Shoo t'Rgt: Honour and Reason [DiD]
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Buck_Rogers
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Master of the Blade
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Well, I'm afraid the news is only terrible. I was infected by a decidedly nasty virus and had to reinstall Windows, losing basically everything. I've rescued some of my X3 saves which I'm pretty sure are my DiD ones but I'm not sure. What I didn't rescue were my screens of the awesome thing I did. It'll be a while before I can get this going again, since I'll have to reinstall TC, AP and XRM and depending on whether I've got the right saves out of the mess restore my fleet and stations. 
Allergic to work.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
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Master of the Blade
- Posts: 2259
- Joined: Fri, 6. Feb 09, 20:52
Reinstalling TC now, will restore AP when it's done. Then I'll find out if I got the right saves. 
For now, I'll try recounting some other stuff. EDIT: I quite like how this one turned out. Little short, but I've got to go now. I'll write more at a later date - this chapter isn't done yet.
Chapter 49: Attack Attack! Retreat! Retreat!
After christening my new destroyers Rampart and Bastion I take the helm of the Statler and jump into K841 to gauge the opposition. Instantly I'm caught in a net of kyon beams with the missile alert siren wailing madly as several odd craft named Sentinels, identified as bombers, begin pelting me with torpedoes. Even though I immediately hit the jumpdrive to escape I'm reduced to 10% shield integrity, such is the ferocity of the Kha'ak defence. Hm. Maybe attacking the insects isn't such a smart move after all. Still, I shouldn't give up so soon. Maybe giving them two targets to shoot at while I stay in the safety of my home sector to coordinate the attack is a better course of action. I have Bastion and Rampart make the jump in and watch the sector map closely. The pair do well at first, though Bastion takes a beating and has to retreat to recharge its shields. Eventually, with the Phoenixes tag-teaming the Kha'ak, the swarm around my jump in point begins to thin out and I withdraw Rampart, the current attacker in preparation for my own return.
On entering, I first target the corvette class ships, as the Beta Kyon Emitter is incredibly deadly, and my GCs are best suited for destroying M6 class ships. The only remaining capital class ship on the Kha'ak side is a Destroyer, which delivers a nasty sting, but falls fairly easily to my cannons. With the most pressing ships destroyed, I move on to the static Guardian class defense platforms. The Gauss Cannon is ideal for attacking static installations, as it outranges all other known weapons, This means I can pull up 10km away from the fortification and pound it without fear of retribution. I do this to the two nearest Guardians, but am stopped cold by the flashes of jumpdrives signalling the arrival of reinforcements. Gah, get away before the torpedoes arrive.
My conclusion based on that foray is that the Kha'ak are most certainly not to be trifled with. One of my new destroyers took some hull damage, but it's mostly superficial so not worth fixing. A battleship is respected more if it has a few scars. The Kha'ak are neither profitable to fight (since Operation Final Fury was an apparent success, governments stopped paying bounty for the destruction of Kha'ak ships in their own sectors) nor easy to hold back I feel it's best to leave their sectors be until I can afford to use heavier battleships disposably. The risk of losing a cornerstone of my fleet is far too high at the moment. So, anyone remember the #EFAA? It's still in 023 according to that tracking drone, and I think I'm strong enough now to storm those sectors and reprogram it. The #DECA replica Dark Space have constructed is at least similar in power to #EFAA and I can have it assist in the hacking process. I'm assured it has failsafes and the best available anti-hacking systems should #EFAA attempt to turn the tables.
I gather my fleet of destroyers and jump them to Twisted Skies, the Split controlled sector in the Zyarth region. This will be my base of operations and a fallback point should a capital ship encounter troubles. I bring along Harbinger Angel, Titan's Gaze and Discotheque for extra support, though I only intend to bring them in when the worst fighting is done. But before I begin my crusades anew, I've decided my heavyfrigates aren't good enough as personal cruisers. The Cyclops is far too reliant on its target being ahead of it, the Kvasir's weapons are unreliable and the Agamemnon can't stand up in heated combat, being set up for espionage. So, I think I want a light destroyer. The Aggy has been a good ship, so I'll go Paranid - theirs is called the Poseidon and is built around its devastating broadsides...
