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Version Final
By: Strikerkid
Contact me at freespacemaster1@comcast.net
Table of Contents:
1. Version Log
2. Introduction
3. Ships
3a. Terran Fighters and Bombers
3b. Other Terran Ships
3c. Vasudan Ships
3d. Shivan Ships
4. Weapons
4a. Lasers
4b. Missiles
5. The Eon Awards
6. FAQ
7. Mission by Mission Walk-through
8. Stats of Weapons
9. Alternate Missions
10. Cheats and Secrets
11. Thanks to... and legal junk
***********************************************************************
***********************************************************************
Version Log
1.0- Created FAQ/Walkthrough, included Version Log, Introduction,
Ships, Weapons, My Favorites, and Mission by Mission Walk-through to
Pandora's Box
1.1- Updated Ships, My Favorites.  Made Cheats and Secrets and Thanks
to.  Mission by Mission Walk-through up to The Hammer and the Anvil.
1.2- Mission by Mission Walk-through up to First Strike
1.3- Mission by Mission Walk-through up to La Ruota Della Fortuna
1.4- Mission by Mission Walk-through up to Shell Game
1.5- Mission by Mission Walk-through up to Playing Judas
1.6- Elaborated on My Favorites section, Mission by Mission Walk-
through up to Exodus
1.7- Mission by Mission Walk-through up to Good Luck.  That means I'm
done with the walkthrough part
1.8- Added FAQ.  Changed My Favorites to Eon Awards and remade entire
section.  Revised strategy for some missions and added mission
debriefings to missions.  Re-did introduction and added legal
junk.
1.9- Began remaking Ships section to be more detailed.  Began remaking
weapons section also.  Began adding all ships to the Ships section.
Discovered alternate missions and created Alternates section.
2.0- Fixed error in location of Alternate missions section.  Finished
adding ships to the Ships section.
2.1- Finished Weapons section finally.  Now I am done with just about
every main and important part of the walkthrough.
2.2- Yessss!  I made my ASCII art about 100x better than it was
before!!!!  I know that the old one was probably the worst one ASCII
art on the web but it isn't now!!!  Yessss!!!
Final- Just added another Eon award, added stats for lasers, and moved
the document into Word from Wordpad, added a cheap strategy for A
Failure to Communicate, spell checked this gargantuan, and fixed my
email.
***********************************************************************
***********************************************************************
2. Introduction
Descent Freespace is a space simulation game.  In this game you combat
against various ship types and species.  The game has great graphics
and has a great storyline with many unsuspected twists.  I have
thoroughly mastered the game and have purchased the sequel, and enjoyed
it greatly too.  You will find this game has a great deal of replay
value, since I have been playing this game for nearly three months, and
most of my games last 1 month in my top slot if they are very good.
This guide gives the command briefing if any, briefing, ship and weapon
selection, mission objectives, in-mission directives, debriefing if
any, and most importantly, strategy on what happens in the missions and
how to complete them.  Feel free to e-mail me with suggestions or
information that I might have missed in this guide.
***********************************************************************
***********************************************************************
3. Ships
*****************************
3a. *Terran Fighters and Bombers*
*****************************
*Apollo- Original space superiority fighter of the GTA fleet.  Highly
versatile.  Often doubles as Assault type.  Low weapon compatibility.
Type: Space Superiority
Length: 16 m
Max Velocity: 70 m/s
Maneuverability: Fair
Armor: Good
Gun Mounts: 4
Missile Banks: 2
Manufacturer: Han-Ronald Corp.
Compatible with: Ml-16, Disruptor, Avenger, Prometheus, Mx-50,
Disruptor Missile, Fury, Hornet, and Interceptor
*Valkyrie- High speed recon and bomber-intercept of the GTA fleet.
Offers high weapon compatibility and payload.
Type: Interceptor
Length: 16 m
Max Velocity: 85 m/s
Maneuverability: Good
Armor: Light
Gun Mounts: 4
Missile Banks: 1
Manufacturer: Han-Ronald Corp.
Compatible with: Ml-16, Disruptor, Avenger, Flail, Prometheus, Banshee,
Mx-50, Disruptor Missile, Fury, Hornet, Interceptor, and Phoenix V
*Athena- Excellent for hit-and-run bombing.  Good speed for its size,
with a high capacity afterburner reserve.
Type: Light Bomber
Length: 20 m
Max Velocity: 60 m/s
Maneuverability: Average
Armor: Meduim
Gun Mounts: 2
Missile Banks: 3
Manufacturer: Dynamic Metameter
Compatible with: Ml-16, Disruptor, Avenger, Flail, Disruptor Missile,
Fury, Interceptor, Phoenix V, Synaptic, and Stiletto
*Medusa- Suitable for any size target.  Carries most missile types, but
few cannons.  Armed with defensive turret, but still requires escort.
Type: Heavy Bomber
Length: 36 m
Max Velocity: 50 m/s
Maneuverability: Poor
Armor: Heavy
Gun Mounts: 2
Missile Banks: 3
Manufacturer: Han-Ronald Corp.
Compatible with: Ml-16, Avenger, Prometheus, Mx-50, Hornet, Phoenix V,
Synaptic, Stiletto, and Tsunami
*Hercules- Low max velocity offset by its tremendous offensive
capability.
