Author Topic: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius  (Read 438248 times)

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
It took me long enough to work my way through the campaign, but I was hooked on it from the first moment. The feeling of shininess (for lack of a better word) is all over this campaign. The cutscenes add a depth to it that isn't there in alot of others. Also, the new music is as hyped, incredible, I especially love the music for when the
Spoiler:
Sathanas goes down.

Honestly, I didn't beat Keepers of Hell, I keep wondering what I did wrong in going through it but I couldn't beat it. Maybe its a technique issue, maybe not. Either way, Blue Planet is the best campaign I've played in a long time, a long time.

Wonderful work, to creator, and to everyone who created models, music, and anything that was used in this campaign.

 
Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
As to Keepers of Hell, what I liked to do was sic all the friendly fighters on guarding the Keeper, then run around to the Ravanas, disable beams, run to Liliths, disable beams. With full power to engines it goes a bit faster. And the fighter you are provided with can easily mow down any Shivan fighters you run into. :D

I can consistently win with this strategy, though the Keeper usually has something like 10% health left when I'm done. :blah:
"You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?" -DEATH, Discworld

"You can fight like a krogan, run like a leopard, but you'll never be better than Commander Shepard!"

 

Offline Jeff Vader

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
True that. The first time I was playing the mission I really goofed up since I didn't take into consideration that those were Liliths. I ignored them and went after the Molochs. That is generally known as a bad idea.

But using the same strategy as you, I also passed the mission, even though the Keeper is seriously on the verge of destruction at the end.
23:40 < achillion > EveningTea: ass
23:40 < achillion > wait no
23:40 < achillion > evilbagel: ass
23:40 < EveningTea > ?
23:40 < achillion > 2-letter tab complete failure

14:08 < achillion > there's too much talk of butts and dongs in here
14:08 < achillion > the level of discourse has really plummeted
14:08 < achillion > Let's talk about politics instead
14:08 <@The_E > butts and dongs are part of #hard-light's brand now
14:08 <@The_E > well
14:08 <@The_E > EvilBagel's brand, at least

01:06 < T-Rog > welp
01:07 < T-Rog > I've got to take some very strong antibiotics
01:07 < achillion > penis infection?
01:08 < T-Rog > Chlamydia
01:08 < achillion > O.o
01:09 < achillion > well
01:09 < achillion > I guess that happens
01:09 < T-Rog > at least it's curable
01:09 < achillion > yeah
01:10 < T-Rog > I take it you weren't actually expecting it to be a penis infection
01:10 < achillion > I was not

14:04 < achillion > Sometimes the way to simplify is to just have a habit and not think about it too much
14:05 < achillion > until stuff explodes
14:05 < achillion > then you start thinking about it

22:16 < T-Rog > I don't know how my gf would feel about Jewish conspiracy porn

15:41 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
15:47 < EvilBagel> butt
15:51 < Achillion> yes
15:53 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has quit [Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client]

18:53 < Achillion> Dicks are fun

21:41 < MatthTheGeek> you can't spell assassin without two asses

20:05 < sigtau> i'm mining titcoins from now on

00:31 < oldlaptop> Drunken antisocial educated freezing hicks with good Internet == Finland stereotype

11:46 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
11:50 < achtung> Surely you've heard of DVDA
11:50 < achtung> Double Vaginal Double ANal
11:51 < Kobrar> ...
11:51 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has left #hard-light []

 
Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
Except my guys keep getting consistently wasted by the Maras. I can generally plow through the fighters, provided I give them all individual attack orders, but Vishnu wing catches up and does a number. Hmm... something to try anyway I guess.

 

Offline MP-Ryan

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
Except my guys keep getting consistently wasted by the Maras. I can generally plow through the fighters, provided I give them all individual attack orders, but Vishnu wing catches up and does a number. Hmm... something to try anyway I guess.

I had the same problem.

I ended up setting all of my fighters on protecting the Keeper (and make sure you tell them to ignore the Ravanas), and then taking a Missionary myself and dodging the Maras to beat the snot out the Ravana beam cannons.  Then you whip around and crank your engines back to one Lilith while sending your "bombers" after the other one.  You'll meet the Mara mess halfway back to your Keeper, so you either need to keep your engines maxed and evade until they get within range of the Keeper's defenses, or engage them.  Trouble is, by that point there's at least 8 Maras after you so trying to shoot them down individually is pretty much suicidal.

