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8. WORD FROM PLAYERS
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Andrew Traviss (ninja_squirrel_@hotmail.com) sent me this:
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Great FAQ, it pointed out some things I didn't think about before. I never used a Defender before, and never realized how useful they are, I also didn't know that Ion Array Frigates could cloak, which would have helped, because I managed to hijack 5 of them.

Also, a point you might like to note is that Multi-Beam Frigates place a really low targeting priority on Salvage Corvettes, so it is easy to steal them. I stole 11. Imagine what theat did to fighter *evil grin*, though friendly fire is an issue with them, as they lack fine firing control.

You also misrepresented Repair Corvettes. They CAN repair capital vessels. Also, Heavy Cruisers and Carriers require 6 Salvage Corvettes, don't they?

Speaking of all this hijacking, I did not experience the same error as you did on Mission 8, I was free to be a hijacker for the entire game -P

How did you beat Mission 14 so easily? It is proving impossible for me. I cannot seem to limit the enemy attacks to 4 or 5 ships. Every time I hit a portion of the sphere, almost the entire hemisphere comes after me.

In the formations section, I have something you might like to add The sphere formation is perfect for cloak generators. It is a special case. Any group with a cloak generator in it puts the generator in the center of the sphere, regardless of other ship classes present.

Cloak generators are also useful for capturing enemy capital ships, by allowing salvage corvettes to latch on unfettered ^_^

I try to steal every capital ship I encounter, it saves resources for Strike Craft and Corvettes. In the end I had 2 Heavy Cruisers, 2 Destroyers, 1 Ion Cannon Frigate, 1 Missile Destroyer, 11 Multi Beam Frigates, 5 Ion Array Frigates, and a Resource Collector that weren't mine.

I might add that stealing the cloak generator from Mission 12. There are no proximity detectors among the enemies in that mission, so it is possible to take their carrier and frigates if you do it properly, and it also spares you the considerable 700 expense to build one.

Haha, that's a lot, I know. Have fun with it, I hope you found it interesting, and I hope I hear back from you sometime. I like to discuss this game, and I don't know many other players.

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and this:
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Cool. I checked, by the way, and it is 5 salvage corvettes to grab a heavy cruiser or carrier. I should pay more attention lol.

Q: And how did you get the Ion Array Frigates to cloak? I tried and they won't do it.
A: In Homeworld Ion Array Frigates do not cloak, they do it in Homeworld: Cataclysm.

General question:
Q: I need to know the title of the end song from Homeworld and the group that did it. Thanks.
A: It is performed by Yes, and it is called Homeworld: The Ladder. An original game should contain a small directory with few HMTL pages with a mini-interview, lyrics and overview of the song; it is also displayed at the very end of the credit movie.

Adam Craig Walter (mmaster@UDel.Edu) sent this:
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Mission 6

I never got the hang of maneuvering my force of capital ships here, so I did this with a strong group of fighters, I blasted only those rocks that would obviously collide with the mothership. I also placed a few repair corvettes behind it to repair any collisions. Then I moved ALL of my capital ships way above the asteroid field to keep them out of danger.

Mission 8

This is where I feel sorry for you. I would sometimes come out of the nebula series of missions with 8to 10 multi-beam frigates. Oh well...

Mission 10

I went down the to kill the 5 frigates first, then came back to my starting location and went in the main route, using this trick by hold shift and alt while firing, my missile destroyers were able to target MINES within the target box I assigned. So they minesweeped for me. Also, the resources in this stage act just like the mineral debris fields to avoid radiation; so I had my harvesters pick up all the resources they could while still being protected by the other resources... once there were so few rocks left the collectors took damage, I fast-docked and left.

Missions 11

Risk is all about this stage for me... by planning ahead with upwards of 15 salvage corvettes, I was able to come away with the heavy cruiser, 2 destroyers, and 3 frigates. It seems the capital ships like to break into 3 groups; the cruiser, the destroyers, and the frigates. Shoot any of a group, and the rest of that group turns against you... so just have some fighters harass the other groups while you first get the cruiser... you get the idea.

