STARTING THE GAME FOR THE FIRST TIME

Starting X: Reunion

1. From the Start Menu, point to Programs, point to Egosoft, and then point to X: Reunion. 2. At the initial start-up screen, you may change some basic settings, such as Screen Resolution and other Graphics Settings. It is recommended that settings such as antialiasing are selected here rather than on your graphics card settings. The Effects factors (4x etc) are automatically selected for your graphics card, raising these numbers above the suggested ones will decrease performance, lowering them will improve performance. You will also get the chance to alter some of these graphics settings from within the game.
EAX - stands for Environmental Audio Extensions. This Creative Labs technology provides an improved audio experience including special audio effects such as "occlusion". You can read more about it on the page: http://eax.creative.com Ignore last settings and start with default is an option for resetting the game start options to their default settings if you experience any start-up problems, for instance after an upgrade. Run as Benchmark will provide you an output of FPS (frames per second) performance measurements of the game. 3. Click Start X. You may skip the opening sequence, if you wish, by pressing the [Esc] key. Note: The game name will have the version on the above start-up screen, which will be relevant for Technical Support and for any upgrades that may be available.
Getting Started Welcome to X: Reunion
Say goodbye to social life and/or sleep It is recommended that you at least play through the combat training whether you are new to the X-Universe or not, before progressing into the game proper. Otherwise, pressing NEW GAME will start a new game from the beginning. If you have a savegame, then you should instead select CONTINUE. From here, you will be taken through the first parts of the storyline in X: Reunion. You will meet one of the main characters and they will help you to get started. Once youve finished your introduction to the plot, youll be flying your new ship in no time at all. From this point on, its all up to you. You can follow the plot or go off and have your own adventures. You can jump in and out of the plot, as you dont have to respond to the requests immediately. This will allow you to start building your resources by trading, building, fighting and exploring the universe, as parts of the plot may require considerably more than what you start with. A little tip: you can delay meeting friends on missions until sometime later into your travels. They will wait for you, and so you dont forget, they will send you a reminder message every now and then. Keys, Controller settings, Profiles and Menus will be detailed in the following sections or you can jump to the Main Menu if you are very familiar with the X series already; even so, you are advised to familiarise yourself with the controller profiles, which are new to X. With such an open-ended X universe, many have joined the very extensive and helpful online community at the Egosoft forums. Exchanging their experiences, providing help and answers to each other and producing topics with ideas and hints, they have taken their gaming experiences much further. Join the community in the X Universe at http://www.egosoft.com/ Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we're not. In either case the idea is quite staggering. Arthur C. Clarke

Monitors

There are two monitors available, one on the top left and another one top right. The left one is always set to auto target, the right monitor is mappable. Monitor Layout will enable you to position your in-game monitors on your screen. Show Monitors F5 By pressing the F5 key you can toggle the minimized and standard Monitor views. After using F4 to select a monitor, pressing F3 will then enlarge the monitor view. Active Monitor F4 Pressing F4 will cycle you between the open monitors. Default External View Mode the [ F2 ] key allows you to toggle between Auto and Manual. The Manual setting will allow you to rotate the view around your ship using the keypad numbers. Monitor Mapping allows you to select exactly what appears on your monitors when you bring them up. "To consider the Earth as the only populated world in infinite space is as absurd as to assert that in an entire field of millet, only one grain will grow." Metrodorus of Chios (400BC)
Main Menu New Game The first three games start with the plot storyline enabled and the main character, 21 year old Julian Brennan. You can jump in and out of the plot, as you want to; this gives you time to think about your game strategy, and about how you will build your trade and fight ranks. The starting difficulty level affects which upgrades and equipment are installed on your ship(s) and how many Credits you start with. It will also affect your initial reputation with the other races. It has no effect on any other aspect of gameplay. If your goal is to reach the difficultto-obtain X-treme ranks (see the Fight, Trade and Race Ranks section), you might want to (but dont have to) start the game the way you would wish to end it, as X-treme.
Normal Difficulty: Average. Jump right in to the action and discover the exciting events that are brewing in the X Universe. Trade your way to wealth, fight off your ruthless foes and build a lasting legacy. Quick start Difficulty: Easy. Wield the developing power of your fledging fleet and face the X universe head on. You are well equipped for your journey, but there may be advantages to doing it the hard way. X-treme Difficulty: Hard. Conquer a harsh and unforgiving universe with the pure power of your will. Struggles will present themselves at every turn. Even your enemies loathe you with an unusual intensity.
Julian Brennan Player character

Quick Start 2 x Salvage insurance Credits Ship Beta Particle Accelerator Cannon Beta Impulse Ray Emitter 5 MJ Shield Flight Command Software MK2 Flight Command Software MK1 Trade Command Software MK1 Triplex Scanner Duplex Scanner Boost Extension Best Selling Price Locator Best Buys Locator Singularity Engine Time Accelerator Video Enhancement Goggles Engine Tuning Cargo Bay
Quickstart 100,000 Buster 4x 3x X X X X X X X X X 175.86-175.86 108-108

Quickstart Mercury 2x X

Normal 5000 Buster 2x 2x

X-treme 450 Buster 2x 1x

X X X X X 75-100 3000-4000 X X 163.3-175.86 108-108
X X X 163.3-175.86 23-108
With any of the levels you start there are a few recommended upgrades that are helpful to have installed, above what the ship is equipped with: Trading system extension, Navigation Command Software If you are starting Normal and X-treme modes the Best Buys and Best Selling upgrades are also recommended for you to purchase and install.

WHERE ARE YOU?

You start in Argon Prime the main sector of the Argon race, there are four gates North, East, West and South (NEWS). This sector is in the middle of a number of Argon Sectors, which extend to the borders of other races and their territories. Races and their sectors (Whats it like out there?) Argon - This is where you start (you are here) in the sector of Argon Prime, which is at the centre of their main territory. Argon sectors are fairly law abiding, well-policed and reasonably safe places to be. The Argon ships have a very industrial and functional look about them, reflecting the nature of the Argon. There is the odd pirate, but fairly active patrol ships let them know they are not welcome. Argon sectors offer a fairly safe haven for you to start your trading, and have nearby pirate sectors for you to develop your combat and ship capturing skills without damaging your good reputation too much. Boron - Sometimes referred to as the boring Boron, they are in fact a very peaceful underwater race that are allied to the Argon. They are disliked very much by the Split, who are their exact opposites. Boron ships have an organic feel and look to them, often lightly shielded, average weapons but reasonably fast, and despite their good looks, are often cheaper than similar classes of ships elsewhere. There are only a few pirates in these sectors as like the Argon ones they are well patrolled, and pirates find them too mundane for their types of business. Teladi -Traders by nature, profits and commerce drive their sectors interaction with all other races. Their sectors can be infested with pirates and as a result can be both profitable and dangerous places to deal in. Teladi ships are built with other-race technologies, and are designed with profits in mind, having larger than average cargo bays but good shields. Where other races place restrictions on what ships and equipment they will sell you, the Teladi sectors only apply this rule in a limited fashion. You can't directly raise your Teladi rank by killing pirates, as the Teladi do business with them. Split - The Split sectors can be relatively safe places to trade. Although they are mildly tolerant of some illegal trades such as space flies and slaves, and hence have some minor pirate activity in their sectors, they are not too friendly to anyone, including pirates. Their ships

are usually light on shields, with good weapons and fast. If you want to dock with their stations you will have to get on their good side by proving you are worthy of respect, usually by showing your skill in combat. Try removing some pirates and see how they respond. Paranid An arrogant race, who look upon all others as unworthy of their attention. They may choose to raise their opinion of you to a mere unholy miscreant should you catch their good side by killing the odd pirate or two. Doing so might allow you to soil their presence by docking at their stations. Their ship technology is very good, producing fast ships with advanced weapons, but low cargo space. They provide fairly save havens for trading and police their sectors with fleets of ships that remove any hostile forces with speed. Their sectors are like those of the Boron, - in that they are good places for safe trading and advanced equipment. Pirate - These sectors are lawless territories and wastelands. Do not take them lightly. Being risky places to travel across, ensure your transporters are protected should they choose to navigate through such sectors in their trading ventures. You will not find any police patrols scanning your ship for illegal wares, but this freedom is balanced out by the greater risk of attack. Their ships are generally well equipped with weapons, fast and deadly in packs of Raider, Vanguard, Sentinel, Hauler and Standard fighter class ships. Xenon - These sectors are only for those who have ships armed to the teeth or fast enough to evade Xenon interceptor craft. Your combat skills should be formidable, your nerve all but unbreakable. In some of their sectors you will find enough Xenon present to test your skills in navigation and evasion. With the ability to calculate intercept and attack vectors far faster than any organic being, your best chance of survival may well be through brute force tempered with a greater than average degree of luck. Khaak - You will find here your place to die, many times over. When your reputation is high enough you will be able to access the Khaak sectors through the purchase of sector coordinates. Should you be foolish enough, you may consider jumping to them. Here you can improve your fighting skills and ranks, albeit at great risk to your well-being.

