Secret Missions 2 Replay Week 3

Dundradal

Frog Blast the Vent Core!
Hello Pilots,

The final section of SM2 and the last part of our WC1 journey. I apologize for my own reports lacking, but as I said before some other things have come up. However, the fight goes on!

This week is "short" with only 4 missions so enjoy finishing the fight! (Corsair 5-6, Chiron 1-2)

Next week will be a "break" before we start WC2. This is to allow for some catchup (hopefully my own) and just for a break. I know there were quite a few people who wanted to replay WC2, so get your copies ready and make sure everything is running smooth. In 2 weeks we start the fight for Enigma. If you've wanted to jump up but were worried about being behind, now is also the time as well. Saddle up and get to killing kats.

Good luck and good hunting.
 
Next week will be a "break" before we start WC2. This is to allow for some catchup (hopefully my own) and just for a break. I know there were quite a few people who wanted to replay WC2, so get your copies ready and make sure everything is running smooth. In 2 weeks we start the fight for Enigma. If you've wanted to jump up but were worried about being behind, now is also the time as well. Saddle up and get to killing kats.

I'd also like to ask some people to grab some screenshots when we move to WC2 like what we have for WC1 and the SMs in the Background section: https://www.wcnews.com/background/wc1.shtml Looking for maybe a dozen or two total images per game of a wide variety of different situations (gameflow, cinematics, spaceflight, etc) that gives a good representation of the overall thing. Also remember that WC2 (and just about everything through the patched high color version of WC4) should not be done in jpeg. These games use less than 256 colors, so use gifs. If you're not sure, you're also always safe with png images.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm just about to head into my final play session, so expect an update shortly.

I'd also like to ask some people to grab some screenshots when we move to WC2 like what we have for WC1 and the SMs in the Background section: https://www.wcnews.com/background/wc1.shtml Looking for maybe a dozen or two total images per game of a wide variety of different situations (gameflow, cinematics, spaceflight, etc) that gives a good representation of the overall thing. Also remember that WC2 (and just about everything through the patched high color version of WC4) should not be done in jpeg. These games use less than 256 colors, so use gifs. If you're not sure, you're also always safe with png images.

I'll try to grab some, but KS WC2 has some odd graphical glitches.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Corsair 5:

A much happier bunch of pilots today. Our actions on Firekka have really made a big difference to ship morale. Losing Angel to the Austin will be a blow, but it's great to see her career moving along. Spirit's morale is back up, it seems she's less likely to pull a Maniac now. I also checked my killboard. I've scored 442 from 44 sorties so far. Just barely over 10 a mission.

Prince Thrakhath has given us the chance to leave the system by abandoning the Marines. Colonel Halcyon has decided the best way to respond is to bring our marines back while flying the Kilrathi's own ships. While grappling with 4 Gratha and a Ralari, I spent a second wondering about the logic of that, but in the end Angel & I prevailed. I also managed to avoid those 14 laser blasts need to kill me while scraping the Krant off a transport's back. The Marines are staging some pretty desperate tricks to get past the Kilrathi and even that's not working. They've taken a real beating on this operation. Way more so than the Claw's pilots.

Corsair 6:

We certainly haven't lost enough pilots to justify putting Maniac back on the flight line. Hunter's practical joke certainly isn't helping his mental stability, but he just shouldn't be there in the first place. In some more happy news, Iceman gets to see his daughter again. She's in a bad way, but it must be a real relief to be able to see her again.

This is the mission I signed up for. The Tiger's Claw is outnumbered, outgunned and out to kick some arse. We've laid an ambush for the Kilrathi and are going to jump them. We're not the only ones ambushing, though, a Drakhai in a Salthi lead us towards some Hriss, but all it did was lose them more ships. I think I blew up one of every Kilrathi fighter type in this mission along with the Dorkir and Fralthi. It was interesting to note that taking out the Drakhai leading each squadron seemed to take the wind out of their sails and the remaing Kats would sometimes retreat. Which just exposed their thin rear armour to my guns. Overall, I scored 27 kills, a Gold Star and a squadron to call my own. Not a bad day's work if I do say so myself.

Charon 1:

Shotglass is glad to be getting out of here. Frankly I wouldn't mind a few more Gold Stars but it's not my decision to make yet. Knight's all downtrodden about the Firekka for some reason. I think we've gone a great deal of good there. Finally, Maniac's back on the roster and trying to kill us all. First thing when I'm in command will be to take him off the flight roster again.

