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Escape Velocity Nova
Close Combat Guide
by TwilightPhoenix
Table of Contents
1. The Purpose of the Guide
2. Weapon Selection
2a. Federation Weapons
2b. Auroran Weapons
2c. Vell-os "Weapons"
2d. Pirate Weapons
2e. Polaris Weapons
2f. Rebel Weapons
2g. Alien "Weapons"
2h. Planet Weapons
3. Ship Selection
3a. Civilian Ships
3b. Federation Ships
3c. Auroran Ships
3d. Vell-os "Ships"
3e. Pirate Ships
3f. Polaris Ships
3g. Rebel Ships
3h. Alien "Ships"
4. Outfit Selection
4a. Civilian Outfits
4b. Federation Outfits
4c. Auroran Outfits
4d. Pirate Outfits
4e. Polaris Outfits
4f. Rebel Outfits
4g. Vell-os "Outfits"
4h. Alien "Outfits"
5. Techniques
6. Long Range Combat Guide
8. Contact Info
9. Credits
10. Other Works by me
11. Version History
12. Copyright Info
The Purpose of the Guide
Close combat is often overlooked since many players will see that some
weapons have a lot of range, and that range is the ultimate tool of
destruction. This guide is here to bust that myth and teach you how to
fight in a style that will certainly make the game many times more
interesting. Close combat is fast paced, more intense, and certainly
takes far more skill than sitting far back with long range weapons
holding down the space bar with a paperweight. If this intrigues you,
please, by all means, read on. If you think that this will end up
being a waste of time to read, then it will probably be so. For those
of you who are indifferent or not sure which is better, I encourage you
to read on so that you may be able to make up your mind. Please note
that since the average player is highly unlikely to be too concerned
with specific stats, they are not included. If you want those, you can
easily get a plug creator/editor program and look them up straight from
your data files.
Some things might spoil the game for you if you have not seen it all.
You have been warned.
I will not mention what license you need to buy a particular item. If
you don't want to have to worry, simply by the Exotic Ships and Weapons
Weapon Selection
You are probably wondering why I am starting with weapons instead of
ships. When it comes to close-range combat, proper weapon selection is
far more important than ship selection, since any ship in the game
should have or be able to make space for at least one of the needed
weapons. Besides, when I do get to ships, I'll say one is a good
choice because it comes with a particular weapon at times. You're
going to want to know why having that weapon is good. However, if you
want to see ship info first, scroll past this part and come here after
you finish that section. So, anyways, lets begin.
Below each weapon's information you'll see something like
Shields > Armor. It shows whether the weapon is good against shields,
armor, or deals the same to each. Bays do not include this. Heres
how to read it.
Good against shields Good against armor Equal against both
Shields > Armor Shields < Armor Shields = Armor
You can thank Mispeled for suggesting this be included.
Also, below every weapon and ship there is a hint on fighting it or
evading it or whatnot. Thank Qannol for suggesting this.
Federation Weapons
Many Federation weapons are available at the start of the game. Also,
Pirates, Rebels, Wild Geese, and others use them as well. Most of them
work best against shields. Most of their weapons require a license,
unlike every other groups' weapons.
Light Blaster - This weapon has very low damage. They have a very low
range as well. On the bright side, they are light, cheap, and do not
require any license. In fact, the Shuttle, the ship you start with,
has one. But overall, not worth getting.
Shields > Armor
Unless you are in a small ship, just laugh at it.
Light Cannon - Less damage than the Light Blaster, but improved range
and rate of fire, not to mention being lighter. Slightly more
expensive, but they still require no license. I'd recommend them over
Light Blasters though due to the rate of fire, but you should still
avoid them as if they were the black plague.
Shields > Armor
Unless you are in a small ship, just laugh at it.
Light Blaster Turret - A Light Blaster that can shoot in any direction.
Heavier and more expensive as well. Not worth it.
Shields > Armor
Unless you are in a small ship, just laugh at it.
Quad Light Blaster Turret - Many new players think these things are
controlled by the pilot. They are not. They instead shoot at incoming
missiles and fighters. They are only available in the Federation
storyline, unless you are in the Rebel storyline and want the illegal
ones, though those are more expensive and will cause Feds to attack you
if they scan you. Use these on slow ships that cannot evade well. I
wouldn't get more than two though, as more doesn't seem to help much.
Shields > Armor
Only a threat if you are flying a ship the turret can target. Even
then, only the weak ships will have to be wary of it. Also, it can
destroy your missiles, but there really isn't anything you can do about
Mining Blaster - This is only good for what its name suggests:
blowing up asteroids. Damage lower than a Light Cannon (to ships at
least) and extremely short range make it a bad choice for combat. They
are very light and cheap, however, and require no license. Unless you
want to mine asteroids, do not ever touch these.
Shields = Armor
Unless you are in a small ship, just laugh at it.
Medium Blaster - Bigger and better than the Light Blaster. They deal
enough damage to destroy things bigger than Vipers. Price is reasonable
as well. They have a fair rate of fire when you have several of them. I
wouldn't get them unless I couldn't get anything better though.
Shields > Armor
Not much of a threat to larger vessels. If you are flying anything
else, stay out from in front of the attacker if possible. They can
hurt any ship over time if you are exposed for too long.
Medium Blaster Turret - A Medium Blaster that shoots in all directions.
It is heavy and somewhat expensive. I wouldn't get it unless you are
too slow for cannons and can't find anything better.
Shields > Armor
Again, not much of a threat to larger vessels. In anything else, try
hit and run tactics or out distance it just enough so it doesn't shoot
you. You can also just destroy the ship with powerful weapons before
it can cause any damage.
Heavy Blaster Turret - There is no Heavy Blaster Cannon... sadly. The
Heavy Blaster Turret has a long range and deals very good damage. It is
also very heavy and expensive, not to mention it requires you being in
the Federation storyline. A very good weapon on a large, slow ship that
can hold them. Four of them are quite deadly. On things like
Federation Carriers, they are a good choice. Otherwise, don't bother.
Shields > Armor
Try to avoid getting shot as much as possible, these hurt. Most ships
with them have a turret blind spot in the rear, such as the Fed Carrier.
Exploit it and destroy the ship. If you have to, just rush in and kill
it or use hit and run tactics.
Steller Grenades - Very light and cheap with surprisingly high damage
output. The downside? Very difficult to use, plus the chance of
hurting yourself with them. Theyre space mines basically, slowing to
a stop after being launched. However, although the damage is high for
their price and weight, it is still too low for dealing with most ships.
Stay away from these.
Shields < Armor
No worries, no stock scenario ships use these.
Raven Rockets - Very light and cheap. They deal enough damage to keep
a player evading them when flying a weak ship or from plowing through a
storm of them in a stronger ship. However, since you will never be
able to have the launchers and ammo to make a storm of these, they are
not a good choice. Good if you can't get/afford anything else, however.
Shields < Armor
A few of these isn't a threat to anything except small ships. A storm
can be dangerous though. Stay out from in front of the enemy ship.
You can also just evade the rockets until it exhausts its ammo.
Raven Rocket Turret - Exactly what the name says. Higher price and
weight. However, unless you're ship is too slow to use regular Raven
Rockets and you want Raven Rockets, avoid this. Despite what many
people believe and what the description says, Sensor Boosts do not help
this weapon in any way.
Shields < Armor
Same tactics as above, except there is nowhere to hide.
IR Missiles - The cheapest, lightest, and weakest guided missile in
the game. Having several of these launchers will produce a very high
rate of fire and they can deal enough damage over time to pose a threat.
Great if you like constantly replacing ammo. However, missiles tend to
be best for longer distance combat, hence their range and the fact that
they are guided. So, in other words, don't bother.
Shields < Armor
Really weak, but fast. Plus, a lot of them can hurt. Small ships
should dodge, while large ships won't have much choice but just to
endure them. Jammers and point defense help reduce potential damage.
If you can evade them, wait for the ship to run out of ammo.
Radar Missiles - The next step up in missiles. They pack more power
and range at the cost of rate of fire, weight, and price. If you like
missiles, they're worth the loss since you can still fire them very
quickly with multiple launchers. Not a good choice for close combat.
There is also a version that will only disable, not destroy, ships
available in the Auroran storyline. They require no license but are
somewhat more expensive.
Shields < Armor
Slower, but stronger. They are also usually fired at slower rates.
Handle them the same way as the IR Missiles.
HellHound Missiles - These missiles are deadly. Heavier launchers,
sure, but the damage and explosion size make up for it. That, and the
cost. You can fire them very quickly if you have several launchers,
too. However, a terrible choice for close range, as you'll run the risk
of damaging yourself with those explosions. These things do ionize,
which will slow down the target ship a bit.
Shields < Armor
Really strong, not much slower than Radar Missiles and they have a
large blast radius. They also cause ionization, which slows you down
and makes you an easier target. Avoiding them is tougher, but few
ships carry many missiles, so its easy to exhaust it's ammo if
necessary. If possible, destroy the ship as quickly as possible so you
can quit getting hit.
Gravimetric Missiles - They do not make explosions nearly so big as
Hellhounds, but the damage is about the same, and only the Vell-os and
Polaris can jam them. They are fast and accurate as well. The biggest
downfall is the fact that the ammo requires free space: about one ton
per missile. Not good if you have very little free space laying around.
Not recommended for close range.
Shields < Armor
Actually they are less of a threat due to the lack of a blast radius
and ionization. Treat them the same as Radar and IR missiles.
Etheric Wake Missile - Not the best missile around, thats for sure.
You can get some for free once you start the fourth Gli-Tech-Nia minor
storyline mission and they become available once you complete said
mission. They are slightly stronger than a radar missile and are
unjammable by anything except Polaris jamming. However, unlike what the
description says, they cannot track cloaked ships. Also, ammo takes up
mass like the Gravimetric Missile does. Even if you like missiles, you
should pass it up.
Shields < Armor
Rarely encountered and really, really slow. You can usually outfly
them. The ships that carry them carry very few, so exhausting their
ammo is easy.
Thunderhead Lance - A light, short range, very powerful beam. The
description is about right, as you almost do have to ram the ship in
question (though you cannot actually ram the ship) to damage them.
But it is far worth having to do that, as well as their low cost. Four
of these (the maximum) can shred many ships fast enough to leave you
unscathed if you attacked them when they were not hostile with you and
hardly scathed if they were. I highly recommend this weapon for close
range combat.
Shields = Armor
Only dangerous if the enemy ship is facing you and really close. Don't
let them get there. Most ships with these are quick, so ionizing them
Polaron Cannon - A very expensive weapon. You get one for free when
you start the third mission of the Gli-Tech-Nia minor storyline and
make them available by completing that mission. It has slightly more
range than a Thunderhead Lance, but less damage. While it is perfect
for close combat, I'd avoid getting any beyond the free one. And even
then I'd sell that one if I had not already filled the rest of my free
mass. Why would I? The amount of space they take up is a bit too much
in my opinion. Also, just note you can get two more free Polaron
Cannons for free in a side string in the Pirate storyline. A total of
three Polaron Cannons, which is also the number of total of free ones
you can get, is actually fairly strong.
Shields > Armor
No worries, no stock ships carry them.
Thunderhead Bay - This simply launches up to Three Thunderheads. Very
expensive and very heavy. Install only in a large ship. These are the
fourth best ship carried fighters, so its worth it if you need some
fighters. Bays are basically good for any range of combat, so don't
feel like you cannot be a close combat fighter if you buy any bays.
Just make sure to get the rest of your weapons first.
Thunderheads can be a pain. Destroy or disable them as quickly as you
can so you can refocus your attention to the carrier. If a ship
carries multiple fighter types, T-Heads are priority after Mantas,
Darts, and Pirate T-Heads.
Federation Viper Bay - There are actually several of these for
multiple variants, but you can only buy the standard one. Not worth it
though. Lighter and less expensive than the Thunderhead Bay, it
launches up to four Federation Vipers (very weak little ships) and
requires earning them in the Federation storyline.
Weak little buggers, not really a threat at all. Destroy at your
Anaconda Bay - Roughly the same weight and price as the Federation
Viper Bay. It launches up to two Anacondas. Better than Vipers, but
the bay is not worth it. Same requirements as its Viper counterpart.
They carry a few missiles and can get annoying if they keep rearming.
So destroy them before dealing with other fighters or the carrier.
Auroran Weapons
Auroran weapons are the most primitive, but should not be overlooked.
Some are available at the start. The Aurorans also have the weapons
preferred by long range fighters, but thats not what we are looking
for now are we? Pirates and Rebels use some of their weapons as well.
Most of their weapons are best versus armor.
Hail Chaingun - The Hail Chaingun is surprising, is it not? In 1.01
and 1.00, I said they were not worth it. However, in recent light of
new discoveries, they have turned out to deal the most damage per ton.
Compared to Light Blasters and Cannons, this certainly makes them the
best of the three. However, they eat through ammo like the end of the
world is in five minutes. Also, other weapons, while less efficient in
terms of damage per ton, still inflict more damage. This leaves them
best for use with small ships or use in conjunction with other
close-range weapons. So, in other words, get those T-Head Lances first
and, if you have space, then get these.