Understanding the X Universe Economy
The economy in the X Universe is unique in that it is dynamically priced. What this literally means is that the prices of goods are affected by supply and demand or by wars and theft. As an example, if a Solar Power Plant is well stocked with Energy Cells then the selling price will be low this is the principle of supply. However, if a Weapon Component Factory is low on the Energy Cells that it needs to continue producing Ammunition, then that factory will pay a premium price for any Energy Cells delivered to it, as the demand is high. If you spot two stations stocks that match this criteria, then congratulations you have just discovered a very profitable trading opportunity. You may find that some sectors have what can be classed as milk runs, that is where there is (nearly) always a profit to be made. Trade routes such as this will be very important to you as you strive to gain more Credits. Later, as you gain more Credits, you will find methods and upgrades that will make trading even more profitable and easier. In addition to factories, you will also find Trading Stations scattered around the X universe which will buy and sell a limited amount of products at fixed prices.
Each race has a hierarchy of goods it manufactures. Some are common across the races and others specific to a race. At the bottom of the technology pyramid are the widely available raw materials like Energy, Bio and Minerals. At the top are the luxury goods and technological systems including weapons, with various products in-between. If the local availability of a product is low, its price will increase. Likewise, the price will decrease when quantities are increased through the manufacturing processes of each factory. Other Useful Trading Tools As we mentioned, the economy in the X universe is dynamic and inter-dependent. A shortage of one specific resource can have knock-on effects throughout the whole universe, especially if it is a base product that all stations require, such as Energy Cells. The Teladi are a race driven almost solely by profit and their trading secrets are well guarded. The Split curator of the Profit Guild, Hut FNaak did however commence work on a valuable resource known as the Trading Pyramid, but he has since vanished. Rumours that the Teladi assassinated him cannot be substantiated, however the early parts of his work still exist as shown below:

How to connect Factories Doing this is quite straight forward. If, for instance, you hired an Argon Mammoth to carry a Cattle and a Cahoona factory, you would also be able to load a Complex Construction Kit into it for connecting the two. This construction kit will allow you to join two or more stations within close proximity together (at least once or twice the width of your station away from the other connecting station) to form a station complex and is comprised of a Complex Hub that controls power distribution, central command and control, commodity exchange and central docking clamps to the complex. When the TL captain has been ordered to drop the two stations, and you have positioned them relativity close to each other, you can instruct the TL Captain to drop the Complex Construction Kit, and instead of a position grid, a sector listing of your factories will pop up. Select the first factory to combine. The list will change to display the remaining factories. Select another and the Complex Construction Kit will build the tunnels between them. The Hangar Complex transports supplies between the stations, so you can create a loop of factories that are dependant on each other without the need for lots of transporters delivering resources between them. Hangar complexes cost a lot less than the use of transporters, but have a weakness, you will have to protect these complexes from attack, for if they are destroyed, the stations will not be able to get the resources they need, until you buy another complex builder or assign transports to them. Selecting the command console for the Hangar Complex will show you the stations and the production cycles that are currently running. All the factories in it will use a single pool of Credits transferred to the complex. You can still set factory prices as you would a single factory and change the maximum distance that transporter ships can jump across sectors for resources. The solutions for choosing the right location will vary according to what resources are available in the sector, i.e. which factories are included in your build for the complex and the available resources in other nearby sectors. There is no hard and fast rule that will apply. You can save a lot of resource effort for your complexes by choosing your location based upon the needs of your new factories, so even if resources in the factories become low, there will be local resources to supplement them. As mentioned, the one weakness of complexes is the vulnerability of the tunnels that connect them. It would be advisable for you to set up sector patrol ships around your factories and their complexes to protect them from pirates or other enemies. Transporter ships home based to the complex can be assigned to buy at best prices from a collective list of resources for all the factories in the complex. When you add a factory to a complex all ships with Buy/Buy Best will stop and restart this command, but owned ships fighters though lose their original command, so you will need to re-command them with their new instructions. Transporter Ships The different TS class ships are the backbone of the economy and have a range of specifications. Some have large cargo bays, but may be slower in speed; these would be best assigned to buy large volumes of resources from nearby factories. Other ships with smaller cargo bays, but much faster, would best be assigned to buy resources that are a few sector jumps away like Crystals.

can use the energy of the lasers currently not firing on the other side. Their powerful multiple Giga Joule shields provide an almost indestructible barrier even though they are very slow to recharge.
Class M2 Teladi Phoenix Destroyer. Your first destroyer is going to be one of your first 100 million+ Cr investments. To get one you will have to be very wealthy, will also have reached a high enough fighting rank and be on good enough terms with the race you are buying it from. An M2 Destroyer costs more than just its purchase price, you will have to buy all the upgrades and equipment, several high-grade Giga Joule shields, multiple sets of all laser cannons and missiles. With a destroyer costing around ninety million Credits, you can add another fifty percent to that purchase price to the cost of fully maxing it out with everything it will need. So make sure you are wealthy enough to bear the full cost, as there is nothing worse than seeing a slow, toothless, and half-baked destroyer limping across a sector. Class M1 Paranid Zeus Carrier. Carriers are large ships with formidable shielding, point defences and a large capacity for carrying a number of different smaller ships within their hangars. They are crewed by highlytrained personnel and captains chosen for their skill and aggression. Carriers rarely change their direction to avoid smaller ships. Remember that due to the size and density of the hulls of these great ships, to repair one percent of damage to their hulls will cost you more than what you would spend on a new M3 class ship, but that should be small change to some one as wealthy as you will be. Yes, when you fly one of these giants other ships do look like insects and if you plough through one, as well as scratching your hull and making a mess of the paintwork, the cost to your reputation could be very high. When you arrive in a sector, it is suggested that you rise high above the main travel lanes before you carry on flying. Plan ahead. The universe does not carry enough stock of big guns and shields for when a rich player like you arrives. So set up some factories early on in your empire building, which will serve as stock building complexes and stores for your fleet of big ships. Likewise your pit

possible for you to buy Police licences, so you get paid for your kills. You will then have an [L] after the race rankings in your pilot info, for each race you have bought a licence from. Q: I accidentally made a Station an enemy, can I make it friendly again? A: If you manage to upset a sector station, you can find a pirate station within three sectors and look for a BBS message for any shady characters offering hacking services to change your status with that station. Q: I launched a fleet attack on a race whose sector I wanted, would they take it back? A: Yes they will start to rebuild their stations in that sector and if any of your freight/fighter ships travel through any of their sectors, they will destroy them. You will also find they will no longer sell you any goods or buy from your stations and it will take you a long time to earn their trust again. Q: Why do my ships keep attacking other race ships? A: Check the ships command console and race settings to change the Friend/Foe details and then make sure you have not left the ship setting Show as enemy if enemy to me - Yes. If you have and then make an enemy of a Paranid ship, the other ships with this setting will attack Paranid ships. Q: Is my Fighting Rank reduced if I do not fight for a long period? A: Your combat rank will decrease slightly over time if you do not fight, but the decrease is
more noticeable if you use SETA for long periods other than travelling.
Q: How do I apologise for friendly fire? A: Should you accidentally cause damage or death to a ship, to which you had no hostile intentions, you can contact local sector police or military vessels to declare the incident and avail yourself of any punishment.
"Dream the impossible dream, Fight the unbeatable foe, Strive with your last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable star." Unk Nown

