My Analysis: Another ship you capture from the Kadesh, only this time you can
capture it in both of the Kadesh stages. It does have a small gun, but it's
like all other support vehicles-small and only there because it needs one. No
use for it really, except to retire for a couple hundred RUs and be that much
richer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Area 3-5: Super Capital Ships**
-Destroyer:
Cost: 1,350 RUs
Build Time: 2 minutes 30 seconds
Special Function: None
Required Technology: Super Capital Ship Drive, Ion Cannons
Excerpt: When it comes to taking down other Capital Ships, the Destroyer is a
first choice. It has twin ion cannons and two modified large turrets. With
maneuverability almost equal to a Frigate, the Destroyer is able to move around
well in combat and react quickly to changes in battle.
My Analysis: Pretty good. You should build these over Heavy Cruisers, as you
can capture the latter and they dish out more if you build 2 than 1 Heavy
Cruiser. They're also faster than one.
-Missile Destroyers:
Cost: 1,500 RUs
Build Time: 2 minutes
Special Function: Missile Volley Attack
Required Technology: Super Capital Ship Drive, Guided Missiles
Excerpt: Although it's total firepower is significantly less than that of a
regular Destroyer, the guided missiles it launches make the Missile Destroyer a
formidable foe to Strike Craft and Capital Ship alike. For supply, the Missile
Destroyer has a full missile manufacturing center in it's belly.
My Analysis: Only take one or two of these along to destroy Fighters,
otherwise, the Destroyer is a better choice. Not bad for it's purpose,
however, which is to destroy Fighters.
-Heavy Cruiser:
Cost: 3,700 RUs
Build Time: 7 minutes
Special Function: None
Required Technology: Super Capital Ship Drive, Super Heavy Chassis, Heavy Guns,
Ion Cannons
Excerpt: The goliath of Capital Ships, this bruiser carries four twin-mounted
ion cannons and six heavy turrets, each almost half the size of an entire
Frigate. When a Heavy Cruiser shows up on the scene, things get really quiet
really fast.
My Analysis: Two Destroyers more equal this thing in combined firepower, and
they cost less. Sure, they can be useful, but you can capture them in later
levels of the game, so why not?
*Carrier:
Cost: 2,000
Build Time: 4 minutes 41 seconds
Special Function: Can repair and refuel Strike Craft
Required Technology: Super Capital Ship Drive, Super Heavy Chassis
Excerpt: A veritable feat of engineering, the Carrier incorporates an entire
construction center, capable of building up to Frigate-class ships. In
addition, a huge docking array provides space for up to 50 Fighters and 25
Corvettes. It's rapid-fire deck guns give it adequate defense.
My Analysis: Mothership 2. These are extremely helpful for organizing your
Strike Craft fleet. You only need like one through the whole game, though, so
capture the one in Great Wastelands Part 2 and keep it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Area 3-6: Motherships**
-Mothership:
Cost: N/A
Build Time: 25 years
Special Function: None
Required Technology: N/A
Excerpt: The massive mothership contains three main sections: navigation, the
fleet foundry, and cryogenics. Navigation analyzes local sensor data, the
foundry provides complete construction capability, and cryogenics maintains the
600,000 colonists aboard.
My Analysis: Don't rely on it's guns to do anything except explode a couple
fighters or Corvettes. They are the worst guns in the game, believe it or not.
Well, maybe they're a little better than a Scout's, but not by that much.
Just keep this thing alive, you lose the game if it's destroyed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Area 3-7: Non-Combat Ships**
-Research Ship:
Cost: 700 RUs
Build Time: 1 minute
Special Function: None
Required Technology: None
Excerpt: Each Research Ship is a fully-functioning science facility that
develops new technologies for the fleet. Newly-built research ships will link
up with existing ones, increasing the aggregate armor of the facility.
My Analysis: Really, one of the objectives you have to complete on the first
mission is building one. Building another later on is useful, but not
necessary.
-Resource Collector:
Cost: 650 RUs
Build Time: 1 minute
Special Function: Can refuel Strike Craft
Required Technology: None
Excerpt: Using a modified Phased Disassembler Array, the Resource Collector
extracts at a molecular level the base elements in any resource. It then
converts these elements into Resource Units, the generic term for base levels
of material necessary for construction.
My Analysis: You MUST have more than two by the end of the fifth level. These
are necessary for you to make it through the game, like the Harvesters in C&C.
Resource Units(RUs) give you every other ship, so... Also, it gets 650 RUs per
load, so it pays for itself in one load.
-Resource Controller:
Cost: 680 RUs
Build Time: 1 minute 5 seconds
Special Function: Can refuel Strike Craft
Required Technology: Capital Ship Drive
Excerpt: The Resource Controller provides remote drop-off capability to the
Resource Collector, minimizing the time spent in transit. Additionally, it
supports refueling of six Fighters and two Corvettes at once via it's docking
pads.
My Analysis: Also VERY helpful. You can get by without these, but it's not
easy at all. Try to have one guarding each Resource Collector you have for
maximum usage.
-Probe:
Cost: 30 RUs
Build Time: 6 seconds
Special Function: None
Required Technology: None
Excerpt: The Probe is outfitted with a one-time use engine which provides a
huge power output for a short period of time. This results in very fast
travel, but once in place the Probe can't be moved again.
My Analysis: Not wholly useful in the single player game at all, but I do have
some tactics for use against computer skirmishes in the Battle Tactics section.