For now, I'll try recounting some other stuff. EDIT: I quite like how this one turned out. Little short, but I've got to go now. I'll write more at a later date - this chapter isn't done yet.
Chapter 49: Attack Attack! Retreat! Retreat!
After christening my new destroyers Rampart and Bastion I take the helm of the Statler and jump into K841 to gauge the opposition. Instantly I'm caught in a net of kyon beams with the missile alert siren wailing madly as several odd craft named Sentinels, identified as bombers, begin pelting me with torpedoes. Even though I immediately hit the jumpdrive to escape I'm reduced to 10% shield integrity, such is the ferocity of the Kha'ak defence. Hm. Maybe attacking the insects isn't such a smart move after all. Still, I shouldn't give up so soon. Maybe giving them two targets to shoot at while I stay in the safety of my home sector to coordinate the attack is a better course of action. I have Bastion and Rampart make the jump in and watch the sector map closely. The pair do well at first, though Bastion takes a beating and has to retreat to recharge its shields. Eventually, with the Phoenixes tag-teaming the Kha'ak, the swarm around my jump in point begins to thin out and I withdraw Rampart, the current attacker in preparation for my own return.
On entering, I first target the corvette class ships, as the Beta Kyon Emitter is incredibly deadly, and my GCs are best suited for destroying M6 class ships. The only remaining capital class ship on the Kha'ak side is a Destroyer, which delivers a nasty sting, but falls fairly easily to my cannons. With the most pressing ships destroyed, I move on to the static Guardian class defense platforms. The Gauss Cannon is ideal for attacking static installations, as it outranges all other known weapons, This means I can pull up 10km away from the fortification and pound it without fear of retribution. I do this to the two nearest Guardians, but am stopped cold by the flashes of jumpdrives signalling the arrival of reinforcements. Gah, get away before the torpedoes arrive.
My conclusion based on that foray is that the Kha'ak are most certainly not to be trifled with. One of my new destroyers took some hull damage, but it's mostly superficial so not worth fixing. A battleship is respected more if it has a few scars. The Kha'ak are neither profitable to fight (since Operation Final Fury was an apparent success, governments stopped paying bounty for the destruction of Kha'ak ships in their own sectors) nor easy to hold back I feel it's best to leave their sectors be until I can afford to use heavier battleships disposably. The risk of losing a cornerstone of my fleet is far too high at the moment. So, anyone remember the #EFAA? It's still in 023 according to that tracking drone, and I think I'm strong enough now to storm those sectors and reprogram it. The #DECA replica Dark Space have constructed is at least similar in power to #EFAA and I can have it assist in the hacking process. I'm assured it has failsafes and the best available anti-hacking systems should #EFAA attempt to turn the tables.
I gather my fleet of destroyers and jump them to Twisted Skies, the Split controlled sector in the Zyarth region. This will be my base of operations and a fallback point should a capital ship encounter troubles. I bring along Harbinger Angel, Titan's Gaze and Discotheque for extra support, though I only intend to bring them in when the worst fighting is done. But before I begin my crusades anew, I've decided my heavyfrigates aren't good enough as personal cruisers. The Cyclops is far too reliant on its target being ahead of it, the Kvasir's weapons are unreliable and the Agamemnon can't stand up in heated combat, being set up for espionage. So, I think I want a light destroyer. The Aggy has been a good ship, so I'll go Paranid - theirs is called the Poseidon and is built around its devastating broadsides...
Allergic to work.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
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Buck_Rogers
- Posts: 1521
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Master of the Blade
- Posts: 2259
- Joined: Fri, 6. Feb 09, 20:52
Indeed it was. I finished this escapade before the virus hit, so it's all good. Also, as far as I can tell, my saves are working fine! So yeah. I can continue. Think I burned out though, so I'll finish this #EFAA arc and hold off for a bit. In other news, I just noticed this thread has 13678 views! 
Didn't realise I was that popular. 
So thanks everyone who's watched this thread - I know my sucky update schedule must be a real pain in the posterior.
