Star Trek Bridge Commander
Ships and Stations FAQ
By: Colonel814
Colonel814@hotmail.com
Version 0.2
Table of contents:
Section 1 - Introduction
Section 2 - Version History
Section 3 - About the Game
Section 4 - Weapons
Section 5 - General Tactics
Section 6 - Federation Ships
Section 7 - Klingon Ships
Section 8 - Romulan Ships
Section 9 - Ferengi Ships
Section 10 - Cardassian Ships
Section 11 - Kessok Ships
Section 12 - Stations
Section 13 - Closing/Contact info
Section 14 - Copyrights
Section 1: *Introduction*
This FAQ covers the ships and stations of the game Star Trek Bridge Commander.
While you may be able to find much of the technical information in the manual
of the game, this guide will explain the more "basic" info of the ships - such
as tactics, basic systems/perks of each ship, and the weapons capabilities of
each ship. Enjoy!
**NOTE**
This game's storyline doesn't allow for commandeering of all of these ships.
You can only control the Galaxy and Soverign in the story mode. You can,
however pilot these ships in the "Quick Battle" and "Multiplayer" modes.
Also, any phaser arrays I talk about on federation ships normally have a 180
degree arc. (this goes to show that any frontal area of a federation ship is
covered)
Section 2: *Version History*
Version 0.2 - Made corrections for Kessok ships, Cardassian Hybrid. Thanks to
Moses Hughes for the corrections.
Version 0.1 - This is the first edition of this FAQ.
Section 3: *About the Game*
This game follows the storyline of you, the first officer of the Galaxy Class
ship, the U.S.S. Dauntless. The captain has just been killed in a horrible
solar accident in the Maelstrom, a hazardous and volatile area of the Alpha
Quadrant, and you have just been given his job. In this game, you will have
to face the espionage of the Romulans, the deceit of the Cardassians, and the
dangers of a new and deadly race of aliens.
Section 4: *Weapons*
_Primary Weapons_
-Phasers: The basic weapon for all federation ships and stations. It is fired
in a "beam" format, and requires for the sensor array to be at least partially
functioning, as well as a sensor lock on another ship. They use full "arrays"
which allows for an almost 180 degree firing range. (so the front and half of
the sides are protected in the phaser arrays' range)
-Compression Phaser Beams: These may seem more powerful than the regular
phasers, (due to the name) but to me, they really don't. I consider them a
"dumbed down" version of the phasers. They are availible on all of the
cardassian ships.
-Plasma Energy: This is a quite weak weapon equipped on the Ferengi Marauder.
It isn't really that good, and won't really help you out much.
-Disruptor Beam: This is just about the same thing as the phaser, but maybe a
little more powerful. They typically don't have "arrays", they typically can
just fire forward. (unlike the phasers, that have full arrays) They also need
the sensor array and a lock on another ship to fire. This weapon is on both
the Klingon Vor'Cha cruiser, and the Romulan Warbird.
-Disruptor Cannons: These are powerful cannons that can do a lot of damage.
They burn out pretty fast, but they typically recharge fast. They work better
with a sensor lock (which requires a sensor array) but it doesn't NEED one to
fire. These are on the Klingon Vor'Cha, the B'rel Bird of Prey, and the
Romulan Warbird.
-Positron Beams: These weapons are pretty much VERY powerful phasers, they can
do a lot of damage in a little time. They burn out pretty fast, and don't
recharge as fast as the phasers do. These are on the Kessok ships and the
Carassian Hybrid.
_Torpedoes_
-Photons: The basic torpedo, it still does some pretty good damage, but not
the best out there. These are equipped on all of the Federation Ships.
-Advanced Photons: Your basic torpedo, but just a little more powerful. These
are equipped on the Romulan and Klingon ships.
-Quantums: The Quantum torpedoes are going to be your workhorse on the
Soverign Class, considering they are MUCH more powerful than the photons.
(there aren't near as many, so be careful with your aim)
-Positrons: These are a MUCH slower, but tracking kind of torpedo. They are
pretty good, and almost impossible to evade, but too slow to really get a good
bead on the faster ships. (and are worthless if someone warps away) They are
equipped on both Kessok ships.
