0
-walkthru.txt 02/22/00
Revision 8
X - BEYOND THE FRONTIER
A Walk-Through
This space exploration/trading/fighting game is absolutely
outstanding in all respects except one - it's next to impossible
to figure out what you're supposed to do and how to go about it.
The manual is a beautiful graphic design (until you actually try to
read it!), but ends up telling you next to nothing in three
languages.
This walk-through is designed to get you started - to cover the
What, Why, and How that I think the manual should have included.
"Winning" the game, whatever that means, is up to you.
CONTENTS:
1.1. STARTING OUT 4. BUILDING AND OPERATING FACTORIES
1.2. OBJECTIVES Energy Plants
Making Money Freighters
Exploring Pricing
Trading
5. FIGHTING THE XENONS
2.1. BASIC NAVIGATION Wingmen
The Radar Display
Docking 6. PIRATES
Saving your Game
7. THE QUESTS
2.2. BASIC TRADING Dunne's Logbook
The Broken Jump Gate
3. IMPROVING YOUR SHIP Destroy the Power Plants
Navigation aids Destroy the Mother Ship
Weapons and Armor Return to Argon Prime
APPENDICES:
A. Weapons and where to buy them
B. Factories and production
C. Status Titles
D. Links to websites
by Dan Covill
dcovill@san.rr.com San Diego, USA
This is still a work in progress (I'm somewhere in the middle of
the second quest). Please e-mail me with any corrections.
additions, or criticisms. And my thanks to the participants on the
EgoSoft forum. Without their help, I'd never have gotten out of
Seizewell!
And thanks to Bo Pretzmann for making a home on his website.
1.1. STARTING OUT:
-----------------
When you start the game, you are given a set of training exercises
to prepare for your initial test mission. Do them carefully,
they're not too hard and you need to get familiar with the
controls.
Once you complete the training, you're ready for the first test
jump. There's a countdown, and then.....
*** TILT! ***
... You're in a strange galaxy and a lizard-looking alien is
mumbling something at you from a little window. What do you do?
(Tip) Press 'C' to get him to say something, then use the arrow keys
to select your reply and press Enter to send it.
Talk to him as long as you can, and ask ALL the questions.
(Problem) One shortcoming of the game is that all the aliens sound
like they're talking through a funnel, and there's no text
display, so you'll end up asking "What did he say?" a lot.
If your hearing, like mine, isn't quite what it used to be this
can be a real problem.
This lizard guy (?) is a Teladi, and he's making you an offer you
can't refuse. He'll outfit your ship with what you need to trade
in the Teladi worlds, and loan you 100 credits in cash. In return,
you have to pay him back 3,500 credits at some un-specified future
time.
How do you get back to Earth? Don't know, but maybe the Argons
know. Look out for Xenons - they're bad news. Bye.
1.2. OBJECTIVES
---------------
The real (and never stated) objectives of the game are:
1. Make money.
2. Improve your ship.
3. Explore the universe.
4. Kill Xenons.
Making money comes first, because you need money to improve your
ship, and you need to improve your ship to explore and to kill
Xenons. You won't be able to explore very far until you are strong
enough to kill Xenons.
As your exploring takes you to the end reaches of the universe,
specific "missions" will present themselves. But they'll do you no
good unless/until you've got money and a strong ship.
Don't worry about returning to Earth. You've got a long way to go
before you can even think about it.
Making Money:
There are four ways to make money:
1. Trading (carrying) goods between space stations.
2. Building and operating factories (i.e., space stations).
3. Killing pirates and selling their cargos.
4. Killing Xenons (if you have a bounty-hunter's license).
Only the first two amount to anything. Killing Xenons is fun (and
necessary), but you won't make any money at it.)
Everything starts with trading. You trade very simply:
a. Land (dock) at a space station.
b. Buy goods and load them into your cargo bay.
c. Fly to another station and sell them the goods.
There are lots of stations, and what they're willing to buy varies
a lot. Most of them only sell one item. More on trading later.
Exploring:
You're in a "Sector". There are 54 sectors in an 8x8 grid (not all
the positions are used), numbered 0,0 thru 7,7. Each sector has up
to four "gates" to adjacent sectors in the far North, South, East,
and West of the sector. Gates look like huge rings - you fly
through them to enter the next sector (remember the training
exercise?). Most sectors are missing one or more of the four
possible gates. The sector you're in, Seizewell, has no East gate.
Seizewell is controlled by the Teladi, who control several other
sectors as well. As you explore, you'll encounter five other
races; the Borons, the Argons, the Paranids, the Split, and the
dreaded Xenons. They're not automatically your friends.
There are maps available on several websites; it's also a lot of
fun to make your own. It's a big world out there - you'll need
lots of scratch paper.
(Tip) Stay in Seizewell until you have the Tac Nav system - it's too
hard to figure out directions without it.
(Tip) It's almost impossible to get the name of the sector correctly
from the garbled sound as you enter it. Look on the (P)ilot
screen, the log at the bottom gives the name of each sector you
enter.
Trading:
Each sector has about eight space stations, of several different
types as listed in the manual. Three are special:
a. Every sector has a Trading Post, which sells some basic goods
(at a high price) and also has a few other things you need;
1. The Tactical Navigation system
2. Singularity Engine (speed enhancer)
3. Cargo bay extensions
You can also save your game here (Insurance)
b. Some sectors have a Space Equipment Dock, which sells weapons
and armor.
c. Even fewer sectors have a Shipyard, which is where you go to
buy your own space stations. More on this later.
The others all buy one or more resources and sell one product.
They also sell "Insurance" (i.e., let you to save your game). Do
it.
So find a station selling something you can afford, then take it to
another station that will buy it from you. Buy low, sell high.
Nothing to it!
2.1. BASIC NAVIGATION: (revised 02/22/00)
----------------------
(Tip) The ABSOLUTE FIRST THING you need is the Tactical Navigation
System - without it you're just blundering around in the dark.
So your first goal is to get 500 spare credits so you can
proceed to the Trading Station and have it installed.
(Tip) Press 'H' to get a display of the commands. Warning: it's not
complete, but it's better than trying to read the manual!
Pick a station, hit 'T' to get your radar scanning, then head for
it until your radar locks on. The lock-on message will tell you
what kind of station it is. Press 'I' for an information display
that will show you what that station buys and sells.
Reading the Radar Display:
The Radar Display on the lower part of your window has a lot of
information, once you learn to read it.
The display attempts to show things in 3 dimensions. Your position
is in the center of a ring - as you speed up, the ring gets
smaller, meaning that the other objects shown are relatively
farther away. Space stations are shown by their radar symbols -
e.g., an 'M' in a box is a mine. Gates are shown as 'N', 'E', 'W',
and 'S'. Ships are white bars and asteroids are blue squares.
If an object is on your plane, you see only the symbol. If there's
a line extending down from the symbol, the object is above your
heading plane, you'll have to nose up to aim for it.