Shields < Armor
They have fair range and a 90 degree arc of fire. They always shoot
fast, so damage can be built up quickly if you leave a ship armed with
these around for too long. However, they can run out of ammo, though
it will take awhile. To larger ships or heavily shielded ships, these
are just a mere nuisance.
Storm Chaingun - The chaingun equivalent of the Quad Light Blaster
Turret, though not nearly as good as it's Hail counterpart for damage
per ton efficiency. The Hail is heavier and more expensive, but has no
requirements for purchasing and performs its job a lot better. If you
need point defense weapons and you have a lot of space, go for this.
Otherwise, avoid it.
Shields < Armor
Only a threat to you if you are one of the few ships it can target.
Other than that, only your missiles are in danger. Short range and it
has a significantly lower damage per second (DPS) than the Hail
Fusion Pulse Cannon - This is more like a swivel cannon. It would be
the Auroran equivalent for a Medium Blaster. However, it is cheaper
and lighter, has better range and faster rate of fire, and requires
nothing. It can hurt you if you are too close when it strikes a ship,
but you have to be almost on top of the impact area, and even then you
have to be in something like a Viper for it to really affect you. If
you have to choose between the Medium Blaster and this, go for this. I
recommend this weapon for close range if you want something to go with
Thunderhead Lances but cannot afford/hold/get anything else. There is
a disabling version in the Auroran storyline as well. The same applies
for the following two as well, its turret and battery.
Shields < Armor
90 degree arc and fair damage and range. Get behind the ship if
necessary and destroy. If the ship has only a few FPCs, then it isn't
much of a threat to anyone. If it has a lot, you should get rid of it
quickly. However, if you are fast, the tracking on the FPCs acts up
badly, making life easier for you.
Fusion Pulse Turret - The above in turret form. Heavier and more
expensive, but lighter and cheaper than the Medium Blaster Turret. If
you are too slow for the Cannon, this is a good choice.
Shields < Armor
Only slow ships carry these, so life is easier. Deal with similarly to
the normal FPC, except don't hide behind it since it can shoot you
there too.
Fusion Pulse Battery - Take a Fusion Pulse Cannon. Make it slightly
heavier and slightly more expensive. Now make two of them shoot as
fast as 4 or 5 cannons or turrets. Now make them have a 90 degree
range in front of your ship. The battery is born. A very good weapon
for close range combat. However, it is only available in the Auroran
storyline. If you are in the Auroran storyline, get these if you can.
Shields < Armor
Very high rate of fire makes any ship armed with these annoying and a
big threat. Take them down quickly. Deal with the ship as you would
one armed with a FPC.
100mm Railgun - The lightest and weakest of the long range fighter's
series of favorite weapons. Very long range, but low damage. Not a
good weapon for close range fighters, however. These things are very
heavy for the damage they deal, but any long range fighter would say
its worth it. Unless you want to go long range for some strange
reason, avoid these.
Shields < Armor
Not much damage, but they can hit you from really far away. They have
a 90 degree arc as well. Just get close to the ship and from the sides
or behind and take it out. Its always a good idea to take out ships
with Railguns as soon as possible.
100mm Turreted Railgun - The above, only heavier and turreted. Not
even long range combat people like these. If thats not clue enough to
avoid it, than I don't know what is. Available only in the Auroran
Shields < Armor
Well, nowhere to hide, so all the more reason to kill it quickly. The
damage is low, so rush and destroy the ship before that damage builds
up over time.
150mm Railgun - A bigger, better 100mm Railgun. Heavier too. Again,
not a weapon for close combat. However, some people who fight close
range say railguns are good for closing the distance or for use when
the enemy is too hard to get close enough to engage. However, the
weapon space used on, say, 5 of these could be used on about 10 or so
Thunderhead Lances, if it was possible to get that many without
cheating. In other words, you're wasting precious space if you are a
close range fighter and you buy these.
Shields < Armor
Treat the same as 100mm Railguns. They are as threatening when your
shields are up. When your shields are down, these hurt you quite a bit.
200mm Railgun - Bigger, better, and very heavy. Or is it? It
certainly is bigger and heavy. However, recently I have received hard
evidence that the 150mm Railgun has a higher DPS (damage per second)
than the 200mm. That gives more reason to not use these.
Shields < Armor
Again, deal with the same as 100mm and 150mm Railguns. Same damage
when shields are up. When down, these hurt a lot!
Firebird Bay - Firebirds are the Auroran counterpart to the Vipers that
just about everyone else has. However, the ability to launch four
Firebirds is not worth the weight and cost of this item. Only in the
Auroran storyline.
Weak little buggers, destroy at your leisure. The chainguns make 'em a
bit more dangerous than Vipers.
Phoenix Bay - Firebirds are to Vipers as Phoenixes are to Anacondas.
Two Phoenixes per bay. Worth it if you have nothing better to use that
space on. Otherwise, avoid it. Auroran storyline only.
Treat these as you would Anacondas.
TripHammer - This weapon is found only on the Thunderforge, which has
four. It is a powerful beam weapon, longer than the Thunderhead Lance.
It ignores enemy shields too! They also take up no space. Though,
whatever you do, do not sell these! They add armor, speed, and turn
rate to the Thunderforge, which makes it as quick as it is. An awesome
weapon for close range combat. Only available in a side string in the
Auroran storyline.
Shields < Armor
You may never fight against these in the stock scenario. If you do,
stay out from in front, especially if you are flying a low armor ship.
These hurt a lot.
Vell-os "Weapons"
The Vell-os "weapons" are powerful telepathic abilities. All are only
available in the Vell-os storyline, and you get all of them free. If
you like opera, you'll love these weapons even more. Note that all of
them drain energy when used. They also drain energy when not in use,
but you'll only be able to notice that if you do not have any energy
recharge of any kind.
Flower of Spring - Found on the A.I. Vell-os Dart. This simple yellow
beam is all you'll have for awhile. Its powerful enough to get you
through though. A decent close range weapon.
Shields = Armor
Stay out from in front of the enemy ship.
Summer Bloom - Stronger and turreted. Comes with the Arrow. Its
good for close range, but not the best.
Shields = Armor
Fair range and turreted, plus they are pretty strong. Kill the ship
carrying it as fast as possible.
Autumn Petal - Comes with the Javelin. Stronger and still turreted.
This is a good weapon for close range, but there is better still for
the Vell-os.
Shields = Armor
Treat the same as you would the Summer Bloom.
Winter Tempest - A nice little lethal beam. It's not turreted, but
you'll see why when you use it. It ignores shields and shreds armor.
It also has a good range. Plus it ionizes, but a bit too slowly for
that to really matter. The downside? It drains energy extremely fast,
so you'll need a lot of energy and energy regeneration to make good use
of it. Even so, its an extremely good choice for your close combat
arsenal. Many pilots claim this is the best weapon in the game. It
certainly can compete for that position.
Shields < Armor
No worries, no stock ship uses this.
Create Dart - This is really a bay. Darts are the second best
launchable fighters. And they are free. If they all get destroyed,
you can meditate to replace them unless you use one of those reset
mission plugs. Do that and your Darts are gone for good. They come
with the Javelin. Good no matter what you are flying, especially
considering you could use these on a Viper.
Annoying, though luckily you know they always carry three. Always.
Ok, Frandall carries about 40, but his invincibility should make you
run in the first place. Hit the Darts with impact and ionization
weapons to keep them off of you. Darts are second priority of launched
Pirate Weapons
Pirate weapons are aimed more towards disabling than destroying. After
all, pirates have to disable a ship to steal from it. Many of their
weapons are illegal as well. However, they are always available for
purchase, albeit very expensive.
Ionic Particle Beam - More commonly known as the Ion Cannon. Some
newer players might refer to it as the "Crown of Thorns" due to the
Manticore's shipyard description. Also, even though you can get a
legal version of the Ion Cannon in the Fed storyline, it is more
commonly used by Pirates, so that is why I consider it a Pirate weapon.
Ion Cannons have a 270 degree radius in which it shoots a solid blue
beam that can ionize a ship exceedingly fast. Many close range pilots
fear running into these, which is why they say getting railguns on a
close range ship is a good thing. I don't agree with that. Simply get
any ship armed with these from behind. As for using these as your own
weapon for close range, I highly recommend them. There isn't much
better, despite their weight and cost. Even the illegal versions are
worthwhile. Just remember that these cannot destroy ships, only
disable. So you'll need a second weapon to deliver the final blow.
Shields > Armor
These hurt a lot, but only have a 270 degree radius. So get behind the
ship armed with it! They ionize as well, so getting hit a lot will
make you an easier target. They cannot destroy you, but ships armed
with these generally carry another weapon as well.
User Modified Ionic Particle Beam - Same as the above, except it only
appears on a version of the Heavy Weapons Pirate Enterprise. Whats
different? No energy drain and you can't get them any other way (short
of plugs).
Shields > Armor
Treat the same as normal Ion Cannons.
EMP Torpedoes - AKA nukes. These weapons are slow, but they sure do
go boom. They create a huge blue explosion when detonated that
inflicts a lot of shield damage and almost always ionizes, but it deals
exceedingly low amounts of armor damage, making them ideal for
disabling ships. Their biggest drawback is the weight of the ammo, a
whopping four tons a shot. Ouch! Also, this weapon, due to its
explosion, is terrible for close range. Unlike other illegal weapons,
its not just the Feds who will get mad at you for having this, but
rather everyone except pirates will gate you for having these. So
always be wary of scans if you use these.
Shields > Armor
Avoid! Avoid! Avoid! These are very slow missiles, but they make
large explosions that inflict a lot of shield damage and almost always
ionize in a single hit. Their armor damage is really low, so if you
have a lot of armor, they won't destroy you anytime soon. Jammers and
point defense help a lot here. If you must, make the shooter run out
of ammo.
Pirate Viper Bay - Virtually the same as the Federation Vipers,
except Pirate Vipers are a tad bit better than their Federation
counterparts, and the fact the Pirate Viper Bay launches fighters
faster than any bay, except for the Manta Bay. Pass it up, though,
unless you have an extra 40 tons of space to blow. These are illegal.
Blow them up whenever you feel like it: they won't hurt you anytime
Pirate Thunderhead Bay - Virtually the same at it's civilian
counterpart, except that Pirate Thunderheads are the 3rd best
launchable fighter. A very good choice if you have the space and do
not have access to Darts or Mantas for fighters. They are illegal
though, so be wary of Fed scans.
Dangerous. Treat them like the Civilian Thunderheads when fighting
them, but keep in mind they are stronger. They are 3rd in priority of
destroy bay-borne ships.
Polaris Weapons
Polaris weapons are extremely powerful and are often considered
unbalanced, and for good reason. They deal very high amounts of damage
to both armor and shields. If you are in the Polaris storyline, then
go for these!
Bio-Relay Laser - A simple, fairly light, and very powerful beam of
energy. It has more range than a Thunderhead Lance and deals more
armor but less shield damage. A very powerful weapon and a very good
Shields > Armor
Powerful and fair range, but they shoot straight. So I'm sure you know
by now to stay out front from in front.
Bio-Relay Laser Turret - So far I have shot down just about every
weapons' turret form. Not here. Though it weighs significantly more
and you cannot have as many, this weapon's absurd accuracy is perfect
for "hit and run" or "harassment" strategies, as well as flying circles
around an enemy. Some pilots have flown Mantas armed with only one of
these and captured planets, though don't expect any quick victories if
you try that strategy.
Shields > Armor
Very annoying as they never miss when you are in range. Either stay
away from ships armed with these, or kill them as quickly as possible.
Capacitor Pulse Laser - If I sound biased on this weapon, its probably
the fact that it's my favorite weapon. The Capacitor Pulse Laser is an
extremely powerful, concentrated beam that drains energy. As the
description states, the target's shields and armor might as well have
been "wisps of smoke". They cause ionization, though often not fast
enough to matter, and can push back any ship, even Fed Carriers. I
highly recommend this weapon if you are in the Polaris storyline.
Shields > Armor
If you like your ship, you won't let yourself get shot by these. They
hurt... A LOT! And, on top of that, if you live, you could be ionized.
Luckily, they are not turreted, so you can hide behind them.
Wrathii - While these are used mostly by Polaris, you can get more
expensive versions elsewhere. The Rebels have one in their storyline,
you get a free one when you start the 6th mission of the Gli-Tech-Nia
and make them available upon completion of that mission, though the Fed
version requires an Exotic Ships and Weapons License. The Polaris also
has a Fire-While-Cloaked version if you can get the "tech" branch of
the Polaris storyline. However, that version has half the ammo and
replaces the normal version. But, getting back to the weapon, it
shoots little "packets" that inflict a fair share of damage. Again, a
very good weapon, like all Polaris weapons. If you are fine with ammo
replacement, a very good choice. Otherwise, skip it.