Didn't realise I was that popular. So thanks everyone who's watched this thread - I know my sucky update schedule must be a real pain in the posterior.Allergic to work.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
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Buck_Rogers
- Posts: 1521
- Joined: Mon, 20. Dec 04, 23:23
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Master of the Blade
- Posts: 2259
- Joined: Fri, 6. Feb 09, 20:52
Don't think I thanked everyone enough last time, so once again, everyone who reads - or even just has a looksie - has my gratitude for making this feel worthwhile.
Once I get back into X3, I'll be starting a youtube series - probably going to be named 'Gratuitous Space Battles' - and which will be exactly what it says on the tin, two (or more, if I can set it up) fleets duking it out in a battle to the death. More on that as I get things sorted, and please post as to whether you think it should have voice commentary, annotations or nothing of the sort so I know what people want.
EDIT: This is meant to be the other half of the previous chapter, which was interrupted due to canine activity, hence the odd numbering and short length.
Chapter 49b: The Technocrusade
As promised, I buy myself a Poseidon and have it pick up a full complement of PSGs and EMDAs. Since it doesn't have to do delicate things like control enemy shields, I forego TBCs due to their poor damage and range. The sheer power of the PSG should be enough to tide me over. No time to test drive, but my fleet has spotted something in my staging sector: a Kha'ak Advanced Destroyer. These things are getting more and more common...
I tell my frigates to break off and retreat while my destroyers advance. I jump in to see the Waldorf charging at the Destroyer, with Bastion and Rampart close behind and Statler bringing up the rear. The Kha'ak battleship hits Waldorf first as I streak towards it, purple beams crackling through space and tearing up my Megalodon's shields. It's not long before my destroyer fires though, and purple is joined by vivid blue as the Ion Cannons do their work. I arrive before the Phoenix sisters and try to pick away at it from directions where turrets are busy with Waldorf, but I'm targeted and find myself taking severe shield damage. I break off quickly and only just escape the Advanced Destroyer's range before my shields give out.
By this point, my Phoenixes are pounding the Advanced Destroyer, which is no longer able to sustain the thrashing it was giving the Waldorf and has turned away, its weaker rear turret not dealing significant damage to its adversary's damaged but recharging shields. Then I realise why it turned away - I'd drawn its attention with my little gung ho charge earlier and it was trying to finish me off, having discovered that the Waldorf is incapable of harming its hull plating more than a few superficial burns. The artillery of Bastion and Rampart is wearing it down and I dance around at the edge of its range while they dismantle it. Its hull begins to weaken, and I hear a colossal boom through the onboard sound simulators.
Statler has arrived, and fires all its 36 Gauss Cannons simultaneously, the mighty barrage of shells blowing a frigate sized hole in the Kha'ak ship's armour and evaporating its innards before exiting the other side. The explosion bathes the sector in impressive but relatively harmless blinding white light as the Destroyer's generators evaporate what's left of its ravaged shell. If that's how all the battles go, I think I'm set. I take my light destroyer and jump into X598 to hunt some artillery.
My usual tactic with fleet operations is to enter the sector first with a more mobile platform which can shoot down the missile barrages from torpedo frigates and bombers, then chase them down and kill them after they expend their ammo supply. After doing that, I roll in the big guns to take out the conventional threats. 598 usually seems to contain at least 2 G missile frigates and a J with a wing of 10 R-class light bombers, modified LX heavy fighters equipped with an array of 4 torpedo launchers in place of its main weapons. They have much less cargo space than ordinary bombers, but when a carrier can hold large wings of them they become incredibly dangerous - and annoying, since they never leave the vicinity of their devastatingly powerful carrier.
The Gs go down as expected, running out of missiles to lob at me after about ten minutes then evaporating under my PSG barrages before their escorts realise what's happening. However, I am unable to get close enough to the Rs to take them out. There are enough of them that it will take at least an hour to exhaust their missile supplies so I decide to bring in the destroyers anyway.
