The Ultimate Privateer Question....
- Thread starter Ice Viper
- Start date
Death
gh0d (Administrator)
No, there's no truth to the "Kilrathi depot" rumor from the bartender. If anything, it's an indirect reference to the Steltek ship in Delta Prime (where you get the gun), keeping in mind that rumors more often than not take a grain of truth, and blow it out of proportion.
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SubCrid Death
Official Net.Nazi, LOAF's Merry Guild
[This message has been edited by Death (edited August 05, 2000).]
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SubCrid Death
Official Net.Nazi, LOAF's Merry Guild
[This message has been edited by Death (edited August 05, 2000).]
Last edited by a moderator:
I've got to agree with everyone else, I looked for it and never found it, and it may just be there to add a backdrop to everything. But one thing I've noticed is that most of the rumors in the game were true. This leads me to believe that they are in fact referencing WCIII. Privateer takes place in roughly the same time frame, and right before WCIII starts Angel and her crew setup the depot asteroid just above Kilrah, full of ammo and fuel. I figure this is what the bar tenders are talking about.
ChrisReid
Super Soaker Collector / Administrator
That's possible.. but I doubt they had that much foresight. Privateer did take place at around the same time (shortly before) Wing Commander 3, but remember after Privateer there was still Righteous Fire and Armada before Wing Commander 3. Nearly two years I believe. I think Death's right, it's much more likely they were talking about the Steltek Base, which looks like a big asteroid and you get the ultimate gun from it.
Wedge009
Rogue Leader
Is it just me, or did anyone else find the Steltek gun to be nothing more than a plot device? Other than it being the only one able to do any damage on the drone, I really didn't find it that much more powerful than the other guns.
It's just as well the Retro bastards nick off with it in RF!
And no offense to anyone, but I'm surprised anyone actually made an effort to look for the asteriod. I just dismissed it as another 'red herring' in the bartenders' never-ending speeches. In fact some of them were quite silly eg referring to long-lost friend Sandoval when he's sitting at the table in front.
It's just as well the Retro bastards nick off with it in RF!
And no offense to anyone, but I'm surprised anyone actually made an effort to look for the asteriod. I just dismissed it as another 'red herring' in the bartenders' never-ending speeches. In fact some of them were quite silly eg referring to long-lost friend Sandoval when he's sitting at the table in front.
Greetings! (And Happy Belated Birthday to the CIC.)
Not to in any way question the prior postings on the rumored (and obviously much-sought-after) asteroid, I think the simplest explanation is that it's intended to lure a player to spend some "quality time" in the Sector's more dangerous Systems (a risk that any true privateer wouldn't think twice about, even if it did result in a fool's errand). After all, the bartender specifies that the asteroid is located "along the Kilrathi border", the promised loot is unusual (compared to run-of-the-mill credits), and the game largely permits a player to steer clear of the Kilrathi otherwise (the exception, of course, being a few missions in the quest to unravel the mystery of the artifact).
Wedge009: Regarding the Steltek gun, personally I did find it quite powerful. In the "Privateer Playtesters' Guide" (1993), the gun is stated to cause 10cm of damage prior to being "boosted" by the Steltek, and 19cm after being so boosted (which respectively makes it at least two and at most five times as powerful as the game's highly recommended Tachyon Cannon (whose damage potential is confusingly reported to be 3.7cm in the aforementioned Guide, but 5cm in the Game Manual)). I can't vouch for the accuracy of those and the related stats (range, energy use, etc.), but the proof of the pudding is surely in the playing. I suggest you go on a "killing spree" with a Centurion, first using four front-loaded Tachyons (or Ionic Pulses, etc.), then replacing them with four Stelteks, and compare your success. I believe you'll agree that the latter renders you practically invincible (though being able to blow away Paradigms and Kamekhs with only a few shots can quickly become a bore--still, you might enjoy going to Palan at that point, since it'll provide an endless gauntlet of Demons.)
