Bridge Commander Part 2: Borg Cube Vs USS Century, USS Excalibur and USS Sovereign

[sharpezor]

How did they manage to make this game that many years ago? It's hands down, the best star trek game to grace humanity and an achievement in gaming, mind boggling even today.

[champion1642]

@sharpezor I have no idea, no other Star Trek game can match this one in terms of gameplay and movement, yet.... Hope Excalibur will deliver...

This was when Activision was actually a good publisher...

[champion1642]

@sharpezor But can't give all the credit to Activision, since the modding community has made this game look as good as it does today, There is a HUGE difference in the original version and the version you see on this video....

[sharpezor]

@champion1642 Yes, agreed.

[RogueKnight12866]

Hello again old friend. Now I got a new one for you. You identified one of your ships here, the USS Century as successor and replacement for the Enterprise-E. What to you happened to the Enterprise-E? And why did the Century get recommissioned as the Enterprise 1701-F?

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 I don't know if this is cannon, but in the war of the prophets DS9 Book (I haven't read it just the summary) the Enterprise E was destroyed, and Ent F was launched in 2382, the who came from the Beta Quadrant destroyed earth and the Enterprise F, Tom Paris, Geordi La Forge and Deanna Troi were on board when the Enterprise F was destroyed in 2388...

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 BUT this was a different timeline, the war of the prophets timeline.... but when the defiant was sent back to it's own timeline the Enterprise F was yet to exist, if ever...

[matzpimp]

the need to make this game for ps3

[Ozolz]

Where is this phaser sound from? Scratching a black board? HOLY SHT

[anonymuswere]

how did you keep the Plasma ring effect in the explosions? KM has most of nano's bits disabled to prevent crashes and stabilize it.

[champion1642]

@anonymuswere I'm sorry, I modded this game well over a year ago, and since have only done minor touch ups to keep it stable, but I do remember that I took the explosions from another mod and replaced mine... I have mixed and matched too many mods to keep track of which mod it was, and it also took trial and error to get it all stable.... that's where backups of the game are very useful...

[anonymuswere]

@champion1642

I do the same to keep my "play" install running. it gets worse on older computers. I have two installs, being a member of SFRD, and have less trouble with the beta testing install on a second hard drive.

[RogueKnight12866]

WHY launch a runabout or a shuttle? The captain who ordered it launched I think must've been crocked on something, probably too much Klingon Bloodwine. A runabout may be somewhat tougher than a shuttle, but it ain't a starship and it's not a fighter craft. Launching a runabout would only make sense if abandoning ship, not as an additional battle asset artificially adding another ship to shoot at the Borg. Only other reason I can think would be to launch it on remote as a diversion tactic.

[RogueKnight12866]

What's with the Runabout in this? Did you actually expect it to be an asset during the battle? Seems to be more like a sacrificial lamb, cannon fodder. Target practice for the Borg while the big boys got down to business.

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 lol, yes thats true , but I didn't bring the runabout to the fight, as you can see from the name list at the start. One of the other ships might have launched it from their shuttle bay, which is possible in this game during a battle, even the sovereign has the option to launch a shuttle, and also the captain's yacht.... which is slightly more sleek looking than normal shuttles...

[RogueKnight12866]

You showed on another video something about in advanced power controls about not raising certain settings on the individual phaser or torpedo arrays because something about damaging your weapons systems? What do you mean, overload or something? I'd think raising power would be in your best interest, especially on this video when it's the Borg you're fighting to the death with. I'd think you'd want to crank every system, every weapon as high as it will go. Am I wrong to say that?

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 increasing the overall power of the weapons systems, increases the efficiency of the weapons systems, BUT increasing the power of weapons individually, means that only specific weapons receive the extra power, and will in some cases overload that weapon I.E a torpedo launcher, or all of them if they all are powered over a certain amount, power them too much and they could be destroyed meaning all you have left is the phasers, and against the Borg they are useless on their own.

[RogueKnight12866]

I had one other thought, especial for the situation of fighting the Borg. Some system or systems should be dulled down to keep the Sovereign at peak fighting levels at or above 125%. To slow the draw on energy, if something should be powered down some but still be useable, I would reduce power to the sensor system, maybe down as far as 25% to ensure more power available to weapons and engines, as shields are already at 200%. Sensors I think could still work well even at a quarter power level.

[RogueKnight12866]

Nice idea of yours though, to run the engines up to 125% of their rating. I'd do that too with the Borg coming after me. I'd probably hit and run. Come out of a nebula, fire at the cube all weapons at 125%, then the engines set as above slam on the warp drive and run like hell back into the nebula, then set course for the nearest Starbase. But if I may ask, what does running the engines to 125% do for you exactly? Too bad you can't run everything to 200% like you can the shields. It'd be cool.

