Hard Light Productions Forums

General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: Otrant on February 24, 2006, 09:50:55 pm

Title: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Otrant on February 24, 2006, 09:50:55 pm
Hi,

Recently downloaded this gem of a game and am having a blast, quite glad that a FS2 community still exists so long after this games release. (Unfortunately I found out about the game way too late, damn!)

Anyways, I am currently playing the main campaign, and am kinda stuck on a mission called "As Lightning Falls". The point of the mission is to locate Cmdr. Snipes with the aide of some nav buoys through an EMP storm. Problem is, I have no idea how to use these buoys. I can locate nav buoy 1 but have no idea how to use it to follow the trail of buoys.

Is this mission just sort like finding a needle in a haystack, and flying around aimlessly (I hope not?) What am I missing/doing wrong?

On an unrelated note: There are points in the campaign where you are asked to make a decision, ie: join covert unit or continue as lead of flight group xxx. Does taking the covert route simply allow you to play a few extra covert missions or does the game actually branch off in a new direction? Ie: is there any reason to turn down these requests?

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Goober5000 on February 24, 2006, 10:06:35 pm
:welcome:

Anyways, I am currently playing the main campaign, and am kinda stuck on a mission called "As Lightning Falls". The point of the mission is to locate Cmdr. Snipes with the aide of some nav buoys through an EMP storm. Problem is, I have no idea how to use these buoys. I can locate nav buoy 1 but have no idea how to use it to follow the trail of buoys.

Fly toward the buoy.  As soon as you pass it, you'll see a faint, flickering gray dot appear on your radar, slightly off-center.  That's the next buoy.  Fly toward it the same way.

Ideally, you do this for each buoy in sequence (there are 7 or 8 in all).  Unfortunately, quite a few Shivans show up, and as a consequence of fighting them you'll usually get turned around.  This can lead to skipping buoys or even flying the sequence backward.

Just be patient, don't die, and eventually you'll kill all the Shivans and be able to follow the entire sequence of buoys to find Snipes.

Quote
On an unrelated note: There are points in the campaign where you are asked to make a decision, ie: join covert unit or continue as lead of flight group xxx. Does taking the covert route simply allow you to play a few extra covert missions or does the game actually branch off in a new direction? Ie: is there any reason to turn down these requests?

The main campaign is not affected by your choice of playing or not playing the loops.  But if you play them, you'll get more points and more medals, plus access to two bonus ships. ;)
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Otrant on February 24, 2006, 10:11:17 pm
Awesome, thank you sir for your prompt and succinct reponse!

Back to lighting up some Shivans I go. :D
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Goober5000 on February 24, 2006, 10:16:26 pm
You're welcome. :)

By the way, how did you hear about HLP?
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Otrant on February 24, 2006, 10:44:06 pm
Originally found out about FS2 from reading a gamespot article. (was looking to play a good space sim,  played TIE Fighter/Privateer quite a bit in the past)
From there, read a user review that mentioned the Freespace Source Code Project.
After that, did a google search and found http://scp.indiegames.us/forum.php
That forum seemed dead, but there was a post that mentioned this fine forum.

That has been my journey over the past week. :)
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Charismatic on February 24, 2006, 11:14:24 pm

:welcome:Welcome to our world!
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: WMCoolmon on February 25, 2006, 01:26:16 am
Get a piece of paper and write "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8" on it and cross off a number as you get to each nav beacon if you keep having trouble, that way you know exactly which one you need to head for next.
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Prophet on February 25, 2006, 02:03:52 am
Get a piece of paper and write "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8" on it and cross off a number as you get to each nav beacon if you keep having trouble, that way you know exactly which one you need to head for next.
Bah!!
Just do like I do. When the mission begins, just start flying in a straight line like a bullet. Use afterburners and the shivans have no hope of catching you. If you fly straight, you'll find snipes. Don't worry about your wingmates, they won't keep up with you but can take care of themselves for a little while.
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Charismatic on February 25, 2006, 09:18:07 am
Cheatin, yella belly. Do it like your susposed to, or whats the fun in that hard mission?
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Cobra on February 25, 2006, 10:33:48 am
he didn't say he was cheating, Ephili. He just said he flies in a straight line. :wtf:

My God you're dumb.

But I do what prophet does, but I take out only the shivans that are in front of me, let my wingmen take out the rest, and I keep going.

Ya know, to be honest, I was restarting the mission about 3 times the first time I played it. :)
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Roanoke on February 25, 2006, 11:49:27 am
Cheatin, yella belly. Do it like your susposed to, or whats the fun in that hard mission?

where's the fun in it anyway ? Hateful mission.
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Charismatic on February 25, 2006, 12:37:39 pm
he didn't say he was cheating, Ephili. He just said he flies in a straight line. :wtf:

My God you're dumb.

Cobra, once again, plz cut the bashing. Seriously.

"Flying in a straight line" is cheating. Would you normaly do it? No. You fly in a straight line, with the knoloage and intentinos to cut straight to the ship, which otherwise you would not know was straight infront of you. So its cheating, in a sence.
Cheatin, yella belly. Do it like your susposed to, or whats the fun in that hard mission?

where's the fun in it anyway ? Hateful mission.
Well you do have a point. I always hated that mission. But still, it was fun at one point or another.
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Dan1 on February 25, 2006, 02:01:26 pm
There is kind of a trick to this level that I actually found by accident.


Back when I first played this level I would get lost as well and I was at like nav 7 but somehow got lost and found my back to nav 1.  Since I had killed all the enemies thus far I knew that going to each nav wouldn't yield more enemies so and I wanted to get back to nav 7 asap instead of taking all that time.