Waldorf comes first, being the one which will get out of the way of the gate fastest, followed by the Phoenix twins then fatty Statler. I have each Phoenix pair up with a heavy destroyer and send the two pairs after the Xenon battleship groups in the sector. I move off to hunt down heavy frigates to remove the danger of enemy flanking manoeuvres. Between us, we clear out the sector of major threats. I call in my frigates to kill off the straggler fighters and have my destroyers lock down the region, while I move on to troll the artillery boats in the next sector.
Once I get back into X3, I'll be starting a youtube series - probably going to be named 'Gratuitous Space Battles' - and which will be exactly what it says on the tin, two (or more, if I can set it up) fleets duking it out in a battle to the death. More on that as I get things sorted, and please post as to whether you think it should have voice commentary, annotations or nothing of the sort so I know what people want.
EDIT: This is meant to be the other half of the previous chapter, which was interrupted due to canine activity, hence the odd numbering and short length.
Chapter 49b: The Technocrusade
As promised, I buy myself a Poseidon and have it pick up a full complement of PSGs and EMDAs. Since it doesn't have to do delicate things like control enemy shields, I forego TBCs due to their poor damage and range. The sheer power of the PSG should be enough to tide me over. No time to test drive, but my fleet has spotted something in my staging sector: a Kha'ak Advanced Destroyer. These things are getting more and more common...
I tell my frigates to break off and retreat while my destroyers advance. I jump in to see the Waldorf charging at the Destroyer, with Bastion and Rampart close behind and Statler bringing up the rear. The Kha'ak battleship hits Waldorf first as I streak towards it, purple beams crackling through space and tearing up my Megalodon's shields. It's not long before my destroyer fires though, and purple is joined by vivid blue as the Ion Cannons do their work. I arrive before the Phoenix sisters and try to pick away at it from directions where turrets are busy with Waldorf, but I'm targeted and find myself taking severe shield damage. I break off quickly and only just escape the Advanced Destroyer's range before my shields give out.
By this point, my Phoenixes are pounding the Advanced Destroyer, which is no longer able to sustain the thrashing it was giving the Waldorf and has turned away, its weaker rear turret not dealing significant damage to its adversary's damaged but recharging shields. Then I realise why it turned away - I'd drawn its attention with my little gung ho charge earlier and it was trying to finish me off, having discovered that the Waldorf is incapable of harming its hull plating more than a few superficial burns. The artillery of Bastion and Rampart is wearing it down and I dance around at the edge of its range while they dismantle it. Its hull begins to weaken, and I hear a colossal boom through the onboard sound simulators.
Statler has arrived, and fires all its 36 Gauss Cannons simultaneously, the mighty barrage of shells blowing a frigate sized hole in the Kha'ak ship's armour and evaporating its innards before exiting the other side. The explosion bathes the sector in impressive but relatively harmless blinding white light as the Destroyer's generators evaporate what's left of its ravaged shell. If that's how all the battles go, I think I'm set. I take my light destroyer and jump into X598 to hunt some artillery.
My usual tactic with fleet operations is to enter the sector first with a more mobile platform which can shoot down the missile barrages from torpedo frigates and bombers, then chase them down and kill them after they expend their ammo supply. After doing that, I roll in the big guns to take out the conventional threats. 598 usually seems to contain at least 2 G missile frigates and a J with a wing of 10 R-class light bombers, modified LX heavy fighters equipped with an array of 4 torpedo launchers in place of its main weapons. They have much less cargo space than ordinary bombers, but when a carrier can hold large wings of them they become incredibly dangerous - and annoying, since they never leave the vicinity of their devastatingly powerful carrier.
The Gs go down as expected, running out of missiles to lob at me after about ten minutes then evaporating under my PSG barrages before their escorts realise what's happening. However, I am unable to get close enough to the Rs to take them out. There are enough of them that it will take at least an hour to exhaust their missile supplies so I decide to bring in the destroyers anyway.
Waldorf comes first, being the one which will get out of the way of the gate fastest, followed by the Phoenix twins then fatty Statler. I have each Phoenix pair up with a heavy destroyer and send the two pairs after the Xenon battleship groups in the sector. I move off to hunt down heavy frigates to remove the danger of enemy flanking manoeuvres. Between us, we clear out the sector of major threats. I call in my frigates to kill off the straggler fighters and have my destroyers lock down the region, while I move on to troll the artillery boats in the next sector.