MISSIONS

Non-Plot Missions (Got ship need Credits) When docked at a Station, select Station, Bulletin Board (BBS), read the news and see what missions are available. There are a number of trading and non-trading missions you can obtain from station Bulletin Boards. These can sometimes help you increase your reputation and more importantly increase your Credits. Here are some of the more basic missions you can use to get started. It is important to note that some of these will require a particular trading and or fighting rank for you to be accepted for them. Taxi Runs (Take me here, there and everywhere) This is a very simple mission that can make you some decent money at the start of a new game. It requires you to take the person offering this mission to the station of his choice within a certain amount of time. If you succeed in bringing him or her to the station on time, you get paid. If not, you get a nasty message and a bad record in your personal info screen. The time limit is very long, so it is easy to make lots of money, albeit slowly, with these missions. The higher your rank and status the higher the payments will be, as your reputation will determine how reliable you are. You can use the Jumpdrive without penalty to get there quicker. Equally if you are late you will not get paid. Unlike the next missions it will be unlikely that you will encounter hostile forces. Shady Taxi Runs (Xenon Invitations) These are like sending out invitations to the Xenon for captures, Credits and reputation. You will be asked by some character to help them get for Location A to Location B, but they will warn you that you are likely to encounter some Xenon or hostile forces that may try to stop them reaching their destination. If you have bitten off more than you can chew and are completely out-gunned, a simple strategy is to head for the nearest gate at great speed. Then on the other side of the gate you will be able to catch them in ones or twos at a time. Xenon Invasion Missions (Help wanted) Here is another chance for you to not only impress the locals and get plenty of race and fighting rank increases, but you will also get paid good Credits for your troubles. To find these missions, dock at various trading stations that are one to three sectors from any Xenon sector and check out the Bulletin boards. The amount of and types of Xenon will increase the higher your ranking, so they will always tax your current skills and abilities, but the rewards will also increase accordingly. This is also a good way to acquire lots of race rank boosts; with lots of enemies to clear up, the locals will be very grateful and your status will improve with them. Trading Missions These are usually requests to collect and deliver some urgently needed resources for a station in the same or other sectors. There are usually quite strict collection and delivery timescales, so it is important to have a Jumpdrive and a range of ships available. Some missions may require the class of your current ship and others may need a TS Transporter class ship. Plot Missions 1 to 7 [SPOILER] When you start in Argon Prime you will have an Argon Buster M4 equipped with a Jumpdrive and will receive a request from Ban Danna that you join the squadron that is waiting for you in the sector of Home of Light. In this first mission Gamma Flight will be waiting by the north gate of that sector.

launched either simultaneously, or in swift succession, allowing the pilot to strafe the target with a barrage of missiles.

Seekers

Blizzard Missile Yield (10000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: FF Swarm Seeker The Blizzard Missile offers combatants the ability to effectively deal with multiple targets with the use of one missile. While not as powerful as a one-shot direct unit, the missile will split into several independent components that will track separate enemies using your shipcomputer's friend or foe (FF) signatures. Tempest Missile Yield (60000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: FF Tracking Seeker Dependent on the IFF settings of the ship computer of the vessel it was launched from, the Tempest Missile scans for enemy targets and establishes priority of attack. In doing so, if the primary target is lost, it will immediately lock down the secondary, and so on, until it either runs out of fuel, or makes contact. Thunderbolt Missile Yield (75000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: Heat Seeker The Thunderbolt Heat seeker Missile uses inbuilt guidance systems to lock on to heat signatures in both visible and infrared spectrums. Doing so allows it to track targets in areas where doing so would otherwise be impossible. Classically used when engaging targets at distance, although pilots have since found other more ingenious uses for them.

Image recognition (IR)

Mosquito Missile Yield (200) Fusing: Contact Guidance: IR The Mosquito Missile is the most commonly used light missile in space fight. The main purpose of this weapon is missile defence for craft without a rear gun turret. Excellent for destroying fighter drones. Most ships can use this missile. Rapier Missile Yield (4000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: IR Fresh from the drawing boards of the Argon Military Research Labs and not yet in official production, the Rapier missile can acquire and lock down targets at speed, launching a lightning-quick attack against an enemy vessel, far faster than many pilots reflexes. Used in close-range combat, often in numbers, as well as through medium-range evasive routines, this device is considered to be an essential backup to any standard array of laser weaponry. Disruptor Missile Yield (10000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: IR The disruptor missile is an invention of the pirate faction, the Yaki. The missile uses enhanced ion particles to disrupt the electronics and engines of the vessel it hits, leaving the hull and other systems intact. Cyclone Missile Yield (20000) Fusing: Proximity Guidance: Swarm IR Similar to the Blizzard, the Cyclone Missile offers the same ability to deal with multiple targets with one armament. Lacking the power of a single larger weapon, this missile will split at a certain distance from the target into several smaller units that will use Image Recognition tracking to engage confirmed enemies in the field of engagement. Silkworm Missile Yield (24000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: IR The Silkworm Missile combines the quantum technology with a warhead able to destroy even heavily protected targets. This missile will be typically used for attacks on large fighters or transports. Banshee Missile Yield (?) Fusing: Proximity Guidance: IR A powerful military-grade medium range image-recognition missile, the Banshee offers pilots the chance to show their enemies the true meaning of fear. While not the fastest missile available, its yield and strong acquisition ability allow it to be used in a wide range of combat scenarios against medium to heavy fighters.

They are available in 1 MJ Shield, typically used by Small fighters and scout ships. Some fighters, transporters and passenger ships use 5 MJ Shields and these ships are sometimes alternatively equipped with much more powerful 25 MJ or 125MJ. 1 GJ Shields, (1 GJ = 1000MJ) are used by destroyers, battleships, carriers and heavy Transporter ships. The 10 GJ Shield is the most powerful protection known. Typically they are used onboard large installations
SQUASH Mine A very destructive mine. Typically used to protect important strategic locations. Beware: This mine does not have friend-foe recognition! TRACKER The TRACKER mine is developed for short-range blockades. Once triggered it flies towards its victim. The only way to survive a TRACKER mine is to outrun the mine long enough to trigger its self-destruction. Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so - Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)

WARES & COMMODITIES

Argnu beef Argnu originally roamed wild over the lower foothills of the Argon mountain ranges. Argnu meat, when processed for off planet export is sold in half-tonne pressed blocks known as Cahoona Meatsteaks. Artefacts Relics of ancient civilisations can be found all over the universe. These artefacts vary in size and shape but most were built with sophisticated advanced technology. The origins of these artefacts are still unclear and Argon and Boron archaeologists are working to decipher their purpose. Artificial Fertilizer In recent Jazuras the Argon Agriculture Council has decided that it is unsafe to use Fertilizer from the Argnu Cattle. This artificial fertiliser created by the AAC contains all the essential elements that plants need for growth but eliminates the ones that are harmful to other life forms. Biological Micro Organisms These micro-organisms are used by the Boron to create new and advanced pharmaceuticals. Using their advanced genetic techniques, the Boron have discovered many cures to previously incurable diseases. The Boron Medical Council now controls the regulation of these micro-organisms in most sectors. The Boron actively search out new species and have discovered varieties that are used to manufacture fertilizer and to treat radioactive waste. BoFu BoFu meals are known to be very nutritious and healthy. The Boron love them and it is said that their pilots can live on just a nugget of BoFu for almost a Wozura. BoFu is grown in special BoFu Chemical Labs from Plankton and other secret ingredients. Even though the

