Hi,

I puddled around a bit with the original EV, and just recently got EV:O. It seems pretty nice, but I have to say -- is it just me, or are most of the ships pretty ugly? In the original EV, I really did like the looks of the ships. The Kestrel was beautiful. Both the Rebel and Confederate cruisers were very nice looking in their own entirely different ways. Etc. There are some exceptions -- the aradas are all right, and the Crescent Warship resembles the kestrel -- but, by and large, I've found that most ships looks pretty cartoonish. I just got the UE Cruiser, and am very dissapointed in how it looks -- silly and stupid. Anyway. Decided to take a break from pounding the poor Voinians and try out the Frozen Heart pluggin.

Emberassingly, I'm having some trouble.

1. My combat rating is drastically inflated -- I just killed some asteroid-storms, and now people think I'm good at fighting. This is irritating. Although nothing really bad has happened yet, I'm worried that I'm going to be offered a mission I'm not ready for. Meanwhile I just upgraded from a wanderer to the light freighter type ship (forget the name -- its the cheapest freighter type, but has a nicely sized cargo). I intended to get down to business and do some nice trading, but it just isn't working out. For one thing, I'm having lots of trouble finding a decent trade route -- the best I found were a couple one-way routes (which I hate) which are turning out to be too dangerous anyway. Doing the simple-trade missions available in the computer (broken up only by the spice of "rush delivery" missions) are all well and good, and quite nice when you're utterly broke and exploring the galaxy, but I want to start to build up a massive trading fleet, make some serious cash, and buy myself a sweet ship so I can start doing some fun missions. So -- any hints as to what a good trade route might be? Preferably safe, although if its lucrative enough I can take care of myself. Are there any? I see some potential in some of the various "extra" trade goods (the things other than equipment, food, medical, etc.)

2. Mission wise, I stole the disguised agricultural machinery (supposed counterfeit ballot maker) and am now supposed to head after the gunmen who interrupted the vote-counting party. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find them. I've searched nearly the entire galaxy, and the particular system in which I'm supposed to go can't be found. Any tips? Not that I'd be able to handle myself in any combat that I came across, which at this level I suspect would start to happen (believe me -- disabling that courier was semi-dangerous!

3. and back to standard: My new UE Cruiser (and yes, I mean the cruiser and not the carrier -- I rescued Anna) is not exactly all powerful. I'm working with the Emalgha guys to take over some base (Rita?), and as it stands I'm just not good enough. I think I'll be able to do when I go raise a good escort fleet, but in the meantime I'd like to resolve the fact that I suck as much as I do. One thing I do like is that it seems fighters are better than in the original. More useful. Of course, it also means they're more dangerous. The limited number of weapons I can use (only five turrets!) makes the extra (three each, is it?) that my fighters bring to be extremely useful, whether they're divebombing an enemy capital ship and keeping a swarm of voinian fighters off my back. The trick is to keep them from receiving punishment (so always stick with them), I have found. My biggest problems is that I'm pretty fragile -- I bought 4 shield enhancers, but I still seem to get hurt quickly if I'm in the middle of a lot of action. I'd like to get my hands on some "dospect" (?) armor that I read about on these forums, but I'm not quite sure how to. Sometime ago I was approached in pax station (I believe) by a Voinian who wanted me to do something for him -- naturally, being the good patriot I am, I refused. Is that the way in which you get armor-plating? It sure would be useful. I am beginning to regret my patriotism, given that a momentary concession to the enemy would make my cause's goals much easier. Any other way?

Thanks for all responses. Man this game is addictive -- I'm glad I rediscovered it when I don't have all that much to do, and not during a really busy time.

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Oh, and one more thing...

Are there any good Marathon scenarios out there? (Marathon as in the game by Bungie). Given that EV and Marathon are both sort of Mac-classic games, it'd be appropriate. I also imagine that there'd be enormous potential -- the Marathon story (although I never truly delved into it) was exceptionally rich for a computer game, and you could do all sorts of neat stuff with it to turn it into a scenario.

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Wow! now that was a long post. Ok you sould go to the UE (unless you don't want to work with them) you will get a few missions (once your combat rating is high), the first one will say that you have to reseue a defetor and take him to earth, then you will get a mission saying that you have to go to pereen stasion and then you keep looking for the take cago to pereen stasion, then after a wile you sould get one saying you have to pick up the defetor in the chocha system.

hope that helps
~Amy~

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If One does not read, One does not believe.
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Why?
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According your problems in Frozen heart. I agree that it is to easy to get top-rank in combat but don't worry.
Its not a good plug-in if you like trading. There will be other oney-making thing offered later though. You better start to play chess (hint) instead of flying that tug you have.
The guys you are hunting are in a random system some jumps away. It took me very long time to find them but they are out there somewhere.
The only place where armour is aviable (since you are a patriot) is at Pareen stn. after you have finished that string.

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Segla i medvind

Thanks for the responses.

I had begun the Voinian defector mission string, although it seems I haven't finished it -- I'll spend some time bar-hopping in UE space and hopefully I'll get the supply missions.

As for the cryptic hint about chess -- forgive me, perhaps I'm being particularly dense today, but I don't quite get you. Are you recommending a particular type of ship to buy? None of the ship names seem particularly chess-like (or named after chess pieces), and I haven't run across any chess-like missions. My immediate goal is to somehow come up with cash -- the switch to the Demeter and several failed trading ventures have almost completely depleted my funds.

