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Total Members Voted: 10

[Hanzoku]

OK, let's get this thing started!

Welcome to the newest incarnation of a Let's Play for Infinite Space.  There's been a lot of interest in this game, so let's see if I can keep this running.

I actually went ahead and played the game based on the first Let's Play on the forum - I think it's a great game overall with a good plot and character development, and trust me - any time you look at something in the game's plot and say 'that doesn't make sense'... it will in the end.

Fun Links

One of the cooler things they did was to create a few anime shorts to advertise this game - the first is even the opening trailer if you leave the game at the main menu long enough. The rest are mildly spoiler-ific, but you have to have played the game to be able to place when they occur.

Opening Trailer

Trailer #2
Trailer #3
Trailer #4

Manual
TVTropes!

FAQ-like things

How often do you plan to update?
I plan to update once or twice a week, though I have an upcoming holiday in a few weeks where I will be on haitus.

How much reader participation will there be?
I'm happy to discuss tactics, choices, module usage, etc. in the thread. Naming (or naming scheme more) of ships will be put to vote, and users can help with plot route to follow.

What won't be voted on is what ships to use, equipment, tactics, etc. Assignment of crew also won't be a votable issue, though I'm open to reasonable questions about why person x isn't in a certain position.

What do the various font types mean?
regular font is used for dialogue and general discussion.

Italics are used when I'm adding my own commentary.

bold is used to describe scenes without dialogue.

[Hanzoku]

The glossary post will be updated as new things are encountered.

Spoiler: Version History (click to show/hide)

Hey, this might help so people know when to look for new things and where to look.

Code: [Select]

January 20 - Ships (Destroyers), People, Crew Positions
January 13 -  Ships (Cruisers, Other), People; Moved Ships to a new post.
January 7 - Ships (Cruisers, Battleships), People
December 15 - People
December 8 - Ships (Other)
December 1 - People, Ships (Battleships)
November 25 - People, Ships (Destroyers, Cruisers, Battleships), Fighters
July 8 - People, Ships (Cruisers), Crew Positions
July 3 - People, Ships (Cruisers)
June 26 - People, Crew Positions
May 6 - People, Ships (Carriers)
April 28 - People, Crew Positions
April 14 - Ships (Destroyers, Cruisers, Battleships, Carriers, Others), People, Crew Positions
April 7 - Ships (Destroyers, Other), Fighters, People, Crew Positions
March 31 - Ships (Destroyers, Cruisers, Battleships, Carriers, Other), People
March 24 - Ships (Cruisers, Battleships, Other), People, Crew Positions
March 19 - Ships (Destroyers, Cruisers, Battleships), People, Crew Positions
March 10 - People
February 17 - Crew Positions
February 3 - People, Crew Positions
January 27 - Ships (Battleships), People
January 20 - Ships (Battleships, Others), People, Crew Positions
January 13 - Ships (Cruisers, Battleships), Fighters, People, Crew Positions
January 6 - Ships (Other)
December 30 - People, Crew Positions
December 23 - Ships (Destroyers, Cruisers, Carriers), Fighters, People, Crew Positions
December 16 - Ships (Cruisers, Battleships), People
December 9 - Ships (Cruisers, Carriers), People
December 2 - Ships (Destroyers, Carriers), Fighters, People, Crew Positions
November 25 - People
November 18 - People, Crew Positions
November 11 - Ships (Cruisers, Carriers), Fighters, People, Crew Positions
November 4 - Ships (Other), People
October 28 - Ships (Destroyers, Cruisers, Battleships), People, Crew Positions
October 22 - Ships (Destroyers, Cruisers), People, Crew Positions
October 14 - Ships (Destroyers, Cruisers), People, Crew Positions
October 8 - Ships (Cruisers), People
September 30 - Ships (Destroyers), People, Crew Positions
September 23 - Ships (Destroyers, Cruisers, Battleships, Other), People, Crew Positions
September 18 - Ships (Cruisers), People
September 16 - Added Crew Positions
September 11 - Ships (Destroyers), People
September 5 - Ships (Cruisers, Destroyers, Other), People
August 13 - Ships (Other)
August 9 - Ships (Destroyers, Other), People
August 8 - Game Options
August 7 - Ships (Other), Equipment
August 2 - People
July 31 - Ships (Other), People


Database
Ships (click to visit)

Spoiler: Fighters (click to show/hide)

Multi Role

Dividi
Length: 15m, Width: 8m, Height: 6m

A multipurpose fighter employed by the Nova Nacion Forces. It is also available to civilian spacefarers as well.


EIT-1000
Length: 13m, Width: 12m, Height: 5m

A conventional Zenitonian multi-role fighter.


Intrigo
Length: 17m, Width: 18m, Height: 6m

An improved version of the Nadlo. This fighter is widely used throughout all the countries of the Galactic Federation.


Krechet
Length: 16m, Width: 13m, Height: 4m

Multi-role fighter developed by the Central Elgavan Forces. It is used for a variety of tasks, such as AS attack and sector patrol.


Nadlo
Length: 16m, Width: 10m, Height: 5m

A multi-role fighter based on technology provided to Regeinland by Nacio.

Striker

Berkut
Length: 12m, Width: 8m, Height: 3m

A conventional anti-ship striker developed by the Central Elgavan Forces and exported everywhere. It approaches the enemy fleet to carry out its swift anti-ship assault.


EA-0120
Length: 14m, Width: 11m, Height: 7m

A new and powerful striker that Zenito designed especially for use in combating the Lugovalian Empire.


Komandi
Length: 16m, Width: 15m, Height: 6m

A fighter widely employed by the Nova Nacion Forces.


Skoryi
Length: 15m, Width: 10m, Height; 3m

A remodeled version of the Berkut with improved anti-ship attack capabilities.


Zarnica
Length: 18m, Width: 11m, Height: 4m

An improved version of the Skoryi. Developed by the Interplanetary Union of Elgava, it is exported to all the nations of the SMC.

Interceptor

EOF-005
Length: 14m, Width: 14m, Height: 2m

An interceptor with a neural operating system (NOS) installed by Zenito.


Grif
Length: 12m, Width: 9m, Height: 2m

A popular interceptor that the Central Elgavan Forces export to many nations. Specializing in anti-air attack, it is used in battles against enemy fighters.


Orlan
Length: 12m, Width: 7m, Height: 2m

An improved version of the Grif, it is an excellent air superiority fighter.


Majesto
Length: 20m, Width: 16m, Height: 7m

An interceptor produced by combining the best of Nova Nacio's technologies. Its air superiority abilities are the best in the Small Magellanic Cloud.

People (click to visit)
Crew Positions (click to visit)

Equipment

Spoiler: Weapons (click to show/hide)

Maser blaster
A type of sidearm used by Nia. Seems to be considered somewhat rare judging from people's reaction to one. Masers are a popular scifi trope, and can be used as everything from weapons to teleportation to communication. In Infinite space, they generally teleport enemies to Grus and communicate intense hostility.

Plasmic blade
A plasmic blade emits a pulse that generates plasma that can easily cut through objects. It's not a a sword for the average novice adventurer.
In other words, it's something like a lightsaber but won't get the game developers in trouble over copyright issues.

Spoiler: Armor (click to show/hide)

Bodysuit
It's way better at absorbing impact then regular clothes.
I'm speculating, but the bodysuit is probably also suitable as a temporary spacesuit if the ship were to lose atmosphere. (Assuming headgear can be put on in time.)

Spoiler: Other (click to show/hide)

Epitaph
"Epitaphs. He who unravels their mysteries will have the power to change the universe."
The big McGuffin of the game, expect these things to pop up as plot-critical items often.

Help

Spoiler: Character Skills (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Special Skills (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Weapon Skills (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Module Types (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Ship Types (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Ship Skills (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Ship Building (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: AS Battle (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Spaceports (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Normal Navigation (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Planet Events (click to show/hide)

Miscellaneous

Spoiler: Game Options (click to show/hide)

AutoSave
On - Autosave on planet departure
Off-  Don't autosave
Cruise Scenes
Normal - Default flight speed between planets
Quick - faster speed between planets, but not as fast as holding down the 'fast forward' button.
Encounter Scenes
Type 1 - Does a flyby view of the enemy ships
Type 2 - Does a closeup view of the enemy ships
Launch Scenes
On - Crewmembers call out attack orders before firing
Off - Skips the crew portion and only shows the firing and striking animations.
Encount Rate
This only appears if you've beaten the game once.
Normal - as the game normally presents random encounters
Up - 2-3x as many random encounters. Good for grinding money and fame.

Overall, I leave everything except for Encounter rate on the normal settings, but I figured it would be nice to explain what the options do, as it's not discussed in the manual or very much online.

[Hanzoku]

Prologue
New Characters: Valentine, Nia
New Ships: Corsair, Daisy
New Places: Ropesk, Central Elgava
New Organizations: Central Elgavan Forces

Spoiler: Opening (click to show/hide)

A massive ship sails through space - it takes a good five seconds for the ship to pass from bow to stern across the camera before the camera pans to follow it.

??: The Ropesk sector, eh? No wonder we've hardly seen a ship worth mentioning!

??: Yes, well, it is an autonomous dominion in a remote frontier, sir.

??: Do you really think he's here, though, in a place like this?

??: Oh, he's here all right.

??: Really?

??: I can smell him.

??: Heh. If you say so, Captain.

An alarm klaxon sounds

??: An enemy?

He's supposed to remain mysterious, but if you've read the manual, you'll know that this is the infamous pirate Valentin. The real question is what the Grus is he doing in a podunk sector like this?  And who's stupid enough to take a run at him?

Valentin : Well, well. I'm surprised that anybody in this sector would pluck up the courage to challenge me!

??: It doesn't look like Ropesk security. It appears to be an anti-pirate patrol from the Central Elgavan Forces. What do you want to do, Captain?

Valentin: Those fools... They forget their place.

Spoiler: Combat Tutorial - UI (click to show/hide)

Combat tutorial time!  The game offers one, but I'll be usurping it to show off the UI instead.  It's Valentin's flagship, the Corsair, against an enemy fleet of a battleship, two cruisers and two destroyers. Those poor bastards won't know what hit them.