Type: Heavy Assault
Length: 20 m
Max Velocity: 50 m/s
Maneuverability: Average
Armor: Meduim
Gun Mounts: 6
Missile Banks: 2
Manufacturer: Han-Ronald Corp.
Compatible with: Ml-16, Disruptor, Avenger, Flail, Prometheus, Banshee,
Mx-50, Disruptor Missile, Fury, Hornet, Interceptor, and Phoenix V
*Ulysses- Developed in a joint operation by the Vasudan and Terran
governments, the GTF Ulysses is an excellent all-around fighter.  It
offers superior maneuverability with a high top speed.  Smaller
missile payload than other GTA fighters.
Type: Space Superiority
Length: 16 m
Max Velocity: 70 m/s
Maneuverability: Excellent
Armor: Light
Gun Mounts: 4
Missile Banks: 1
Manufacturer: Triton Dynamics
Compatible with: Ml-16, Disruptor, D-Advanced, Avenger, Flail,
Prometheus, Mx-50, Disruptor Missile, Fury, Hornet, and Interceptor
*Ursa- Designed to annihilate capital ships and cruisers.  Slow, but
offers unparalleled assault bombing capability.
Type: Heavy Bomber
Length: 36 m
Max Velocity: 45 m/s
Maneuverability: Very Poor
Armor: Heavy
Gun Mounts: 5
Missile Banks: 3
Manufacturer: Han-Ronald Corp.
Compatible with: Ml-16, Disruptor, Avenger, Flail, Prometheus, Mx-50,
Disruptor Missile, Fury, Hornet, Interceptor, Phoenix V, Synaptic,
Stiletto, Tsunami, Harbinger
********************
3b. *Other Terran Ships*
********************
*GTDR Amazon- The Amazon is a simple drone used for basic combat
training.  They are unmanned, and carry only the weakest of weaponry.
Overall Value: .5
*GTDR Amazon Advanced- The Amazon Advanced is a larger drone, used by
the GTA for subsystem and large target training.  They are unmanned and
inexpensive.
Overall Value: .75
*GTS Centaur- The Centaur Support ship is designed to get in and out of
battle as quick as possible.  It is fast and quite maneuverable,
allowing it to dock with fighters in a minimum amount of time.
Most notable about the Centaur, however, is its extremely large
explosion radius.  The amount of warheads carried on a support ship
makes it very dangerous to be close to an exploding Centaur.
Overall Value: 3
*GTFR Poseidon- The Poseidon is the standard military freighter in the
GTA.  It is designed to protect its cargo from any kind of attack, and
has four turrets with which to do so.
Overall Value: 5
*TC 2- The TC 2 is the standard issue cargo container in the GTA for
deep space cargo transport.  It has all the electronics and systems
needed to preserve any cargo within it at whatever conditions are
necessary.  TC 2s are cheap to manufacture, and are heavily used
throughout the Alliance.
Overall Value: 4
*GTFR Chronos- The Chronos is a freighter of civilian design.  As the
Terran Vasudan war dragged on, more and more of these vessels were
commissioned by the GTA for use in military operations.  These
vessels are slow but strong.
Overall Value: 6
*TAC 1- The TAC 1 (called the TacOne by most pilots) is a heavily
armored container, usually for carrying volatile or dangerous
substances.  It is also the preferred supply container for use
in front line operations.
Overall Value: 4.5
*TTC 1- The TTC 1 is another example of civilian equipment used by the
GTA League of Defense.  It is primarily a Tech Container, used for
research purposes, especially Zero-G development operations.  It is not
very strong, however, and is often a target of enemy attacks.
Overall Value: 2
*GTC Fenris- The mainstay of the Terran Fleet, these vessels have
served in both strike and defensive purposes.  From nose to tail is
measures 260 meters.  With a full array of weapon systems and a strong
enough hull to withstand the strongest enemy warheads, a Fenris cruiser
can be found in almost any system that the GTA is operating in.  The
Fenris cruiser was originally designed as a strike weapon, hence its
fast speed and decent turning rate.  It was later decided that a second
line of cruisers would be produced, for defensive purposes, once it
became apparent that the V-T war wouldn't be over in a few months.
Overall Value: 8
*GTC Leviathan- After the Vasudans began making incursions into Terran
Space, Command decided that it needed a new defensive cruiser.  Changes
to the Fenris led to the GTC Leviathan line of cruisers, produced as
mobile defense battleships.  Their speed and maneuverability were
greatly reduced in tradeoff for more powerful weapons and a stronger
hull.  Production was discontinued when the GTA thought they would win
the Vasudan war after the battle of Gulnara, and then production was
started again after the defeat at the Talania system.  Because of this
on-again off-again nature of this vessel's production, almost all the
the Leviathan cruisers have different armaments, but all have
consistent hulls and speeds.
Overall Value: 8
*GTSC Faustus- The Faustus Science vessel was, and still is, a civilian
craft.  However, in the 14 years since the Terran-Vasudan war began,
more and more of these were commissioned by the GTA to pursue military
research.  However, its obvious value, poor fighting capabilities, and
lack of speed make it a prime target for enemy ships.
