# Faster than Light



## tommers (Sep 14, 2012)

http://www.ftlgame.com/

A spaceship simulation real-time roguelike-like.  Available on GoG and Steam.  £6.29 at present...

I might give it a go.  Anybody else played it?


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## tommers (Sep 15, 2012)

Hmmm... it's good.  It's like Star Trek before it all started to be about emotions.


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## golightly (Sep 15, 2012)

It does look interesting.  Do you get a big chair, warning klaxons, and the like?  Not sure I should be playing another game when I have so many RL things I need to do at the moment.


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## tommers (Sep 15, 2012)

golightly said:


> It does look interesting.  Do you get a big chair, warning klaxons, and the like?  Not sure I should be playing another game when I have so many RL things I need to do at the moment.



Your pilot does.  Lots of fires, areas decompressing, engines canna take any more cap'n.  That kind of thing.  It doesn't take long to play. I did about 40 mins last night and played about 6 games. I only got out of the first system once - but there's more ships to earn and weapons and upgrades and stuff.  It's good.


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## bi0boy (Sep 15, 2012)

I was expecting some realistic graphics like the train sims or whatever, but it doesn't seem there's even a first-person view?


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## tommers (Sep 15, 2012)

Nah. You basically see your ship and whoever you're fighting.  Then you jump to another sector when possible.  Maps are randomly generated. Goal is to get through about ten galaxies of 7 or so jumps each.

It's a rogue-like in space, basically.


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## yield (Sep 16, 2012)

Slightly cheaper to buy direct http://www.ftlgame.com/

I was dubious at first. Bought it after work and thought I'd have a quick go. Ended staying up till 4. Got to sector 4 twice.

Can't work out if it's better to spend scrap upgrading the ship? Or save the scrap for the stores?


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## agricola (Sep 16, 2012)

yield said:


> Slightly cheaper to buy direct http://www.ftlgame.com/
> 
> I was dubious at first. Bought it after work and thought I'd have a quick go. Ended staying up till 4. Got to sector 4 twice.
> 
> Can't work out if it's better to spend scrap upgrading the ship? Or save the scrap for the stores?


 
This is pretty much what I did.  So far I keep running out of crew.


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## tommers (Sep 16, 2012)

yield said:


> Slightly cheaper to buy direct http://www.ftlgame.com/
> 
> I was dubious at first. Bought it after work and thought I'd have a quick go. Ended staying up till 4. Got to sector 4 twice.
> 
> Can't work out if it's better to spend scrap upgrading the ship? Or save the scrap for the stores?



Yes. I am having the same dilemma. 
I unlocked the engi ship too. It needs a proper gun.


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## yield (Sep 16, 2012)

agricola said:


> This is pretty much what I did. So far I keep running out of crew.


It'd be ideal to have four or more crew but I keep getting boarded.


tommers said:


> Yes. I am having the same dilemma.
> I unlocked the engi ship too. It needs a proper gun.


How do you unlock the engi ship? I've been gifted a few great weapons so far.

I tried upgrading shields to two. Didn't have much power for weapons though. Was doing well until a ship missiled (i think?) my shield room.


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## tommers (Sep 17, 2012)

Get to sector 5 to unlock the engi ship. It has drones. And a really stupid gun.  Bloody engi.

I don't know how to get the other ships though.

You can buy crew at stores.  I picked up a stasis pod last night l, which looked interesting, but I couldn't do anything with it.

I should be playing torchlight II, but I just can't stop.


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## Artaxerxes (Sep 17, 2012)

Engi ship is great with a beam drone, knock out the shields and weapons with Ion, watch the Beam rip apart enemy ship, cackle.

Lack of weapons and drone recovery is annoying for all ships though, really hard to afford them from stores and rarely get given them when you need them


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## tommers (Sep 17, 2012)

Where do you get a beam drone from?  I like the sound of that...


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## golightly (Sep 17, 2012)

Just started playing this.  It's good for a few minutes when I'm bored with essays.


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## tommers (Sep 18, 2012)

I unlocked the B layout of the Engi cruiser.  It's an automated ship with 1 pilot & 3 drones.  Surprisingly difficult to use.

Has anybody unlocked any of the other ships?


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## mrs quoad (Sep 19, 2012)

DLed and played a few mins...


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## mrs quoad (Sep 19, 2012)

afaict, this involves a picture of two ships, with passably slow animation, followed by a picture of a map.

Choose to jump to a star, and see another picture of two ships (maybe) or suddenly get a magic 'THE FUCK IS BEING BOARDED OUT OF YOUR ASS' message, then die horribly.