Boron are famous for their delicious Stott spices among other races, the taste of BoFu is no joy to anybody but them. BoGas BoGas. The unusual natural resources found within the planet Boron mean that the planet is really a huge chemical factory. From these many chemicals the Boron manufactures a unique gas that is used throughout the universe as the ultimate painkiller and anaesthetic. After the Boron government stopped any commercial use of the natural resources of its planet Boron gas is now artificially reproduced in Bio Gas Factories throughout the Boron Kingdom. Cartography Chips Designed and produced by the military, these cartography chips contain important information on individual sectors or the universe as a whole. They detail the positions of all known military facilities and stellar phenomena. Chelts Meat Chelts are natural sea bound animals that once roamed the seas and oceans on the Split home planet that the Split killed for meat, oil and their skins, which they processed to create tough leather, like material. However for many Jazuras Chelts were over hunted and almost brought to extinction. Nowadays Chelts are grown in space Chelt Aquariums and are later sold to Split food factories. Cloth Rimes Argon cloth is one of the most versatile items to be found throughout the X Universe. It is traded in great bolts of cloth known as Rimes. Produced by merging the stems of Delexian Wheat with various animal fat based oils, it provides the raw materials for hard wearing and durable clothing, such as work suits and leisure clothing. The Argon also use this material for all kinds of packaging. Argon Cloth is also further processed into explosive materials and used in weapons manufacture. Computer Components Computer Components are important resources for the production of all modern technology. From wristwatches to gigantic spaceships, computers control everything. Construction Equipment Modern construction equipment is designed to allow the construction of vast space stations safely and quickly. It is vital for the economic growth of all races Crystals Crystals are important for the production of various weapons. They are produced in Crystal Fabs from Silicon wafers. Delexian Wheat Delexian wheat is grown on the plains of Argon. Argon settlers have taken this plant wherever they have colonised a planet, and nowadays even grow it on gigantic farms floating in space. It is a yellowish green plant that stands four to five feet tall. The top of the plant produces grain which, when threshed, produces a versatile flour like substance which forms the substance for all Argon foodstuffs. Energy Cells Energy Cells are the unified energy storage used throughout the whole known universe. The unification of the energy storage specifications allows for interstellar trading with this most basic of all products. Engine Components Engine components are used in the manufacture and repair of spacecraft engines. The plasma drive is the most common engine system used in modern spacecraft. It makes use of a high-energy ionised plasma stream from a fusion core to propel the ship. These drives are very stable and simple in construction and need little maintenance.

Entertainment Chips Entertainment chips contain films, books or interactive entertainment. They are used all throughout the known universe. Many Boron titles, however, have been banned in the Split sectors. Food Rations Small packs of food usually used in combat or refugee conditions. These packs of food contain freeze-dried Argnu beef, dried BoFu and water rations. Although not appetizing, these foods can mean the difference between life and starvation. Hand Weapons There are many different designs of hand weapons to allow for the physical capabilities of each race. They range from knives and swords to sophisticated military guns and rifles. Hackerchips A new and expensive computer chip created by some pirate factions. These Hacker chips are designed as an adaptive hacking tool, automatically redirecting signals, creating viruses and generally making a hacker's life easier. They are easily identifiable because they contain their own power source - a small fusion battery that powers the chip for a Jazura. They cannot be obtained through the usual sources and are used by some pirates to hack station reputations. Luxury Foodstuffs Many planets produce they own Luxury Foodstuffs that are coveted by connoisseurs all over the universe. They are packed into refrigerated boxes and shipped quickly to their destination. Because of the cost and short shelf life these foodstuffs are usually only used at important functions. Majaglit Majaglit is made from the shell of the Maja snail and is a very precious material used by many races for creating jewellery and ornamentation. Due to its precious nature it fetches high prices. The few space jewelleries capable of processing Majaglit are famous for high quality artworks. Maja Snails Maja snails are found in pools and rivers deep underground on the Paranid home planet. Their shells are very shiny and, when subjected to certain light sources, produce a myriad of different colours. In Space they are cultivated on Snail Ranches. Massom powder Massom is a powdered form of Scruffin. It is a basic yellow powder produced by the Split from the Scruffin, a sweet potato-like food grown by the Split. Other races that use it to mix and enhance their own foodstuff trade this powder. It is manufactured in Massom Mills found everywhere in the Split territory and sold in large, one-tonne bulk containers. Meatsteak Cahoonas Argon Meatsteaks are traded throughout the universe. They provide a nutritious meat-based food suitable for most types of races. Some races prefer to use Argon Meatsteaks in conjunction with different Boron Spices. It is traded in blocks known as Cahoonas. Medical Equipment Medical equipment can be found all over the universe. This equipment can range from small medicinal bottles to life support systems and portable operating theatres. Microchips Microchips are manufactured from silicon wafers that are especially treated with various coatings to create the required conductivity. They are mainly used in the production process of computer components. Military Personnel

Rastar Oil Rastar is oil produced from the animal fat of the Chelt, a farmed sea-bound animal on Split. This oil, once refined, is very fine and is used by most races to lubricate engines and other moving mechanical parts. It is refined in Rastar Refineries and sold in large barrels known as Gretts. Scruffin Fruits Scruffin is a large type of edible vegetation similar to sweet potatoes. It is grown by Split farmers in large open fields, as well as on gigantic space installations called Scruffin Farms. It is a versatile foodstuff that, when processed, provides a number of Split food types. Even though scruffin is traded inside and outside the Split territory it is mainly demanded by various Split food factories. Silicon Wafers Silicon is the main mineral resource that all modern technology goods are based on. It is usually found just below the surface of asteroids and mined in huge Silicon mines in space. Slaves Pilots who lost their freedom and are captured by pirates often end up being sold as slaves on illegal markets. Spaceflies This creature is a small unintelligent spacefly that lives in the vast emptiness of deep space. They are the size of a small bird and seem to be made out of delicate shining gossamer that reacts to light and shimmers and shines in a multitude of colours. The Markus live in vast complex hives in hollowed out parts of asteroids and perform a valuable function by collecting space junk and other debris, which they capture and take back to their asteroids to be used in the construction of their hives. They travel together in great swarms and communicate with a series of musical notes, similar to bird song, that impossibly echo in space. Their beauty, and the beauty of their music, is famed throughout the X Universe and all intelligent space races delight in seeing them. Pilots will stop to watch a swarm fly past. Creatures working on the outside of ships and space stations have claimed that the Markus will fly near them and even perch on them, singing all the while. However, throughout space, sightings of The Markus Space Fly are becoming very rare. This is mainly due to the actions of The Split, who capture and use the small space fly to power their spaceships. Currently the Foundation Guild are pressing for the Markus to be made a protected species and pressure is being put on the Split to change their system of powering their spaceship engines. It is believed that, despite a universal ban on their capture or trading, some pirates still hunt and capture this creature in order to sell them to the Split. Space Fuel Members of the Argon race never trade Argon Whisky openly. It is known as Space Fuel and is smuggled in containers known as Fuel Tanks as only few stations have a trading concession. A cheap imitation of Argon whisky, called space fuel, is produced in whisky producing plants, and smuggled into all other race sectors.

The image above is the whole of the ship interface in view. In the following section you will see different parts of this explained in more detail. There are a number of information screens showing various readouts. These have been summarised into the Overlay for ease of reading.
The overlay will also appear on the screen when in any external view as well as the interface. It can be disabled in the options menu. The overlay can be split down into three distinct areas of data. 1. On the bottom left is the Shield and Hull indicators. The top one (Blue) indicates the shield strength. The lower one (Green) shows the hull strength. Damage to the shields will repair as they recharge, but damage to the hull will slow your ship and will need repairing at a shipyard. 2. The front of the bar shows the digital speed, while the arrow indicates if the direction is forwards or backwards. The bar will actively show the speed and will indicate if SETA is in use. Apart from using the keys, the ship speed can also set by clicking on the speed bar. 3. On the right is the Radar display. This shows the real-time 3-dimensional radar. The Radar can be set to varying scan distances. Clicking on the icon next to the Radar loads the quick access icons. The Radar, sector map and navigation systems all use the same icons. There is a mini menu available in the bottom right corner of the radar. Double-clicking this icon will open a mini menu, with a list of icons for other menu shortcuts including original mode command console, Quick menu and other items.
Context Menus When you double-click on any target object, either in the radar circle or on the screen, it executes the first icon of the context menu, which will have opened with the first click. That action is the default for the object you are clicking on. E.g. if its a ship, it will cause you to follow that ship, if its an enemy it will cause you to attack, if its a station it will cause you to dock. Examples of context icons:

Context All

Enemies Your Ships Station
Default Actions Fly to (default for ships) Dock at (default for stations) Map to mini monitor Attack (RED icon) Attack (default) Fly to (not default with enemies) Follow me Protect me Kill enemies Map cockpit to monitor Dock at (default)
Radar Symbols In the interface view you will see the multi target radar symbols. Grey coloured ones are sector ships. Red ones are enemies. Green ones are your ships and missiles. The three or more blue dots at the side of the symbol indicate the ship status. The current target has a directional arrow as shown on the graphic on the right, which is also pointing in the direction of the ship. Using the [ PgUp ] and [ PgDn ] keys you can change the active target. You can also select a target using M.O.U.S.E control. To do so, simply right-click to activate the M.O.U.S.E control. Then left-click on the desired target icon. Once more right-click the M.O.U.S.E to restore normal control. The symbols indicate the class of Stations

and ships.