Combat in Infinite Space is a bit rock-paper-scissors oriented in space, and even more so on the ground. (More on that later.)  But before I talk about combat more, let's go over the UI.

1 - This is the distance indicator. The green pentagon on the left is your ship, the yellow on the right is the enemy ship. Though faint, there's a green line behind that ship - this line represents the maximum firing distance of your weapons. If the enemy is to the right of that line, none of your weapons have the range to hit the enemy ship.

2 - This is the enemy ship in the distance. The colored outline around the ship indicates its energy levels.

3 - Speaking of energy levels, this bar here represents your own energy levels. Green is low, yellow is medium, and red is full. Different actions require different amounts of the energy bar, but we'll discuss those when we get to the actions in 9-11.

4 - This is your ship. They vary in size from a few hundred meters to 14-odd kilometers long. The Corsair falls in the later class.

5 - These are your indicators for your weapon systems. Blue means you're in range, red means that you're not in range.  If you fired now, half of your weapons would automatically miss due to not being in range.

6 - These are the information panels for your ships. H is the hull strength, the little figure below that indicates how the crew is doing - if the bar is dropping, your crew is dying and you'll be less effective in boarding actions.  HP is the ship's hitpoints. If these run out, it's going to explode.  The final option, CA is the number of small craft (fighters) the ship has available. Valentin is too cool for fighters, so there are none.

7 - These are the panels for the enemy ships. You can click on them to change your target.  The little icons give you an idea of what you're facing by hull class at least. BB - Battleship. CG - Cruiser. DD - Destroyer.

8 - This arrows indicate the ship's location in the formation. You receive a penalty to accuracy if you try to shoot past ships and attack the ones in the back first.  The <| is the forward rank, the <  is... well, in the middle, and the <| is hiding in the back.

9 - Now we get to the fun stuff! As I said earlier, combat is a bit rock-paper-scissors based. Assuming you're in range, barrage beats normal, normal beats dodge, and dodge beats barrage.  Barrage consumes three energy to fire three attacks from each of your weapons. This is 1.5x more effective than a normal attack, unless the enemy happens to dodge it. 

You want to fire a barrage right after the enemy attacks. If you watch the enemy closely while your ship is charging, you might see them go from green to yellow energy, then straight back to green. This is a sure sign that they noticed you were about to hit full energy and started dodging. In that case, it's best to fire a normal attack instead.

10 - Normal is your regular attack. One shot from each of your weapons for 2 energy. It has an increased chance to hit against an enemy who is dodging.

11 - Dodge costs only one energy, and is not offensive. Instead, your ships try to get out of the way of barrage fire. If the enemy ships reach full energy, there's a good chance they might be going for a barrage attack. If you dodge a barrage attack, no damage is received.

12 - These allow you to adjust your position on the battlefield. There's no up or down, only closer and further away. Some enemies will try to close with you because they have powerful shortrange weapons, and others will run because you're coming at them with a big-ass battleship. Adjust your range accordingly.

13 - These control who you are looking at - your own ship or the ship of your soon-to-be victim.

Spoiler: First Strike (click to show/hide)

That was a bit of a mouthful. Now, as you might have noticed, the Corsair has 12,000 HP, and the enemy attacks (when they can even land) hit for 30-50. except for leaving the game running for a couple of hours, there's no way you can lose this fight. In fact, waiting long enough to build up a barrage wiped out everything but the battleship in one volley for me.  It ineffectually flailed at me with a barrage for minimal damage, and then I hit it with a normal shot and it joined its companions in the void's cold embrace.

After the curb-stomp battle ends...

??: That's the end of them.

Valentin: Bah. That barely even broke up my boredom. Think I'll lie low for a while. It shouldn't be long before we get a hit.

??: Aye, Captain!  Shutting down the inflaton inverter. Switching to inertial navigation in thirty seconds.

However, Valentin beating up on some hapless police isn't the only thing going on in this region... Elsewhere, a much smaller ship is being chased.

??: Unidentified vessel! Stop right there!

??: This is Ropesk Territory! No one is allowed passage without express permission!

??: Halt immediately, or we will open fire!

They open fire on the ship as it evades to the right

??: We repeat! Halt immediately, or we will open fire!
You already did, jackass.

The ship being chased heads for the planet, being shot at all the way

Unlike Valentin, they don't try to conceal who Nia is.

Nia: Seems to me you already opened fire!  Nobody likes a guy who's too eager to pull the trigger, you know what I mean?

Nia is awesome. :heart:

The ship shakes with an explosion
Nia: What the... ?!

Her ship weaves back and forth, evading more shots

Nia: Damn you!  So you want to die that bad, do you? Fine, then, have it your way!

Nia: I'll gladly knock you into Grus! Turn the Daisy around! Switch to AS mode!

Operator Voice: Anti-ship mode. Roger. Halting I3 warp engines. Switching over to battle engines.

Spoiler: Round 2.... Fight! (click to show/hide)

And now for the second tutorial battle. The Daisy isn't nearly as badass as the Corsair, as you can see by the difference in the HP totals. However, the enemy ship is even worse. Overall, this still turns into a curbstomp battle, but it'll be quite a long time before we have a ride anywhere as sweet as the Corsair.

I closed into attack range for the Daisy's weapons, and the enemy obligingly fires a normal volley, doing about 20 damage. I barrage fire in return and get 4 critical hits out of 6 attacks, resulting in a the ship breaking up.

One nice touch is that the upper screen is displayed on a monitor on the bridge. Your characters get to watch along with you!

Nia: Phew. Looks like what they need now is a scrap collector.

The ship shakes with another explosion.

Nia: What the... ?!

Through the power of cutscene mechanics, the security forces manage to land a serious shot on the Daisy!

Streaming fire, the Daisy is forced to crash on the world below.

Nia: Agh! This is not good!

Fade to black...

[Stworca]

I didn't expect the characters to be so... Cartoony?

[Hanzoku]

Well, it is a very anime-eque game, with the full gamut of tropes and design choices that come with that.  Overall,  I'm fairly OK with how the characters look - they're solidly designed and not part of the super-deformed crowd.  I prefer the art over that of Dragon Quest IX for example.

[Jarod Cain]

PTW Looking good so far.
-J-

[Hanzoku]

First Steps
New Characters:  Yuri
New Ships:
New Places:
New Organizations: Ropesk Security Patrol

Spoiler: Planetfall! (click to show/hide)

This is Ropesk, my home.

Space travel is banned on this planet. Its ruler, Demid Panfilov, has ordered that no one venture out into space. But still--

I don't want to be stuck here on this planet's surface anymore.  I want to explore the sea of stars, just like my father did. The stars in the sky have always called out to me, for as long as I can remember.  It was just recently that I first heard about launchers -- they act as guids for people like me, and take them out into the sea of stars.

I was desperate, and I didn't have any other options anyway. I managed to contact a launcher, and then spent every night searching the skies for them. A week went by, and then two.  Even as I started to lose hope, I still climbed that hill every night to watch for any sign of my launcher.

And one night, with a sudden, bright light that slashed across the horizon...[

Not how you were expecting your launcher to arrive, I bet. Crashing into your planet tends to raise questions of competence.

My guide to the stars fell from the sky.

A cube flies into the distance and explodes into the title of the game.

I guess this means we're finally going to get to the meat of the game! That cube is going to come up plenty as well.

Branches rustle and leaves crunch underfoot as someone runs

Boy: It should be somewhere around here...

Boy: (gasps)

Nia: Hoo boy! I really made a mess of it this time.  Now what do I do?

leaves rustle

Nia: Huh?

Way not to look like a psychopath, Yuri.

Boy: ...

Nia: What the Grus are you lookin' at?! Get lost, kid! I don't have time for games.

Boy: Uh... You're the launcher, aren't you?

Nia: Huh? Oh. Yeah. Don't tell me you're my client!

Boy: That's right. I'm Yuri. I'm the one who contracted you. But I never thought a real launcher would ever actually come for me.

Nia: Well, Grus. I'll go anywhere, if the price is right. Why wouldn't I?  But you know... I wouldn't think a kid like you could afford my services.  Do you even have the money?

Yuri: Sure. Here. 1,000 G. You can count it if you want. It's all there.

Some beepingI think he hands over a credit chip instead of a wad of cash.

Nia: Well, I'll be! 1,000 G. It really is all here! This must've been hard to come by.

Yuri: I've been working in an engine repair shop. So now you have the money. Can we go now?

Nia: I'd like to tell you we're all set, believe me.

Nia: But, as you can plainly see, I've got one tiny little problem to take care of.

You can see what Yuri gets to wear. It looks like the people of Ropesk are cripplingly poor.

Yuri: Oh, yeah.

Nia: I'll have you know, this isn't a reflection of my piloting skills! I had a little, let's say, "unforeseen trouble"...

Yuri: Okay. But, you know, it doesn't look too bad. I bet I could do something with it.

Nia: Huh?

Yuri: You got some tools I can borrow?

Nia: Yeah, sure.
The screen fades to black and fades in. It is now morning, the campfire has gone out and the sun is peaking over the trees in the distance

Yuri: There. That ought to do it for now. That should give you at least the bare minimum of power.

Nia: Hey, kiddo, you're not half bad. Where'd you learn all that stuff?

Yuri: I told you. I've been working in a repair shop. I've been studying, getting prepared so that I could go up into space.

Nia: Well, what do you know? This whole thing isn't just a childish whim with you, is it?  Okay, fine. Let's shake on it, then. The name's Nia. Nia Lochlain.

Yuri: I'm Yuri. It's nice to meet you.

Nia: All right, then! Come on. Let's get out of here before the Ropesk Security Patrol busts us. Don't you have anybody you want to say good-bye to first? You got any family?

Yuri: No. My family's all dead. I don't have anyone.

Nia: Oh... Well, let's go then! Into the sea of stars!

Yuri: Yeah! Into the sea of stars!