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## yield (Sep 19, 2012)

I managed to get to sector 5 in the kestrel. I was very lucky and levelled the entire crew.

The engi ship is very different. Have to kept pausing after each ion beam shot to retarget.

Ideally I'd have two drones going at the same time but I keep getting shot up.


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## tommers (Sep 19, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> afaict, this involves a picture of two ships, with passably slow animation, followed by a picture of a map.
> 
> Choose to jump to a star, and see another picture of two ships (maybe) or suddenly get a magic 'THE FUCK IS BEING BOARDED OUT OF YOUR ASS' message, then die horribly.


 
That's a very basic summary.  But I feel you may be missing out on some of the subtler nuances.


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## tommers (Sep 19, 2012)

I think the key to the engi ship is getting some kind of other weapon.  The Ion thing is decent but it doesn't seem to affect stuff for long, and the ship attack drone is rubbish without any support.  But, get a missile working or a laser and you're in business.

Missiles seem to be the best weapon.  But then a defence drone basically makes them obsolete.


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## tommers (Sep 19, 2012)

I did a review...

http://thebaneofqueequeg.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/faster-than-light.html


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## Artaxerxes (Sep 19, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> afaict, this involves a picture of two ships, with passably slow animation, followed by a picture of a map.
> 
> Choose to jump to a star, and see another picture of two ships (maybe) or suddenly get a magic 'THE FUCK IS BEING BOARDED OUT OF YOUR ASS' message, then die horribly.


 
Fun isnt it?


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## mrs quoad (Sep 19, 2012)

tommers said:


> That's a very basic summary. But I feel you may be missing out on some of the subtler nuances.


I feel this, too.

We'll see! 10hr night shift tonight, it *may* lure me back in come 3am.


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## yield (Sep 19, 2012)

Got to sector 8 in the engi ship. standard ion beam with  three drones a defence 2, beam 1 and anti-ship 1.

With shields up to 4 I could keep wittling away at the enemy with the drones.

No chance at the big boss though. It'd cloak when I got the shields down. I needed missiles.


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## tommers (Sep 20, 2012)

yield said:


> Got to sector 8 in the engi ship. standard ion beam with three drones a defence 2, beam 1 and anti-ship 1.
> 
> With shields up to 4 I could keep wittling away at the enemy with the drones.
> 
> No chance at the big boss though. It'd cloak when I got the shields down. I needed missiles.


 
Jesus.  Well done.  I think I've only ever got as far as 6 or 7.


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## magneze (Sep 20, 2012)

What are you meant to do when you get boarders? I tried opening a load of doors to kill them but they still ate the crew.


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## tommers (Sep 20, 2012)

Try and fight them in your medbay.  You're pretty much invincible.  If you improve your doors you can lock them in and then remove the air, or it's a case of sticking some crew to fight them, and then moving them to the medbay when they get knacked.  Replace with different crew, rinse and repeat.

Or you can firebomb your own ship.


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## 8ball (Sep 20, 2012)

Hmmm.  I'm still waiting for something that lives up to Freespace 2.


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## magneze (Sep 21, 2012)

I did manage to kill some boarders eventually but I only had one crew member left and the entire ship was on fire.


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## yield (Sep 21, 2012)

8ball said:


> Hmmm. I'm still waiting for something that lives up to Freespace 2.


Did you play Eve?


magneze said:


> I did manage to kill some boarders eventually but I only had one crew member left and the entire ship was on fire.


Pause. All the time. Keep checking your crew roster on the left. Anyone with health falling fast send them to the sickbay.

Early game boarders killed me so many times.


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## magneze (Sep 21, 2012)

Yeah, that's about where I am at the moment. If I have enough missiles I can take ships down ok, but boarders get me every time. *shakes fist*


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## yield (Sep 21, 2012)

A good run depends on finding some crew in the first few sectors.


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## magneze (Sep 21, 2012)

Ah, I've been spending my cash on gadgets.


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## golightly (Sep 21, 2012)

I've frequently ended up with a completely different crew after I had them killed and replaced.


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## 8ball (Sep 21, 2012)

yield said:


> Did you play Eve?


 
No - any good?


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## yield (Sep 22, 2012)

8ball said:


> No - any good?


Really good. Sucks you in though. If I could've had sleep removed I'd be playing it still.


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## tommers (Sep 22, 2012)

I unlocked the stealth ship. Back of the net.


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## tommers (Sep 22, 2012)

It doesn't have any shields.


