Finally beat level 11
First Officer's Log, Stardate (time of forum post):
After some promising runs on difficulties 9 and 10, without too much damage to the Artemis, our two-man skeleton crew embarked on the most difficult single front, very interesting, invasion mode available to a USFP dreadnought. Though grossly outnumbered and outgunned, we have survived to fight another day, thanks to quick thinking and carefully planned tactical maneuvers.
The battle started out quietly enough, about twenty-five of our enemies spawned too close to mines or singularities for our actions to make any difference. Starbase DS 3 was our most exposed outpost, so as helmsman, after topping off our energy levels at DS 1, I quickly set a course to defend it. The Skaraan onslaught was swift and powerful, but we defeated a handful of their vessels, and picked up our first anomaly before they could destroy DS 3. Soon our energy and shield levels forced us into hastened retreat, to dock and refuel. DS 1 was second to fall, as we proceeded to DS 2 at accelerated warp. Within a minute of our successful dock and weapons reload, the Skaraan forces were upon us, jumping in and hammering our already damaged front shields with their barrage of beams. After another exchange of weapons fire and no end to the squads descending on our position, DS 2 and DS 4 were soon destroyed, no more than twenty minutes since the start of this nightmare of a mission.
With no coherent plan, and an ever-draining energy supply, we warped to the center of the map to gather our next anomaly, and take a moment to collect ourselves while the opposing forces closed in. Our ECM torpedoes and mines made quick work of the Kraliens, but the pesky Skaraan vessels kept cloaking or jumping every time we fired heavy weapons, and after more skirmishing that seemed to barely make a dent in their overall forces, we warped out to the southwest corner of the map, for our third anomaly, and an opportunity to strategically position ourselves behind a space monster. Torgoth drones chased us to our position, but a quick deployment of our beams eliminated their threat with more efficiency than a shield boost could grant us. Now we would wait.
The rest of the mission would have our ship in hibernation mode, with power cut to all systems but our sensors. With half of our weapons reserves depleted, and no way to replenish them (except for homing torpedoes, which we were already using as energy storage), we would lure our careless enemies into destroying themselves! After what felt like an eternity, a squad of Arvonians (or is it Argonians?) would be first to draw the attention of the space monster. Another Skaraan vessel jumped past the monster, and a pack of fighters soon drew the attention of the monster back in our direction, killing the Skaraans, but weakening our defensive stance (Space monsters kill effectively, but not quickly enough to save us). With roughly 400 units of energy and 6 homing torpedoes, we took an eastern route before cutting north to the final anomaly at A3, conveniently positioned behind two of the fully intact minefields on the map.
Our enemies that began the mission spread out across the map were now in a much tighter cluster from chasing us, and zooming in our science stations revealed only 42 remaining vessels. Another seemingly endless wait would have us see this number nearly cut in half by the minefield. After more weapons volleys, we still found ourselves outgunned, and proceeded to the southern end of an eastern asteroid field that placed us behind the final minefield and the second space monster. By now our weapons were down to 5 mines and 8 homing torpedoes (our primary energy storage), and after more waiting and scanning, the last twenty-something enemy vessels descended on the mines, to be further ambushed by the space monster. Once again, the Skaraans jumped past the fray, and we were outclassed with no front shields and now six remaining enemy vessels. Using our remaining power, we warped around the space monster, with Skaraans in tow, pounding away at our rear shields, and another 2-3 mines wiped out the remaining Kraliens. Finally, with our rear shields approaching critical damage levels, exhausting the last of our power to warp beyond the executor's heavily extended weapons range, this space monster saved the mission, finishing off our nemesis, a full 97 minutes after we embarked on this deadly campaign.
Signing off,
First Officer
Helmsman Matt "Chewy" Roberts
After some promising runs on difficulties 9 and 10, without too much damage to the Artemis, our two-man skeleton crew embarked on the most difficult single front, very interesting, invasion mode available to a USFP dreadnought. Though grossly outnumbered and outgunned, we have survived to fight another day, thanks to quick thinking and carefully planned tactical maneuvers.
The battle started out quietly enough, about twenty-five of our enemies spawned too close to mines or singularities for our actions to make any difference. Starbase DS 3 was our most exposed outpost, so as helmsman, after topping off our energy levels at DS 1, I quickly set a course to defend it. The Skaraan onslaught was swift and powerful, but we defeated a handful of their vessels, and picked up our first anomaly before they could destroy DS 3. Soon our energy and shield levels forced us into hastened retreat, to dock and refuel. DS 1 was second to fall, as we proceeded to DS 2 at accelerated warp. Within a minute of our successful dock and weapons reload, the Skaraan forces were upon us, jumping in and hammering our already damaged front shields with their barrage of beams. After another exchange of weapons fire and no end to the squads descending on our position, DS 2 and DS 4 were soon destroyed, no more than twenty minutes since the start of this nightmare of a mission.
With no coherent plan, and an ever-draining energy supply, we warped to the center of the map to gather our next anomaly, and take a moment to collect ourselves while the opposing forces closed in. Our ECM torpedoes and mines made quick work of the Kraliens, but the pesky Skaraan vessels kept cloaking or jumping every time we fired heavy weapons, and after more skirmishing that seemed to barely make a dent in their overall forces, we warped out to the southwest corner of the map, for our third anomaly, and an opportunity to strategically position ourselves behind a space monster. Torgoth drones chased us to our position, but a quick deployment of our beams eliminated their threat with more efficiency than a shield boost could grant us. Now we would wait.
The rest of the mission would have our ship in hibernation mode, with power cut to all systems but our sensors. With half of our weapons reserves depleted, and no way to replenish them (except for homing torpedoes, which we were already using as energy storage), we would lure our careless enemies into destroying themselves! After what felt like an eternity, a squad of Arvonians (or is it Argonians?) would be first to draw the attention of the space monster. Another Skaraan vessel jumped past the monster, and a pack of fighters soon drew the attention of the monster back in our direction, killing the Skaraans, but weakening our defensive stance (Space monsters kill effectively, but not quickly enough to save us). With roughly 400 units of energy and 6 homing torpedoes, we took an eastern route before cutting north to the final anomaly at A3, conveniently positioned behind two of the fully intact minefields on the map.
Our enemies that began the mission spread out across the map were now in a much tighter cluster from chasing us, and zooming in our science stations revealed only 42 remaining vessels. Another seemingly endless wait would have us see this number nearly cut in half by the minefield. After more weapons volleys, we still found ourselves outgunned, and proceeded to the southern end of an eastern asteroid field that placed us behind the final minefield and the second space monster. By now our weapons were down to 5 mines and 8 homing torpedoes (our primary energy storage), and after more waiting and scanning, the last twenty-something enemy vessels descended on the mines, to be further ambushed by the space monster. Once again, the Skaraans jumped past the fray, and we were outclassed with no front shields and now six remaining enemy vessels. Using our remaining power, we warped around the space monster, with Skaraans in tow, pounding away at our rear shields, and another 2-3 mines wiped out the remaining Kraliens. Finally, with our rear shields approaching critical damage levels, exhausting the last of our power to warp beyond the executor's heavily extended weapons range, this space monster saved the mission, finishing off our nemesis, a full 97 minutes after we embarked on this deadly campaign.
Signing off,
First Officer
Helmsman Matt "Chewy" Roberts
[Last edited Nov 05, 2012 02:24:27]
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2 replies
Nice piece of work. Loved the report.
Thanks! The importance of the Space Monster says a lot about game balance.
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton!"
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
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