X-Com Interceptor Game Walkthrough By Brian Stewart ***************************************************************************** TABLE OF CONTENTS ***************************************************************************** I. INTRODUCTION II. CopyRight Information III. Walkthrough 3.1 Maps 3.2 Base Setup 3.3 Ship Setup 3.4 Game Play 3.4a Arms Dealer 3.4b Corporate Reconnaissance 3.4c Pirate Base Rescue 3.4d Rogue Freighter 3.5 The Final Mission IV. Combat Tips 4.2 The Shade V. Making Money VI. Friendly Ships VII. Enemy Ships VIII. Closing Remarks ***************************************************************************** I. INTRODUCTION ***************************************************************************** I am writing this faq to help others with this great game. As with the others in the X-com Series this game is a fight to the death with aliens, but what makes this game so cool is that it is a flight sim and not a combat sim like the others. The object of the game is to end all alien activity in the frontier. Plain and simple; kill them before they kill you! Version 1.00 10:17 PM 12/13/00 any updates can be found at www.gamefaqs.com ***************************************************************************** II. CopyRight Information ***************************************************************************** X-Com and X-Com Interceptor are registered, copyrighted trademark of MicroProse Inc. Unpublished work Copyright 04/1/2000 by Brian Stewart email rbs70@yahoo.com I have worked vary hard on this walkthough so I will not authorise any additions or subtrations. This is for personal use and not to be used for profit. I will allow this walkthough to be use on web sites but please give credit where it is due. Also if you intend to use my work for a news letter or other electronic or paper duplication please let me know and I will gladly give you permission but if you dont get my permission I will sue you for copyright violation. Now with that all out of the way on to the walkthough. ***************************************************************************** III. Walkthrough ***************************************************************************** 3.1 Maps This game starts you off in a different location on the same map every time so I cant possibly be able to know your exact situation so really there are no real right or wrong answers. 3.2 Base Setup Your first base is in sorry shape. The defences are almost nonexistant and you dont even have enough ships to go around. You start with 3 intorceptors and 5 pilots so first things first buy another hanger so you can order more ships and build atleast one if not two more cargo bays because you WILL fill the first one up fast; also a priority is to build the other two datalinks ASAP. The research is the longest part of the game so anything that can speed it up is definitly a plus. The next thing is to add more weapons, aka laser turrents and X-winder missiles turrents as money permits But read Ship setup FIRST!!! One thing to remember is to upgrade don't let your bases become obsolete!! 3.3 Ship Setup Well this is an easy one at the get go but as the game goes on it is just your own personal preferences, but what I can tell you is that replacement parts are a must. They can't repair your armor if its destroyed so always carry more and that goes double for shields. I can't tell you how many times I've run out of both and had to let the aliens go or die fighting them all, because I forgot to have them is stock at the base. So you should start with about 5 of each. Also another thing to watch is your missile count you should try to keep it up to around 50 so in that crushal battle for your base you not running out. I know to do all of this will cost alot but remember when I told you to build the cargo bays all of this takes up room and one isn't enough because you will also need space for all the alien goodies you will find. If you run out of cargo space you will have to throw anything you bring back from battle away and that becomes very costly. My personal setup is : 2 Tracking Traser Cannons and 2 Techeon pulse cannons for missiles I think the side step missiles are the best dog fighting missile. This configuration isn't avalable till late in the game....too bad. Next are special systems you will definitly need a tractor beam but not until you get a Techeon pulse cannon to disable ships. You will need a repair system too. This saves lives trust me. You can have the ecm jammer but I never use it. The Cloaking divice has a fatal flaw it uses your weapon systems power so that when you decloak you can't fire for long or at all so I don't recomend it but like I said its all personal preference. 3.4 Game Play I assume that you read the manual. So with that out of the way shall we begin? This is a game of action and reaction, at the start you need to protect your base (number 1 priority you lose it, its all over) and you corporate interests (ranking from the one that pays you the most protection money to the least.) once a corporation pulls out they will not come back so guard them well. As the game goes on and you can both protect your interests and search for aliens do it because if you can find a alien base and destroy it then things should calm down for the time being but be warned they rebuild them with amazing speed so be careful. Also if you take one out and alien attacks are still coming fast and hard then you know that there is another out there and close. They do seem to know where your radar ends and take full advantage of it so watch out for more than one base just outside you radar ring. There are times in the game when you will get sub-missions so I will go into more detail for them. They are in no real order because they can happen at any time and order. 3.4a Arms Dealer In this mission there is an Arms Dealer that is selling your X-com/Alien Weapons back to the aliens so take this guy out. In the first transmission they tell you that he has been seen in such and such a place. You need to send a probe in and find him or even better a partrol if you can spare it. Now this guy is well protected so prepare for loses. This mission is timed so hurry up or he will move and become a threat again. 3.4b Corporate Reconnaissance Now this mission is fairly easy a corporation wants you to check out a star system for them. Ok so just send in a probe and more than likely there will be aliens there so go kill them and thats it. This mission is also timed. 3.4c Pirate Base Rescue You might say let the aliens solve your problem and why not! Here's why, because if you let them destroy the base the pirates will harass you until you save their base and why have two enemies. If you do save it they will repay you by leaving your ships alone. Another timed mission. 3.4d Rogue Freighter This mission I dont know if you lose what you ordered or not but any way you are informed of the freighter and it must be destroyed so go get it. For completing this mission you get money. Also timed. 