Red objects are Xenon ships, with one exception - the destroyer
ship for each race (such as the Teladi Phoenix) is also a red
symbol, but it's in a box and it's vertical position trail is not
red. There's only one destroyer for each race; the Phoenix lives
in Seizewell.
To head for, say, the North gate using the Radar, swing right or left
until the orange 'N' symbol appears dead ahead. Travel toward the
symbol until an up or down line appears; when it does adjust your
attitude up or down to make the line go away. You should be able
to see the gate (nearly) dead ahead.
(Tip) When you get a Nav Computer, you'll be able to press the 'N' key
and see all of the stations in the sector, plus gates and any
Xenon ships, on a two-dimensional grid. Get this ASAP.
(Tip) The Singularity Accelerator reduces the time it takes to get
anywhere by a factor of up to 10. And it's cheap.
Docking:
Once your radar has locked on to a station, you can contact it for
permission to land. The answer is almost always affirmative.
There are two problems:
1. Where is the entrance lock?
2. How far away are you?
Murphy's law says the entrance lock is on the other side of the
station, and you'll have to fly past it and turn around. You'll
get used to some of the appearances after a while; at first all you
can do is ask permission to land and see where the green lights
appear.
(Tip) If you get docking permission more than 2 km out, it will almost
certainly be aborted, and you'll have to repeat the contact. So
wait until you're within 2 km before asking permission to land.
(Tip) The docking port is usually on a busy surface, not on a large,
smooth one. Look for protuberances, legs, etc.
You don't have to be terribly precise in your docking alignment -
so long as your speed is below the green line and your aimed at the
center of the door it will probably be ok.
Saving Your Game:
You can save ONLY at a space station. You do it by purchasing
"insurance" for 10 credits. That brings up a menu of 10 save slots
- pick one and press Enter. SAVE EVERY CHANCE YOU GET!
(Tip) You can't save at the Space Equipment Dock, the Shipyard, or any
of your own stations. If you're shuttling between these, dock
at a normal station along the way and save.
2.2. BASIC TRADING
------------------
Once you're docked at a station, you'll see a display with the
Product they sell (only one) at the top, and the Resources they buy
(perhaps several) below it. Each one has a stock and a price.
To buy, use the up/down arrows to move to the Product, then the
right/left arrows to load the amount you want into your cargo bay.
THEN YOU MUST CONFIRM/CANCEL! Confirm by pressing Enter, cancel by
pressing Escape. Once you've Confirmed, you can't change your
mind.
Selling is the same thing in reverse. You canot buy a Resource.
(Tip) Use 'I' to find out what a station will buy BEFORE you take the
time to dock. You won't know how much they'll pay, but why
waste the time docking to find out they don't buy flowers?
(Tip) Start with flowers or energy cells - they're cheap and you don't
have much money. Move up to Nostrop oil later if you want to.
Flowers are cheap and have a good profit margin. Almost any
station will take energy cells.
Once you have enough money to fill your cargo hold, you'll want to
consider enlarging it. (See ship improvements.)
Saving your Game:
"Salvage Insurance", under Resources, is where you Save your game.
Use the right arrow to buy 1; when you Enter you'll see a list of
10 game slots. Pick a slot and press Enter again. This list shows
when you saved and what sector.
(Tip) Use more than one slot, and alternate. Then when a catastrophe
happens, you can go back to before you screwed up.
Paying back your loan:
Find the Teladi Phoenix - it appears on your Nav screen as a red
symbol in a box. Go to it, when it's locked on your radar press
'C'. When you get contact, one of your choices will be to pay back
your loan.
(Tip) Keep an eye on where the Teladi Phoenix is. If you're attacked
by Xenons, it's a REALLY powerful ally!
3. IMPROVING YOUR SHIP:
-----------------------
There are three types of ship improvements:
a. Navigation devices.
b. Weapons and armor (shields).
c. Miscellaneous
Improvements are obtained at the Trading Post and at Space
Equipment Docks. (You can buy weapons at the manufacturing
stations, but only if you don't have any weapons of that type
already installed. You can only upgrade weapons at a Space
Equipment Dock.)
Navigation:
In order of usefulness: Cost Command
1. Tactical Nav system 505 'N'
* 2. Singularity engine SETA 144 'P'
3. Trading Extension 32,400 'I'
* 4. MARS system 38,448 'U'
"Motion Analysis Relay System" (autopilot) - for combat
aka ZIPER Target Projector, found at Split SED 6-0S
5. Docking Computer 10,800 'D'
speeds things up a lot - available at 1-7P
6. Ecliptic Projector 4,890 F5
7. Binoculars 1,440 Alt
* 8. SETA Boost Upgrade 88,560 Shift-J
aka SINZA boost, found at 2-1A
The manual is pretty good at telling what these do. EXCEPT:
* The SETA engine is referred to as SINZA in the manual.
* The MARS system is what the manual calls "ZIPER".
* The SETA boost is referred to as SINZA boost in the manual.
Weapons & Armor:
You start with a single 1 Mw shield and no weapons. You can have 2
shields, 2 lasers, and 10 missiles. You've got a while before the
Xenons get real dangerous, but don't wait too long.
The bigger, tougher, more advanced weapons aren't available in many
places - don't worry about it, by the time you can afford them
you'll have found out where they are. (See Appendix)
Lasers & Cannon (2): Cost Strength
Alpha IRE Laser 720 1,000 each
Beta " " 1,375 1,500
Gamma " " 3,600 2,000
Alpha PA Cannon 7,200 3,000
Beta " " 14,400 4,000
Gamma " " 36,000 5,000
Alpha HEP Laser 72,000 6,000
Beta " " 144,000 7,000
Gamma " " 691,200 8,000
Missiles (10 max):
Mosquito Missile 210 each
Dragonfly Missile 1,080
Silkworm Missile 2,975
Hornet Missile 6,480 (at Paranid sectors)
Shields (2): Cost Strength
1 Mw shield 2,880 1,000 each
5 Mw shield 18,000 5,000
25 Mw Shield 230,400 25,000 (Split)
(There's also a 125 Mw shield, but you can't buy one - they
appear near the end of the game.)
Miscellaneous Improvements:
(These are explained at the station where they are sold. Highlight
the item and wait for the description.)
Cargo Space Extension
5 units each, price goes up each time.
Maximum cargo size is 1000.
Mineral Scanner 21,600 (you'll need it eventually)
Cargo Scanner 43,200 (not very important)
Security License 4,320
You need one for each race. If you kill a Xenon
or a Pirate in their space, you'll get a (small)
bounty.
Engine Tuning Available only at Pirate Bases
Rudder Tuning Available only at Pirate Bases
Like Cargo Bay Extensions, you can pile these on one after
another, and the price goes up each time. The STARTING price
is around 20,000, and will get up into the millions, so you
need to be making money.
Installing Improvements:
Improving your ship is like trading - to buy a Mosquito missile,
go to the Space Equipment Dock, select the missile, use the
right arrow to pick how many you want, then press Enter.
