-missile launcher. If you use cloak, I
suggest investing in the full 15 seconds to give yourself more time, and
only turn on your cloak after the enemy has fired missiles. That way you
can dodge the attack and charge your own weapons instead of getting
blasted by enemy fire after you leave cloak.
^ After the missle launcher is disabled in the 2nd and 3rd battles, I
reduce the power of the cloaking system to 1 so the recharge time
for cloak is fast enough to keep up with the power surges.
* Bombs and teleporters are excellent.
- Both bombs and crew teleporters avoid the main defenses of the rebel
flagship, shields and drones. Your crew take longer to damage a system
compared to bombs, but a teleporter doesn't have charge-up time and it
will never miss.
* Eliminate enemy shields.
- I know I said that I target the missile launcher first, but the fastest
way to do that may be to take out the shields so your shots get through.
This is mainly for when you don't have missiles or bombs.
- Without shields, the ship will be open to any attack you choose. You have
more options and this helps you control the battle. Also, shields are a
high repair priority for enemy crew, so that may pull them away from
other systems you are targeting.
* Don't rush to destroy that boarding drone.
- Most likely an enemy boarding drone will breach your hull in the second
battle. Don't gang up and kill it right away. The moment you destroy that
drone another will be sent to take its place, and you'll have another
hole in your hull. Draw out the fight as long as you can while you take
out the drone control on the flagship.
- HOWEVER, if you have a very strong ship defense crew and someone to patch
up the hull, you could do the opposite in the hopes that you drain all of
the rebel ship's drone supply as soon as possible. The surges will still
happen unfortunately.
* Ion Blast is great in a drawn-out battle.
- Ion Blast takes a while to show results. With a top-level gunner, a
single Ion Blast Mark II or two Ion Blast Mark I will completely lock
down any shields given enough time. Then your other weapons will be free
to shoot everything to smithereens.
* Good basic defenses are important.
- Four layers of shields and a 55% chance to dodge may just save your ship.
You will find you don't have enough power so you'll have to micromanage
the ship's energy between salvos of enemy fire.
______________________
6. Ships and Unlocking
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The Kestrel
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Starting ship
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Crew: 3 Humans
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 3, 4 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Artemis Missiles
- 1x Burst Laser Mark II
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments: none
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The layout of the ship's systems is decent with most of the major systems in 4
space rooms. However there are problems with venting in the fore of the ship,
and the location of the crew teleporter is a little far from the medbay.
Red-Tail
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Complete 2 of 3 achievements for the Kestrel
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Crew: 2 Humans, 1 Zoltan, 1 Mantis
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 4, 4 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 4x Defense Laser Mark I
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments: none
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This is the Type B layout of the Kestrel. It concentrates most of the ship's
systems towards the aft of the ship. The Red-Tail has an impressive 5
different rooms with access to space. The medical bay is conveniently placed
next to the crew teleporter on the port side of the ship. The rooms are
connected sensibly, but travel from fore to aft is slow due to the circular
arrangement of the back rooms and the lack of a central passage.
The Nesasio
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Special event in Engi Homeworlds
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Requires: "3. (Engi Crew) Have your Engi crew member contact them."
* Starting Crew: 3 Humans
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Shields (purchase): no starting shields
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 2, 3 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Mini Beam
- 1x Dual Shot Laser
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Cloaking System: Level 1
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Long-Ranged Scanners: reveals data on adjacent FTL jump beacons
- Titanium System Casing: chance to prevent system damage
The Nesasio is a stealth ship created by the Engi. This ship comes equipped
with a cloaking system but no shields. I'll say it plainly, this is not a
beginner's ship.
Without starting shields it takes a skilled captain to prevent too much damage
in the early sectors. The Nesasio also has horrible venting capabilities, so
fire and enemy boarding parties are a very real danger. Travel from fore to
aft is awkward because the doors are placed in alternating fashion port side
and starboard as you move towards the stern. This ship is very much designed
for stealth and evasion and not so much for combat.
