VS Manual: 9. Combat Table of Contents

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9. Combat

A couple of ships engaged in combat.

THE VEGA STRIKE universe is, by its very nature, a dangerous place. You are confronted with the dangers of navigating into a star, having your drive malfunction, or losing atmosphere in your ship. You might even not have enough supplies to last a journey. The greatest danger by far, though, lies with other sentient beings.

Vega Strike is set against a backdrop of interstellar war between three dominant (and several client) races. A pilot can easily become caught up in any of these wars. A pilot must, additionally, always be on the defensive for all types of assailants. Pirates, merchants - even the militia - may be after you, your ship and your cargo.

Survival requires more than heavy shields, a high afterburner velocity or a nearby wormhole. Combat skills - the ability to bring down your opponent and halt its attacks - are highly valued in Vega Strike.

9.1 Engaging in Combat with an Opponent

Combat involves several functions already covered in other sections of this manual. These include Flight Techniques, Targeting, and Communication to name a few. What we are concerned with here are the absolute basics required to engage in successful combat.

Usually, the first warnings that you are engaged in combat will be a communiqué from your opponent, seeing them fire, or, in the worst case, hearing their weapons impact on your hull and seeing your shield levels falling. A flashing light near your power displays will also provide an indication that someone is firing upon you.

When engaged in combat, the first thing you need to do is locate, target and lock onto your opponent. It is recommended that you remain focused on that one opponent. This ensures that they do not have time to recharge their shields, while yours take a battering.

In the center of your HUD is the Targeting Reticule. Your initial vessel (a Llama-class ship) comes equipped with a forward-mounted weapon that fires a burst of energy, centered on the reticule. Keep your opponent located under this reticule; this will give you a better chance of hitting your opponent with your weapon.

Your Right Video Display Unit (VDU) shows a 3D representation of your opponent. As you hit your opponent, note that its shields reduce to nil. At this stage, any further hits begin damaging armor, followed by internal components. As damage accumulates, the ship representation will become a deeper red. Once enough damage has accumulated, you opponent’s ship will explode.

Use your targeting keys to focus on your next opponent. If all opponents have been destroyed or have fled, then you have succeeded. Congratulations!

9.1.1 Guns

Guns come in several different types. These include energy-pulse, energy-beam and solid-state weapons. Solid-state weapons have a finite amount of ammunition (recorded in a counter next to the weapon description) that may only be replenished when docked with a base. Energy weapons are powered by the spare capacity of your ship’s reactor, and, therefore, will remain powered as long as your reactor produces sufficient output. Spare energy capacity is represented by the red energy bar, located in the lower-middle portion of the HUD. For a full description of available weapons, as well as their effects, please consult the online Database (http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/phpwiki/index.php/VsManualDatabase). When not firing energy weapons, the energy bar will slowly increase back to full-capacity.

Ships with multiple gun-mounts may attach additional guns. These are displayed in the Weapons Display, in the Left VDU. To cycle through all the available guns, use the G key. This will arm the selected weapon and make it available for use. The final list-item selects and arms all available guns. This selection is called Full-Guns, and enables all the guns to fire at once.

To fire a selected gun, press Space, the joystick trigger (button 0) or the left mouse-button LMB.

9.1.2 Missiles and Torpedoes

Vega Strike makes a large selection of missiles and torpedoes available to the player. For a description of each type of weapon, please consult the online Database (http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/phpwiki/index.php/VsManualDatabase). While their effects may vary, their usage in combat always remains the same.

Missiles and torpedoes consist of, primarily, a solid tube with a propulsion system, guidance system (on most models) and a warhead of some type. They are mounted in dedicated weapon racks on your ship. When launched at your opponent, your missile or torpedo will act as a miniature ship. It will approach its target and activate its warhead (causing explosive damage, or various other effects) when within range.

In order to use a missile or torpedo, you must first target and lock onto your opponent. This activates the target-locking mechanism (if any) on your weapon. You will hear a lock tone, and see a diamond appear around your opponent. To fire, press the Enter or KP Enter keys. As with guns, it is possible for you to have multiple different missiles or torpedoes equipped on your ship. If this is the case, you may cycle through them using the W key.

9.1.3 Inertial Target-Tracking System (ITTS)

Certain upgradable scanner systems possess the ability to track and record your opponent’s speed and trajectory. Using this data, as well as your ship’s speed, trajectory and weapon velocity, the ITTS calculates and projects a lead point in front of your opponent’s ship. Aiming at this point (a small diamond) gives you the greatest chance of hitting your opponent.

9.1.4 Electronic Countermeasures (ECM)

Electronic Countermeasures are designed to foil missile and torpedo attacks by hostile ships. Activation of ECM lets loose a barrage of electromagnetic noise, focused false radar/lidar images, infrared beams, and altered signatures designed to confuse your opponent’s missile targeting systems into misjudging your ship’s size, location, and direction. While not necessarily 100% successful, such measures do reduce the number of successful attacks upon you.

Activate or de-activate ECM using the E key. ECM also self-activates upon detection of an approaching missile or torpedo. Use of ECM drains your ship’s reactor. Therefore, the amount of weapon and jump energy available will diminish while ECM is activated. De-activating your ECM will restore these levels back to normal.