To upgrade, first select the item you already have and SELL it,
then buy the one you want. The SED is the ONLY place you can
remove existing weapons and armor.
(Tip) Sometimes the SED can't sell you what you want, even if you've
got the money, because they're out of stock. Try an SED in
another sector.
4. BUILDING AND OPERATING FACTORIES:
------------------------------------
Factories (i.e. your own space stations) are THE way to make money
in the game. They're built and sold at the Teladi Shipyard - go
there and take a look. They're expensive!
Besides the cost of the factory itself, you'll also need credits to
pay the Albatross transporter and some operating capital.
To build a factory, first figure out where you want it. Seizewell
is fine for a starter. To get your factory:
1. Find the Teladi Albatross and hire him. He's hanging around
in Seizewell, and appears as a rectangular blip on your radar.
2. Go to the Shipyard and buy your factory. (They won't sell it
to you unless you've already hired the Albatross.)
3. Exit and fly to where you want the factory. The Albatross
will follow you.
4. 'C'ommunicate with the Albatross and tell him to unload.
A really neat video sequence shows your factory being built.
5. Dock and set up whatever your particular factory needs.
Energy Plants:
You'll probably start with a Solar Energy plant. It's cheap and
it's a big money-maker. BUT, you have to supply it with crystals,
and you have to lug them yourself - you can't get anybody else to
do it for you. So build it near a Crystal Fab (there's a handy one
in sector 5-2, Greater Profit.
Freighters:
All other factory types let you buy one or more freighters (at
10,400 credits each), who will do your buying and selling for you.
You'll need to give them some operating capital. A starter load of
Energy Cells will get your plant producing while the freighters are
out buying.
Pricing:
Supply and demand: if your price is too low you don't make money;
if it's too high nobody buys. Same with what you pay for
resources. Keep your prices low at first to be sure you sell your
goods.
Sit in the factory a while and watch the counters. Figure out how
many resource units it takes to build a product unit, then you can
tell what price range is profitable.
Saving:
*** YOU CANNOT SAVE YOUR GAME AT YOUR OWN FACTORY ***
5. FIGHTING THE XENONS
Xenon ships show as red dots with red tracks on the radar. It's
hard to kill a Xenon with lasers alone (presumably their shields
regenerate the same way yours do), but missiles cost money.
When you lock on to a Xenon, the 'I'nfo display will tell you his
shield and laser values. If he has 25 Mw shields and 10 Mw lasers
you may want to run instead.
Early in the game, you can't outrun the Xenon and you can't catch
them if they run away. After you get your engine "tuned" that will
change.
As soon as you enter a new sector, check the Nav Screen for Xenons.
If there are too many, turn around and go right back thru the gate.
(Tip) The MARS, referred to in the manual as ZIPER) is invaluable
when you really get to fighting Xenons. It also works for
rendezvous-ing with other ships.
Wingmen:
Get a wingman! As soon as you have a factory, and get enough
money, buy a fighter for the factory and then reassign it to
protect you. There are three kinds of Teladi fighters:
Cost Shields Lasers
Bat 10,400 1,000 3,000
too slow to keep up, but better than nothing
Hawk 54,000 5,000 6,000
not too bad for a starter
Falcon 270,000 25,000 12,000
faster and stronger than the Hawk
Note that a couple of Falcons can give fairly strong support.
(Tip) A Destroyer like the Teladi Phoenix makes the best wingman you
ever saw, if you can get near him before engaging the Xenon.
6. PIRATES
----------
Pirate Ships:
Every now and then you'll lock on to a Pirate ship. 'C'ommunicate
with him, and notice the eye patch! If you destroy him (not too
difficult), two things happen:
a. If he's from a race foreign to the sector you're in, you'll
get a thank you (and a bounty if you have a license).
b. His cargo will be left lying around for you to pick up.
(Remember your training with the 'F' and 'O' keys?)
(Tip) By and large, this isn't worth the effort.
Pirate Bases:
Each race has a Pirate Base somewhere in their territory. They're
not on the map until you lock on to them. They work just like a
Trading Post; dock and buy/sell whatever you want.
This is where you get your engine and rudder "tuned"; i.e.,
performance improved. It's expensive, so have money because you do
need it.
7. THE QUESTS 02/16/00
-------------
The "quests" (or Missions, if you prefer) come after you've done a
good bit of exploring. The following rundown will tell you what to
expect without, I hope, spoiling it completely for you.
(**) WARNING! "Winning" the game depends on doing the quests in the
correct sequence. If you go into Xenon territory and destroy
everything too soon, you won't be able to complete the quests in
the proper order. Save your game before beginning each quest.
7.1 Dunne's Asteroid
In the far reaches of Argon territory you will find a space station
that's NOT a factory. It's the Goner temple. When you contact
them, they will tell you about the secret log of their (and your)
hero Dunne.
a. The log is hidden in an asteroid.
b. The asteroid is in Chin's Cloud sector.
c. You can recognize it because a mineral scanner will show an
unknown mineral.
d. If you find it, and blow it up, you can recover Dunne's log.
Afterward, come back and talk to them again.
** When you get the log, you'll have to pick it up as cargo. But
it won't show on your Ship screen. It will show in your Pilot's
log, however.
When/after you get the log, you'll be told to report to the Argon
Destroyer. When you return to the Goners, they tell you the same
thing.
7.2 Finding the Jump Gate
Every race has two special ships - a Destroyer and a Carrier. The
Destroyer shows up on the sector radar as a red symbol, something
like an arrow in a box; the Carrier is a set of blue dots, also in
a box. (The Teladi Phoenix is the Teladi Destroyer.) Carriers
carry LOTS of fighters.
The Argon Destroyer tells you to report to Argon 1 (which is the
Argon Carrier, and lives in another sector).
Argon 1 tells you:
a. The jump gate to Earth is suspected to be somewhere in Xenon
territory, and is broken.
b. It is feared that the Xenons are preparing to attack, and we
need to launch a pre-emptive strike
c. You have been selected to enter Xenon territory and find the
jump gate (it looks like spacecraft debris).
d. It would be a good idea to contact all the races' Carriers
and ask them to give you some help.
Your success in part (d.) will depend heavily on your reputation
with that race. Might be a good idea to kill a few more Xenons
in their territory until they really love you.
When you find the jump gate, report back to Argon 1.
7.3 Destroy the Power Plants:
Argon 1 gives you a new mission:
a. There are seven power plants in a Xenon sector (S) from
Thuruk's Beard.
b. Find them and destroy them.
c. We will take care of distracting any Xenon ships; you should
concentrate on the power plants.
d. Get help from the other races.
As usual, report back to Argon 1 when successful.
7.4 Destroy the Xenon M0 Mother Ship
Argon 1 gives you a new mission.
a. The Xenon Mother Ship (M Zero) must be destroyed.
b. Go (S) from Thuruk's Beard, then go (W).
c. We will control the area, you concentrate on the M Zero.
