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Mitchell

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    Grand Rapids, MI, USA
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    Programming

Mitchell's Achievements

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  1. "Jingle-bells, gameplay rules, Gammulans on the run; Oh what fun! It is to fly, my brand new Megaron!
  2. The TB on the CC is not useless, just uneffective at recovering Cargo Pods. The CC's TB comes in quite handy when you need to recover damaged FC's and/or tow disabled and subsequently captured opposition ships to a base. It's definitely the most efficient way to recover FC's who's pilots have become 'disabled' (um, killed) and therefor unresponsive to your orders... I've found that both the 'Cargo Sweep' order and targeting Cargo Pods explicitly for your SC's works very well. I also think that the upcoming changes to the towing physics will be very complementary with the notion of using SC's, rather than your CC, to gather jettisoned cargo. It just keeps getting better and better...
  3. quote: Is that a typo 60 million not 6 million? He he... na, no typo - I only made a few runs. I like to spend time playing around with other things, too, like deploying a drone or two, sending off probes to track the Dip on their journey, etc. I find it hard to focus on just one thing, like making money, when this game offers you so many interesting things to do. You are right that the income compounds fast (and at 20%+ it should!), though, so it won't be hard to build up a nice bankroll soon. I guess I'd better do so, too, since I'm sure the missions will only get harder and I'll need the better stuff . quote: You can deploy the cargo pod from the bridge and then retreive it like any other to avoid the problem you describe. Good trick, Tyrn - thanks for the tip! See you all out there...
  4. Tyrn, I do understand - I must not be explaining things properly, though; let me try a simpler approach: Leave probes out of it for a minute. Launch in Earth region and send SC1 to Pluto region. When he gets there, open the 'Jump at' TLM for SC1 from the bridge view. As you point out, the pilot of SC1 sees and can be ordered to 'Jump at' the wormhole to Alpha Centauri or the gates to Jupiter, Neptune, etc. Now switch to TacOps. Accessing the 'Jump at' TLM for SC1 now lists the jump points in Earth region instead of the ones currently 'seen by' and available to the pilot of SC1. If these nav targets are not 'invalid' then they are certainly inappropriate given the context of the menu presented. As I said earlier, I love TacOps and spend a lot of time there. It's great fun to try running operations in two or more regions at the same time, trying to get probes where you need them, trying to keep your drones, marines and other craft in one piece, etc. TacOps was great back in 1996, and it's only gotten better since. I have confidence this trend will continue.
  5. Tyrn wrote: quote: TACOPS currently gives me the ability to remotely order my craft (any of them) based upon any region I can view. So I can issue attack orders to my fighters regarding a target two regions away if I have a probe there. Bridge TLM does not give me that ability and if you make both work the same then what exactly is the use of having probes? No, and that's exactly my point: you can issue target orders to a support craft in a different region from the Bridge TLM even if you do not have a probe there. For example, I can order my SC towing the Diplomat in ToD1-2/5 to 'Jump at' the wormhole to AC from the bridge TLM while I'm in Earth and he's in Pluto, even though I have no probe in Pluto. You cannot (and I agree that you should not be able to) do so from TacOps. Please don't get me wrong here - I am not complaining, only pointing out that the two work differently, and it just didn't look right to me. I would also suggest that it would be better if the TacOps TLM displayed no targets (Nav targets or otherwise) for a support craft in some region other than the one you're viewing rather than a list of invalid targets as it does now. Just a thought. [ 12-06-2001: Message edited by: Mitchell ] Delete extra edited by statements, no one wants to know how many times you edited your post. [ 12-06-2001: Message edited by: Tyrn ]
  6. I know, Tac, that that's the way it does work; I was suggesting, however, that in the case of the TacOps TLM, the target options presented should be representative of those targets to which the subject of the menu (i.e., the support craft whose menu was accessed) can be ordered to address. It makes no sense to present a list of Nav or Tactical targets (in the CC's or probes's region) to which the support craft doesn't have access. It works fine from the Bridge view - why not implement the code to provide access to the same target menu shown when a 'Jump to' order is accessed from the Bridge view TLM as is provided when the same asset is accessed from the TLM in TacOps?
  7. I really like using the TacOps computer, and, as I've posted elsewhere in this forum, I think it provides a really great interface for controlling your many assets in BCM. There seems to be an inconsistancy, however, in the how targets are listed in the TLM pop-ups depending on whether you are accessing them from TacOps versus teh Bridge view. This is kind of difficult to explain in words, but I will do my best: Say you (and your CC) are in Earth region, and that you send a probe and an SC (say, SC1) to Pluto region. From TacOps, you can view Pluto region by accessing the proper entry in the probe TLM. From this view, you can order SC1 to do various things, such as 'Jump to' Alpha Centauri, etc. This is all well and good. However, if you were to access the TLM for SC2 (which is still back with your CC in Earth region) and try to give it a 'Jump to' order, the list of jump points will be those in the PLUTO region (which you are viewing via the probe) rather than those in Earth reagion (where SC2 is located). Also, if you send your TacOps view back to Earth region and access the TLM for SC1 (who is in Pluto region) and try to issue a 'Jump to' order, you are presented with a list of teh jump points in Earth region instead of those for Pluto. If, OTOH, you try the same thing from the Bridge view (that is, access the TLM for SC1), the _correct- list of jump points (i.e., those in Pluto region) are presented. Please tell me if I need to be more descriptive, but it seems like this is something the SC may wish to look into. It's a small thing, but important to people (like me) who like to use the otherwise excellent TacOps system so much...