Generally, I found it was better to mop up the Maras after the various beam threats were wiped out, and do it in close proximity to the Keeper.
"In the beginning, the Universe was created.  This made a lot of people very angry and has widely been regarded as a bad move."  [Douglas Adams]

 

Offline Hellstryker

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
8 maras is nothing... 8 dragons would be somthing to piss your pants about though  :p

 

Offline Cobra

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
You mean in like mission 3? :P

I had 10% integrity left after that, but I'm using a keyboard until I get my x52 back from Saitek. It's not half bad, really. I can do some crazy **** with my fingers to do crazy rolls 'n stuff.
To consider the Earth as the only populated world in infinite space is as absurd as to assert that in an entire field of millet, only one grain will grow. - Metrodorus of Chios
I wept. Mysterious forces beyond my ken had reached into my beautiful mission and energized its pilots with inhuman bomb-firing abilities. I could only imagine the GTVA warriors giving a mighty KIAAIIIIIII shout as they worked their triggers, their biceps bulging with sinew after years of Ivan Drago-esque steroid therapy and weight training. - General Battuta

 

Offline Hellstryker

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
I was using a keyboard too. and i made it back at 39 percent  :doubt:

 

Offline Objekt

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
Still can't finish "Forced Entry."  Knocking off the two cruisers and keeping the Duke - and other ships - alive isn't the problem.  The problem is that a Shivan destroyer shows up right behind Temrarie (or however you spell it) and toasts it.  I've tried every stinking tactic I can, including shooting off its beam turrets with Stiletto IIs.  But there's simply no way I can get there in time to keep it from frying the T.  My wingmen certainly aren't going to get there any faster (and don't).  What's the secret?

 
Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
You sure you're shooting the right beams? I think the front two and maybe the two on the big spines near the aft of the Ravana are the ones to annihilate.

If you're stopping to shoot at some fighters along the way, don't. Order wingmen to guard you if it's a problem; they're not going to be of any help anyway.

If it's getting there that's the problem... divert all power to engines. Then hit Alt-D when in range to re-equalize everything.
"You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?" -DEATH, Discworld

"You can fight like a krogan, run like a leopard, but you'll never be better than Commander Shepard!"

 

Offline Hellstryker

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
just go there as soon as the T jumps in. dont wait for the destroyer to come

 

Offline Mad Bomber

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
You should be in an Aurora or something faster, with one bank full of Trebuchets (the other with Harpoons of course). Stay about 3-6km away from the portal once the initial Rakshasas are down; you don't need to get any closer once the Duke and Bretonia have gone through.

Delta and Sanc-Beta are helpful when that Lilith shows up. So are Maxims, for that matter, but I don't remember offhand if you can get them in that mission.

As soon as the Temeraire shows up, go full burn for it, and then completely past it. (If you have enough time to sidetrack a little, you can take out a Seraphim as you fly by.)

Double fire Trebs at one Ravana forward beam, then at the other. One pair each ought to do it (unless you have terrible luck) but keep burning towards the Ravana anyways, so you can finish off the turrets just in case. Standard Prom-S/Balor guns ought to be enough to take out the SReds on top.

After that, you can just burn back to the Temeraire and let its anti-cap torpedoes take care of the Ravana. Feel free to shoot up a Basilisk or two on the way. :)
« Last Edit: December 02, 2007, 12:13:20 am by Mad Bomber »
"What the hell!? I've got a Snuffleupagus on my scanners! The Snuffleupagus is active!"

 

Offline azile0

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
I Finned it. (Late, I know) I loved it.

Spoiler:
I hope you tie in the Vishnans, and more importantly, Eriana, or her Descendants.
You get one chocolate chip.

. <--- There it is.

Self-proclaimed master of the Keypad.

 

Offline Objekt

  • 27
Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
Something really nasty happened to my SCP install lately.  I get really, really crappy performance, no matter what the mod, anytime I use the media vps.  See this thread for more info:

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,50718.0.html

I first noticed it when playing Blue Planet. 

I've exhausted the easier options, so the next thing I'm going to try is a fresh download & reinstall via Turey's installer.  That will take a while, but it may fix the problem.  My current SCP install is SCP over retail FS2, plus a zillion customizations (HTL Apollo, Lightspeeds nebulae, et al), so I can't be sure what's causing the problem until and unless I try a reinstall.

 

Offline Jeff Vader

  • The Back of the Hero!
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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
I wouldn't call my experiences severe, but I also sometimes get some lag. It is usually caused by either one of two options: either there are terribly many ships in the scene, or someone has been applying too many LightSpeed's Nebulae in the background. Some Blue Planet missions have quite a few ships -> lag. The version of Into the Lion's Den that takes full advantage of LS Nebulae, having virtually no black space visible -> lag.
23:40 < achillion > EveningTea: ass
23:40 < achillion > wait no
23:40 < achillion > evilbagel: ass
23:40 < EveningTea > ?
23:40 < achillion > 2-letter tab complete failure

14:08 < achillion > there's too much talk of butts and dongs in here
14:08 < achillion > the level of discourse has really plummeted
14:08 < achillion > Let's talk about politics instead
14:08 <@The_E > butts and dongs are part of #hard-light's brand now
14:08 <@The_E > well
14:08 <@The_E > EvilBagel's brand, at least

01:06 < T-Rog > welp
01:07 < T-Rog > I've got to take some very strong antibiotics
01:07 < achillion > penis infection?
01:08 < T-Rog > Chlamydia
01:08 < achillion > O.o
01:09 < achillion > well
01:09 < achillion > I guess that happens
01:09 < T-Rog > at least it's curable
01:09 < achillion > yeah
01:10 < T-Rog > I take it you weren't actually expecting it to be a penis infection
01:10 < achillion > I was not

14:04 < achillion > Sometimes the way to simplify is to just have a habit and not think about it too much
14:05 < achillion > until stuff explodes
14:05 < achillion > then you start thinking about it