Destroy the Laser Towers, then we will help you destroy the
ship.
** Argon 1 is there while you work on the towers, but when you're
done he doesn't do much. You might as finish the job yourself.
Once M0 is destroyed, contact Argon 1.
7.5 "Follow us back to Argon Prime"
This is a long, slow trip. I don't know if Argon 1 would make it
by himself, because there are lots of Xenon destroyers and
carriers to take out on the way.
(tip) Help the time pass by using your SETA to cruise around each
sector while Argon 1 grinds his way to the next gate.
(tip) It's ok to take time out to dash into Priest's Pity and save
your game. Argon 1 will still be puffing along when you get
back.
Once into Argon Prime, make contact again.
7.6 Destroy the Xenon Shipyard (Optional)
This isn't a real "quest"; nobody asks you to do it. But it's an
interesting challenge, and many players seem to do it. The best
time is after you have the 125 Mw super shields.
02/16/00
APPENDICES
I have tried to put the spoilers in these appendices. If you want
to find things for yourself, don't read these tables!
WEAPONS:
Weapon Cost Value SED's Factories
Alpha IRE Laser 720 1,000 T 3-0B 0-1A
Beta IRE Laser 1,375 1,500 T 5-1T 6-0S 3-1B
Gamma IRE Laser 3,600 2,000 S A 6-5S 2-6P
Alpha PA Cannon 7,200 3,000 B 4-2T 3-1B 2-5A 3-6P
Beta PA Cannon 14,400 4,000 P 2-7P
Gamma PA Cannon 36,000 5,000 B 6-1S 0-0B
Alpha HEP Laser 72,000 6,000 B P 5-4T 2-0B 2-3A 1-7P
Beta HEP Laser 144,000 7,000 A 6-2S 2-2A 1-6P
Gamma HEP Laser 691,200 8,000 S 6-4S 0-2A
Mosquito Missile 210 light T BA 4-0T 3-2B 0-4A
Wasp Missile 504 lt-med AP 6-5S 1-5A 3-7P
Dragonfly Missile 1,080 medium SB 7-2S 1-0B
Silkworm Missile 2,880 heavy T A 6-3S 0-3A
Hornet Missile super P 0-3A 1-6P
1 Mw Shield 2,880 TSBA 7-2S 0-0B 1-3A
5 Mw Shield 18,000 T P
25 Mw Shield 230,400 S P 7-3S
SPACE EQUIPMENT DOCKS:
Teladi 4-0T (CEO's Buckzoid) 5-1T (Seizewell)
Split 6-0S (Family Whi) 7-2S (Family Pride)
Boron 0-0B (Empire's End) 3-1B (Rolk's Fate)
Argon 0-4A (Red Light) 1-3A (Argon Prime)
2-1A (Antigone Mmrl) 2-5A (Cloudbase SE)
Paranid 1-6P (Paranid Prime) 3-6P (Priest's Pity)
You can sell weapons ONLY at SEDs. You can buy weapons at the
manufacturing plants ONLY if you do not have any installed.
You cannot buy/carry/sell weapons as cargo.
PIRATE BASES:
Located at: 5-5T, 7-3S, 3-2B, 1-5A, 3-6P
Some are not on the grid, you will have to hunt around for them.
They look like Trading Stations on the display.
Engine Tuning 14,400, 32,400, 57,600, 90,000, 129,600,
176,400, 230,400, 291,600, 360,000, 435,600,
518,400, 608,400, 705,600, 810,000, 921,600,
1,040k, 1,166k, 1,299k, 1,440k, 1,587k,
1,742k, 1,904k, 2,073k, 2,250k, 2,433k,...
Rudder Tuning 21,600, 38,400, 60,000, 86,400, 117,600,
153,600, 194,400, 240,000
You will need about 20 engine tuning for the end game, in order to
outrun the Xenon destroyers. Rudder tuning much less, maybe 5?
(Opinion seems to be that too many rudder tunes makes the handling
worse instead of better.)
FIGHTERS / WINGMEN:
Teladi Fighters: Cost Shields Lasers
Bat 10,800 1,000 3,000
Hawk 54,000 5,000 6,000
Falcon 270,000 25,000 12,000
Argon Fighters
Buster 54,000 5,000 3,000
Elite 270,000 25,000 12,000
Paranid Fighters:
Pegasus 10,800 2,000 3,000
Poseidon 54,000 5,000 6,000
Prometheus 270,000 50,000 12,000
Boron Fighters
Piranha
02/14/00
FACTORY PRODUCTION:
a. Solar Power Plant (E)
Generates 45 Energy Cells per Crystal
(You must transport the crystals yourself)
b. Ore Mine
Generates 1 ore for 4 energy cells
c. Silicon Mine
Generates 4 silicon wafers for 45 energy cells
d. Flower Farm
Generates 6 flowers for 3 energy cells
e. Sun Oil Refinery
Generates 6 oil for 6 flowers and 3 energy cells
f. Teladianium Foundry
Generates 4 Teladianium for 15 energy cells
g. Chip Plant
Generates 9 Chips for 225 energy, 20 silicon, 450 oil
(This one is a real money-maker, but you'll need close to a
million to get it going.)
h. Soyery
Generates 2 Soja husk for 5 energy and 10 Soja Beans
i. Argon Crystal Fab
Generates 180 Crystals from 45 energy, 4 silicon,
and 90 Meatsteaks
j. Argon Cattle Ranch
Generates 2 Beef from 5 energy.
k. Argon Cahoona Bakery
Generates 10 Cahoona Meatsteaks from 5 energy and 2 beef
STATUS / REPUTATION TITLES:
Teladi: Profit Opportunity, Company Helper, Company Trader,
Company Manager, Share Holder, Company Director
Boron Friend, Special Friend, Trusted Friend,
Queen's Knight, King's Knight, Knight of the Kingdom
Split: Enemy, Creature, Accepted Person, Friend, Family Friend,
Honoured Friend, Honored Friend of Chinn,
Honoured Strong Arm of Chin
Argon Neutral Trader, Accepted Member, Accepted Friend,
Trusted Friend, Argon Hero, Argon Hero of Federation
Paranid Enemy of Priest Duke, Enemy of Priest, Friend,
Friend of Priest, Friend of Priest Duke, Friend of
Priest King, Friend of Emperor, Honour guard of Xaar
* There are more levels of "enemy", but presumably you're on your
way up, not down!
* Split and Paranid start you as an enemy. They won't let you land
until you work your way up to Creature or Friend.
* An [L] appears on the 'P' screen if you have a Police License.
LINKS:
------
BTB's website - a volunteer effort.
Maps in Acrobat (4.0) for download
EGOSOFT - the game developers
An open forum - lots of good answers there
X-BTF - UK Web Site
Has a "survivors guide" and maps
(Seems to require IE - Netscape has problems)
Gav's X Page
Lots of good stuff, well organized.
