Battlesphere Tactics

[PeterG]

As I was thinking about BS and how I play it I thought I could ask what other people do. I know that there are tons of different enemies and probably tons of different ways to fight them, but that is exactly what I think is interesting.

I would find it very interesting for people to list up how they fight and which tactics they use, maybe i can learn something new too.

Peter´s tactic:

A very simple and effective way for me is to fly backwards and shoot the enemies from the distance when they're not yet firing at you, but I think it´s a unrewarding way so I start flying towrds them trying to fight like a man and not like a coward :-) haha, often enough I die.....

Other than that I often use some kind of hit and run tactics...

Other things I thought where quiet interesting are things like the wave 64 with the sharks....

Because if you have a fast ship that let´s you get away far enough fast enough the sharks will kill themself.

Just little finds like this make me enjoy the game much much more....

So what´s up with you guys, I´d love to hear your experience...

Peter

[Tyrant]

The only time I played battlesphere I spent a couple of minutes working out the basic controls of how to speed up slow down, turn and shoot, then looked arround... nothing visible except a coke can and some stars... I checked the radar, and saw a blip... so I attacked it... then realised it was my own starbase, turned off the jag, and went to play something fun.

[PeterG]

You miss out a lot....

It sounds like the people who say that a game is bad just because they aren´t good at it.

It´s mentioned in another thread that you have to learn some things to enjoy BS. It´s not that you can blast away just like that, but once you´re in it it´s more fun than a lot of the other fun games :-)

Peter

[Tyrant]

I know, I was deliberatly being over critial, tho that is what happened.

 

To be fair, you cant ever learn a game like BS properly while surrounded by loads of people and noise and such, Im sure its a great game, or at least a good one, but it totally failed to make a good first impression at JFUK.

[Paolo]

... then looked arround... nothing visible except a coke can and some stars... I checked the radar, and saw a blip... so I attacked it... then realised it was my own starbase...

 

How fun, this is exactly the same thing it happened to me in (IIRC)Gauntlet mode... then I went to play AAtE, and I felt home

I still can't get into Gauntlet... it looks like too 'long term thing' to me.

Ciao

[midwest_cdn]

1) Spend more than 5 minutes playing it

2) Find more time to play it

3) Find BSGold so I can compare the 2

4) Scatbox them together

5) Bring all my freinds over to play some networked battlesphere to get the full experience.

 

 

Oh yeah tyrant checked out your msn groups, must been fun cause everyone had a smile on there face. Just wondering if you are planning another next year? I might go to amsterdam next year and might have to swing by the next jagfest UK.

[Tyrant]

Are you kidding? of course there will be another one, and I'll be more involved in the planning stages probably, but Im not even thinking about it yet lol, I havnt even finished playing all the things I bought yet .

[+Saturn]

I checked the radar, and saw a blip... so I attacked it... then realised it was my own starbase

 

I do pretty much the same thing, Peterghiea. I chickenshit ( ) myself in full reverse keeping my targeted enemies either just out of range or open fire on even the smallest speck of visible ship in the distance. Works every time.

 

The only way I get suicidal enough to take on an armada head on, is if I'm trying desperately to save my last starbase or the situation is impossible. Then, it's open season- no holds barred- kamikaze into a Telchine starbase- battle to the death!

 

Also, right when AAtE begins, I go straight to the map and send available squadrons to protect any starbases that are unguarded. Then, I try to match up to or outweigh any incoming enemy squads with my remaining teams of fighters. The next most dangerous situation that I can detect on the map, I'll warp to myself and the slaughter begins.

[Guest]

huh what? a jagfest in amsterdam O_O. please god let there be a jagfest in netherlands

[Hyxtryx]

A very simple and effective way for me is to fly backwards and shoot the enemies from the distance when they're not yet firing at you, but I think it´s a unrewarding way so I start flying towrds them trying to fight like a man and not like a coward :-)

 

I don't think it's cowardly to fly backwards. I think that's a major part of the strategy. If you were really in a space battle like that, you'd have to do anything you could to survive.

 

To the people who only played it a few minutes chasing a "blip", you have to press the "6" button... that will target

one of the enemy and you can then find 'em on the radar easier and also make use of the automatic targeting that alerts you when you're leading them with your guns just the right amount. (Great feature!)

 

Some other strategy points & comments:

 

1) Shots will reach the enemy before the targeting system starts bleeping, so it behooves you to fire even when the

enemy seems too far away. ('course you use up energy or shots doing that)

 

Didn't Star Raiders show the distance to the enemy in a tiny font, or am I remembering wrong?

 

2) Getting out of the way of enemy fire when they are coming straight at you is most efficient when you can turn 90 degrees to them and "punch it". I think when they are on the edge of the radar circle is when they are 90 degrees to you.

[+Saturn]

Here's a tactic I haven't quite mastered: Attacking an enemy Cruiser as an ejected pilot..