3.4 Game Play Continued One way to save ships and money is to save often! Sometimes you get in over your head and there is nothing you can do so save at the beginning of every mission so you can restart and dd out of there if need be. One thing you need to remember is to make sure that as your fleet grows that you dont grow too fast. I can't stress that enough, make sure that you have your bases well stocked and within striking distance of any vital intrest they will throw wave after wave at your bases and if that base's ships are on patrol then you need others to save the farm. 3.5 The Final Mission Buckel up and lock and load boys its going to be a bumpy ride. This is a nasty mission!! First it has two parts. Part One outside the black hole: You need to clear a path for the Mcarthur to go though the black hole. Now this isnt going to be easy... yes you can complete this part fairly easly but the hard part is to do it without losing a ship because you will need all the help you can get on the other side. Yes ladies and gentlemen it is alot harder on the other side. Also keep away from the black hole it can and will kill any ship that gets to close. Part Two The Bee Hive: I call it the bee hive because in alien space the fighters are thick and all over! First take out the base and then worry about the fighters. Note that all fighters should be destroyed before you fire any nova bombs. You can not destroy the doomsday weapon and its not a threat so leave it alone. Watch out so your fighters don't go chasing enemies and forget to protect the Mcarthur (your way home) I will warn you there is a shade out there and if you made it this far you how troublesome they are. When the coast is clear then fire the nova bombs and get back to the Mcarthur. It is posable to lose the Mcarthur here and still win only you die in the blast. ***************************************************************************** IV. Combat Tips ***************************************************************************** When dog fighting always remeber to stay together. There is one word that describes going off alone. DEAD. Help your teammates out. It is fun but also a waste of valuable time to taunt the enemy so avoid it. Late in the game turn full power to shields when you dont need the tractor beam. It may sound dumb but it happens. Dont shoot friendlies. They will shoot back!! Dont take on the Phantasom head on... you'll get a headache. Psi combat was never affective for me so I dont use it 4.1a The shade The Shade in my mind is your most leathal opponent. It has the acumulator shilds, tracking traser cannons, vector control thrusters, Ecm jammer, and most importantly a Cloaking device. With all this he is a formitable opponent. It lies in wait for you and normally attacks from behind. One minute you are flying along fine and the next you have no shields over your rear. He is cloaked most of the time and only decloaks to shoot and cloaks right back up. I have found a way to beat him. When you first enter a battle scan though your opponents find him and hit him as hard as you can maybe you can get him before he can do anything. If not you should at least have damaged him so if you look hard you can see a sparky vapor trail while he is cloaked. Now this takes alot of skill, ok watch the trail and let him calm down a bit and when he flies straight fire at the head of the trail you should hit him. Also it is good to have a friend around as bait...um...er...cover. If you dont hit him at all you have two options try and damage him to get the trail or retreat and hit it again. Any other thoughts are welcome. ***************************************************************************** V. Making Money ***************************************************************************** Most of your money comes from the sell of captured weapons. So have cargo space!! Alot does come from protection but if you want the money fight for it. Also I have found that if you disable enemies rather than destroying them you will get more stuff to sell. ***************************************************************************** VI. Friendly ships ***************************************************************************** X-com has 3 main fighters they are X-1A Lightning II For me one who doesn't have a joystick or controler and has to use the directional keys this is a very hard ship to fly. All ememys can out fly you. Compared to the other X-com ships it is way out classed. Ok it only has 4 hard points for weapons 2 for beams and 2 for missiles thats it. X-2 Fire Star Now this is a better more stable ship. I cant say too much about it because I dont use it much maby 4 or 5 missions and then I get the Super Avenger. X-3 Super Avenger This is your best ship. It is easy to fly. It has 9 hard points 4 for beams and 4 for missiles and 1 for the doppleganger missile. And this ship is vary durable only its not as evident because the enemy is using more powerful weapons by the time you get it. ***************************************************************************** VII. Enemy Ships ***************************************************************************** The Aliens Wreath This is a fast and nimble ship lightly armored it can be a tricky target. The Wreath has 2 plasma pulse cannons and 2 elerium torpedos. This is the cheapest ship for them to build so you will see alot of them. Spectre The Spectre is the next generation fighter. It is less nimble then its predicesor but what it lacks in speed it makes up in firepower. Depending how far you are in the game its weapon systems differs. Still not that big of a threat. Phantasm This ship is very slow and unminuverable, though it doesnt get the name base buster for nothing. The main thing to remember is not to get too close. If you go head to head with it your going to come out damaged if you come out at all. Even with the Super Avenger it is still vary powerful. Psi Lords are the pilots of choice for them. These ships will try to stay back in a fight and let the smaller ships attack. The Shade Read my special section on the shade in combat tips. The Drone The only reason I am includeing the drone is for completeness. The Drone is the defence of the alien freighters. They have no armor, but are extreamly fast. No real threat. ***************************************************************************** VIII. Closeing Remarks ***************************************************************************** I can't tell you how much fun I've had with this game. It still gets a lot of use. Now I may make some changes to the walkthough later like I'm still gathering info for an item list, maybe a research tree and a more indepth look at inflight battle techniques. If you want to just drop me a line. I also will try to help you with any problems you may have with the game but please double check the walkthough before e-mailing me. Brian Stewart rbs70@yahoo.com ***************************************************************************** *****************************************************************************