Walk-thru, weapons list, and interactive map
Revision 8
X - BEYOND THE FRONTIER
A Walk-Through
This space exploration/trading/fighting game is absolutely
outstanding in all respects except one - it's next to impossible
to figure out what you're supposed to do and how to go about it.
The manual is a beautiful graphic design (until you actually try to
read it!), but ends up telling you next to nothing in three
languages.
This walk-through is designed to get you started - to cover the
What, Why, and How that I think the manual should have included.
"Winning" the game, whatever that means, is up to you.
CONTENTS:
1.1. STARTING OUT 4. BUILDING AND OPERATING FACTORIES
1.2. OBJECTIVES Energy Plants
Making Money Freighters
Exploring Pricing
Trading
5. FIGHTING THE XENONS
2.1. BASIC NAVIGATION Wingmen
The Radar Display
Docking 6. PIRATES
Saving your Game
7. THE QUESTS
2.2. BASIC TRADING Dunne's Logbook
The Broken Jump Gate
3. IMPROVING YOUR SHIP Destroy the Power Plants
Navigation aids Destroy the Mother Ship
Weapons and Armor Return to Argon Prime
APPENDICES:
A. Weapons and where to buy them
B. Factories and production
C. Status Titles
D. Links to websites
by Dan Covill
dcovill@san.rr.com San Diego, USA
This is still a work in progress (I'm somewhere in the middle of
the second quest). Please e-mail me with any corrections.
additions, or criticisms. And my thanks to the participants on the
EgoSoft forum. Without their help, I'd never have gotten out of
Seizewell!
And thanks to Bo Pretzmann for making a home on his website.
1.1. STARTING OUT:
-----------------
When you start the game, you are given a set of training exercises
to prepare for your initial test mission. Do them carefully,
they're not too hard and you need to get familiar with the
controls.
Once you complete the training, you're ready for the first test
jump. There's a countdown, and then.....
*** TILT! ***
... You're in a strange galaxy and a lizard-looking alien is
mumbling something at you from a little window. What do you do?
(Tip) Press 'C' to get him to say something, then use the arrow keys
to select your reply and press Enter to send it.
Talk to him as long as you can, and ask ALL the questions.
(Problem) One shortcoming of the game is that all the aliens sound
like they're talking through a funnel, and there's no text
display, so you'll end up asking "What did he say?" a lot.
If your hearing, like mine, isn't quite what it used to be this
can be a real problem.
This lizard guy (?) is a Teladi, and he's making you an offer you
can't refuse. He'll outfit your ship with what you need to trade
in the Teladi worlds, and loan you 100 credits in cash. In return,
you have to pay him back 3,500 credits at some un-specified future
time.
How do you get back to Earth? Don't know, but maybe the Argons
know. Look out for Xenons - they're bad news. Bye.
1.2. OBJECTIVES
---------------
The real (and never stated) objectives of the game are:
1. Make money.
2. Improve your ship.
3. Explore the universe.
4. Kill Xenons.
Making money comes first, because you need money to improve your
ship, and you need to improve your ship to explore and to kill
Xenons. You won't be able to explore very far until you are strong
enough to kill Xenons.
As your exploring takes you to the end reaches of the universe,
specific "missions" will present themselves. But they'll do you no
good unless/until you've got money and a strong ship.
Don't worry about returning to Earth. You've got a long way to go
before you can even think about it.
Making Money:
There are four ways to make money:
1. Trading (carrying) goods between space stations.
2. Building and operating factories (i.e., space stations).
3. Killing pirates and selling their cargos.
4. Killing Xenons (if you have a bounty-hunter's license).
Only the first two amount to anything. Killing Xenons is fun (and
necessary), but you won't make any money at it.)
Everything starts with trading. You trade very simply:
a. Land (dock) at a space station.
b. Buy goods and load them into your cargo bay.
c. Fly to another station and sell them the goods.
There are lots of stations, and what they're willing to buy varies
a lot. Most of them only sell one item. More on trading later.
Exploring:
You're in a "Sector". There are 54 sectors in an 8x8 grid (not all
the positions are used), numbered 0,0 thru 7,7. Each sector has up
to four "gates" to adjacent sectors in the far North, South, East,
and West of the sector. Gates look like huge rings - you fly
through them to enter the next sector (remember the training
exercise?). Most sectors are missing one or more of the four
possible gates. The sector you're in, Seizewell, has no East gate.
Seizewell is controlled by the Teladi, who control several other
sectors as well. As you explore, you'll encounter five other
races; the Borons, the Argons, the Paranids, the Split, and the
dreaded Xenons. They're not automatically your friends.
There are maps available on several websites; it's also a lot of
fun to make your own. It's a big world out there - you'll need
lots of scratch paper.
(Tip) Stay in Seizewell until you have the Tac Nav system - it's too
hard to figure out directions without it.
(Tip) It's almost impossible to get the name of the sector correctly
from the garbled sound as you enter it. Look on the (P)ilot
screen, the log at the bottom gives the name of each sector you
enter.
Trading:
Each sector has about eight space stations, of several different
types as listed in the manual. Three are special:
a. Every sector has a Trading Post, which sells some basic goods
(at a high price) and also has a few other things you need;
1. The Tactical Navigation system
2. Singularity Engine (speed enhancer)
3. Cargo bay extensions
You can also save your game here (Insurance)
b. Some sectors have a Space Equipment Dock, which sells weapons
and armor.
c. Even fewer sectors have a Shipyard, which is where you go to
buy your own space stations. More on this later.
The others all buy one or more resources and sell one product.
They also sell "Insurance" (i.e., let you to save your game). Do
it.
So find a station selling something you can afford, then take it to
another station that will buy it from you. Buy low, sell high.
Nothing to it!
2.1. BASIC NAVIGATION: (revised 02/22/00)
----------------------
(Tip) The ABSOLUTE FIRST THING you need is the Tactical Navigation
System - without it you're just blundering around in the dark.
So your first goal is to get 500 spare credits so you can
proceed to the Trading Station and have it installed.
(Tip) Press 'H' to get a display of the commands. Warning: it's not
complete, but it's better than trying to read the manual!
Pick a station, hit 'T' to get your radar scanning, then head for
it until your radar locks on. The lock-on message will tell you
what kind of station it is. Press 'I' for an information display
that will show you what that station buys and sells.
Reading the Radar Display:
The Radar Display on the lower part of your window has a lot of
information, once you learn to read it.
The display attempts to show things in 3 dimensions. Your position
is in the center of a ring - as you speed up, the ring gets
smaller, meaning that the other objects shown are relatively
farther away. Space stations are shown by their radar symbols -
e.g., an 'M' in a box is a mine. Gates are shown as 'N', 'E', 'W',
and 'S'. Ships are white bars and asteroids are blue squares.
If an object is on your plane, you see only the symbol. If there's
a line extending down from the symbol, the object is above your
heading plane, you'll have to nose up to aim for it.
