LOST IN FLATSPACE FAQ Version 1.0 by C. "Silvermane" Kraeuter 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 B.1 Equipment B.1.01 Armour B.1.02 Core Generators B.1.03 Countermeasures B.1.04 Escape Pods B.1.05 Hyperdrives B.1.06 Missiles B.1.07 Radars B.1.08 Robots B.1.09 Scanners B.1.10 Shields B.1.11 Thrusters B.1.12 Toys (Pets & Misc.) B.1.13 Tractor Beams B.1.14 Weapons 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. B.1 Equipment B.1.01 Armour Name: Mass: Protection per Ton: Cost: Plasteel 1 5 750 Translutex 1 10 1.880 Neolyte 1 15 4.500 Carbidium 1 20 11.250 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. B.1.02 Core Generators Name: Mass: Storage Capacity: Cost: Core Generator 1 256 2.275 Core Generator 4 512 9.100 Core Generator 9 768 20.475 Core Generator 16 1024 36.400 Core Generator 25 1280 56.875 Core Generator 36 1536 81.900 Nothing special here, either. Also take note that unless you plan on using energy weapons, the smallest core generator will be quite sufficient. B.1.03 Countermeasures Name: Level: Mass: Power Drain/Flares: Cost: Core EMP Device 0 4 250 15.000 Core EMP Device 1 9 500 25.000 Core EMP Device 2 16 750 35.000 Core EMP Device 3 25 1000 45.000 Core EMP Device 4 36 1250 55.000 Razor Flare Launcher 0 1 0/6 Flares 200 Razor Flare Launcher 1 1 0/6 Flares 500 Razor Flare Launcher 2 1 0/6 Flares 900 XOX Reprogramer 0 1 20 150.000 XOX Reprogramer 1 1 20 300.000 XOX Reprogramer 2 1 20 450.000 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 B.1.05 Hyperdrives Name: Mass: Spatial Warp Factor: Cost: Gray Hyperdrive 4 320 4.000 Gray Hyperdrive 6 480 6.000 Gray Hyperdrive 8 640 8.000 Gray Hyperdrive 10 800 10.000 Gray Hyperdrive 12 960 12.000 Gray Hyperdrive 14 1120 14.000 Gray Hyperdrive 16 1280 16.000 Gray Hyperdrive 18 1440 18.000 Gray Hyperdrive 20 1600 20.000 Gray Hyperdrive 22 1760 22.000 Gray Hyperdrive 24 1920 24.000 Gray Hyperdrive 26 2080 26.000 Gray Hyperdrive 28 2240 28.000 Adams Hyperdrive 40 3200 40.000 Adams Hyperdrive 60 4800 60.000 Adams Hyperdrive 80 6400 80.000 Adams Hyperdrive 100 8000 100.000 Adams Hyperdrive 120 9600 120.000 Adams Hyperdrive 140 11200 140.000 Adams Hyperdrive 160 12800 160.000 Adams Hyperdrive 180 14400 180.000 Adams Hyperdrive 200 16000 200.000 Adams Hyperdrive 220 17600 220.000 Adams Hyperdrive 240 19200 240.000 Adams Hyperdrive 260 20800 260.000 Adams Hyperdrive 280 22400 280.000 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. B.1.07 Radars Name: Range: Mass: Cost: Hunter Radar 28 1 11.760 Maelstrom 35 Radar 40 2 24.000 Navigator Radar 46 2 31.740 R10 Radar 16 1 3.840 R20 Radar 34 1 17.340 T1 Radar 10 1 1.500 T4 Radar 22 1 7.260 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. B.1.10 Shields Name: Mass: Maximum Charge: Cost: Tetron Shield 4 100 10.000 Tetron Shield 16 200 40.000 Tetron Shield 36 300 90.000 Tetron Shield 64 400 160.000 Tetron Shield 100 500 250.000 Tetron Shield 144 600 360.000 Tetron Shield 196 700 490.000 Tetron Shield 256 800 640.000 Tetron Shield 324 900 810.000 Tetron Shield 400 1000 1.000.000 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! B.1.11 Thrusters Name: Mass: Thrust: Cost: Ion "Shockwave" Engine 1 125 0 Axxel Lightlaser Sunspear X1 Drive 1 100 17.500 Dagger TL-1 Thruster 1 40 