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"In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order." Carl Jung
Not to in any way question the prior postings on the rumored (and obviously much-sought-after) asteroid, I think the simplest explanation is that it's intended to lure a player to spend some "quality time" in the Sector's more dangerous Systems (a risk that any true privateer wouldn't think twice about, even if it did result in a fool's errand). After all, the bartender specifies that the asteroid is located "along the Kilrathi border", the promised loot is unusual (compared to run-of-the-mill credits), and the game largely permits a player to steer clear of the Kilrathi otherwise (the exception, of course, being a few missions in the quest to unravel the mystery of the artifact).
Wedge009: Regarding the Steltek gun, personally I did find it quite powerful. In the "Privateer Playtesters' Guide" (1993), the gun is stated to cause 10cm of damage prior to being "boosted" by the Steltek, and 19cm after being so boosted (which respectively makes it at least two and at most five times as powerful as the game's highly recommended Tachyon Cannon (whose damage potential is confusingly reported to be 3.7cm in the aforementioned Guide, but 5cm in the Game Manual)). I can't vouch for the accuracy of those and the related stats (range, energy use, etc.), but the proof of the pudding is surely in the playing. I suggest you go on a "killing spree" with a Centurion, first using four front-loaded Tachyons (or Ionic Pulses, etc.), then replacing them with four Stelteks, and compare your success. I believe you'll agree that the latter renders you practically invincible (though being able to blow away Paradigms and Kamekhs with only a few shots can quickly become a bore--still, you might enjoy going to Palan at that point, since it'll provide an endless gauntlet of Demons.)
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"In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order." Carl Jung
And how does one get 4??? Steltek guns. If you managed to do that my friend, you edited the game. And it's not the fact that it does so much more damage, its that its one of only four guns and the silly game put mine on the outside wing, which makes it that much more likely to miss. It should be at least one of the four inner guns.
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There is no God but myself. No destiny but what I deem for me. I walk my path and no others, for I am free.
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There is no God but myself. No destiny but what I deem for me. I walk my path and no others, for I am free.
Mad Hatter
Spaceman
Nobody said you have to fly a Centurion, Vondoom.
Question is, how do you get rid of the gun?
Question is, how do you get rid of the gun?
You don't have to fly the Centurion; but it would be your best bet if you wish for combat. It is the closest thing you can get for a combat fighter (instead of the Tarsus, Orion, or Galaxy). However, you could fight in the previous three; except it will be substantially harder, and the Kilrathi can fly circles around you backwards... other than that, it's basically the same.
Getting four Steltek Guns? Give me a break.
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Metras
Member of Blacklance HQ
Getting four Steltek Guns? Give me a break.
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Metras
Member of Blacklance HQ
Last edited by a moderator:
Mad Hatter
Spaceman
Well, the least they could have done was either give you 2 guns for symmetry purposes or 1 central gun. Something along the lines of what a Broadsword has.
I found it pretty easy to do combat in a souped up Orion. Just had to keep the engine upgrades higher than the shield upgrades. The only time I had trouble in the old ldy was with that retro priest guy at the end of RF. Just bought a centurion and shot 15 FoF's at him.
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The time is near.
There are still quite a few days remaining.
Hail to the king, baby.
-Ash, housewares
I don't care for fame, power or money...
I just want to FIGHT!
-Sanosuke Sagara
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The time is near.
There are still quite a few days remaining.
Hail to the king, baby.
-Ash, housewares
I don't care for fame, power or money...
I just want to FIGHT!
-Sanosuke Sagara
Death
gh0d (Administrator)
Metras said:You don't have to fly the Centurion; but it would be your best bet if you wish for combat. It is the closest thing you can get for a combat fighter (instead of the Tarsus, Orion, or Galaxy). However, you could fight in the previous three; except it will be substantially harder, and the Kilrathi can fly circles around you backwards... other than that, it's basically the same.