Red objects are Xenon ships, with one exception - the destroyer
ship for each race (such as the Teladi Phoenix) is also a red
symbol, but it's in a box and it's vertical position trail is not
red. There's only one destroyer for each race; the Phoenix lives
in Seizewell.
To head for, say, the North gate using the Radar, swing right or left
until the orange 'N' symbol appears dead ahead. Travel toward the
symbol until an up or down line appears; when it does adjust your
attitude up or down to make the line go away. You should be able
to see the gate (nearly) dead ahead.
(Tip) When you get a Nav Computer, you'll be able to press the 'N' key
and see all of the stations in the sector, plus gates and any
Xenon ships, on a two-dimensional grid. Get this ASAP.
(Tip) The Singularity Accelerator reduces the time it takes to get
anywhere by a factor of up to 10. And it's cheap.
Docking:
Once your radar has locked on to a station, you can contact it for
permission to land. The answer is almost always affirmative.
There are two problems:
1. Where is the entrance lock?
2. How far away are you?
Murphy's law says the entrance lock is on the other side of the
station, and you'll have to fly past it and turn around. You'll
get used to some of the appearances after a while; at first all you
can do is ask permission to land and see where the green lights
appear.
(Tip) If you get docking permission more than 2 km out, it will almost
certainly be aborted, and you'll have to repeat the contact. So
wait until you're within 2 km before asking permission to land.
(Tip) The docking port is usually on a busy surface, not on a large,
smooth one. Look for protuberances, legs, etc.
You don't have to be terribly precise in your docking alignment -
so long as your speed is below the green line and your aimed at the
center of the door it will probably be ok.
Saving Your Game:
You can save ONLY at a space station. You do it by purchasing
"insurance" for 10 credits. That brings up a menu of 10 save slots
- pick one and press Enter. SAVE EVERY CHANCE YOU GET!
(Tip) You can't save at the Space Equipment Dock, the Shipyard, or any
of your own stations. If you're shuttling between these, dock
at a normal station along the way and save.
2.2. BASIC TRADING
------------------
Once you're docked at a station, you'll see a display with the
Product they sell (only one) at the top, and the Resources they buy
(perhaps several) below it. Each one has a stock and a price.
To buy, use the up/down arrows to move to the Product, then the
right/left arrows to load the amount you want into your cargo bay.
THEN YOU MUST CONFIRM/CANCEL! Confirm by pressing Enter, cancel by
pressing Escape. Once you've Confirmed, you can't change your
mind.
Selling is the same thing in reverse. You canot buy a Resource.
(Tip) Use 'I' to find out what a station will buy BEFORE you take the
time to dock. You won't know how much they'll pay, but why
waste the time docking to find out they don't buy flowers?
(Tip) Start with flowers or energy cells - they're cheap and you don't
have much money. Move up to Nostrop oil later if you want to.
Flowers are cheap and have a good profit margin. Almost any
station will take energy cells.
Once you have enough money to fill your cargo hold, you'll want to
consider enlarging it. (See ship improvements.)
Saving your Game:
"Salvage Insurance", under Resources, is where you Save your game.
Use the right arrow to buy 1; when you Enter you'll see a list of
10 game slots. Pick a slot and press Enter again. This list shows
when you saved and what sector.
(Tip) Use more than one slot, and alternate. Then when a catastrophe
happens, you can go back to before you screwed up.
Paying back your loan:
Find the Teladi Phoenix - it appears on your Nav screen as a red
symbol in a box. Go to it, when it's locked on your radar press
'C'. When you get contact, one of your choices will be to pay back
your loan.
(Tip) Keep an eye on where the Teladi Phoenix is. If you're attacked
by Xenons, it's a REALLY powerful ally!
3. IMPROVING YOUR SHIP:
-----------------------
There are three types of ship improvements:
a. Navigation devices.
b. Weapons and armor (shields).
c. Miscellaneous
Improvements are obtained at the Trading Post and at Space
Equipment Docks. (You can buy weapons at the manufacturing
stations, but only if you don't have any weapons of that type
already installed. You can only upgrade weapons at a Space
Equipment Dock.)
Navigation:
In order of usefulness: Cost Command
1. Tactical Nav system 505 'N'
* 2. Singularity engine SETA 144 'P'
3. Trading Extension 32,400 'I'
* 4. MARS system 38,448 'U'
"Motion Analysis Relay System" (autopilot) - for combat
aka ZIPER Target Projector, found at Split SED 6-0S
5. Docking Computer 10,800 'D'
speeds things up a lot - available at 1-7P
6. Ecliptic Projector 4,890 F5
7. Binoculars 1,440 Alt
* 8. SETA Boost Upgrade 88,560 Shift-J
aka SINZA boost, found at 2-1A
The manual is pretty good at telling what these do. EXCEPT:
* The SETA engine is referred to as SINZA in the manual.
* The MARS system is what the manual calls "ZIPER".
* The SETA boost is referred to as SINZA boost in the manual.
Weapons & Armor:
You start with a single 1 Mw shield and no weapons. You can have 2
shields, 2 lasers, and 10 missiles. You've got a while before the
Xenons get real dangerous, but don't wait too long.
The bigger, tougher, more advanced weapons aren't available in many
places - don't worry about it, by the time you can afford them
you'll have found out where they are. (See Appendix)
Lasers & Cannon (2): Cost Strength
Alpha IRE Laser 720 1,000 each
Beta " " 1,375 1,500
Gamma " " 3,600 2,000
Alpha PA Cannon 7,200 3,000
Beta " " 14,400 4,000
Gamma " " 36,000 5,000
Alpha HEP Laser 72,000 6,000
Beta " " 144,000 7,000
Gamma " " 691,200 8,000
Missiles (10 max):
Mosquito Missile 210 each
Dragonfly Missile 1,080
Silkworm Missile 2,975
Hornet Missile 6,480 (at Paranid sectors)
Shields (2): Cost Strength
1 Mw shield 2,880 1,000 each
5 Mw shield 18,000 5,000
25 Mw Shield 230,400 25,000 (Split)
(There's also a 125 Mw shield, but you can't buy one - they
appear near the end of the game.)
Miscellaneous Improvements:
(These are explained at the station where they are sold. Highlight
the item and wait for the description.)
Cargo Space Extension
5 units each, price goes up each time.
Maximum cargo size is 1000.
Mineral Scanner 21,600 (you'll need it eventually)
Cargo Scanner 43,200 (not very important)
Security License 4,320
You need one for each race. If you kill a Xenon
or a Pirate in their space, you'll get a (small)
bounty.
Engine Tuning Available only at Pirate Bases
Rudder Tuning Available only at Pirate Bases
Like Cargo Bay Extensions, you can pile these on one after
another, and the price goes up each time. The STARTING price
is around 20,000, and will get up into the millions, so you
need to be making money.
Installing Improvements:
Improving your ship is like trading - to buy a Mosquito missile,
go to the Space Equipment Dock, select the missile, use the
right arrow to pick how many you want, then press Enter.