Mission 13

I used stealth technology ). Using a trik where I have 3 stealth generators, each running at different times, I can keep my ships cloaked indefinitely. So I take my missile destroyers and a few fighters, cloak them, move them around the outside of the map, and then slowly move them towards the outpost... I used my destroyers to shoot the guns, and my fighters to hit the anti-stealth generators once the guns are clear (and I always make sure the dawg is on the other side of the map before going near an anti-stealth generator)

Mission 14

Holy heck, it's time to get a HUGE force. Using cloaked capture-corvettes and plasma bombers, I was able to capture SEVENTY (yes, you read that, SEVENTY) ion frigates.

Step 1 save the game.
Step 2 shoot a probe to the center of the map, to learn where the enemy jump gates will be.
Step 3 reload the game, and move forces to each gate.
Step 4 fire another probe to open gates, which you promptly destroy.
Step 5 using stealth generators, hide salvage corvettes to ride right up to and lock onto a frigate, and have other salvage corvettes ready. Once you grab the first frigate, others will move in. Let they follow you to your base; once you are out of range of the other frigates, have your other salvage corvettes grab some of the other frigates, and have plasma bombers hit the rest. You can basically remove the entire front 1/2 of the sphere this way without losing a ship. I had so many ships, that I didn't even get to carry all of them over to the next stage.. but the war of 100 frigates and other ships vs 100 frigates and other ships is a sight to behold indeed )

A mail from David Brower (David.Brower@oracle.com):
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The first time I played the game, I found myself grossly outgunned by the time I got to Hiigara. In retrospect, I decided the answer was in two words aggressive salvage.

I've played through carefully a few times since then, giving the following strategy that differs from the ones in most other walkthroughs. I avoid combat, and don't kill as much as most others do, and collect everything I can. One of the fun things is seeing the different successful ways one can play through. I played both a 1.0 from the CD, and the 1.05 patch. They are different! I'll refer to 1.05 here.

1 - nothing to say.

2 - Outskirts

Don't listen to directions; harvest all you can before sending a single salvette to investigate. guard it with 3 interceptors. You can't kill the carrier, or capture it; let it go. guard around the mothership and destroy everything that attacks.

It is handy to group the interceptors into 2 or 3 groups, so you can have one being docked at all times.

Make sure you build 6 salvettes; keep them docked if you want.

Exit with 6 salvage corvettes, 1 collector, 15/16 interceptors.

Group the salvettes into a hot-key group, and the interceptors into another.

3 - Return to Kharak

Entry collector, 6 salvettes, some interceptors.

Send your interceptors to the far side of the cryo trays, and have them evasively attack the frigates. Then send the salvettes all at once to capture all three. This works -- but you only get to keep 2 of the assault frigates! Salvage the 6 trays, and harvest till all is gone.

Build another collector and a controller.

4 - Wastelands

Send the collectors, controller, frigates and interceptors out to the resources. Build more interceptors and 6 more salvage corvettes. Send the interceptors out to the collectors to protect them. Take special care to defeat the group of missile corvettes quickly -- they are very dangerous, and can't be captured.

You MUST get 12 salvettes as soon as possible. Park them a little under the mothership. Take the Bentusi offer, but build NO ion frigates.

When the array frigates appear by the mothership, let them start shooting a little, then select the salvettes and capture them. If you send the salvettes before the frigates target the mothership, they will blast the salvettes.

Have the group by the collectors retreat toward the mothership if you like; you don't need to harvest after your salvettes are built.

You will have defeated all the attack craft, have 6 frigates being captured, and face the carrier and two array frigates guarding it. Capture the two frigates, and attack the carrier with everything else. Feel free to let it close toward the mothership before attacking it; it is harder for it to escape the closer it gets. You cannot capture this carrier.

