The Quests of Infinite Space, Part 4: Urluquai Crusade

The Quests of Infinite Space, Part 4: Urluquai Crusade

"As close as it gets to a race of pure evil..."

Introduced in v1.0 of Infinite Space III: Sea of Stars, the Urluquai Crusade is one of two new quests in the game, although this one was derived from a mod for its predecessor, Weird Worlds. This quest involves attacking and boarding an Urluquai space station somewhere in the sector, before delivering the prisoners of war held there back to their homeworld. Afterwards, you will be forced to defeat an Urluquai flotilla before it destroys Glory, the Terrans' home system. This quest can be challenging at times, particularly on higher difficulties, since the Urluquai deploy their ships in two waves with the second one arriving after the first (and directly opposite them on the battlefield). I will now explain how to conquer this crazed race of evil megalomaniacs.

"I never believed that the Urluquai could ever build anything as huge as this!"

Before the quest can actually begin, you must find the Urluquai Station somewhere on the map. This station can be disabled, but not destroyed (except with a Limited Vacuum Collapser, although doing so will also obliterate the prisoners of war inside, thus ending the quest before it can begin). Disabling the station is challenging, however. It carries two fighter bays, a Multibot Repair Drone, a Proton Matrix Shield, and some short-range weapons for defense. You will need some fairly powerful medium- or long-range weapons to deliver damage faster than it can be repaired, as well as for shooting down the endless waves of fighters sent at your flotilla.

"They won't keep anyone or anything in that station after that!"

Upon boarding the Urluquai Station, the last surviving Sardions of Sector Prime will board your ship, and order you to return them to their homeworld, which will be marked on the map. As soon as you deliver the Sardions to their destination, they will establish a colony there. Doing so for the first time gives you the achievement "Fresh Fish". In addition, you will receive a Sardion Maximizer, an even faster and more accurate version of the Sardion Optimizer.

"So we've delivered the Sardions back to their homeworld and received their Sardion Maximizer. What do we do now?"

"Aha! The most effective targeting computer in the universe!"

You will soon find out what the Maximizer is for. The Urluquai crusader fleet will spawn in orbit around Urlu, the Urluquai homeworld (or just outside the sector, if there is no Urluquai homeworld on the map), as soon as the Sardions have been delivered. You must destroy the entire fleet before it reaches Glory, otherwise the Urluquai will destroy the system within two years. There are two ways to prevent this catastrophe from happening.

"I knew they'd take a really dim view of our prison break!"

One way to end the Urluquai Crusade is to find a Limited Vacuum Collapser (or, if it doesn't exist already, create one with a Timeless Bauble, assuming you can find that particular device), complete the first part of the quest, go to Urlu (or any star system that the Urluquai will visit before reaching Glory), activate the collapser, then deliver the Sardions to their destination. Make sure to time the detonation so that the Urluquai will be caught in the blast, but at the same time, you must ensure that your flotilla will be unaffected. Now fast-forward the timer and watch the fireworks. This method is reminiscent of the "easy way" to stop the Kawangi, as described in a previous post, but it's even more satisfying to tackle the Urluquai head-on with your flotilla.

"So be it. We'll crush the crusaders before they can eliminate us!"

The crusader fleet always consists of a carrier, at least two scouts, and at least one Deep Hunter. In addition to adding enemy ships guarding the station, increasing the enemy presence at the setup screen will also add more Urluquai vessels to the crusader fleet, and if you engage them at Urlu, you may even have at least one extra Urluquai fleet to contend with, although you only need to defeat the crusaders to complete the quest. In general, you should attack this fleet as you would any other Urluquai flotilla, but you may need more advanced equipment to make your task easier, particularly since the Urluquai employ lots of skilled pilots and gunners. Moreover, always try to move out of the center of an Urluquai ambush as soon as reinforcements arrive. As always, a cloaking device is very useful, particularly since the Deep Hunters carry it by default.

"...And thus ends the Urluquai Crusade!"

Destroying the entire Urluquai crusader fleet will reward you with 5000 credits, as well as the achievement "Defender of Hope" for the first successful attempt. It is also theoretically possible to earn two other achievements in this quest: "Blind Shot" (for destroying a cloaked enemy vessel) and "Purple Peril" (for destroying both waves of an Urluquai Ambush), if you haven't done so already. This quest can only be attempted and completed once, since there can never be more than one Urluquai station in the sector map. Good luck in rescuing the Sardions and defending Hope!