To upgrade, first select the item you already have and SELL it,
then buy the one you want. The SED is the ONLY place you can
remove existing weapons and armor.
(Tip) Sometimes the SED can't sell you what you want, even if you've
got the money, because they're out of stock. Try an SED in
another sector.
4. BUILDING AND OPERATING FACTORIES:
------------------------------------
Factories (i.e. your own space stations) are THE way to make money
in the game. They're built and sold at the Teladi Shipyard - go
there and take a look. They're expensive!
Besides the cost of the factory itself, you'll also need credits to
pay the Albatross transporter and some operating capital.
To build a factory, first figure out where you want it. Seizewell
is fine for a starter. To get your factory:
1. Find the Teladi Albatross and hire him. He's hanging around
in Seizewell, and appears as a rectangular blip on your radar.
2. Go to the Shipyard and buy your factory. (They won't sell it
to you unless you've already hired the Albatross.)
3. Exit and fly to where you want the factory. The Albatross
will follow you.
4. 'C'ommunicate with the Albatross and tell him to unload.
A really neat video sequence shows your factory being built.
5. Dock and set up whatever your particular factory needs.
Energy Plants:
You'll probably start with a Solar Energy plant. It's cheap and
it's a big money-maker. BUT, you have to supply it with crystals,
and you have to lug them yourself - you can't get anybody else to
do it for you. So build it near a Crystal Fab (there's a handy one
in sector 5-2, Greater Profit.
Freighters:
All other factory types let you buy one or more freighters (at
10,400 credits each), who will do your buying and selling for you.
You'll need to give them some operating capital. A starter load of
Energy Cells will get your plant producing while the freighters are
out buying.
Pricing:
Supply and demand: if your price is too low you don't make money;
if it's too high nobody buys. Same with what you pay for
resources. Keep your prices low at first to be sure you sell your
goods.
Sit in the factory a while and watch the counters. Figure out how
many resource units it takes to build a product unit, then you can
tell what price range is profitable.
Saving:
*** YOU CANNOT SAVE YOUR GAME AT YOUR OWN FACTORY ***
5. FIGHTING THE XENONS
Xenon ships show as red dots with red tracks on the radar. It's
hard to kill a Xenon with lasers alone (presumably their shields
regenerate the same way yours do), but missiles cost money.
When you lock on to a Xenon, the 'I'nfo display will tell you his
shield and laser values. If he has 25 Mw shields and 10 Mw lasers
you may want to run instead.
Early in the game, you can't outrun the Xenon and you can't catch
them if they run away. After you get your engine "tuned" that will
change.
As soon as you enter a new sector, check the Nav Screen for Xenons.
If there are too many, turn around and go right back thru the gate.
(Tip) The MARS, referred to in the manual as ZIPER) is invaluable
when you really get to fighting Xenons. It also works for
rendezvous-ing with other ships.
Wingmen:
Get a wingman! As soon as you have a factory, and get enough
money, buy a fighter for the factory and then reassign it to
protect you. There are three kinds of Teladi fighters:
Cost Shields Lasers
Bat 10,400 1,000 3,000
too slow to keep up, but better than nothing
Hawk 54,000 5,000 6,000
not too bad for a starter
Falcon 270,000 25,000 12,000
faster and stronger than the Hawk
Note that a couple of Falcons can give fairly strong support.
(Tip) A Destroyer like the Teladi Phoenix makes the best wingman you
ever saw, if you can get near him before engaging the Xenon.
6. PIRATES
----------
Pirate Ships:
Every now and then you'll lock on to a Pirate ship. 'C'ommunicate
with him, and notice the eye patch! If you destroy him (not too
difficult), two things happen:
a. If he's from a race foreign to the sector you're in, you'll
get a thank you (and a bounty if you have a license).
b. His cargo will be left lying around for you to pick up.
(Remember your training with the 'F' and 'O' keys?)
(Tip) By and large, this isn't worth the effort.
Pirate Bases:
Each race has a Pirate Base somewhere in their territory. They're
not on the map until you lock on to them. They work just like a
Trading Post; dock and buy/sell whatever you want.
This is where you get your engine and rudder "tuned"; i.e.,
performance improved. It's expensive, so have money because you do
need it.
7. THE QUESTS 02/16/00
-------------
The "quests" (or Missions, if you prefer) come after you've done a
good bit of exploring. The following rundown will tell you what to
expect without, I hope, spoiling it completely for you.
(**) WARNING! "Winning" the game depends on doing the quests in the
correct sequence. If you go into Xenon territory and destroy
everything too soon, you won't be able to complete the quests in
the proper order. Save your game before beginning each quest.
7.1 Dunne's Asteroid
In the far reaches of Argon territory you will find a space station
that's NOT a factory. It's the Goner temple. When you contact
them, they will tell you about the secret log of their (and your)
hero Dunne.
a. The log is hidden in an asteroid.
b. The asteroid is in Chin's Cloud sector.
c. You can recognize it because a mineral scanner will show an
unknown mineral.
d. If you find it, and blow it up, you can recover Dunne's log.
Afterward, come back and talk to them again.
** When you get the log, you'll have to pick it up as cargo. But
it won't show on your Ship screen. It will show in your Pilot's
log, however.
When/after you get the log, you'll be told to report to the Argon
Destroyer. When you return to the Goners, they tell you the same
thing.
7.2 Finding the Jump Gate
Every race has two special ships - a Destroyer and a Carrier. The
Destroyer shows up on the sector radar as a red symbol, something
like an arrow in a box; the Carrier is a set of blue dots, also in
a box. (The Teladi Phoenix is the Teladi Destroyer.) Carriers
carry LOTS of fighters.
The Argon Destroyer tells you to report to Argon 1 (which is the
Argon Carrier, and lives in another sector).
Argon 1 tells you:
a. The jump gate to Earth is suspected to be somewhere in Xenon
territory, and is broken.
b. It is feared that the Xenons are preparing to attack, and we
need to launch a pre-emptive strike
c. You have been selected to enter Xenon territory and find the
jump gate (it looks like spacecraft debris).
d. It would be a good idea to contact all the races' Carriers
and ask them to give you some help.
Your success in part (d.) will depend heavily on your reputation
with that race. Might be a good idea to kill a few more Xenons
in their territory until they really love you.
When you find the jump gate, report back to Argon 1.
7.3 Destroy the Power Plants:
Argon 1 gives you a new mission:
a. There are seven power plants in a Xenon sector (S) from
Thuruk's Beard.
b. Find them and destroy them.
c. We will take care of distracting any Xenon ships; you should
concentrate on the power plants.
d. Get help from the other races.
As usual, report back to Argon 1 when successful.
7.4 Destroy the Xenon M0 Mother Ship
Argon 1 gives you a new mission.
a. The Xenon Mother Ship (M Zero) must be destroyed.
b. Go (S) from Thuruk's Beard, then go (W).
c. We will control the area, you concentrate on the M Zero.