22:16 < T-Rog > I don't know how my gf would feel about Jewish conspiracy porn

15:41 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
15:47 < EvilBagel> butt
15:51 < Achillion> yes
15:53 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has quit [Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client]

18:53 < Achillion> Dicks are fun

21:41 < MatthTheGeek> you can't spell assassin without two asses

20:05 < sigtau> i'm mining titcoins from now on

00:31 < oldlaptop> Drunken antisocial educated freezing hicks with good Internet == Finland stereotype

11:46 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
11:50 < achtung> Surely you've heard of DVDA
11:50 < achtung> Double Vaginal Double ANal
11:51 < Kobrar> ...
11:51 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has left #hard-light []

 
Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
Still can't finish "Forced Entry."  Knocking off the two cruisers and keeping the Duke - and other ships - alive isn't the problem.  The problem is that a Shivan destroyer shows up right behind Temrarie (or however you spell it) and toasts it.  I've tried every stinking tactic I can, including shooting off its beam turrets with Stiletto IIs.  But there's simply no way I can get there in time to keep it from frying the T.  My wingmen certainly aren't going to get there any faster (and don't).  What's the secret?

As much as I love the Balor, I ended up dropping it in this mission in favor of a maxim and trebuchets. You need the range to pick off those turrets, especially the Trebuchets. And of course, don't stop racing for it to fight, but that's been said.

 

Offline Herra Tohtori

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
You should be in an Aurora or something faster, with one bank full of Trebuchets (the other with Harpoons of course). Stay about 3-6km away from the portal once the initial Rakshasas are down; you don't need to get any closer once the Duke and Bretonia have gone through.

Delta and Sanc-Beta are helpful when that Lilith shows up. So are Maxims, for that matter, but I don't remember offhand if you can get them in that mission.

As soon as the Temeraire shows up, go full burn for it, and then completely past it. (If you have enough time to sidetrack a little, you can take out a Seraphim as you fly by.)

Double fire Trebs at one Ravana forward beam, then at the other. One pair each ought to do it (unless you have terrible luck) but keep burning towards the Ravana anyways, so you can finish off the turrets just in case. Standard Prom-S/Balor guns ought to be enough to take out the SReds on top.

After that, you can just burn back to the Temeraire and let its anti-cap torpedoes take care of the Ravana. Feel free to shoot up a Basilisk or two on the way. :)


My ship of choice for this mission was actually an Artemis with 5+8 Stiletto 2's, 8 Trebs and a Maxim.

I parked my ship at a comfortable distance from the Rakshasas, put all energy into weapons (IIRC I was playing on Medium or Easy; on harder difficulties this might not work as well because the Maxim eats so much more energy on higher difficulties - or rather your energy storage drains faster and replenishes slower), then started firing at one of them while targeting enemy fighters and ordering all wingmen to attack the fighter targeted until it died, then targeted next fighter, ordered wingmen to destroye it et cetera, all the while firing the Maxim at the Rakshasa. When all the enemy fighters were down, I ordered the wingmen to attack the Rakshasas as well, at this point the first one usually had about 20-30 hull left from my Maxim so it went down pretty soon, and then ordered wingmen to attack the other as well, starting from any beam turrets of course.

Then (if I remember correctly) it was just a case of taking care of Lilith's beams with Trebs and/or Maxim, ordering wingmen to destroy any bombers (and use any of my own remainging Trebs on bombers as well) and fighters attacking the ships, and in the end blast towards Temeraire and behind it and use the Stilettos to destroy the beams. I find Stilettos better against turrets than Trebs, mainly because you don't need lock to fire them and they too have quite a big range.

The only problem with this tactic is that with Artemis' single primary bank you have no real offensive capacity against shielded enemy targets when you go out with a Maxim only, but I didn't have much problems with that, the wingmen were quite efficient at killing enemy fighters.

The most difficult thing seems to be getting the correct beam turrets targeted from the Ravana, they are a ***** to go through... :ick:
There are three things that last forever: Abort, Retry, Fail - and the greatest of these is Fail.

 

Offline blowfish

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
The most difficult thing seems to be getting the correct beam turrets targeted from the Ravana, they are a ***** to go through... :ick:

Use the "Target Subsytem in Reticle" control (by default the V key) it saves lots of time.

This campaign does weird things to me.  Firstly, no matter how many patches I download, the HRed still does not have its glow, and after playing a standalone mission I created, I discovered it does the same thing to the BVas beam.  Also all missile launchers appear as beam turrets when you target them.  I have no idea where these problems are coming from, and they have never appeared before for me.

Other than that, this is by far one of the best campaigns I have ever played.  The music is amazing.  I was surprised that you managed to finish this alone in 10 months, while other mods are struggling to make progress within our lifetimes.

  

Offline Hellstryker

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
Its called not having a life, somthing we nerds are quite proud of  :p

 

Offline azile0

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Re: RELEASE - Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius
My life was long lost, to Freespace and Counter Strike.
You get one chocolate chip.

. <--- There it is.

Self-proclaimed master of the Keypad.