[+Saturn]

In some of the higher difficulty levels of AAtE, a lot of pilots will eject while your shots rip apart their ship. If there's no friendly starbase in that sector, leave those little bastards there and go on to the next battle.

I wouldn't hang around and try to pick them off unless your seriously "points" hungry or you have everything under control. Otherwise, these pricks can rifle off a ton of shots one after another and take out a ship (depending which class) in a matter of seconds.

 

Of course if you have plenty of homing missles, you can fire a few and back out of range and wait for them to take their unholy toll.

[Thunderbird]

In some of the higher difficulty levels of AAtE, a lot of pilots will eject while your shots rip apart their ship.  If there's no friendly starbase in that sector, leave those little bastards there and go on to the next battle.  

I wouldn't hang around and try to pick them off unless your seriously "points" hungry or you have everything under control. Otherwise, these pricks can rifle off a ton of shots one after another and take out a ship (depending which class) in a matter of seconds.

 

Of course if you have plenty of homing missles, you can fire a few and back out of range and wait for them to take their unholy toll.

 

Yes... you have discovered a tactic we planned for. The enemy pilots are very hard to hit... so why not use a "smart" missile to do the work for you?

[+Saturn]

In some of the higher difficulty levels of AAtE, a lot of pilots will eject while your shots rip apart their ship.  If there's no friendly starbase in that sector, leave those little bastards there and go on to the next battle.  

I wouldn't hang around and try to pick them off unless your seriously "points" hungry or you have everything under control. Otherwise, these pricks can rifle off a ton of shots one after another and take out a ship (depending which class) in a matter of seconds.

 

Of course if you have plenty of homing missles, you can fire a few and back out of range and wait for them to take their unholy toll.

 

Yes... you have discovered a tactic we planned for. The enemy pilots are very hard to hit... so why not use a "smart" missile to do the work for you?

 

Yeah, we were discussing this in another thread a while back and I replied that it would be better to "pick them off" and save the precious missles. But, I gave it a try and it was extremely gratifying (and faster) to watch them die while not being able to do a thing about it...

[Thunderbird]

In some of the higher difficulty levels of AAtE, a lot of pilots will eject while your shots rip apart their ship.  If there's no friendly starbase in that sector, leave those little bastards there and go on to the next battle.  

I wouldn't hang around and try to pick them off unless your seriously "points" hungry or you have everything under control. Otherwise, these pricks can rifle off a ton of shots one after another and take out a ship (depending which class) in a matter of seconds.

 

Of course if you have plenty of homing missles, you can fire a few and back out of range and wait for them to take their unholy toll.

 

Yes... you have discovered a tactic we planned for. The enemy pilots are very hard to hit... so why not use a "smart" missile to do the work for you?

 

Yeah, we were discussing this in another thread a while back and I replied that it would be better to "pick them off" and save the precious missles. But, I gave it a try and it was extremely gratifying (and faster) to watch them die while not being able to do a thing about it...

 

Plus, you can shoot off a missile and then get real close to the pilot so you can see the blood splatter he makes when he blows up!

[+Saturn]

In some of the higher difficulty levels of AAtE, a lot of pilots will eject while your shots rip apart their ship.  If there's no friendly starbase in that sector, leave those little bastards there and go on to the next battle.  

I wouldn't hang around and try to pick them off unless your seriously "points" hungry or you have everything under control. Otherwise, these pricks can rifle off a ton of shots one after another and take out a ship (depending which class) in a matter of seconds.

 

Of course if you have plenty of homing missles, you can fire a few and back out of range and wait for them to take their unholy toll.

 

Yes... you have discovered a tactic we planned for. The enemy pilots are very hard to hit... so why not use a "smart" missile to do the work for you?

 

Yeah, we were discussing this in another thread a while back and I replied that it would be better to "pick them off" and save the precious missles. But, I gave it a try and it was extremely gratifying (and faster) to watch them die while not being able to do a thing about it...

 

Plus, you can shoot off a missile and then get real close to the pilot so you can see the blood splatter he makes when he blows up!

Heh, another goal. I gotta see that

[+Saturn]

Another tactic I use is- in the higher difficulty levels, you'll encounter squadrons that include the deadly Cruisers. Sometimes protecting an enemy starbase also. After positioning my friendly squads as posted above, I head straight for these armadas of death. I take out all the Cruisers first and then the enemy starbases (if any), then "destroy the remaining escorts". <-quote from the game

 

If you can, try to remove all Cruisers as they appear on your map because they go for your starbases excersizing extreme prejudice. Seems like whoever is piloting these babies could give a shit less what's going on around them. They have one goal, wipe out your race and to hell with everything else.

 

I always make it a point to continuously monitor my map, because just when you think it's going to be smooth sailing, you press option and there's a crapload of pain and misery waiting for you in the outlining sectors of the map.