The Quests of Infinite Space, Part 3: Ravian Swarm

The Quests of Infinite Space, Part 3: Ravian Swarm

The Ravian Swarm was another quest that was introduced in Weird Worlds, and was retained for Sea of Stars. This quest is different from the two I have described previously in that you must destroy a total of three flotillas in order to complete it. However, since the Ravians are now a regular alien race, complete with a homeworld, this quest can only appear if that planet does not appear in the sector, and even then, the Brood Towers must also be present on some unoccupied star system. You must actually discover them to begin the quest, though.

"I wonder what these are for?"

Discovering the Brood Towers alone will not cause the Ravian flotillas to spawn immediately at the opposite edge of the map from Glory. There will be a lull lasting a few months before that happens. When it does, you will receive this notification:

"Now we know what those vile Ravians are planning - the annihilation of all humankind and its allies!"

As with the Kawangi, the Ravians' current locations will be marked on the map. The best way to stop them is to get to a system they will visit, and then fast-forward the in-game clock until the Ravians reach your flotilla (unless the Ravians have already made a stopover at that system, in which case you can attack them immediately). Unlike the Kawangi, however, the Ravians will not destroy every star system they visit, except for Glory, and even then this grim outcome is only possible if you allow them to reach that system and stay there for two years. At any rate, once you have found the Ravian flotillas, you must destroy them. Here's how.

"This Ravian fleet is going down!"

Generally, you should fight against the Ravians as you normally would when they are a regular race (i.e. one which has a homeworld on the map). However, the stakes are higher here since the whole Glory system is at stake. In addition, the size and strength of the Ravian invasion force depends on the level of enemy strength selected at the start of the game, which is clearly not the case with the Kawangi or Primordius. To complicate matters further, the closest fleet to Glory is often the weakest, while the most distant one is usually the strongest. Thus, on higher difficulties, expect to encounter Hive Lords and Moon Mutants, the largest and strongest Ravian capital ships there are.

"Another Ravian fleet? Seems like they really wanted to destroy us Terrans, huh?"

Combat against the Ravians can be difficult, particularly when you are up against their larger ships, which have wider fields of fire, although their fighters are extremely weak. The Gluon Web carried by all Ravian capital ships is not very damaging (except when massed), and can be deflected by countermeasures, but the Proton Claw mounted on Battle Beetles and larger Ravian ships is much more dangerous due to its high rate of fire, particularly when several of them are fired at once. Your best bet is to pound the Ravian capital ships from beyond their attack range using assorted long-range weapons such as the Multi-Missile Launcher. Again, a cloaking device is highly recommended is you can obtain one, since you can sneak up on Ravian vessels from behind, but be sure to position cloaked ships directly behind them so that they cannot hit you. A strong shield is virtually a must in any case, since you will face a lot of Ravians during this quest, and once you destroy the first of their invasion fleets, you will have to do it again twice more to finish the quest.

"Now it really is curtains for those wretched insectoids!"

Although destroying all three Ravian fleets will not give you 5000 credits, it will make the game easier by giving you more freedom to visit any unexplored systems. I have actually completed this quest on the highest difficulty setting possible, and the last time I managed this feat, I was helped not once but twice: once by a Tchorak Vent Mother, and once by a Klakar Orbital Nest and its complement of fighters. You will also earn the achievement "Exterminator" on your first successful attempt to defeat the Ravian invasions. Follow the advice I've given you, and you should have little trouble kicking those dreaded bugs out of Sector Prime!

The Quests of Infinite Space, Part 2: Primordius

The Quests of Infinite Space, Part 2: Primordius

Introduced in Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space, the quest to defeat Primordius is another one of those tasks that requires careful planning. Unlike the Kawangi quest, however, this one is slightly more complex, and involves destroying a stationary battlestation orbiting a black hole. There are actually two ways to trigger the quest: collect the Horloge of Primordius from another star system (which gives you the location of Damocles, a huge capital ship), or directly go to Damocles itself and board it. The consequences of failure are even worse in this quest, though, since Primordius will destroy the entire galaxy if left unchecked. However, this quest is not quite as challenging as the one involving another alien race from another galaxy, and I will now explain why.

