Just got WC privateer and have no idea what to do
- Thread starter dacis2
- Start date
First of all, I suggest you buy another laser with what little money you have. Next, take a look at the mission computer (between commodity exchange and bar at mining bases) and pick some missions. Unlike Elite, missions are a much better way of getting money than trading. Since you don't have a jump engine, don't pick any missions that might require travelling to another system. The missions that suit you in the beginning are defend base, attack, scout and patrol missions. Don't pick any missions that mention the Kilrarthi, since with your current ship you'll be cat food in no time. It's recommended that you pick several patrol missions at the same time if possible, since you can complete them all at once, but you won't encounter any extra enemies. What to do with the money is up to you, but I must warn you that when you upgrade your ship, you'll encounter more enemies, so I recommend joining the guilds first. And here's a handy tip: if you don't see any missions that strike you fancy, save the game and restore it immediately, and the missions will be regenerated.
WARNING: If you turn on the invincibility or unlimited ammo during a mission, it'll be marked as failed and you won't get paid! NEVER do this during a plot missions!
As for the plot, keep talking to the bartenders. They'll eventually give a hint on where to go (it's not the pirate base).
WARNING: If you turn on the invincibility or unlimited ammo during a mission, it'll be marked as failed and you won't get paid! NEVER do this during a plot missions!
As for the plot, keep talking to the bartenders. They'll eventually give a hint on where to go (it's not the pirate base).
There's a walkthrough for the plot missions plus a few tips on how to play https://www.wcnews.com/guides/ . One of the first things you should buy is a repair droid. This'll quickly pay for itself since you'll only have to repair weapons and armor. This means you'll only have to spend money on them and not on everything else. It's also nice to have an almost fully repaired ship when you go to the next nav point.
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Go to the mission computer and take a scout mission in the local system. Scout missions are the easiest way to rack up the money in the early part of the game, since all you have to do is touch the waypoint and get out alive again. With afterburners, you can just zip in, touch the waypoint, then zip back out again, then auto to the nearest base to collect your money.
-- You want afterburners. You really really want afterburners.
-- Up-gun your ship asap. I prefer 2 meson blaster, because they're cheap, but cause a decent amount of damage for their price with a reasonable refire rate.
-- As soon as possible, buy two missile launchers and arm them with IR missiles. Two IR missiles will kill most Talons, so you'll be set to whip Pirate and Retro butt, although you're still toast for Kilrathi.
-- Don't even CONSIDER interstellar travel until you've got a repair robot. Interstellar trips are long hauls, and without a robot to repair your damage you're meat on the table at your current skill level.
-- Avoid Kilrathi at all costs. They are much more heavily armored and difficult to kill than pirates or retros. A dralthi is beatable, but a Gothri is death. Four Gothris is suicide at your current skill level (i.e. just starting out).
-- Regarding the plot: If you want a challenge play the plot as early as possible. If you just want to win avoid starting the plot until you've maxed out your ship (I suggest a Centurion with 4 Tachyon cannons, 2 missile launchers with 20 missiles, best ECM, repair robot, jump drive and all maps, max shields, max engines). The plot missions are far easier with a better ship.
When you're ready to start the plot, start talking to bartenders. They'll suggest places to go and things to see.
Go to those places and visit the bars at each.
Occasionally, there'll be someone else in the bar you can talk to. Talk to them, and they'll offer you a mission. If you want to complete the main plot, you MUST accept the mission and you MUST complete it successfully. Make sure you save before you leave, because if you fail EVEN ONE of these missions, the plot is instantly over. There are no second chances -- but that's what saved games are for!
Some of the missions are morally questionable. I'll give you just a gentle spoiler -- you can't avoid being a smuggler but you don't have to be a murderer. If you ever are put into such a morally indefensible position, carefully read the mission objectives and see if there are any alternatives that will fulfill the letter of the mission objectives but don't require murder.
Good luck!
Respectfully,
Brian P.
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Saturnyne
Vice Admiral
I need some tips myself...
I've finished over 30 missions, and am saving up for a Centurion, or at least an Orion with decent equipment. I'm projecting I'll need at least 200 000 credits for a good Orion, or maybe 300 000 for a good Centurion.
In any case, here in my Tarsus (is that it?) I have a laser, a mass driver, tractor beam, missile launcher (10 IR), repair droid, Tungsten armor, engine upgrade, shield generator II, afts and Iris mk II. Pirates and Retros in groups of two are tearing me to shreds. What can I do to prevent this? Should I change back to two lasers?
It frustrates me to take a mission, die, have to take another mission, die, repeat. I've finished one out of five missions in the last day.
I've finished over 30 missions, and am saving up for a Centurion, or at least an Orion with decent equipment. I'm projecting I'll need at least 200 000 credits for a good Orion, or maybe 300 000 for a good Centurion.
In any case, here in my Tarsus (is that it?) I have a laser, a mass driver, tractor beam, missile launcher (10 IR), repair droid, Tungsten armor, engine upgrade, shield generator II, afts and Iris mk II. Pirates and Retros in groups of two are tearing me to shreds. What can I do to prevent this? Should I change back to two lasers?
It frustrates me to take a mission, die, have to take another mission, die, repeat. I've finished one out of five missions in the last day.
Ghost
Emperor
When i play Priv always use the *Run Tactic*, until i can buy the Centurion.