Exit with 8 ion array frigates, 12 salvettes, 34 interceptors, ~ 350 rus.

5 - Wastelands again

Send out your resourcers w/collector, with most of your interceptors and all 8 array frigates to guard. Go half way up each leg of the Y to get all you can before crossing the tripwire. Build more interceptors and salvettes, as many as you can make. Keep a few interceptors near the mothership. Keep the salvettes a little behind the collectors. Use the interceptors to blast the attack craft, and the array frigates to blast the assault frigates. Go ahead and capture the enemy collectors, but not until you have taken out the frigates. Retreat when you've got a dent in the frigates and attack craft to delay contact with the supporting destroyers. Keep nibbling the support, then use savlettes to capture the two destroyers, then capture the carrier. Do not try to salvage too early -- the salvettes are vulnerable to the attack craft. You will probably lose salvettes, but you will have gotten some early access to high power. harvest everything left.

End of battle with 1 carrier, 2 destroyers, 8 array frigates, 2 assault frigates, 16 salvettes, 4 collectors, 1 controller, 55 interceptors, about 7200 rus.

Build 16-20 attack bombers, trading in all your interceptors. Assign destroyers, frigates and bombers to a group. Turn off auto-launch.

Build at least 4 field frigates.

6 - Diamond Shoals

Move fragile things behind the mothership. launch the bombers. Blow stuff up. As you do blow stuff up, send the collectors out w/o controller support. Sometimes they will say there is nothing left, but keep sending them out. Do your research, but do not build anything until the end. At the end, build as many destroyers as you can. Why? You will capture more later, and these are the last you can build. Why not earlier? They are hard to manage while blasting the asteroids, and you dont' really need them.

Build as many bombers as you can - 50 if possible.

7 - Garden of Kadesh

This is hard. Guard collectors w/field frigates and send them off. Attack the fuel pods with bombers, and have the heavies dust off floating groups, but don't pay that much attention to them. Keep bombers behind the needle ship, and blast pods as they arrive. Build defenders, and protect the heavies with them.

At the end, do not hyperspace -- collect and build salvettes.

8 - Cathedral of Kadesh

Use your heavies on the needle ships. Capture the multi-beam frigates, first on the right of the needle ship straight ahead, then from above the mothership, then from the needle ship at the 800 position. The bombers are expendable, and will get expended as you clobber fuel pods with them.

When you've killed two needle ships, secure the area around the mothership. You might kill the third needle ship, or it might slip away. Let it go for now. Build a support frigate. Pack up a flotilla around your carrier, with your destroyers, frigates, salvettes, bombers and defenders. Leave the array frigates. Go forward and capture the group of 6 more multi-beam frigates, processed by the carrier. Salvage abandoned pods. Attack the needleship with the multi-beam frigates from behind. You'll have 15 or 16 of them. Retire any captured pods and swarmers.

Harvest everything, and build a full complement of salvettes.

Exit with 1 carrier, 6 destroyers, 16 multi-beam frigates, 4-8 array frigates, 4 field frigates, 2 assault frigates, 1 support frigate, 50 salvettes; a few bombers, a few defenders, and about 7000 rus.

9 - Sea of Lost Souls

Easy and fast (except the harvesting). Send all of your salvettes directly underneath the alien ship, creeping up until things are visible. Then salvage everything in one fast evasive attack. Congrats, you have your first missile destroyer, plus 1 more array frigate and two more assault frigates. Go ahead and retire all the array frigates; they are no help any more, and they are slow. Harvest; use the carrier to guard some collectors to speed it up.

Take the free Bentusi offer of the super heavy chassis, but you won't build anything based on it.

Exit with 1 carrier, 6 destroyers, 1 missile destroyer, 16 mb frigates, 4 field frigates, 4 assault frigates, 1 support frigate, 50 salvettes, 5000 rus.

10 - Super Nova Station

The gold mine, for the patient.