Nia: All systems go. Power output: 30... 40... 50!

Operator Voice: Thrusters up. Attitude control, angle of elevation, 37. Escape-mode speed, 17,000.

The Daisy flies off, quickly ascending into the sky as the screen fades to black

??: The subject's sphere of awareness is expanding rapidly. Synchronizing imaging progression... Initializing Tracker. Calculating coordinates for initial appearance. Starting metamorphosis of existence probability.

The screen fades to white as the girl watches the ship fly into the sky.

Yuri: Unh...

Nia: You finally awake?

Yuri: What? I...

Nia: you were out cold. Well, we blasted out of the atmosphere pretty fast, so I guess I can't blame you.

Yuri: ...
I think he's embarrassed.

Nia: Hey, check it out. There's your sea of stars for you.

Yuri: So this is... space.

Nia: Yup. Ridiculously huge, isn't it? Starting today, this is your turf. The world of the zero-G dogs.

Yuri: Zero-G dogs?

Nia: That's what they call people who give up their lives on land for ruthless space, where might makes right. And starting today, you're one of them!

Yuri: ...

Nia: So, are you scared yet?

Our first choice! What you pick can grant bonuses or open up different routes. I'll generally show off both options, with the one I pick in bold.


>> Yeah.
Yuri: If I said I wasn't scared, I'd be lying.

Nia: Heh heh.  That's normal, kid. Space can be a pretty freaky place. You're scared because you're not stupid. Don't let yourself get too relaxed, you got that?

Yuri: Okay...
Yuri's Ship Management experience increased by 20!

>>I don't know.
Yuri: I guess I don't really know yet.

Nia: Whatever you say, kid. But you know, space can be a pretty freaky place. The sooner you get that through your head, the better.

Yuri: Okay...


Nia: So, where to now? You said you wanted to go to Central Elgava, didn't you?

Yuri: That's right.  Elgava's so big. I heard the planets in Central Elgava are really flourishing, way more than Ropesk could ever dream of.

Nia: So you wanna go there, make a little money and buy your own ship, is that right?

Yuri: I would like that.

Nia: Okay, I got ya. But we need to stop at a spaceport first. Central Elgava is too far to go in a wounded ship. We've got to get ourselves fixed up, nice and pretty. You pick which spaceport we go to. You're the boss, so we'll go wherever you say.

And with that, we're finally starting to gain control of the game!

[Hanzoku]

Navigating the Sea of Stars
New Characters:
New Ships:  Boiky RB (M)
New Places:
New Organizations:
New Equipment: Maser blaster, plasmic blade, bodysuit, Epitaph

Spoiler: Tutorial: Navigation! (click to show/hide)

We finally have control of our destiny. As Nia says, we can choose where we want to go, and all the wonders of the sea of stars are available to us. *cough* Not really.

Before we go flying off through that voidgate, let's take a look at our navigation controls - the game's overworld as it were.

1 - The name of the currently selected planet
2 - Services provided by the planet. From left to right these are: docking, CTA access, shipyard available, bar, ship modification and special.

Docking - if you can't dock (planet has no dock, or is otherwise uninhabitable), then none of the others will be active.
CTA - The CTA where available allows you to <fill in>
Shipyard - A shipyard allows you to purchase new ships.
Bar - Bars are where you talk to crewmembers and other people, picking up valuable information and occasional sidequests.
Ship modification: Once you have a new ship, you can also alter the layout of the ship, buy new weapons and adjust its loadout.
Special - This generally comes up when a planet has a quest associated with it and some sort of location on the surface you will need to visit.

3 - The nation the planet belongs to. This becomes important later when we move into international politics.
4 - The population of the planet. This is all for show - it will never change and has no effect on anything.
5 - Once you've selected a route, the distance indicates how far you will be flying. As you fly, fatigue begines to accumulate with your time away from port. If the fatigue gets too bad and you get into a fight, your effectiveness will be severely (and perhaps fatally) affected.
6 - The section name. In this case, the Ropesk sector of Elgava.
7 - Each sector is divided into multiple layers (called Areas) to simulate a 3D space.  Ropesk sector has three areas.
8 - The planet you're currently orbiting is selected in green.
9 - planets you can travel to are selected in blue, while ones you can't reach are shown in grey.
10 - The blue line indicates you can take this route from your current location. The grey line leading down from Bagut indicates that you can't take that route directly. If you make Bagut one step of your travels, that route will become active and the leading down from Ropesk will become gray.
11 - Back allows you to cancel a planned route, the area up and down buttons allow you to see different areas, and OK starts you traveling.

You know, it's been fun here and all, but I think Nia is wrong and we can get to Central Elgava just fine.  I plot a course down from Ropesk to the planet Hapsal, and from there to the Void Gate leading out of this sector.

Once you start traveling, the screen changes to the travel screen.

1 - The distance left to cover to the destination.
2 - A progress bar of how close you are to your destination.
3 - The sector you're located in.
4 - Your fatigue meter. The higher it is, the less effective your ships become in a fight.
5 - How many credits you have. Credits are the currency, as can be expected, and are used for purchasing ships, modules and equipment.
6 - Your fame. Later in the game you'll be able to compete with other Zero-G Dogs to determine who is the most  famous of them all. Certain steps along the way will award blueprints for modules or even whole ships.
7 -
8 - Changes the camera view of the upper screen
9 - Fastforwards during the travel process when held down.
10 - Breaks off travel if you entered the wrong destnation, allowing you to chart a new course.

Along the way, we run into a scripted battle with two small warships.

1 - The upper screen shows various views of the approaching warships.
2 - The name of the enemy commander. This is generally something generic - in this case, I think they're survivors of the group Nia tangled with earlier.
3 - The ship types and classes you'll be fighting. Each side can have up to five ships, though it'll be a while before we have that many.
4 - If you don't feel like fighting, you can escape...
5 - Unless this option appears. As stated, you're not allowed to run from this fight. It's generally used for scripted battles.
6 - And of course, the dwarf-y option to kill all your enemies and make decorative items from their bones. We'll be hitting this one a lot.

Boiky RBs are the same type that Nia blew up just a little while earlier. They aren't any stronger now, and these two explode in satisfying fashion.  Once you win, this screen comes up:

1- Sometimes enemy ships will try to flee. In which case, you'll miss out on killing them. This list shows what ships you did manage to kill from the enemy group.
2 - You earn three things from combat: fame, experience and credits (G). Fame is offered in the badly-named FAP... fame points, I'm guessing. The more you kill, the more infamous you become!
3 - Experience, which causes your crew members to level up and become better at what they do.
4 - Credits (or gil?), which lets you buy newer, shinier toys.
5 - You eventually can have a pretty large crew, so you can have multiple pages of people leveling up.
6 - Done looking, time to find someone else to murder.

Nia: Damn. Those Ropesk security gnats just never giev up, do they?

Yuri: The feudal lord of Ropesk, Demid Panfilov, put a ban on space travel. He's basically keeping his people prisoner on their own planet. I guess that's why he can't afford to look the other way when even one of them makes it out into space.

Nia: Hm. That sounds kinda like the teachings of Adis, if you ask me.

Once you reach the Void Gate

Gate Guards: Attention. This is the Ropesk Void Gate Guard.  No ships shall pass without the express permission of Lord Panfilov.  Turn around and leave the area at once.

Yuri: (I guess I have to turn back.)
Despite you having already flouted Panfilov's will... and being more then able to bust through those jokers.

This is the purpose of the Void Gates - For the most part theyh divide the game into zones with their own plotlines and quest. Once the storyline is progressed enough, you'll generally move on to a new zone or set of zones entirely.

With no ability to break the plot, we head for Bagut, because Nia would like to have a beer by now.

We're treated to a small cinematic as we perform our first docking.

Nia: This is NM0097-NIA. Requesting permission to enter the spaceport.

Controller: This is Spaceport Controller E307. Nationality code received from applicant for entrance.  Coordinates, right ascension 79 degrees, declination 156 degrees, confirmed.  Opening frequence code F3. Continue at current speed. Please proceed past the outer marker.

Nia: NM0097-NIA, passing the outer marker.

Controller: Clearance of outer marker confirmed. Guide beacon to Slip 155 standing by.

After the ship has finished docking

Nia: Phew. Well, here we are.

Yuri: Wow. I didn't know that spaceports were so big!

Nia: Ha ha! There are plenty of spaceports out there that are a lot bigger then this, and better equipped!

Once you arrive in a spaceport, their automatic maintenance system checks out your ship and fixes it for you. So if you ever take on damage, you've got to get your ship to a spaceport, pronto. Spaceports give your crew a chance to rest up, too.

Yuri: That sounds helpful.

Nia: I'll say. Now, it's time for me to grab a drink. Later.
Told you she wanted a beer.

Yuri: Oh. All right.

Waving cheerfully, Nia Lochlain walks away towards the orbital elevator.

At this point, I could show you the planet menu, but I'll wait until just a little later when we reach a more fully equipped planet so I can show off everything at once

With little else to do, Yuri follows Nia down to the planet's surface and finds the Tavern that caters to Zero-G Dogs.

Spoiler: Bars! Drinking! Brawling! (click to show/hide)

Taverns generally give you three options - talking to the bartender, who will have some gossip about the area and maybe some missions to do, talking to crew and talking to random locals.

>>Talk to the old woman.

Old Woman: Lord Panfilov has devoted his life to building this sector up into something great. And it's all in an effort to turn this Dominion of Ropesk into the ideal nation!
Looks like the old woman has bought into the brainwashing.

>> Talk to the bartender.
>>> Get Information.
Bartender: To get to the only gate that leads to Central Elgava from here, you have to go to the planet Hapsal first. And even after you're through the gate, you still wo't be in Central Elgava yet.  You have to go through the Lutsk Sector first, on the other side of the gate, and then you'll finally be in the Central Elgavan Sector.
Why yes, we are in the ass-end of nowhere, how did you guess?

>>>Ask about a job.
Bartender: Looking for work, eh? Adkin Transport lays claim to all the jobs around here. So I'm afraid I don't have a single job for you. Sorry.