Allergic to work.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
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Master of the Blade
- Posts: 2259
- Joined: Fri, 6. Feb 09, 20:52
*brushes dust off thread*
Sorry I left this so long guys, been busier than ever with college, university applications and assorted other responsibilities. And XCOM Enemy Unknown. Will try get back into a decent sort of schedule, maybe a chapter every wednesday, since that's probably when I have the most free time. I'll be starting that series I mentioned in a couple weeks, or maybe around christmas. I burned out on X, but I'm feeling it again and should start playing obsessively for a few months or so.
It's currently quarter to 12 at night so in the interests of quality control I'll put off the chapter until tomorrow, expect it then, anyone who hasn't given up on me.
(Still want advice on commentating/setup for Gratuitous Space Battles)
Sorry I left this so long guys, been busier than ever with college, university applications and assorted other responsibilities. And XCOM Enemy Unknown. Will try get back into a decent sort of schedule, maybe a chapter every wednesday, since that's probably when I have the most free time. I'll be starting that series I mentioned in a couple weeks, or maybe around christmas. I burned out on X, but I'm feeling it again and should start playing obsessively for a few months or so.
It's currently quarter to 12 at night so in the interests of quality control I'll put off the chapter until tomorrow, expect it then, anyone who hasn't given up on me.
(Still want advice on commentating/setup for Gratuitous Space Battles)Allergic to work.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
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Buck_Rogers
- Posts: 1521
- Joined: Mon, 20. Dec 04, 23:23
You swine! I so want that game! I 've still got the original version for the PS1. lol Still is, and forever will be, my favorite game for the Playstation.Master of the Blade wrote:*brushes dust off thread*
Sorry I left this so long guys, been busier than ever with college, university applications and assorted other responsibilities. And XCOM Enemy Unknown.
Oh yeah. Good chapter by the way!
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Master of the Blade
- Posts: 2259
- Joined: Fri, 6. Feb 09, 20:52
Yeah, things just KEEP POPPING UP. I hate it so much, I try to do this, and something requires my attention before I can start. Nothing I can do about it except apologise. 
I've just found out my new install doesn't have the bonus pack installed so the BP wares are showing up as SS_WARE_ whatever. Hoping installing the BP will've fixed this. Seems harmless, but it really nukes immersion.
Chapter 50: The Road to Sentience
627 seems to have less of an artillery infestation than 598 so my job is much easier. There's a pair of I class superdestroyers floating about though, which is an extremely rare and terrifying thing to see. Fortunately I can outmanoeuvre them with ease and pick off the Gs in the sector. My battleships have finished securing X598 so I call in the Waldorf with orders to take the area in front of the gate. Then Bastion and Rampart enter, followed by Statler. As I send them out to hunt down their Xenon counterparts, watching from afar for surprise frigates, I notice the telltale signs of a confused navigation computer. Million ton hulks of high-tech military equipment begin helplessly spinning in the face of their greatest foe: the asteroid field.
Since this would result in a situation where not only would my fleet take days to reach their target but would also be in a poor position tactically, I order them to hold position well away from the field and go poke the Is. It's dangerous - the PSG is not a weapon well suited to hit and run tactics, with its poor range - but it's the only way to get a favourable engagement out of the sector. As it turns out, I take a bit of a melting from DMBCs but I can avoid the worst of it and get the Xenon craft to chase me into the 4-destroyer ambush somewhere high above the Northwest of the sector.
82 Gauss Cannons opening up simultaneously is much like 36 of them doing the same, but even louder (at least, according to the shipboard audio simulators) and more terrifyingly powerful. Between them, the two Phoenix and the Statler blast the leading I into tiny bits only shortly after it enters its own firing range, then its frigate escorts. The second I manages to get a respectable barrage off on the Waldorf before meeting the same fate, followed by its own set of lighter warships. Teladi weapon tech, huh? Who says it can't be as impressive as that of the Split?
