Part 91: Ariel System, Vega Sector, Mission 2 (Story)

You know I have still never played Privateer? It's been sitting on my computer since it went on sale on GoG, but I've never actually got around to running it with one thing and another and a Steam christmas sale and so on.


In general, the writers tend to like to introduce a theme and then let it simmer for a while before bringing it back up again. I'm not sure what I think of that; largely I think it's probably a symptom of how they were trying to do too much (which I keep coming back to, but it is the big problem with the storyline). As for Care-Blairing, not really - there's one pilot (I'm sure you can guess which) who reacts negatively to the "careBlair" options, though. Speaking of which, have a careBlair option:

Ariel System, Vega Sector (Mission 2)
TCS Victory

Captain Eisen hides the Victory inside a nebula in order to keep her hidden, confusing the Kilrathi into thinking she has left the system or been destroyed while launching fighters to prey on passing Kilrathi convoys. No, I don't know how this helps with our stated objective of destroying a garrison either; that seems to have been quietly forgotten. Maybe resistance was greater than expected (a fleet carrier probably counts as greater than expected, though not post-torpedoing, I would have thought), but nothing is ever mentioned of the change in objectives.

As well as exhibiting a bit of objective-ADD, this is scientifically ludicrous (though we're going to encounter an even stupider piece of astronomy in a few jumps' time). Nebulae are massive things. Even a planetary nebula like the Cat's Eye is orders of magnitude larger than a solar system; generally around a light year across. For comparison, our solar system is about 100 AU across, or around half a light-day. I guess it's theoretically possible that the Ariel system is right on the fringes of the nebula, but then it wouldn't be dense enough to hide the Victory in - it's not as if nebulae just stop suddenly. Actually, it probably wouldn't be dense enough to hide the Victory in anyway, though if we assume it has a pretty tight stealth mode anyway maybe the ionised nebula gases, sparse as they are, just provide a bit more interference.

Barracks

One might reasonably observe at this point that Vaquero appears to be sitting on Cobra's bunk. Or maybe Cobra normally sits on Vaquero's bunk to sharpen a knife. I think it might not be productive to enquire too deeply. Anyway, Vaquero's popping up to provide us with the opposite reaction to Cobra's about the Victory's current assignment. Again, this is a good idea that isn't really developed - the writers tried to jam too much into WC3, and at times (like right now) it becomes a sort of pastiche of reactions to the war. Vaquero, in any case, would rather be fighting on home turf; something which causes Blair to mistake him for a mobile home.



: Let me guess... you're an RV.
: RV, sir?
: Recon virgin. First time behind enemy lines?
: I think you always fight a little harder when you're on your own turf.

Blair's two possible answers to that could be paraphrased as space is the same everywhere and if command wants your opinion, they'll promote you to Admiral we don't get to choose where we fight.

Rec Room

As for the killboard, it had me four ahead of where I actually was; so with ten kills last mission, I needed to reload and get six kills. This took a couple of attempts, but I managed in the end (goddamn it Cobra, it took you fucking forever to kill some of those fighters, even with me knocking their shields down for you), so it's now back in line with the actual LP kill total:



Gunnery Control

Yeah, the whole manning of gunnery stations didn't last long; they're not here this time. Anyway, Hobbes ruminates on the Kilrathi fighting spirit, and is more in agreement with Cobra than Vaquero about offensive missions. The idea that Cobra thinks like a Kilrathi isn't put across particularly subtly but then I don't think it needs to be. As we'll discover later, there's a good reason for that, but it's not something she likes to talk about (it's something her commanding officer should outright know, but I think we've already established that Blair has read none of his briefing documents for the sake of drama). Cobra's story is pretty well written for all its sparsity.



: It is good, the missions we now fly. At last, we take the battle to the enemy.
: Well, a little rockin' and rollin' is good for the soul, I suppose.
: Strange, that despite the skill and courage demanded in flying, a part of the Kilrathi spirit is never entirely satisfied by interstellar combat.
: You like it up close and personal?
: We are taught how to use these claws even before we can speak or walk. This seems...savage to you? Primitive?
: Killing is killing. Hot-blooded or cold. You're one of the best pilots we've got, buddy... don't start second-guessing what you do.

I don't really like how Hamill delivers the last line; he puts more emphasis on the second part of it, which is reasonable from the perspective of a conversation between two old friends/veteran pilots, but it's not the point the storyline is trying to introduce right now, which is the first part of it.

Mission Briefing
Briefing Room

The variety in briefing shots is definitely increasing. I don't think it lasts.



: Let'm get down to business, shall we?
: I'm ready, sir.
: This is the kind of mission I take special pride in. We're going to play possum, inside the nebula here. The Kilrathi use it to screen convoys coming in and out of this system, and the longer we can stay undetected, the more damage we can do. Again, we can't let a single one of their ships escape. And I don't have to tell you the kinds of hazards you'll face trying to navigate in a nebula. Only the best flyers can make the necessary adjustments, Colonel. I have faith you'll be one of them.
: I won't disappoint, sir.

Most of the reason that Eisen doesn't have to tell us the kinds of hazards we'll face trying to navigate in a nebula is that there aren't any, other than the screen being a slightly disconcerting purple/brown colour. The official strategy guide says this makes it harder to identify cloaking ships, which may theoretically be true but it's certainly not a big effect. Overall, I think I prefer "nebula does nothing at all" to the "aaa I can't see" bullshit that Freespace 2 and Tachyon: the Fringe both pulled (it's probably more scientifically plausible too), but you do kind of wonder why Origin bothered to put a nebula in the game and talk it up only to have it do practically nothing.

Choose your own Blair!

Do you tell Vaquero that space is the same everywhere, or that he (and most of the rest of the Confed military) doesn't get to choose where to fight? Additionally, we've got the Thunderbolt and Longbow available for the next mission (what will INH do now he can't vote for the Hellcat? ), and as usual, any wingman we didn't fly with last time (so Cobra out, everyone else in).