2.000 Nitro XIX Engine 2 125 0 Axxel Turbine VL Series Thruster 2 100 4.000 XL Series Thruster 2 125 8.000 VL Series Thruster 3 109 6.000 XL Series Thruster 3 136 12.000 VL Series Thruster 4 118 8.000 XL Series Thruster 4 147 16.000 VL Series Thruster 6 136 12.000 XL Series Thruster 6 170 24.000 VL Series Thruster 7 145 14.000 XL Series Thruster 7 181 28.000 VL Series Thruster 8 154 16.000 XL Series Thruster 8 193 32.000 Idiom Thruster 10 172 22.500 Sauros Thruster 10 252 55.000 Idiom Thruster 30 354 67.500 Sauros Thruster 30 434 165.000 Idiom Thruster 40 445 90.000 Sauros Thruster 40 525 220.000 Idiom Thruster 50 536 112.500 Sauros Thruster 50 616 275.000 Idiom Thruster 70 718 157.500 Sauros Thruster 70 ? ? Idiom Thruster 90 ? ? Sauros Thruster 90 979 495.000 Idiom Thruster 100 990 225.000 Sauros Thruster 100 1070 550.000 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! B.1.13 Tractor Beams Name: Mass: Maximum Mass: Cost: Scoops: Baker V-1 Man Trap 4 10 4.000 P, VC Baker V-2 Man Trap 2 10 75.000 P, VC Hoobson Pro-K Scoop 4 10 75.000 C, P L1 Tractor Beam 4 N/A 1.000 - L2 Junk Vaporiser 2 10 2.000 VC, VP Meatmaster 1000 4 10 2.000 P*, VC Minemaster 1000 4 10 2.000 C*, P* Minemaster 3000 20 25 4.000 C*, P* Micromage Cargo Scoop 1 5 75.000 C X4 Cargo Assimilator 4 10 2.000 C, VP 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. B.1.14 Weapons Name: Mass: Power Drain: ROF: Damage: Cost: Cannon 2 0 500 10 2.750 DD19 Flamer 12 10 1500 10 80.000 Machine Gun 1 0 750 6 1.000 Machine Gun 1 0 600 5 1.000 Machine Gun Turret 1 0 600 5 2.000 Minigun 4 0 1000 6 12.500 Morphius Artillery 9 0 40 80 9.500 P9 Minigun 4 0 1000 8 725.000 Phased Pulse Laser 36 116 125 176 72.000 Phased Pulse Laser 49 132 125 200 98.000 R1 Rockets 6 0 120 30 10.000 R3 Rockets 6 0 120 40 15.000 Renton Rockets 6 0 120 50 21.500 RFX Plasma Thrower 16 14 1500 20 400.000 Rothspar Laser 4 26 250 25 8.000 Rothspar Laser 9 34 250 40 18.000 Rothspar Laser 16 42 250 55 32.000 Rothspar Laser 25 50 250 70 50.000 Rothspar Laser Turret 4 26 250 25 8.000 Rothspar Laser Turret 9 34 250 40 18.000 Rothspar Laser Turret 16 42 250 55 32.000 Rothspar Laser Turret 25 50 250 70 50.000 Simtex Plasma 5 32 375 20 15.000 Simtex Plasma 5 38 375 30 60.000 Simtex Plasma 5 44 375 40 135.000 Simtex Plasma 5 50 375 50 240.000 Simtex Plasma 5 56 375 60 375.000 Simtex Plasma Turret 5 32 375 20 15.000 Simtex Plasma Turret 5 38 375 30 60.000 Simtex Plasma Turret 5 44 375 40 135.000 Simtex Plasma Turret 5 50 375 50 240.000 Simtex Plasma Turret 5 56 375 60 375.000 Stun Gun 4 40 214 12 25.000 Stun Gun Turret 4 40 214 12 25.000 Tesla Evaporator 150 16 1500 100 2.750.000 Thanatos Artillery 12 0 40 160 50.000 Triquoquaric Ann. 150 20 1500 150 4.425.000 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. D.1.03 An example ship Or, how did he cram all that stuff inside? Shadowcat (Hold: 32 tons) -XL Series Thruster (4 tons) -Gray Hyperdrive (10 tons) -Core Generator (1 ton) -Tetron Shield (4 tons) -P9 Minigun (4 tons) -Carbidium x2 (2 tons) -Predator IV Scanner (1 ton) -R20 Radar (1 ton) -Baker V-2 Man Trap (2 tons) -XOX Reprogrammer Lv2 (1 ton) -Missiles x2 (2 tons) ----------------------------------- Grand total (32 tons) 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.