Shields < Armor
These cause quite a bit of damage and always are fired at fairly high
rates. They have 90 degree arcs and quite a bit of range. If you
can't get behind the shooter, make him exhaust his ammo. Most ships
armed with Wrathii are hardly threatening when they run out.
Polaron Torpedoes - The Polaris homing weapon is the second strongest
homing weapon in the game, only to be surpassed by the next weapon to
be listed. These things travel very quickly and inflict a lot of
damage, but seem to have not as much range as some other missiles.
However, in truth its just an illusion. They have a much higher
range then just about anything else. There is also a
Fire-While-Cloaked version that has the same unlocking requirements as
the FWC Wrathii. Again, it also has only half the max ammo. Close
range fighters should pass it up though.
Shields = Armor
RUN! These are unjammable, undestroyable, really powerful, really
quick, and travel farther than railguns. Use of the Afterburner often
is necessary to avoid them. Make the enemy run out of ammo and then go
kill it. This isn't too hard, considering the ammo count is very low.
Or, if you think you can take the punishment, rush it and destroy it so
it can't shoot you anymore.
Polaron Multi-Torps - The same as above, except it splits into five.
The deadliest missile weapon in the game. However, it has such a low
ammo count and costs so much as to make it nearly not worth it. When
fighting anything that has these, your best bet is to turn around and
use that afterburner to run away until no more Multi-Torps are wanting
you dead.
Shields = Armor
Don't try to power through these, you'll die very, very fast. It is
best to just run from them or avoid them in some other fashion until
the enemy runs out. The ammo count is very low, so that won't take
very long. Other than the fact that they split into five warheads of
quick death, they are the same as normal Polaron Torpedoes.
Manta Bay - The best bay-borne fighter in the game. And the bay
carries six and takes up less space then either Thunderhead Bays.
However, they are extremely expensive, but well worth it, as these
things have a very high survival rate. If you want fighters, these are
the best choice.
Mantas are dangerous. Kill them quickly. In fact, kill them before
you kill any other bay borne fighter.
Rebel Weapons
Except for their bay, the Rebels use other groups' weaponry, and for
this reason, this weapon section hardly exists. In particular, they
get Bio-Relay Lasers and Wrathii among the other things they use. If
you are playing the Rebels, you have some fair choice of good weapons.
Wrathii - I've already talked about them, but they deserve special
mention here due to an insane combo possible only in the Rebel string
that uses this weapon. It is possible to have 8 launchers and 1200
ammo and, in theory, have 12 launchers and 1800 ammo. How? When you
earn them in the Rebel storyline, you can buy theirs. Then you can go
to Polaris space and purchase theirs. And if you got them in the
Gli-Tech-Nia minor storyline, you can get theirs as well.
Shields < Armor
See above.
Rebel Viper Bay - The best Viper in the game, but not good enough for
you to use. Similar to all the other Viper Bays in its performance,
weight, etc. Don't get it.
Not much of a threat. Kill them if you feel the need.
Alien Weapons
Without a plug you cannot get your hands on these. However, since you
can with a plug, they should still be mentioned.
Wraith Child Beam - A very short, not too powerful beam used by Wraith
children. It inflicts decent damage, but not enough that it should
scare you. Only the child uses it, as it's name suggests.
Shields > Armor
Short range and not very powerful. Just laugh at it and blow the
Wraith up. If you don't want to get hit, stay out from in front.
Wraith Youth Beam - Better than the previous in damage and range.
Not a threat unless you're in a small ship. Used by Wraith Youth.
Shields > Armor
A threat to smaller craft, though large ships can still laugh.
Wraith Adult Beam - This one is a threat, since it has good damage and
range. It's used by the Wraith Adult. Try not to get shot too much by
Shields > Armor
These hurt, but you can just stay out from in front.
Solar Lance - The Hyperoid weapon. It can hurt a lot, so stay out
from in front of Hyperoids unless you want a really good sun tan... or
burn if you are one of the unlucky people who burn rather than tan.
Also, it doesn't matter how much sunscreen or sun block you have on,
this weapon will still hurt just as much.
Shields = Armor
These can hurt quite a bit, so just stay out from in front.
Nanites - Used by Krypt Pods. These little things hurt a lot and
ignore your shields. They also home in on you too. At least they can
be shot by point defense weapons. However, no matter what you are
flying, you should avoid coming in contact with these.
Shields < Armor
They are quick, strong, and homing, and they ignore shields. Luckily,
they have short range and are targeted by point defense weapons. Avoid
contact with them, especially if you are in a low armor ship.
Planet Weapons
Used only by planets to shoot at enemies in the stock scenario, you
could get these with a plug. So, for that reason, they still deserve
some mention.
Enormous Blaster Turret - Shoots a huge shot thats stronger than the
Heavy Blaster Turret's shots and has significantly longer range.
Shields > Armor
Shoots about as fast as two Heavy Blaster Turrets and are probably
twice as strong. Avoid getting shot, since you can't destroy the
100mm Turreted Railgun - Same as the one way above. Only this time a
little Auroran outpost is shooting it.
Shields < Armor
Just dodge it if you need to. It isn't very powerful.
400mm Turreted Railgun - Shoots a huge railgun shot that deals quite a
bit of damage and has a really long range.
Shields < Armor
Just avoid the powerful shot.
Enormous Ion Cannon - No, it doesn't shoot a beam. It shoots a really
large shot that inflicts no damage but ionizes. It has a really long
range too. Used on Rebel and Pirate stations mostly.
No damage, but it does ionize, so avoiding it is still a good idea.
Enormous Polaron Torpedo - These things hurt. So far everything I
have seen shot by this died on impact. Of course, all the capital ships
shot by it were already damaged. It also ionizes, but I guess it
really doesn't matter if all things shot by it die. You can find these
on Polaris stations and (so I heard) planets.
Shields = Armor
Like living? Don't get hit.
Ship Selection
Proper ship selection, while very important, isn't key. Some ships are
more suited for close combat, however, and having the right ship will
increase your odds of both victory and survival greatly. There are
plenty to choose from. I won't discuss all the variants (the guide
would be 5 times as long). I'll make special mention of ones that
deserve it, however. If you skipped the weapon section, go back to
that one next.
Civilian Ships
At first thought, you may think Civilian ships are not worth it simply
because they are Civilian. Not in Nova! They did a good job of making
several of the ships powerful enough to hold their own, especially in
the right hands. You'll have access to all but a few at the start of
the game.
Shuttle - The ship you start with. Armed with a Light Blaster. Get
into something better as fast as you can. Luckily, you start the game
with 25k credits, more than enough for the next ship. Pass up the used
variants as well. It's interesting to note the Class B has IR Missiles,
but the A.I. Shuttle never fires them.
These will just run from you.
Heavy Shuttle - Better in every way than a shuttle, save the fact that
it too comes with a Light Cannon. I don't recommend trying to fight in
this thing, though you can take on some Vipers if you are skilled.
Again, pass up the used variants.
These will just run from you.
Cargo Drone - You can't fly it without a plug, but you can hire it as
an escort. No weapons, but very cheap. The best thing about it is:
you shoot it and it dies! What could be better?
Doesn't even have weapons. Why worry?
Asteroid Miner - Good at what it's name suggests. It comes with four
mining lasers and a scoop. It has an awful turning rate, however. One
neat thing is it opens up before shooting. I can just envision an
Asteroid Miner slowly opening up and some huge and powerful beam shoots
out and demolishes an entire fleet of Polaris Ravens. Too bad that
can't happen without a (more than likely cheat) plug. Bad if you are
going to be fighting though. Speaking of fighting, you can do better
for a ship.
These just run from you.
Terrapin - Not a ship you want to be in. Comes with two Light Blaster
Turrets. It is very slow and vulnerable. Even Atmos thinks it's a bad
idea, hence a dude (technical name of the variables that says what
ships are in what systems) is named "lone idiot in terrapin". Pass up
any version of this, whether used or not.
Sometimes they run, other times they are idiot Marauders who have a
death wish. Grant it while laughing at their pathetic life.
Viper - I found it odd that there is no bay for this Viper, but for
every other one. Maybe for good reason. Very weak, armed with two
Light Blasters. If you want a challenge, give it a shot. Otherwise,
pass it up.
Really weak, destroy if you feel the need.
Lightning - A surprisingly large fighter. Armed with 3 Light Cannons
and is fairly quick. I would still pass it up though, since its weak
for its size. The Wild Geese variant deserves mention, since it is
buyable on New Ireland. It adds some Radar Missiles and you don't need
a license to buy the variant. Try it if you wish, though I wouldn't.
Missiles can get a bit annoying, but the ship overall is just really a
big Viper.
Thunderhead - A very good fighter. It comes with two Thunderhead
Lances and Radar Missiles. The best Civilian fighter. If you like
fighters, this is your ship until you can get a potentially better one.
The Light Destroyer Class is very rarely seen. Maybe for good reason,
as it replaces the Lances with Ion Cannons. Thats something worth
taking into consideration if you end up with a Thunderhead in your
fleet. As for flying any variant as your ship, it is good for close
combat with its stock weapons, but there are better.
Has missiles, but the threat is the Lances. Don't let it get close
enough to use them. The Light Destroyer is quite dangerous for its
size due to the Ion Cannons. Get behind that one or impact and ionize
it enough so it can't use them.
Valkyrie - Ok, now we have a decent combat ship. Comes with 3 Light
Blaster Cannons and a Raven Rocket Pod. This ship has fair speed and
maneuverability. A good ship for a beginner to get used to fighting.
It can also be made dangerous with the right weapons. The "better"
used variant is worth the price if you can't find better. Though you
will want a better ship soon enough. Overall, a good choice if you
cannot get anything better.
Raven rockets are not very dangerous. The ship, while it can put up a
fight when you are in a weaker vessel, is overall not very dangerous.
The Class III carries some missiles, but nothing too dangerous.
Starbridge - Better than the Valkyrie. Comes with 3 Medium Blasters
on the standard as well as Radar Missiles. The "better" used variant
may be worth the price, you decide there. This ship can be deadly in
the right hands, but there are better. The Class C variant deserves
special mention, as some of these (not all for some strange reason)
have Heavy Blaster Turrets and/or Hellhounds on them. Also, the Class
D tends to have Gravimetric Missiles. Be wary when attacking either
variant or you may find yourself caught off guard. Any variant can be
a good choice.
It has missiles, which is its main source of damage. It can put up a
fight, but not much of one. The Class C and D, on the other hand, are
quite dangerous due to their weaponry. Its best to make them run out
of ammo before engaging. Destroy any Class C variants armed with Heavy
Blaster Turrets as fast as possible since they can chase you down in
slower ships.
Modified Starbridge - As expected, it is better than its "unmodified"
counterpart. Faster, stronger, more heavily armed (with Medium Blasters
and Radar Missiles), and more expensive, all point to it being better.
The only place I have seen it for sale is as New Ireland. The Class E
is considered by some to be the best Starbridge in the game. Armed
with Radar Missiles, Med Blasters, and Railguns, as well as having
better stats than every other Starbridge, it is a very good ship.
Certainly a worthwhile choice. Some pilots find this to be the ship
they are the best with.
A normal Mod Starbridge is like a somewhat better normal Starbridge.
Main damage comes from missiles. The higher variants are more
dangerous. The Class E puts up a big fight and is dangerous at all
ranges, so get rid of it quickly.
IDA Frigate - It can take a beating and haul a good amount of cargo,
but thats it. It has Medium Blaster Turrets and a Raven Rocket Turret.
It is very slow and takes ages to enter hyperspace. The NC1170 class is
a different story. More powerful, and armed with Heavy Blaster Turrets,
Quad Light Blaster Turrets, Hellhound Missiles, and Railguns, it is a
formidable ship. I do not recommend the stock version for fighting,
especially close range. The 1170 can handle the job with things like
Heavy Blasters, but you can do better. One interesting thing to note
is that in both shipyard pics and the sprite itself, you can see a
Thunderhead Bay. However, no variant comes with one. Odd, isn't it?
Normally, these just have a lot of armor and some Raven Rockets. Woo,
big deal. Just kill it. Any other variant has missiles and carries
better weapons, making them more of a threat. They are slow though, so
you can kill them with relative ease. The 1170, on the other hand, is
powerful and dangerous to all ships at all ranges. Kill it quickly.
Pegasus - Ugh. I could say that again. Slow, weak, and comes with a
Medium Blaster Turret. It is only good for hauling cargo. Cheap or
not, don't even bother buying this ship. It is not worth the price.
Worst of all, you have to have both completed the first Sigma mission
and not failed any others.
Just laugh and blow it up if one attacks you.
Star Liner - Comes unarmed, but has some fair defensive strength and
is decently fast for a cargo hauler. It comes with a lot of crew as
well, and I mean ALOT. It could possibly be turned into a decent
fighting ship, but you certainly could make a better one out of a
Lightning. It has the same mission requirements as the Pegasus.
Just laugh and blow it up if it attacks you.