As we celebrate the crushing victory, I spot the telltale parallel trails of a G barrage in the distance, aimed at Bastion. While not really a threat at this point, missile frigates are still a potential problem so I move to engage. It's so busy firing rockets off into the artillery storm generated by my destroyers that it doesn't even have time to react before its hull melts in my PSG storm. And that is that, painless clearing of X627. Onwards to the Core!
I pop through the C023 gate to a hailstorm of Xenon fighter fire. Even without checking the sector map, there must be thirty assorted fighters swarming this gate alone. I pull up and loop over the gate, both putting its nigh invulnerable armour between me and the furious swarm and pointing my EMDA flak weapons at them. By engaging the strafe drive, I add enough speed that I can actually escape the slower ships, allowing the flak to pick off the M5s and M4s which rush ahead. I've taken a beating and am floating around 40% shield integrity, keeping the fire I take to a minimum to try and allow recharging. Unfortunately those slower fighters are beginning to gain and there's no way a cruiser can evade the deadly accurate Xenon 'Gamma Pulse Emitter' fire. I stick around for as long as possible, thinning out the cloud but not making an appreciable dent in it. I've lead it well away from the sector centre though so instead of retreating to the now safe X627 I simply jump back to the gate I entered through.
Turns out this gives me the time to recharge to a safe threshold and I repeat the process until the number of fighters is low enough that it's safe to go artillery hunting. This is looking pretty good so far, so I also order the #DECA and my Agamemnon the Subversive to jump to 627 in preparation for the main event. There is only the one G in the core sector, but two Js and therefore an ungodly number of R class M3 bombers. I take out the G as usual and again choose to ignore the bombers. Too much trouble for too little gain. Bring on the fleet! Except #DECA. We need it at full combat capacity to take #EFAA alive. Speaking of #EFAA...
It's not actively attacking, instead skirting around the combat zone sticking to the stations. I have no idea what it's playing at - with 30GJ shielding it would be a brilliant damage sponge if nothing else. Presumably it chooses to coordinate its fleet from afar. As my destroyers assemble for the final push to the (supposedly) sentient CPU, I take my position to command my own warriors.
I've just found out my new install doesn't have the bonus pack installed so the BP wares are showing up as SS_WARE_ whatever. Hoping installing the BP will've fixed this. Seems harmless, but it really nukes immersion.
Chapter 50: The Road to Sentience
627 seems to have less of an artillery infestation than 598 so my job is much easier. There's a pair of I class superdestroyers floating about though, which is an extremely rare and terrifying thing to see. Fortunately I can outmanoeuvre them with ease and pick off the Gs in the sector. My battleships have finished securing X598 so I call in the Waldorf with orders to take the area in front of the gate. Then Bastion and Rampart enter, followed by Statler. As I send them out to hunt down their Xenon counterparts, watching from afar for surprise frigates, I notice the telltale signs of a confused navigation computer. Million ton hulks of high-tech military equipment begin helplessly spinning in the face of their greatest foe: the asteroid field.
Since this would result in a situation where not only would my fleet take days to reach their target but would also be in a poor position tactically, I order them to hold position well away from the field and go poke the Is. It's dangerous - the PSG is not a weapon well suited to hit and run tactics, with its poor range - but it's the only way to get a favourable engagement out of the sector. As it turns out, I take a bit of a melting from DMBCs but I can avoid the worst of it and get the Xenon craft to chase me into the 4-destroyer ambush somewhere high above the Northwest of the sector.
82 Gauss Cannons opening up simultaneously is much like 36 of them doing the same, but even louder (at least, according to the shipboard audio simulators) and more terrifyingly powerful. Between them, the two Phoenix and the Statler blast the leading I into tiny bits only shortly after it enters its own firing range, then its frigate escorts. The second I manages to get a respectable barrage off on the Waldorf before meeting the same fate, followed by its own set of lighter warships. Teladi weapon tech, huh? Who says it can't be as impressive as that of the Split?
