Tafel scourge

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FindingKarma
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2012 9:46 am

Tafel scourge

Post by FindingKarma »

It's been so long since I've played the original starflight perhaps it really was this difficult. However, I'm failing to understand why ships that scan as moderately easy are in reality so tough. The first issue is that I cannot see the Tafel ships for the majority of the fight as they are offscreen yet they are able to not only see me but to fire rather accurately. After 10 or so failed encounters I finally figured out how to fly in a trajectory that allows me to generally get close enough to them to actually shoot back and often enough kill them. However for this to work I at most can have two enemy ships in the encounter. Any more than that is a cluster*&#@ that I am completely unable to deal with. So anyway after finally figuring out how to kill (some) of the Tafel ships I've yet to see the item I need and so far I've killed 5-6. Granted it's most likely too soon to really have an issue with this but I'm at this point unable to figure out why space combat is this bad. Would zooming the area of view out further not help so as to allow me to actually see the enemy ships without having to get so close to them? Additionally why do enemy ships fire a constant barrage of missiles? It can be quite hilarious seeing two endless streams of missiles flying past me while fighting two ships but when I run into a fleet it's absolute mayhem for about 3 seconds. Perhaps this is just the amount of realism required to mimic the original starflight but it seems to me as if a couple minor adjustments could really make the space combat much more fun and in turn the game much more fun. Up to now I'm having a ton of fun plundering planets but the thought of more combat missions really has me soured on this game.

In any case I just found this game yesterday but I have perused the entirety of the Release version forums and don't see much in the way of useful information in this regard. Thank you for remaking a wonderful game.
FindingKarma
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2012 9:46 am

Re: Tafel scourge

Post by FindingKarma »

I would also like to add that several of the Tafel ships have continued firing while flying away from me. I continue on a path toward them and they are at the very least keeping distance if not actually increasing the distance and the entire time they continue to fire a steady barrage of missiles.
FindingKarma
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2012 9:46 am

Re: Tafel scourge

Post by FindingKarma »

At this point I've killed somewhere around 15 Tafel ships and have only seen minerals or powerups drop. The powerups appear to do nothing as a hull powerup doesn't repair my hull and doesn't add an item to my cargo hold. That being said perhaps it temporarily raises hull defense in some way but very confusing nonetheless. In any case I haven't been able to complete this mission and unfortunately the inherently poor space combat I'm currently experiencing is really turning me off this game at this point. I'm really afraid that future space combat is going to be more of what I'm experiencing now and I've no wish to go through more of this. I'm not talking about the difficulty in finding the required mission item but rather the pointlessness of space combat against ships I can't see to fire on who can continually fire on me. Granted using the mini map I can somewhat tell where they are and additionally pointing my return fire towards where there's is apparently coming from has netted me a couple kills. Unfortunately that's just not enough.

I had very high hopes for this game but as of now I'm definitely saddened by the way it's working out. I'm really wondering if perhaps my inability to catch the Tafel ships on a flyby has something to do with my current cargo. I've got all 16 cargo holds as I couldn't see a reason not to and have upgraded my engines to level 3. I found a nice planet in the Tafel region to scrounge up some much needed cash so I will give it one more try empty of cargo in addition to selling of most of my cargo holds. Maybe this will solve my issues.

I've attempted to locate an copy of the original starflight to see just how the space combat works but apparently it's been re-released and is now for sale (granted only $5.99 for both I and II) but reading the posts the one that actually states to have bought the game also states that the fonts are completely unreadable and therefore the game is really unplayable.
DBG719
Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:40 pm

Re: Tafel scourge

Post by DBG719 »

You sound disappointed. When you enter combat with a race and you destroy a ship, it drops debris on a random basis. Sometimes you get lucky and find what you are looking for on the first kill and sometimes it may take many kills like you are experiencing. Also the different races have different degrees in difficulty in achieving a kill. This is part of the game.

Before you become so frustrated that you abandon the game all together, try advancing to the next quest and play on. You can advance to the next quest while you are in the starport briefing room by depressing the F10 key.

Hope it gets better for you because there is a lot of good things to come in the game.
chippy-61
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Oct 14, 2012 5:26 am

Re: Tafel scourge

Post by chippy-61 »

FindingKarma wrote:I would also like to add that several of the Tafel ships have continued firing while flying away from me. I continue on a path toward them and they are at the very least keeping distance if not actually increasing the distance and the entire time they continue to fire a steady barrage of missiles.
Hi FindingKarma,

If you drop your shields,disarm your weapons and make your ship stationery the Tafel ships will often stop runnning and instead come back after you.Once they are close enough simply re arm your weapons,Raise shields and you are ready again.

The ships firing on you that you cannot see can be killed by listening to the impact sound of your missiles.A diiferant sound is made when your shots are impacting on alien craft as opposed to missing them.Hope this helps and good luck.
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BlackTriad
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:57 pm

Re: Tafel scourge

Post by BlackTriad »

The combat is workable with difficulty but it is in no way fun like it was in the original Starflight or SF 2. The enemy ships always out pace you and keep their distance while they fire deadly accurate missles and if you do manage to get close their lasers are even more deadly accurate and make real quick work of your hull. They are able to point the front of their vessel in any direction instantly while the player is handicapped by the combat physics applied. Even if you do get the upper hand the enemy just flies to the edge of the combat zone out of your reach and if you try to follow them you just get your ship stuck on the edge of the combat zone unable to move for 10 to 15 seconds while they pound you with missles from the beyond.

The way weapons, combat, and motion works in this game needs a total rework. It does not need to be a cakewalk like in the original games but this is just horrible.

EDIT:
I would like to add that I am now on the mission in the military profession where you must destroy Minex ships until you get an artifact drop from them just after the mission where you invade Minex space and retrieve an artifact for study. Their fleets are always huge and their lightning fast missles destroy my ship in about THREE hits. Killing even ONE Minex ship is simply impossible unless you use the first contact situation (Where they don't immediately fire on you) to get the laser jump on a single ship before the rest of the fleet makes super quick work of your vessel. Even this is near impossible because during this first encounter before communications and before the first shot is fired they are all flying away from you at FAR faster than your ship can fly. Yes my military Vessel is equipped with max components- Class 4 Engines, Shields, Armor (Curious Choice For a Military Vessel), and Class 6 Lasers and Missles. I have not been able to more than slighly damage a single Minex Vessel so I have given up on this game unless or until it is fixed.
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Steve
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Re: Tafel scourge

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