Omicron missions... and what happens after <my saga (now ended/restarted)>

[mouser9169]

Wasn't expecting the nice and easy 'tutorial' mode at the start.

Combat rank: Novice 90%
Ship: Panther (8 Eclipses, 8 Chimeras, 8 Solanos, 8 open for Nova Raiders).

First thing I find out is this 'untimed' quest is indeed timed: they left without me (It sank into the swamp). Try two - buy the Nova's quickly and get them on board, equip them as they come in and on the way. Rammed Ms. Terran before we left Omicron when she suddenly stopped to line up for the gate. (It sank into the swamp) Try three - Left a lot of space this time, got everyone on board and set up. Destroyed the two 'waves' of attackers. Crushed two of my own ships trying to follow Ms. Terran as she weaved her way along that giant orbital thing at the end. That's ok, I can live with those losses. Forget to save, port back right on top of a giant freighter (Burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp).



But the fourth one stayed!

I still rammed her a bit at the start (why can't they just go through the gates ), but kept my distance after that. No fighters lost and saved at the end. Even had a chance to finish the software on freighters that just arrived (literally within a minute of the end of the quest) at Terracorp HQ. I'm learning to do a lot of things remotely so Bad Things(tm) don't happen because I happen to be in the sector.

Ending combat rank: Novice - 90%

If I had been more careful during the start of the game and hadn't run over those freighters and kept playing, I might have been able to finish the whole plotline as 'harmless': I've killed more than a few Kha'ak with no change to combat rating as well. Run over a freighter? Promotion.

Sounds like a "challenge" mode game...

At the end of the mission, the Argon commander says something to the effect of "side switching isn't Argon character." If I keep working for the Terrans (which I'm assuming is a plot line), will I lose Argon faction?

EDIT: Changed thread title

[Sinxar]

If I keep working for the Terrans (which I'm assuming is a plot line), will I lose Argon faction?

Not from completing the missions. I think there is a spot where

Spoiler

Show

you lose split rep or maybe teladi rep, cant remember for sure

[ancienthighway]

Just think how much easier it would have been with a much more maneuverable fast M3 or M4! No flying up the tailpipe. There would have been fewer pests to swat.

One the next part couple of parts, try the fighter. Equip it with Mosquitos, Wasps, Hurricanes if you can find them. Stick to the mission and don't get distracted by what else might be going on in sector.

[DrBullwinkle]

Burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp.

One day, Lad, all this will be yours.

Huge... Tracks of Land

[mouser9169]

Just think how much easier it would have been with a much more maneuverable fast M3 or M4! No flying up the tailpipe. There would have been fewer pests to swat.

One the next part couple of parts, try the fighter. Equip it with Mosquitos, Wasps, Hurricanes if you can find them. Stick to the mission and don't get distracted by what else might be going on in sector.

That's crazy talk!


Nothing like watching a wing of fighters raining death and destruction on your foes. The only bad part is there's no sound in space, so you can crush your enemies and see them driven before you , but you cannot hear the lamentations of their women.

TBH, I'm not sure that the first mission scales - there were maybe three enemies in each wave, which should be manageable by you plus the other escort figther.

Besides, if I fought them in a fighter craft, my combat rank would go up



Edit: But you got to hit those Terran warp tubes just right - straight on, a little roll, and hope nothing's on the other side (well, the last part's always true). After being killed by the autopilot a few times I started going though manually. It's a tight squeeze, but she makes it.

Finally figured out how to get the turbo boost working (I was binding it a key already used - you'd think you'd get warnings for that).

Over 350m/s and a hold full of energy cells? Yeah, I can catch that ...

[jlehtone]

Besides, if I fought them in a fighter craft, my combat rank would go up

I presume that you have browsed http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=149286

Harmless or Elite. Is there any other way?

[mouser9169]

Besides, if I fought them in a fighter craft, my combat rank would go up

I presume that you have browsed http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=149286

Harmless or Elite. Is there any other way?

That's an interesting guide. I was thinking more along the lines of conquering the Universe as a 'fleet captain' without ever getting your hands dirty personally. Incidentally, I'm now a rookie - just as well, now I can just focus on the missions and the game without the distraction.