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 setting engines at 125% makes the ship move faster at impulse speed... I don't agree with you about keeping the sensors down at 25%, because sensors help to identify ships, and target the ship, if the sensors are set to 25%, then the scanning range is VERY limited, to if a ship is over 50ks away then you might not be able to target it, even though you see it... so I would leave the sensors at 125%, just in case another ship is looming just outside sensor range...

[RogueKnight12866]

I understand why now you set the phasers to fifty percent to stretch out the beam firing time, but like you said set to full they may not fire as long a blast, but each impact would be more powerful a strike. With that thought in mind, especially when it comes to dealing with a Borg cube breathing down your neck, why NOT run the phasers to full along with all systems? Battle is no time for trying to balance your energy budget by dumbing down weapons like phasers or shields or engines.

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 yes, but as far as I know when the beam, even at fifty percent, has finished firing it damages the same amount as the 100% short but powerful beams... when you are at 50% you can choose to stop firing, if you are planning to disable the enemy ship, but at 100% the phaser beam is so short, it just gives all its got, without an opportunity to stop firing phasers, and if the enemy ships health is very low, that could destroy the ship...

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 but you're right, against an enemy like the Borg I should have used the phasers at 100%, but the phasers are normally set to 50%, and I sometimes remember to make them 100%, but in the scheme of things it doesn't make much difference, since the Borg Shields are so powerful, the phasers barely damage them... only Quantums, and phased Plasma Torpedoes can take down the Borgs shields before the Sovereign/Enterprise is destroyed...

[RogueKnight12866]

So in other words, Withdraw and Repair can be a REALLY bad idea, especially when you have a fistful of hostile guns aiming to kill you. And unlike Star Trek: Legacy, fleeing at warp drive don't get you away and unlike Legacy, when you run away the enemy DOES chase you. Ouch, no wonder most less advanced players prefer playing Legacy.

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 yes, and unless someone adds a mod that covers your warp trail, then I guess they will chase you to the ends of the galaxy... the only way you can safely repair your ship is if you take your ship to a space station, the problem with doing that is that the enemy ships will follow you, and even though the station's shields will protect you, it will put the station in danger... unless you take care of your enemy ships and then go for repairs...

[RogueKnight12866]

If I may add one last question or two, I noticed you initially began with using photon torpedoes then switched torpedo load to phased-plasma torpedoes. Why did you do that? I'd thought you'd worked faster if you fired photons or used quantum torpedoes which are supposed to be the cream le cream of torpedo firepower in standard ships' stores of firepower. And what are those white torpedo things I see you fire before the phased-plasma torpedoes fire? I'd like to know soon.

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 this game is set after the events of Star Trek Nemesis, so the tech is slightly more advanced, and the Phased plasma Torpedoes are more powerful than both Photons and Quantums, where the Phased Plasmas lack is speed, make up in fire power.... and as we know the sovereign is not a standard ship... those "white things" are actually the Quantum Torpedoes... the person who made this ship got the Quantums wrong, and also fire too fast... which has been remedied since...

[RogueKnight12866]

@champion1642 Okay, I got your messages. So I see why he engaged the phased-plasma torpedoes. Too bad the transphasic ones weren't available. And one other thing, a question I had you didn't answer. He raised weapons to 125% when he used battle-offensive in the advanced power controls. But on the regular screen I see phasers are at only 50%. Seems like a contradiction of terms. Why run phasers only at half power? For a run-in with the Borg, I'd think you'd want phasers at full power or 125%.

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 The weapons are set to 125%, meaning that the torpedoes and Phaser arcs will recharge faster, and be able to keep firing at the target, the phasers are set to 50% so that the phaser beam lasts longer, and if the phasers are set to 100% then they will fire at short, but powerful bursts, I prefer phasers at 50%... plus saves power for more powerful torpedoes... plus check out the new video for the new sovereign.. it has improved Quantum Torpedoes, among other things...

[RogueKnight12866]

What's the difference in settings: Battle-Standard, Battle-Offensive, or Battle-Defensive. And what does Withdraw and Repair do? And what is the repair subsystem? And one last question, why would you have phasers at only 50% if you increased weapons to 125% ? With the Borg, I would want them at full power. Shouldn't you fight the Borg in either Battle-Standard mode or Battle-Defensive mode? I would think it would be better to strike a defensive pose over offensive.

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 there is actually no difference in the battle-standard, offensive, or defensive.. you have to set these attributes yourself depending on how well the ship will be able to distribute power to specific systems, I.E. the shields require a lot of power and if you wanted to make a ship more defensive you will ONLY increase shield power, and battle standard is a balance of all systems, basically all systems at 100%.. battle offensive on the other hand is maximum power to all systems

[RogueKnight12866]

@champion1642 Okay, I got what you're saying. One more question then I will not say any more: If you click Withdraw and Repair, what happens? I'm curious since I saw that option in the power controls.

