Part 11: Colony Wars Vengeance Episode 2 - Sol & Gallonigher Part 2
Polaron posted:
Could you show off the cockpit views of the various fighters? I seem to recall them being pretty nice in Vengeance (and the cockpit view of the Eclipse in the first game having the wings be in the wrong places)
All the cockpits in Vengeance are the same. There are minor differences in CW1's League fighters. On that note, playing the game in cockpit view is way harder because the FOV lowers drastically and your weapon's functionalities are much more difficult to gauge. The amount of speed needed to keep pace with harder engagements (and seeing way less) is crazy and probably motion sickness inducing. That being said here's the CW1 fighters. Vampire>Dark Angel>Hydra>Chimera>Demon>Eclipse
Update 11 - The Second Colony War
Colony Wars Vengeance Episode 2 - Sol & Gallonigher Part 2
Colony Wars Vengeance - Fail Reel #1
Ok forewarning I'm dumb and this video is long because of that. I should have played through the whole game before producing Vengeance content but, well, I crammed all of Sol & Gallonigher into this because some missions were throw away, too long, or some other variety of reasons. I didn't expect some later missions to be so super easy or super bizarre about how they are handled.
ANYWAY
The Gallonigher chapter sees the nascent Navy under Kron take the fight to the League. Things can go well for them and they can have the element of surprise as they behead the League's outlying command base in Gallonigher, or they can be discovered and be nearly destroyed several times, even being pushed back into Sol. After 30 years, it's no surprise the League has some advanced hardware, multiple solar systems worth of resources, and a huge advantage in manpower. However the Navy makes its way, Gallonigher will fall to the Navy, and Kron will redirect his forces to Cronus afterward.
I've paced it properly from here on out and the rest should all be ~20 minute videos again. To make up for this silliness we can finally have some character stuff out of the manual!
ALSO, because I feel it in the spirit of Colony Wars (and because writing this post took a little while) I made up a bunch of 
describing the fleet and fighter craft in this game 
Reminder: this game's music is fucking awesomeMertens posted:
The Colony Wars were over, and the mighty Empire of my ancestors was finished.
Crushed at the hands of the tiny League of Free Worlds, it scarcely seemed possible that such a huge force, based on Earth, but governing colonies stretched right across the universe, could be defeated by a small army of rebels.
But after years of bitter struggle, the League sealed the Empire into its own solar system, Sol, and sentence the Earth, Mars, Venus, and the rest to an eternity of darkness.
Or so they thought.
Imprisoned within Sol, those who were left split into warring tribes and foraged for food, somehow managing to sustain themselves despite the misery and death around them. We are their children, and we remain here even now, hungry, angry and vengeful, acclaiming a new leader who can carry us out of the darkness. His name is Kron.
He is our inspiration and salvation and we live by his words - "The time for suffering is over. The time for vengeance is now."
Beyond Sol, the League of Free Worlds is as powerful as the Empire once was. It doesn't know that war is about to engulf the universe again. But I, Mertens, am ready to take my place in Kron's new Navy. The League imprisoned us like criminals, but together, we will make them pay. Together, we will crush them forever.
Kron - Supreme Navy Commander
All Navy pilots are reminded that they should be familiar with the background of Kron, our force's Supreme Commander. Without Kron, there would be no resistance to the League's dictatorship and no possibility of breaking their grip. Without Kron, the descendants of Earth would remain trapped within the Sol System forevermore, killing each other over time until nothing but planets and gases remained. His history remains classified, but his dedication to the cause is an inspiration to all those who believe in freedom from oppression. Who amongst us can believe there there would be any future for our people without Kron? Who can doubt that Kron offers us the chance to liberate not only ourselves, but all the peoples of the universe?
-This file remains the property of the Navy Sector for Human Resources. The pilots whose details appear below are registered with the Navy and have been granted temporary possession of this file, though it can be reclaimed at any time and without prior notice.-
Mertens - Navy Ace
Mertens was a member of underground anti-tribe groups committed to the end of civil war in Sol, charged with non-military responsibilities. He later received training in guerrilla combat from Decco Watt, organizer for the unofficial Force for Unity on Earth and was promoted to Unit Leader within the FFUoE. He successfully defended a large farm compound under attack from tribe warriors and attended Kron's first public speaking engagement on Earth, where he then signed up for the new Navy. His first sorties in space for the nascent Navy consisted of reconnaissance duties. The success of these operations led to full military accreditation being awarded and Mertens entered the Navy as a fully briefed combatant. He subsequently received training in air warfare and had the privilege of being notified of the intended warp hole opening.
At the onset of the game, Mertens is involved in the clearance of remaining tribal elements from Sol. Once the Navy enters Gallonigher, he became the spearhead for the Navy's initial raids on the League of Free Worlds and is at the front of every critical engagement.