I had myself stumped for a bit thinking I "broke" the game controls somehow when right clicking stopped working for firing weapons, then I realized it's because the Panther doesn't have a "main" weapons bank

Got my Overwatch back, so bought some PPC and heavy shield factories (some FAA as well). I'll figure out later what poor creatures I have to kill to feed my war machine. [Edit - confounded by the controls. Need to be IS to lay down a station... So I have to risk a train wreck every time I add sunflower oil] . I laid a great foundation with the initial grid. Now all I have to do is keep putting the new boxes exactly in line with the existing ones using both axes views. Piece of cake.

Went through the 2nd Terran mission - did ok till the end when you're supposed to intercept or follow or kill those drone things - he kept changing what he said with every one. Never did get one, but eventually he called it off and the next mission started. The 2nd mission definitely scaled to my fleet size. I'm guessing the first one is fixed as it's the 'tutorial', and then the auto-scaling kicks in after that. I think he said they were impressed - either that or they hated my performance, one or the other. Next mission started up at the end so I don't really care either way. So long as I can build up enough faction to buy Springblossom and a few other ships.

I still plan on wiping them from the face of the Universe eventually. The woman from the first mission seemed like a real bitch, which is a good enough reason for genocide to me It also seems like a much harder achievement than the Xenon - they may be tough, but they're only a few sectors here and there. The Terrans have their own supply chains and 'war machine' going. You'd actually have to maintain a 'front' to keep them pushed back.

Anyone here do that in any of your games? If so, how did it go?


Another nice twist I noticed in ship stats: The loving, peaceful Boron have an M7 with ten forward firing PPC's - if what I read is correct. That's got to make it one of the hardest hitting frontal assault ships out there: certainly among the middleweights. Comes at a cost of course, but don't they all?

[pjknibbs]

Another nice twist I noticed in ship stats: The loving, peaceful Boron have an M7 with ten forward firing PPC's - if what I read is correct. That's got to make it one of the hardest hitting frontal assault ships out there: certainly among the middleweights. Comes at a cost of course, but don't they all?

"Ain't nothing so peaceful as a dead Split." --typical Boron philosophy .

[jlehtone]

Good alpha strike lasts only so long. Furthermore, AI does not charge guns and some of the big ones really benefit from precharging. As you prefer to let your fleet to fight, you won't have such benefit. Playership and fleetship do have different requirements.

I still plan on wiping them [Terran] from the face of the Universe eventually.

Anyone here do that in any of your games? If so, how did it go?

Read the tale of Spaceweed Adict: Main part, epilogue

[mouser9169]

Good alpha strike lasts only so long. Furthermore, AI does not charge guns and some of the big ones really benefit from precharging. As you prefer to let your fleet to fight, you won't have such benefit. Playership and fleetship do have different requirements.

I still plan on wiping them [Terran] from the face of the Universe eventually.

Anyone here do that in any of your games? If so, how did it go?

Read the tale of Spaceweed Adict: Main part, epilogue

A good read to be sure. I wish he had stated what his navy was going in - that way the losses he gives would have some context. A direct, but brutal and inelegant approach.

The more 'eloquent' way to deal with a threat like the Terrans is to cozy up to them. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer sort of thing. Build your complexes to take all the business away from theirs - steal their economy.

Before they realize it you've parked 20 carriers and a dozen destroyers along with frigates, missile frigates, bombers, and the little M5 that could in every sector of Terran space - and you can smile knowing that they paid for half of them.

Then you flip the switch...

__________________________________________


From the screenshots he showed, I don't think he ever had more than five carriers in one sector at a time. Of course, computers in '09 weren't what they are today, so that may have had something to do with it. My game takes up over 2 Gig of RAM just sitting there. I may have to upgrade to 16 gig before the battle (I'm at 8 with two free spots... should've bought more wnen RAM was cheap).