Overall Value: 7
*GTD Orion- The Orion is the capital ship to the GTA.  Measuring a
frightening 2.1 kilometers in length, the cost to build one of these
far outweighs the cost of paying the crew of this ship for 3 years.
There is no more important symbol of Terran Pride than a ship like the
Galatea or the Intrepid cruising past a colonized planet, patrolling
the system and ensuring safety.  In the course of the 14 year war, very
few have been lost, making the destruction of an Orion a truly horrible
defeat.
Overall Value: 10
*GTI Arcadia- Early Terran space stations were constructed much
smaller, and were mostly used for Zero-G research purposes.  Later on,
with advancements in space construction technologies, stations grew
bigger and bigger.  When the first Arcadia-class station was
commissioned, the GTA decided to rename it to an Installation rather
than a Space Station.  Used for a variety of purposes, almost all major
systems are home to at least on Installation, which is often used as
the center of trade and communications.  Home to scores of small ships,
including repair vessels, fighters, and transports, an Arcadia class
Installation is always a safe haven for a convoy of attack ships,
returning from battle.  While the Orion is the symbol of Terran power,
the Arcadia is the shining beacon of stability.
Overall Value: 10
*GTT Elysium- Since the start of space colonization, this standard
transport has been used by everyone, both civilian and military.  While
it has undergone minor changes time and again, it remains a simple
design: A vehicle meant to transport personnel from one place to
another.
Overall Value: 4
*GTSG Watchdog- The Watchdog is the standard unmanned defensive sentry
turret for the GTA.  It fires two standard plasma bursts at any nearby
hostile targets.
Overall Value: 1
*GTSG Cerberus- The Cerberus is an advanced version of the Watchdog,
with stronger weaponry and the ability to withstand more damage.
Overall Value: 1.5
*GTEP Hermes- The Hermes Escape pod has been used since the destruction
of the GTD Goliath over 12 years ago.  They are used by the crews of
destroyers and installations to escape destruction.  It is always best
to be prepared.
Overall Value: 2.5
***************
*Vasudan Ships*
***************
*PVF Anubis- The Anubis is the weakest fighter in the Vasudan Navy.
However, they are extremely cheap to manufacture, and are often used in
swarm situations to try and overwhelm the opponent with numbers.  A few
radical Vasudans have been known to load the ship with explosives and
attempt to steer themselves into GTA capital ships.  The first
occurrence of this was the battle of Rexias 4, where the GTD Goliath
was destroyed by a squadron of kamikaze pilots.
Due to its lack of afterburners and low weapon capacity, the GTA has
classified the Anubis as a class D threat.
Overall Value: 3
*PVF Seth- As the slowest fighter in the PVN, the Seth has earned
itself a reputation as the turtle of the Vasudan fleet.  Even though it
is quite compact in size, the Seth can carry a massive payload, and has
a lot of shielding.  Its standard impulse engines aren't very powerful,
but the Seth gains an incredible speed boost when using its
afterburners.  The Seth is primarily used for convoy attacks and
capital ship escort duties.
The GTA considers the PVF Seth to be a class C threat.
Overall Value: 4
*PVF Horus- the Horus Interceptor can outrun any ship in the PVN or the
GTA.  This makes it extremely dangerous.  Its above average weapons
capacity, combined with good maneuverability and shielding make it one
of the most well designed ships in the galaxy.  This ship is
responsible for the destruction of more GTA bombers than any other.
As a class C threat, Horus Interceptors should be dealt with as quickly
as possible.
Overall Value: 4.5
*PVF Thoth- The Thoth is the most dangerous ship to be created by the
PVN.  Manufactured solely at the Altarian Ship Yards, the Thoth has
only been produced in small numbers as of yet.  When the Altarian Yards
defected to the Hammer of Light rebels, the production of Thoths by the
PVN dropped to nil.  The Thoth is now completely in the hands of the
Hammer of Light.
What makes the Thoth so versatile is its small size, extremely high
maneuverability, and advanced weapons systems.  It is extremely
diffucult to hit, in the hands of a skilled pilot.  The design for the
Thoth was simultaneous with the design for the Ulysses, and these two
ships were designed by some of the same technicians.  Thus they are
quite a match for our Ulysses class fighters.  This is why they are
considered a class B threat.  Any non registered Thoths should be
destroyed immediately, and their presence reported upon completion of
the mission.
Overall Value: 5
*PVB Osiris- the Osiris has now become the standard bomber class ship.
It carries a massive payload and has become the standard bomber for use
in PVN operations.  It has replaced the Amun, correcting man of the
faults of its predecessor.  It is not quite as sturdy, but it has
nearly the same weapons capacity, and is faster and more maneuverable.
The Osiris should be considered a C class threat to Fenris class
cruisers, and a D class threat otherwise.
Overall Value: 3.5
*PVB Amun- The Amun is the Vasudans heaviest bomber class ship.  It
carries a massive payload and has been responsible for the destruction
of at least 3 Orion class destroyers in the past 2 years.  Fortunately,
it is slow and has low maneuverability, making it an easy target for
our fighters.  Fighter pilots should be wary of the two turrets on this
ship: they are not to be ignored.
The Amun is considered a B class threat to all cruisers and capital
ships.  They should be given top priority in target selection during
escort operations.