Start one collector harvesting, and watch it occasionally. When it is nearly done with the first clump, move it evasively to a protective belt, and sit it there while you do other things.

Send the destroyers, the missile destroyer and the multi beam frigates in a wall up the central shaft, blasting the mines and the mine layers. Target mines with ctrl-shift. Help with the Follow them with the carrier, all the salvettes, and the support frigate. When approaching the opposing two destroyers and cruiser, keep the salvettes behind the wall, then snatch all the heavies in one shot. Load 25 of them into the carrier. Go down and snatch the 6 frigates in front of the station, and return to the main belt. Return all the salvettes from the catch, the two new destroyers and the cruiser.

Send a proximity sensor into the station. This will get the carrier moving. Keep the salvettes behind the wall of destroyers. Use the destroyers to take out all the carrier escorts, then capture the carrier.

In two trips, take all the heavies and take out the defenders in front of the station. Don't target any of the frigates. Take the carrier behind the station. Attack the station with the heavies, and capture the frigates while moving the carrier up to the station. Retreat to safety and the support frigate. Carefully harvest, watching the health and radiation. Rebuild any salvettes lost.

Exit with 1 cruiser, 2 carriers, 8 destroyers, 1 missile destroyer, 16 multibeam frigates, 3 ion frigates, 10 assault frigates, 4 field frigates, 4 collectors, 50 salvettes. etc.

11 - Tenhauser Gate

Well, stock us up. The trick here is to avoid taking losses while capturing everything there. Do nothing until you get your salvettes launched. Then, attack what is close with evasive destroyers. When they engage, target everything for salvage with your 50 salvettes. Target the destroyers on the cruiser until salvettes get near it, then move the destroyers away so they don't shoot up your booty.

Exit with 2 cruisers, 2 carriers, 11 destroyers, 1 missile destroyer, 16 mb frigates, 6 ion frigates, 11 assault frigates, etc.

Group the destroyers and mb frigates together, and the cruisers.

12 - Galactic Core

Hard, but worthwhile.

Take out the left and center gravity well with the destroyer group, and the right one with the cruiser group. Attach immediately with the salvettes to get another missile destroyer, some attack frigates and support frigates. Fight off attacks for a while, destroying light attack craft, and capturing all larger vessels. Once the attacks have died down, send out a group with a carrier, all the salvettes, the destroyers and the missile destroyers. Destroy little things, capture big things. Harvest everything.

Exit with 3 cruisers, 4 carriers, 11 destroyers, 2 missile destroyers, 12 assault frigates, 8 support frigates, 8 ion frigates.

13 - Karos Graveyard

You have the power, use it. Send all the mb frigates, destroyers and cruisers in a sphere straight up the middle. When the Junkyard Dawg shows up, blast it to bits, aggressively, with everything. When you are all clear, then send an interceptor or a scout to the office.

Then, slowly go towards the office, clearing out a path; when it's clear, send in an interceptor or scout. Harvest if you want, with protection from things you missed.

14 - Bridge of Sighs

The mother lode, for the patient. Here we discover there is a limit on the number of ships in the fleet! At all times make sure you have your 50 salvettes.

Send a proximity sensor up to the sphere straight away; when the ion frigates move, come back to the mother ship. This will result in 14-20 frigates following it, and they are stupidly dead set on getting that sensor, ignoring all else. Put your salvettes in the way, and capture them all. Do this 3-4 times, but not immediately adjacent to each other, or the sphere can collapse. Punch big holes. Then clear out the remainder of the front. When you have cleared out a lot, it's time to start capturing destroyers and missile destroyers. Build two gravity wells, and guard them with support frigates. Move them either side of the gate, guarded by the two missile destroyers. Keep the 50 salvettes behind the destroyers, guarded by captured cloak generators. Activate the wells, and make sure the support frigates are giving them health. Attack the gate with an assault frigate. Two support frigates will appear, and a bunch of attack craft will be caught in the well. Leave the last attack craft, and salvage the support frigates. Move the salvettes closer, and activate the cloak. Then kill the last attack craft. Two aggressive destroyers and a missile destroyer will appear. Capture them with cloaked ships. This is tough, the missile destroyer can make life miserable. When they are caught, they are reluctant and slow to move. Give your capturing salvettes health, and then have one assault frigate attack each captured ship until it starts moving at a reasonable speed. It takes forever to get these captured. Protect them from attack with the missile destroyers. Then go to the same at each of the other two gates result, 3 more missile destroyers, and 6 destroyers. Again, patience is rewarded; this takes forever.

