[Christopherger]

Can recomendations be made as to finding the best
sources for the authentic Canon of the FreeSpace Universe?

I have found the FS Bible, and also the Manual for FS2, are
there other suggestions and sources for a learning of
the vitals, and history and backstory and what is needed to
be known?  I would like to gain as much detailed knowledge
as possible. Thanks in advance for any help with this.

[Taristin]

Read the wiki. Ignore anything user made. If it's a campaign hosted here, or for DL here, it's not canon.

[CP5670]

Aside from the obvious ones, these are some useful sources:
command briefing animations (particularly for FS2)
all messages and debriefing stages (there are several that you won't generally see when playing the missions)
multiplayer missions (a lot of people miss this one)
voice files (occasionally it happens that some unused voice file has info in it)
my ship database on the wiki

[Christopherger]

Thank you both, I will seek info as indicated. I wanted to inquire, will it spoil anyting for me to do this research BEFORE playing through the game, or is it ok to do the background study? I like to experience things as the orginal designers intended, though I certainly do want to learn all eventually. Just did not want to ruin the game play if those of you who are masters of all of this think it might be good to wait.

[CP5670]

Oh, you should definitely play through the game before reading any of that. I thought you were looking for material to be used in your own missions, fan fiction or something like that. All the stuff I listed earlier is full of spoilers.

Before playing the game, I think the only thing that's worth reading is the stuff in the tech room intelligence section.

[Nuclear1]

Before playing the game, I think the only thing that's worth reading is the stuff in the tech room intelligence section.

I've spent many hours reading through that section. A lot of it is campaign story gold, while the rest of it is just interesting to read. Read the Tech Room entries for the ships as well: some of them explain the historical details behind each ship and hide random bits of trivia (such as the fact that only two dozen Aeolus cruisers were ever made).

[Eishtmo]

Canon is the two games (FS1 and FS2) including all mission briefings, tech room specs, cutscenes, and table entries, the expansion pack (Silent Threat, original), multiplayer campaign for FS2 (Operation Templar), and the Freespace Reference Bible, in that order.  The only other thing that qualifies as canon are statements made by the developers, but as the original text of most of that has gone the way of the dodo, those can't be completely relied on.

Eventually, the Wiki will have it all laid out for you in a nice, readable form.  Until then, you'll have to hunt and peck your way through.

[NGTM-1R]

Read the wiki. Ignore anything user made. If it's a campaign hosted here, or for DL here, it's not canon.

Like the Port? Or Selectah's rebuilt multi missions for single?  

[WMCoolmon]

Eventually, the Wiki will have it all laid out for you in a nice, readable form.  Until then, you'll have to hunt and peck your way through.

Of course you are welcome to put it in the wiki yourself, that's what a wiki is for

But play through the campaigns first, it's much better that way.

[Christopherger]

Thank you all so much for replying I was slow in answering as I am now just beginning training, I have a LOT to learn....I will be careful NOT to spoil things and play through the games first, thanks so much for that warning. I am eager to learn learn all I can for I have always enjoyed the specs of history in naval matters and have endless patience in learning ship types, characteristics, armament, etc. and love the trivia. This is my entry into Space navies though as my past experince has been wet ones. Thanks again for all the pointers and help. I will commence the brain work along with the pilot training.  There are a LOT of keyboard commands to learn as I dont have a joystick!

[bfobar]

Before playing the game, I think the only thing that's worth reading is the stuff in the tech room intelligence section.

I've spent many hours reading through that section. A lot of it is campaign story gold, while the rest of it is just interesting to read. Read the Tech Room entries for the ships as well: some of them explain the historical details behind each ship and hide random bits of trivia (such as the fact that only two dozen Aeolus cruisers were ever made).

Which is funny since my pilot has 13 aeolus kills in his lifetime stats. I remember reading that in the tech room and thinking, "What idiot cancelled that project? Those things are dynamite!"