Overall Value: 5.5
*PVS Scarab- The Scarab is very similar to our Centaur: We believe the
Vasudans stole the design of this ship from us.  It is used for in
flight rearming of fighters and bombers.  In longer engagements, these
ships can mean the difference between victory and defeat.  The major
difference between this ship and the Centaur is that the Scarab is
unmanned.
*PVT Isis- The Isis transport is quite fast and maneuverable for a ship
of its size.  Most often it is used for personnel transfer, although
occasionally they have been known to act as repair ships and tugboats.
It is well protected with its turrets, and it is not unheard of for the
PVN to use a wing of Isises to conduct an assault on a fortified
position.
Overall Value: 4.5
*PVFR Bast- The Bast freighter is unarmed, and considered a non threat.
We believe that it is mainly used by Vasudan civilians, but we have
seen some in front line operations.  It has very low target value, but
should be destroyed, as any king of resupply ship is a danger to the
GTA.
Overall Value: 1.5
*VC 3- The standard Vasudan cargo container is only slightly different
from our own.  The primary difference is that the Vasudan cargo
containers are atmospheric as well as deep-space.  Vasudans used cargo
containers well before we did, as they needed to transport raw
materials from other systems to their own barren world.  Our cargo
container was modeled after theirs, although ours is slightly superior
in durability.
Overall Value: 0.5
PVFR Ma'at- With three turrets, the Ma'at is a hairy target for GTA
pilots to attack.  However, it's slow enough that it can be destroyed
with enough patience.  As always, supply ships for the PVN are
considered to be valid targets.
Overall Value: 4.5
*VAC 4- The VAC 4 series of cargo is much like its normal counterpart,
only it has much more plating.  However, this container is no more
dangerous than the standard version, and is nothing more than ML-16
bait without protection of some kind.
Overall Value: 1.5
*PVFR Satis- The dreaded Satis freighter was though to be a warship
when it was first encountered in the Aldebaran Encounter.  It has five
turrets and a strong hull, making it quite dangerous to the
inexperienced pilot.  However, most experienced pilots in the GTA know
enough to attack the Satis' main weakness: its weak plating around the
turrets.  Disarming a Satis is most often the best way to destroy it.
While capturing supply ships is often an intelligent plan, the Satis
has been considered dangerous enough to rank as a class C threat.
Treat it as one.
Overall Value: 6
*PVC Aten- The Aten class cruiser, while far stronger than most of the
Vasudans warships, falls short as an attack cruiser.  It does not have
the armor or the firepower to stand up to GTA weaponry.  With a cruiser
speed of 25 m/s and only six weapon turrets, the Aten just cannot
muster the kind of firepower needed to do real damage to targets of
size.
Most GTA pilots have learned to exploit the primary weakness of the
Aten: its extremely weak weapons subsystem.
The Aten class cruiser is considered by the GTA to be a Class B threat.
Overall Value: 7
*PVD Typhon- Where the Aten cruiser failed, the Typhon succeeded well
past expectations.  The Typhon is an incredible work of engineering and
the model of Vasudan technology.  When the first one was sighted at the
Vega Engagement, it was laughed at by our technicians as a foolish
display of non utilitarian design.  The subsequent destruction of the
GTD Eisenhower and the total decimation of the 4th fleet changed their
minds very quickly.
The Typhon should never be underestimated.  It wields massive weaponry,
and has more armor plating than any Terran Destroyer.  Its only known
weakness is its turret armor, which is significant, but lower than
expected.  In the two years since this ship first appeared, we have
only managed to destroy two of them.
The Typhon is a Class A threat to any ships within the same system.  Do
not engage without backup.
Overall Value: 10
*PVSG Ankh- The Ankh is the standard Vasudan sentry gun.  Its most
common usage is guarding supply depots.  However, since the development
of the Anubis, its usage has dropped off significantly.
Overall Value: 2
*PVEP Ra- The Ra has been used by Vasudans since our first encounter
with them.  Every Vasudan capital ship has a few of these lifeboats.
Overall Value: 8
**************
*Shivan Ships*
**************
*SF Dragon- The Shivan Dragon is easily the most impressive
fightercraft we have yet seen.  Its maneuverability is unmatched, and
it has quite a few other advantages, including a good top speed,
powerful afterburners, and strong shields.  It is the only Shivan
fighter we have been able to study up close, and we have learned a
great deal about Shivan  engineering from it.
It seems that the Shivan shield systems are extremely strong, but their
hulls are far weaker than our own.  They also rely on primary weapons
far more than secondaries, as evidenced by the Dragon's small capacity.
The GTA considers the Dragon as a Class A threat.
Overall Value: 7
*SF Basilisk- The Basilisk seems to be a Shivan heavy attack fighter.
It is not as maneuverable as other Shivan fighters, but packs quite a
punch, and it is very resistant to our weaponry.  Most often they have
been used in attacking our supply convoys and transports.
Treat the Basilisk as a class C threat.
Overall Value: 3.5
*SF Scorpion- We originally thought the Scorpion was the Shivan's best
fighter.  However, we now believe that the Scorpion is nothing more
than a Shivan scout ship.  Their vast numbers and seeming unimportance
to the Shivan war effort leads us to this belief.  Regardless of its
purpose, the Scorpion is highly maneuverable, fast, and difficult to
destroy.  It can also do damage equivalent to our space superiority
fighters.