Now it is time to nibble the sphere. Do NOT go inside! Move some carriers up closer so this will take less time. Move around and take holes out, dragging them around with proximity sensors as bait. Bring them near a group of salvettes near a carrier. Make sure you have all your salvettes available, some groups are 20 ion frigates, and you need at least 40 to catch them all. Do not be short salvettes, or it gets ugly. Guard from attack with missile destroyers. This takes a long time.

You can end up with >150 ion frigates this way. Sometime here you will run into the dreaded "maximum size of the fleet" complaint, and you will need to retire some of them. Try to end up with about 100 ion frigates. (In 1.00, the game can lock if you try to hyperspace with too many.)

Now it's time to move into the interior. Bring a group of carriers, salvettes, missile destroyers and cloak generators. Destroy attack craft with the missile destroyers, and capture the cloaked heavy craft (several destroyers and a cruiser) with your own cloaked salvager.

Blow up the generator, and capture everything else.

Build a number of gravity well generators.

Exit with 4 cruisers, 5 carriers, 19 destroyers, 100+ ion frigates...

15 - Chapel Perilous

Why do they bother? Just more to capture.

Wait for them to come to you. Drag all your ion frigates forward past the midline (they won't all be able to get into battle!). Move the grav well generators about 15k in front. Move the cruisers to one side, and the destroyers and missile destroyers to the other. Guard the salvettes with cloaks. Activate the grav wells as the attack craft approach, then blast them with missile destroyers and cruisers. As they approach, take out the assault frigates with the destroyers and ion frigates. Salvage the 4 destroyers. Attack the rock with the cruisers and destroyers, keeping them on either side of it to avoid being damaged.

Exit with 4 cruisers, 5 carriers, 23 destroyers, 100+ ion frigates...

16 - Hiigara

It's a question of how fast you can win.

Move the MB frigates and cruisers forward 8km and down 10km, aggressive to attack the ion frigates coming from below. Send all the destroyers and all the ion frigates, evasive, moving the way to the far side. Move the cloaks just in front, then wait for the salvettes to launch. Move the sensors halfway toward the resources on the right. Move the missile destroyers up toward the carrier, aggressive. right. Guard them with grav wells. Move the salvettes forward in broad formation, cloaked, to capturer all the attacking heavies -- 4 destroyers, 2 missile destroyers, one cruiser, and a bunch of assault frigates. As you blunt this initial attack, you will have destroyed the ion frigates, captured the heavies, and destroyed the carrier and its attack craft. Send out your collectors, it is now safe.

Form the forward destroyers and ion frigates into joint formation; I like the sphere. When they run into contact, switch from evasive to neutral.

Move the missile destroyers, cruisers, mb frigates newly captured heavies at carrier height behind the mothership. Move the cloaks near them, and all the salvettes as they become free.

As the first reinforcement group approaches, have the heavies destroy the assault frigates, and capture the heavies with cloaked salvettes.

Move your group of heavies down below the mothership to intercept the second group of reinforcements, along with the cloaks and freed salvettes. You can do the same to them if you want and the game lasts that long.

Meanwhile, your forward group is approaching resistance. Crush it, and keep moving forward. Their pitiful 4 cruisers are no match for your devastating attack fleet. Destroy the support or the mothership as you choose.

If you are fast, you can win the game before Captain Elson arrives to help.