DA-SR 12
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Complete 2 of 3 achievements for the Nesasio
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Crew: 2 Humans, 1 Zoltan
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Shields (purchase): no starting shields
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 4, 3 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Glaive Beam
* Medbay Capacity: 2
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Cloaking System: Level 2
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Long-Ranged Scanners: reveals data on adjacent FTL jump beacons
- Stealth Weapon (hidden, special): firing the Glaive Beam does not
shorten cloak duration.
The Type B form of the stealth cruiser is laid out more symmetrically but
travel from front to back is still slow. Venting is only slightly improved
with two small openings in the rear near the engine. The DA-SR 12 has all of
the drawbacks of the Nesasio but instead of two weak, quick-firing weapons, it
has one very powerful beam that's slow to charge. I suggest upgrading the
cloaking system as soon as possible so you can charge up the Glaive Beam in
relative safety.
The Gila Monster
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Special ship encounter in Mantis Homeworlds
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Requires: Level 2 Medbay and a Crew Teleporter, save KazaaakplethKilik
* Starting Crew: 3 Mantis, 1 Engi
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 1, 3 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Small Bomb
- 1x Defense Laser Mark I
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Crew Teleporter: Level 1, 2 spaces
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Sensors (purchase): no starting sensors
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Mantis Pheromones: crew movement speed increased by 25%
It is odd that a Mantis ship does not have a sensor system when their race
focuses on crew combat. In any case, the ship's weapon and shield systems are
awkwardly located in the aft corners of the ship, and it takes some time to
travel to the crew teleporter on the opposite side. There are plenty of open
rooms for hull lasers, beams and missiles to cause double damage. On top of
that, Mantis are so very slow at repairs. This ship can be effective, but you
must somehow get more crew.
The Basilisk
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Complete 2 of 3 achievements for the Gila Monster
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Crew: 2 Mantis
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Shields: Level 4, 2 layers
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 1, 3 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- no starting weapons
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Drone Control System: 2 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Boarding Drone
- 1x Defense Drone Mark I
* Crew Teleporter: Level 1, 4 spaces
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Mantis Pheromones: crew movement speed increased by 25%
This Type B layout of the Mantis cruiser is completely focused on defeating
the enemy through boarding actions. The large, 4 person teleporter located
right next to the medbay makes overwhelming the enemy crew rather convenient
while the 2-layer shields protect the ship. Your crew is your only form of
attack until you can find or buy some other weapons. The rooms of the ship are
moderately accessible and venting is not a problem except in the wings. The
Basilisk is centered entirely on boarding actions and its design shows.
The Torus
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Reach sector 5
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Crew: 2 Engi, 1 Human
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 3, 3 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Ion Blast Mark II
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Drone Control System: 3 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Anti-Ship Drone Mark I
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Engi Med-bot Dispersal: heals crew anywhere on the ship at reduced speed
The Engi doughnut of doom is specially designed for drone combat. A wise
captain should buy a Drone Recovery Arm as soon as possible to alleviate the
strain on drone parts. Travel within the ship is slow, but there is not much
area to cover. Great care should be taken when faced with intruders and the
weak crew combat strength kept in mind when acquiring new crew members.
The Vortex
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Complete 2 of 3 achievements for the Torus
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Crew: 1 Engi
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 3, 3 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Heavy Ion
- 1x Heavy Laser
* Medbay Capacity: 2
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Drone Control System: 3 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Anti-Personnel Drone
- 2x System Repair Drone
* Sensors (purchase): no starting sensors
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Drone Reactor Booster: drone movement increased by 50%
This Type B layout for the Engi Cruiser is even more compact than the Torus.
Narrow halls and lack of sensors hamper intruder defense, but your slow-moving
anti-pers. drone sped up by the starting augment adequately balances this
failing, at least in the early sectors. It's a lonely voyage with a crew of
one so efforts should be made to gather more members from wherever you can.