[+Saturn]

Another tactic for difficult levels- After quickly positioning friendly squadrons and warping to the most threatening sector, you'll have probably two minutes max before the alert repeatedly begins to sound indicating that enemy forces are attacking your many starbases. when this happens, it's best to make sure you have some fresh squads nearby to replace near defeated squads protecting your starbases. This can become increasingly difficult because on the Minter difficulty setting, friendly forces are few and far between compared to the onslaught of enemies that ferociously attack with malice- having no regard whatsoever to your frantic and futile decision making. On this setting, they 86 your squadrons and starbases like they were free.

 

If you notice a friendly starbase surrounded by green "blips" and only one fading red "blip" while your in the heat of battle, it's best to pull your friend out and let those green dudes take turns blasting your starbase to space chunks, and save his life- or sadistically leave him there to perish as a half ass pilot who failed to get the job done. I guess it wouldn't be best to pull your fading friend out of the battle, because if he's too far gone he's utterly useless anywhere else. He'll end up roaming the BattleSphere alone and scared with all out refusal to join another squadron. So, while you and the rest of the team are getting your asses kicked elsewhere, this guy is flying aimlessly wherever he wants. Let him perish

[Hyxtryx]

Okay, what did I screw up here??

 

 

I was trying out some more of the codes, and tried the Defector game, changing the opening title screen, and enabling Stephanies face, and when I went to play Gauntlet I couldn't

fire! Pressing 5 to select weapons shows some changing characters under the laser weapon... can't change weapons.

 

What's going on??? I've turned off the codes I turned on, power cycled... how do I get rid of this without resetting the cartridge FlashRAM?

[+Saturn]

Okay, what did I screw up here??    

 

 

I was trying out some more of the codes, and tried the Defector game, changing the opening title screen, and enabling Stephanies face, and when I went to play Gauntlet I couldn't

fire!  Pressing 5 to select weapons shows some changing characters under the laser weapon... can't change weapons.

 

What's going on???  I've turned off the codes I turned on, power cycled...  how do I get rid of this without resetting the cartridge FlashRAM?

Wow, I've never heard of that. Maybe shoot a PM to Thunderbird...

[Tyrant]

Another satisfied customer I see Thunderbird, looks like you've more on your hands than just bent cables. Its a sad day when someone has to cheat at a game in order to survive long enough to enjoy it, but when the cheats cause the game to exhibit bugs like that... well.

 

My advice is to a) try reseting the cart memory (it should be *, #, and option all at once), and to b) ignore my random rants against Thunderbird, he's really got on my nerves lately, and well lets face it, it is very fun to wind him up and watch him go. The fantastic, twirling, whirling, word-twisting clockwork toy, no home should be without one.

[+Saturn]

If you dock at a starbase for full weapons, when the little robot guy approaches your ship, be extra careful not to accidentally fire and hit him. He assumes the wrath of Satan and proceeds to destroy any friendship (along with your ship) that the two of you once had. He is no longer a site for sore eyes so much as he is a harborer of ill feelings with an insatiable appetite for your destruction. Doesn't matter if enemies enter and begin to attack you, he'll help them.

 

Plus, instead of going back into the starbase like he's supposed to, he'll hang around in an orbit of death- taking swipes at you with every pass. Sometimes breaking orbit on a collision course with you. Too many times have I fired upon him by accident or by paranoid reflex only to pay dearly for my mistakes.

 

BTW, if you want a better rating at the end of a game, try to avoid docking- even once. It makes a huge difference.

[Hyxtryx]

My advice is to a) try reseting the cart memory (it should be *, #, and option all at once), and to b) ignore my random rants against Thunderbird.

 

I hate to reset the few scores I got on the high score list.

I think I saw a reset feature under the menus too... Maybe it's

better to use that one.

 

FWIW, I also had entered the Norad Launch Code code.... of which supposedly nobody knows what it does! Great.

I turned it off though. I double-check, but I'm sure I turned it off. I've been pretty careful to not leave codes sitting "ON", so I turn them off when I'm done with them. Full weapons and Invicible are currently ON however.

[+Saturn]

My advice is to a) try reseting the cart memory (it should be *, #, and option all at once), and to b) ignore my random rants against Thunderbird.

 

I hate to reset the few scores I got on the high score list.

I think I saw a reset feature under the menus too... Maybe it's

better to use that one.

 

FWIW, I also had entered the Norad Launch Code code.... of which supposedly nobody knows what it does! Great.

I turned it off though. I double-check, but I'm sure I turned it off. I've been pretty careful to not leave codes sitting "ON", so I turn them off when I'm done with them. Full weapons and Invicible are currently ON however.

I would try to disable all codes before anything else. Couldn't hurt...

[+Saturn]

If a local starbase(one in the same sector as you)is destroyed and there are a lot of enemies present and no friendly forces, be ready to hammer down in reverse because all of the attention is suddenly diverted to you. It'll send a cold chill down your spine as you watch them calmly regroup and begin heading your direction. It's almost like they're discussing what they plan to do to you. It's a bad thing to be in the middle of a swarm of enemies when your starbase collapses. The best maneuver I've found is to run- with a hell bent determination, while blasting anything that wanders into your sites.