🚀 go-pugleaf

On 3/05/2011 1:23 AM, Angus wrote:
>
> Having finished a couple of pc games I've been playing, I was wondering
> which game to try next, and then I thought I'll finally give Frontier
> First Encounter a go (JJFFE). As an long time Amiga user I was deprived
> the chance to play the game back in the day, so its a game, I've always
> wondered about and part of me has longed to try.
>
> I have the CD version knocking about so a relatively easy install later
> I fired up the game.... well, I used to think I was pretty good at
> Frontier, but blow me down (blow me up would be more accurate) I keep
> finding that the trade route I have set up from Gateway running animal
> skins/robots is too hot for me to handle. As I make my weary way to the
> starport, some ship or other appears and turns me to dust, often before
> I have a chance to respond - I've got to harmless, and so taken out
> several ships, but some just don't seem to be vulnerable to my meagre
> comabt skills.
>
> Is it me, or is the game rather unforgiving in this respect? I could pay
> out for a shield but that would remove half the ship's cargo space.
>
> I don't know, I think games have got a lot easier than this over the
> years and I've grown a lot softer with them.  :)

Congratulations on loading up one of the best space games ever finally! :)

Here's how to handle combat.

First, as soon as that siren goes off pause the stardreamer and pan 
around your ship looking for the bogies. Target your first one.

Second, switch to manual thrusters straight away (turn the engines off 
so that you are purely drifting), get your hands on the enter (fires 
your main engines) and shift key (fires your retro thrusters) and start 
moving (respectively :p).

For example; you've locked your target and rotate so that you can see 
them. At the moment you are on a head on course and he is taking pot 
shots at you. Your best bet in a poorly armoured and shielded ship is to 
not play this game of chicken, start thrusting hard in a direction away 
from him while keeping him on the periphery of your screen. I.e. you're 
moving away from him at an angle. It will make you very hard for him to 
hit but you will still be closing the distance.

Once he has past you by, flip your ship and fire the main engines to 
maintain an easy firing distance for a longer period. It's likely he 
will still range you eventually since he will have a higher relative 
speed so you'll have to perform the jousting manoeuvre again.

Eventually it will become second nature. One of my favourite ships in 
the game (well, tied) was the Eagle Long Range Fighter Mk3 and the 
Osprey X. These small but extremely fast ships could never take much 
pounding but they were so fast you could always get behind someone 
relatively easily but were always vulnerable.

If you go the other direction and get yourself a heavy vessel the same 
approach theory will apply, but instead of trying to avoid him during 
the initial approach you'll be aiming to take him out straight away instead.

Keep at it, seriously the game is without a doubt one of the most 
rewarding I've ever played.

Also make sure you've gotten all the fan made upgrades/updates. Jades 
website has a bunch of them I think, so does Hooplah's. There was an 
excellent upgrade called GLFFE which updates the graphics quite a bit 
and allows for higher resolutions. I thoroughly recommend it.

Last but not least, JJFFE and most of the other fan made versions also 
allow the additional control of allowing you to DIRECTLY fire your 
altitude thrusters. That is you can literally fly your ship up and down 
(great for landing on planets) which becomes a HUGE boost in ship to 
ship combat.

Wow... writing this got me hankering for some more FFE myself! :)

Ceo-