So this is what I did:
If you increase time compression to 4x I think maybe 8 then all of your EMP problems go away and you can target anything like normal if you're really stuck.
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Cobra on February 25, 2006, 02:16:55 pm
he didn't say he was cheating, Ephili. He just said he flies in a straight line. :wtf:

My God you're dumb.


"Flying in a straight line" is cheating. Would you normaly do it? No. You fly in a straight line, with the knoloage and intentinos to cut straight to the ship, which otherwise you would not know was straight infront of you. So its cheating, in a sence.

* Cobra sighs

Let me it explain it to you as simple as i can.

Flying in a straight line is not cheating, in any sense. What do you think the freighters in the game do? They fly in a straight line, as well. Are they cheating? No. They're following their waypoints, just like what Prophet and I do. Oh yeah, you're also flying in a straight line from Nav. Point 1 to Nav. Point 2 before the Shivans show up. Does that count as cheating? No. You're doing what the objectives say. Just as the aformentioned (sp?) freighters. They're following orders. Believe me, I know what cheating is. I do it after every time I beat a game the first time. :p
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Kie99 on February 25, 2006, 03:04:42 pm
It is cheating, since you have unfair knowledge.  If you were playing a multi game of, for example, San Andreas against someone, and they had a book telling them where all the hidden weapons and vehicles were, would you not consider them to be cheating?
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Cobra on February 25, 2006, 03:28:19 pm
ah, i see. I guess i got a little confused when ephili only stated that flying in a straight line was cheating. thanks.
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: TrashMan on February 25, 2006, 04:05:06 pm
I do the following...fly in a straight line...stop right in front of each buoy. If shivans appear my wingman attack. I do too, but I don't move..I just rotate around and blast them to bits.

Once they are dead, I face the buoys again and just continue towards the next one that appears...

B.t.w. - we all know which mission he will be facing next guys  ;7
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: bfobar on February 25, 2006, 09:19:27 pm
B.t.w. - we all know which mission he will be facing next guys  ;7

Heh, would it be a spoiler to recommend that he be sure to use the WC before he clicks commit on the next mission, lest he has an accident?
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Solatar on February 25, 2006, 10:27:18 pm
Nah, it's a right of passage into the community. :D
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Charismatic on February 25, 2006, 10:30:03 pm
he didn't say he was cheating, Ephili. He just said he flies in a straight line. :wtf:

My God you're dumb.


"Flying in a straight line" is cheating. Would you normaly do it? No. You fly in a straight line, with the knoloage and intentinos to cut straight to the ship, which otherwise you would not know was straight infront of you. So its cheating, in a sence.

* Cobra sighs

Let me it explain it to you as simple as i can.

Flying in a straight line is not cheating, in any sense. What do you think the freighters in the game do? They fly in a straight line, as well. Are they cheating? No. They're following their waypoints, just like what Prophet and I do. Oh yeah, you're also flying in a straight line from Nav. Point 1 to Nav. Point 2 before the Shivans show up. Does that count as cheating? No. You're doing what the objectives say. Just as the aformentioned (sp?) freighters. They're following orders. Believe me, I know what cheating is. I do it after every time I beat a game the first time. :p
No offence meant but; that is total bs. Il explain. We are not frighters. We do not folow waypoints which direct us in a straight line. The example of frighters is a very very bad example. You are right, going in a straight line form waypoint boey 1 to W. B. 2 is not cheating. Got that straight. And  :wtf:*walks away*
I do the following...fly in a straight line...stop right in front of each buoy. If shivans appear my wingman attack. I do too, but I don't move..I just rotate around and blast them to bits.

Once they are dead, I face the buoys again and just continue towards the next one that appears...

B.t.w. - we all know which mission he will be facing next guys ;7
I dont. What mission?
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Roanoke on February 26, 2006, 05:21:14 am
Play it and see >.>

Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Jal-18 on February 26, 2006, 11:26:54 am
Duck.
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: TrashMan on February 26, 2006, 06:54:48 pm
You mean dive.... :drevil:

Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Jopi on March 20, 2006, 07:21:04 am
You don't mean the 15 minutes of Hell, do you?
Bearbaiting is by far the best mission in the game :pimp:

EDIT: Hmm, the date, the date...
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Ferret on March 20, 2006, 02:14:57 pm
As Lightning Falls nearly made me hate Freespace 2.
It's worth doing though.
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Petrarch of the VBB on March 20, 2006, 02:41:47 pm
Cheating would be doing what I do.
That is, opening the mission in FRED, turning the EMP storm off and doubling your sensor range.

¬_¬
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Ferret on March 20, 2006, 03:04:07 pm
EMP storm does freaking suck.
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Goober5000 on March 20, 2006, 05:11:35 pm
Or you could simply target the first navbuoy, fly straight through it, and keep going.  After about 10 km you reach the Grall.  No Shivans and no getting lost. :)

In fact that's actually what I did (unintentionally) the very first time I played the mission, since I couldn't figure out what "follow the navbuoys" meant.
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Mongoose on March 20, 2006, 11:20:02 pm
I don't see what's so hard about this mission.  As long as you manage to stick to the markers and aim at the next gray dot on the radar, you'll reach the Argo in no time.  Get knocked off course?  Just find the nearest dot and figure out where you are.  Piece of cake.  It takes a real man to fly through an EMP storm without asking for directions. :p
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Ferret on March 20, 2006, 11:48:22 pm
Yeah, THEN try doing it with the 3D radar. :shaking:
Title: Re: Newbie question regarding "As Lightning Falls"
Post by: Wanderer on March 21, 2006, 12:11:39 am
I didnt find that any harder with 3D radar in use...