-Phased: These torpedoes come few and far between, but pack one hell of a
punch. Later in the game, the soverign class ship can hold some of these, but
they can end up "misfiring" and destroying of your torpedo turrets, once in a
while. (it is totally up to chance) They are carried as the standard torpedo
on the Cardassian Hybrid, and there is no risk of the "misfire" problem
happening on this ship.
Section 5: *General Tactics*
I will explain individual tactics in depth, but here are some general helpful
hints that may help you out against any opposition, both AI, and human (for
the online multiplayer)
-Don't cloak when under fire!
When you cloak, your shields drop, and your weapons go off-line, and there is
a light delay between the time you give the cloaking command, and when you
actually disappear off enemy sensors and visual. This leaves PLENTY of room
for HEAVY damage to ship systems, and if they have you in a torpedo lock, you
may very well lose many systems, or even be destroyed.
-If an enemy cloaks, FIRE!
Think of it as the opposite of the last rule: if an enemy cloaks, START
SHOOTING! You can get in some MAJOR damage.
-Keep your enemy in your arc
If you have a phaser array, try to keep the enemy out of the rear section of
your ship's view. This 180 degree area is your phaser's "blind spot", and is
only protected by two torpedo tubes.
-Stay out of your enemies arcs!
If an enemy has a phaser array, stay behind them! If they have disruptor
cannons, stay behind them! I am pretty much telling you to stay out of your
enemies' sights. (it may be common sense, but in the heat of battle, you can
easily forget this simple fact)
-Wait for a good torpedo lock
Don't just haphazardly fire your torpedoes, you have a targeting crosshair,
USE IT! Torpedoes take a while to load, and you have a limited amount of them,
in some ships.
-Use targeting discretion
Is the ship you're fighting running circles around you? Take out his impulse
engines! Is he battering you with his weapons? Take out the sensor array!
Do you need him destroyed, no questions asked? Target the warp core. I could
keep going, but it is fairly simple: just target the system or sub-system
that is giving your enemy the advantage.
-Take power from the systems you don't need, and put more in the systems you
DO need.
You can easily take your sensor power down to 1-5% and still have good,
functioning sensors. This power can go to the shields, weapons, or engines.
Just be careful, if you run out of reserve power in the middle of a battle, it
could make things a LOT harder.
Section 6: *Federation Ships*
For quick reference, this shows what I consider the best ships, in order from
best to worst:
Akira Class: This small and nimble ship is one of the best out there, in my
opinion, and in the hands of a good captain, could match the power of a
Soverign Class.
This ship has 8 phaser arrays (4 on top and 4 on the bottom), with 6 torpedo
tubes (four front and two rear). This ship has overall good shielding, but is
just under the Soverign class in power. This ship can carry photons AND
quantum torpedoes, which can make the Akira class ship a powerful and deadly
ship.
Ambassador Class: This ship is called a "heavy battleship" by the game and by
the manual, this really isn't the case. It is simply a watered down version of
the Galaxy class. It is slower, with not as many torpedo tubes, and has less
powerful armor and shields. It has a total of four torpedo tubes, with two
being in front and two being rear. The phasers are the same power as the
Galaxy, though. In the end, this ship CAN be good, but really pales in
comparision to it's federation counterparts.
Galaxy Class: This ship is the workhorse of the federation fleet. It has 8
phaser arrays, (4 top 4 bottom) and 6 photon torpedo tubes. (4 front, 2 rear)
It's shielding is very good, and its armor is the most powerful for a
federation ship. It is also the biggest ship, which can present some
manuverability issues. It has some better phasers than most of the other
federation ships. I would say this ship is the third best federation ship out
there, only under the Akira and Soverign class, considering that it has no
quantum torpedoes and has some manuverability issues.
Nebula Class: This ship is above the Ambassador in power, but under the
Galaxy. Its armor isn't as good as the Galaxy, but its shields are about the
same. Weapons-wise, it has the same amount of torpedoes, but has slightly less
powerful phasers. Shield-wise, it is SLIGHTLY under. It is also a bit faster.
Overall, this ship is okay, but not as good as the Galaxy.