Leviathan - Very big, very vulnerable, and very unarmed. Its also
tied with the Auroran Carrier for the slowest ship in the game. They
also carry tons and tons and tons and tons of cargo. 5000 tons to be
exact in Mac 1.07 and Win 1.06 and below. 4000 in Mac 1.08. Also, if
you capture them, they can sell for very high or make good cargo
hauling escorts. Do not hire as an escort unless you are willing to
loose money no matter what you trade. Note that the Upgraded Engines
and Armed Variants have Heavy Blaster Turrets. Same mission reqs as
the Pegasus and Star Liner. Don't fly as your own ship in combat
though, unless you intend to defeat your enemies with your Leviathan's
absurdly large and powerful death explosion.
Don't get hit by the death explosion, it hurts. The better variants
have heavy weapons, but are not very threatening since they hardly use
Kestrel - The most expensive ship in the game. The Kestrel originally
appeared in the original Escape Velocity as the most powerful Civilian
(and pirate) ship. In Nova, it contends well for the spot. Despite
not being the best ship in the game, it is only available at the Our
Spiel shipyard for 50 million after you complete any major string.
Someone who didn't play EVC might not care for this ship, but almost
anyone who has played EVC will get it just for the sake of having it.
It can be armed well and can be made into a good close combat ship. It
has Medium Blasters, Pirate Vipers, and similar weapons, which you
might wish to sell. Just know that if you cloak in this ship you will
have a VERY hard time seeing yourself.
There are only two ways to fight a Kestrel: attack Matt Burch or
capture a ship. The first is suicidal anyways since he is invincible.
The second involves buying it, capturing a ship as your own, releasing,
and then attacking. No hints here, as I have never fought one, and
fighting one is entirely your choice anyways.
Federation Ships
Federation ships all require you to be in the Fed storyline to get, as
can be expected. There isn't anything really special about most
Federation ships. However, just because of that doesn't mean you
should overlook them. Several of them are quite good for close combat
Federation Viper - Better then a Civilian Viper, but thats about it.
Has about 3 Light Blasters. I would suggest passing it up.
Blow it up if you feel like it.
Anaconda - Better than a Federation Viper. Fewer Light Blasters, but
it has an IR Missile Launcher. Fed Carriers have a tendency to launch
these, let them shoot their missiles, and recall them to rearm. Even
still, pass it up.
They have missiles, but few of them. Not very threatening. More so if
it comes from a bay since it can rearm.
Scout Ship - Surprisingly bad at its name sake. Light Blasters and a
Raven Rocket Pod are its armaments. It doesn't have as much energy as
you would expect an exploration vessel to have. Pass this one up too.
Really weak and easy to kill.
Patrol Boat - Here we go. While the standard variant is armed merely
with Medium Blasters and Raven Rockets, it can be properly outfitted to
make a nice close combat vessel. Its Heavily Armed variant has
Hellhounds, so be wary when fighting them. Also deserving mention is
the Close Quarters Variant. It has about 5 Medium Blasters and carries
Ion Cannons. Without tweaking, its pretty good at close fighting and
has a surprisingly high survival rate as an escort. With some tweaking,
you can make it into an even better close combat ship. Federation
pilots, this may be your close combat vessel of choice.
Not too dangerous itself. Its pretty easy to beat. The Heavily Armed
Variant is dangerous until it runs out of Hellhounds. The Close
Quarters Variant is dangerous with its loadout. Just get behind it and
kill it.
R.A.G.E. Gunboat - Probably the other Federation ship good for close
combat. The Rage Gunboat is a bit tougher than the Patrol Boat, but
slower and only has one variant. For the most part, its default
weapons are good. It is armed with Fusion Pulse Cannons, Wrathii, and
Etheric Wake Missiles. The last of those you'll probably end up
dumping. If you don't like the Patrol Boat, you may prefer this one
Etheric Wake Missiles are very slow and Wrathii is its main source of
damage. Make it run out of both if you need to and then kill it, as it
is easy without those weapons.
Federation Destroyer - Fairly maneuverable, but not very good. It's
armed with Medium Blaster Cannons and IR Missiles. Not very good in
stock form; however, the Carrier Class has 2 Heavy Blaster Turrets (as
well as a useless Federation Viper Bay) and the Heavy Missile Class
replaces those useless fighters with Hellhounds. If you want a
Destroyer, get either of those and replace the fighters/missiles with
better weapons.
Has a lot of IR missiles, but it runs after running out. The Carrier
Class has the Heavy Blaster Turrets, making it quite a bit more
powerful. The Heavy Missile Variant is quite dangerous with the
turrets and Hellhounds. Kill it as quickly as you can.
Federation Carrier - Big, slow, and powerful. All Federation Carriers
are armed with Heavy Blaster Turrets and, of course, Viper and Anaconda
Bays. Three of the variants get special mention too. The Heavy
Missile Class has Hellhounds and EMP Torpedoes. You'll want good
jammers, point defense weapons, and/or good dodging skills when
encountering one of these. The Extra Fighters Detected variant has a
Civilian Thunderhead Bay on it, saving you the trouble of getting one
yourself if you want Thunderheads. Also, the Non-Missile Variant has
four Heavy Blaster Turrets and two Ion Cannons, making it the best
close combat Carrier. Its a bit too slow for the Ion Cannons, so this
would be one of the few cases to sell them. If you want a close range
Fed ship but do not want a Patrol Boat, go with the Non-Missile Variant
Fed Carrier.
They all have Heavy Blaster Turrets, but a blind spot in the rear where
it can't hit you. Exploit it. The Heavy Missile is only as
threatening as a Flagship once it has run out of ammo. Same goes for
the Extra Fighters Detected one when you kill its Thunderheads. The
Non-Missile Variant is perhaps the toughest because of its weapon
loadout. But it is still easy to kill once you get behind it.
Auroran Ships
Auroran ships mostly specialize in heavy armor, weak shields, and long
range weapons. Also, all of the military ones require you to be in the
Auroran storyline to buy. Don't overlook them for close combat. You
could be surprised. Please note that I could not remember which variant
has what even if my life depended on it. Therefore, no variants will
receive special mention.
Argosy - A cargo hauler armed with Hail Chainguns. Not too quick, but
it does have more armor than any Civilian ship, save perhaps the IDA
Frigate. It can be made into a pretty good close combat ship, but
there still is better.
Point, laugh, kill.
Enterprise - Bigger, slower cargo hauler. Has 100mm railguns. I
would pass it up. One interesting thing that I learned by seeing a
screenshot is if you have beam weapons on it, like Thunderhead Lances,
they fire from the rear of the ship, the exit ports right by what
appears to be a reactor. Now thats real safe.
Railguns can be annoying, but it is just a cargo hauler, so it is still
an easy kill.
Firebird - Basically a Viper. Hail Chainguns for it's armament. Like
the Vipers, skip this.
Just like a Viper: weak. Just shoot it down.
Phoenix - Basically your Auroran Anaconda. Hail Chainguns and Radar
Missiles. Like the Anaconda, skipping this ship is a good idea.
Treat it like an Anaconda. More threatening if launched since it can
Abomination - Despite it's name, it isn't very ugly (in my opinion at
least). They are armed from Hail Chainguns to Fusion Pulse Cannons to
Fusion Pulse Batteries and almost all have Radar Missiles. There are
many, many variants of these... too many. It can do well for a close
combat ship, but you'll want better.
The Moash Abominations go boom almost instantly. Weapons vary greatly,
but they all have missiles. Some have chainguns, others have Fusion
Pulse Cannons, others Batteries. A few have Railguns. Adjust your
strategy according to their weapon layout.
Auroran Cruiser - Usually has Railguns of varying strengths and IR
Missiles. It also often has Fusion weaponry. Its fairly slow though,
making it not the best choice for close combat.
Get close and behind it. Some have Fusion Pulse Turrets, but the main
threat is the missiles and Railguns. Once you are close, it tries to
run for some reason, so you'll have to chase it.
Auroran Carrier - It ties with the Leviathan for the slowest ship in
the game. It has railguns, turreted railguns, Firebirds, Phoenixes,
Storm Chainguns, Fusion Pulse Turrets... basically a lot of weapons. A
poor choice for close combat due to its slowness. However, it is
possible to get over 1000 tons of free space on one of the variants.
Fight it the same way like the Cruiser after you deal with the fighters.
Thunderforge - You might be wondering how you could be surprised at
what you have seen so far in regards to Auroran ships. When you take
this for a spin, that surprise will finally strike you. The
Thunderforge easily could be the best close combat ship in the game.
Ironically, many new players mistake it for long range, load it with
railguns, and end up saying it sucks. It is fairly quick and is the
only ship in the game armed with TripHammers. It has four of them too,
as well as Fusion Pulse Turrets, Radar Missiles, and (ugh) 100mm
Railguns. If you are an Auroran pilot, get this ship. You'll need to
do a side string to get it though.
Stay out from in front: the TripHammers are its main source of damage.
The other weapons can become pretty annoying as well, but you can
exhaust the missiles and get behind it to avoid the Railguns.
*The Thunderforge is my favorite ship in the game, as well as many other
pilots'. An example of an insane close range weapon selection is: 4
TripHammers, 4 Thunderhead Lances, 4 Fusion Pulse Batteries, 7 Ion
Cannons. You won't have the gun slots for the eighth Ion Cannon, which
is a shame. Give that layout a shot.
Vell-os "Ships"
Not really ships, but shells of mental energy. All Vell-os "ships" are
inertialess, so it will take some getting used to flying in them.
Vell-os "ships" themselves suck, but with all the other powers you get,
they become powerful. Even still, those abilities can be transferred
to an even better ship, so sticking with these might not be the best
idea unless you love inertialess piloting. Remember, the only outfit
you can buy with these are Marine Platoons. The only purpose I see in
that is perhaps being alone in one of those might make you lonely.
They are only available in the Vell-os storyline.
Dart - Very fast, the second quickest thing in the game. You'll have
the Flower of Spring when you get this ship and the A.I. Darts will use
it as well. A fairly good close range vessel.
Impact it and ionize it so it can't perform a Mosquito on you
(see techniques below). It is virtually impossible to stay out from in
front because it is so fast. Turrets are useful here.
Arrow - Bigger, slower, and stronger. You'll get the Summer Bloom
when you get this. A.I. Arrows will use it too. Fairly good for close
Either stay away or kill it quickly. Avoid the front, it has a Flower
of Spring as well.
Javelin - Bigger, slower, and stronger, yet again. You'll get the
Autumn Petal and Create Dart when this is granted to you. The A.I.
will have those as well. Fairly good for close range.
Kill its Darts first. Then kill it quickly or avoid it. Again, stay
from in front so it can't hit you with the Flower of Spring as well.
Pirate Ships
All but one of these ships are available at the start of the game.
However, they are very expensive. The Pirates have some of the best
ships in the game though, so they are certainly worth looking at.
Pirate Viper - I believe you get the idea by now. However, the
Missile Variant has Radar Missiles and the Beam Variant has a
Thunderhead Lance.
Weak, just blow it up. The better variants are somewhat of a threat,
but not much.
Pirate Thunderhead - A better Thunderhead. It carries basically the
same weapons as the civilian version, except it also is armed with a
Fusion Pulse Cannon. However, it doesn't match the Light Destroyer
Thunderhead or any Rebel ones.
Treat it like a Civilian Thunderhead, except keep in mind it is a bit
Pirate Argosy - Take the Auroran version and add a Raven Rocket Pod
and some better stats. You get the Pirate Argosy. Makes a better
close combat ship than its counterpart, but there are better candidates
for close combat.
The Raven Rockets make it a tad bit more threatening, but not much.
Just kill it.
Pirate Enterprise - Better then the Auroran one. Still terrible.
Armed with Railguns and now has a Fusion Pulse Cannon. However, there
are two Heavily Armed Variants. One has Ion Cannons and EMP Torpedoes,
the other has Heavy Blaster Turrets, so you may want to be a bit careful
when engaging them.
Easy to beat, the Railguns are the only real danger. The Heavily Armed
versions are a different story. For one, exhaust the EMPs and get
behind it to avoid the Ion Cannons. The other, you'll just have to put
up with its Heavy Blaster Turrets.
Pirate Valkyrie - Better then the Civilian one. Has Medium Blasters
and Raven Rocket Pods. Not very good itself. However, the Class IV is
considered by several pilots to be the best ship in the game. Insanely
fast, it has 4 Ion Cannons, Radar Missiles, Railguns, and Hell Hounds.
This ship can be turned into a lethal close combat ship as well. I
recommend you keep the Ion Cannons and sell the rest should you wish to
use this as your ship of choice.
The normal version is not very dangerous. The Class III has Radar
Missiles, but nothing special. The Class IV is a menace to society.
Its best to make it run out of missiles and then go for the kill.
Just keep in mind it does have Ion Cannons and is extremely fast.
Pirate Starbridge - Better than a normal Civilian starbridge, but not
as good as the Modified. Has Radar Missiles and Medium Blasters. The
Class D has EMP Torpedoes and Ion Cannons. It can make a decent close
range ship, but there is better, such as the Pirate Valkyre IV.