In the event that you encounter Scorpions, regard them as a Class C
threat.
Overall Value: 5
*SF Manticore- The Manticore is not listed in the Tech Room so I will
make up my own description.  The Manticore has a strange design and
would be probably the second most alien of Shivan ships.  However, they
are very maneuverable and are extremely difficult and annoying to kill.
They are usually used as an escort ship.
Treat the Manticore as a class C threat.
Overall Value: 5
*SB Shaitan- The Shaitan bomber is only slightly superior to our own
bombers - its shielding is far better but its capacity seems to be far
worse.  Perhaps the Shivans were so assured that they would need only
one payload to destroy a target.
We consider the Shaitan to be a Class C threat.
Overall Value: 4.5
*SB Nephilim- The Nephilim class bomber is the most alien of the Shivan
ships.  We are still unsure as to why the Shivans chose this odd shape
for arguable their most powerful attack craft.  However, with four
primary cannons and two turrets, as well as a massive payload, the
Nephilim is undoubtedly a serious threat to the GTA.  We have already
lost two Orion class Destroyers to a wing of Nephilims.  Unless we
learn a weakness soon we will most likely lose two more.
The Nephilim has been designated a Class A threat to GTA Destroyers and
Cruisers.  In unpopulated systems, it is considered to be a Class B
threat.
Overall Value: 6.5
*ST Azarel- The Azarel is most likely a Shivan transport.  While we are
not completely sure of its uses, we do know they can house many
Shivans.  It is not very heavily armored, and its weaponry is not too
strong.  This makes the Azarel the most common target for capture
attempts.
Overall Value: 5
*SFR Mephisto- The Mephisto freighter behaves much like one of our own.
Only it is far more powerful and dangerous.  Very little data is
available on this ship class.
Overall Value: 5.5
*SC 5- We believe that the Shivans use cargo containers such as these
as storage depots.  We have yet to see a Shivan land on a planet.  This
leads us to believe that the Shivans plan on keeping all of their
materials in space.
Overall Value: 1
*SFR Asmodeus- Almost no data available on the Asmodeus freighter.  We
are aware that it has a strong hull and four turrets.  Any further data
on this ship should be immediately delivered to Terran Intelligence.
Overall Value: 4.5
*SAC 2- What we have dubbed the Sac-2 is simply more heavily armored
form of the standard Shivan cargo container.  We believe that this is
where the Shivans keep their more precious supplies.  Sac-2s are to be
captured or destroyed at every opportunity.
Overall Value: 2
*SC Lilith- While more rare than its counterpart, the Cain-class
cruiser, the Lilith is one of the most ferocious cruisers we have had
the misfortune of combating.  It has extremely strong weapon systems,
as well as a very thick armor which our cannons can barely penetrate.
One for one the Lilith can destroy any of our cruisers.  It is for this
reason that they should be considered a primary target for all bomber
squadrons in the GTA.
The Lilith should be considered a Class A threat to any ships that
encounter it.
Overall Value: 8
*SC Cain- The Cain is by far the most common cruiser in the Shivan
fleet.  It is also the weakest.  However, the Cain should not be
underestimated.  It has many turrets, as well as a cluster bomb
defensive mechanism.  As a strike cruiser, the Cain mostly appears in
attacks against GTA or PVN capital ships and cruisers.  In these cases,
it should be destroyed immediately.  The primary weakness of the Cain
appears to be its unshielded turrets.  Most of the turrets on the Cain
can be destroyed with minimal damage.
The Cain is a Class B threat.
Overall Value: 7
*SD Demon- While the Demon-class Destroyer is easily one of the most
massive ships we have yet seen, it is not the biggest or most powerful
in the Shivan armada.  However, it is still quite dangerous
with a plethora of missile turrets and two full squadrons of fighters.
It is suggested that these capital ships be destroyed by bombers, since
all cruisers that have attempted to engage a Demon have been destroyed.
The Demon is a Class A threat in any allied system.
Overall Value: 9
*SD Lucifer- The Lucifer is the greatest threat to the survival of the
GTA, the PVN, and both the Terran and Vasudan species.  It wields three
massive Flux Cannons which can destroy one of our capital ships in a
few hits.  These same cannons have been seen bombarding colonized
worlds.  With four full fighter squadrons and a massive array of
defensive turrets, the Lucifer would be extremely difficult to destroy.
The fact that it is protected by a stealth shielding system, which
makes it impervious to any kind of kinetic or plasma damage makes it
impossible.  We have yet to find a way to breach this shielding
technology.  It is hoped that a solution will be found soon.
Assuming that a solution is found, we have managed to gather enough
data on the Lucifer to destroy it.  In a recon mission, we were able to
determine that the Lucifer is powered by five primary reactors.  If
these reactors are destroyed in a short amount of time, the Lucifer
will be stopped.
If we cannot stop the Lucifer, we do not expect to defeat the Shivans.
We have no way of knowing if there are more than one Lucifer-class
destroyer.  However, any that exist should be considered more dangerous
than a Class A threat.