I'll admit I'm a bit curious as to how many objects the game can keep track of IS before it chokes (even OOS for that matter). If the engine was designed for multi-core processors that would help - but keeping all that thread-safe would not be an easy task by any stretch: this is the type of game where a LOT of things can happen close enough to simultaneously to really screw things up.

Or you could not keep it thread-safe and just accept that sometimes players will be killed by ships that were already destroyed. On the trading side it would be more important, but a bit easier to deal with. I wonder which way they went with Rebirth...

[Sinxar]

It is a 32bit application so you are good to go with 8GB unless you got a ton of stuff open all the time or you are using a 32bit OS as well (unlikely as you are using 8GB now).

By default it can use 2GB of RAM. A long time ago it was patched and the LAA (Large Address Aware) flag was turned on (did some research on this a while back, feel free to verify this info), so it can now use a max of about 4GB.

[mouser9169]

It is a 32bit application so you are good to go with 8GB unless you got a ton of stuff open all the time or you are using a 32bit OS as well (unlikely as you are using 8GB now).

By default it can use 2GB of RAM. A long time ago it was patched and the LAA (Large Address Aware) flag was turned on (did some research on this a while back, feel free to verify this info), so it can now use a max of about 4GB.

Good to know.

To give an update on my game. Haven't gone back to Terran space yet - took some time to get the CLS working for transporting goods to my warehouses (warehouses, now there's a mod I'd love to see. Note to self, check mod forum). Been searching for a plasma burst factory. Supposedly there's one in Danna's Chance, but if it's there, I can't find it - so it may be gone now While I was there I did build a closed loop complex selling space fuel and weed. None of my sector traders can enter pirate space, so I don't have to worry about them slacking off and using the stuff, or getting caught carrying it. Left my Ellies there for a bit of protection. If I'm lucky, that will raise my standing with the pirates so they don't aggro me as much.

Saw the flamethrowers in action when I was 'welcomed' into the sector. Two Blastclaw prototypes and a few other ships. I tried to figure out how to leave those two alive so I could get them to bail (the first time, somebody bailed but died almost immediately). They're just too fragile... Anyway, that hopefully means the pirates are getting them from somewhere.

Really, really liking the Panther. Same total shielding as the Split M1, turns six times as fast, has more gun points, not as much total weapons juice but it recharges a lot (about 75-80%) faster. Holds half the planes for about half the price. Hull's not nearly as strong though once the shields go down. If only it could dock at normal stations it would be the perfect 'player' ship - at least for me (Yes, once I get the Springblossom I'll be zipping around the universe in style, but until then...)

[ancienthighway]

If you want to zip around in style, you should fly an Arrow or Starburst and do it a 1140+ m/s. If you do though, don't fly in autodeath.

[jlehtone]

If you want to zip around in style, you should fly an Arrow or Starburst and do it a 1140+ m/s. If you do though, don't fly in autodeath.

That would be X3R, not vanilla X3TC.
X2 Pegasus achieved 1009 m/s. Speed "balance" was different in that game.

Real style zipping would IMHO require a Fer-de-Lance from Zorgon Petterson Group. A matter of mod for X3TC.


[Edit] Firebreathers: check South from CEO's Doubt and East from PTNI HQ.

[ancienthighway]

That would be X3R, not vanilla X3TC.

True, but there are mods available that add them into TC. I just recently removed that mod as it added a lot more to my game that just made it feel too cheaty. I know, I didn't have to use everything but modifying a statement I saw on another forum about another game, "Sometimes the want not to cheat is over powered by the ability to cheat..."

[Nanook]

....
TBH, I'm not sure that the first mission scales - there were maybe three enemies in each wave, which should be manageable by you plus the other escort figther....

Plot missions scale on your combat rank, not the size or number of ships you bring to the party. So at Novice or below, you won't get much opposition.

[mouser9169]

....
TBH, I'm not sure that the first mission scales - there were maybe three enemies in each wave, which should be manageable by you plus the other escort figther....

Plot missions scale on your combat rank, not the size or number of ships you bring to the party. So at Novice or below, you won't get much opposition.