Nothing special here, just fight it like a Starbridge. The Class D is
somewhat more threatening, but you can beat it easily, even with its
Ion Cannons.
Manticore - This ship can be nasty. Armed with IR Missiles, EMP
Torpedoes, and eight (yes eight) Ion Cannons. Obviously, it can be
made into a powerful close range ship... but not as much as you would
think. Weapons like Thunderhead Lances, Polaron Cannons, Bio-relay
Lasers, and other non-turreted beam weapons fire very strangely on the
ship, making it very difficult to hit anything. The best bet would be
to use the Ion Cannons to disable and some other weapon to destroy.
This ship is nowhere near dangerous as a lot of people say. The Light
Weapons Variant doesn't even have the dreaded Ion Cannons. All the
variants have some variations of missiles. One has some Fusion Pulse
Cannons and another has Pirate Vipers. Make it run out of missiles and
simply get behind it. All of a sudden this feared ship and those eight
Ion Cannons is a push over.
Pirate Carrier - Big, slow, powerful. It has 150mm Railguns, EMP
Torpedoes, and Pirate Vipers. Not good for close range itself. Note
that the Heavy Weapons Platform has Heavy Blasters Turrets and the
Extra Fighters Detected variant has Pirate Thunderheads. Exercise
caution when engaging either.
They all can be fought in about the same way. Avoid the EMPs and get
to the side or behind to avoid the Railguns. The Heavy Weapons
Platform has Heavy Blaster Turrets, but it can be beaten just like any
Federation Carrier.
The Unrelenting - While it is a Pirate Carrier, it is a separate ship
mainly because it is given to you for free in the Pirate storyline,
whether you want it or not. It has Pirate Vipers, Pirate Thunderheads,
Heavy Blaster Turrets, 200mm Railguns, Marine Platoons, EMP Torpedoes,
and way too much extra space. If it was faster it could make a very
deadly close combat ship. Many pilots say this is the best ship in the
game. For close combat, it isn't, however. Even still, you should
keep this on a pilot somewhere, because having all that free space is
rare and allows you to experiment as well as let you have some fun by
doing crazy things.
No worries here, you can never encounter this ship as a foe.
Polaris Ships
All of these ships, save for the cargo haulers, require you to be in
the Polaris storyline to purchase. At first glance, these ships are
the best in the game. But if you look closer, you'll notice that, for
the most part, it is their weapons that make them so deadly. They also
have a very low crew count. Despite this, they are all designed with
close combat in mind, so they are certainly something to consider.
Also note any Nil'kemas are better than the stock variants, Kemi are
worse, and Cloak Detected have cloaking devices. Another note is that
they regenerate armor as well, though very slowly.
Sprite - No weapons, one gun slot, a lot of cargo space. Its obvious
that this ship is not meant for any kind of combat. I wouldn't bother
with this ship unless you like trading goods.
No weapons to speak of. Just kill it if you feel the need.
Cambrian - Same as the above, only bigger and more cargo. Same thing
applies. Though if you want to hire a really good cargo hauler, get
this over the Leviathan. Leviathan escorts cost too much to hire and
too much per day. The Cambrian costs something like 1/10th for both
costs and has 4/5 the cargo space. Great cargo hauling escort, poor
combat ship.
Unarmed. Easy kill.
Manta - The fastest, most powerful fighter, and great for close combat.
Comes with one Bio-Relay Laser and the Nilk Variant has two, is faster,
and has Wrathii as well. If you like fast ships to fight in, this
could be your ship. Especially if you like a fun, albeit slow way to
kill opponents. Get the Nilk variant, sell everything, buy a Bio-Relay
Laser Turret (you might need the Sigma Mount Reinforcement), and use
the rest for things like Spun Diamond. Just fly little circles around
your foe while shooting and you'll never get a hit.
Very annoying. Its fast, and it has a Bio-Relay Laser. Impact and
ionization helps a lot, as do turrets. The Nilk variant has some
Wrathii as well, so make it run out if you can.
Striker - The step up. Two Bio-Relay Lasers and Wrathii. Nilk
variant has a turret instead of the norm lasers. This is a good close
combat ship as well, as it is fairly quick, nimble, and tough. Please
note that, some variants of the Striker are inertialess, specifically
all the cloaking+fast jump ones. So don't be surprised if you find
yours not behaving like most other ships.
Not nearly as fast as the Manta, but it makes up for it with weapons
and toughness. Once it is out of Wrathii, attack it anywhere except
from in front.
Zephyr - This is a step up from the Striker, as it has a little less
shields but much more armor. I don't like it as much though, since I
prefer shields (they regenerate faster than armor). Its appearance is
equivalent to a black sheep, as it looks entirely different from all
other Polaris ships. Then again, it is designed to blend in among
ships of other governments. It has Bio-Relay Lasers and Wrathii and
all variants come with a Cloaking Organ. Its about as good for close
combat, probably slightly better, than the Striker. However, if you
want a blue Zephyr, you can capture Shade of Blue. Shade of Blue's
ship stays blue as long as you use it as your own. It comes with
standard Zephyr weapons plus a 200mm Railgun and a Polaron Torpedo
Yeah, it cloaks, but usually to run away. It can be dealt with like a
Dragon - Not a ship I really played with. Has one Bio-Relay Laser
Turret and some Wrathii. Its bigger than the Striker and Zephyr, but
not much tougher and does not have much more space. It can do well at
close combat, but if you are in the Polaris string, you certainly can
do better.
Except for its turret, this is probably easier to kill than the Zephyr
and the Striker, since it is bigger, slower, and not much tougher.
Arachnid - A nice and powerful ship. Sure, its large, but its quick.
It has a Capacitor Pulse Laser and Polaron Torpedoes. With its speed
for its size, it can become a good close range vessel. Its also cool
to see the animations for it shooting. Despite this, you can do better
in regards to power. But not likely with style. Two interesting notes:
Arando's Arachnid comes with four(!) Manta Bays, allowing you to have 24
Mantas. Also, the Arachnid is the favorite ship of Pipeline, ones of
the game's developers.
It has two weapons: one that can run out of ammo and the other that
only shoots forward. It can turn pretty quick though, so getting
behind it is harder than one would think.
Scarab - For Polaris close combat, this is my recommendation. The
stock variant has two Capacitor Pulse Lasers, Polaron Torpedoes, and a
Manta Bay. It can become fairly agile, especially for its size. In
fact, with the help of jammers, you can very easily evade barrages of
missiles. It is also a very tough craft, having high shields and
pretty good armor. Also, like the Arachnid, it has a firing animation,
but it isn't as cool.
Kill the Mantas and avoid the torpedoes. Then stay out from in front.
*This is my second favorite ship in the game. Mine is armed with three
Capacitor Pulse Lasers and a pair of full Manta Bays. It also has all
the defensive tech I could get, making it very good at taking a beating.
It was my most favorite until I discovered the Thunderforge, however.
Raven - Highest shields in the game, a lot of armor, two Manta Bays,
three Capacitor Pulse Lasers, and Polaron Multi-Torps. Sounds like the
best ship in the game, right? Many new players, as well as some
experienced, agree with that. I don't, and for three very good
reasons. 1) Its huge, making it an easy target. 2) Its inertialess,
which doesn't work well with it's size. 3) Any beam weapon you have on
it fires so far out in front that something could sit in front of your
craft, open fire, and you won't be able to vaporize them. Because of
that, it is difficult to fight close range in this, as evasion of
incoming fire is very difficult and it's hard to get a good shot at a
close opponent. Plus you can't strafe, a very useful technique which
will be described later. However, there are two Ravens which deserve
mention. The first is one with inertia. However, the only one who
flies it is Jason Cook, aka Frandall, who is a developer of the game
and is invincible. You cannot get one without a plug and/or cheating.
The second is Iuso's (not Luso) Raven. It has five Capacitor Pulse
Lasers and five Manta Bays which can be stocked all the way up to 30
Mantas (ouch!). It doesn't display shields or armor, so capturing it
is more difficult than normal. A great ship for bay-borne fighter
Once the Mantas and torpedoes are gone, the Raven is surprisingly easy
to beat. It is so large most ships can sit on top of it safely. Also,
the beam shoots far in front, so you can actually sit in front really
close and be safe. It just takes quite awhile to actually kill it.
Rebel Ships
Rebels have a mixture of everyone's technology, but they have some very
nice ships. None of them are of original design, but are modified
versions of other govs ships. Rebels also fly normal Pirate and
Civilian craft as well. These ships are certainly worth looking
into... and looking at. It seems like any ship looks good in green.
All require you to be in the Rebel storyline.
Rebel Viper - Toughest Viper in the game, especially the Light Gunboat
Class, which carries Raven Rockets and has a surprisingly high survival
rate. As your own ship, I wouldn't fly it though.
Ok, it may be the toughest, but it is still virtually no threat, even
with the Raven Rockets on the Light Gunboat.
Rebel Lightning - Better than a normal Lightning, but it isn't seen
all that often. It has Med Blasters and Radar Missiles and is quick.
However, it is weak for its size still, so its best to not fly this.
A bit tougher than the normal Lightning, but still really easy to kill.
Missiles can be annoying, but its nothing big.
Rebel Thunderhead - Best Thunderhead in the game, but sadly has no bay
for it. It is armed with the usual Thunderhead Lances, but also
carries Wrathii. If you like Thunderheads, get this. It is a pretty
good choice for close combat, so fly it if you wish.
Wrathii makes this Thunderhead dangerous. Once it has run out, it is
easy to beat.
Rebel Valkyrie - Often armed with Medium Blasters and Raven Rockets,
these things are better than other stock Valkyries in terms of stats.
The Rebel Class V is fast, tough, and armed well with Gravs and
Bio-Relay Lasers. Its almost as good as the Pirate IV, but not quite.
Any variant can make a good close combat ship if outfitted properly.
The normal Valk is easy to beat, but each variant is tougher. Class
III and up have missiles. The Class V, while dangerous, isn't as
threatening as a Pirate Valk IV. Make it run out of missiles and avoid
being in front of it.
Rebel Starbridge - Really should be called Rebel Modified Starbridge,
this ship is armed with Medium Blasters and Gravimetric Missiles. Its
better to a degree in all aspects. The Class E is considered by some to
be the best Starbridge in the game, having the best shields, armor,
speed, and such for any Starbridge. It has Bio-Relay Lasers, Grav
Missiles, and Wrathii. Like the Valkyrie, any variant can be outfitted
as a capable close combat ship.
Gravimetric Missiles can pose a problem until they are gone. The Class
E is pretty tough until it is out of ammo. Then it only has the
Bio-Relay lasers. While still dangerous, you can avoid damage by not
sitting in front of it.
Rebel Destroyer - Medium Blasters, Gravimetric Missiles, Quad Light
Blaster Turrets, and Raven Rocket Turrets. Not too quick, but fairly
tough. Not a great ship for close combat, but it is capable of it.
The Super Heavy Destroyer Class is better in everyway over the stock
and is armed to the teeth with Gravs, Bio-Relay Lasers, Medium Blaster
Turrets, Quads, and so on. There is also the fabled Super Heavy
Destroyer Class 2. However, this is only partially a myth. If you are
using the plug Ship Variants 1.06, one of the two Super Heavy
Destroyers was renamed as the Class 2. Why? We'll never know.
Pretty tough, much stronger than a Federation Destroyer. The higher
classes are even stronger. The Super Heavy Destroyer, while lacking
Heavy Blaster Turrets, is a very dangerous foe and has a lot of
non-ammo weapons, so exhausting its ammo supply doesn't make it much
Rebel Dragon - Bio-Relay Lasers and Wrathii. Its better than the
Polaris Dragon, according to what I've been told. Of course, it will
do well at close range, since it is designed for that. The Carrier
Class has an odd assortment of fighters, but the bays can be sold and
it will have over 200 tons of space! You can really load up then and
turn it into a very powerful close range craft.
None of these are as dangerous as the Rebel Destroyer, but they all
carry Bio-Relay Lasers and Wraithii, making your life difficult.
Rebel IDA Frigate - This ship is, of course, better than the Civilian
one. It carries Rebel Vipers, Medium Blasters, Grav Missiles, and such
on the stock. The higher up variants, such as the Class Three, sport
things like Railguns and Heavy Blaster Turrets. Its too slow to do
too well at close range, so unless you simply have to have it, don't
get it for close range.
Much more dangerous than their Civilian counterparts. The Railguns and
Heavy Blaster Turrets on the better variants make them even harder to
kill, but they aren't the toughest around.
Alien "Ships"
Not really ships, but creatures living in space. You can't fly them
without a plug, but because of that, and the fact you can fight them, I
should describe each a bit. All Aliens are inertialess.
Wraith Child - Weak. Has a Wraith Child Beam, which is not very
powerful. Don't worry if these guys decide to come after you.
Just laugh at it and blow it up.
Wraith Youth - It's beam is stronger and a threat to some ships. It
can cloak as well. Don't fight them in weaker ships such as Vipers and
Fed Scout Ships.
