General Tactics and Weapons Strategies

One aspect of Starsiege that becomes readily apparent as you play is that the gameplay is quite different from other similar games like MechWarrior II or even previous games in the series. While the game manual and online documentation illustrate these differences, it is worth reiterating the key points. Other game concepts can be a little more difficult to grasp. Let's look at them individually:

• Vehicle weapons, directed by the movement of the mouse, can only fire in an area roughly 140 degrees in a forward arc. In other words, these weapons can fire at targets not quite to the direct left or right of the vehicle. This forward arc is somewhat dependent on the vehicle type, but the arc generally remains the same.
• Because the weapons are swivel-mounted on the vehicle, certain physical limitations (also dependent on the vehicle type) may limit which weapons can fire at a certain angle. For instance, a herc with weapons mounted on either side of the cockpit can only fire the left-hand weapon at a target on the far left of the herc's firing arc; the right-hand weapon is blocked by the herc's cockpit.
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  Weapons that are grayed out on your display indicate that they cannot fire.
   
Firing links are very important, and since only three combinations are available, make sure you organize them exactly the way you want. One basic example is to link like weapons together, link same-sided weapons (for those firing-arc problems outlined previously), or remove limited-ammunition weapons from being wasted in general melee.
• Combat does not have to be up close and personal - you can do equally well attacking at a distance with long-range weapons and a pack of decent missiles. Wide-open spaces invite missile barrages, so take advantage of them.
• Be sure to be equally aware of your weapons' own capabilities. Energy weapons like the blasters and EMP guns drain away shields while others like the autocannons or nanite weapons chew away at armor like candy. Some weapons bypass shields altogether; others are just plain annoying. Also note that you can fire a weapon that is about 75 percent charged, but don't - it is a waste of energy. Wait until it is fully charged.
• Vehicle outfitting can be especially important, not just for yourself, but for your teammates as well. Special items or equipment will be hinted at during the mission briefing - it will be stuff you must pack along, not your teammates.

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