As we celebrate the crushing victory, I spot the telltale parallel trails of a G barrage in the distance, aimed at Bastion. While not really a threat at this point, missile frigates are still a potential problem so I move to engage. It's so busy firing rockets off into the artillery storm generated by my destroyers that it doesn't even have time to react before its hull melts in my PSG storm. And that is that, painless clearing of X627. Onwards to the Core!
I pop through the C023 gate to a hailstorm of Xenon fighter fire. Even without checking the sector map, there must be thirty assorted fighters swarming this gate alone. I pull up and loop over the gate, both putting its nigh invulnerable armour between me and the furious swarm and pointing my EMDA flak weapons at them. By engaging the strafe drive, I add enough speed that I can actually escape the slower ships, allowing the flak to pick off the M5s and M4s which rush ahead. I've taken a beating and am floating around 40% shield integrity, keeping the fire I take to a minimum to try and allow recharging. Unfortunately those slower fighters are beginning to gain and there's no way a cruiser can evade the deadly accurate Xenon 'Gamma Pulse Emitter' fire. I stick around for as long as possible, thinning out the cloud but not making an appreciable dent in it. I've lead it well away from the sector centre though so instead of retreating to the now safe X627 I simply jump back to the gate I entered through.
Turns out this gives me the time to recharge to a safe threshold and I repeat the process until the number of fighters is low enough that it's safe to go artillery hunting. This is looking pretty good so far, so I also order the #DECA and my Agamemnon the Subversive to jump to 627 in preparation for the main event. There is only the one G in the core sector, but two Js and therefore an ungodly number of R class M3 bombers. I take out the G as usual and again choose to ignore the bombers. Too much trouble for too little gain. Bring on the fleet! Except #DECA. We need it at full combat capacity to take #EFAA alive. Speaking of #EFAA...
It's not actively attacking, instead skirting around the combat zone sticking to the stations. I have no idea what it's playing at - with 30GJ shielding it would be a brilliant damage sponge if nothing else. Presumably it chooses to coordinate its fleet from afar. As my destroyers assemble for the final push to the (supposedly) sentient CPU, I take my position to command my own warriors.
Allergic to work.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
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Buck_Rogers
- Posts: 1521
- Joined: Mon, 20. Dec 04, 23:23
Another good chapter there. 
I'll have to get back to my story sometime, but like you, I'm suffering from 'X Burnout'. The thought of setting up and preparing just makes me feel like not playing right now. Plus by the time I do get everything ready, the Mrs or the kids usually chime in, and I have to go do something else. lol
Rest assured though......I shall return!........Eventually. lol
No need to apologise my friend. I'm sure everyone reading this understands that real life comes first.Master of the Blade wrote:Yeah, things just KEEP POPPING UP. I hate it so much, I try to do this, and something requires my attention before I can start. Nothing I can do about it except apologise.
I'll have to get back to my story sometime, but like you, I'm suffering from 'X Burnout'. The thought of setting up and preparing just makes me feel like not playing right now. Plus by the time I do get everything ready, the Mrs or the kids usually chime in, and I have to go do something else. lol
Rest assured though......I shall return!........Eventually. lol
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Master of the Blade
- Posts: 2259
- Joined: Fri, 6. Feb 09, 20:52
Thanks for the support, Buck_Rogers. It's just nice to get input, and kind words are always welcome.
How are chapters looking onscreen by the way? I have a retardedly wide monitor so a good half hour of typing can look rather weedy once I submit it. Be good to know if they're actually weedy or I'm doing a decent amount every chapter. I know screenshots are rather sparse at the moment but it seems all of my available screenies are of the battle in 023. Thought I'd lost them altogether in the virus aftermath, but you're going to see a decent amount of the fighting.
How are chapters looking onscreen by the way? I have a retardedly wide monitor so a good half hour of typing can look rather weedy once I submit it. Be good to know if they're actually weedy or I'm doing a decent amount every chapter. I know screenshots are rather sparse at the moment but it seems all of my available screenies are of the battle in 023. Thought I'd lost them altogether in the virus aftermath, but you're going to see a decent amount of the fighting.