Overall Value: 10+
*SSG Trident- We believe that the sole purpose of the Trident is to
guard Shivan repair and supply depots.  It is not too strong, but in
mass quantities, can be dangerous.
Overall Value: 3
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4. Weapons
********
4a. *Lasers*
********
GTW Ml-16
Tech Room Description
Argon laser weapon - uses transport ceramic technology in order to
create an optical system that is extremely durable and stable under
battle conditions - provides adequate destructive damage to the hull of
enemy ships by vaporizing molecular bonds at the target area and
destabilizing molecular bonds across the grain of the hull material
My Opinion
Its not that great.  It does fine against hulls but won't touch
shields.  Once you have the Avenger cannon, never use it again.
GTW-41 Disruptor
Tech Room Description
A gas-focused krypton laser - when the ship is in flight, the chamber
of the GTW-41 rotates at a constant speed - a small amount of NO2 is
injected into the container .05 ms prior to the emission of the laser
light - the rotation of the NO2 in the chamber focuses the laser pulse
to a state that is only very slightly (1%) diffused - after the laser
pulse is emitted from the chamber into space, the chamber expels the
NO2 into space (thus expelling ionized molecules and moisture) - the
process repeats itself for each subsequent burst of laser energy - as
this laser is very slightly diffused, it is not as effective a
destructive weapon, but as a tactical weapon -  the Disruptor cannon is
best suited and is used for the permanent disabling of enemy ships
My Opinion
It is good at the beginning but is never needed again after the
Stiletto.  Does practically nothing to hulls but does a moderate amount
of damage to subsystems.
GTW-15 Avenger
Tech Room Description
A rapid-fire, computer-controlled radar and gun system-capable of
firing at a rate of more than 4500 rounds per minute - used primarily
for close-defense situations - uses closed-loop radar technology to
locate, identify, and direct a stream of highly destructive 45 mm
projectiles to the target
With the advent of shield technology, the GTW-15 is preferred over the
Ml-16 in any ship that can carry it.  It's extra damage against hulls
make it one of the best anti cruiser weapons.  It also has proven very
effective against Vasudan fighters.  However, it's substandard anti-
shield capabilities make it a poor choice for dogfighting Shivans,
although far better than the Ml-16.
My Opinion
It will impress you the first time you use it but once you get used to
it, you'll wish you had a better laser.  It's good against hulls but it
is just okay against shields.
GTW-32 Flail
Tech Room Description
A rapid-fire, low energy, ceramic optic focused, krypton laser - used
in tactical situations to distract or lead an enemy to their
destruction at the hands of other allied fighters - this weapon,
if used over an extended period of in-flight battle, can destroy an
enemy fighter, but, as a destructive weapon, should only be used as a
last resort
The fast firing rate and high mass of the Flail make it great for
changing the velocity vector of an enemy fighter or bomber.  It is
slightly more effective than the Avenger against shields, rated at
damage/second.  Its low energy consumption makes it useful for
prolonged engagements.  Note, however, that once you have taken out the
enemy's shields, switching to another weapon is advised.
My Opinion
I rarely use it because it is really a piece of shiny trash.  Just
don't use it, period.  It's worthless.
**** NOTE: This weapon is a GEM in multiplayer dogfight missions
against other humans.
D-Advanced
No Tech Room Description
My Opinion
It is only available to you in two missions.  You are forced to use it
in Enter the Dragon and you have a choice to use it in The Great Hunt.
The Ulysses is the only fighter that can equip the D-Advanced.
Obviously, it is an improvement on the Disruptor.  It is okay, but is
has an incredibly slow firing rate.
GTW-7 Prometheus
Tech Room Description
Named after the Titan who gave fire to humanity, the Prometheus is a
laser-based weapon - an advanced radar and X-ray tracking system lock
on the target and determine the target's structure - argon laser
focused via transparent ceramic optics - the laser generated at the
destructive frequency (full out-of-phase) for the target's material
structure - emitted no more than .02 ms after targeting and activation
by the pilot, the Prometheus stands out as one of the GTA's most
effective deterrents to enemy attack, an effective form of defense for
GTA pilots, and as a durable, portable, and highly destructive
offensive tool
The Prometheus works best against target hulls.  Against shields, it
only achieves mediocre performance.  Its slow speed and high energy
consumption work against it as well.  However, the primary advantage
of the Prometheus is that it can be equipped on almost any fighter in
the GTA.
My Opinion
It is a great overall weapon, and I use it every mission I can.  The
description understates this weapon's power.  It works good against
shields and has a slow refire rate but that is not too bad.  It works
incredibly well when combined with a Banshee.
GTW-7 Banshee
Tech Room Description
An electromagnetic weapon - sends rapid pulses of exceptionally strong
electromagnetic energy resulting in a 1.63 x 105 J blast that forces
its way through any known shield technology and produces a dramatic
shearing effect which quickly destroys the target ship's materials -
named for the fact that in an atmosphere, the pulse creates an
atmospheric disturbance similar to a quasi-human scream at 180 dB -
uses up a tremendous amount of available ship energy - already it
has been used by many GTA fighter aces and test pilots as a coup de
grace, although such a use for this massively powerful weapon is
officially viewed as poor sportsmanship by the GTA
The GTW-7's impressive anti-shielding capabilities makes it the weapon
of choice against the Shivans.  The main limitation of this weapon is
low weapons compatibility.  It can only be fitted on a GTF Valkyrie or
a GTF Hercules.
