[Otrant]

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.

[Goober5000]

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.

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.

[Otrant]

Awesome, thank you sir for your prompt and succinct reponse!

Back to lighting up some Shivans I go.

[Goober5000]

You're welcome.

By the way, how did you hear about HLP?

[Otrant]

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.

[Charismatic]

Welcome to our world!

[WMCoolmon]

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.

[Prophet]

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.

[Charismatic]

Cheatin, yella belly. Do it like your susposed to, or whats the fun in that hard mission?

[Cobra]

he didn't say he was cheating, Ephili. He just said he flies in a straight line.

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.

[Roanoke]

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.

[Charismatic]

he didn't say he was cheating, Ephili. He just said he flies in a straight line.

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.

[Dan1]

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.

[Cobra]

he didn't say he was cheating, Ephili. He just said he flies in a straight line.

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.

[Kie99]

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?

[Cobra]

ah, i see. I guess i got a little confused when ephili only stated that flying in a straight line was cheating. thanks.

[TrashMan]

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 

[bfobar]

B.t.w. - we all know which mission he will be facing next guys 

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?

[Solatar]

Nah, it's a right of passage into the community.

[Charismatic]

he didn't say he was cheating, Ephili. He just said he flies in a straight line.

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.

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  *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

I dont. What mission?