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 apparently the Withdraw and Repair button does nothing... I think the person who made the mod didn't think that one through, because when you press it nothing happens... guess its just another template to save system settings on, so that you can load them when you need them, like battle offensive... but instead set shields to 200%, and everything else to 50%, so that the shields last longer whilst you "tactically withdraw" from the battlefield for emergency repairs...

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 the emergency repairs button fixes damaged, but fixable systems... BUT whilst repairing the ship needs all the power it can get, thus the shields have to be dropped for repairs... so you need to be in a different system from your enemies to repair your systems... (but destroyed systems can only be repaired at a space station...) however when you warp out of a system in the middle of a battle THEY WILL FOLLOW YOU... and it won't be long before the catch up..

[champion1642]

@RogueKnight12866 I normally set course for the furthest planet in the system, and go towards it at maximum impulse, and do the repairs on the way and whilst the enemies chase me...

[BlueBig22]

i would play this game... but it looks kind of confusing =(

[champion1642]

@BlueBig22 its only confusing at a glance, if have played a few PC games before, it should be easy to pick up... after you check the control settings a few time to find out which button does what....

[gmfmusic85]

I have bridge commander for the PC - all the soundtracks and voiceovers are the same as your gameplay here, but do you have to unlock certain parts of it to be able to do this? You've got better interfaces and clearly more skirmish options. All I can do is get in to 'quick battle' and set up skirmish's against any other ships that feature in the game...which is a bit crap, what with the 'Kessok' and all. No sign of anything as exciting as the borg. Have I missed something?

[champion1642]

@gmfmusic85 actually my game looks better because I have modded it using mods from the Star Trek Bridge Commander Modding Community, over at filefront.. to find the mods just type in google: bcfiles

[FleishDawg]

Borg: "You will be assimilated."

Federation: "Hahaha, my ass"

[jkeelsnc]

The borg don't seem like as much of a threat anymore.  Starfleet can defeat them (with losses). Of course, ablative armour and transphasic torpedoes help as well. :P

[champion1642]

@jkeelsnc nope, the main threat, if they returned would be Species 8472 (If I have the numbers right)

[Keybearer]

What mod is this?

[champion1642]

@Keybearer what do you mean, there are a mixture of mods installed here, and 5 of them are just for the sovereign....

[Keybearer]

@champion1642 seriously! WoW well I was thinking this was simply a single mod. hehe my mistake. :)

[WUZLE]

Ah, Century class, a.k.a. the U.S.S. Fanwank.

[champion1642]

@WUZLE The USS Century is a perfectly believable ship....

[WUZLE]

@champion1642

While the Century has the stink of "My ship is better than yours", I was actually thinking of the Excalibur class. Enormous fan-created superships like that one deserve all the disdain they get.

[champion1642]

@WUZLE Actually the Excalibur might be big, but that's about all it has going for it, and of course the slightly over powered Quantum Torpedos it has, but at the end of the day, the sovereign can take the Excalibur head on and beat it with only a few scrapes and bruises...... The Excalibur has VERY weak shields.....

[WUZLE]

@champion1642

Upon re-reading the Century class writeup over at Stogeek, I returning to my original assessment. It's a fanwank. It's a completely over the top creation -- most powerful weapons, shields, and fastest propulsion all in a neat, admittedly pretty package, If it were a character I'd be uttering the phrase "Mary Sue" about now. I'd fixated on the Excalibur because along with the Promethius (The U.S.S. Fanwank itself) it never seems to lose in Bridge commander battles.

[champion1642]

@WUZLE I personally never liked the Prometheus, but think about it, how much more powerful was the Enterprise E from Enterprise D? and the USS Century, is supposed to be the model for Enterprise F, so obviously it is going to have the strongest weapons/shields in the Federation...even if it is fan made......

[WUZLE]

@champion1642

Well, to be fair I don't like the Promethius because it started out bad. Multi-Vector Assault Mode is just silly, it invites defeat in detail as each segment of the ship would have weaker shields and weaker weapons, unless EACH part of the ship had the power reserves and shields of the conglomerate vessel. In that case it's be so expensive you might as well build three ships. Also, it appears to be ridiculously overpowered in BC, given the videos I have seen.

[WUZLE]

@champion1642

Now the problem with the Century stems from the writeup. Fastest, best shield, shield penetrating torpedoes, most powerful phasers AND it's supposed to be multi-role. It reads like a fanfic. At least the Sovereign sacrificed flexibility for its combat prowess.

[champion1642]

@WUZLE it doesn't have shield penetrating torpedoes, unless you've seen a video where someone modded it to be like that, the stock version has powerful torps yes, but you have to take into account, it is a ship from the FUTURE, obviously it will be more advanced than the sovereign, and where the sovereign sacrificed flexibility for combat, the USS Century doesn't, cos it has been improved upon, don't get me wrong, my favorite ship IS sovereign class.. that's why I use it a lot in my vids...

[JuanchoMan]

i guess resistance wasn't futile =]

[RiiNagaja]

Supreme

[jnadreth]

Nice battle:D 5 Stars*****