"So it tells us exactly where to go to beat Primordius, right? Probably not..."

After collecting Damocles or the HoP (as I like to call the Horloge), whichever comes first, you must go to Primordius' black hole. However, to actually board the Damocles, you must destroy most or all of the Guardian Satellites surrounding it. You will need medium- or long-ranged weapons for this one to avoid being attacked by the satellites.

"Now we definitely know where Primordius is, and we've just got a bigger ship!"

After you board Damocles, you will be told exactly where Primordius is located. It always orbits a black hole somewhere on the map, and it can even be detected if you fly close enough to it with a scanner equipped. However, you do not even have to board Damocles (or ensure its survival) to complete the quest; you can still attack Primordius if an Anti-Graviton Shunt is installed on one of your other capital ships, since this device negates the destructive effects of the gravitational pull of a black hole. The battle only really begins once you engage Primordius by visiting the black hole it orbits around.

"A few more shots and it's going down!"

Primordius is a space station, and so it does not actually move, which means that your ships will seldom be in range of its guns. The real threat is the swarm of Necrodrones it spawns every so often. Each of these fighters can cloak itself and is armed with a Proton Blaster, making them difficult to counter until they attack your flotilla. In addition, Primordius is equipped with an Aethric Nimbus Shield, which is the fastest-regenerating shield in the entire game.

"Seriously, can anything ever penetrate this?"

However, this battle is not as tough as the one against the Yellow Kawangi. Attacking a stationary structure at range is easier than doing the same to a capital ship, since your target will never be able to close the distance to put you in range. Moreover, having an Eye of Babulon in your cargo hold allows you to detect the Necrodrones while they are cloaked, and installing your own cloaking device(s) on your ship(s) will make it easier to get into an attacking position, as is the case during a battle against the Kawangi. Even so, you will still need plenty of powerful long-range weapons (such as the Damocles' Cobalt Torpedo Tubes) to deliver any real damage, and as before, some advanced technology (repair devices, targeting computers, etc.) to aid you during the battle.

"At last, the galaxy is safe once again!"

Destroying Primordius will give you 5000 points, and prevent the galaxy from being annihilated (for now at least). If this is the first time you have completed the quest, you will obtain the achievement "Lest Darkness Fall". However, as with the Yellow Kawangi, Primordius can be defeated with a Limited Vacuum Collapser (which is only possible if there are any star systems within five light-years of Primordius) or a Chromium Gong, although this time, you are not guaranteed to obtain either item in this quest. Anyway, have fun saving the galaxy!

The Quests of Infinite Space, Part 1: Yellow Kawangi

The Quests of Infinite Space, Part 1: Yellow Kawangi

The quest to defeat the Yellow Kawangi was the only quest in the original Strange Adventures in Infinite Space, and has been part of the series ever since. It involves destroying a Yellow Kawangi Dreadnought (which causes supernovas in every star system it visits) before it can destroy Glory, the Terrans' home system. In fact, you will be warned the first two times the Kawangi manage to trigger an artificial supernova, and if this occurs, it is high time you ended their rampage. In fact, if they actually reach Glory, you will have exactly one year to destroy the Dreadnought - a very strict deadline compared to the other quests in the game.

The dreaded message shown when the Kawangi reach Glory and are one year away from completely destroying the system.

It's a very challenging quest to complete, but the satisfaction you will earn by completing it is second to none. I will now explain how you can stop the dreaded Kawangi from obliterating the Terrans.

"First a distant star, then Hamill. What do we do now?"

The first way to defeat the Kawangi is to activate a Limited Vacuum Collapser. One of these devices is always placed somewhere on the map whenever the Kawangi appear. To actually destroy the Kawangi with the collapser, you must make sure that you are close enough to the Kawangi, then set the timer so that the Kawangi (but not your flotilla, otherwise it will be destroyed and the game will immediately end) will be within the blast radius of five light-years. Now activate the device and escape.

"Nothing will ever survive when this thing blows!"

If done right, the Kawangi will be annihilated, along with every star system in the blast radius. Be warned, though, since detonating the collapser within five years of Glory will destroy that system, thus ending the game. That said, this is often the best way to complete this quest, since your flotilla will usually be too weak to defeat the Kawangi in direct combat. (It should be noted, though, that in a game where the Kawangi appear, they always spawn on the opposite side of the map from Glory, and even then not until you actually collect the Collapser.)