Destroy the Laser Towers, then we will help you destroy the
ship.
** Argon 1 is there while you work on the towers, but when you're
done he doesn't do much. You might as finish the job yourself.
Once M0 is destroyed, contact Argon 1.
7.5 "Follow us back to Argon Prime"
This is a long, slow trip. I don't know if Argon 1 would make it
by himself, because there are lots of Xenon destroyers and
carriers to take out on the way.
(tip) Help the time pass by using your SETA to cruise around each
sector while Argon 1 grinds his way to the next gate.
(tip) It's ok to take time out to dash into Priest's Pity and save
your game. Argon 1 will still be puffing along when you get
back.
Once into Argon Prime, make contact again.
7.6 Destroy the Xenon Shipyard (Optional)
This isn't a real "quest"; nobody asks you to do it. But it's an
interesting challenge, and many players seem to do it. The best
time is after you have the 125 Mw super shields.
02/16/00
APPENDICES
I have tried to put the spoilers in these appendices. If you want
to find things for yourself, don't read these tables!
WEAPONS:
Weapon Cost Value SED's Factories
Alpha IRE Laser 720 1,000 T 3-0B 0-1A
Beta IRE Laser 1,375 1,500 T 5-1T 6-0S 3-1B
Gamma IRE Laser 3,600 2,000 S A 6-5S 2-6P
Alpha PA Cannon 7,200 3,000 B 4-2T 3-1B 2-5A 3-6P
Beta PA Cannon 14,400 4,000 P 2-7P
Gamma PA Cannon 36,000 5,000 B 6-1S 0-0B
Alpha HEP Laser 72,000 6,000 B P 5-4T 2-0B 2-3A 1-7P
Beta HEP Laser 144,000 7,000 A 6-2S 2-2A 1-6P
Gamma HEP Laser 691,200 8,000 S 6-4S 0-2A
Mosquito Missile 210 light T BA 4-0T 3-2B 0-4A
Wasp Missile 504 lt-med AP 6-5S 1-5A 3-7P
Dragonfly Missile 1,080 medium SB 7-2S 1-0B
Silkworm Missile 2,880 heavy T A 6-3S 0-3A
Hornet Missile super P 0-3A 1-6P
1 Mw Shield 2,880 TSBA 7-2S 0-0B 1-3A
5 Mw Shield 18,000 T P
25 Mw Shield 230,400 S P 7-3S
SPACE EQUIPMENT DOCKS:
Teladi 4-0T (CEO's Buckzoid) 5-1T (Seizewell)
Split 6-0S (Family Whi) 7-2S (Family Pride)
Boron 0-0B (Empire's End) 3-1B (Rolk's Fate)
Argon 0-4A (Red Light) 1-3A (Argon Prime)
2-1A (Antigone Mmrl) 2-5A (Cloudbase SE)
Paranid 1-6P (Paranid Prime) 3-6P (Priest's Pity)
You can sell weapons ONLY at SEDs. You can buy weapons at the
manufacturing plants ONLY if you do not have any installed.
You cannot buy/carry/sell weapons as cargo.
PIRATE BASES:
Located at: 5-5T, 7-3S, 3-2B, 1-5A, 3-6P
Some are not on the grid, you will have to hunt around for them.
They look like Trading Stations on the display.
Engine Tuning 14,400, 32,400, 57,600, 90,000, 129,600,
176,400, 230,400, 291,600, 360,000, 435,600,
518,400, 608,400, 705,600, 810,000, 921,600,
1,040k, 1,166k, 1,299k, 1,440k, 1,587k,
1,742k, 1,904k, 2,073k, 2,250k, 2,433k,...
Rudder Tuning 21,600, 38,400, 60,000, 86,400, 117,600,
153,600, 194,400, 240,000
You will need about 20 engine tuning for the end game, in order to
outrun the Xenon destroyers. Rudder tuning much less, maybe 5?
(Opinion seems to be that too many rudder tunes makes the handling
worse instead of better.)
FIGHTERS / WINGMEN:
Teladi Fighters: Cost Shields Lasers
Bat 10,800 1,000 3,000
Hawk 54,000 5,000 6,000
Falcon 270,000 25,000 12,000
Argon Fighters
Buster 54,000 5,000 3,000
Elite 270,000 25,000 12,000
Paranid Fighters:
Pegasus 10,800 2,000 3,000
Poseidon 54,000 5,000 6,000
Prometheus 270,000 50,000 12,000
Boron Fighters
Piranha
02/14/00
FACTORY PRODUCTION:
a. Solar Power Plant (E)
Generates 45 Energy Cells per Crystal
(You must transport the crystals yourself)
b. Ore Mine
Generates 1 ore for 4 energy cells
c. Silicon Mine
Generates 4 silicon wafers for 45 energy cells
d. Flower Farm
Generates 6 flowers for 3 energy cells
e. Sun Oil Refinery
Generates 6 oil for 6 flowers and 3 energy cells
f. Teladianium Foundry
Generates 4 Teladianium for 15 energy cells
g. Chip Plant
Generates 9 Chips for 225 energy, 20 silicon, 450 oil
(This one is a real money-maker, but you'll need close to a
million to get it going.)
h. Soyery
Generates 2 Soja husk for 5 energy and 10 Soja Beans
i. Argon Crystal Fab
Generates 180 Crystals from 45 energy, 4 silicon,
and 90 Meatsteaks
j. Argon Cattle Ranch
Generates 2 Beef from 5 energy.
k. Argon Cahoona Bakery
Generates 10 Cahoona Meatsteaks from 5 energy and 2 beef
STATUS / REPUTATION TITLES:
Teladi: Profit Opportunity, Company Helper, Company Trader,
Company Manager, Share Holder, Company Director
Boron Friend, Special Friend, Trusted Friend,
Queen's Knight, King's Knight, Knight of the Kingdom
Split: Enemy, Creature, Accepted Person, Friend, Family Friend,
Honoured Friend, Honored Friend of Chinn,
Honoured Strong Arm of Chin
Argon Neutral Trader, Accepted Member, Accepted Friend,
Trusted Friend, Argon Hero, Argon Hero of Federation
Paranid Enemy of Priest Duke, Enemy of Priest, Friend,
Friend of Priest, Friend of Priest Duke, Friend of
Priest King, Friend of Emperor, Honour guard of Xaar
* There are more levels of "enemy", but presumably you're on your
way up, not down!
* Split and Paranid start you as an enemy. They won't let you land
until you work your way up to Creature or Friend.
* An [L] appears on the 'P' screen if you have a Police License.
LINKS:
------
BTB's website - a volunteer effort.
Maps in Acrobat (4.0) for download
EGOSOFT - the game developers
An open forum - lots of good answers there
X-BTF - UK Web Site
Has a "survivors guide" and maps
(Seems to require IE - Netscape has problems)
Gav's X Page
Lots of good stuff, well organized.
Walk-thru, weapons list, and interactive map