Nexus: The Jupiter Incident: Difference between revisions

{{work}}

 

 

 

During battles, the player can select the ships' general behavior towards a single target. For example, the ''Angelwing'' may be ordered to conduct a "Shield Attack" on an enemy cruiser, which will cause the ship to close in and engage the cruiser with its energy shells only, maneuvering to bring the necessary weapons to bear, as well as conducting evasive maneuvers to dodge enemy shots. Once that task is done, the ship will automatically determine the next task/target, depending on the "level of freedom" assigned to the ship by the player. While the ships' maneuvering is focused on one ship, the player can manually assign various targets to the ship's other weapons. This means that a ship can simultaneously engage several enemy ships.

Weapons are divided into several groups: anti-armor ([[Magnetic Weapons|railgun]]s, effective at destroying the hull; largely ineffective against shields), energy shells (overload enemy [[Deflector Shields]]; no effect on armor), [[Frickin' Laser Beams|lasers]] (anti-hardpoint weapons; damage specific devices; very little hull/shield damage), flak (automated anti-fighter and anti-missile laser grid), missiles/torpedoes (limited-supply guided area-effect weapons), and special (various unique weapons). Ships can also carry wings of fighters/bombers, although they generally prove to be nothing more than a nuisance, especially if the enemy is equipped with an advanced flak grid or has his own fighter complement. Shuttles can be used to capture ships, although the enemy flak systems need to be disabled first and fighters destroyed. Other systems include power generators (main and weapons), engines (main, secondary, and combat), sensors, [[Faster-Than-Light Travel|interplanetary drives]] (used to exit the mission), and special devices.

 

 

The game's main character, Marcus Cromwell, is the son of Richard Cromwell, the first human born in space and the captain of the ill-fated ''Noah's Ark''. His ISA ship is shot down by corporate forces near Phobos and is left drifting for nearly ten years as a [[Human Popsicle]]. After the war, he is found, revived, and hailed as a war hero, despite his side losing. He receives an offer from SpaceTech to take command of one of their corvettes, the ''Stiletto''. His first mission takes him to Jupiter, where he saves an old ISA friend from OSEC (a rival corporation) forces. Later, Cromwell is ordered to intercept a freighter belonging to Kissaki Syndicate. During the encounter, the ''Stiletto'' crew witnesses a large ship of alien design meeting with the freighter. After locating and infiltrating the major Kissaki research center, an asteroid-based station named ''Shukenja'', Cromwell finds the alien cruiser seen before inside the base. After commandeering the ''Angelwing'' (name of the cruiser), SpaceTech scientists discover the location of another base near Pluto. Since the ''Stiletto'' would take years to reach Pluto, Cromwell takes command of the ''Angelwing'' and uses its advanced interplanetary drive to reach the base in just several weeks. While scanning the base, an illegal AI uploads itself to the ''Angelwing'' and urges Cromwell to take the ship through a nearby wormhole in order to escape a malevolent alien entity attacking the ship.

 

After encountering a [[Horde of Alien Locusts]] whose energy-draining weapons appear to be effective against Mechanoids, Cromwell kills the [[Space Whale|ship-sized queen]], and the Noah researchers use her to create the Energy Skeeter, capable of disabling Mechanoids, and later, the Anti-Mechanoid Shield, which destroys them within a large radius. Armed with these weapons, Cromwell leads a fleet back to Earth to free it from Mechanoid control, leading to the most intense battle in the game against several large Mechanoid-controlled fleets. Then Angel takes the ''Angelwing'' through a wormhole to a [[Negative Space Wedgie]] known as the titular Nexus. In order to destroy the Nexus, Cromwell has to close all wormholes leading to it, while dodging attacks by a Mechanoid-controlled Vardrag city-ship. Angel then leaves the ship and attacks the Nexus itself, destroying all Mechanoids within. The ending cutscene shows Cromwell back on liberated Earth meeting the [[Energy Beings|godlike]] Angel at [[Landmark of Lore|Stonehenge]], who is departing to destroy all remaining Mechanoids.

** Ironically subverted by the game itself: it's smarter to focus on the smaller details and let the game handle maneuvering.

* [[The Battlestar|Battlestar, The]]: Most warships are able to launch at least one wing of fighters/bombers. However, their main strength still lies with their own weapons.

* [[Earthshattering Kaboom]]: Destroyed ships explode in a blazing flash. If camera is zoomed into the explosion, the screen shakes.

* [[The Empire|Empire, The]]: The Gorg Empire and the Vardrag Confederacy.

* [[Energy Weapon]]: Energy shells, lasers (offensive and flak), and energy skeeters.

* [[Frickin' Laser Beams]]: Lasers are used both to disable/destroy enemy ship systems and to defend against fighters and missiles. Shown as bright beams of varying colors and thickness. Travel instantly to target. Also see [[Wave Motion Gun]].

* [[Horde of Alien Locusts]]: The Locust.

* [[Humans Are Warriors]]: The Vardrag allied with the Noah colony in exchange for their superior war-making skills.

* [[I Owe You My Life]]: If the player managed to save Chief Zatuk from his clan's dissenters, he will appear in the second last mission with his Gorg battleship. His ship has a siege laser which can be useful.

* [[Iron Butt Monkey]]: Vice Admiral Norbank. While his tactics almost fail every time, he seemingly able to shrug off anything. Survived from being blown up by the Raptors' Cataclysm missiles while seemingly the escape pods are caught in the blast, took a hit from a Gorg Siege Laser in the face, and even survived after the mechanoids taken over his ship.

* [[Kill Sat]]: Defence platforms.

* [[Mighty Glacier]]: Battleships and the Vardrag city-ships.

* [[Space Whale]]: The Locust queen.

* [[Technical Pacifist]]: The Vardrag have no stomach for war. However, their weapons are extremely powerful, and they will not hesitate to use them for defense.

* [[That One Level]]: The stealth mission, and the mission after it which also requires some stealth.

* [[The Virus]]: The Mechanoids, a hybrid of computer virus and something like the Replicators.

 

{{reflist}}