The Factions of Infinite Space, Part 5

The Factions of Infinite Space, Part 5: Calatians and Ravians

After several posts of discussing most of the original races of the Infinite Space trilogy, I have chosen to focus on two of the races introduced in Weird Worlds, the Calatians and Ravians. The former could originally only be encountered when you visit their colony, causing their emissary to board your flotilla. The latter only showed up as part of a quest in which their destruction was the primary objective, unless you let them destroy Glory first. Now, in Sea of Stars, they each have their own homeworld, and while one of them is always hostile, this isn't true of the other.

The Calatian Fleet, miniature orb-fortresses of utter destruction.

Calatians were introduced in Weird Worlds as a minor alien race whose ambassador would board your flagship if you discovered the Calatian Colony. This time, though, they are a full-fledged space-faring civilization. Like the Muktians and Zorg, they are neutral by default, i.e. they will not attack unless provoked and will normally warn you not to do so. In combat, however, they are a mixed bag. Their fighters have two turrets instead of just one, and can target anything not in the rear quadrant, but when controlled by the AI, are only fitted with weak Iridium Pellet Guns. In fact, it would take a very large number of these tiny vessels to destroy a capital ship, and even then it would seldom be possible if the target had enough high-end equipment installed. Calatian capital ships, meanwhile, can only carry small weapons (except for the two largest ones, which have room for medium-sized weapons), and are not very effective in long-range combat.

A Calatian fleet making an apparently suicidal attack on a Ravian fleet... or is it?

On the other hand, Calatian pellet guns have point-defense capabilities, and the Plasma Cannons used by Calatian Dreadnoughts are quite powerful. Electric Bolt Guns, however, deliver less damage per shot and have a shorter range, but fire faster and have a higher muzzle velocity, and are thus found on every Calatian capital ship. Nevertheless, their lack of long-range combat capability has forced the Calatians to rely on their 360-degree field of vision and their strong shields - late in the game, they will use robust Meson Lattice Shields, which the Zorg also use. Moreover, since Calatian ships are smaller and lighter than equivalent vessels from other civilizations, they are not only faster, but also more maneuverable.

The Calatians have won - but only just.

In short, Calatian vessels appear small and unassuming, but can deliver plenty of firepower when attacking. However, they can't snipe their foes from afar or carry the biggest weapons. Nevertheless, with excellent speed and maneuverability, plus few, if any, blind spots, their capital ships can be a force to be reckoned with, especially when upgraded - so always try to negotiate with these tiny critters when possible.

A bunch of giant interstellar bugs? No problem...

Ravians, on the other hand, are some of the nastiest foes a Terran commander can possibly encounter. This is mostly due to their capital ships (except for the scout-sized Seeker Scarabs) being armed with accurate rapid-fire Proton Claws, and their entire flotilla (excluding their fighter-sized Bug Commando ships) carrying medium-ranged Gluon Webs. These weapons are built into the structure of Ravian capital ships and cannot be replaced, nor can they be installed on non-Ravian ships. It is for this reason that I omitted them from my earlier weapons guide. Nevertheless, despite their limited range and damage, their high fire rate makes Ravian vessels (particularly the larger and more heavily armed Hive Lords and Moon Mutants) a legitimate threat to any flotilla.

When Calatians and Ravians clash, the ensuing battle is bound to be epic!

The Ravians are not without weaknesses, though. Their sublight speed is only average relative to other factions' ships, and they have an obvious blind spot at the rear, although the larger ships' wider field of vision mitigates this somewhat. Moreover, even though Bug Heads are launched from their capital ships after their destruction, these escape pods are quite fragile and only carry a single Gluon Web. Finally, Bug Commandos are among the weakest fighters in the game in terms of offense and defense.

In short, Ravian vessels can be intimidating foes in combat early on. However, as you upgrade your flotilla's ships with better weapons and shields (as well as other equipment for good measure, if you have to), they, like all other hostile factions in the game, end up as fodder, since they will eventually be much less of a threat. Ultimately, defeating a Ravian flotilla can often be a challenging task, particularly on the higher difficulties and/or when you have to stop them from destroying Glory, but it tends to be a quite rewarding one in any case. In my next post, I will describe a race of friendly avians and the only silicon-based non-mechanical lifeforms in Sector Prime.

The Factions of Infinite Space, Part 4

The Factions of Infinite Space, Part 4: Muktians and Tan Ru

In this post, we will take a look at the last two original races of Infinite Space, the Muktians and Tan Ru. The former are described as "fickle and cautious highly intelligent yellow slug-like beings", while the Tan Ru are perpetually hostile multi-legged robots known for being "oblivious to biological life". Both factions are formidable opponents in combat, but which one should you fear the most? We're here to find out.