>>Talk to Nia Lochlain.


Nia: Come to think of it, you never told me why you wanted to give space travel a try. So you wanna tell me? or is it a secret?

Yuri: I don't mind telling you, but do you promise you won't laugh?

Nia: Cross my heart! Go ahead and bare your soul.

Yuri: Okay. Well, you see... I want to figure out what it's all about.

I said that cube would pop up again!

Nia: Huh?

Yuri: My father left it to me when he died. He was an adventurer.

Nia: But this is...

Yuri: ...

>>Nia: ... You gotta be kidding me. An Epitaph?!

(murmuring) At Nia Lochlain's words, a stir runs through the gathering of tavern patrons. Realizing her mistake, Nia hastily lowers her voice and continues.

Nia: Why the Grus would I laugh about this?! This is quite a treasure! "Epitaphs. He who unravels their mysteries will have the power to change the universe."

Yuri: Yeah, my father told me that old saying, too. I want to find out for myself if, you know... if it's true.

??: Hey!

Yuri: ?

Yuri and Nia suddenly find themselves surrounded by a band of rough-looking characters

? ? ?:  I ain't got no idea what that thing is, but if you say it's an "incredible treasure," that's good enough for me.  What Torlo Adkin wants, Torlo Adkin gets! Now, hand it over.

Yuri: (Uh oh! Now what?!)
>>Go to Grus!

Yuri: Go to Grus!

Realizing he has to make the first move, Yuri starts pummeling the one who appears to be the leader of the gang.

Torlo: Aagh! Kachko!

Kachko: Hey!

>>Now, hold on a second.
Yuri: Now, just hold on a second. What do you--?

Kachko: None of that chit-chat!

Torlo: That's right, Kachko! Hold him for me!

Yuri: Huh?!


The screen shakes as Yuri fights the thugs
Yuri: Grr! You son of a --!

Kachko: Damn. This guy is pretty tough!

Torlo: Hey, hold him down guys! C'mon!

Nia: Ha ha ha! Get 'em, kiddo!
You could, you know, help a little. As it is, Yuri is about to get a knife shoved through his eye.

Nia: Hang in there!

Torlo: C'mon! Just give up and hand over that Epitaph, nice and easy!

Yuri: Hnh! Go to Grus! (struggling)

>>: Nia: Hm. Maybe the kid is a little bit outnumbered.
You think?

Nia: Here, lemme give you a hand with that.

The screen flashes white with the sound of energy discharge.

Nia's been drinking and just fired an energy weapon with enough punch to whiteout your vision right next to your head. Yes, she is crazy.

Yuri: ...

Torlo: N-No way!

Yuri: Was that a... maser blaster?!

>> Now this time I'm gonna aim for somebody's head!

Torlo: N-No way... No friggin' way!

Nia fires again, but doesn't seem out to murder just yet.

Torlo: Yikes!

Kachko: Aaaaagh!

The sound of feet retreating

Nia: Ha ha ha! Buh-bye! See ya later!

Yuri: Ow... Are you crazy? You can't go firing off a maser blaster in here!

Nia: What, that? Just your typical night out on the town.  Ooo, ouch. They got you pretty good, huh?

Yuri: Yeah, well, I was outnumbered. And they had knives, too.

Nia: Okay, that does it. I think I'd better give you a little present now.

Yuri: A present?

Nia: That's right! It's one of my old ones, but it fits you perfectly!

[

What the... that doesn't even make sense. How the--

Nia: I was a late bloomer.

Yuri: A bodysuit?

>Nia: That's right. It's way better at absorbing impact then regular clothes. And I threw in a plasmic blade for you, too.

Yuri: A plasmic blade?

A plasmic blade emits a pulse that generates plasma that can easily cut through objects. It's not a a sword for the average novice adventurer.

Nia: Let's just say I like to go that extra mile for my clients.

Yuri: WoW! Thanks!

You got a bodysuit and a plasmic blade! Yuri's Combat skill increased by 5!
As an aside, if you try to talk your way out of it instead of coming out swinging, you don't get the combat increase.

You end up outside the tavern. Let's go back in and visit our 'friends'. I believe plasma-emitting katanas beat knives.

Torlo: You again! I've been waiting for ya!

As soon as they enter the tavern, Nia Lochlain and Yuri are once again surrounded by the gang of ruffians.

Yuri: What do you want now? You're not getting the Epitaph, so don't even try it.

Torlo: Shut yer mouth! if I had that Epitaph, I could be livin' high on the hog for quite some time, wouldn't ya say? Now hand it over! And I ain't takin' no for an answer this time!

Yuri: You just aren't going to go away quietly, are you?

Dude, he has a sword. Back down already.

Yuri: But I'm warning you. It's not going to go quite the way it did last time.

Correction, he has a sword spraying plasma every which way. I don't think he has to know what he's doing, if he hits you you're going to be lit on fire.

Kachko: Hey! That thing's --

Torlo: A plasmic blade?!

Yuri: Well? Come on. Let's do this.

Torlo: Yikes! Hey, h-hold on!  Okay, okay! I give! I won't ever raise a hand against ya again.

Yuri: ...
I think he's disappointed. He probably wanted to see how much damage he could do with that thing.

Torlo: So... I hear you're headin' over to Central Elgava. Lemme give you a little tip.

Yuri: Yeah? What's that?

Torlo: You're gonna run into a security force hired by Demid Panfilov. He's got 'em stationed all around the void gate that leads to Central Elgava. So unless ya do something about 'em, you prolly won't be getting anywhere near Central Elgava.

Yuri: Something? Like what do you mean?

Torlo: Well, I hear when they get off their shifts, they like to get together for drinks at the tavern on Hapsal. And they say that's the best place to have a "chat" with 'em, if you know what I mean.

Yuri: That's a good tip. I'll keep it in mind.

Torlo: S-So, are we good?

Yuri: Yeah, sure. We're good. As long as you don't try to jump me again.

Torlo: Ha ha ha! Of course I won't! And now I owe you. Well, see ya later!

With a friendly wave, Torlo Adkin and his gang leave.

Yuri: (Well, that was a complete about-face.)
You can say that again.

Now that you've dealt with Torlo, some new chat options appear in the tavern.

>> Talk to the bartender.
>>> Get information.
Bartender: There are always all kinds of transport ships flying to Ropesk, bringing in lots of luxury items for Lord Panfilov.

Nia: You don't say.

Bartender: I bet those ships carry riches beyond the imagination of us ordinary folk.

Nia: Those ships, do they use the starlanes around here?

Bartender: Huh? Oh, yeah. I think they use the starlanes around Bagut, too.

Nia: Heh heh. Very interesting. Thanks.

Yuri: Huh?

You got some starlane information! A new starlane has been added to the Destination screen!

>> Talk to Nia Lochlain.

Nia: Well, kiddo, I guess you knew all along exactly where you belonged, eh?

Yuri: What do you mean?

Nia: What I mean is, you've never even been off your home planet. But the minute you get up into space, you take to it like a fish takes to water. It's like, all along, somehow you knew you belonged up here. It's pretty weird, don't ya think?

Yuri: ...

That's it for this planet. Our next stop is Hapsal, but before we head that way, we have a short sidetrip to make.

[Parsely]

This looks neat. Watching, and in a few hours, playing along with you.

[Hanzoku]

Piracy and 3D Printing
New Characters:  Demid Panfilov, Kira, Radimir
New Ships:  Boiky RA (M), Otlichny (DD), Perekop (DD)
New Places: Toropets
New Organizations:
New Equipment:

Spoiler: Yo ho ho, this is the life for me! (click to show/hide)

When we last left off, we had learned from the bartender that Demid Panfilov regularly ships in luxuries for himself on Ropesk. Doing so opens up the question-mark area nearby, where we can try to find one of these transports.

In the distance, we can see one of the transports - we're in luck!

Yuri:What's that?

Nia: That's one of those transport ships the bartender was talking about.

Yuri: Oh, yeah. Carrying all kinds of luxury goods to Panfilov.

Nia: Private property of the feudal lord, right? So it won't hurt anybody if we just help ourselves to it, will it?

Yuri: What do you mean, help ourselves? You mean steal the cargo? that would make us pirates!
Yuri, you're a zero-g dog. Of course you're a pirate.

Nia: That's right. So what's the harm in taking a little treasure from an evil feudal lord anyway?

Yuri: Well...

Nia:  C'mon, Yuri! Quit draggin' your feet, or it's gonna get away!

Yuri: All right, fine!

You're thrown into combat straight away. Unlike warships, transports will make a run for it. Unfortunately, the Daisy is simply too slow, and we get to watch the transport's engines as it runs away.

Nia: See?! I told ya they'd get away if ya didn't step up your game!

Yuri:S-Sorry. But there'll be more transport ships passing by here later, I'm sure. There always are. Don't worry.

Nia: Tsk. I was really lookin' forward to beltin' down some cold ones today.

From the unknown area, we make our way to Hapsal to have a 'talk' with some gate guards. Along the way, Nia strikes up a conversation.

Nia: That's funny.

Yuri: What is?

Nia: There's a really powerful IP communication broadcasting throughout the Ropesk sector.

Yuri: Huh?

Nia: Here. It's quicker if I just show you. Look at the monitor.

We get our first look at Demid, and he's an ugly one.

??: ... reading this, Yuri? If you're watching this broadcast, I demand that you return to Ropesk immediately.

Yuri: Hey!

Nia: Who's the cue ball?

Yuri: That's Demid Panfilov! The feudal lord of Ropesk!

Nia: You mean to tell me this whole broadcast is just for you?!

Yuri: ...

On the screen, Demid Panfilov continues.

Panfilov: Yuri, because you chose to break the law, an important loved one of yours is now suffering the consequences.

Yuri: Loved one?
I'll echo that. What?

??: Yuri! Yuri!

Yuri: Huh? Kira!

Nia: Kira? You know that girl?

Yuri: Yes. She's my... She's my...
Yuri flashes back to the girl watching on the field as the ship flies away.