Becks - Navy Pilot/Watchleader
Becks is a committed and valuable member of the Navy, clearly anxious to bring the Sol System civil war to a close in order to launch an attack on the League. It has been noted that her enthusiasm frequently borders on zealotry, although Kron's view is that such feelings are to be encouraged among Navy recruits. For this reason, Becks is regarded as an extremely promising pilot. A native of the Mars colony, Becks often cites the League's bombardment of the pyramid cities as her earliest memory. She also holds the League directly responsible for the murder of her parents in the civil war. They were attempting to guard a food compound from tribe raiders, and were ambushed while on night duty. Becks was fortunate to be taken into the home of passionate Navy veterans - they taught her the history of the Colony Wars and enrolled her in an underground Empire loyalist group at an early age. Her belief in Kron and the Navy remains strong.
Klein - Navy Pilot
Klein is an associate of Becks and Mertens - it has been noted that they congregate together whenever circumstance permits. Such an informal grouping is to be encouraged, particularly as Becks' political education is extremely advanced and she is able to indicate historical facts and points of analysis which may be missed by her colleagues.
Klein's traumatic childhood on Pluto was dominated by the loss of his mother and his role in caring for her prior to her death. He was forced to take a responsible position in the family as his father was frequently absent due to work commitments. To the family's credit, they were willing to relocate to Saturn in order for the father to take up employment at Pro-sec Chemical Purification, though unfortunately, the subsequent coup on Saturn in which a rouge grouping taking political control resulted in the persecution of the immigrant community. The remaining members of Klein's family were killed. The loss of a close knit family in such circumstances has left Klein with a tendency toward depression. He remains loyal to the navy and is an excellent pilot, but he has been found to experience emotional problems at times of great stress. Those who fly with him should be aware of this.
VENGEANCE FIGHTERS
Navy Craft technology is improving rapidly, although years of isolation within the Sol system have taken their toll on our hardware stocks. Only the most experienced pilots will have a full choice of craft or be able to implement maximum upgrades. These privileges must be earned in battle. Pilots will earn tokens as they complete missions successfully. These can be exchanged for craft upgrades in the hangar.
Hex - Navy Escort Fighter
The Hex is a slow, cumbersome craft inferior compared to most of the League's designs but more than a match for the outdated Earth Empire craft in use by the Sol Tribes. It can only receive minimal upgrades and has a weak, limited armament suitable only for engaging other fighters in fast-response escort missions. It is the craft assigned to rookie pilots, and in other cases, when hardware is being strictly controlled in less than favorable circumstances. The more recent Wraith model fighter is assigned to pilots who have proven their worth to the Navy. Like all Navy fighters, it can be equipped with the Leech Beam, Seismic Lance, or Grapple Gun.
Spook - Navy Gunship
The Spook sub-orbital dropship is a gunship assigned exclusively to pilots engaging in planetary operations. Functioning as a fully upgraded Wraith fighter craft, it is strong enough to handle any engagement. It is equipped with a heavy payload and a powerful plasma cannon with the options of a Leech Beam, Particle Gun, or Ion Cannon. Pilots should be aware that the Spook cannot be rolled and must maintain a specific equilibrium at all times.
League Fighter Craft have improved markedly since their war with our ancestors. However, we know next to nothing of their specifications and pilots have gotten by only on speculation. Suffice it to say that caution should be maintained around every enemy as the extent of their abilities is not known.
ARROW - League Scout Reconnaissance and Interceptor
A fast moving lightly armored fighter, likely a craft made to replace the old S-5 Vampire and S-4 Dark Angel models as the League's primary Interceptor and Scout Reconnaissance craft. As a multi-role fighter it is inferior even to the Hex but it has advantage in numbers.
SHIELD - League Escort Fighter
The SHIELD is a craft of seemingly average specification usually encountered protecting League installations or acting as a screen for battleships. Likely to be an early model of their improved Support Craft line or an abandoned interceptor concept.
BALLISTA - League Bomber
Exhibiting qualities seen in typical Bomber craft, the BALLISTA is thought to be the successor to the S-7 Chimera and is seen attacking Navy fleet craft in almost all sightings.
LANCE - League Advanced Strike Craft
A slow-moving but highly capable strike craft. It is equipped with the powerful Scatter Gun and is usually seen operating in tandem with BALLISTA and ARROW craft. The Lance is an upgraded version of the SWORD, both of which may be the evolution of the League's obsolete S-9 Hydra. It is the modern equivalent to the Earth Empire's T-5 Avalanche, as the League fields this powerful craft in all major offensives.
SWORD - League Strike Craft
Similar to the LANCE, it is also equipped with the Scatter Gun but seems slower and less maneuverable. The SWORD is not as well-used as the LANCE but remains a reliable strike craft.
HAMMER - League Support Fighter
Like the SHIELD before it, the HAMMER is considered a Support Fighter model, although it is unknown if it is either inferior or superior to the MACE craft. What we are sure of is that the HAMMER is seen actively engaging Navy forces while the MACE is seen in close proximity to League battleships.
MACE - League Heavy Support
The MACE is the League's premiere Heavy Support craft and successor to the S-11 Demon, it is a hard hitting and powerful fighter seen providing close fire support to all League battleships.