L.Tow.

A.Sat Rock. Astro

Station
Flying by M.O.U.S.E In M.O.U.S.E cursor mode, clicking somewhere on the screen (outside any icon areas) will turn off the autopilot if it was on and will then set a direct course towards a spot underneath the M.O.U.S.E cursor location several KM in front of the ship. This means the ship can be turned in steps of 45 degrees (at a 90 degree POV) relatively fast. The M.O.U.S.E is the most effective input device for interacting with the Ship Interface. Apart from being able to direct the ship to fly with double-clicks on ships, factories or anywhere on the screen, it provides command control over all the ship controls and weapon systems. The context menus will respond with the most common actions like: Communications, Map to monitor (only top right monitor), Stop playership (which was executing a command), Protect me (your ships), Enter (One of your ships either from suit or with Transporter device) and many other actions. HUD The head up display is situated in the middle of your view and has various functions to aid your navigation and combat. The two numbers on the top left are your current speed and selected target speed. This is an image of an active HUD. The HUD is active when you have a target selected. The number in the top right is the targets current speed and at the bottom is its current distance away from you. Graphic of docking with speed above limit: When an enemy is targeted the same data appears on the HUD, but this time in red. In combat a series of red, decreasing size markers point in the direction of the enemy vessel to aid target acquisition. The target ship is surrounded by the laser-targeting computer indicator (brackets), which calculates where you should fire to hit your foe. This is referred to as leading the target. If you fire where your foe is then your shots will miss, as the enemy will have moved by the time your shots get there. So you need to fire ahead of
the target where it will be when your shots arrive. This is what the laser-targeting computer achieves. It can be disabled in the options menu and like most equipment, upgraded. All enemy objects will appear as red in the Radar. Below is an active HUD tracking
A single click on a symbol of the target system or on a bracketed object will set the active target and open the context menu for it. A double click will activate the default action in the context menu. 5
Images 1 to 5 show different versions of the bars holding information for tracked objects: 1 - A ship icon as seen in the target brackets. Only has short shield energy bar. 2 - The active target icon as part of the target brackets. Shield and hull + brackets. 3 - A ship on screen and in range but not actively targeted: Shield and hull. 4 - Active target on screen: shield and hull 5 - Ship with surrounding onscreen brackets at max size The size of brackets marking an object in the players view scales depending on the visible size of the object onscreen. It has a minimum size that is just a little bigger than the brackets around the active target icon in the target system circle and a maximum size for close objects. You can also open multiple mini-monitor views and target them via the function keys (see keyboard section) that enable you to track and control many objects and/or targets at once. There are two potential monitors one left one on the right. The left one is always dedicated to auto target; the right one is the only monitor than can be mapped to another action.

Once a combat upgrade has been acquired you can set the intelligence of each weapon turret (if available), including missile fire probability, on the ship. Since the larger ships can have many turrets it is entirely possible to establish a mix between missile defence and offensive posture around your vessel. Bear this in mind when you are shopping for weapons to mount into your turrets. High powered, slow firing lasers are no match for small nimble fighters and missiles, so mix in lower powered faster firing ones. You will need to seek out the various upgrades, as not all are necessarily available at the same place, so you will have to travel to other race sectors for some.
"When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge." - Albert Einstein
HOW TO TRAVEL TO DIFFERENT SECTORS
There are two very important functions of your ships systems that you will not be able to get too far without. These are the Sector map and the Universe map accessed by the comma [ , ] and full stop (period) [. ] keys respectively or the Quick Menu by selecting [ Navigation ]. The displays are overlaid onto your main view and you are advised to keep your eyes focused on your trajectory. Some pilots find it beneficial to stop their engines while accessing the navigation aids or indeed they do this from the comfort and security of docking clamps at a larger ship or station, so avoiding collisions while otherwise distracted.
The sector map is divided into two main sections. The left part is the real time top down view of the sector and is always orientated in the same direction. I.e. The North is top and the South is bottom. Navigation and travelling across big sectors
The Universe is big, and can be very big in some sectors. To give scale to the size of some of these, the above pictures show the scanning range of a Triplex scanner in two different sized sectors. The screen on the left has two ships in an unknown sector, the left one has no scanner and the right one has a Triplex scanner. The picture on the right is the same ship, with the same Triplex scanner in Argon Prime. You can get Duplex scanners from most of the
races but you will have to have a good reputation with the Boron or Paranid to get Triplex scanners. How to Find Distant Gates To complicate the navigation, many Gates are not positioned in exact North, East, West and South (NEWS) locations and can also be positioned well outside the sector grid, with as much as 200 km or more between them. Additionally some sectors have dust and nebula fog that make many objects and factories almost invisible until you are almost on top of them. Most but not all gates, where the opposing gate is also well outside the sector range, can be navigated by continuing in the same direction as you entered the sector. If you detect ships in your scanner range, you will sometimes see long lines of ships, which seem to be coming from far out of the sector. Heading in the direction they are coming from will reveal the gate that they entered the sector by. Alternatively in some very large sectors where gates are in difficult to find locations, you can find Navigation Beacons that you can follow to find the main ship traffic lane. The complications of navigation in large sectors has resulted in some abandoned ships and cargo drifting well outside the normal traffic lanes and never being recovered or discovered, if found these can then be claimed. Object Menus The right hand side of the sector display has ALL, STATIONS and SHIPS. ALL shows both stations and ships. A busy sector can contain hundreds of objects so the STATIONS and SHIPS tabs can be filtered respectively. From any menu you can highlight the object and select it. This will open that objects properties screens, from which all further options will become available, these are dependent on the object type and ownership. All your owned objects appear in green in the sector maps and menus and the shield strength of owned property is updated dynamically.

g) Placing standard or advanced Satellites in sectors provides a very effective way to locate Pirates and other enemies in transit. You can jump to the gate they are heading towards and make your kill or capture, increasing your fighting and race rank. For best placement of Satellites, when you enter a sector, nose-up your ship 30 degrees and place well above the middle of the sector.
h) Reputation can be earned by understanding the conflicts of the different races in the universe. If you are prepared to lose or lower your reputation with one race, you can target ships from their traditional enemies. Gain rank with Argon Boron Paranid Split Teladi By killing Paranid, Kha'ak, Xenon or Pirates in Argon space Split, Kha'ak, Xenon or Pirates in Boron space Argon, Kha'ak, Xenon or Pirates in Paranid space Boron, Kha'ak, Xenon or Pirates in Split space Kha'ak or Xenon in Teladi space (No rep gain for killing Pirates)