Personally, I didn't have any problems with the Galaxy, Centurion, or Tarsus, but for some reason could never finish the game flying an Orion. It's not a weight/size issue, because the Galaxy tops the Orion in both categories. Nor is it speed or maneuverability, both of which are better (if only slightly) in an Orion than a Tarsus or Galaxy.
In any case, while the Centurion isn't the only ship you can win in, it makes things much easier to do so.
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SubCrid Death
Official Net.Nazi, LOAF's Merry Guild
Last edited by a moderator:
Well . . . skepticism is a good thing! Never lose it.
It appears that I do owe people a bit of an apology for my first post. You see, I only recently began exploring the CIC. (Impressive database.) I knew there was a "Cheats" section, but had yet to look through it. After reading your comments today though, I did so. To my surprise (and chagrin), there's nothing listed for Privateer. Sorry for leaping before looking, but I've always assumed the Steltek "trick" is pretty much old news and well-known, especially since Origin has known about it for years, even before Privateer 2 was released (and possibly as early as the release of Righteous Fire.)
Anyway . . . happy to make amends.
It's a good question whether the procedure I outline below is a cheat. On the one hand, you can argue it is, because once you've reached the end of all the missions in Privateer (playing them out as the game "intends") you receive only the one Steltek gun. On the other hand, you can argue it isn't, because no playtesters' codes are involved, nor is any invasive programming (as I understand the charge of "editing"). In fact, you use only the technology that the games (particularly Righteous Fire) openly offer, and you even have to buy (yes, fork over hard-earned credits for) each new Steltek gun you want.
Rationalizations are easy too. That you apparently are allowed only one Steltek gun grates on common sense (and is probably the most frequent gripe about the game). I mean, come on! Resourceful privateer that you are, you can't find an "ally" who's willing to duplicate this new technology for you in the year before Menesche steals it and does so for himself? And what about those visits to Perry? It's 2669, a dire year in the war, and you land on a military base with an unknown weapon sticking out like a sore thumb but no one is the least curious? (Why, Confed should have been all over that gun, with or without your knowledge, and then in short order produced its own version. (Hint.))
To be clear: In Privateer, you can have as many Steltek guns (boosted and/or non-boosted) as your chosen ship has gun slots. (You can also have one or more Steltek guns on your ship in Righteous Fire up to, but NOT including, the ship's maximum number. (But you probably won't want to.) More on this later.) To add Steltek guns, you need two things--the game Righteous Fire (RF) and 100,000 credits for each new gun.
Basically, you can add one or more Stelteks to your ship in Privateer at any time during the game (provided you have the credits), and whether or not you have gotten to Delta Prime yet (or ever go). Understand however, that if you do so before going to Delta Prime, the Steltek Drone (true to its diehard nature) will make its entrance all the same and dog you at random until you destroy it in the ordinary course. (Still, having the Drone on your tail from "Tayla" through "Taryn" might enliven the old game and appeal to some. I haven't run that gamut myself.)
The procedure is ridiculously simple (though there are a few "rules" to keep in mind). The key is to realize that the software engines for Privateer and RF are almost identical (and understandably so). In this regard, it's no coincidence there are nine different guns in Privateer (including the Steltek) and also nine in RF (where the Fusion Cannon has "replaced" the Steltek). That's right, you guessed it--the code for the Fusion in RF automatically translates into the code for the Steltek (non-boosted) in Privateer.
So . . . choose a saved game from Privateer (preferably the one at Perry where you're about to go off to destroy the Drone, but IN ALL EVENTS one that is on a planet or base with a ship dealer), and then in either DOS or Windows rename the file's extension from ".sav" (Privateer's format) to ".prs" (RF's format). Run RF and load the saved game. (BTW, while you're in RF, DO NOT fly your ship or when you try to land, you'll crash (the game, that is), which is why you must have a ship dealer at hand from the start.) Go to the ship dealer and buy as few or as many Fusion Cannons as you want and can afford and your ship can take. Also feel free to buy Isometal Armor and the Advanced Repair Droid, but DO NOT buy the "gun cooler" or any of the "enhancement" modules for engines, thrusters, or shields. If you're using a Tarsus, Centurion, or Galaxy, feel free to buy the highest "Levels" of engines/shields offered, but if you're using an Orion, DO NOT buy Level 6 or 7 engines/shields. These "no-no" technologies are not compatible with Privateer, and though you'll be able to lift off with them, the game will crash when you try to land. (FYI, the only downside to buying Isometal is that if it becomes damaged, you must return to RF to repair it.)