The Muktians were the only truly neutral race in the original game, and would never attack unless provoked, but would become your allies in exchange for any Muktian ships in your fleet rejoining them if you had those. However, in combat, they can be tricky adversaries due to their powerful anti-capital ship Fission Missile Racks and rapid-fire point-defense Molybdenum Cone Cannons. In addition, they may protect their homeworld, Bandur, with a space station late in the game; the station can launch up to three fighters at a time and also carries three turrets, making it a tough nut to crack. Wide fields of fire are a feature of most Muktian ships, but their rear-quadrant blind spot, though small, can still be exploited by an astute attacker, and their subterranean heritage prevents most Muktians from fully exploiting their ships' true potential. However, they will obtain Multi-Missile Launchers late in the game, and any ships so equipped will not only be a real pain to fight against, but also a very effective ally to have.

The Tan Ru have always been an absolute nightmare for the unprepared; being mechanical lifeforms, they cannot be negotiated with under any circumstances. Also, their primary weapons (Micro-Meteorite Guns for most capital ships, Particle Vortex Cannons for Decimators, and Gauss Cannons for Dominators and Fabricators) have a high enough damage output for one to think twice about attacking them without adequate equipment. Yet while their drones are formidable when massed, they can be picked off easily with fast-firing anti-starfighter weaponry. Moreover, except for the Decimator, Dominator and Fabricator, most Tan Ru ships are not very effective in long- or medium-range combat. They are very dangerous at close range though, so keep your distance.

A Muktian flotilla engaging three Garthan frigates. Top: The fighters sacrifice themselves in softening up the Garthans. Middle: The Garthans even the odds at close range but are overwhelmed by the greater damage per shot of the Muktian weapons. Bottom: The sole survivor, a Muktian corvette, admires the fireworks after the battle.

A quick look at their fleets' performance in actual combat shows how effective their weaponry can be against most foes. While the Muktians aren't the best pilots by a long shot, their high-damage weaponry is very potent in most circumstances, although the Cone Cannon has a slower fire rate than a chaingun or railgun. However, massed Muktian fighters can be quite deadly, and even though the missiles can be shot down by point-defense weapons, a large number of them will overwhelm even these defenses.

Muktians defending a station. Top: A salvo of missiles is unleashed as reinforcements arrive. Bottom: The last remaining Garthans fall victim to the superior firepower of the surviving Muktian vessels.

In fact, when a Muktian multi-missile is fired, its target will have a hard time avoiding a direct hit since the multi-missile splits into six smaller missiles shortly after launch, making the cluster very difficult to intercept. In addition, a Muktian Station can be a tricky target due to its effective defenses and its ability to launch three fighters at once; the only way to destroy the station without suffering excessive casualties is to overwhelm it with lots of powerful long-range weapons.

A Terran frigate in action against two Tan Ru flotillas. Top: The Tan Ru attempt to destroy the frigate with fast-firing close-range weapons, but to no avail. Middle and bottom: Not even the Particle Vortex Cannon of the Decimators, or the drones from the Fabricator, could save the Tan Ru this time.

Tan Ru ships generally specialize in close-combat capability, and thus usually carry laser beams, while the Demolisher also carries a Micro-Meteorite Gun, which acts as a shotgun and thus is most effective when fired near a target. Dominators and Fabricators up the ante with Mass Drivers; the former also carry longer-ranged Gauss Cannons. Finally, the Decimators are armed with a long-range Particle Vortex Cannon, making them a huge problem for their adversaries.

Nevertheless, most Tan Ru ships are helpless against long-range weapons such as the Multi-Missile Launcher described above, especially if your fighters also keep their distance. Drones, meanwhile, are only a concern when massed; being hit by 16 laser beams at once is quite painful, but as long as you have fast-firing weapons which can lock on to fighters automatically, you will make mincemeat of the Tan Ru drones. However, if these drones come from a Fabricator, it makes sense to destroy that ship first so that lost drones will never be replaced.

In short, the Muktians can be a challenging adversary at times, but given their reputation, it is best to negotiate with them as soon as possible unless you have no choice but to attack them. On the other hand, the Tan Ru, being unambiguously hostile to Terrans, are an alien race you must avoid at all cost unless you have enough long-range weapons to exploit their emphasis on close-range combat. Another incentive is that in the campaign, exploring the Tan Ru homeworld will allow you to capture any and all equipment they have stored there. This is my penultimate post on the original factions of the Infinite Space trilogy; in my next post, we will talk about some tiny space-faring marsupials and a bunch of huge interstellar bugs.

The Factions of Infinite Space, Part 3

The Factions of Infinite Space, Part 3: Zorg and Urluquai

This is my first post in over a month - I have admittedly been getting too involved in the rest of my Steam library - but I have decided to return to the topic of faction matchups and rivalries in Sea of Stars. Having discussed the Terrans and Garthans in the previous post about this topic, I will now move on to a race of tiny spiritually advanced humanoids and huge glowing evil jellyfish.

