[Thaeris]

After deciding that playing on the default easy setting was getting old, I decided that the main campaign would be better enjoyed on the "Medium" setting... Certainly this is mockable by some, but I just don't care...

This brings the main objective of the thread to light: HOLY BACON [if not applicable, insert different exclamatory here]!!!

To date the hardest missions to fly in the main campaign I've identified are (a.) the first mission of the first SOC loop and (b.) the mission in which you must destroy 2/4 of the Sathanas' beam weapons. I'm commenting on point (a.)...

On easy this mission is still not that easy... up the ante one bit and decide the Myrmidon is (a.) fo' FOOS and (b.) that the Loki is better (which is most arguable), and you may be in for a world of hurt.

An extra shield buffer goes a long way for the Loki. Surviving Taurets is one thing, but accidentally straying into the range of a Sobek-class corvette's AAAfs is a wholly different beast. If fighters, bombers, or corvettes don't kill you or the Icieni, large rocks just might...

...Good God, and Holy Bacon...

-Thaeris

[Galemp]

Playing Judas, He Who Rides the Tiger, and Into the Lion's Den.

[Mongoose]

He Who Rides the Tiger from ST:R, definitely.  I had a literal jaw-dropper moment as soon as I figured out just what was going on.

And in the realm of "Missions which took ten years off my life," I'll nominate trying to get the "kill 25 turrets" bonus point on mission 15 of Procyon Insurgency.  So many restarts, so many screamed curses...

[General Battuta]

Procyon Insurgency m15.

Forced Entry from Blue Planet.

Keepers of Hell from the original Blue Planet (before rebalance.)

'He Who Rides the Tiger' was a pushover. 

[xXGrifterXx]

Two of my favorite missions are in ST:R, the pirate mission, and the one with the Ratna. The first bombing mission in Warzone is pretty damn fun too.

[Akalabeth Angel]

Slaying Ravana and Feint, Parry, Riposte! are the hardest missions in my mind from the main FS2 campaign. The first of which probably because I never bothered to take shelter in the allied vessel, and the second because you're in a Perseus and have to get close to two Fenrises and their multitude of AAAf beams. Not healthy. Especially when all your wingmen die in like 5 seconds and leave you to bait 8 or so fighters on your own.

[NGTM-1R]

The second-to-last mission of Derelict gave me a level of frustration few other things have, because of a bug related to improperly-executing fire beam orders.

And in the realm of "Missions which took ten years off my life," I'll nominate trying to get the "kill 25 turrets" bonus point on mission 15 of Procyon Insurgency.  So many restarts, so many screamed curses...

QFMFT.

[eliex]

-Certainly most of the stealth missions in Procyon Insurgency.
- Forced Entry in BP first time playing.
- Playing Judas.

[redsniper]

Blew me apart:

Several missions in PI. Disarming the Saturn and also that last mission.
Keepers of Hell. RAAAAAAGE

Blew my mind:

Dream mission in Derelict.

[Kie99]

Playing Judas was an absolute nightmare, the only mission that ever took me longer than that was the 3rd from last mission in FreeSpace.

[Sushi]

Most stupidly difficult mission (That shouldn't be): Slaying Ravana.

Mission that stumped me the longest: Destroying the Saturn in PI. It got much better once I learned about long-range Akhetons, though.

The Only Mission Gaming Experience To Ever Induce Nausea And Cause Me A Headache: Second to last mission of Transcend.

Spoiler:

between the weird currents pulling everything around funny, the rotating subspace skybox, and trying to hit and kill small, fast targets (took me something like 10 minutes on at least one of the wingmen!) I was very glad when it was over. Wouldn't have missed it for the world, though.

Most Memorable:
FS1 mission where you escort the transports carrying Ancients data... and the Lucifer shows up at the jump node you're headed for. Pants-crapping moment.
First time I played Apocalypse (the supernova is amazing when you don't know it's coming! )
Every other mission in Blue Planet

Spoiler:

Dragons in Asteroid Field Mission (a.k.a. ohcrapohcrapOHCRAPIMGONNADIE), Dream Mission, killing the Lucifer, second-to-last mission...

Derelict's

Spoiler:

Dream mission, the one where the Nyarlathotep is brought out of subspace, the one where it awakes, and the one where you destroy it.

Fortune Hunters 2259: the one where you chase down a series of Centauri transports as they flee to their base, then try to make it out alive. A real bugger to finish, but a huge blast (and very memorable).
ST:R's He Who Rides The Tiger.

[Mongoose]

Ooh, I have another random category.  Best FREDder compensation for a game glitch: the Derelict mission where you defend the mercenaries' Boadicea base.  "Hangar bay hologram projector," indeed.  Whoever finally takes on the ridiculous task of HTL-ing that thing has to make sure the dock point stays right where it is, just to keep that effect.

[Rodo]

I just tried to play the game on insane (again)...

bet on my skills people! come on... how far did I get without getting killed? (from mission 1 without counting the trainings)

[eliex]

bet on my skills people! come on... how far did I get without getting killed? (from mission 1 without counting the trainings)

Let's see . . . M013? That's when the FS2MC really picks up the pace IMO. 

[Colonol Dekker]

Hate the traitor, and Endgame, Surrender Belasarius simply for the whole Psamtik" GUNNERY CONTROL CHARGE MY LAZZOR, PWN THEM!! at the end.


Also DIVEDIVEDIVE!

[Rodo]

bet on my skills people! come on... how far did I get without getting killed? (from mission 1 without counting the trainings)

Let's see . . . M013? That's when the FS2MC really picks up the pace IMO.  

less... 

[Akalabeth Angel]

Oh if we're talking about mods too then I still haven't finished the last mission from PI. I must've tried it about 30 times.

[Rodo]

seems like none of you have played the aeos affair

[redsniper]

I have, looooong ago.

[NGTM-1R]

seems like none of you have played the aeos affair

That's been discontinuitied.