Really? That's good to know. I just picked up the 'Hub' plot and have to travel through Xenon space. After finishing up the 'follow the droid' part of the Terran plot I'm now a Fighter (I don't know how, I wasn't close enough to any of the action to kill anything myself, or maybe sometimes fleet kills count and other times they don't?). I did have to kill some pirates when I was setting up my complex in Danna's - didn't check rank then. Maybe that's where it happened

I cheated and looked at Roguey's guides (which isn't altogether bad as otherwise I wouldn't know how to start some of them). He suggests flying through in a Kestrel, but that seems such a cowardly way out (and I'm going to start seeing more Xenon in the Terran plot anyway). I could go in with my Panther and a Boreas for backup - two if I wait for my forges to pump out more weapons, but Boreas are slow going (comparatively anyway, EDIT: for some reason I thought they had a much higher weapons cap than the others ).

I don't look forward to gathering 'a few things' for this fish...

I'm thinking this will be a great time to put my new CLS mojo to work - just get a couple dozen freighters set for all the forges/stations that produce whatever the hell he needs at that point in time and drop them off to him. Lather, rinse, repeat and I can get on with my life while he toils away doing whatever it is he'll be doing in there. Work in a stop at one of my complexes so they'll always have jumpdrive energy and they should be good to go.

Speaking of freighters, I keep losing them in the Midnight Star/Grand Exchange and Third Redemption areas (using the six shield Mistrals). Any tips on escorts for them? If I had access to Aldrin and Springblossom's it would be a no-brainer, but I've got to work with what I can get my hands on now, and none of the M6 class ships I can buy really have a large enough hold to work well. I suppose I could go with the Boron... but some of you more experienced peeps must have a simpler (and better) solution.

[ancienthighway]

FIGHT - take your fleet on the scout mission and take heavy losses.
TRADE - gather the resources to rebuild your fleet.
BUILD - replace the heavy losses you took.

OR

THINK - take a fast M4 and outrun all the Xenon so you can complete your scout mission.

On the transport losses and escorts: Don't use an escort. But don't fly that route either. Anything to the right of Family Cho on that route of the jump gates is constantly crawling with Xenon moving from one sector to another that love to hit targets of opportunity. Xenon sector south of Scale Plate Green (a sector where I lost many ships with the command to fly from point A to point B and didn't pay attention), to Xenon sector north of Black Hole Sun, to Xenon sector north of Grand Exchange.

[Honved]

Another nice twist I noticed in ship stats: The loving, peaceful Boron have an M7 with ten forward firing PPC's - if what I read is correct. That's got to make it one of the hardest hitting frontal assault ships out there: certainly among the middleweights. Comes at a cost of course, but don't they all?

That Boron ship is indeed a hard-hitting monster, at least for the first shot. After that, you're sitting there recharging pretty close to forever, because it's got by far the crummiest weapons generator in its class. It'll kill almost any M7 with one volley and kill or cripple most M1s or M2s in a one-on-one fight, but gang up on it with two M6s and it's in real trouble.

[jlehtone]

Roguey suggests flying through in a Kestrel, but that seems such a cowardly way out.

Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only be obtained from other men. Hence the use of spies, of whom there are five classes: (1) Local spies; (2) inward spies; (3) converted spies; (4) doomed spies; (5) surviving spies. ... Surviving spies, finally, are those who bring back news from the enemy's camp.

Flying into unknown without fore-knowledge in a slow combat vessel sounds like an unnecessary risk, if you can send a fast Scout first. Even the mightiest can fall into ambush, as the tales of Cyclops, Goliath, and Titanic (and several player M2's) show, but a small "unimportant" bird has a fair chance to sneak back home to sing.

Nevertheless, choosing to 'reconnaissance in force' in Guderian's style can be thriumphant, but I never leave witnesses alive to prove that I would use such tactics.

..., a heavy concentration of attacks against Xenon in their home sectors has taken place. Never straying far from the jump gates, Split forces were able to destroy many smaller Xenon craft before jumping back to safety prior to attack by a Xenon capital ship. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a cowardly way for the Split to fight, but merely using the appropriate tactics for this situation - pilots were keen to emphasize this.
...

If the Split say that something is OK, then it is OK for me too.