The Osprey
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Defeat the rebel flagship and finish the game
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Crew: 1 Human, 1 Mantis, 1 Rockman, 1 Engi
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 2, 4 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Burst Laser Mark II
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Artillery Beam: Level 1, replaces cloaking system
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments: none
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This is the current front-line cruiser used by the Federation. A proper war
ship, the Osprey focuses on dealing out steady damage with its artillery beam.
The multi-racial crew will give you more options when heading out to alien
controlled sectors and has a good mix of combat and repair abilities. An
important fact to keep in mind is that the Federation cruiser design is very
long and doesn't have as many 4 space rooms compared some other ships.
The Nisos
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Complete 2 of 3 achievements for the Osprey
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Crew: 1 Human, 1 Zoltan, 1 Slug
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 2, 4 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Dual Shot Laser
- 1x Leto Missiles
* Medbay Capacity: 2
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Artillery Beam: Level 2, replaces cloaking system
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments: none
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Much like the Osprey, this Type B Federation cruiser is made for ship-to-ship
combat. It has even less opportunities to gather the crew for anti-intruder
actions and the lack of air locks in the forward section may lead to problems.
Man of War
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Special ship encounter in the Slug home nebula
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Requires: Slug crew member or Level 2 Sensors
"1. Let them live."
"2. We don't want the weapon, we want information"
* Starting Crew: 2 Slugs
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 3, 4 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Anti-Bio Beam
- 1x Breach Bomb Mark 1
- 1x Dual Shot Laser
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Sensors (purchase): no starting sensors
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Slug Repair Gel: automatically seals hull breaches
The Slug ship is made for disabling shields and killing the enemy crew with
the anti-bio beam, an ideal salvager's vessel. The lack of sensors hurts less
than the lack of crew, and the compact arrangement means travel inside the
ship doesn't take too long. Once in a while you might run into problems with
the inconvenient placement of the oxygen system.
The Stormwalker
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Complete 2 of 3 achievements for the Man of War
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Crew: 3 Slugs
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 3, 4 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Healing Burst
- 1x Artemis Missiles
* Medbay (purchase): no starting medbay
¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Crew Teleporter: Level 1, 2 spaces
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Sensors (purchase): no starting sensors
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Door System: Level 2, Blast Doors
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Slug Repair Gel: automatically seals hull breaches
The Type B Slug cruiser is different from the Man of War in that it doesn't
exactly focus on killing the enemy crew. You'll need a medbay or a very large
supply of missiles before you can specialize in crew combat. The general
layout is a bit more spread out and the venting ability is significantly
better. With improved doors and better control of air supply, enemy boarders
shouldn't be much trouble.
! Remember to cut all engine power when targeting your own ship
The Bulwark
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Special event in Rock Homeworlds
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Required: "1. We're going to save them or die trying." or
"2. We're strong enough to destroy you!"
* Starting Crew: 3 Rockmen
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 3, 4 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Artemis Missile
- 1x Hull Missile
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Rock Plating: chance to ignore hull damage
Much like its Rockmen crew, this Rock ship is sturdy, if a bit slow. The
starting missiles are strong enough, but not likely to launch before enemy
fire has raked your ship. The ship's systems connect to the central rooms
through many doors and everything is arranged neatly in rows, though why the
middle rooms need to be divided is beyond me. With the entire crew made up of
slow Rockmen, you'll want to expand your crew as soon as you can. The venting
is rather good, but that should only matter if your Rockmen are preoccupied.
Shivan
¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Complete 2 of 3 achievements for the Bulwark
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Crew: 4 Rockmen
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Oxygen System: Level 2
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 3, 4 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Heavy Pierce Laser Mark I
- 1x Fire Bomb
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Door System (purchase): no starting door system
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Rock Plating: chance to ignore hull damage
The Type B Rock cruiser is distinctly suited for its Rockmen crew. With no
airlocks at all, the crew is the only way to put out fires. The Heavy Pierce I
will make short work of most ships in the starting sector. The accompanying
fire bomb will reduce enemy ship systems and crews to ashes while your immune
Rockmen smash everything in sight. I also just love how the ship looks. I
would quickly invest in a teleporter and improved doors if you don't want to
end up as scrap floating too close to a sun.