HOW TO START TRADING

Trading is one of the most important features in the X Universe and essentially there are two different levels to it. The first level is the easiest and most straightforward, that is buying, transporting and then selling goods at the various stations (at a profit of course!). The next level is buying and managing your own factories, keeping them supplied with their required resources and then selling the finished product to other stations which need it. You may also decide to command other ships in your fleet to go out and trade automatically for you. For now though, we will stick with basic trading. The key to good profit margins is understanding stock levels; the higher the stock a factory has, the cheaper the selling price is, so these are the factories where you should buy. The best places to sell this cheaper stock is to factories with low stocks, as their buying prices will be higher than others. Factories selling or buying with average stocks will only provide average profits. The Best Buy and Sell upgrades are essential for trading as they provide a very quick way of finding the cheapest items to buy and the best place to sell them in a sector. They can be purchased at Teladi Equipment Docks. A beginners guide to a trading run You will soon find that there are ships better suited than others to trading. Some ships cannot trade certain goods due to the size of the cargo. You can discover these, but for now well just concentrate on how to trade. Were going to buy some Energy Cells from a Solar Power Plant in The Wall and sell them to the Weapon Component Factory Alpha in Argon Prime. Once docked at our chosen Solar Power Plant, the price of the Energy Cells will be revealed to us. We have selected The Wall as it is normally easy to find a well-stocked station filled with Energy Cells. You will soon learn to recognise a specific station from its appearance, and also how it is depicted on your Radar (Solar Power Plants have unique symbols). You may also find it useful to look for the station logos advertising their wares. Your ships computer will tell you once youve targeted and locked on to a Solar Power Plant you now need to dock there. Once docked, you can select Station, Trade to trade with the station. This will reveal the trade screen as right: You will now be able to see the status of the factory, in terms of how much stock it holds, the selling price, how many units of resources it has, and the buying price of these resources. Without giving too much away, as a guide a good price for purchasing Energy Cells is Credits per unit. To buy the product, highlight it and then you have several options to tell the computer how much you want to buy: All the Trade menus can be controlled with M.O.U.S.E cursor or you can use the standard Data Input Interface. 1. Enter the number of units and hit Right Cursor and Return. If you have sufficient Credits, the cargo is bought and transferred to your cargo hold. 2. Press End and then Return. If you have sufficient Credits, and the station has enough of that product, this will fill up your cargo hold to the maximum available. 3. Use the Left and Right Cursor keys to increase or decrease the amount required and then hit Return once you have decided.

Understanding the X Universe Economy
The economy in the X Universe is unique in that it is dynamically priced. What this literally means is that the prices of goods are affected by supply and demand or by wars and theft. As an example, if a Solar Power Plant is well stocked with Energy Cells then the selling price will be low this is the principle of supply. However, if a Weapon Component Factory is low on the Energy Cells that it needs to continue producing Ammunition, then that factory will pay a premium price for any Energy Cells delivered to it, as the demand is high. If you spot two stations stocks that match this criteria, then congratulations you have just discovered a very profitable trading opportunity. You may find that some sectors have what can be classed as milk runs, that is where there is (nearly) always a profit to be made. Trade routes such as this will be very important to you as you strive to gain more Credits. Later, as you gain more Credits, you will find methods and upgrades that will make trading even more profitable and easier. In addition to factories, you will also find Trading Stations scattered around the X universe which will buy and sell a limited amount of products at fixed prices.
Each race has a hierarchy of goods it manufactures. Some are common across the races and others specific to a race. At the bottom of the technology pyramid are the widely available raw materials like Energy, Bio and Minerals. At the top are the luxury goods and technological systems including weapons, with various products in-between. If the local availability of a product is low, its price will increase. Likewise, the price will decrease when quantities are increased through the manufacturing processes of each factory. Other Useful Trading Tools As we mentioned, the economy in the X universe is dynamic and inter-dependent. A shortage of one specific resource can have knock-on effects throughout the whole universe, especially if it is a base product that all stations require, such as Energy Cells. The Teladi are a race driven almost solely by profit and their trading secrets are well guarded. The Split curator of the Profit Guild, Hut FNaak did however commence work on a valuable resource known as the Trading Pyramid, but he has since vanished. Rumours that the Teladi assassinated him cannot be substantiated, however the early parts of his work still exist as shown below:
Hut FNaaks notes, that formed the basis of the above, are detailed below. You are reminded that this information may not be entirely complete or accurate. Most of the factories that produce end-products like missiles, shields or other weapons rely on primary resources like energy, ore and food products. Primary resources are what a factory needs to build its end-product, but it can also use secondary resources where the primary resources are in short supply. As most Teladi hatchlings learn in their first lessons, although it can be profitable to just keep building factories to supply primary resources, the demand for these products will decrease when the market reaches a point of saturation, seriously reducing your potential profits.

How to hire a TL-class large transport ship Start the setting up of a single station by hiring a Transport Large-class ship. These enormous ships with ST cargo bays are required to carry the construction kit, materials and drones for factories and stations around the sectors. These huge ships are amazing to watch, as they transport three or more stations at a time, but it wise to keep clear of their path as they are slow to stop or turn and will just plough through you if you are in their way. A checklist of items for your first station. Ensure: You have researched where you are going to place your factory by ensuring that there will be a demand for your products. You have enough Credits to: o Buy the factories o Pay the TL Captain up to 10,000 Credits for each sector they travel through. (Warning if you do not have enough Credits for the whole journey, your factory might be sold by the captain, and you might lose your Credits). o Buy one or more well equipped TS class transporters, to buy resources for your factories. o To invest in the initial raw materials or alternatively have a large starting stock of resources to get it started o Have a 200,000 Credit start-up fund for your station to pay for resources. Factories may cost between 400,000 to almost 20 million Credits, so in deciding to go for one of the basic factories with all the above, a rough figure of about 1,000,000 Credits would be required. Class TL Argon Mammoth The first step is to contact a TL Captain by getting within 8km of the ship and using the comm. Instruct the Captain to follow you. Then head to the Shipyard. As you arrive comm. the TL Captain again and ask them to move to the shipyard, and then select the Shipyard from the map. If you select the shipyard from your flying ship and press [ I ] you will be able to buy and sell without docking (if Trading System Extension is installed). The factories available will turn from unavailable red to available white when the TL has docked with the shipyard. Purchase the factory and comm. the TL Captain to follow you or to move to the sector you want to set your factory up in. Take this opportunity, by using the [ PgDn ] key, to purchase the TS ships that you will need to get the resources for your factory. Remember that you have to be in the sector where you need your station, to get the TL Captain to place your station. Should your hired TL be destroyed while carrying your precious cargo, you will receive a message to that effect. When the TL is in the immediate area of where you want it to be, comm. the TL Captain and ask them to drop your freight here. Use the Factory Positioning and [ Insert ] keys to position it in the X and Y-axis and set its orientation. (More info at Command Keys - Factory Positioning) Alternatively if you are constructing a Silicon or Ore mine, you have will have to ask the TL Captain to move to position, by selecting the target asteroid as the position to move to. When it gets within 4 km of the asteroid ask the TL Captain to Drop your freight and select the asteroid.

Teladi

The ultimate traders marketplace, where anything goes. Extremely high price variation in bio and food. Tech factories will have a very wide range on margins and profitability. Its extremely easy to make money in Teladi sectors, but just as
easy to lose it. The Teladi are not very inventive, tending to borrow tech from other races, but are excellent in exploiting what they get, and are the masters of producing and trading all base commodities. Factory Prices Basic materials: High tech commodities: Weaponry and shields: Teladi squeeze the last drop out of common items. Excellent: Cheaper than average Solar Plants and Mines. Good: Again, the Teladi are above average in many types of common technical commodities. Budget gurus: The Teladi excel in manufacturing lower priced, "lower tech technology" that has been around forever. They dont really do cutting edge technology.
"No profit grows where there is no pleasure taken." - William Shakespeare

Build and Trade Guidance

We have been able to offer a rare chance to gain some experience of the best factory and system traders at the annual convention and lectures of the Guild of System Merchants. The first of these are extracts from the questions asked of the famous Argon Tidi Onetree, who has defined the current understanding of energy on his famed guide for Solar Power Profits. After his lengthy and very interesting lecture, he opened the floor to questions. Factories Q: Factories; are they expensive? A: The price varies greatly, dependent upon the technology level of that factory, e.g. Food factories are much cheaper than Laser Tower factories. Remember also that the price of a factory may vary between races, even if it is of the same type. Stations become more and more expensive for the same amount as you 'climb higher up the tech ladder'. Q: Can I place my own factories anywhere? A: Just about, yes. A few words of advice though before you place a factory. There is no point in placing a factory producing goods in an area where there is an over-supply already of those goods as you are immediately against the competition (unless this is what you intended of course). Conversely, there is no gain to be made in positioning your factory in an area that does not require what you sell. The stations and complexes in the systems you visit will be relatively close to each other. There is nothing stopping you placing your factories anywhere in a sector. Please bear in mind that your ships need to fetch resources and your customers need to travel to you. Q: So I purchased and deployed my own factory and Im on my way to Mogul status. But my factory isnt making any money and it flashes yellow in the system map. Help? A: The yellow flashing is warning you that the factory in question is in need of some attention and is probably too low in resources or Credits to make its product. It does not specify what the problem is; only that something is stopping the factory from operating (note: your property will flash red when under attack). This could be a lack of resources, a lack of Credits to purchase resources, a lack of ships to go and fetch/purchase the resources or a combination of any coupled with the fact that the settings you have applied to the factory are stopping it from working correctly, for example how many systems in which you will allow the ships to go searching for resources. Q: I have transport ships and Credits. How do I get my factory to get what it needs? A: Firstly, transfer Credits to the factory from your account. Every factory requires working capital to buy its resources. You must then assign your transport ship(s) to that factory. This is known as their homebase. Once you have assigned a ship its homebase, a whole set of new command options will become available.