And boy would I be right to. The suicidal bastard keeps shouting "Ramming Speed!" whenever we encounter Kilrathi ships and I'm worried he's talking about me. It's a pretty simple mission, blast our way through the Kilrathi fleet guarding the Vega border. Keeping Maniac alive is another mission altogether. I ended up just taking the shots for him. I managed to kill everything but the Snakeir but my Raptor was barely holding together by the time I land. At least I got a medal.

Charon 2:

The Tiger's Claw is almost to the border but some Kilrathi are trying to stop us. I'm paired with Maniac in a Rapier to make sure they don't stop us.

Holy Crap! Mass drivers! Those Dralthi must have been strafing the landing deck when we launched and I start the mission with no forward shields. I'm glad I kept Maniac alive, he's devastating in this mission when the Kilrathi aren't gunning for him. He took down 4 fighters, while I took down 9. Exactly enough to bring my kill total to 500.

So, my Wing Commander 1 experience ends with the Firekkans saved from the Kilrathi by our Heroic efforts. The war is swinging towards the Confederation as the Kilrathi lose ground after diverting their fleets to the Firekka system and a plucky little Bengal-class carrier kicks them around during their own holy ceremony. Christopher "Boomer" Blair has 500 kills, 6 Bronze Stars, 5 Silver Stars, 3 Gold stars and a Medal of Valour.

What could go wrong?
 
I don't know if anyone agrees, but i think this is the hardest of the WC1 games. Flying those Dralthi was really difficult, and i had to replay those missions a lot.
 
I always had trouble escorting the transports. I can remember having to replay those escort missions over and over...
 
I always had trouble escorting the transports. I can remember having to replay those escort missions over and over...

I haven't had much trouble with that. The Drakhai have an extensive missile evasion routine so you can keep them off balance with a missile while you sit behind his friends as they strafe the transports.

I agree that staying alive in the Dralthi is diificult. I've managed to do a Blair run without reloading a game yet besides that accident where I loaded instead of saved, but I found myself really jittery flying the Dralthi because the armour & shields are so weak and it's easy to get blasted from behind.

I think the biggest miracle has been keeping every wingman alive.
 
Just a reminder that everyone has the week off.

Wing Commander 2 starts next Sunday so everybody get your copies ready!
 
Hey! I won secret missions 2! Unlike some of you I don't think the Dralthi missions were the most difficult ones. I think the difficult part was to destroy all cap-ships before they jump out! I got the second medal of valor. I finished as Lt. Colonel and I was wondering if someone of you finished as a full Colonel? I've had almost 600 kills. I killed all enemy Carriers but one.

What I liked about So2 were the last missions (the withdrawal), You leave your allies because you can't fight with Kilrathi in that system any longer.. how true! The Firekka will never like terrans as before.. they know we had to withdraw but..
 
Well the Kilrathi are mighty pissed off now that the Confed Marines made a mess of their Sivar ceremony. Life's a bitch furry bastards. Shotglass has that typical Shotglass remark, we've done good, but we're still in the middle of the Kilrathi fleet. So of course our work here is far from done.

Corsair 5

Escorting Drayman, it's one thing I fear about SM2. Escorting Drayman in a Dralthi, son of a .... And the Kilrathi are mighty pissed about the ceremony. They are going to want vengeance.

I hit space and launch into autopilot. Midway between the Claw and Nav 1 I encounter a group of Gratha and a Ralari. Two things I love to kill. The guns of the Dralthi make short work of the Gratha as I'm able to outmanuever them with some ease.

Instead of using my missiles on the Ralari I choose to stick to guns. I know I'm going to need those missiles trying to keep the Drayman alive.

Krants...if you don't know my feeling about these fighters yet, well, read up. I burn directly towards the Krant closest to the Drayman hoping to throw it off its attack. I use my missiles to down 2 of the Krants rather quickly. As I do so, another one of the bastards has proceeded to stencil his name in gunfire on the side of the Drayman. I immediately target the offending fighter and unleash a maelstrom of gunfire that causes the Krant to quickly disappear. I have to dogfight with the final fighter for perhaps a minute before I manage to nail him as well.

The Drayman is a bit banged up, but I think I'll be able to get it back.