It cloaks, so turrets and missiles won't work until it uncloaks to
attack. Very annoying. Stay out from in front.
Wraith Adult - Of course, tougher and has a beam that can hurt. It
cloaks too. Try to stay out from in front. The frustrating thing for
any turrets or missiles is their cloaking, as they can't hit while they
are cloaked (save for EW Missiles).
Can be fought the same way as the Wraith Youth.
Hyperoid - Nicknamed by some as the Space Cow. These sit there and do
nothing until provoked. They turn slowly though, so you can avoid their
Solar Lance. If you are looking for a good sun tan, these guys can help.
If you see one actually moving and it isn't trying to kill something,
follow it. You'll be in for a surprise.
Staying behind it is an easy prospect since it turns really, really
slowly. Really easy to beat.
Krypt Pod - These things are fast and annoying (even when they are not
fighting you). They have a lot of shields and armor. Also, their
Nanites home and ignore armor. Don't attack it unless you know what
you are doing.
I would just be repeating myself.
Outfit Selection
Outfits, while the least important, can still have a great impact. Some
outfits are weightless, others are not. They serve a large variety of
purposes regardless. Once you have a ship that is armed as you want it,
and you have space left over (or not), then outfits are the final thing
to get. Even if your space is zero, there are still some you can grab
that will help your ship or give you the space for more weapons and
Civilian Outfits
Civilian Outfits tend to be cheap. Most are not worth it unless you
have nothing better to get or have a few extra tons lying around.
However, others are some of the best you can get. Take a look - you'll
see something you like.
Escape Pod - Useless for non-strict players. But if you are playing
strict play, then this thing is essential. Without it, when your ship
goes boom, you will be dead... for good. Just make sure to press the
eject command before your ship does go boom. Also, note that even if
you have one of these, if you are carrying fighters, you will escape
into one of those instead. That could be good or bad. Strict players,
remember to always leave at least one ton of space for this item.
Auto-Eject - If you want to worry less about hitting eject on time,
then grab this. Its weightless and will eject for you. If you are
flying a Viper, this is practically essential as those things go bang
before you can blink. Non-strict players should ignore this outfit.
Gravimetric Sensors - A nice little weightless outfit that makes things
easier on you. It makes your radar display objects by size. Small
craft appear as little dots (as they would without it) while larger
craft appear... larger. I recommend getting it, but you can live
without it.
IFF Decoder - This outfit is like the above one, except it color-codes
your radar. Blue ships are neutral, green are friendly, gray are
disabled, and red are hostile. Yellow planets are neutral, blue are
uninhabited, but landable, gray are uninhabited and unlandable, green
are friendly to you (mostly likely via being dominated), orange are
forbidden (neutral, but can't land), and red are hostile. Complements
the Gravimetric Sensors well, as with this you can guess the size of
that hostile before you target it. While you don't need it, it can
make your life a lot easier being able to glance at the radar and see
where all the hostile ships are.
Solar Panel - For three tons you can loose the worry of running out of
energy somewhere in the middle of nowhere where you'll have only three
options normally: sit forever, ask someone for help, or disable a ship
and steal it's energy. While the recharge rate is slow, its better
than nothing. Just don't buy this so you don't have to land to
recharge, as you'll be wasting time. It takes 30 jumps recharged via
this method to pay the Solar Panel off. These can also be used to
recharge energy used by the Afterburner or by weapons. You should get
at least one unless you plan on getting another outfit that restores
Battery Pack - Three tons adds a single jump of energy. However, this
energy can also be used on the afterburner and energy draining weapons.
The less initial energy your ship has, the more valuable this is. If
you have a ship with something like 20 jumps, then this is probably a
waste of time.
Auto-Recharger - No, it doesn't recharge your ship for you. It is
simply a convenience item that makes you automatically recharge when
you land on an inhabited planet. While you still have to pay for
energy, it saves the trouble of remembering to click "recharge."
Afterburner - Regardless of what ship you fly, if you have space for
this, you better get it. By draining your energy, your ship can travel
at about double its speed. Great for closing distances quickly,
dodging long range fire, outrunning missiles and fast craft, and many
other things. This outfit is practically essential. While its
optional, its highly recommended you get energy recharge someway, such
as a Solar Panel, so you won't have to worry about becoming stuck from
overusing this, being unable to use energy draining weapons, or
becoming doomed from the lack being able to use the afterburner.
Galatic Map - You buy this and it simply shows you whats in the
systems a jump or two away from the one you are in. Very cheap and can
be helpful.
Dr. Ralph's Exploration Map - If you board Dr. Ralph's Starliner,
you'll have a chance to get this. It automatically makes all systems
within 10 jumps explored. Shame you can't buy it, but then again, it
would be like a cheat included in the game.
Civilian IR Jammer - Has a very low chance to jam IR missiles, causing
them to behave like Raven Rockets. Unless you have nothing better to
use that last ton of space on, then avoid this. Its not worth it.
Civilian Radar Jammer - Same as above, except it affects Radar
Missiles and Hellhounds (which uses the same tracking as Radar
missiles - all Radar Jammers affect them). Again, avoid it.
Fission Reactor - This expensive thing gives you a lot of energy
recharge. The cheap version does that too, except not as good. Also,
after so many days the cheap one will get a lot heavier and work the
same and then worse than a solar panel. Two Solar Panels can out
recharge by a fuel scoop of one. However, it weighs one ton less then
two Solar Panels. So which is better? You decide.
Carbon Fiber - Very cheap armor upgrade. The smaller your ship, the
better it is. If you are flying, say a Federation Patrol Boat and have
four tons you don't know what to do with, then invest in these, they
could save your life. Just don't get the cheap kind (as if Carbon
Fiber wasn't cheap enough), as it degrades into virtually no protection
over time. Just note that the more mass your ship has (not free weapon
space), the heavier and more costly each layer is. For example, any
Viper it would cost something like 1,000 credits and one ton of space.
A Leviathan costs 100,000 credits and takes 100 tons of space for the
same protection.
Port and Polish - This nice little massless upgrade increases the
speed, acceleration, and turning of your ship for a meager 50,000
credits. This is a must have no matter what you are flying.
Vectored Thrust - Like the Port and Polish, its weightless and costs
50,000. Unlike Port and Polish, it increases only turning rate, but by
a much larger margin than the other. It reduces speed by two, but
you'll never notice such a subtle reduction unless your speed is at ten
or something. Also a must have.
Horizontal Booster - Lets you jump from a system while closer to the
system center. Massless as well. This outfit is great, especially if
you need to flee the system from that angry reinforcement fleet.
Mass Expansion - You can sacrifice 15 tons of cargo for 10 tons of
weapon space. Sounds like a scam? You'll quickly learn how having ten
more tons of space can really help. If you ever need that cargo space
back, you can sell it.
Cargo Expansion - The reverse of the above. Not something I would
recommend unless you need that cargo space to complete a mission. Good
thing you can get rid of it.
Mass Retool - Want 10 tons of space for 12 tons of cargo? Heres your
item! Just note that you cannot sell this back, so be wary that you
don't retool yourself out of your next string mission.
Cargo Retool - Same as above, except in reverse. Unless you are an
intensely serious trader or asteroid miner, ignore this.
Sigma Mass Expansion - This one is not for small ships. By
sacrificing 120 tons of cargo, you get 100 tons of free space. Its a
great deal, but permanent. Make sure you won't need that cargo space.
Its pretty expensive, but well worth it. You need to do the first
Sigma mission to get this.
Sigma Mass Addition - Want more mass without any catches? Heres what
you've been looking for. This adds 5 tons of free space at the cost of
no cargo. Sure, its only five tons, but there is always a way to put
five tons to very good use... and thats assuming you only get one.
Its expensive, but well worth it. You need to do the first Sigma
mission to get this.
Sigma Engine Tune-up - Makes your ship faster and adds more energy.
Very expensive, but very worthwhile. It takes no mass, so why should
you pass it up? You need to do the first Sigma mission to get this.
Sigma Electrical Rewiring - Your ship will see improved shields,
shield recharge, have less sensor interference, and see better in murky
systems with this. Costs no mass, but a lot of credits. But why pass
up something so great? You need to do the first Sigma mission to get
Sigma Mount Reinforcement - Need more guns or turrets but don't have
enough slots? Don't buy a new ship, buy this! Without taking up any
space, and by spending a lot of credits, your ship can hold four more
guns and two more turrets. A must buy if you need it. You need to
do the first Sigma mission to get this. I think I'm starting to sound
like a salesperson for Sigma Shipyards...
Sensor Boost - There are many of these of varying prices that are
labeled as Auroran, Fed, Polaris, Civvie, Pirate, etc., etc., etc.,
etc., etc., etc. They all do the same thing though, so I won't mention
them in specific elsewhere. Less sensor interference and better vision
in murky systems. Also, it supposedly helps the Raven Rocket Turret
aim better. I don't bother with it, but if you feel the need to buy
one (or two, or three), then feel free to get them. In fact, if you
want them, try to collect them all. I heard that a complete set sells
very well on eBay.
Marine Platoon - This "outfit" increases your crew count, making it
easier to catch ships. Not bad if you are trying to catch stuff like
Fed Carriers. If you have an extra 90 tons of space lying around, feel
free to buy the max number (18) of them and capture everything in sight.
Modified Starbridge Upgrade - Aka the Chrome Valk Upgrade, this
converts your Starbridge into a stock Modified Starbridge. You loose
any outfits you had, but its cheaper than buying the Mod Starbridge if
you are flying to normal one.
Federation Outfits
Federation Outfits require you to be in the Fed storyline, save for the
cheap versions of some (which generally are not worth it). They are
fairly good, but if you are in the Fed string they are the best you'll
be able to get your hands on.
Throium Reactor - Better than the Fission, this one also improves your
speed a bit. It is also very expensive and requires the Fed string.
Your larger Fed ships will come with one for free. More space
efficient than three solar panels as well and about as good. The cheap
one does all that too without needing you to be in the Fed string.
Also, after so long it will explode. It could either just damage your
ship or destroy it. Use the cheap one... if you dare.
Military IR Jammer - The Federation IR Jammer is pretty effective at
jamming those IR swarms. This is the best you'll be able to get if you
are a Fed pilot, so if you need a jammer, get it.
Military Radar Jammer - Same as above, except it jams Radar Missiles
and is pretty effective at it.
Titanium Lattice - Sounds like this should be an awesome armor outfit,
but it really is only ranked number three out of four. Like Carbon
Fiber, the bigger your ship, the more weight and cost. The smaller
your ship, the more worth while this is.
Shield Buffer - This improves your shield strength by a little bit,
though you really won't notice unless you get a bunch of them. You can
get ten of them which can really improve your shields by a lot. If you
have some extra space, invest. Unlike armor upgrades, these always
weigh the same.
Shield Recharger - Improves your shield recharge rate. Good to have
if you have some space lying around. Too bad you can only have two.
Then again, if you could get more it might make things too easy on you.
Fed Cloaking Device - This little device makes you invisible to other
ships, but you can't fire any weapons unless they are the "Fire While
Cloaked" version, though the only non-plug ones of those are Polaris
only. You shields will drop if you use it, so use it for escapes.
Also, it disengages if you are struck, so make sure to evade those last
few shots as you flee. You'll still be on their radar, so they won't
leave the system until you do. Good to have for those "just-in-case"
Auroran Outfits
Auroran outfits tend to require you to be in the Auroran storyline to
get, save for two. They have an odd assortment of outfits and some
very useful and fun ones.
Auroran IR Jammer - Really good at jamming IR Missiles. A good choice
considering Aurorans like to use IR Missiles a lot, and you fight
Aurorans frequently in their storyline.
Auroran Radar Jammer - Not so good at jamming Radar Missiles, but its
better than the civilian options, so get it over those.
Matrix Steel - Second best armor upgrade, but also the heaviest and
most expensive. It is available if you aren't in the Auroran storyline.
The armor slows you down by a little bit, but you'll never notice.
Excellent on small craft, but not worth the weight and cost on larges
ones unless you have that much space lying around.
Transmission Jammer - A nice little outfit you can get doing a
side-string prevents reinforcement fleets from entering the system. No
worries about those pesky extra ships jumping in as you raid helpless
Civilian craft, destroy weakling fleets, or engage a defense fleet to
get them to pay you tribute. Not essential, but helpful.
*I personally don't like the Transmission Jammer since I like to fight
reinforcement fleets. So, if you want those fleets to come so you can
blow them to bits along with everyone else, then sell off this outfit
if and when its granted to you.
Federation IFF Projector - This fun outfit makes Federation ships
think you are one of them until you attack them, regardless of your
legal status. A useful outfit, though hardly essential. You can only
get it in a side-string.
Moash IFF Projector - Same as above, except Moash think you are one of
them. Also in that little side-string.
Drop Bear Repellent - Avoid this as if your life depended on it.
