All new interface

Fangorodrim.zip (12 megs)


Notes:

1. hold <ctrl> to strafe.

2. Click anywhere in open space to clear description boxes.

3. Use the X key to clear all boxes.


I wrote a brief tutorial today:

Introduction:
Fangorodrim is not a top down shooter. Well, it does that but that's not what makes the game fun. This was inspired by "Sins of a Solar Empire" which gives it RTS and RPG elements as well. For example, you build structures to gain access to energy, metal, research, fleets, ship repairs, defense and more. Some structures require research before you can build them. Some abilities require research (e.g. warp drive). There are some things you can't accomplish without first building a fleet. Some technologies are found throughout the galaxy (after survey tech is researched). This is not a fast nimble shooter game.

Notes:
1. You win by colonizing all of the sectors.
2. Should take about an hour to win on medium map and normal difficulty.
3. Tested on Win XP, Vista, Win 7 systems
4. Freeware game, no strings attached

Early combat:
In the beginning of the game, your ship is weak and slow. When enemies appear, keep your structures between your ship and the enemy. Your attacks go through structures while the enemy fire is stopped.

Building strategy:
All buildings should be clustered around the gravity well.

Optimal building and research order to start the game:
1. Build research lab
2. Research power plant
3. Build 2 power plants
4. Research mining facility
5. Build 1 mining facility. Note: Mining facilities must be built in contact with the gravity well.
6. Research defense drone.
7. Build 2 defense drones on opposite sides of the planet. This is why you cluster buildings around the planet. 2 defense drones can effectively fight off enemy invasions for a long time.
8. Research bomb technology.
9. Research warp technology.

Getting to step 9 should take 5-8 minutes. This is a good time to save your game. Hit <esc> and click the Save Game button. Then click the Return button to clear the main menu and return to the game. You are now ready to warp to the next sector and establish another colony.

This is why you researched Bomb tech early. As you may have discovered the difficult, painful way, your ship can not go head to head with the pack of aliens waiting for you in the next sector. Here are a couple of strategies to establish your second colony:

1. Wait in your home sector until you have enough energy and metal to quickly build a colony and 2 drones in the next sector (boring). Nevertheless, you still have to fight a big group of baddies once you get there.

2. Test your maneuvering and endurance skills early (fun). If you survive this strategy, you will certainly gain 1 or 2 levels in experience.

Hint: once the colony is built, the large invasions stop in that sector until much later on in the game.

Conquer the Sector (with your weak and slow ship):
Fly into the sector and wait in the middle for the attack wave to arrive. Be ready to build the colony on the way in and defense drones (around the planet) if you have the resources. Take out the kamikaze alien with a bomb. He will fly right into it as he makes a bee-line to explode in your face.

Once you see where the main attack force is coming from, move to the opposite corner and open up with the cannon. If you're lucky, you may take out a Peon with this initial barrage. Right before you start taking damage fly past the group and drop a bomb. Stay in that direction for as long as possible because they will follow you and fly right into the bomb. Now you can fly circles around them, dipping in close and dropping tactical turds along the way. It is possible to take out 3 or 4 Peons with 1 bomb, but the Brutes absorb more damage. A good tactic is to have at least 1 defense drone providing support as you fly around the sector.

Expansion:
The minimum in each sector should be a colony and 2 defense drones. If you are playing the large map, research logistics until you can build at least 5 drones in each sector. The invasion forces get larger as you get more colonies.

Recommendation: Complete Shield and Survey research before you get to sector 4.

Hint: The factory repairs ships and restores shields.