9.1.5 Cloaking Device

A cloaking device renders your ship invisible to the naked eye, as well as to electronic detection equipment. It does so by using a gravity lens to ‘bend’ emitted radiation (visible light and electromagnetic signals) around your ship. From the point of view of detection equipment, all that is visible is the background behind the cloaked ship, enclosed by a faint ship’s outline. Unfortunately, use of a cloaking device requires a substantial supply of power - as well as the deactivation of your shields, in order to minimize emanations.

The cloaking device can be activated and de-activated using the C key.

9.1.6 Tractor Beam

A tractor beam utilizes gravitic technology to emit an ionized energy beam, that, once activated, will increase gravitic power and draw a targeted object closer to the tractoring ship. If the targeted object is sufficiently small, it will be tractored in and stored away in the ship’s cargo bay.

A tractor beam is commonly used to capture loose cargo pods and floating debris. Typically employed after a battle, it is a favorite among pirates. It is also used by merchant fleets to transfer cargo between ships. Mining ships also will use tractor beams to extract raw materials from asteroid fields. One particularly interesting use of the tractor beam is to capture whole ships (typically fighter craft), render them inoperative and tractor them into the cargo bay. If a ship is sufficiently large (such as the Ox), the captured craft can be transported for sale at the next point of call, or flown as a cargo wingman (just like a pre-purchased cargo wingman). See Cargo Wingmen for more information.

A tractor beam is utilized in the same manner as any other weapon. To use a tractor beam, cycle through your available guns using the G key. Select the tractor beam, then lock onto your target and use the Home key to match your speed with it. When close enough to the object, fire the tractor beam using the Space key, and capture it.

9.1.7 Turrets

Figure 20: Turret-view, looking over the rear of a Mule.
Figure 20: Turret-view, looking over the rear of a Mule.

While the vast majority of ships possess forward-firing weaponry, many ships, including large fighters, cargo haulers and capital ships, may also mount turrets in various locations along the hull. Since these ships are generally incapable of engaging in a dogfight (due to the high degree of maneuverability required), turrets form the main line of offense and defense against small attacking craft.

Use the ] key to cycle through (and enter) the available turrets, as well as the cockpit.

Turret AI must be activated in order for your turret to become animated. To toggle your turret’s AI on/off, press the O key. Your turret will then proceed to attack your current target. Pressing O again will deactivate the turret.

Turrets can also be told to attack a specific target. While in forward-view (activated using the F1 key), select a target and press SHIFT + P. Your turrets will begin attacking this target. You may change targets, while your turrets continue attacking the previous target.

9.2 Death

9.2.1 Ejection

In life-or-death situations, ejecting from your craft may allow you to fight another day.

Ejection places the pilot in an ejection-pod. This pod is fully enclosed and self-contained, and has limited shields, weapons and propulsion. An ejected pilot will be able to make his or her way back to a friendly base.

While an ejected pilot will loose both a ship and any cargo carried, all funds are retained. Thus, a new ship can be outfitted. Or, if a pilot maintains a fleet of ships, one can be recalled from the My Fleet screen in the Weapons Room.

You can activate the ejection sequence using the SHIFT + E key. You may then maneuver the ejection pod as if it were a normal ship.

9.2.2 Self-Destruct

Activation of the self-destruct sequence causes the destruction of the current ship, and the death of the pilot. Self-destruct is frequently used to rid a player of a pilot in which they hold no further interest. The game will restart as though a new game had been selected.

Press the SHIFT + 1 key to activate the self-destruct sequence.

9.2.3 Respawning

Death in Vega Strike is not finite. While you may, if you wish, start right from the beginning of a new game - with a fresh Llama, no jump drive and 13,500 credits - most players prefer to respawn.

Respawning returns the pilot to the last-saved game. You loose all missions and mission-cargo, but retain your health and your ship.

To respawn, press the ; key.

9.3 Miscellaneous Gameplay Functions

9.3.1 Quitting

Figure 21: The Quit Dialog
Figure 21: The Quit Dialog

Quitting and exiting the game can be accomplished in two ways, depending on whether you are in-flight or on a base. If in-flight, press the Esc key. This will bring up the Quit Dialog. Pressing the Q key will quit the game. Pressing the Esc key again will return you to normal flight. To quit from within a base, enter a base computer and press the Save/Load button. Then, press the Quit Game button. Refer to In-Game Menu for more information.

9.3.2 Pause

Pressing the Pause or | keys will pause the game during play. Pressing the key again will resume play.

9.3.3 Time-Compression

(ED: This function now serves more as a debugging tool, rather a general gameplay function. It is described here, however, since all players still have access to the function.)

Time-Compression speeds up the progress of time in Vega Strike. This is useful when manually flying toward a target, or waiting for fuel bars to regenerate to full.

Press the F9 key to activate or increase Time-Compression. Press the F10 key to deactivate Time-Compression.

9.3.4 Music & Sound

Both music and sound are integral features of Vega Strike, providing the right mood and atmosphere during play. While initial settings for music and sound volume are determined in the Game Settings menu (when loading Vega Strike), these settings can be adjusted in-game.

The sound and music controls are as follows:

Function Key(s) Description
Skip Music Track SHIFT + S Skip to the next music track.
Sound Volume Up . Turn the sound volume up.
Sound Volume Down , Turn the sound volume down.
Music Volume Up > Turn the music volume up.
Music Volume Down < Turn the music volume down.

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