While your life doesn't, your credits do. Buying these increases your
odds of getting hit by a drop bear. When that happens, you'll have to
go to the hospital who will charge you an extortionist bill. This is
the other outfit that doesn't require you to be in the Auroran
Pirate Outfits
Pirates actually have some nice outfits. Most require you to be in the
Pirate storyline, but a few don't. Some are probably not worth the
price unless you can't get better, but others are things you might not
want to do without.
Pirate Jammer - Jams both Radar and IR Missiles. Very expensive, but
requires no license. Its not too effective, however, but its better
than most other jammers available. Since it does not require you to be
in any storyline, you won't have anything better until you get in a
string, in which case there won't be any better if you get in the
Pirate storyline.
Repair Droids - These little guys have a chance of repairing your ship
should it be disabled. The name and desc is deceptive, making many
assume they repair your armor constantly. A shame they don't. They
are useful, however, so getting them isn't a bad idea. You can only
get them in the Pirate side-string.
Overdrive - Makes you go faster, a lot faster, than any other speed
outfit. Like the others, its massless, so do not pass it up. You
need to do that side-string to get it.
Sutherland Alluvial Dampener - This outfit makes you take fewer days
to hyperspace unless you already take a single day to jump. A great
outfit unless you, again, already take a day to jump. Certainly not a
bad thing to carry when you do those U.N. Shipping long missions for
500,000 credits. You have to do that side-string to get it.
Ion Dissipator - This very useful device makes you harder to ionize.
You also deionize much faster. A must have. To get it you must do the
Pirate Valkyrie Upgrade - Converts your civvie Valk into a stock
Pirate one, stripping all outfits in the process. If you were going to
get one anyways, then use this, as it is cheaper.
Pirate Starbridge Upgrade - Does the same as the above one, except
from civvie Starbridge to the Pirate version.
Polaris Outfits
As expected, the Polaris have a lot of the best outfits in the game.
Of course, due to this, you are going to want to take a look at what
they have. It certainly isn't a bad idea to load up on these Polaris
storyline only goodies.
Fusion Reactor - This nice reactor is even better than the Thorium
Reactor. More expensive, but well worth it. After all, who doesn't
want speed and energy regen boosts?
Anti-Matter Reactor - Best reactor there is. Does the same as Fusion
Reactor, except improved. Very expensive, but this is something you'll
want if you have the extra space. I recommend it for anything bigger
than a fighter, especially if you are using energy draining weapons
like Capacitor Pulse Lasers.
Polaris Jammer - The Polaris Jammer jams almost every missile weapon
save Polaron Torps. Not much will stay locked onto you. A very good
pick until you can get whats coming next.
Nilkemas Jammer - Jams almost everything that attempts to lock on you,
save Polaron Torps. Don't expect to be hit much unless you sit still
if you have one of these. Highly recommended.
T2 Strength Level - See the Vell-os section below for information.
Spun Diamond - Best armor upgrade in the game. It also weights very
little, three tons on a Scarab. No matter what you are flying, get as
many as you can.
Organic Shield - Increases your shield recharge rate by a lot. Very
much worth it. A shame you can only collect two.
Shield Organelle - A very, very light outfit that adds a lot of shields
for it's size. This is something you want, especially since you can get
ten. Do not pass it up unless you absolutely, positively have to.
Even still, unless youre in a small ship, you won't notice the
improvement much unless you get several.
Cloaking Organ - Polaris cloaking device. Unlike the others, you get
to keep your shields. Also unlike the others, it has a very modest
shield drain that should go unnoticed. You can use it with "Fire While
Cloaked" weapons as well for sneaking up on unsuspecting enemies and
blowing them to bits. You'll still be on their radar, so they won't be
leaving the system until you do. Remember, you become visible if hit.
Cloaking Organ (v1.1) - The only difference between this one and the
other is it drains shields half as fast and you are invisible on radar
too. Now you can cloak and watch your confused foes leave the system.
Tunneling Organ - This outfit lets you do a "fast jump". In other
words, you don't have to slow down, turn, and all that other stuff to
jump. You just slow down a bit and then jump. Great for escapes and
makes long routes more convient.
Multi-Jump Organ - This does the same thing as the Tunneling Organ.
It also lets you make multiple jumps for the price of one. When you
make a hyperjump route, you can complete up to ten jumps in that route
for the energy and time cost of a single jump. This is something you
should have for convenience and meeting those mission deadlines. This
also makes hypergates look useless.
Rebel Outfits
Rebels like to use everyone else's technology, so that leaves them with
very few outfits to call their own. What they do have will be the best
available to you in the Rebel storyline, so take a look.
Rebel IR Jammer - Better than Federation weapons at jamming IR
missiles, but certainly nowhere near as good as Polaris jammers.
Rebel Radar Jammer - Same as above, except against Radar Missiles.
Better than the Federation ones still.
Rebel Cloaking Device - Its a lot like the Federation cloaking
device. Loss of shields and visible on radar. However, unlike any
other non-plug-required cloaking device, if you get hit, you stay
cloaked. Very nice. Note that there is both a legal and illegal
version. Which "track" you do in the Rebel storyline determines which
you get.
Rebel Valkyrie Upgrade - Like any other upgrade, it makes your civvie
Valk into a Rebel Valk while loosing outfits. Cheaper if you had a
Valk and wanted a Rebel one.
Rebel Starbridge Upgrade - Same as above, except from civvie
Starbridge to Rebel Starbridge.
Vell-os "Outfits"
Vell-os have the other large chunk of good outfits. All of them stay
with you when you change ships, require no mass, cost nothing, and
require you to be in the Vell-os storyline... save for one. All of
these are very helpful, so take your time looking.
T5 Strength Level - This nice "outfit" adds some shields and recharges
them faster. You get it fairly early in the Vell-os storyline. It
also stays with you when you change ships. Very nice.
T4 Strength Level - This one is an improvement of the T5, offering
more shields and recharge. It also increases the amount of energy you
can have.
T3 Strength Level - Even better than the T4, and later in the Vell-os
storyline, this gives you even more shields, energy, and shield
recharge. You now also automatically recharge when you land.
T2 Strength Level - Better than the T3 strength level. It doesn't add
anything new, but improves it even more. You are also granted this in
the Polaris storyline at a certain part. Though, unlike in the Vell-os
storyline, nobody will come up to you and say "You are now a T2", nor
will you get the T2 rank. The outfit will just appear.
T1 Strength Level - Of course, its better than the T2, offering
improvements in all areas. By now even that Viper of yours can take
more hits than it should.
T0 Strength Level - The most powerful T strength of them all. Almost
at the end of the Vell-os storyline. Need I say more?
Telekinetic Boost - Same as the afterburner, except it is massless and
you keep it when you change ships.
Topographical Sense - Vell-os ability that is basically a free
Galactic Map in every system you enter. When you jump into a system
and a nearby one is unexplored, it becomes explored. You get to keep
it when you change ships.
Physical Sense - The Vell-os version of the Gravimetric Sensors.
Unlike the above, however, you keep it when you change ships.
Distraction Sense - Very good at jamming everything except Polaron
Torpedoes (which are unjammable by anything). Its also free and
transfers ships with you, so you'll never loose it.
Hostility Sense - Vell-os IFF Decoder. You keep it when you change
Alien Outfits
You can never get these without a plug. But because you can use plugs,
I decided to include them anyways. Anyways, all of these are massless.
Wraith Fast Jump - A massless Tunneling Organ basically.
Wraith Cloak - Best cloak in the game. Drains nothing and you stay
invisible when you get hit. However, you are still visible on radar,
though that is its only downfall.
Krypt Mind Attack - This is technically either an Alien or Polaris
outfit. Alien because it's Krypt, Polaris because it appears only in
their storyline. Krypt threatened me with it to put it here, so this
it where it goes. Anyways, the Krypt Mind Attack drops some of your
systems, such as energy and shields. You only get it when you first go
to encounter Krypt. It'll vanish when you leave Krypt space... or does
it? If you have a multi-jump organ, you can get it and sell it in
Sirusura. You'll love the description of it.
Ship? Check! Weapons? Check! Outfits? Check! We are all set to go
into battle and destroy anyone who gets in our way. But, what good is
having all these shiny weapons and such if we don't know how to use
them as effectively as possible? Thats what we are about to learn.
Class is now in session. Pay attention and take notes, there will be
an exam covering this the next time we meet.
IMPORTANT! Evasion is key in close range combat, since you need to get
in close. You want to be harmed as little as possible so the
opponent's own close range weapons won't tear you apart... assuming he
hits you with those. Be defensive rather than aggressive, but not so
much that you rarely attack, just a tiny bit more so. Even in a
capital ship, it is possible to be evasive, so don't neglect it just
because you are big and slow. Also, never, ever neglect to use the
afterburner if you need to (and often when you don't). Life is so much
easier with it, especially if you need to run away.
Another note. It is now listed below each technique the group size it
is most effective against. You can use the technique against other
sized groups, but keep in mind it may not work as well.
Hit and Run - The most simple technique and no doubt you either have
came up with this on your own or know how to do it by reading the name.
It involves you flying a quick ship against a slow ship, flying past it
(not over) and hitting it quickly with weapons and flying out of range
of most of its weapons. Flying out of range of things such as railguns
is a bit tedious and time wasting, since they can easily be evaded.
Up to medium groups.
Jousting - This style is similar to hit and run, except your target is
quick as well and doing pretty much the same as you. This style, made
famous by fighter vs. fighter behavior on Escape Velocity Classic and
Override, involves you and your enemy flying past or over each other,
shooting as you come close, turning, and repeating until someone wins.
This really fits its namesake when you and your opponent are only using
Thunderhead Lances.
Single target.
Harassment - Doing this you basically fly circles around a ship
quickly enough to make it sit still (or close to it) while getting in
hits whenever the opening presents itself. This really works well with
inertialess ships and turreted weapons (such as a Dart with Summer
Bloom). Though this one tends not to be the quickest, it is very
Single target.
Weapons Platform - When you are in a slow ship against faster ships,
its best just to sit still if they don't have railguns and missiles
bearing on you. As the enemy nears, open fire with your more than
likely turreted weapons. Good if the A.I. starts things at least
similar to Hit and Run. If the A.I. somehow starts Harassment on you,
Any size.
CHARGE! - This is probably the most dangerous technique to employ, but
it gets the job done the quickest. Without giving any regard to
evasive tactics, just rush head on at the intended target and unload
your weapons upon it. Don't do this in a prolonged fight, or you'll be
Any size.
Isolate and Destroy - A group of enemies giving you a hassle? Are
they sitting on top of each other basically? Thats where this one
comes in. It works best with ionizing weapons. Start it using Hit and
Run or Harassment techniques, trying to use ionization and impact to
separate a ship from the group. Once isolated, move in and kill it.
You'll find yourself doing this against defense fleets a bit too much
to be occasional.
Single target, but you'll be engaging a group to get the target out
of it.
Strafe - This can be integrated into other tactics. It works only
with non-turreted weapons, preferably beams. Do a Hit and Run flight
pattern, except don't go as fast as you can, making sure you'll be near
the target for a few seconds as you pass. When you do get near,
release your thrust button and hit auto-pilot and fire until you are
out of range to hit the enemy. If multiple enemies are more or less
lined up, you strafe them one by one.
Up to medium groups, though on occasion it works against large groups
Monty Pythoning - Ok, this one is hardly a close combat flying
technique, but it is very popular among long range fighters. Three
reasons I'm including it are 1) I like Monty Python. 2) I'm sure I'll
get at least one email asking why it isn't in here if I don't include
it. 3) This is probably one of only two techniques long range fighters
use, the other being a long range version of Weapons Platform.
Basically, you fly backwards, usually at full speed, holding down
auto-pilot and fire, and pressing the nearest target key. The A.I.
will never do this, so don't worry about that.
Any size.
Qannol Maneuver - Another not-so-close range fighting style, but it is
rather amusing which is why I have it here. The person who created it
goes by the name of Qannol, as expected, and is known for doing crazy
and strange things, such as disabling Scarabs in a Shuttle armed with a
T-Head Lance and getting eight Kestrels on the screen at once without
plugs. Basically, you get a Nilkimas Manta, unarmed, and fill it with
defensive and speed tech. Then you get six Nilk Raven Escorts. When
in battle, you stay close to the enemy, evading and distracting them
from attacking your escorts. Its amusing and fun. It also gives you
bragging rights to say "I'll kill you in an unarmed Manta!"
Any size.
Backstab - And now, back to our feature presentation: Close Range
Fighting Techniques. This is probably the cheapest (not credit wise)
way to kill something. Find a ship that is not hostile to you. Get
behind it and open fire. Depending on your weapons and the target, it
could be dead before it can hostile you. An example of a time this
will be useful is when you want to raid the traders or demand tribute
from a planet but want to remove that Federation Carrier first.
Normally one target, but you could ambush a few all at once.
Mosquito - This may be the funniest and most amusing technique around.
First, it requires a small, fast, inertialess ship like the Dart and an
impactless weapon. First, find a victim that is slower than you and
get it to hostile you if it hasn't done so. Let it expend its missiles,
fighters, etc. Then, fly right at it and keep auto-pilot on. If you
keep your speed in check, you'll "attach" yourself to the other ship,
which will proceed to fly circles and fire turrets at you if it has any.