Soverign Class: This is my favorite, and the most powerful ship for the
federation. (if not for the game) This ship has the most powerful shields,
with the most powerful phasers, and quantum/photon torpedo tubes. This ship
can also support the phased torpedo, availiable later in the game. This ship
is pretty speedy, with good manuverabilty. This ship does have a flaw though,
and it is a pretty bad power drain. This makes the phasers prone to burning
out faster, and a light shield reduction if power is low. Even with this flaw,
power can be managed, and this can be overlooked.
Shuttle: This ship is only accessable in the multiplayer area, and it doesn't
even have a mention in the manual. You aren't missing much in single-player
mode anyhow, and it's only fun to play around with. The shields and phasers
are horribly weak, there are no torpedo tubes, and the ship only has about
1/2 - 2/5 the maximum speed of the other federation ships.
Section 7: *Klingon Ships*
Vor'Cha = Bird of Prey
(with the manuverability and speed of the BoP, and the power of the Vor'Cha,
these ships are really quite equal)
B'rel Class Bird-of-Prey: This is a VERY good ship, and can be very powerful
in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing. However, if you don't
know what is going on, you will be quickly eliminated in this flying coffin.
This ship has EXCELLENT speed and manuverability, and it's disruptor cannons,
in conjunction with the advanced photon torpedo launcher, can be a match for
almost any other ship. It also has a cloaking device for stealth. You could
easily cloak, wedge yourself in the back of a larger ship's blind spot, and
just hammer away at it. But you HAVE to use stealth and speed if you want to
survive in this ship, considering it's shields and armor is quite weak.
Vor'Cha Class Attack Crusier: This ship is quite powerful and deadly. It has
a cloaking device, a disruptor beam, a pair of disuptor cannons, two front
torpedo tubes, and one rear torpedo tube. Now this may sound like a lot, but
it's shields and manuverability leave a LOT to be desired. The speed is pretty
good though. It also lacks any ability to attack to the sides, and with it's
lack of manuverability, can easily creat a problem.
Section 8: *Romulan Ships*
D'Deridex Class Warbird: This ship has some VERY powerful disruptor
cannons, a pretty good disruptor beam, and some "okay" torpedoes. Its shields
seem pretty sturdy, and it's armor is quite good. Now with a ship this good,
there have to be some flaws, right? Well, it's manuverability is horrid, its
speed is VERY sluggish, and it's only non-frontal-firing weapon is a single
torpedo launcher in the rear. This ship could easily be taken advantage of
from the front or sides, and it's most powerful weapons are in the front. It
does have a cloaking device, which will help a LOT...
Section 9: *Ferengi Ships*
D'Kora Class Marauder: This ship has some pretty strong shields and armor, but
is EXTREMELY lacking in the speed, manuverability, and weapons departments.
There is one rear firing phaser array, and two forward firing plasma weapons.
Considering that these shields and armor won't last forever, and you can't
outrun or outgun your enemies, this ship is just a large flying deathtrap...
Section 10: *Cardassian Ships*
Hybrid > Keldon > Galor
Galor Class Attack Cruiser: This is the weakest of the cardassian ships. Its
shields and armor aren't good at all, and it has some pretty weak compression
phasers. (one forward, one to the right, one ot the left, and one in the rear)
there is also one forward-firing torpedo tube. This ship is moderatly fast,
but that is the only good thing I can say about it. They are only dangerous in
groups. Unless your current ship is a POS, or severely cripped, then you won't
have a problem taking this ship down.
Keldon Class Warship: Think of the Galor with slightly better shields and
armor, slightly faster, the same compression phasers, and one more torpedo
tube to the rear. That is the Keldon. Again, they are only dangerous in
groups, and are only *slightly* harder to destroy.
Hybrid Class Warship: This is a small, but nimble little bugger. It has two
positron weapons and one high-end compresson phaser in the front. It also has
two phased torpedo tubes in the front and one in the back. It has some VERY
strong shielding and some moderatly strong armor. This ship is VERY dangerous,
and can be hard to beat. It is a combination of the "Light Kessok" ship, and a
cardassian ship. (which doesn't resemble a Galor or Keldon)
Section 11: *Kessok Ships*
Heavy Kessok > Light Kessok
Light Kessok: This ship is *slightly* more manuverable than the Heavy Kessok,
but doesn't have as many weapons. The Light Kessok has one forward Positron
Torpedo launcher, and four positron beam arrays with two beams to an array.