Allergic to work.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
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Buck_Rogers
- Posts: 1521
- Joined: Mon, 20. Dec 04, 23:23
I know how you feel.Master of the Blade wrote:Thanks for the support, Buck_Rogers. It's just nice to get input, and kind words are always welcome.
They are a good length. Actually maybe slightly too long, but that's probably just me. A few more screenies would be nice to.Master of the Blade wrote:How are chapters looking onscreen by the way? I have a retardedly wide monitor so a good half hour of typing can look rather weedy once I submit it. Be good to know if they're actually weedy or I'm doing a decent amount every chapter. I know screenshots are rather sparse at the moment but it seems all of my available screenies are of the battle in 023. Thought I'd lost them altogether in the virus aftermath, but you're going to see a decent amount of the fighting.
Looking forward to seeing them.-
Nathancros
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Buck_Rogers
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Master of the Blade
- Posts: 2259
- Joined: Fri, 6. Feb 09, 20:52
Good Lord, it's actually been over two months since I looked at this thread. I'd been working towards January exams with no time to consider this. This post is basically to say I've not abandoned this DiD. Since things have calmed down a bit and I'm on top of work I'll try get a chapter up this week.
Allergic to work.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
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Master of the Blade
- Posts: 2259
- Joined: Fri, 6. Feb 09, 20:52
Nice to see another reader, thanks for the feedback 89James89. But enough talk. HAVE AT YOU!
Chapter 51: Insanity
For the final time, my destroyer fleet enters hostile space, taking up defensive positions around the West gate. #EFAA continues to keep its distance, so I set my battleships on the Xenon craft around the sector, which while initially scattered have begun bearing down on our position with singleminded intent.
Picking off the Xenon threats.
It's not long before the only remaining Xenon are unthreatening fighters so I call in the replica #Deca. Since the #EFAA likely has incredible innate resistance to hacking, I deem it necessary to bring a supercomputer in the guise of a spaceship of my own to counter it. I board #Deca, more out of some symbolic gesture than anything else, as despite its replica status the CPU ship still seems to be worryingly independent, refusing me any direct control over its functions.
The mighty craft approach each other
The #EFAA uses Dark Matter Beam Cannons, #Deca Fusion Beam Cannons. The FBC is arguably the most powerful weapon in existence, the #EFAA outweighs the #Deca's shields by a hefty 18GJ. I hope the FBCs can make up the difference as the ships close to firing range.
Red against blue.
Dinner now, more later.
Chapter 51: Insanity
For the final time, my destroyer fleet enters hostile space, taking up defensive positions around the West gate. #EFAA continues to keep its distance, so I set my battleships on the Xenon craft around the sector, which while initially scattered have begun bearing down on our position with singleminded intent.
Picking off the Xenon threats.
It's not long before the only remaining Xenon are unthreatening fighters so I call in the replica #Deca. Since the #EFAA likely has incredible innate resistance to hacking, I deem it necessary to bring a supercomputer in the guise of a spaceship of my own to counter it. I board #Deca, more out of some symbolic gesture than anything else, as despite its replica status the CPU ship still seems to be worryingly independent, refusing me any direct control over its functions.
The mighty craft approach each other
The #EFAA uses Dark Matter Beam Cannons, #Deca Fusion Beam Cannons. The FBC is arguably the most powerful weapon in existence, the #EFAA outweighs the #Deca's shields by a hefty 18GJ. I hope the FBCs can make up the difference as the ships close to firing range.
Red against blue.
Dinner now, more later.
Allergic to work.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
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Master of the Blade
- Posts: 2259
- Joined: Fri, 6. Feb 09, 20:52
Haha, unfinished is what it is, not short and to the point. 
Had loads of work to do so couldn't get it done after dinner as I said. Continuation occurring now.
Also yeah, #deca is really ugly. I've described it as a beer can, barrel and cylindrical thing before.
Had loads of work to do so couldn't get it done after dinner as I said. Continuation occurring now. Also yeah, #deca is really ugly. I've described it as a beer can, barrel and cylindrical thing before.
Allergic to work.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.
If at first you don't succeed, delegate the job to a minion.