Plowing through the Palan missions

[z30]

Didn't have time or energy to play during the week, too much blasted work not enough relaxation time

Anyway, I'd like to share some tactics are proving useful in the Palan missions specially if your ride isn't a Centurion.

1. Hire wingmen. Hire them before you walk into the bar to get the next new mission from Lynn Murphy. If you hire them after, by the time you get to Palan with your wingmen in tow often nothing happens, the Hunters never show up.

2. Never autonavigate directly to Palan, autonavigate to the nearby Asteroid field then cruise on from there to the planet. Autonavigating directly to the planet puts you right in the middle of the Hunter swarm, with no way to outrun them and no way to win.

3. The minute you spot the Hunters (~30-40K from Palan), sic your wingmen on the first one you target then turn tail and run . When you're some distance away from the main pack turn back and destroy the leading Hunter (which should be heavily damaged by this time).

Pick them off one at a time, they'll be distracted by your wingmen (or by friendly Kilrathi's).

Use proton torpdoes btw, since (unlike the Ox 3 mission) they're gunning for you , a couple of torps fired towards an attacking Hunter means a quick kill.

Taunt them if you can so your Turret AI will fire on them.

I was lucky with the first mission because several Kilrathi's tangled with the first wave of Demons, assist the cats if you can to finish the bogeys more quickly.

[z30]

Just finished the Palan 2 mission. Got lucky again on the nth time, had Kilrathi around the Palan area again - good thing for me because I somehow lost 2 of the 3 wingmen I hired on the way.

I kept Palan to the extreme right of my screen and later on to the leading left edge of my left cockpit view (F3). This will keep you on an oblique path to the planet and will greatly increase your chances of hitting the leading edge of the Hunter Centurion swarm instead of the center.

When engaging, think like a Demon pilot. Afterburn in, salvo with hull/turret/missiles then afterburn out, gain distance, shelton u-turn then repeat. Don't dogfight while there are still enough Centurions to concentrate on you (>2) and blow your ship to hell in a few seconds.

This also gives your wingmen/Kilrathi's enough time to build threat so the Hunter pilots tend to concentrate on them.

[Spaceman Spiff]

As it seems, I posted in the wrong thread but here it is again:

I'll never get... Ok... Ox 3 is hard because you have to defend an other ship put palan 3 is apiece of cake with the right strategy. All you need is time.
Best thing to do is a hit and run strategy, like a hawk does. As long as you are far enough away (meaning out of weapon range) you select one target. Then you hunt towards the swarm, giving sustained fire. When you reach the swarm hunt towards your selected target. As soon as it starts to do a sheldon slide, let the afterburner go and you'll slow down. The enemy vessel will turn in front of you and you got it's rear. Finish it with tho or three well aimed full bursts and then you run away until you are out of weapons range and your shield a regenerated. Do this for every single ship! It'll take time, but's the best strategy to do this without some silly "land-repair-start-again-or-hack-torpedos" cheat.

It works even better against Dralthi. For example in the last Rygannon missions...

[z30]

It works even better against Dralthi. For example in the last Rygannon missions...

I'm seriously thinking of giving in and getting a Centurion, the Gal has been wonderful so far and hasn't failed me yet. But the Demon's 400kph speed advantage is a hell of a thing to counter, specially since there are several of them.

Thanks for the tips!

[micheal_andreas_stahl]

NOOO!!! Don't do it from my experience the demon is a much better craft. HMMM, May be this post is a little late

[Privateer Ferrius]

I prefer a Centurion. More combat capable.

[Vandrvekn]

>>NOOO!!! Don't do it from my experience the demon is a much better craft. HMMM, May be this post is a little late <<


You can't buy a Demon until after the Palan missions, so they're not much use in getting through it.

You can get a Demon before Palan, but only by buying a Drayman with a tractor beam and grabbing one, which is easier said than done.

[micheal_andreas_stahl]

Then can you tell me how i have been flying one for most of the game. i got it just after finishing Talya's missions. I find the demon more manuverable, but i miss the Plasma tail gun that i have on my Centurion. i have not used it for such a long time it must be rusting in the shed.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Then can you tell me how i have been flying one for most of the game. i got it just after finishing Talya's missions. I find the demon more manuverable, but i miss the Plasma tail gun that i have on my Centurion. i have not used it for such a long time it must be rusting in the shed.

Which version do you use?

[micheal_andreas_stahl]

Version??? Ummm???
I have no clue. But i did it has got me thinking. when i started playing the game Demons were there but just cost to much, so i raised the money and bought one. BUT, i had been in the mercenary guild for a long time.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I am jsut asking, because Demons where available in the earlier versions of the game a lot sooner. Maybe you wanna downlaod a patch from the Homepage. Link is in the Library.

[micheal_andreas_stahl]

Hmm, version 1.0. i think.

What is this patch for?

I really don't want a Demon or a Centurion anymore. i managed to tractor up a Stilleto.

How come my Broadsword can only have one turret? It has three places to fit them? this one is Milspec. has to be because i STOLE it.

[ijuin]

You can not add or remove many of the systems in a Milspec vessel--they are part of the package. A Milspec vessel will never be as good as a maxed-out customized one, but is cheaper to acquire.

[Bengol]

I bougth a drayman and captured some kilrathri, sold them, made some money, and then captured a Gothri, with the money i got selling catships i maxed it out and hired some wingmen, in my opninion its the best way to win palan

To get near palan and kill the centurios and demons i did as the first topic says.

[micheal_andreas_stahl]

Or you could just use a Drayman! With Demon wingmen! Arm it with two tractor beams and release anything that you suck up!

[Spaceman Spiff]

Or you could just use a Drayman! With Demon wingmen! Arm it with two tractor beams and release anything that you suck up!

Yes, this works fine, but if you do it too long, it isn't fun anymore...
Besides, those tractored vessels don't count as destroyed targets...

[micheal_andreas_stahl]

Oh just go to Eden then!