(one front, one rear, one starboard [right], and one port [left]) It also
comes with a cloaking device. Its speed leaves MUCH to be desired though...
Heavy Kessok: This ship is the slowest and least manuverable in the game. It
has four positron beam arrays. (one front top, one bottom top, one rear top,
one rear bottom) It has ALMOST 360 degree firing ability. It also has two
positron torpedo launchers, which can fire either front or behind. The shields
and armor are quite powerful, and it comes with a cloaking device. The one
downfall of this ship is it's speed and manuverability (or lack thereof). In
the hands of an experienced pilot, this ship can easily make short work of an
enemy.
Section 12: *Stations*
**NOTE** The stations can't be controlled by the player, but I think they DO
deserve their own section.
Another thing: Of course, all stations lack engines, just be sure to remember
that!
Finally, the best way to take a station down is to just hammer away at one
area of the shields and then disable that section's weapons. Then you just
simply keep firing until you destroy the station. It may be cheap, and only
really works if only you and the station remain, but it can work well.
_Federation Stations_
Federation Starbase: The starbase has some standard phasers, but nothing
great. The great thing about the starbase is it's shields and armor. It is
VERY hard to destroy a federation station, due to it's shields and armor.
They are VERY, VERY strong...
Other than dwelling on the shields and armor, there isn't really much else to
say about the Federation Starbase. I am going to use the Starbase's armor and
shield power as a basis for comparison to the other stations.
Federation Outpost: The outpost is a much smaller and weaker version of the
starbase. The weapons are about the same, but the shields and armor are MUCH
weaker. I would say the shields are about 5-7 times, and the armor about 6
times weaker than the Federation Starbase's.
Regula Series Space Facility: The space facility is about 4 times weaker
shield and armor-wise than the Starbase. It also comes with the "honor" of
having no weapons, whatsoever.
Drydock: The drydock is about 10 times weaker shield and armor-wise than the
Starbase, and also has no weapons.
_Cardassian Stations_
Cardassian Starbase: This is the most powerful Cardassian station, but has
about half the armor and shielding of the federation starbase. It also has 6
phaser arrays and 6 disruptor cannons. These can do SEVERE damage to your
ship, so be careful. (By the way, this is the same type of station as DS9,
for those of you who have seen the show)
Cardassian Station: The shields are about 1/8 less powerful than the
Cardassian Starbase, and the armor about 1/3 the strength of the Cardassian
Starbase. It has 6 phaser arrays and 8 disruptor cannons, which can still do
some pretty bad damage to whatever you attempt to attack it with.
Cardassian Outpost: This station has about 1/4 less shield power than the
Cardassian Starbase, and about 2/3 less armor strength. It has 6 phaser arrays
and 6 disruptor cannons. It is much easier to attack, considering it has such
weak shields.
Section 13: *Closing/Contact Info*
In closing, I would just like to say thanks to the GameFAQs community and to
Jeff 'CJayC' Veasey, the maker of the great site known as www.gamefaqs.com.
My email address is Colonel814@hotmail.com. Please only email me if it falls
in one of these two categories:
1. Something is wrong - I am 99% positive that this information is correct.
(considering most of this info was taken from my playing the game) But I am
only human, and if I made a mistake, feel free to email me.
2. If you have any REAL and IMPORTANT info that PERTAINS to the info provided
here.
Please be mostly grammatically correct, spell out your words, ("you" rather
than "u") and be polite. If I can't understand, I can't reply.
Remember that this is NOT a walkthrough, and only deals with the information
about the ships, stations, and weapons in this game. If you need help with the
storyline, there are strategy guides and other FAQs.
Section 14: *Copyrights*
Due to trouble with updates, keeping track, and the overall pain of having to
deal with other sites, this FAQ is only going to be updated on
www.gamefaqs.com. If you want to post this FAQ on your site, print it out,
burn it, whatever, go ahead. Just give me credit, and do not change the FAQ in
ANY way. This FAQ is copyright Colonel814, so please don't
plagiarize/steal/hijack this FAQ, I WILL find out and come after you! ^_^