My Opinion
This is a great weapon.  Will take out the enemy's shields almost
instantly.  It uses up tons of gun energy and has a really slow refire
rate but the damage is worth it.  Great results when paired with a
Prometheus.
**********
4b. *Missiles*
**********
GTM Mx-50
Tech Room Description
Available for all space battles, defensive and offensive; medium
payload (16.5 Kt); infrared tracking and semi-intelligent targeting;
pilot chooses desired target, and the MX-50 tracks the chosen target
based off the emission of heat from the engine, the weapon bays, and
the cockpit of the target ship; the MX-50 will always attack a target
that is determined to be hostile by the onboard computer of any GTA
combat vessel, thus ensuring a higher kill rate, should the pilot find
himself in a heated battle situation where precise aiming might be
difficult.
My Opinion
This is a missile that you will use until you get the Interceptor.  It
is quick and easy to fire.  Just point and shoot.  If you have the
unlimited weapons cheat on, you can string out about 20 Mx-50s on your
target's tail.  It works pretty well.  Does moderate damage to hulls,
little damage to shields.
GTM-2 Fury
Tech Room Description
Small, fast dumbfire missiles; fired in swarms; GTA fighters can carry
more Fury missiles than conventional missiles, due to their small size;
used for distraction and other tactical measures; very small payload (3
Kt).
My Opinion
It is pretty useless.  You can hold a lot of them but they are useless.
They are faster than your lasers which means that you won't be able to
hit your target with both the Fury and your lasers unless you are very
close to it or it is very big.  It is dumbfire (appropriately named)
and does not home in on your target.  It does good damage to hulls and
little damage to shields.
GTM-9 Interceptor
Tech Room Description
All-aspect seeking; laser tracking senses energy reflected off a target
from the primary weapon systems of the target, increasing single-pass
kill probability; medium payload (18.5 Kt); missile is designed to
pierce reinforced hull, thus securing itself to the target, prior to
detonating (15 ms delay).
My Opinion
This is one of the best missiles in the game.  You should use this in
every mission you can when it is available to you until you gain access
to the Hornet.  It takes about two seconds to lock on and then whisks
away toward your target.  It is the fastest missile in the game.  Does
high damage to hulls and extreme damage to shields, often taking out an
entire quarter of the target's shield.
GTM-43 Stiletto
Tech Room Description
All-aspect seeking; laser tracking similar to the Interceptor; missile
is protected by a small shield system, allowing for greater success in
payload delivery during busy melee situations and intense firefights;
fast, but low in-flight maneuverability compared to other missiles of
comparable size; low maneuverability due to the size of the missile's
payload (60 Kt) and on-board shield system.
My Opinion
This is a great missile.  It can destroy most subsystems in one hit and
it will home in on its target to some extent.  Use it whenever the word
"freighter" is mentioned to disable it to prevent its escape.  The best
missile against subsystems.  The best anything against subsystems.
Does nearly nothing to hulls with ultra extreme damage to subsystems.
GTM Phoenix V
Tech Room Description
All-aspect seeking; same tracking system as the Interceptor; large
payload (50 Kt), but somewhat slower than the Interceptor; one of the
best fire-and-forget missiles ever developed; many fighter pilots
within the GTA regard the Phoenix V as the weapon of choice against
high value, heavily defended targets.
My Opinion
It really sounds good, but it's worthless also.  It only works against
idiot bombers who don't care to avoid it.  It is slow, and rarely hits
any moving targets.  Does extreme damage against hulls and extreme
damage against shields.
GTM-3 Tsunami
Tech Room Description
Intelligent tracking similar to GTA targeting system; prior to launch,
communicates with ship computer, gathering data about enemy target
types and whereabouts; slow, low maneuverability; antimatter warhead
(500 ton mass-to-energy conversion); due to instability of antimatter,
no more than 6 may be carried on board a GTA bomber at any given time,
unless pilot is granted a special permit by an appropriate governing
body or pilot is to participate in a glory mission.
My Opinion
I don't like it that much because it needs a lock to be fired.  The
lock on is too slow and tends to target turrets which just happen to
shoot it down.  Does heavy damage to cruisers and moderate damage to
capital ships.
GTM-1 Synaptic
Tech Room Description
Missile propulsion unit carrying several small intelligent "bomblets";
when distance to target is less than 100 m or when time to impact is
less than 2 sec., bomblets direct missile to the most vulnerable part
of the ship of those parts of the ship facing the missile; bomblets
then separate from missile propulsion unit and form a sphere; inertia
continues to carry bomblets in the direction of the target; the missile
propulsion unit continues to advance toward the target; when the
missile hits the target or 1.5 sec. after the missile should have hit
the target, the bomblets explode; the spherical shape of the formation
of the bomblets helps to ensure a fairly even level of damage across a
sensitive area on the target; the spherical shape also ensures that the
target will not be able to effectively maneuver away from the blast,
thus "pinning" the target to a specific area in space; can also act as
dumbfire; medium payload per bomblet (15 Kt); very small payload for a
missile (2 Kt).