Use your weapons while attached to kill it. This is very fun to do on
Single target.
Machine Gunning - This is more of an exploit than a technique. But it
certainly is useful. To do it, you need a continuous beam weapon that
stays on the screen for longer than you hold the fire button. It also
needs to have a reload time shorter than its life. This leaves few
stock weapons. The most noticeable is the Winter Tempest. When
fighting a ship, rapidly tap fire and the shots will "stack",
inflicting more damage than usual. In the case of energy drain, it
will drain faster, but it is worth it.
As many as you can hit.
Parallelogram Maneuver - Similiar to Strafing. This, however, only
works with non-turreted beam weapons. Approach your target while
flying sideways like a strafe, except at a 45 degree angle. Also, do
not hold down autopilot or attempt to aim. Instead, fire in the beams,
causing them to "move smoothly like the plow of a bulldozer through
space." When you pass, readjust your beam angle and repeat. This
technique helps aiming non-turreted beams alot, since they only have
roughly 36 different directions they can fire at, where as non-turreted
non-beam weapons have 360 directions.
Small to medium group.
Long Range Combat Guide
Lets be fair to our long range using brothers. Why not include a
guide for them here as well? Here is how you too can enjoy the dull,
talentless style of long range combat.
WARNING! The following is not meant to be taken seriously.
1. Get a big ship with lots of space, preferably one that is really
slow and moves at the speed of snails.
2. Get lots of railguns, you'll need about 1000 tons of space so you
can fit them all.
3. Go to a store and buy some weights for holding down individual keys.
4. Find an enemy and put paper weights on auto-pilot and fire. Make
sure to choose between sitting still and flying backwards.
5. Go and do something far more entertaining until you are sure the
enemy is dead. If you are fighting a defense fleet you might want to
rent a movie or find a nice, long book.
And there you have it, the way that you too can fight at long range!
No, seriously, stick with close combat. Its far more exciting and I
have been told by some people who found the game dull using long range
that close range combat makes it far more fun. I also found that out
myself, since I did use long range at one time before and almost
thought my $30 for registration was a waste since it was so boring.
But if you still want long range, I can't stop you.
Long Range Guide Disclaimer: I will ignore any angry emails about my
view point on long range. Everyone is permitted to have their own
Frequently Asked Questions
In this section you'll find answers to questions that many people have
asked. This section exists only because I'm tired of answering these
questions over and over. Hopefully you'll find your question and
answer here. It'll save us both time in dealing with email.
Q: Is the Internal Wave Buster (or other plug weapon, ship, outfit)
good for close combat?
A: I don't know, chances are I never played the plug. I'm only
dealing with the stock scenario in this guide. If I start bringing up
stuff for some plugs, I'll have to do it for all. I don't have the
time or the will to do that. I also doubt you want to read a 100 page
guide, do you?
Q: Why didn't you reply to my email?
A: I don't reply to general comments and such. If it has a question
or something else that demands reply, I will send a reply. Comments
are always appreciated, but don't expect me to send a "thank you for
your comment" email. I don't have the time. You also may have had an
attachment. Attachments are 'no-no's. Shame on you for sending an
Q: Where can I get good plugs?
A: www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/addons
Q: Do you have AIM, MSN, etc.?
A: No. Even if I did, I wouldn't give my name here - I don't have
time to answer everyone in real time. I'm allowed to have fun too you
Q: Why do you say Railguns are bad for close combat? You can use them
to damage the enemy if your shields are too low.
A: If that happens then one of three things must be true. 1) You got
unlucky. 2) You're not good at close combat. 3) You're careless.
2 & 3 is 90% more likely and can be fixed. #1 is just part of the
risk. Besides, you can reduce bad luck by disintegrating your enemy
into bits much faster with the close ranged weapons you can add in
place of all the space used on Railguns.
Q: How should I modify my ship?
A: You decide. I'm just here to make suggestions and recommendations.
Hopefully you are capable of choosing what you want... right?
Q: I got . Is it good for close combat?
A: Maybe. There are tons of pers (perses?) flying around. I have
considered making a section to mention them, but I decided against it.
It's obvious that Iuso is overpowered and Juno's Daughter sucks. Just
grab Atmosian ships. Remember, many of the good pers ships are
overstuffed, so don't sell outfits. You won't get any free mass.
Q: Why are you and are you not the "Last of the Voidians"?
A: ::Cryptic Grin::
Q: Whats with VXI?
A: ::Again, Cryptic Grin::
Q: I followed a Hyperoid and I didn't see anything special that I
haven't seen. What am I supposed to find? Captain Hector's nest?
A: No. If you don't want it spoiled, quit reading the answer now.
What you are supposed to find is a wormhole. Its like a hypergate,
except you get sent to random wormholes instead of picking your
Contact Info
Questions? Comments? Did I have incorrect information on something?
Do you have a flying technique that I didn't include? If you're a
member on the Ambrosia webboards, you can send me a PM. Account is
JoshTigerheart. If you want to email me, send them to
email@example.com. Make sure to have something like
"Combat Guide" as the subject. Also, no attachments unless I am
expecting one from you. Finally, hate mail will be ignored, deleted,
and blocked.
Mispeled - Suggested the Armor > Shields thing to show whether a weapon
deals more damage to shield or armor.
Edwards - Pointed out almost every single grammatical, typographical,
and factual error in the 1.00 release.
MK.32 - Gave me hard evidence on the 150mm vs. 200mm Railgun debate to
determine which is better. He also, pointed out some areas that needed
Qannol - Pointed out a typo and suggested hints on dealing with various
weapons. He also submitted the Parallelogram Maneuver for techniques.
Hopefully I worded it properly.
~vIsitor~ - Pointed out some clarifications for the Ion Cannons and
Pirate Enterprise.
Paradigm - Went through and corrected more typos than I care to even
begin to count.
Other Works by Me
As of Feruary 2, 2006, these are the other Nova works I completed.
They can be found on the Ambrosia addons page, which is
I'd also put other GameFAQs guides here if I had any...
Salvo Weapons - This plug causes multiple launchers of a certain
weapon, such as Medium Blasters or Radar Missiles, to fire at the same
time rather than after each other.
Spinning Weapons - Makes all the weapon graphics spin. Warning: you
may get dizzy.
Dodge This! - Weapon shots move 3 times faster than normal.
Hit This! - Weapon shots move 3 times slower than normal.
Scatter Weapons - Weapons fire in random directions. Very fun to put
it in your friend's plug-ins folder when he least suspects. Don't try
to play the game seriously like this though.
Leviathan Warship - Adds a new variant of the Leviathan, the Warship
Class. It will appear randomly, and can also be purchased in shipyards
if you met the requirements to get the stock Leviathan.
EVN Board Variants - Adds five new variants, four of the five ideas of
people from the Ambrosia boards and the last my own. They are the
Lightning Intercepter Class, Rebel Lightning Missile Variant, Modified
Starbridge Destroyer Variant, Federation Scoutship L.R.R., and IDA
Frigate 1180 N.C. Check the readme included with the plug for credit
to those who came up with the ideas.
Longer Battles - All ships have twice as much shields and armor.
EVN Azdara - Lets you have the Azdara from EVO.
Super Defense Fleets - Defense fleets too easy? This plug makes them
much more of a challenge by adding "System Defense" ships which are
incredibly strong variants of normal in game ships.
EVC Descs - Simple plug that alters and/or adds to the planet
descriptions in the Escape Velocity Classic conversion. It makes
planets a bit more interesting than the old one-line commentaries.
Version History
1.00 - The initial release.
1.01 - Ok, theres a bit. In short, fixed a lot of factual, spelling,
and grammar errors, and added whether weapons are good against shields
or armor. I also added an .rtf copy which should be more compatible.
It doesn't look as nice as the .doc format, which is why I decided to
have both.
For those who care, this is the long list of the factual errors.
Credit goes to Edwards for pointing all of these out.
- Stated that the Light Cannon is heavier then Light Blasters, when in
truth it is lighter.
- Failed to state that illegal Quad Light Blaster Turrets are only
available in the Rebel storyline.
- Stated that Stellar Grenades were free fall bombs, when in reality
they are free flight rockets that slow to a stop. Don't ask how that
- Confirmed that Sensor Boosts do not aid Raven Rocket Turrets. I
tested it and so have a few others.
- Added information about the "blast does not hurt player" bug for the
Hellhound and EMP Torpedoes.
- Added information on the exponential beam bug for Thunderhead Lances.
- Stated that EW Missiles track cloaked targets. They don't. Also
said they are unjammable, but the Polaris can jam them.
- Fusion Pulse Battery only has 90 degree radius. Flying really fast
makes it appear to have 180 degree radius.
- Added bit about how 200mm Railguns might not be the baddest railgun
- Removed piece about Vell-os "T" abilities in the Vell-os weapon intro
increasing energy regen. They don't. See below for more information.
- Mentioned that the Winter Tempest has insane energy drain.
- Clarified that EMPs are illegal everywhere, not just to the Feds.
- Clarified and separated the bit about the Mac 1.08 Bio-Relay Laser
- Corrected that Polaron Torpedoes actually have more range then any
other missile rather then less. It just appears they have less. Dang
- Added bit about how the "Rebel Wraithii Trick" doesn't work the same
way in Mac 1.08 as it does in other versions.
- Added that the Leviathan only has 4000 tons of space in Mac 1.08
rather than 5000.
- Corrected in the bit about the Thunderforge being my favorite ship
that you won't have the gun slots for Ion Cannons. Yes, they use gun
slots for some reason.
- Added which specific Striker variants are inertialess, now that I
know which ones are.
- Added in the Zephyr info that CATS' Leviathan stays red in Mac 1.08.
Wish it did in Win 1.06...
- Clarified the origins of the Rebel Destroyer Super Heavy Destroyer
Class 2
- Corrected that two Solar Panels are better then the Fission Reactor
in its information. They still take more space...
- Clarified the areas of improvement offered by Port and Polish.
- Clarified the areas of improvement offered by Vectored Thrust.
- Clarfied that its the cheap Thorium Reactor that goes boom, not the
normal one.
- Added bit about how the Moash IFF Projector doesn't appear in later
versions due to a bug.
- Fixed that the 'T' abilities increase shield regen instead of giving
energy regen.
1.02 - Added some things I missed. Added an FAQ section as well as a
credits section. A few fixes. Here it is in detail for those
- Added the Rage Gunboat. How did I forget to add that?
- Added the Krypt Mind Attack.
-Added a credits section.
-Added a FAQ section.
- Make the version numbers in the version history stand out a bit
better in the downloadable versions.
- Rewrote the Hail Chaingun description in light of new discoveries.
Its not so bad as I originally thought it was.
- Had to add a comment that Storm Chainguns don't compete with Hail
Chainguns. Period.
- Fixed the Table of Contents for the new sections.
- Changed the author name in the GameFAQs version to reflect my G
ameFAQs account name, not my Ambrosia Web Board's account name.
- Fixed numerous typos. I didn't make a long list for two reasons this
time. 1) I was too lazy. 2) I doubt you care about every typo I made.
If a lot of people do, I'll do a typo list if I find anymore in the
next version... assuming there is a next version.
1.03 - Updated the guide for 1.09. I no longer support any version
before 1.09. Use this guide in conjunction at your own risk.
- Added a couple of new questions to the FAQ section.
- Added a copyright section. See it for more details of why it is
- Added User Modified Ionic Particle Beam under the Pirate weapons as a
clarification. These are in the game, but you've probably never
noticed them.
- Added hints under each weapon and ship for dealing with it when you
have to fight it.
- Added the Parallelogram Maneuver.
- Removed all references to previous versions of Nova. All information
is now for 1.09. The guide is still (mostly) relevant to earlier
versions, but your mileage will vary.
- Now combat techniques refer to the group size they are most effective
- Its official! 150mm Railguns have a higher DPS (damage per
second) than 200mm!
- Removed that huge list of typos for the 1.02 update. It was rather
- All references to earlier versions of Nova are now gone.
-Clarified that the Rebel and Civvie Mod Starbridges are both
considered to be the best Starbridge. As to which is better, that is
up for debate.
-Dr. Ralph's Map explores 10 jumps, not the entire galaxy. The desc
for the outfit has been fixed for this information.
-Clarified that there are two Heavy Weapons Pirate Enterprises. Made
remarks on their various armaments.
-Tons of typos.
Copyright Info
This guide is copyrighted and therefore subject to international
copyright laws. GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com) and Super Cheats
(www.supercheats.com) are permitted to have it viewable as they do any
other guide. Ambrosia (www.ambrosiasw.com) is permitted to let it be
downloaded via www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/addons. Anyone else is not
permitted to distribute it or use it on their website. If you wish to
use it, contact me and we'll discuss. Please note that I will not let
you use the current version, since I'll have to update this little
section. All rights not explicitly permitted in this section are