"I don't know what it means, but they want us and the rest of our kind dead..."

Speaking of which, there is an alternate method, which is a lot more difficult due to the extremely advanced technology employed by the Yellow Kawangi. However, it's clearly not impossible to completely destroy the Kawangi in a fight; it's just that it's extremely difficult to do so, since it requires a lot of advanced equipment. Specifically, you will need very powerful long-range weaponry (usually two Multi-Missile Launchers, or a Nova Cannon, which the Kawangi also use) to attack from beyond the range of the Kawangi Nova Cannon and Graviton Disintegrators (the latter being the most powerful beam weapon in the game), as well as a targeting computer (to increase your weapons' accuracy and rate of fire) and a strong shield (which allows your ship to take more damage before it is destroyed), but you are not likely to acquire all of these before it is too late.

In addition, if you have a Plasma Coil Cloaker installed on your ship, it will make the battle much easier to win by allowing you to position your ship directly behind the Kawangi (assuming you activated the cloaker beforehand). With the cloaking device, you can wait for your ship to be out of range of the disintegrators, then uncloak and open fire. However, always make sure to reactivate your cloaking device as soon as the Kawangi open fire on your ship, and move it out of the way whenever they fire the Nova Cannon at you.

"You're going down, Yellow Kawangi!"

Repeat this procedure several times, and eventually the Kawangi Dreadnought will be obliterated. There is, however, yet another means of defeating them, and it involves collecting and using a Chromium Gong. For this to work, the Gong must actually be present on the map, and if it isn't, no dice (unless you find a Timeless Bauble and use it to create the Gong, and even then the Gong must not already be in the sector). In addition, the Gong is fragile and becomes useless when it breaks, which can occur after any of the first three uses of the Gong. However, if you have an intact Gong in your cargo hold when you engage the Kawangi, activating the Gong will immediately complete the quest, since the Kawangi Dreadnought is by far the strongest ship in the game.

And so ends the rampage of the Kawangi...

You will also earn 5000 credits for defeating the Kawangi, as well as being greeted by the message shown in the image above. A further incentive to destroy the Kawangi in direct combat is that you will earn the Achievement "Surgical Strike" the first time you do so. It is even possible to obtain this at the same time as another Achievement, "Save Our Suns", which is acquired the first time you defeat the Kawangi by any of the three methods described previously.

"Haven't I seen this thing before? Oh wait, I annihilated another one of these..."

Strangely, it is possible, though extremely rare, for this quest to occur twice in the same game, but it is extremely rare. Even so, should this ever happen to you, chances are that you will have spent the 5000 credits from defeating the Kawangi the first time on a larger ship hull (or two) and lots of heavy weaponry, making your job much easier. Good luck in your efforts to save Glory!

The Quests of Infinite Space: An introduction

The Quests of Infinite Space: An Introduction

Infinite Space III: Sea of Stars has a total of five quests, and you are guaranteed to trigger one of them in every game. Three quests, the Kawangi invasion, Primordius, and the Ravian swarm, were carried over from its predecessor, Weird Worlds. The other two were introduced in this latest game. Whatever happens, don't neglect them, or the Glory system (the Terrans' home star system) will be destroyed!

But don't let that put you off. For starters, successfully completing a quest will be extremely rewarding, and for each of them, you will also acquire 5000 Terran credits and/or acquire a uniquely powerful item or vessel. Be warned, though: to actually complete any quest, you will need sufficiently advanced equipment, such as better engines and thrusters (to travel between stars faster and improve your ship's maneuverability, respectively), more powerful weapons (to deliver more damage to enemy ships), stronger shields (which can receive more damage before being fully depleted), and so on. In the next few posts, I will describe each of the quests in greater detail, including strategies on how to complete them.

Welcome to Adventures in Steam Games

Welcome to Adventures in Steam Games

Hello, fellow Steam users!

Welcome to my new blog about my Steam games. Currently, I own three games purchased from the Steam online store: Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game, Infinite Space III: Sea of Stars, and Worms Reloaded, with plans to purchase a few more. This blog will be a place for me to share my findings from countless hours of gameplay. I will also be explaining some of the useful strategies and tactics I have discovered while playing. Cheers!