Yuri: She's my little sister!
What? you said you didn't have any family-

Nia: What? You've got a sister?

Yuri: Yeah. She's the only family I've got.
Unexplained mystery #1

Yuri: I can't believe this! They've got her, and it's all my fault!

Nia: ...
You and me both.

Demid Panfilov's voice continues to boom from the monitor's speakers.

Panfilov: And so now you can see the situation. If you see this broadcast, Yuri, I'm sure you'll understand what you have to do. I'd hate to see a young man with such a promising future turn into anything as lawless and as desperate as a zero-G dog. Obey the law, return to Ropesk and devote yourself to the betterment of your planet, as is your duty.

Yuri: Damn him! How dare he pretend to be a benevolent ruler, when he's holding my sister hostage?!

Nia: So, uh, what are you gonna do? It's up to you, ya know. I can take you back to Ropesk...

Yuri: No way! I'm not gonna give in to his dirty tactics! Isn't there some way I can fight him?

Nia: Fight him, eh? Well, we won't get very far against his military might with just this one ship, I promise you that. And I don't fight a battle unless I know I can win it.

Yuri: ...

Nia: ...

Yuri: Oh , Kira... What am I going to do?

Nia: ... (sighs) Well, as long as you understand what we'd be in for, there might just be a way.

Yuri: Really?!

Nia: But you have to be prepared to do anything. Do you understand? Come and talk to me when or if you think you're ready.

Yuri: All right.

Spoiler: Shady dealings! Courier service! Nia has a plan! (click to show/hide)

After that sobering interlude, we reach the planet of Haspal. Like Bagut, there's nothing to do except hit the bar, so we'll go do that.

As soon as we step inside, we're met with this guy.

Chances that he'll reoccur: high.

? ? ?: Welcome, welcome! I'm the owner of this establishment. The name's Radimir.

Radimir: Relax, and please enjoy your time here!


>> Talk to the gate guard.

Gate Guard: What? So you want us to let you through the void gate, do you? I don't know about that... I mean, our jobs are on the line, you know. But, you know... if you were to give us a little something, like a bribe... Well, we just might consider it.

>>> Give him 100 G.

Gate Guard: Hold on just one minute! That's out-and-out bribery, that's what this is! We're clean as a whistle, you hear? We don't accept bribes! Now, if somebody were to offer us something "like" a bribe... Well, that might be a little different.

You're kicked back to the menu to choose again.

>>> Give him something like 100 G.
Yuri: Here you go. Here's something "like" 100 G.

Gate Guard: Now we're talking! We don't have anyh problem accepting it as long it's only something "like" 100G! Thanks! Now just leave the rest to us.

Yuri: ...

You paid the guards 100 G!

After having paid, talking to the guard again yields this:

Gate Guard: yeah, yeah. You wanna go through the void gate. We got it already. Just leave it to us.
Corrupt guards bribed 1 of 1

>>> Don't give him anything.

Gate Guard: Hmph. Uptight fellow, aren't you?

If you talk to him again, you're allowed to choose again.

Gate Guard: What, you again? had a chance to rethink things a little bit, did you?

>> Talk to the owner, Radimir.
>>> Get Information
Radimir: I heard that somebody from Ropesk disobeyed the ban on space travel and went off into the sea of stars. I don't know who that person is, but I'll tell you one thing. They've sure got guts! But folks like that usually go to an early grave, if you know what I mean. ha ha ha!

Yuri: (This guy doesn't know when to shut up.)

Getting more information yields this:

Radimir: (sighs)

Yuri: ...

Radimir: (sighs)

Nia: ...

Radimir: I'll bet you want to know why a grown man like me is so despondent, don't you?
Not really, no.

Yuri: (...)
brackets are thoughts or actions, ... is silent. I think this means Yuri is just spacing out?

>>>>Uh, I guess.
Radimir: Ha ha ha! That's what I thought you'd say. You see, lately, this tavern just hasn't b een making the money it should. If thinks keep up this way, I'm surely going to lose the place.

Yuri: I'm sorry to hear that.

Radimir: It's tragic, right? I've always done my best, always put my customers first. And after all my hard work, this is my reward? (sighs) It makes you wonder what the point of it all is. This tavern is my treasure. I'd rather throw myself off a cliff then lose it.

Yuri: You shouldn't let it get you that down. It's not the end of the world, you know.

Radimir: Hm... You seem like a person with a kind heart. Let me ask you a favor.

Yuri: What is it?

Radimir: Please, please lend this destitute man a little money. What do you say?
No.

Nia: No way.

Radimir: Anything, even the smallest amount, would really help.

Nia: Nope, not a single G. I don't trust guys that go on an on about all their "hard work" and "always doing their best."

Yuri: Isn't that a little harsh, Nia?

Nia: Just promise me one thing: No matter how far you fall, never get as low as this guy.

Yuri: Okay...

Radimir: (groans) That's cold! That's really cold...

>>>> Nope.
Radimir: So, I can't get you to bite, eh? You really ought to have a little compassion for your fellow man.

Talking to him again leads to this:
Radimir: So you finally decided you do want to know why, do you? Why I'm so upset, I mean?

Yuri: (...)

>>>> Yes, please tell me.
This leads to the same dialogue as if you had said yes in the first place.

>>>> I'm not interested.
Radimir: That's funny. I thought you adventurer types were supposed to be filled with an endless curiosity.

After you listen to Radimir beg for money, you can talk to him yet again.

Radimir: You look like a kind person. Could you take pity on an old man and spare 500 G? Even 300 G would be great.

Yuri: What? What kind of question is thiat? Just concentrate on the cooking. Look, my steak is starting to burn!

Radimir: Yeah, okay. Sorry...
You are the worst bartender, Radimir.

>>> Ask about a job.
Radimir: Looking for work, are you? All right. In that case, I'd like you to take this cargo to Bagut. This job pays 300 G.

>>>>Accept
Radimir: Yes? Okay, then. Great. Take this cargo to the tavern on Bagut. Give it to the bartender there.

>>>>Decline
Radimir:Bartender:  No? Maybe some other time, then.
This is a standard response from all NPC bartenders if you decline a mission, thus why the bartender is thrown in there.

You can only have one mission at a time, so it's generally advisable to drop everything and complete the mission when you get one.
>> Talk to Nia Lochlain.
Yuri: Nia? You said there was a way to fight Panfilov...

Nia: Yeah. It's kind of a gamble, though. Are you sure you're up for it, kiddo?
>>> Yes.
Nia:Okay. Here's what we do.  There's a planet named Toropets in this sector. There's a little shipyard there.

Yuri: Hold on. You mean, we buy a ship there?

Nia: That's right. If we can get a hold of a destroyer-class ship, we just might be able to pull this one off.

Yuri: But wait a minute. I don't have that kind of money!

Nia: Don't worry about that. I've got an idea.

Yuri: Okay... (I don't know about this, but right now, Nia is the only one I can trust.)

You got some planet information! The planet Toropets has been added to the Destination screen!

>>> No.
Nia: Okay, I understand. I'm not gonna twist your arm or anything. Just let me know if you change your mind.

If you talk to her again, she says

Nia: Are you ready to try it now?

You're allowed to choose again.

After choosing to go along with Nia's plan, the following dialogue becomes available when talking to her again.

Yuri: Ever since we were little kids, the citizens of Ropesk have been told great stories about Panfilov's space pioneering days. The stories say that he landed on Ropesk after traveling the sea of stars, and that he's a hero. So why would a guy like that want to keep his people on the ground now?

Nia: Once you find a place to settle down, you start to feel like you want to protect that place. It's human nature. And the older a person gets, the truer that gets.

Yuri: A place to settle down, huh?

Nia: that's right. People like you and me, people that don't have a place like that, we're free to roam the stars. Who knows which way makes a person happier in the end? I guess it just depends on the person.

Leaving Haspal behind, we quickly run back to Bagut to drop off our cargo, fighting off a few Boiky types along the way.

Talking to the bartender on Bagut leads to this:

Bartender: Ah, the cargo from Hapsal! The bartender there got in touch with me about this. Here's your compensation for the job, then. 300 G. It's all yours!

A job well done! You got 300 G!

He still doesn't have any more jobs for us though, so we make our way to Toropets. We run into a few battles along the way, including a pair of Boiky ships working together. It doesn't help them much, however.

Spoiler: 3D Printing in the Future (click to show/hide)

Once we arrive, the following scene occurs:

Nia: Whew. We're here.

Yuri: But what do we do now? I still don't have enough money to buy a ship.

Nia: Don't you worry your pretty little head about that, kiddo. You just leave it to Nia! Wait right here.
Aww, that's awesome of Nia. She must be grabbing her life savings-

Yuri: All right.
wait. This is Nia we're talking about.

Nia: Sorry for the wait. Here you go. 10,000 G. That ought to be plenty to buy something in the destroyer class.
I have this sudden ominious feeling.

You got 10,000 G!

Yuri: Wh-Where in the universe did you get all this money?!

Nia: Well, I kinda pawned something. Something of yours, actually.
You what?!

Yuri: Something of mine? What do I have that's worth this kind of money? I-- Wait a minute!

Nia: That's right. I pawned the Epitaph.
Nia, rule #1 of RPGs is never let the McGuffin out of your hands!

Yuri: What?! You did what?! How could you?! My father left that to me when he died!

Nia: All right, enough already!

Yuri: Huh?

Nia: What's more important, something a dead guy gave you, or your still-alive sister?
She does have a good point, though.

Yuri: W-Well...

Nia: ...

Yuri: My sister, of course.

Nia: See? So, first, we go rescue your sister. Then we'll have plenty of time after that to think about getting your precious Epitaph back. And it's not like it's gone or anything. I just pawned it. When we get the money together, we can get it back.

Yuri: I-I guess you're right. I'm sorry, Nia. I was just... I didn't expect that, was all.

Nia: No hard feelings. As long as you get it. Now, let's go get us a ship built.

Yuri: Okay. So how do we do this?