[Mental Menace]

What's really funny is when you check the Wiki on the Hercules it says the following:
Veteran Comments

I would say this is an okay fighter during the first Great War, but during FS2, it has become out-dated. It has six gun-points, so it has reasonable firepower, but that firepower is offset by it's slow speed and 'blockiness'. During FS1, it was a decent fighter, but it has been replaced by the GTF Hercules Mark II and the GTF Myrmidon in FS2. I like this a little better than the newer GTF Hercules Mark II, because of its firepower, but there is almost always a better ship too use in FS2.

An OKAY fighter?? Agreed, in FS2 many more craft came with six gun-points so he's right on that one. But in FS1 it was the only flyable ship with this kind of firepower, not to mention it's ability to carry almost every weapon and an energy output that didn't require you to sacrifice shield and power just to keep your guns firing. But of course, he is a veteran...

[TrashMan]

Which is funny since my pilot has 13 aeolus kills in his lifetime stats. I remember reading that in the tech room and thinking, "What idiot cancelled that project? Those things are dynamite!"

Command...who else?

[karajorma]

The Aeolus was good but the Deimos was better and Command figured it was better to have 2 Deimoses than 3-4 Aeoluses.

Can't really blame them.

[Akalamanaia]

Aeolus was the perfect escort cruiser for capitals or freighters or other stuff that miss anti-fighter power, or the hull intengrity to withstand a fighter attack inside GTVA secured systems, while the Deimos is more suited for frontline duty imo.

[karajorma]

It was perfect in military terms but in economic terms it was a bust. It simply cost far too much for a ship that didn't have the front line capabilities of the Deimos.

By spending the money on more Deimoses Command ensured that they had a lot of them when they needed them as opposed to having Aeoluses which wouldn't have been anywhere near as useful.

Try imagining "Clash of the Titans II" but with a pair of corvettes instead of the three Aeoluses. Reckon it would have been as hard to protect the Bastion?

[Shade]

Certainly would've been easier, but mainly due to the corvettes being able to take more hits than due to their greater armament (which isn't that much greater for anti-fighter work). As I recall, the shivans focus their fire mostly on the escorts. From a pure escort standpoint though, where the enemy actually focused on their intended target, I think I'd actually prefer to have the 3 Aeolus cruisers backing me up for better all round coverage.

It's just a pity that their twin SGreens are useless against anything that can shoot back, which is the real reason the Deimos is such a far better choice in the long run.

[Goober5000]

Shade's got it.  COTTII isn't a fair comparison IMHO, because the Shivans ignored the Bastion until the escorts were down.

There are many situations where an Aeolus really shines -- guarding a cargo depot is one example.  Try destroying (or even scanning) a dozen cargo containers with only a wing of fighters when there's an Aeolus plopped right in the center.

[karajorma]

Shade's got it.  COTTII isn't a fair comparison IMHO, because the Shivans ignored the Bastion until the escorts were down.

There are many situations where an Aeolus really shines -- guarding a cargo depot is one example.  Try destroying (or even scanning) a dozen cargo containers with only a wing of fighters when there's an Aeolus plopped right in the center.

No one disputes the Aeoluses abilities. It's a great ship. Best cruiser in the game (with the exception of the Lilith depending on the mission). Point is that I don't think Command were necessarily foolish to cancel production in favour of the Deimos.

Now if they had cancelled production in order to bring back the Fenris class that's another matter

[BlackDove]

Aeolus is a defective ship. The weak hull plating makes it more or less useless, but what makes it an overkill of uselessness is the fact that its turrets are all more or less easy to take down, considering they're concentrated closely on any array you might be facing.

The ship itself needs cover, otherwise anyone who knows anything is just going to disarm it and then nuke it. That makes the cargo depot easy to scan. Easily disarmable.

However, when an Aeolus is "guarding" a bigger ship (which is in effect guarding the Aeolus, but then it turns into a symbiotic relationship), even if it's just the Deimos going with one hand in hand, then it makes a good addition to various defence strategies.

Deimos however is vastly superior if only for the hull plating, size and arrangment of turrets.

(and actually, I value Fenris' bastard brother Leviathan far more than an Aeolus).