4 Salthi jump us on the way back to the Claw. I nail two on the first passes and get the other two in short order. One manages a few shots on the Drayman, but likely it was on an undamaged side. I feel for the transport pilots that POS is about to fall apart when we reach the Claw.


The most interesting conversation after this mission is Iceman's. He speaks of his daughter being rescued from a Kilrathi slave ship. He is devoted to his children...


Corsair 6

Kill everybody. That sums this mission up. A ridiculous amount of enemies for a WC1 era mission. 26 bad guys including Capships. It's going to be interesting. I'm finally back in a Confed ship in the Rapier. It feels good to have human technology at my fingertips that Dralthi was starting to get to me.

2 waves hit me at Nav 1, Salthi and Hhriss. The Salthi go down quickly and the Hhriss take a bit more finesse. I take a bit of armor damage to my port side, but nothing to worry too much about.

I run into some Gratha in between nav points. I have no problem shooting these Kilrathi down. I take pleasure in destroying Gratha.

Only to be followed at Nav 2 by Krants. There are only two of them so I make short work of them. The AB speed of the Rapier makes it much easier to deal with these bastards who always seem just a bit faster than you.

The second wave is two Jalthi. You have got to be careful around these guys. I usually go for the flank attack followed on by a direct attack at the engines. They crumple after a few passes and I auto to the next nav point.

A few Salthi and a Dorkir. I head straight for the Dorkir and unload all my gun reserves. I then AB'd away and turned towards the closest Salthi. It only takes a few passes to take out all of them and then I return to the transport. My initial attack nailed one side so I follow up my attack in the same area. After 3 passes it explodes into the void.

Nav 3 has three Jalthi and Frathli. Here's their damn carrier. I immediately take on the Jalthi and am careful to avoid head ons at all costs. I take quite a bit of damage (comms damaged, one gun gone, ejection fired) in the ensuing engagements with the Jalthi but, as always, they are all destroyed. I use my missiles on the Fralthi along with gun fire in direct attacks on the flank of the ship. After 5 or 6 passes it goes up and the famous words of Lt Cmdr Bob Dixon "Scratch one flattop, signed Bob!" comes to mind. One less Kilrathi to worry about.

I return to find the Claw under attack by some Dralthi. I have to be careful here, I'm in no condition for doing any stupid moves and getting blown away. I careful pick off the Drathli when the second wave of god damn Krants shows up. Damn it. I've got very little AB fuel left and everything that can flash alarm...is. I finally take them out and request clearance. Get me the hell out of this fighter.

Following the mission I get a transfer back to the Star Slayers and a Gold Star. Both well deserved.


Charon 1

Strategic withdrawal, that's what the brass likes to call retreat that's supposed to be seen as a victory. We are leaving the Firekkans and bugging out. We've got to clear the road for the Claw and take out Kilrathi fleet elements positioned on our path of withdrawal.

I start off with two Jalthi in a minefield. Talk about a bad start. In trying to avoid mines and laser fire, I end up finding both. Damage isn't too bad that damn ejection system is toast again. After a few moments I dispatch both fighters and continue on.

Four Gratha and two Ralari. It's like a dream coming true. I nail two Gratha quickly and the other two in short order. I use missiles and guns on the first Ralari. It goes up with little fanfare. The second I stick to guns and keep attacking the rear. It follows not long after.

The final nav has five Krants and Snakier. A fleet CV! Now here's a target. I give the order to Maniac to attack and weed my way into the fight. I end up using my missiles on the Krants to get them down quickly. Maniac and I team up on the Snakier and go to work. Luckily, I send in the killing blow and get the score.

Upon landing, I receive the Medal of Valor. Feels good to have done that much damage to the Kilrathi fleet.


Charon 2

Scramble! 14 fighters in four waves. The Claw is under heavy attack when I launch and I get to work on the Dralthi. Things develop quickly and before I know it I'm on the final wave excited to land and finish SM2. My fighter isn't too banged up the Claw, on the other hand, is a bit too red for my liking.

We've reached safety. The Firekkans have expelled the Kilrathi and SM2 is over!

I have to say SM2 is an amazing add on. It gives you every kind of mission you love from WC1, only in bigger forms. Any mission where we can take out 2 destroyers and a carrier is fine by me!
 
Outstanding! I'm looking forward to the WC2 experience from your perspective. Just watch yourself when flying those Epees later on. :eek:
 
Back
Top