With the buy wares you can buy from the merchants wares that are on offer, with details on the amounts and the size of cargo bay required. You can equally use the sell wares to barter what wares you have that the merchants might be willing to buy. If you dont have the right goods that the merchant is interested in, you could try cash and see if you can still get a good profit out of the deal. Or you even may spot good value opportunities from other merchants, who may sometimes be trying to get rid of surplus stock, at a discount price. There is additional information from the merchants listing where you can select a merchant and an information screen will show a list of the wares, on that merchant's buy and sell lists. You will have to have enough goods to roughly equal the value in a fair trade. The merchants that inhabit these stations have personalities as diverse as their range of wares. Though some of these merchants might be willing to take a small loss on a trade, others might offer you a bad deal, by trying to milk as many extra Credits out of you as they can. If you have been trading a lot in a particular sector, you may get to know some of these merchants, as they will have probably benefited from your sector activities.

HOW TO FIGHT AND CAPTURE

If your intention is to make fast Credits by taking what others have, you are best advised to familiarised yourself with your Weapons Control System in the earlier Interface section. Why capture ships? For many the first aim will be to obtain a decent M3 Class fighter with 25MJ shields and if you have chosen the QuickStart you already have an Argon Mercury Transporter. Powerful shields are one of the first survival must-haves, but an M3 equipped with them can cost two million or more Credits. Additionally, at the start of the game, you do not have a high enough reputation to buy one. But there is a quick way to get one on the cheap. Fight/Capture Pirates = Credits, ships, rank and notoriety. These factors work together to produce faster financial gains than other options, but at a cost - your life (salvage insurance) and hull damage. This is a more risky choice but with potentially quick and profitable returns. You start with a Argon Buster with four Beta Particle Accelerators Cannons (PACs) and three 5MJ Shields. With the Buster you can take out Pirate M5s, M4s and M3s with 5MJ shields. If you are very good, with missiles and cannons, you might even capture a M3 with 25MJ Shields intact. If you capture an M3 class fighter you can then repair and it kit out with the profits from selling other ships and equipment from your smaller captures. Targeting When you first target the ship it can be useful to make sure the auto-target is switched on with the [ k ] key. At a distance it will show as a red X on your targeted ship. When you are within weapons range it will change to the auto-target reticule. To use the Auto-Target feature (Fight Software I & II) press the [ k ] key once for basic Auto-Target (FS1) and twice for the improved Auto-Target (FS2). As you fire, aim for this auto-target reticule as that will compensate for the direction and speed of the ship that you are aiming and firing at (leading the target). Fighting and Firing The best way to use your weapons is first to keep your selection of lasers to a couple of powerful ones like Alpha HEPTs and a couple of basic ones like Beta Particle Cannons per group. If you also have some Ion Disruptors in another group (Note: Ions can hit locals and damage your rep if you are not up close and in line of sight with the target) you can use these to quickly knock down their shields. With your different groupings, you can quickly select your weapons of choice mid-fight.

As you get near the section with the Pods the beeping will get more frequent until you are almost on top of them and the beep will be almost continuous. Now go through the door now the forcefield is down and at the next intersection turn right and right again. Go ahead and then left and left again. Turn right and down in to the next large area with the hatches, fire at them to release them until all six escape pod doors are blown. Carry on to the next cross-section where the red arrows indicate where you have come from and go down the corridor with the blue arrow and at the next cross section, where it goes down and then continue down the right corridor and the next cross section. Fly through the blue ring and then take the next corridor on the right, take out the two lasers and shoot at the six escape pod doors until they are blown. You will then rejoin Saya with Miria and head off to
The Marauder in Farnham's Legend and contact the station.
Note: there are a further seven missions, numbers eight to fourteen, that continue the plot storyline. By using this walk-through you should now be familiar with the requirements of the next ones.

UPGRADES & EQUIPMENT

Upgrades/Equipment There are many items that can be acquired to enhance your fleet and defend your property. Many of these come in different configurations of the same type. For instance there are various levels of each laser weapon type increasing in destructive power with the associated cost and energy drain. Be aware that some technologies are only available from certain areas of space or indeed certain races and you may need to search hard to find the most coveted upgrades. Also remember that you can only dock with races where your standing with them allows it. The enemy of a race is not a good thing to be if you need equipment that only they can supply. Advanced Satellite This satellite is the next generation of advanced communications, providing live information of ship traffic and commodity prices that are relayed to your ship computer. This model has a much larger scanning range than the standard Satellite. It still retains many of the old features that allow for navigation and information relay. Best Buys Locator The best buys locator can help you find the one location in your current system where you can buy each available product for the lowest price. Very helpful for advanced traders! Best Selling Price Locator This Upgrade can help you find the one location inside your current sector where you can sell each of your trading items for the highest price. Very useful for advanced traders! Boost Extension This boost extension allows your ship to accelerate with three times its normal acceleration. This extension is essential in some combat situations. Camera Drone New on the public market and developed by the Argon military to acquire accurate tactical information, the Camera Drone has been updated over the last decade to incorporate the newest in video capture technology to feed live information to the person who remotely controls the device. Today the device is used to survey new sectors and planets, as well as spying on neighbours and monitoring enemy activities. Camouflage Device This is a specialised device originally developed for spy missions by the Paranid; the technology behind the device is unknown. It renders the ship invisible to Radar and to sight. Because of its dangerous nature it is now considered highly illegal in most sectors as there are fears that if the device falls into either Pirate or Xenon hands, any of the sentient races would be at risk to attack. There are rumours that each race military has a covert operations squadron equipped these devices. Cargo bay extension Your cargo bay will be extended by a certain amount of cargo units using subspace compression technology. This extension will be more expensive every time you use it because of the increasing complexity of the technology used. Cargo Life-support System This life-support system allows you to transport living creatures, passengers and even slaves in your cargo bay.

launched either simultaneously, or in swift succession, allowing the pilot to strafe the target with a barrage of missiles.

Seekers

Blizzard Missile Yield (10000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: FF Swarm Seeker The Blizzard Missile offers combatants the ability to effectively deal with multiple targets with the use of one missile. While not as powerful as a one-shot direct unit, the missile will split into several independent components that will track separate enemies using your shipcomputer's friend or foe (FF) signatures. Tempest Missile Yield (60000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: FF Tracking Seeker Dependent on the IFF settings of the ship computer of the vessel it was launched from, the Tempest Missile scans for enemy targets and establishes priority of attack. In doing so, if the primary target is lost, it will immediately lock down the secondary, and so on, until it either runs out of fuel, or makes contact. Thunderbolt Missile Yield (75000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: Heat Seeker The Thunderbolt Heat seeker Missile uses inbuilt guidance systems to lock on to heat signatures in both visible and infrared spectrums. Doing so allows it to track targets in areas where doing so would otherwise be impossible. Classically used when engaging targets at distance, although pilots have since found other more ingenious uses for them.