Nia: Well, first we go down to the ground and buy a blueprint from the ship design company there. Then we just take that blueprint to a shipyard. And, by the way, as long as you have the blueprint, any shipyard on any planet can build you that exact same ship.

Yuri: Okay, thank you, Nia.

Attempting to look at the shipyard causes Nia to remind us we need a blueprint first, so we head down to the planet. Down below, we have a few extra options - there's a ship design company where we can buy some blueprints, and the pawnship where Nia pawned our Epitaph.

>>Visit the Pawnshop
Pawnshop Owner: I'll keep your Epitaph nice and safe for you, don't worry.

That's good to know. But you know what I want to do before buying a destroyer? I'm getting hammered.

>>Visit the Tavern

There's a laborer to talk to in addition to the ubiquitous bartender and Nia.

>>Talk to the laborer.

Laborer: Everyone's gotta do his or her part to keep our nation afloat! And the ban on space travel is just another way of working toward that goal. Instead of gallivantin' off through space, we gotta devote ourselves to the betterment of our own planet, right here.

But I hear there's a guy who was willing to abandon his nation, just for a chance to wander through space. Unbelievable.
Brainwashed sheep.

>> Talk to Nia Lochlain
From the tavern's monitor, the voice of a newscaster gravely reading the news can be heard.

Female newscaster: The authorities are offering a 1,000 G reward for the capture of this youth. They are also offering a 500 G reward for any information leading to his capture. For more information, please contact--

Yuri: Hey, is she talking about me?

Nia: Are you really worried about it?

>>> Yes I am.
Yuri: Well, of course!

Nia: Look around. None of these people are paying the slightest bit of attention to you. Nobody's gonna get themselves involved over some small fry who broke the ban on space travel.

>>> No, I guess not.
Yuri: No, I guess I can't let it bother me now, can I?

Nia: Heh heh. That's the spirit, kiddo! Nobody's gonna come chasing you down over a little thing like breaking the ban on space travel.

Yuri's Fame increased by 10!
>>> General
Yuri: You really don't think so?

Nia: Nah. And if not being wanted bugs you, I guess you're gonna have to make it your business to pull off some really big crime and get put on Central Elgavan Security's "most Wanted" list.

Yuri: No, that's okay. It's not like being a criminal is my life's ambition or anything!

Nia Conversation #2
Yuri: I hope my Epitaph doesn't get sold off...

Nia: All you have to do is come up with the money, right? It's gonna be fine.

Yuri: I hope you're right.

Nia Conversation #3
Nia: The Space Pioneering Law says that the person who discovers a new planet has the right to govern it. Panfilov is taking advantage of that law to play king of the mountain, but with power comes responsibility. That means if there's trouble on the planet you discover, it's all your responsibility.

Yuri: So what you're saying is--

Nia: That's right. No one's gonna mess with you if you bring Panfilov down. So go get him, kiddo!

Yuri: I'll do my best!

>> Talk to the bartender
>>> Get information.
Bartender: Those ships the Ropesk Security Patrol use are getting old and worn out. They just aren't what they used to be.

>>> Ask about a job.
Bartender: Looking for work, are you? All right, I'll give you something. How about you take this cargo to Bagut? This job pays 250 G.

I accept, we'll be heading that way with our new destroyer anyway.

Bartender: Yeah? Okay, then. Great. Take this cargo to the tavern on Bagut. Give it to the bartender there.

We leave the tavern and drop by the Ship company. They have two designs available,the Otlichny and Perekop. They're dirt cheap and we buy both.

Fun facts time!

Otlichny is a Russian word, and means 'Excellent'. The original Otlichny was a Ognevoy-class destroyer built in 1947 and scrapped in the 1960s.

Perekop can refer to a village in the Ukraine, a fortress, gulf or isthmus. The Russian navy operates a Project 887 Smolny-class training ship of that name. Perekop roughly translates to an over-dug locality.

As an aside, the whole of the Dominion of Ropesk is a communist Russia-influenced area. Ropesk is (or was) a town located southwest of Starodub near the river Irpa for example.

Now that we've bought the blueprints, we'll be able to build our first Destroyer, a far step up from the Daisy.

With this update, I'll bring the voting to a close. People were overwhelmingly in favor of the egyptian diety theme for our destroyers, so tune in next time to find out which diety will give his or her name for our new destroyer.

[Hanzoku]

No King Rules Forever
New Characters: 
New Ships: Varyag (M), Sokol R (M)
New Places:
New Organizations:
New Equipment:

Spoiler: We Can Rebuild It, We Have the Technology (click to show/hide)

After taking the elevator back up to the station, we visit the shipyard to build our very first ship.  Our current choice is between the Otlichny and the Perekop class.

The Otlichny-class costs 6900 G. to build and the Perekop-class costs 6200 G. to build.

Comparing the two side by side will have to wait for a short explanation of what the various stats mean:

Anti-Air - your ships's effectiveness against fighters. This is not important until fighters start showing up, and since I'm fond of fighters, generally won't show up at all. Enemy fighters first have to get close enough to become a problem.

Anti-Ship - the more important value. How effective your ship is against other ships.

Cruise Speed - How quickly your ship can get from one destination to another on the map.

Battle Speed - How fast your ship is in combat. As we saw earlier, if you're too slow, enemies can escape from you or hold combat at a range better for them.

Mobility - This affects your ship's ability to evade shots in general.

Armor - The more armor your ship has, the more damage is soaked from each attack. Some weapons fire multiple times for less damage per shot, so a high-armor target can be very effective against those weapons.

Durability - Your ship's hitpoints. If this runs out, it'll explode.

Attack range - How far your ship can fire. This is also affected by the weapon system equipped.

Livability - How comfortable your ship is.  The higher the livability, the longer you can travel without visiting a port to rest up.

Fighters - If your ship is equipped with hanger modules, how many fighters it is carrying.

Wpn Slots - To the right, how many weapons can be installed, and to the left, how many weapons can be changed. Some ships have some or all of their weapons installed with fixed, unchangable weapons. They're generally a little better then what the area they can be bought in has to offer, but quickly fall behind.
Hangers - How many fighters can be stored on the ship

Crew Req - How many crewmembers are needed to fly the ship.
Crew Cur - How many crewmembers can live aboard the ship as it's currently configured.

For comparison, here's the Daisy

You can see the Daisy has two of its stats in green - that means equipped modules or characters have made it slightly better than the base stats in those areas.

And here is a finely-crafted table to compare the important stats.

Ship Name	Daisy	Otlichny	Perekop
Anti-Air	10	12	8
Anti-Ship	15	22	20
Cruise Speed	70 (+10)	75	78
Battle Speed	115 (+10)	130	135
Mobility	10	7	9
Armor	20	24	21
Durability	240	460	420
Attack Range	11700	13000	130000
Livability	40	30	30

As you can see, the Daisy is sub-standard to the destroyers in just about every way. Between the two destroyers, the Otlichny-class has the edge in firepower, armor and durability, while the Perekop/i]-class is just slightly faster and more manuverable. Which you can get by with either, I pick the Otlichny - more dakka, armor and HP is good.

Once you've bought a ship, you get to name it. Voting chose to use an Egyptian deity theme for our destroyers, and I compiled a list from Wikipedia of Egyptian deities that have links to death, the underworld, travel or warfare. This brings us to 19 names, and random.org decrees from the list that the first of our destroyers is the Satis

As you can see, it alraedy picks up some bonsues from Yuri and Nia's skills - it's slightly faster and more livable then its base stats would indicate. However, we're not done with our ship - now that we own one, we can mod it with extra modules to enhance its capability, and swap out its weapons.

The top portion of the screen shows information about the size and effects of the selected module, as well as what types of modules are already present in the ship design. The bottom portion is the placement area, where you can play Tetris trying to fit all your modules in. By default, your ship will have a basic bridge, engine, and enough living quarters to crew the ship installed, and nothing else.

Unfortunately, our current 'extra' options aren't a lot.

Bridge -
ELGV Bridge Lv 01
xxx
oox - No bonuses.
xxx

Fire Control -
Fire Con Rm Lv 01
xxx
ooo - AS ACC +2, AA ACC + 1, 200G
xxx

Radar Room -
Radar Room Lv 01
xxx
xox - Atk Range +1600, 150G
xox

Engine Room -
Engine Room Lv 01
xxx
oox- Cruise Spd +10, Battle Speed +10
xxx

Storage -
Hold Lv 01
xxx
oox - Holds + 8, 100G
oox
Holds are a bit of an oddity. The more hold space your fleet has, the more money you make when you arrive at a port. This amount is based on some correlation of hold space and distance traveled. Honestly speaking, I rarely bother and only add holds to the ship now because there's nothing else to do with the space.

Crew Cabin -
Crew Cabin lv 01
xxx
oox - Cur Crew +10, Livability +1
xxx

It's not readily identifiable, but I moved the crew quarters to some out of the way locations, added the fire control system and the radar room, and filled the rest of the space with five holds to generate a little extra income. They'll be removed as more useful additions appear.

Once we're done with modules, we can change our ship's weapon loadout.

Our new destroyer is equipped with one small and one medium weapon slot, and we have the choice of single or double-shot anti-ship lasers to fill those.

Weapon Name	Weapon  Type	Firepower	Max Range	Minimum Range	Accuracy	Cost
AS Lasers Lv 1	M	90x1	17000	5000	30	0
D AS Lasers Lv 1	M	70x2	15000	6000	25	800
AS Lasers Lv 1	S	60x1	13000	1000	35	0
D AS Lasers Lv 1	S	50x2	12500	1000	30	240

As you can see, theortically, the double lasers will do more damge, but against a high-armor enemy, each shot will get soaked, while the single shot laser only get soaked once. Despite that, I equip both slots with double lasers - we're not up against high armor enemies yet, luckily.

With new weapons and modules equipped, the Satis is ready to fly - significantly faster, more punchy and better armored then the Daisy was. When we leave the shipyard, Nia has something to say.

Nia: That's quite a ship you got there! And you bought it with your own money, so that makes you the captain.

Yuri: I'm a captain?

Nia: Yup. And from now on, sink or swim, the responsibility lies with you.