My Opinion
This may be the single reason that you return to base after a bombing
mission.  The Synaptic is very good for bombers because it allows it to
damage the target cruiser or carrier and still attack or distract enemy
fighters at the same time.  Does moderate damage to hulls and moderate
damage to shields.
GTM-4 Hornet
Tech Room Description
Infrared and ultraviolet tracking; designed to fire in small groups of
4 missiles per burst; light medium payload per missile (12 Kt); semi-
intelligent on-board tracking; single-pass kill probability will not
exceed 60% on average; designed as an offensive version of the Fury.
My Opinion
This is only the best missile in the game in my opinion.  Because you
shoot four missiles at a time, two are almost guaranteed to hit, which
will almost guarantee that the shield section will be hurting.  They
are very hard to escape from, and do very well in almost any mission.
Does high damage to hulls and high damage to shields.
GTM-31 Disruptor Missile
Tech Room Description
Advanced signal processing; high precision interception capability;
small payload (9 Kt), combining both conventional explosives and a
localized blast of energy caused by the effect of impact upon the
laser-propulsion system of the missile; designed to temporarily disable
subsystems on hostile targets.
My Opinion
I really hate this missile.  You get it way too late in the game to
make a difference.  It will shut down a cruiser for about five seconds
but it doesn't have any real purpose.  Don't use it.
GTM-N1 Harbinger
Tech Room Description
Fusion bomb surrounded by 3 salted fission bombs; propulsion unit is a
half-size version of a regulation GTA fighter thruster (Class II);
given the weight of the payloads, the missile is slow despite the power
of the thruster; as the Harbinger is exceptionally large, GTA fighters
and bombers are limited to carrying 2 of these weapons at any given
time; the resultant shock wave from this weapon is potentially deadly,
due to the size of the payloads (5000 Mt in total); use near allied
installations or allied ship groupings is strongly discouraged by the
GTA; most effective when used in preemptive defensive strike against
non-military installations.
My Opinion
I really like this missile.  It doesn't need a lock to be fired (thank
God!) which makes it easy to just get really close to the target, shoot
and run.  The targets are so big, why would you need a lock anyway?
Does ultra extreme damage to hulls.
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5. The Eon Awards
Welcome to the Eon Awards!!!
And the nominees for best overall ship: Athena, Hercules, Ulysses,
Valkyrie, and Ursa
And the Eon goes to (drumroll please)... the Valkyrie Interceptor
(yay!)
In second place... the Hercules Heavy Assault Fighter
In third place... the Ursa Bomber
And an honorable mention... the Ulysses Advanced Space Superiority
Fighter
The Valkyrie wins because of its control and speed.  It can also carry
the Banshee which is very useful.  Hercules comes next because of
superior dogfighting ability.  The Ursa is a great bomber that can just
about kill anything it wants to with little effort.  Equip it with
Hornets, Synaptics, and Harbingers and you can destroy anything.
And the nominees for best overall primary weapon: Banshee, Avenger,
Flail, Prometheus, D-Advanced
And the Eon goes to... the Prometheus Cannon
In second place... Banshee Cannon
In third place... Avenger Prototype Cannon
And a honorable mention... Flail Cannon
Prometheus wins an easy victory here because of its low energy
consumption and its all around damage.  The Banshee doesn't do jack to
hulls and will wipe out your energy very quickly but it can take
shields the best.  Avenger is okay because I said so.
And the nominees for best overall secondary weapon: Interceptor,
Stiletto, Phoenix V, Hornet, Harbinger
And the Eon goes to... the Hornet Swarm Missile
In second place... the Harbinger Bomb
In third place... the Interceptor Missile
And a honorable mention... Phoenix V Anti-Bomber Warhead
Hornet is fast and four missiles in one makes for a powerful punch.
The Harbinger is slow and has an annoying lock time (to say the least!)
but it packs a powerful punch (to say the least!).
And the nominees for best against subsystems: Disrupt. Missile,
Stiletto, Harbinger, Tsunami, D-Advanced
And the Eon goes to... the Harbinger Bomb
In second place... the Tsunami Bomb
In third place... the Stiletto Space Bomb
And a honorable mention... the D-Advanced Cannon
The Harbinger is the best for taking out subsystems.  If you think the
Stiletto is better, try attacking the subsystems on a Typhon with one
Stiletto, then try it with a Harbinger.  Observe the difference.
And the nominees for best ship for dogfighting: Ulysses, Valkyrie,
Athena, Hercules, Apollo
And the Eon goes to... the Valkyrie
In second place... the Hercules
In third place... the Ulysses
And a honorable mention... the Athena
The Valkyrie is so quick that it can fly circles around most fighters.
The Herc has more plating but does not have the vital speed that the
Valkyrie has.  The Ulysses has great maneuverability so it is a champ
in the dogfighting category also.
And the nominees for best bomber: Medusa, Ursa, Athena
And the Eon goes to... the Ursa
second place... the Medusa
third place... the Athena
This is common sense.  Ursa can carry Harbingers.  Medusa can carry
Tsunamis.  Athena can carry Stilettos.  Easy, right?
And the nominees for best bomb: Synaptic, Harbinger, Tsunami, Stiletto
And the Eon goes to... the Harbinger
In second place... the Synaptic
In third place... the Tsunami