  8. Thanks for the various bits of advice, all. I have completed the scenario successfully and with no losses, despite having to battle through a few engagements and deal with intruders beamed aboard my Firestorm. I experimented with many approaches, and finally found that a combination of the things posted to this thread worked best. The coolest thing, though, is that there are so many different ways to perform any given mission - I cannot think of any other computer game I've ever played (and I've been playing them since 1980!) that allows, let alone encourages, such freedom of action (geez, I love this game!). For anybody starting out with BCM in campaign mode, I offer the following experience from these experiments in hopes it might help you on your way: 1. You can sit out the first scenario and just trade between GALCOM HQ and GENESIS stations as suggested upstream. I was able to make about $6M during the time alloted. Dip1 regularly made it to Majoris on time and unmolested with no escort. 2. So you can monitor what's going on during at least the first three scenarios, it helps to deploy probes to the regions between Pluto and Xylan. With probes in place you can monitor the Dips in TacOps and give orders to FCs or SCs you send to help where needed. 3. In the second scenario, however, Dip4 is likely to be attacked along the way and possibly killed. Even if he's not killed, he is likely to get there too late. In fact, he was too late on at least two attempts even though he was never attacked along the way (at least, I never received a message from him saying he was being attacked). This makes me wonder whether there is enough time in the scenario for him to make it without physical assistance (see below). 4. To help Dip4 out, I sent an SC out to travel with him (similar to a suggestion upstream in this thread). When he got to about Treas I noticed he started taking a long time to leave the jump point where he entered. This may have been due to existing real or potential threats in the region. Anyway, that's when I decided to order the accompanying SC to tow Dip4 (time was running short, too - only ~12m to make four more jumps and dock at Majora). By giving the SC specific 'Jump to' orders, as suggested, and then a 'Deliver to' order, Dip4 finally docked on time at Majora and I was awarded a success for the mission. I had a GREAT time playing this out several times, and learned a number of valuable lessons, I think. Playing BCM in Campaign mode is very different from roaming, IMHO, and requires some special tactics if you are to be successful. For example, the first 'Tour of Duty' (maybe they all do - I just don't know yet ) takes place along a specific sequence of regions which, if you have probes stationed in, can be accessed using the TacOps system. Intel like this is vital, as is the ability to give commands to your support assets in regions where you are not, and the TacOps computer works beautifully for this. One of the reasons this is so important to me is that, although I love my Firestorm, it's a huge beast and about as slow as molasis - there's no way my CC can keep up with the Dips in these missions. Therefor I have to rely on my FC, SC and probe assets, and the TacOps system provides a fabulous interface for seeing what needs to be done and ordering the assets to do it. For anybody that hasn't tried the Campaign mode of play, I highly recommend that you give it a shot. It is challenging but not constraining, and very rewarding when you finally get it right. [ 12-05-2001: Message edited by: Mitchell ]
  9. Gallion, thanks - I studied the manual, but I wasn't patient enough: when I saw that the probes were giving themselves targets corresponding to the various Nav points in the system, I aSSumed that meant they intended to jump. It works just as you (and the manual ) say... Thanks again,
  10. I would like to know if I'm doing something wrong with my probes. Essentially, my 'problem' is that I cannot seem to get them to stay where I want them to. When I try to drop off or send a probe to some system, they insist on continuing on and jumping to adjoining systems without any orders from me. Now, this may be the way they are designed to work (they are designed to 'patrol', after all), but is there any way I can get them to stay put short of ordering them to make 4, 6 or 8 jumps (as the case may be) so they run out of range by the time they reach the system I want them stationed in? My apologies if I am missing something obvious ...
  11. Thanks, much, Pugwash, for so detailed and helpful a reply. On only one of my tries was Dip4 actually destroyed enroute, but I do usually get a report that he under attack somewhere along the way. I will try leaving him to his own devices and see what happens...
  12. quote: Perscan: On my Nightstar, the Intruders section of PerScan just lists the number of intruders and has a couple of up/down arrows (which apparently do nothing), with no details as to their locations etc, which makes sending marines to intercept a little bit harder. Is this the correct behaviour? The Intruders' locations and stats are definitely viewable in PerScan. I believe this can happen when the PerScan list grows too big relative to your display setting/capability. You can drag the border of the section of the PerScan window with the Intruders in it to make it bigger and thus display the hidden information. Depending on how much screen real estate you have, you may need to do this at the expense of another window. Hope this helps...
  13. Will check, Gomez, thanks for the tip!
  14. Hey all, After enjoyong "Roaming" for a week or so I decided to start a career with Galcom HQ and so am trying to run the 'protect the diplomats' scenarios. I need a clue for teh second mission, tho - I keep loosing it because Terran Diplomat 4 doesn't make it to Majoris station before time runs out. I am protecting him all the way, be he just seems to be too slow . the other Dips make it there on time. I've tried this scenario a number of times, and have basically been camping out near Tulon station (Raiders) in Arima. They send interceptors to the Dips as they pass through, so I protect the Dips, and they always make it through and head to Alpha Majora. I do get a message that Terran Diplonat 4 is "Handing over to Majoris..." with about 4 minutes left, but then the scenario always ends before he actually completes docking. There are NO hostiles in Alpha Majora to hinder him, nor are there any in Xylan. Any ideas concerning what I might be doing wrong?
  15. The SC wrote: quote: However, now that I think about it, I will just add some FEs to transports and cruisers. WTG, SC! I was just about to ask whether Sys Engrs could be ordered to prep the shuttles the same way Flight Engrs can for FCs in Carriers. Adding a few Flight Engrs definitely would be best, tho, IMHO. BTW, can Flight Engineers be ordered to prep/recharge SCs in Carriers, too? I thought I could only do that for FCs, and then I only needed to if the FO was off station or failed to give the order... Guess it's time for a few more experiments Man, I love this game
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