The Adjudicator
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Special event in Zoltan Homeworlds
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Required: "2. Hear them out." and follow Quest Marker
"2. Attempt to hail them."
"1. Perhaps there could be a reconciliation..."
"2. True progress can only be achieved without bloodshed."
* Starting Crew: 3 Zoltan
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 3, 4 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Halberd Beam
- 1x Leto Missiles
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Zoltan Shield: absorbs any 5 damage and prevents enemy teleportation,
does not prevent intruders as part of event occurance,
recharges after every FTL jump
The Zoltan ship is very alien in appearance and arrangement. With most of its
major systems bunched in the starboard wing, this ship feels rather lopsided.
Don't let its strange design fool you. After some refits, this Zoltan ship can
be quite powerful, and the Zoltan Shield gives you a serious advantage over
the other ships you can choose from. This ship has potential, but you'll need
to buy and salvage all the weapons and crew you can find.
Noether
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Complete 2 of 3 achievements for the Adjudicator
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Crew: 3 Zoltan
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Shields: Level 1, no Layers
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 4, 4 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 2x Ion Blast Mark I
- 1x Pike Beam
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Zoltan Shield: absorbs any 5 damage and prevents enemy teleportation
does not prevent intruders as part of event occurance,
recharges after every FTL jump
Introducing the deadly Noether. The Type B Zoltan cruiser sets off from port
rather unbalanced. The starting weaponry can cut any ship into pieces for the </pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
next 6 sectors, but it doesn't have any normal shields. That should be your
first order of business. You can collect weapons and crew at your leisure
through the first few sectors while building up the ship's defenses. One issue
you should take note of is the cramped rooms in the aft of the ship. This will
hinder you fighting off intruders with just the core crew of Zoltan.
- Unknown Race -
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Crystal: Ancestors to the Rockmen, avoided the rest of the galaxy until...
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Lockdown power: seals the room for the duration of the effect,
activate from the crew icon on the left
- Reduced suffocation damage
- Movement speed reduced by 20%
- Has 125 health
* Unlocked: Special distress call in Rock, Engi or Pirate controlled sector
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Required: "A ship...within a nearby dense asteroid field..."
"1. Search for the ship." and "2. Grab the stasis chamber."
or
"3. (Rock Plating) Make a thorough search..."
then
"You arrive at a Zoltan research facility."
"4. (Damaged Stasis Pod) Ask if they can fix this."
Bravais
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Special event in Rock Homeworlds
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Required: "3. (Crystal Crew) Reactivate it."
* Starting Crew: 2 Crystal, 2 Humans
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 3, 4 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- 1x Crystal Burst Mark I
- 1x Heavy Crystal Mark I
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Crystal Vengeance: 10% chance for auto-counter attack when taking damage
Almost everything about the Crystal ship is slow. Its Crystal crew is slow,
its Crystal weapons are slow. It takes a long time to go from fore to aft.
Even so, the Crystal crew and weapons have such unique abilities that almost
all may be forgiven. Mantis may be the masters of crew combat, but Crystal can
control enemy territory like no other. Add to that the Crystal weapons can
pierce 1 shield. However, care should be taken when faced with Defense drones
because the Crystal weapons are considered projectiles.
Carnelian
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Unlocked: Complete 2 of 3 achievements for the Bravais
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Crew: 3 Crystal
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Weapon Systems: Level 1, 4 slots
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- no starting weapons
* Medbay Capacity: 3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Crew Teleporter: Level 1, 4 spaces
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Cloaking System: Level 1
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Starting Augments
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
- Crystal Vengeance: 10% chance for auto-counter attack when taking damage
The Type B Crystal cruiser is completely geared towards crew combat. With the
spacious 4 person teleporter next to the medbay, you don't have to worry about
your crew getting picked off before they can heal. The stealth systems help
you avoid the big guns while you take apart the enemy ship, and your three
Crystal crew ensure that no one can get in or out unless you want. The ship's
rooms are very inconvenient to move through, so you'll want to expand your
crew as soon as you are able.