Your buying-spree ended (at least for now), reverse course. Save the game in the normal fashion and exit RF. Rename the file's extension from ".prs" to ".sav". Run Privateer and load the saved game. You'll find that each Fusion Cannon is now a Steltek gun (non-boosted). When you finally meet up with the Steltek, all the guns get boosted (the Steltek are such a generous race). If you add any new guns after your encounter with the Steltek, those will be, and will remain, non-boosted.
As mentioned earlier, you can also have one or more Steltek guns on your ship in RF (thus preserving your pride against the spoiler Menesche). Simply choose a saved game from Privateer that has at least TWO BOOSTED Stelteks, then run RF and load the file through RF's transfer program (activated when you select "NEW"). The transfer program will, true to script, remove one of the Stelteks, but only one, leaving the other(s). (Any non-boosted Steltek guns on the ship will automatically become Fusion Cannons.) If you want to remove any or all of the remaining (boosted) Steltek guns (and you might), then you must save the game in the normal fashion, exit RF, rename the file's extension from ".prs" to ".sav", and run RF and its transfer program again, repeating this process for each successive gun you want removed.
Why would you want to get rid of most, if not all, of your Stelteks in RF? Because RF (favoring the Fusion Cannon) doesn't know what to do with a "tenth" type of gun, so it defaults it to the power of a mere Laser, and even a bit weaker than that. (It really does become, in Wedge009's original estimation, a "plot device".)
Sorry for the length of this post, but I guess the info is overdue. Hope people have some fun with this new dimension to Privateer.
It appears that I do owe people a bit of an apology for my first post. You see, I only recently began exploring the CIC. (Impressive database.) I knew there was a "Cheats" section, but had yet to look through it. After reading your comments today though, I did so. To my surprise (and chagrin), there's nothing listed for Privateer. Sorry for leaping before looking, but I've always assumed the Steltek "trick" is pretty much old news and well-known, especially since Origin has known about it for years, even before Privateer 2 was released (and possibly as early as the release of Righteous Fire.)
Anyway . . . happy to make amends.
It's a good question whether the procedure I outline below is a cheat. On the one hand, you can argue it is, because once you've reached the end of all the missions in Privateer (playing them out as the game "intends") you receive only the one Steltek gun. On the other hand, you can argue it isn't, because no playtesters' codes are involved, nor is any invasive programming (as I understand the charge of "editing"). In fact, you use only the technology that the games (particularly Righteous Fire) openly offer, and you even have to buy (yes, fork over hard-earned credits for) each new Steltek gun you want.
Rationalizations are easy too. That you apparently are allowed only one Steltek gun grates on common sense (and is probably the most frequent gripe about the game). I mean, come on! Resourceful privateer that you are, you can't find an "ally" who's willing to duplicate this new technology for you in the year before Menesche steals it and does so for himself? And what about those visits to Perry? It's 2669, a dire year in the war, and you land on a military base with an unknown weapon sticking out like a sore thumb but no one is the least curious? (Why, Confed should have been all over that gun, with or without your knowledge, and then in short order produced its own version. (Hint.))
To be clear: In Privateer, you can have as many Steltek guns (boosted and/or non-boosted) as your chosen ship has gun slots. (You can also have one or more Steltek guns on your ship in Righteous Fire up to, but NOT including, the ship's maximum number. (But you probably won't want to.) More on this later.) To add Steltek guns, you need two things--the game Righteous Fire (RF) and 100,000 credits for each new gun.