As it stands, I think I'm going to reduce myself to the Cyber-Hub/Exchange missions until I can come up with some more cash to get something like the Orion. That seems like a good ship -- certainly better than what I have now. It looks like it can survive light pirate combat as well.

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One of the beautiful things about Frozen Heart is that money is really not much of an object, past getting that special fighter. Hang around the center of the galaxy, see if you can't attend a chess meet. This will start the central objective. And BTW, in Frozen Heart I never got out of the scoutship, just got the special fighter straight from there. And the election ballot thing is annoying, you'll find it eventually, though. Don't worry, Frozen Heart is a great plugin, but focus on trying to get the central objective started soon. Good luck!

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Hey, Look who's coming! It's Payback! Hahahahahahahahaha!!!
-Payback37

So I win a good figher in a chess-meet? Well, that'd be cool -- assuming I got this "mission." Any particular planet to find it on? I hit up most of the major central galaxy planets, with no luck. I did eventually find the planet where I need to get the ballots, but I'm too weak to even think of disabling the Trajan.

I got this mission where I'm supposed to go show some little psi-fighters how to fight on Sol A (the asteroid-storm filled one). While there, fighting off the asteroids, I boarded a ship and (apparently) caught the plague. Its an odd plague, though, as it seems to follow me around in space... and once it gets close, boom, I'm dead.

Assuming I'm not persuaded otherwise, I think I'm going to give this scenario a rest. I'm simply tired of flying around and being given impossible missions (partly, no doubt, due to my inflated combat rating caused by those buggy asteroid-storms), and just in general sucking so much without a chance of advancement. I'm almost positive that theres some flag that makes it so when you buy some escorts that pirate fleets come out of nowhere. I did eventually find a really crappy (but safe) trade route between Rigel and a planet directly next to it (selling medal to Rigel -- roughly 13k made a run, which was probably better than I could do with the simple missions). However, when I bought escorts in order to start making some decent cash, pirate fleets came out of no where (and big pirate fleets, too) so it was just a waste of money. And I kept dying -- they'd hit me with three or four missles... and then I'm dead. Can't outrun 'em or anything. I ditch the escorts (big waste of money), and I'm safe again -- but its slow. And boring. Finally, I make enough money to buy my orion -- only to find that it can't handle itself any better in combat. And it has a slow hyperdrive, so training the fighters mission (also tried to do the conference delegate mission) is impossible because I'm given a timelimit. So I throw my hands up in disgust, and move back to that ugly Wanderer, wasting several hundred thousand credits in the process.

Perhaps I'll start over some other time, but this plague business is the last straw. I'm finding the scenario tedious and frustrating. From all that I hear, I'm sure the plot is very engaging later on -- but at the moment I'm pretty tempted to do something else.

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If I remember correctly will you be asked to participate in a chess contest from the mission-computer (these are much more important then in EVO)t at Earth (or close to). After that will you get alot of missions and money making opportunities. But whats more important, you'll soon be able to buy a really cool ship.
If you want to survive in space, don't board any derelicted ships with "gem-stone" names (amber, pearl, emerald etc).
I can agree that FH sometimes are a bit anoying since its often difficult to pick up a string or finish another. However, its worth it. As far as I have understoud doesn't any string start from any Magellan or Rigel(sp?) worlds.

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Segla i medvind

Hi,

The plague... Try the Turkish Medical Planet, Yeni...(something or other). If that doesn't work, Monty Python the bugger... that medical treatment usually clears it right up!!!

Check that nice earth mission computer for a chess match on Mars. Maybe you'll make a new friend, wouldn't that be nice?

And remember, money isn't everything. Play the game a while and have fun!

And don't forget to get to your graduation ON TIME. (Very Important).

The pilot training mission are tough until you get further on a little. As for the plague, avoid those gemstome ships. Going to that Turkish medical planet will help, but to completely get rid of it, just go to the missions screen and abort "Plague!" Also, if you manage to disable Jasta Hela, get the hell outta dodge, cuz I did that, and a bunch of pirates jumped right in on me and blew me up before I blinked! But keep looking for that chess meet, think it is on Earth, and leave the tougher missions for later. Some strings are harder to continue, others, like the Psi-fighter ones, aren't too hard to find. And keep at it, it's an awesome plug.

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Hey, Look who's coming! It's Payback! Hahahahahahahahaha!!!
-Payback37

I think the reason your combat rating went up so far is because the asteroids have a HUGE amount of crew, so that you can't take them over.

HINT Unlike classic EVO, the mission computer is VITAL. You get many (most?) of the important plot-line missions from the mission computer.

You should keep checking Earth and surrounding areas for the chess mission - it is in the mission computer. Once you do that string and get the ship, you won't EVER need to buy another one!

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"Give a man a fire and you keep him warm for a night, but set him on fire and you keep him warm for the rest of his life" - Sergent Colon

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Huh. Good point scaryfish, never considered the need for a crew amount in asteroids. Thanx for that little tip there! And BTW, you have an awesome signature!

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Hey, Look who's coming! It's Payback! Hahahahahahahahaha!!!
-Payback37