Ever since the very first game, the psionically capable humanoid alien race, the Zorg, have had a sworn arch-nemesis in the form of the malevolently evil jellyfish-like Urluquai. These two factions were the first ones in the series to have ships with unique properties. Specifically, Zorg fighters can teleport a short distance across the map, while Urluquai Deep Hunters carry a cloaking device to avoid detection when not attacking. But we'll get to that shortly after I describe the rest of their lineups.

The Zorg have been present since Strange Adventures in Infinite Space, but in that game you could only encounter them as mercenaries; then as now, the only way to hire them is to transfer an item from your inventory to their cargo hold. The Urluquai were also introduced in that game, but unlike the Zorg, they were among the biggest villains of Sector Prime along with the Garthans and are unambiguously evil - in fact, unlike the Zorg, you can't negotiate with them in Sea of Stars due to the removal of the Mantle of Babulon. Bringing a Zorg vessel with you to a Zorg flotilla, on the other hand, will cause them to become your allies permanently. Now let's take a look at how these fleets stack up against each other.

Top: The Zorg field only four ships, but their equipment and crews are generally top-notch. Bottom: The Urluquai field six distinct ship types, and each one carries targeting systems as accurate as their crews.

The Zorg have a less diverse lineup compared to the Urluquai, but they make up for it by starting the game with technology more advanced than what the Terrans initially have; their fighters carry a Plasma Blaster by default, while their capital ships always carry at least one Gauss Cannon, an Antichronon Pulse Blaster, or both. Eventually, they will retrofit their ships with potent rapid-fire Proton Blasters and, except for their fighters, robust Meson Lattice Shields. This combination is the toughest one you can theoretically face in a regular game outside of a boss battle. What really makes them an effective fighting force, however, is their fighters' ability to teleport a short distance across the map while retaining the same orientation as before. Since these vessels also carry shields by default, they can be an utter nightmare when fighting against them, and a most helpful ally when you engage in combat alongside them. In addition, the central turret on Zorg Frigates faces backwards, making it nearly impossible to launch a surprise attack against without a cloaking device. Speaking of which...

The Urluquai generally carry short-range weapons (except for their Fusion Rocket Launchers), but make up for it by utilizing advanced targeting computers such as the Sardion Optimizer. This device provides a massive improvement in accuracy and fire rate, and they tend to use ambush tactics involving several waves of ships to boost their damage output. Two ships in particular stand out for their lethality, particularly to inexperienced and/or careless players. The Deep Hunter is a corvette modified for stealthy close-range combat, and to this end is equipped with two Strange Quark Projectors and a Plasma Coil Cloaker; although the latter allows it to remain undetected until it attacks, it is not entirely foolproof since a blind-fired projectile can still hit the ship, causing damage in the process. The much larger Urluquai Carrier, on the other hand, lacks the cloaking device, is slow-moving by comparison, and relies mainly on its fighters (which are sent out six at a time) for self-defense, although it also has a backwards-facing hardpoint and, being a large ship, is heavily armored.

Top: Urluquai only deploy reinforcements if their first wave of ships has received enough damage from enemy fire. Bottom: The Zorg flotilla is forced to split up to deal with the reinforcements and the Deep Hunter, but wins the battle anyway.

While an Urluquai ambush is potentially devastating against a small force without rear-facing weapons, this tactic is much less effective against a flotilla equipped with these defensive measures. Failing that, you can always order your ships to attack the reinforcements head-on. Cloaked vessels are also vulnerable to spheres launched by a Particle Vortex Cannon, which always discharges a lightning bolt at any nearby enemy ship, regardless if it is cloaked or not.

Top to bottom: These screenshots show the superiority of eight fully upgraded Zorg Fighters against one maxed-out Urluquai Carrier. The ability to teleport away from danger can make the difference between life and death when their pilots are faced with what seems initially to be an unstoppable foe.

Having a Zorg fighter as an ally, especially if it fights as part of your flotilla, is always useful in combat since its ability to teleport away from its target makes it less vulnerable to enemy fire. This unique property, combined with the fact that Zorg fighters are shielded by default, also makes it useful for distracting hostile forces so that your other ships can wreak havoc on a particular target. However, it is not entirely foolproof; if the ship being attacked carries sufficiently strong shields, is equipped with a targeting computer, and is also armed with rapid-fire beam or projectile weapons, the Zorg fighter(s) will receive substantial hull damage or even be destroyed altogether.

In short, the Urluquai, which mainly rely on accuracy, cunning tactics, and stealth, are terrifying foes to deal with in combat, but in fact the Zorg, with their more advanced weapons and shields, are an equally formidable fighting force in most cases. However, I still fear the Zorg more than the Urluquai, since the big-eyed psionic humanoids' teleporting fighters are incredibly difficult to catch. At least you can negotiate with them, but diplomacy is never an option with the Urluquai. The next few posts will delve deeper into the many alien races of Sector Prime. I can assure you, fireworks will be guaranteed...