Just load your Tarsus with: tungsten Armor,Engine Upgrade (one level above your shield),shield, and AB (so you can AB almost every time) and a jump Drive, if you encounyer any Retro or Pirate you can AB and overrun them
Just load your Tarsus with: tungsten Armor,Engine Upgrade (one level above your shield),shield, and AB (so you can AB almost every time) and a jump Drive, if you encounyer any Retro or Pirate you can AB and overrun them
It's been a long time since I've played Privateer, and now I'm getting back into it. My setup: Tarsus with two meson blasters, shields, level 2 engines, and burners. I have a trade route too: Edom to New Detroit. At Edom buy: Pets, Liquor, foods, grain. At New Detroit buy: Food Dispensers, Home Appliances, Plastics. Simple, patrolled heavily by militia and Confeds, and high-yielding.
Antix
Rear Admiral
Re: Re: Just got WC privateer and have no idea what to do
*Ahem* Might I mention that the title "Privateer" doesn't scream, "Yeah, this game is intended to be morally sound and teach ethical practices in capitalism." Are you just nuts? Might I also add you've GOT to shoot something to get paid? Hell you've got to shoot something in ANY of the WC games to get anywhere at all in the plot, duh? And don't tell me about just war theories either, sheesh. Killing's killing, cold blooded or not. The ultimate in the wholesome moral perspective would be tacitly consenting to the end of your life and never fighting in war. So this comment was totally misplaced. Or maybe I'm just nuts. Yeah, I think I'm nuts.
*Ahem* Might I mention that the title "Privateer" doesn't scream, "Yeah, this game is intended to be morally sound and teach ethical practices in capitalism." Are you just nuts? Might I also add you've GOT to shoot something to get paid? Hell you've got to shoot something in ANY of the WC games to get anywhere at all in the plot, duh? And don't tell me about just war theories either, sheesh. Killing's killing, cold blooded or not. The ultimate in the wholesome moral perspective would be tacitly consenting to the end of your life and never fighting in war. So this comment was totally misplaced. Or maybe I'm just nuts. Yeah, I think I'm nuts.
Saturnyne,
Yes, you should downgrade to shield 1 on a Tarsus. The Tarsus is so underpowered that you can't really fight effectively with shield 2.
Of course, on a different ship you can simply down-shift your shields if you want more power. When I fly a Centurion I fly with max shields and engine, but I sometimes divert my shields to give myself unlimited afterburner.
Respectfully,
Brian P.
Yes, you should downgrade to shield 1 on a Tarsus. The Tarsus is so underpowered that you can't really fight effectively with shield 2.
Of course, on a different ship you can simply down-shift your shields if you want more power. When I fly a Centurion I fly with max shields and engine, but I sometimes divert my shields to give myself unlimited afterburner.
Respectfully,
Brian P.
Re: Re: Re: Just got WC privateer and have no idea what to do
Sigh ... I have no problem with killing Kilrathi, since they are our enemies, and if I leave them alone they'll simply kill other people. Same with pirates and Retros, whom I consider the "common enemy of mankind, to be dealt with as wolves are". Nor do I have a problem defending myself against ANYBODY, since I have the right to self defense.
Where I draw the line is whacking some ordinary person for cash. Someone who is not an enemy, but simply crossed some rich guy who wants to see him dead. Let said rich guy hire someone else, I say. Such a killing is not justifiable by the laws of war or by any other moral code, and I will not participate in it.
So, if the rich guy says "There's a pirate who's been killing my people. Get rid of him." I'll say "Download the coordinates. Your problem is solved." But if the rich guy says "This guy screwed me on a drug deal. Kill him." I'll say "Not my problem. Get yourself a goon or do it yourself, I'm no murderer."
Thus, my character is a merchant, a smuggler and a sword-for-hire, but is not a murderer. Not all homicide is murder. I refer you to the Uniform Code of Military Justice if you have further difficulty distinguishing the two.
Respectfully,
Brian P.
Sigh ... I have no problem with killing Kilrathi, since they are our enemies, and if I leave them alone they'll simply kill other people. Same with pirates and Retros, whom I consider the "common enemy of mankind, to be dealt with as wolves are". Nor do I have a problem defending myself against ANYBODY, since I have the right to self defense.
Where I draw the line is whacking some ordinary person for cash. Someone who is not an enemy, but simply crossed some rich guy who wants to see him dead. Let said rich guy hire someone else, I say. Such a killing is not justifiable by the laws of war or by any other moral code, and I will not participate in it.
So, if the rich guy says "There's a pirate who's been killing my people. Get rid of him." I'll say "Download the coordinates. Your problem is solved." But if the rich guy says "This guy screwed me on a drug deal. Kill him." I'll say "Not my problem. Get yourself a goon or do it yourself, I'm no murderer."
Thus, my character is a merchant, a smuggler and a sword-for-hire, but is not a murderer. Not all homicide is murder. I refer you to the Uniform Code of Military Justice if you have further difficulty distinguishing the two.
Respectfully,
Brian P.
Thymerlord
Rear Admiral
I would have to agree with most of your arguement pendell but I do disagree where you say you would refuse if a rich guy tried to hire you to kill a guy who screwed him on a drug deal.I don't know about anyone else but I consider a drug dealer or pusher or supplier as a murderer and therefore free game and as worth killing as any murdering pirate.Other than that I can't help but agree with you.