Basically, you can add one or more Stelteks to your ship in Privateer at any time during the game (provided you have the credits), and whether or not you have gotten to Delta Prime yet (or ever go). Understand however, that if you do so before going to Delta Prime, the Steltek Drone (true to its diehard nature) will make its entrance all the same and dog you at random until you destroy it in the ordinary course. (Still, having the Drone on your tail from "Tayla" through "Taryn" might enliven the old game and appeal to some. I haven't run that gamut myself.)
The procedure is ridiculously simple (though there are a few "rules" to keep in mind). The key is to realize that the software engines for Privateer and RF are almost identical (and understandably so). In this regard, it's no coincidence there are nine different guns in Privateer (including the Steltek) and also nine in RF (where the Fusion Cannon has "replaced" the Steltek). That's right, you guessed it--the code for the Fusion in RF automatically translates into the code for the Steltek (non-boosted) in Privateer.
So . . . choose a saved game from Privateer (preferably the one at Perry where you're about to go off to destroy the Drone, but IN ALL EVENTS one that is on a planet or base with a ship dealer), and then in either DOS or Windows rename the file's extension from ".sav" (Privateer's format) to ".prs" (RF's format). Run RF and load the saved game. (BTW, while you're in RF, DO NOT fly your ship or when you try to land, you'll crash (the game, that is), which is why you must have a ship dealer at hand from the start.) Go to the ship dealer and buy as few or as many Fusion Cannons as you want and can afford and your ship can take. Also feel free to buy Isometal Armor and the Advanced Repair Droid, but DO NOT buy the "gun cooler" or any of the "enhancement" modules for engines, thrusters, or shields. If you're using a Tarsus, Centurion, or Galaxy, feel free to buy the highest "Levels" of engines/shields offered, but if you're using an Orion, DO NOT buy Level 6 or 7 engines/shields. These "no-no" technologies are not compatible with Privateer, and though you'll be able to lift off with them, the game will crash when you try to land. (FYI, the only downside to buying Isometal is that if it becomes damaged, you must return to RF to repair it.)
Your buying-spree ended (at least for now), reverse course. Save the game in the normal fashion and exit RF. Rename the file's extension from ".prs" to ".sav". Run Privateer and load the saved game. You'll find that each Fusion Cannon is now a Steltek gun (non-boosted). When you finally meet up with the Steltek, all the guns get boosted (the Steltek are such a generous race). If you add any new guns after your encounter with the Steltek, those will be, and will remain, non-boosted.
As mentioned earlier, you can also have one or more Steltek guns on your ship in RF (thus preserving your pride against the spoiler Menesche). Simply choose a saved game from Privateer that has at least TWO BOOSTED Stelteks, then run RF and load the file through RF's transfer program (activated when you select "NEW"). The transfer program will, true to script, remove one of the Stelteks, but only one, leaving the other(s). (Any non-boosted Steltek guns on the ship will automatically become Fusion Cannons.) If you want to remove any or all of the remaining (boosted) Steltek guns (and you might), then you must save the game in the normal fashion, exit RF, rename the file's extension from ".prs" to ".sav", and run RF and its transfer program again, repeating this process for each successive gun you want removed.
Why would you want to get rid of most, if not all, of your Stelteks in RF? Because RF (favoring the Fusion Cannon) doesn't know what to do with a "tenth" type of gun, so it defaults it to the power of a mere Laser, and even a bit weaker than that. (It really does become, in Wedge009's original estimation, a "plot device".)
Sorry for the length of this post, but I guess the info is overdue. Hope people have some fun with this new dimension to Privateer.
Wedge009
Rogue Leader
Cheat or no cheat, that's very interesting... I'm pretty busy with other things at the moment, but I'll give that Steltek gun trick a go when I get the chance. I always felt that after the drone is destroyed the gun reduced to 'unboosted' strength though, cos the Steltek dude did say "a limited number of shots"