Yuri: (Captain, huh? This doesn't feel real.)

Nia: And considering everything that's happened, I'd be happy to offer my services as one of your crew members. Just assign me to a post. You can assign crew members at the Cosmic Trade Authority you can find at any spaceport.

Yuri:You're going to be on my crew?

Nia: What, you don't want me?

Yuri: No, of course that's not it. I just feel like you're being way too good to me.

Nia: Ha ha ha! Don't worry about that! After all, you're my client until I get you safely to Central Elgava. Anyway, what's important is that now you're ready to go up against Panfilov.

Yuri: I am, aren't I? (Hold on, Kira! I'm coming to get you!)

And now that we own our own ship, I can show the full planetary menu list.

The top of the screen shows the planet you're orbiting - Toropets is a fairly nice place, but some of them are hellholes.

The buttons down the right give you your various options.

CTA - The Cosmic Trade Authority, this button is going to get its own spoiler shortly.
Shipyard - Here you can build ships whose blueprints you possess.
Remodeling - This allows you to change the modules, weapons and fighters your ships are carrying.
System - This allows you to save, load and change your options.
Battle Sim - If you and a friend both have Infinite Space, you can link up and battle each other, quickly turning into a curb-stomp as whoever is further in the game pulverizes his opponent's weaker ships.
Elevator - This lets you go down to the surface where the tavern and other populated structures are located.
Depart - Leave to find someplace better to be, or someone who needs hot laser vengence.

Spoiler: Tutorial: The CTA (click to show/hide)

Here you can edit your crew configuration, change which ships are fighting, access the help topics, check your character's status, and see how you rank up with the rest of the Zero-G dogs.

Edit Crew -

The top of the screen shows information about the currently selected character. Affiliation is only for looks, but level increases your skill amounts.

The skills on the left determine what the character is good at doing. Each of the positions you can assign a character to has a matching skill. The more skillful a character is, the better they do at that position. In addition, characters can have special abilities - Nia is an Ace Helmsman Lv 1 and has Death Blow Lv 1 as well.

Ace Helmsmen - Improves the fleet's mobility when assigned to a navigation post.
Death Blow - Increase the power of slash in melee combat when assigned to a security position.

Yuri also has two skills, Fleet Leader Lv 1. and Commander Lv 1.

Fleet Leader - Allows you to bring more ships into combat.
Commander - Increases the power of the 'Leader' attack in melee combat when assigned to a security position.

You can also see that the Captain position is greyed out and Yuri is shown there with a little 'Fixation' tag. In short, Yuri will not do anything other then captain the ship. What's interesting though, is that in at least the case of combat, if noone is assigned as the chief of a section, Yuri will step in and provide his skills and bonuses.

Looking at Nia, her strongest skills are in Artillery and Combat, followed by Leadership. However, her special skill makes her an excellent Helsman until we acquire someone more suitable. I leave the Chief Navigator position open in case what I've read is true and Yuri will add his bonus as well.

Edit Fleet -

This screen lets you see the stats of your ships and assign them to locations in your formation. Currently, we can only fight with one ship at a time, so our Satis is placed front and center. Once you can have more ships in your fleet the formation option becomes more important.

Help -

What it says on the tin, the Help screen explains terms as you come across them, though many are currently locked to prevent spoilers.

Status -

This screen is mostly for interest, and gives information on your average level, how many battles you've won (or run from), and so on.

Ranking -
Receptionist: Welcome. Here at this facility, we rank Zero-G dogs throughout the universe based on the Fame values stored in their phenomena logs. Phenomena logs are the records kept by each ship. We keep track of every one and announce the rankings. If you try hard enough, you might be selected as one of the top 100 zero-G dogs in the universe!

That's cool, I wonder what we're ranked as-

Oh.

Yuri actually isn't 5000, that's just as low as they display. It'lll be a long time before we reach the top 100, but once we do we'll start receiving rewards based on our rank.

And that's that. Now we'll handle some unfinished business, and then it's sister-rescuing time!

Spoiler: Unfinished Business (click to show/hide)

First off, we visit Bagut and hand off the package from Toropets for a cool 250 G.

Now that we have a faster ship, I go and try for one of those transports again.

Nia: Okay! Today's the day we score big! Ready to hit the jackpot?

Yuri: I sure am!

It's a good idea not to barrage the target because they're focusing entirely on running, so they'll automatically put their energy into dodging. Two normal attacks later, we cripple their ship and board them.

Nia: Jackpot! Look at all this great stuff! Well, don't just stand there like a dummy. Let's start hauling it back to the ship.

Yuri: Oh, right. Okay.
*sniff* His first act of piracy! Our boy is growing up! *sob*

Nia Lochlain and Yuri board the transport ship and loot the luxury items.

You got 1,150 G!

You can revisit the sector, but the transport won't show up again. Well, that was a nice haul, but what I'd really like to do is blow a giant hole through Panfilov on my way to rescuing Kira. Let's go do that.

When we approach Ropesk, we're thrown into our first boss battle.

Nia: Uh oh. Here comes a big one!

Yuri: A big one? Is it Panfilov?

Nia: I think we can bet on it.

Panfilov's ship's whole left side is an enormous wave motion cannon. Let's try to avoid getting hit by that.

A chime sounds.

Yuri: A communication?

Nia:It's him!

Panfilov: Ah, Yuri, my boy. I see you've finally come to your senses and decided to return to Ropesk.
In a brand-new destroyer? You really have cracked.

Yuri: Panfilov!

Panfilov: Bring your ship to a halt. Your sister is at the spaceport. As a reward for finally deciding to obey the law, I'll let you join her right away.

Yuri: Wait a minute. How do I know Kira is really at the spaceport?

Panfilov: You can see for yourself on the monitor.

Yuri: All right. Good. Now I know Kira will be safe when I bring your ship down!

Panfilov: What?!
Should have kept the hostage on your ship. Idiot.

Yuri: I'm gonna bring you down, and rescue Kira. I am not going back to Ropesk!

Panfilov: I see. So you defy the laws of our planet to the end, do you?

Yuri: Don't give me "laws of our planet"! They're just a bunch of rules you made up to try to keep your own people prisoner!

Panfilov: Hmph. I traveled the sea of stars far and wide, and finally found Ropesk. A planet to call my own. I broke my back colonizing it. Without me, it would be nothing today! Why shouldn't I be allowed to govern it as I see fit?

Yuri: But what's wrong with wanting to explore space anyway? You used to be a zero-G dog yourself, didn't you? You should understand!

Panfilov: And that's the very reason! You kids, always wanting to run off and do things that I'mk too old to do now... I can't stand it! And I won't allow it!

Yuri: Wait, you're just jealous? That's why you've kept us all prisoner?! I think I've heard enough.

With that, we're thrown into a battle against three ships, Panfilov's flying gun and two escorts. They're all a bit more dangerous then what we've been beating up, despite being type-Ms.

Our first task is to blow up his two escorts, the first of which requires a barrage or two normal attacks to drop. By letting our power build to red, we cause them to dodge, (green to yellow to green again is a good sign), before firing a normal attack.

After the first ship explodes, we get a short cutscene.

Ropesk soldier: Lord Panfilov! That's a formidable ship! I'm afraid we might not be a match for it.

Panfilov: Damn that boy! Well, he forces my hand. Prepare the Panfilov Cannon!

Ropesk soldier: Yes, my lord! Panfilov Cannon standing by!

Panfilov: Heh heh. Ha ha ha! Death! That will take care of you all!

It's going to be a while before we get a wave motion cannon of our own. Sadly, they aren't as good as they appear in cutscenes.

The scene switches to Yuri's bridge, which is shuddering from the attack.

Yuri: What was that?!

Nia:That's an extremely high-powered laser! We don't wanna get hit with that thing, let me tell you!

Yuri: Got it!

We start at a distance again, probably because we evaded the last shot. The enemy starts with more power and quickly goes to red and stays there, signaling you should dodge because a barrage or special (which acts like a barrage) is coming up.

Indeed, they fire the cannon, and miss us by meters.  I build up energy for a barrage to finish the second escort and end up dodging another special. Panfilov fires a normal attack after that and reveals that outside the cannon, his ship is pretty weak - 12 damage done. The special, if it connects, does 26, so not really that important, but it's the principal of the thing.

His ship is a lot more durable then the escorts, and absorbs two full barrages before going down in a flurry of explosions.

We find out that Panfilov's ship was a Varyag-class ship, and that the other Boiky we destroyed mysteriously disappeared. (The battle before the cutscene was treated as a seperate battle.

Spoiler: Reunions and Leavetaking (click to show/hide)

With Panfilov dead, Yuri can dock with the station and reunite with his sister.

Kira: Yuri! Yuri!

Yuri: Kira... You must've been so scared. I'm so sorry. This was all my fault.

Kira: I wasn't scared. I knew you'd come for me, Yuri. You've always come through for me.

Yuri: It's all right now. You're safe.

Nia: (stares at them)

Yuri: (Oops!) Sorry, Nia. I didn't introduce you. This is my little sister, Kira.

Kira: H-How do you do?

Nia: Hey, Nice to meet you. Um, don't take this the wrong way, but... Are you sure you two are related?
No reason they couldn't be. Yuri is albino, so maybe otherwise he'd have the green hair and eyes thing going.

Kira: Huh?

Yuri: What are you trying to say?

Nia: Aw, forget it. Never mind. Anyway, here's a body suit for you, Kira. If you're gonna be traveling with us, the clothes you've got on aren't gonna cut it. Off you go to get changed!

Kira: O-Okay.

Kira: Urm... Nia?

Nia: Yeah, what's up?

Kira: This bodysuit...it's so... form-fitting...
Game, I'm really disturbed by who you're fan-servicing with.

Nia: ha ha ha! Ah, you'll get used to it. Besides... (whistles) it looks damn fine on you! Right, Yuri?
You're a cruel women, Nia.
Yuri: Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure, whatever. Don't worry about it, Kira.
See? He's her brother, he doesn't give a crap.