Image recognition (IR)

Mosquito Missile Yield (200) Fusing: Contact Guidance: IR The Mosquito Missile is the most commonly used light missile in space fight. The main purpose of this weapon is missile defence for craft without a rear gun turret. Excellent for destroying fighter drones. Most ships can use this missile. Rapier Missile Yield (4000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: IR Fresh from the drawing boards of the Argon Military Research Labs and not yet in official production, the Rapier missile can acquire and lock down targets at speed, launching a lightning-quick attack against an enemy vessel, far faster than many pilots reflexes. Used in close-range combat, often in numbers, as well as through medium-range evasive routines, this device is considered to be an essential backup to any standard array of laser weaponry. Disruptor Missile Yield (10000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: IR The disruptor missile is an invention of the pirate faction, the Yaki. The missile uses enhanced ion particles to disrupt the electronics and engines of the vessel it hits, leaving the hull and other systems intact. Cyclone Missile Yield (20000) Fusing: Proximity Guidance: Swarm IR Similar to the Blizzard, the Cyclone Missile offers the same ability to deal with multiple targets with one armament. Lacking the power of a single larger weapon, this missile will split at a certain distance from the target into several smaller units that will use Image Recognition tracking to engage confirmed enemies in the field of engagement. Silkworm Missile Yield (24000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: IR The Silkworm Missile combines the quantum technology with a warhead able to destroy even heavily protected targets. This missile will be typically used for attacks on large fighters or transports. Banshee Missile Yield (?) Fusing: Proximity Guidance: IR A powerful military-grade medium range image-recognition missile, the Banshee offers pilots the chance to show their enemies the true meaning of fear. While not the fastest missile available, its yield and strong acquisition ability allow it to be used in a wide range of combat scenarios against medium to heavy fighters.

High-Yields

Hurricane Missile Yield (6000) Fusing: Proximity Guidance: IR After some concern that this armament would be nothing more than a continuation of the SQUASH Mine's unethical usage, the Hurricane Missile firmly rooted itself in military circles as being the weapon of choice when dealing with large numbers of small targets. Perfect for both Kha'ak cluster engagements as well as breaking up tight formations of Pirates. Hornet Missile Yield (49000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: IR The Hornet Class Missile is the most powerful weapon known today. The gigantic resources needed to produce this monster also make it extremely expensive. The missile works by setting off a small nuclear charge causing a reaction between three differing elements that are then combined on impact to create a large explosion powerful enough to disrupt even the largest shields. The hornet is, on the other side, the slowest of the known missiles, and is best used against immobile or slow moving targets. Firestorm Torpedo Yield (50000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: IR One of the slowest and most powerful projectile weapons in the current armoury, the Firestorm Torpedo possesses devastating destructive force, at the expense of speed and manoeuvrability. While remarkably easy to shoot down, this weapon, if successful, can inflict great damage to a station, and in volume, even destroy it. Its success against large combat craft can be equally devastating when employed on close-range attack runs. This missile even has some hull protection, so it can survive a few hits before it blows up - needless to say big bangs require big Credits Wildfire Missile Yield (?) Fusing: unknown Guidance: unknown The Wildfire missile is a prototype missile developed by the Industritech Corporation before the Kha'ak attacks. However a production stage has not yet been reached. Some missiles have reportedly gone missing, but official sources have denied that this is the case.

Other Missiles

Remote Guided Warhead - Yield (100000) Fusing: Contact Guidance: Remote The Remote Guided Warhead is designed to be part missile and part drone. It is fired normally however the pilot remotely controls the missile into an accurate firing line. This projectile is similar in build to the Torpedo but with the ability to be guided remotely by the pilot to avoid missile defence fire. It inflicts slightly less damage than the torpedo, however if the player controls it well there is a good chance of causing critical damage to the target. Khaak Sting, Needle and Thorn missiles - Yield (4000, 7450, 15000) Fusing: Proximity These are fast missiles that will explode near the target ship. They have a deadly power against all fighter ships.

Boron are famous for their delicious Stott spices among other races, the taste of BoFu is no joy to anybody but them. BoGas BoGas. The unusual natural resources found within the planet Boron mean that the planet is really a huge chemical factory. From these many chemicals the Boron manufactures a unique gas that is used throughout the universe as the ultimate painkiller and anaesthetic. After the Boron government stopped any commercial use of the natural resources of its planet Boron gas is now artificially reproduced in Bio Gas Factories throughout the Boron Kingdom. Cartography Chips Designed and produced by the military, these cartography chips contain important information on individual sectors or the universe as a whole. They detail the positions of all known military facilities and stellar phenomena. Chelts Meat Chelts are natural sea bound animals that once roamed the seas and oceans on the Split home planet that the Split killed for meat, oil and their skins, which they processed to create tough leather, like material. However for many Jazuras Chelts were over hunted and almost brought to extinction. Nowadays Chelts are grown in space Chelt Aquariums and are later sold to Split food factories. Cloth Rimes Argon cloth is one of the most versatile items to be found throughout the X Universe. It is traded in great bolts of cloth known as Rimes. Produced by merging the stems of Delexian Wheat with various animal fat based oils, it provides the raw materials for hard wearing and durable clothing, such as work suits and leisure clothing. The Argon also use this material for all kinds of packaging. Argon Cloth is also further processed into explosive materials and used in weapons manufacture. Computer Components Computer Components are important resources for the production of all modern technology. From wristwatches to gigantic spaceships, computers control everything. Construction Equipment Modern construction equipment is designed to allow the construction of vast space stations safely and quickly. It is vital for the economic growth of all races Crystals Crystals are important for the production of various weapons. They are produced in Crystal Fabs from Silicon wafers. Delexian Wheat Delexian wheat is grown on the plains of Argon. Argon settlers have taken this plant wherever they have colonised a planet, and nowadays even grow it on gigantic farms floating in space. It is a yellowish green plant that stands four to five feet tall. The top of the plant produces grain which, when threshed, produces a versatile flour like substance which forms the substance for all Argon foodstuffs. Energy Cells Energy Cells are the unified energy storage used throughout the whole known universe. The unification of the energy storage specifications allows for interstellar trading with this most basic of all products. Engine Components Engine components are used in the manufacture and repair of spacecraft engines. The plasma drive is the most common engine system used in modern spacecraft. It makes use of a high-energy ionised plasma stream from a fusion core to propel the ship. These drives are very stable and simple in construction and need little maintenance.

The military always have to move personnel around at short notice. For this purpose they often employ freelance pilots. These passengers usually carry weapons and other goods and their destinations might be dangerous Mining Equipment Mining Equipment, produced by the Galactic Mining Authority, is used to repair or replace equipment on asteroid mines. The equipment ranges from the standard mining drill to advanced laser equipment. Narcotics Narcotics are used widely within the pirate community. These drugs alter the person's perceptions and brain functions. Unfortunately these effects cannot be controlled and the narcotics can usually result in unwanted side effects and in some cases death. Nividium Nividium is a rare mineral that is found in some larger asteroid fields located in the universe. Its use is limited, although it has been used as a superconductor. Nividium in its purest form is traded as a unique and valuable commodity. Nostrop Oil Nostrop or Teladian sun oil is the main Teladi food product. It is mixed with various spices and sold in different flavours. The Teladi produce and mix it in so-called Sun Oil Refineries based on sunflowers. Ore Ore is the most common mineral throughout the whole known universe. It is used in the production process of almost all technical goods. Ore is produced in Ore Mines which are built on suitably mineral-rich asteroids. Passengers All races have access to commercial spacecraft; these ships can take large groups of passengers to space stations or to other planets or systems. Pirate Sidearms Unlike the military issue hand weapons, these Pirate sidearms have been declared illegal by most races. They are popular amongst Pirates as they are very effective at short range and even minor wounds can be fatal. The favoured pirate sidearm is the rare IMB-42 Blaster which literally rips the molecular structure of a living organism apart. Transporting and owning these weapons is a capital offence in some sectors. Plankton Boron plankton is found as a scum like surface that floats on the surface of the chemical swamps on Planet Boron. It is produced naturally from certain chemical reactions that are found in the swamp mixing with the ammonia-based air. This scum is collected and then treated with additives and other Boron minerals to produce a wide range of different, and nutritious spices. Since the Boron seas are now completely protected from any industrial usage, Plankton is mainly produced on huge Plankton Space Farms everywhere in the Boron Kingdom. Quantum Tubes Quantum Tubes, also called Planck Tubes, are used inside the engines and controls of many of the larger transporter ships and destroyers. The manufacture of Planck Tubes is both costly and complex, making Quantum Tubes one of the most expensive trading goods. Radioactive Waste Radioactive waste is a by-product of weapon production, especially the Hornet Missile. Until recently the only way to dispose of the waste was to dump it in disused silicon mines. The Boron have discovered a micro-organism in the sector Light Water that digests the harmful waste and excretes an inert material. How this useful radiation-resistant organism evolved is unknown.