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## yield (Sep 23, 2012)

tommers said:


> I unlocked the stealth ship. Back of the net.


Well done. How do you unlock it? Any augmentations as standard like the engi ship?

I've not been able to get to sector 8 again. I'll have to put it down to chance rather than skill.


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## tommers (Sep 23, 2012)

yield said:


> Well done. How do you unlock it? Any augmentations as standard like the engi ship?
> 
> I've not been able to get to sector 8 again. I'll have to put it down to chance rather than skill.




There's a quest for it in the engi homeworld sector. It has a cloaking device,  long range scanner and titanium plating (which gives systems a 15% chance of resisting damage). It also has the shittiest laser and beam you can have. It's um... interesting.

I got to sector 8.  Once. Got killed by a fucking scout!  Didn't even get to fight the boss.


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## magneze (Sep 27, 2012)

Made it to sector 5 and unlocked the Engi ship. With no fuel, shields or missiles I lasted about 3 seconds.


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## tommers (Sep 27, 2012)

I am currently fighting the boss.  I killed it but it's jumped.

It'll have to wait till tomorrow.


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## tommers (Oct 6, 2012)

Beat it. On normal with the rock cruiser.  Really good game and a bargain at 6 quid.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Nov 10, 2012)

i'm finding it a bit repetative  

i normally get up to half way through sector 3   but  my hull just wears down over time and i never find any shops


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## Shippou-Sensei (Nov 16, 2012)

grrrr  real iritation just now.   my ship lost all oxygen  but  there was nothing  wrong with the unit.  i had a guy  in there  all the doors closed   but  still lost it.


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## tommers (Nov 16, 2012)

did you have a breach somewhere else?


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## Shippou-Sensei (Nov 16, 2012)

nope.   all the doors  were closed  and  i sent  a guy round  to have a look


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## tommers (Nov 16, 2012)

Not had that before then.  I've often wondered why oxygen was going down, but there's always been a reason.  was the system powered?  Silly question, but an easy thing to miss when it's all going off.


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## magneze (Nov 16, 2012)

Are you sure there wasn't a crack in the room? I find them quite easy to miss.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Nov 16, 2012)

hummm...   maybe... 

it might have powered down during a battle


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## Shippou-Sensei (Nov 16, 2012)

magneze said:


> Are you sure there wasn't a crack in the room? I find them quite easy to miss.


it was all rooms.   probably a power out.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Nov 17, 2012)

fuuuuuuuuuuck

i had  just kitted out my ship the way i wanted it.  double laser and  three layers of shilds.

got borded  by three matis   who   just tore apart my crew.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Nov 17, 2012)

i'd really love it  if  i could  just  make  one or  two tweeks to start off with

it's a bit repetitive.   with out  much reward.


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## tommers (Nov 17, 2012)

It's quite difficult, yeah.  Are you playing on easy?  have you unlocked any of the ships yet?


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## Shippou-Sensei (Nov 17, 2012)

playing on easy  and no

i've made it as far  as the 4th  sector  and  just about always  make it to the  third   but   no  new  ships


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## Shippou-Sensei (Nov 17, 2012)

just made it to the 5th and unlocked the engi


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## tommers (Nov 17, 2012)

OK.  The ships can be found in any sector that is termed a "homeworld" (i.e. zoltan homeworld).  There'll be a little quest thing you'll have to do.  The Engi ship you just get if you get to sector 4.

With the first ship you've got, you want to have at least 2 shield by the end of the second sector.  That means saving up 100 scrap (with the extra energy you'll need.)

Leave the medbay unpowered until you need it.  If you can fight boarders in a powered medbay then do it, cos you cannot lose.

When fighting enemy ships it's all about containing them.  Destroy their weapons as soon as you can.  You want to hit shields if you can't get through otherwise but you have a burst laser, which fires 3 shots and nothing has 2 shield until sector 3 (on normal, don't know about easy.)

Time your shots.  Don't fire as soon as it's available, use a laser to knock shields down and then hit em with a beam.  Stuff like that.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Nov 17, 2012)

yeah i'm doing all that. apart from shot timing  which i really should do. in fact i made it to sector 6 this time but i messed around too long in the engi sector and the ship got fucked by the rebles and although i got to the next sector i made a silly mistake dealing with the damages and my crew died.

shitshits

i wish i could reload from the begining of the engi sector my ship was badass before i fucked up by messing around


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## Shippou-Sensei (Nov 17, 2012)

i always  sell the misile firer  and  try to go all laser.   i found  the halbard beam to be a bit shite


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