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General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: Aardwolf on August 21, 2006, 12:11:40 am

Title: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Aardwolf on August 21, 2006, 12:11:40 am
I can understand not playing them if you're doing a speed run, or if you just want to find out how it ends, but it's really a lot more fun, in my opinion, with the loops. In fact, I can't remember ever skipping them. I mean, if you skip the loops, you miss out on all that good

Quote from: Lieutenant Commander Christopher Snipes, in Into the Lion's Den
DIVE, DIVE, DIVE! HIT YOUR BURNERS, PILOT!

and all that good stuff.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Backslash on August 21, 2006, 01:12:22 am
Stop laughing, copilot!  :p

Hmm, there's a silly idea for a campaign: getting a bonus, or maybe things happen differently or something, by NOT playing the loop.  :drevil:

I do skip the tutorial loops  ;)
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Fergus on August 21, 2006, 05:10:57 am
Clicked no..meant yes, excuse my incompetence.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Prophet on August 21, 2006, 05:26:14 am
Last time I played I unintentionally skipped the NTF loop. I left from the debriefing after the somsuch mission. And when I continiued later, it took me directly to the missions after the loop. And I didn't even realize it, until after when I had destroyed the NTF.

"Here's the NTF campaign victory star, pilot. Well done chap."
"WTF? Wasn't I supposed to go undercover?"
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Snail on August 21, 2006, 05:40:45 am
The NTF loop, IMO, was harder than the second mission of the Shivan one... Am I just insane? :confused:

Those Herc II's really put a hole through my fighter. I always liked how you were wondering if they knew who you were, or if they were going to come and kill you. But the highlight was blowing up NTF Centaur and getting killed in the blast. :D
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Prophet on August 21, 2006, 05:53:29 am
That Centaur is always my first target. Every time. Doesn't matter if there are 3 hercs shooting at me, the Centaur must die. :D
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Snail on August 21, 2006, 05:57:35 am
First time I didn't know what ship class it was, so I thought it was somekind of new fighter, so I came in, weapons blazing, 30 meters, BOOM -- ARGH!!! :D
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Dark Hunter on August 21, 2006, 09:23:31 am
I agree the first loop is soooo much harder than the second. Into the Lion's Den remains my favorite mission of all, however!


*Dark Hunter wishes to know where the third Knossos goes*  :nervous:
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Mefustae on August 21, 2006, 09:36:09 am
*Dark Hunter wishes to know where the third Knossos goes*  :nervous:
Second time I played that mission, I actually tried to get to that damn knossoss. 4 minutes and 20 kilometres later, I got bored and got back to the mission.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: MrBig101 on August 21, 2006, 09:48:14 am
I can't not play the loops.  I just love them :).
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: BS403 on August 21, 2006, 11:07:56 pm
Always play
What happens if you don't?
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Dark Hunter on August 22, 2006, 12:11:01 am
You just skip to the missions after them, without experiencing them.


Can you play the second loop if you didn't play the first?
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: karajorma on August 22, 2006, 01:13:06 am
I'm fairly sure the two loops are independant. If you skip the loops you also won't unlock the Artemis D.H and the Ares.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Snail on August 22, 2006, 05:42:49 am
Artemis D.H. is ****. Why do people like it?
I agree the first loop is soooo much harder than the second. Into the Lion's Den remains my favorite mission of all, however!


*Dark Hunter wishes to know where the third Knossos goes*  :nervous:

How. :P
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Freespace Freak on August 22, 2006, 06:39:32 am
Artemis D.H. is ****. Why do people like it?

Cause it's black and shiny and, like, cool.  It also is slightly more manueverable, as far as I remember, than the standard Artemis.  It's like the Athena, nearly as fast and manueverable as a fighter, but loaded with enough bombs to concievable take down enemy Destroyers.

Hmmm... I never knew that playing those missions unlocked those.  For the six years I've been playing this game I have never once actually skipped those missions.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: karajorma on August 22, 2006, 08:31:07 am
It also is slightly more manueverable, as far as I remember, than the standard Artemis.

Actually it isn't. The tables for the two are identical. It looks like :v: remembered to change the information but forgot to actually change the ship :D
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Mefustae on August 22, 2006, 08:44:54 am
It also is slightly more manueverable, as far as I remember, than the standard Artemis.

Actually it isn't. The tables for the two are identical. It looks like :v: remembered to change the information but forgot to actually change the ship :D
What, seriously?! Then don't you think we should take it upon ourselves to go in and change it?