Kira: Um. Okay... (gulps)

Kira joins your crew!

Oh hey, it's these guys again.

??: Interscetion at point 2300056 SS confirmed at the estimated time. Ability to pinpoint subject's coordinates has entered stable range of precision. Phenomenon consistency rate rising to 98.7764 percent.

Progress satisfactory. Proceeding as planned.

We're spat back to the map screen. Ropesk isn't exactly friendly territory, so we can't land on its station. We instead fly to Bagut to rest up and see what the population things of the coup.

Along the way, we have to fight a number of battles and get to see what fatigue does - the higher the fatigue, the slower our command gauge can refill. The last battle is particularly painful as we take five or six attacks before we can build up the energy to fire once.

Once at Bagut, I visit the CTA to find a position for Kira.

Amateur Chef - Bonus to fleet's livability.
Medic - Restores some durability for the fleet.

Kira has no leadership potential, but her Medic ability makes her a good 1st Officer anyway, as Medic is one of the only ways to regain health outside of visiting a planet.

By skills, Kira is otherwise best as a Chef or Server, to take advantage of her high management skill and amateur chef bonus.

Down on the planet, the option to talk to Kira has now been (pretty much permenantly) replaced by 'Talk to your friends.'

>>Talk to Old Woman.
Old Woman: They say that Lord Panfilov died trying to rescue a boy from the clutches of an evil lady pirate. If it's true, if Lord Panfilov is really gone, what ever are we going to do without him?
Stop being sheep?

The bartender has nothing new to say.

>>Talk to your friends.
Conversation #1
Yuri: Nia, I really appreciate everything you've done for me. You even helped me rescue Kira.

Nia: Ah, don't mention it! I'm your launcher. I had to make sure my customer was satisfied, right? But yeah, no problem kid! Say, I'll bet you and Kira don't have a lot of experience with guns, do ya? You want me to give you a lesson on how to shoot?

Yuri: You mean, right here?

Nia: Sure. It's not like we're really gonna fire anything. Just practice taking aim and stuff. You know, the basics. Then you can use what you learned on the ship's guns.

Yuri: Okay, yeah. That would be great. Kira, you, too?

Kira: Huh? Oh, all right.

Nia Lochlain imparted her wisdom! Yuri's Artillery skill increased by 1! Kira's Artillery skill increased by 1!

Conversation #2
Kira: Yuri, what are you going to do now?

Yuri:I have to get some money together and get Dad's Epitaph back.

Kira: And then what? What are you going to do after that?

Yuri: I'm going to keep going, go farther, and look for more Epitaphs. And somewhere along the way, I'm sure I'll figure out what Epitaphs are all about. Don't you want to find out more about our dad's Epitaph, too?

Kira: I... I guess so.

Conversation #3
Nia Lochlain is hitting it of with the other tavern patrons, laughing and raising her glass with them. Kira watches Nia for a while from across the tavern, and then whispers to Yuri beside her.

Kira: Yuri? What is Nia to you?

Yuri: What is she? She's my launcher. Launchers are people who help others get started on their space journeys. She took me on as a client, and here I am, in space.

Kira: I see.

Yuri: Huh? Is something bothering you, Kira? You look kind of upset.

Kira: Why would I be upset?
The most dangerous words spoken by women.


Rested and recovered, we make our way to Toropets to check on our Epitaph, however visiting the Pawnshop reveals no new dialogue. Visiting the bar, we do some chatting.

>> Talk to the laborer.
Laborer: If people wanna leave, let 'em leave! But I'm gonna stay right here on this planet and keep on working. It's not like I've got the money or the nerve to go off traveling into space anyway.

Noone else has new dialogue.

None of the patrons on Hapsal have anything new to say either, so we make for the gate. With the guards bribed, it should be easy to head on through now that we have our sister. Along the way, we get an event.

Kira: Yuri, there's a strange ship that seems to be following us.

Yuri: Huh? What do you mean?

Torlo: Hey you guys! It's me! It's me, Torlo! Let me on!
What the crap is he doing here?

Nia: It sounds like he wants to board. What do you think?

Yuri: Well, it wouldn't hurt to hear what he has to say.

After being granted permission to bard, Torlo Adkin goes up to Yuri and gives him a big hug, his face beaming.

Torlo: They say you took care of Panfilov! I just gotta thank you, man!

Yuri: You're welcome. No problem. Uh, is that why you chased us down like this? To thank us?

Torlo: Well, that and... I've always wanted to travel the sea of stars myself. You gotta take me with you, man!

Yuri: You want to come with us?!

Torlo: Oh totally! In fact, I already left the business to Kachko, so you can't say no to me!
Oh really?

Yuri:Uh...

Torlo: C'mon, we'd make a great team! Lemme come with you! What do you say?

Yuri: (Whew. This guy sure is... enthusiastic.)

Torlo Adkin joined your crew!
Damn your kind heart, Yuri.

When we reach the void gate, the guards are warning us away again.

The only difference is now you're warned away in the name of the Ropesk government, not Lord Panfilov. It looks like the bureaucracy under him has managed to live on.

Given that Yuri bribed them to let him through, he's less then impressed.

Yuri: (...)

We can choose to turn back as ordered, talk to them or blow them to Grus.

>> Talk to them.
Conversation #1

Yuri: Can you read me? This is Yuri. We met in the tavern on Hapsal.

Gate Guards: You, eh? Yeah, we remember you.

Yuri: Then you remember that we --

Gate Guards: Just because we met you in some bar, that doesn't mean we're going to let you through. You're going to have to turn back.

Yuri: What?!
So corrupt that they take bribes and then don't remain bribed? The fiends!

Gate Guards: If you don't turn back immediately, we'll be forced to open fire. We repeat. Turn back, or we open fire!
No no, let me go first.

Nia: So they're playing all by -the- book now, are they?

Yuri: How could they do that to me?!
Yuri, it was a hundred G. You get that much blowing away a Boiky or two.

Nia: Don't let 'em get you so upset. If you let this kind of thing get to you, you're never gonna last, kiddo.

Yuri: ... (...)

Conversation #2
Gate Guards: Huh? Oh. It's you guys again. You're just wasting your time here. Why don't you run along home now? ha ha ha!

Yuri: (...)

>>Fight them.
Idiots. We blew your boss away already, you're a roadbump in comparison.

Nia:So what do ya wanna do?

Yuri: Let's fight!

Nia: Really?

Yuri: Sometimes you just have to fight to get your point across. Right?
Yuri's point: I want to go through, and I bribed you fair and square to do so.

Nia: Ha ha! Looks like you're getting used to the way things work out here in space! Let's do it!

Yuri: Yeah!

It ends predictably, The Gate Guards were using a new type of ship, the Sokol R. It's slightly tougher then the Boiky, but still otherwise a pushover. As an aside, these ships were present in the Panfilov fight, though credited there as Boikys. A bit odd, but it doesn't really matter in the end.

With the guards cleared away, we c an pass through the Void Gate and enter the Lutsk sector, one step closer to Central Elgava.

Torlo: Wow. Check that thing out! Void gates sure are something else!

Kira: I don't know why, but I'm a bit scared.

Nia: There's nothing to be scared of. Just think of it as a bridge into space.

Yuri: We just have to go through it, and then we'll be in the Lutsk Sector. Let's go!

Nia: Roger!

Our ship disappears through the Void Gate and emerges in a new sector.

Torlo: Whoa! So this is the Lutsk Sector, eh? It's a frontier area just like the Ropesk Sector, but there's way more planets here!

Yuri: Nnh...

Torlo: Huh? What's the matter, Yuri?

Yuri: Huh? Oh, I just got a little headache.

Torlo: Hey, are you okay?!

Kira: (panting)

Nia: Kira! Are you all right?!

Kira: I-I'm fine.

Yuri: Kira! Are you sick?

Torlo: What? Kira, too?

Kira: I'm fine. I just had a little headache, that's all. It's gone now. I-I'm feeling better.

Yuri: Are you sure?

Nia: Hm. It might be a side effect of passing through the void gate.

Yuri: You two are fine?

Torlo: Ha ha! I'm about as tough as they come!

Nia: I've never heard of any side effects, but I guess void gates could affect different people in different ways.
Mystery #2 - the siblings don't handle Void Gate travel well.

Yuri: ...

Kira: Don't worry about me. I'm fine now.

Yuri: As long as you're sure. (We'd better get Kira to a spaceport so she can rest up.)

And with that, we'll draw this update to a close.

We've made it through the first chapter of the game, gaining our own ship, making a few friends and leaving a sector behind us in the grips of anarchy after toppling its government and slaughtering its defense forces. After my holiday, we'll see what further damage Yuri & Co can wreak!

I've also changed the poll - during the next chapter we'll get access to our first cruiser, and the beginning of the third chapter we'll receive our first battleship schematic. Voting for the cruiser name will run through my vacation, and then voting for battleship names will proceed.

I've tossed up two new ideas to replace the winning option and the other deities option, which received no votes in the last round.

[Jarod Cain]

Ok, finally caught up. Been a few days since I could read this.

I like how this is going so far and how you've structured this LP in general. So what spot did you stick Torlo in? Also, later on if you make a fleet of ships with pretty much little more than cargo holds you can rack up quite a bit of cash after some grinding. Otherwise, I'll try to keep most spoilers on the down low.
-J-

[birdy51]

Posting to watch, as I've never seen this game before.

Keep it up!

[Hanzoku]

Thanks for the feedback.

I actually went through the gate and landed on the next planet before assigning Torlo a position. For the moment he's helping out on Gunnery, despite his special traits being pointed more at the security positions. Once ground combat is more of a thing he might be moved there.

On my first run through the game, I only had a few moments where cash really became tight. And now that I'm doing a run on enhanced encounter rate mode, I'm getting attacked six odd times between destinations. I generally prefer to grind money in that fashion anyway, as it also benefits character levels and the fame score.

[Darkmere]

Ah, yeah I should lend moral support as well. I tend to lurk LP's, but this one looks pretty interesting, I like the format, and I haven't heard of the game before. +1 internet approval.