-Proximity Sensor:
Cost: 50 RUs
Build Time: 6 seconds
Special Function: None
Required Technology: Proximity Detector
Excerpt: A remote sensor pack with an engine strapped onto it pretty much sums
up the Proximity Sensor. Beyond normal watch-dogging, it's ability to detect
cloaked vessels can make the lowly Proximity Sensor a handy ship to have
around.
My Analysis: It's handy for detecting cloaked enemy vessels, yes. And for
scouting. You should build a few, and have a couple guard the Mothership while
you do something else with the rest. Have the leftover ships guard the
Mothership if they don't have something better to do.
-Sensors Array:
Cost: 800 RUs
Build Time: 1 minute 20 seconds
Special Function: None
Required Technology: Proximity Detector, Sensor Array
Excerpt: Expanding the sensor ability of the Mothership with it's larger-scale
design, the Sensors Array provides full data on the local environment, letting
you see the position and number of all enemy ships, as well as resource
pockets.
My Analysis: Actually, you don't need this ship to see resource pockets. To
me, it's quite handy to see what enemies are flinging at you, but to other
people, it's trash. I don't think it can detect cloaked vessels, so it's not a
total replacement for the Proximity Sensor. I guess you decide how good it is
to you.
-Cloak Generator:
Cost: 500 RUs
Build Time: 1 minute
Special Function: Cloaking
Required Technology: Capital Ship Drive, Cloak Generator
Excerpt: The Cloak Generator creates a cloaking field large enough to contain
up to two Frigates. Any ship inside the field is completely invisible except
when firing. The generator can operate only for a fixed amount of time before
recharging must occur.
My Analysis: Cool, but pretty useless. However, since I've never tried it in
Multiplayer or single player, I may be wrong (Note: feedback wanted).
-Grav Well Generator:
Cost: 800 RUs
Build Time: 1 minute
Special Function: Captures Strike Craft in it's field
Required Technology: Capital Ship Drive, Gravity Generator
Excerpt: The Grav Well Generator creates a strong field around it which stops
all Strike Craft in place. Gravity Well technology is less understood than
cloaking and, as a result, the Grav Well's unstable field must be shut down
after a certain time and never restarted.
My Analysis: Not that good. Why not bring a Missile Destroyer instead - it's
actually reusable! Really, it'd be much better if it could actually recharged
so it could be used again.
Also, give Special Thanks to MetroidMoo for letting me use the Unit Build Times
from his Homeworld Units FAQ! He supplied the build times for Fighters through
Super Capital Ships. I suggest you go check it out! (Note: I supplied the
Mothership's Build Time.)
*******************************
Section 4: Battle Tactics/Tips:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Area 4-1: VS. Computer**
One of the reasons I like this game so much is because of the Skirmish mode.
Here are some tips for beating the computer.
*Enemy Resource Collectors:
If anybody who reads this has played Command And Conquer, you have good
practice with managing harvesters. And, it's a LOT easier do destroy the
enemy's Resource Collectors here, since the AI doesn't do anything about it. At
least on Easy... But, instead of destroying them, capture them instead.
Still, make sure you can fend off an attack if you go after them, because the
computer does sometimes attack when you do that.
*Scouting the Enemy:
The Computer AI attacks anything besides itself within a set distance of it, I
believe. And there is a flaw, or the set distance should at least be bigger.
You see, you can position a ship far enough above the enemy mothership so that
you can Alt focus in on the mothership and see all the ships they're building,
etc., and have the enemy not attack you. Also, this could work in real-life
multiplayer if the human opponent is stupid, but don't count on it. I only
tested it on the Easy setting, so the radius may vary from difficulty to
difficulty. It's worth a shot, though.
*Easy Computer Kills:
There's a really easy way to kill the enemies Capital Ships, and in theory,
Strike Craft, also. Send a Probe or something and take a look at the
computer's forces. Do they have a lot of capital ships just sitting there, say
over 10? You can take out some without getting a shot fired back in return.
OK, Hyperspace a small fleet of capital ships (say, 5 Assault Frigates and 3-5
Ion Cannons) to the end of that line of capitals, away from the Mothership.
Now, attack the last one. Sure, it'll be knocked backward, but you should
still be able to kill it. Now, keep doing this until they start firing at you.
It's OK if the computer builds more ships, it's just wasted resources on their
part and more bounty on yours if you have that option on. Even after they
start firing back, you can kill a few. Hyperspace back away when your fleet
ends up in bad condition. Also, I've only done this once, and on the Easy
difficulty, too. It may not work on hard.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Area 4-2: VS. Human Players**
As almost everybody who has the game and a brain knows, Homeworld has an
multiplayer Internet battle option which is hosted by WON (World Opponent
Network). Here are some tips for it, and the computer may never use these
themselves, but you can use these for all they're worth. Look above for VS.
Computer specifically tips.
-The Probe Screen:
I saw one player (FinalKnight on WON, I believe) do this when I was playing
him. He/She sent out several dozen probes all around his Mothership. The
point is to gather information on what is coming at you so you have a better
chance of dealing with it. Proximity Sensors should also work well, as you
could detect a cloak attack, although they're untested and more expensive.
VS. Probe Screen:
You have two options: Either Hyperspace past them or so close to your target it
won't matter if you're detected, or take a few ships and blast them for money
if you have Bounties on. Now that I think about it, I should have done that
|
Seite auf Deutsch]