We can rebuild it, we have the technology!
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: karajorma on August 22, 2006, 08:57:18 am
Considering that the missions were balanced for the current version of the Artemis it wouldn't be that smart a thing to do really.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Mefustae on August 22, 2006, 09:00:15 am
But what missions? I wasn't aware any mission had the Artemis D.H. as a non-player ship, and as a player ship the capabilities beyond what weapon-classes it can mount are somewhat up in the air as to what effect, if any, there will be on the given mission.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: karajorma on August 22, 2006, 09:14:06 am
Kings Gambit comes to mind immediately.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Mefustae on August 22, 2006, 09:16:46 am
Great, it just happens to be the mission I never get to. Seriously, I always manage to break the campaign one or two missions before that one. Well, point taken.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: BS403 on August 22, 2006, 09:58:11 pm
I'm fairly sure the two loops are independant. If you skip the loops you also won't unlock the Artemis D.H and the Ares.
I don't think I unlocked the Artemis D.H. anyways, I think I srewed up a few missions.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: muttoneer on August 22, 2006, 10:27:22 pm
That's really funny. I always use the Artemis D.H. in the King's Gambit mission and the following bombing runs. I always thought it was better... Guess that shows me I can't believe everything I read. Oh well, at least black goes with everything.  ::)

I still find it hard to believe... I mean, it says it... :(
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Mars on August 22, 2006, 11:15:57 pm
Use the Medusa for Kings Gambit, that way if a stray AAA shot catches you, you won't get 50% hull integrety
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Charismatic on August 22, 2006, 11:57:13 pm
I honestly beleive I have never flown a Artemis D. H., in a serious mission. I may have flown it whilst messing around, but never when I flew a serious mission.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: OMFG PWNT on August 23, 2006, 01:48:57 am
terran bomber ranking (from best to worst):

boanerges
artemis dh
ursa
artemis
medusa
zeus

so use a boanerges whenever you can
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Wanderer on August 23, 2006, 01:58:23 am
Hmm... IMO Boanerges in defenceless coffin armed with pea shooter... I would rather take Medusa or Artemis
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: FireCrack on August 23, 2006, 04:18:54 am
^Agreed I'd take the ursa over the boanerges any day (and I do in "Slaying Ravana")
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Fergus on August 23, 2006, 06:40:04 am
That's really funny. I always use the Artemis D.H. in the King's Gambit mission and the following bombing runs. I always thought it was better

It's amazing how much difference a change of colour will do to a ship, would the Orion be as mighty if it was painted a nice shade of beige?
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Freespace Freak on August 23, 2006, 07:07:30 am
I wonder, was it that :v: forgot to change the stats of the D.H. to make it more maneuverable, or did the forget to change the stats of the Artemis regular to make it less maneuverable.  Karajorma?  Thoughts?
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Kie99 on August 23, 2006, 07:14:59 am
terran bomber ranking (from best to worst):

boanerges
artemis dh
ursa
artemis
medusa
zeus

so use a boanerges whenever you can

How is the Ursa inferior to the Artemis DH but superior to the Artemis when the Artemis and Artemis DH are identical in everything except paint job?

I personally always take an Ursa and have my Wingmen cover me.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: karajorma on August 23, 2006, 07:24:06 am
I wonder, was it that :v: forgot to change the stats of the D.H. to make it more maneuverable, or did the forget to change the stats of the Artemis regular to make it less maneuverable.  Karajorma?  Thoughts?

Hard to tell since I haven't looked at the tables in any detail. I suppose you could compare the manouverability of the bombers against each other and decide :)
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Freespace Freak on August 23, 2006, 07:56:54 am
That was exactly what I was thinking.  Hmmm, how to do this.  I guess I could make a generic fred mission with nothing in it, but just have all of the fighters and bombers on the 'list.'  I'd compile a list of all of them putting the ones that say manueverability=low (which I think the Artemis is on) on one list, and the ones that say manueverability=medium (which I think the Artemis D.H. is on) and then compare the values of these in the table.  The ones that have maneuverability=low will have a particular set of values, while the ones that have maneuverability=medium will have another.  I'll compare these with the Artemis' values and I'll be able to tell if the Artemis has medium or low manueverability. 

If it is low, then I could make a simple table edit that has the D.H. as being adjusted so that it has a medium maneuverability.  This won't affect balance since only Alpha wing has these, usually, and the D.H. isn't more powerful just more capable of surviving a dogfight.  If the Artemis has already medium maneuverability I won't do anything because nobody wants a more sluggish bomber.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Mathwiz6 on August 23, 2006, 09:17:22 am
Boanerges = suck.

They have 2 gun mounts, no turrets, same armour/manu as ursa (approx, haven't read tables)

They are even more defenseless than the ursa, the only advantage is they have big payloads.

And they never make it to their targets anyway, because they cannot kill fighters. An ursa sort of can.
Title: Re: Does anyone NOT play the loops?
Post by: Snail on August 23, 2006, 04:15:55 pm
The Boanerges is a coffin.

Artemis Maneuverability: Poor
Artemis D.H. Maneuverability: Average