Star Raiders Tactics/Strategies...

[+CharlieChaplin]

Hello folks,

I am currently collecting some Star Raiders tactics / strategies for a forthcoming Abbuc article (or series). Currently I have these 3 texts:

 

- Star Raiders Academy from Antic magazine

- How to become (almost) a Star Raiders Commander from Analog Computing

- Advanced Star raiders tactics for Warrior and Commander level from BYTE magazine

 

Well, are there any other texts or articles availabe for this subject ??? I am also interested in personal hints, tips, strategies and tactics... Of course I will also add my personal strategies, some reviews and some background...

 

Last not least, are there any strategies or tactics for Star Raiders 2 or The Last Starfighter available ?!?

-Andreas Koch.

[Rybags]

Been a while since I've properly played it but...

 

From memory, the book that came with the game had good advice.

 

I've tried playing by not using impulse engines - you save some energy but can lose time.

 

Hyperwarp is important - not only in keeping the jumps economical, but also positioning the cursor in the middle of the sector (as well as keeping the crosshair centred during warp).

 

Also, plan ahead with the Galactic Map. If you can formulate a strategy to minimize the number and length of hyperwarps it can go a long way. Just weakening the enemy in key areas makes it easy too - lose any starbases and kiss that high rank goodbye.

 

Long-range scan comes in real handy when you get into a sector where they just don't want to fight and are running away.

 

It's also important to try and establish where the enemy are in relation to you as soon as you drop from warp. Reading the guages and/or using LRS helps - use the momentum coming out of warp to get a heading towards them.

 

Dropping shields at strategic times can save that extra bit of energy, keeping your fire rate down does so too.

 

 

Last Starfighter: no rocket-science needed for that game since it's so easy. But, it is very important to visit the enemy solar system and attack as early/often as possible.

Edited November 11, 2007 by Rybags

[Bunsen]

tactics for starraiders II:

 

1) Wenn man mit Schlachtschiffen kämpft, diese immer am Bildrand halten, bis sie geschossen haben und sich dann schnell selbst in eine gute Schussposition bringen. Diese Schiffe sind nur durch einen genauen Treffer in der Mitte zu zerstören.

2) Das Spiel lässt sich nur gewinnen, wenn man alle Städte des Gegners vernichtet hat. Solange noch feindliche Städte existieren, kann der Gegner immer neue Raumflotten in das eigene System schicken.

3) Um dieses Spiel auch im schwersten Schwierigkeitsgrad zu schaffen, muss man gleich zu Beginn in das feindliche Cylon-System fliegen und dort so schnell wie möglich alle Städte vernichten. Danach kommen keine neuen Angreifer mehr auf einem zu und man kann in aller Ruhe seine schwer unter Feuer stehenden Planeten und seine Raumstation von den Invasoren befreien.

 

Sorry for posting in german. Maybe it's useful for you.

[Shamus]

QnD translation, for those too lazy to go to Google:

 

1) If one is struggling with battleships, always on the screen, until they were shot and then quickly even in a good shooting position. These ships are just a precise hit in the middle to destroy.

2) The game can only win if all the cities of the enemy destroyed. As long as there are still hostile cities, the opponents always new space fleets in their own system.

3) To this game too serious in degree of difficulty to create, one must at the outset into the enemy Cylon-System fly and there as quickly as possible to destroy all cities. Thereafter, no new attacker on a more and we can all rest his severely under fire ended planet and its space station rid of the invaders.

[Big_Mo]

I once wrote an article called "Defeating the Zylon Menace" in which I expounded on various tactics for Star Raiders.

 

On the 5200 I used to routinely get Star Commander Class 1 on the Commander Mission, but to do this I developed some rather unusual approaches to playing the game, which went against the conventional wisdom in most strategy guides. In short:

 

1. Don't hyperspace within a few seconds before the Zylons jump sectors. Nothing more annoying than hyperspacing into a place where the enemy just left.

 

2. When possible, take out two ship groups first. Two ship groups move more frequently, so if you destroy them right away, the enemy will be less likely to surround starbases.

 

3. Use the engines only when you have to. The Zylons tend to come to you, so, upon entering a sector, flip immediately to the Sector Scan and see where the enemies are. If they are far away, try to spin your ship around so that the residual momentum from coming out of hyperspace takes you towards them. If they're nearly, swing them BEHIND you and let your momentum get you some distance before you turn to fight.

 

4. Fight only in the forward view. One reason not to use the engines is that the Zylons are less likely to slip behind you. If one gets behind you, hit the engines to 9 to blast away from them, then spin around and nail them as they comes after you.

 

5. Hyperspace. If you come into a sector and the enemies are really far away and won't come to you, immediately re-hyperspace into the same sector. You'll usually end up closer, and you save time. The same tactic can be used to make a sector easier to deal with. For instance, if you come in and find yourself faced with two (shielded) basestars, if you hyperspace back into the same sector, the ship types (which appear to be generated randomly) will likely change.

 

6. Hyperspace recovery. Note where the cursor is the moment you hit hyperspace. If you do, and you miss the target, you can actually recover virtually instantly by immediately pushing hyperspace again, and then placing the cursor exactly on the opposite side of the crosshair from where it was when you misjumped.

 

That's the short form.

[Rybags]

Like the sound of 6.

 

But... aborted Hyperspace has the energy penalty.

 

I've found that using the computer tracking is usually useful, often you'll score a hit when it flips to reverse just out of luck if you happen to be firing.

[Big_Mo]

Like the sound of 6.

 

But... aborted Hyperspace has the energy penalty.

 

I've found that using the computer tracking is usually useful, often you'll score a hit when it flips to reverse just out of luck if you happen to be firing.

 

I think you're misunderstanding. I'm not talking about aborting a hyperspace jump. I'm saying that if you MISS a jump, the moment you come OUT of hyperspace, it's possible to reengage hyperspace without going to the map and still be able to hit your original target. This works on the 5200 version very well, but I do recall that Hyperspace behaves a little differently on the 800 if not engaged from the map. I'll dig out the cart and retest it!