__________________
7. Micromanagement
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
On a real ship, a captain has to trust his crew, but in FTL you're the only
brain controlling the ship.
- Power Management -
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The reactor only has 25 bars and the ship's systems can use so much more than
that. You have to get it from somewhere. Most people draw power away from the
engines or shields but a wise captain should examine all his choices. Before
we even approach scraping and scrounging for power there are two guidelines I
always keep in mind.
1. Anything not in use should not have power.
2. Power all weapons and shields before you FTL jump.
Generally, drones should not be powered until the moment you need them. The
same goes for the medbay, cloaking system and teleporter. If you still need a
bar, you might try the oxygen.
This is really about what power you can spare and for how long. If a pair of
Pegasus missiles launch at you and your ship's beam is still charging, why not
cut shields or an attack drone and open the engines up for all they're worth?
There are too many specific examples, but the idea is to master your timing
and know where you can draw from.
- Crew Management -
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Your crew is probably your most important resource in the long run. To use
them effectively you should first know how their priorities are set. Whenever
they reach their destination on your ship a crew member will go through a
checklist.
1. Enemy personnel
2. Fire
3. Hull breach
4. System damage
5. Unmanned station
The crew will try to handle each problem in that order. Deactivated drones
register as enemies, so don't pull your hair out when they destroy a silent
boarding drone before they patch up the hull, they're just made that way.
You may have noticed your crew always fills up a room in the same pattern,
from left to right, from top to bottom. You can move them into different
positions within the same room, this is mostly for combat purposes.
First pause the game. Select everyone in the room and right-click as if you're
moving everyone out. Then move your crew back one at a time, choosing them
with the order in mind, simple. Also know that crew will always fight with an
enemy that occupies the same dot. Now you've just saved your wounded Engi from
a Mantis death, and he can still help out on the sidelines.
- Door Management -
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
In their most basic function the ship's doors keep air inside the ship, which
is good because your crew needs to breathe. However, enemy intruders also need
air so they'll avoid rooms that have none. Use this to your advantage.
Improved doors and strategic venting can often take care of the enemy without
having to trouble your very busy crew.
Intruders will never stay in an empty room, they always seek to destroy your
ship's systems. With that in mind, you can vent all the air in a direct path
from the room they're attacking to the closest airlock. They'll soon begin
moving to the nearest system that still has air. Once they leave the room that
was under attack, close the door behind them. Air will start to return to that
room. Now vent the new room that is under attack. The enemy will need air and
again head towards the closest system with air. If your timing is good, the
intruders will run back and forth taking damage all the way. These sort of
tactics are most useful when you have a small crew. With enough people, you
can simply force your enemies into the medbay for an easy victory.
A word of caution, never vent the entire ship when intruders are in a system
needed for life-support, i.e. oxygen, door control. If there is no air at all,
the enemy will stand and fight, and they might just do enough damage to take
down the system.
_________________
8. Personal Stuff
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
I've been having a great time playing FTL. I often find it's the voyages that
don't go quite as planned that are the most fun. I don't play as much as when
I started (because I was losing sleep).
This is me messing around:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=131193830
So far so good.
Thanks for reading my guide. Feedback is always welcome.
Steam: AnimusanD
GameFAQs: An_D
Take care and safe travels.
________
9. Legal
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other
web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a
violation of copyright.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.
___________________
x. Version History
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Version 1.3 (2013/--/--) - Fixed errors, updated and added info
Version 1.2 (2013/01/03) - Fixed some errors and updated info
Version 1.1 (2012/11/10) - Expanded the Basics chapter, fixed spelling errors
Version 1.01 (2012/11/01) - Reformatted for 79 character width instead of 80
Version 1.00 (2012/11/01) - First Version
