User:Androgeos Exeunt

Hello. My screen name is Androgeos Exeunt. Since almost everyone on HLP calls me as either Andro, Androgeos or AE, feel free to address me using either one of those three.

Most of my time in the FreeSpace community is spent on the Hard Light Productions Forums, where I am a member. In addition, I lurk on the community's Discord server.

The most visible contributions I've made to this community are on this very wiki. I've also recorded two voice lines for Blue Planet: Age of Aquarius and created a logo for the FreeSpace Campaign Restoration Project.

FreeSpace Preferences

Light Settings

I originally used Spidey's light settings while playing, until Quantum Delta complained that the ship images I took were too dark for some monitors. I've since reverted to using no light settings at all. It's a boon in multiplayer, I assure you.

Controller

It used to be a keyboard only, but since playing the original Sublevel Zero, I now use a combination of a mouse as well as a pitch-focused WASD keyboard layout.

Here's a little history about the time I played FS2 on a MacBook: it took me a while to adjust, as the MacBook keyboard lacked enough keys for me to bind all key commands. Most notably, the MacBook keyboard had no numpad and the six keys directly above the Arrows, so I couldn't bind both the ETS and individual shield quadrant augmentation key commands without having an unwieldy keyboard setup or conflicting commands. As I arguably used the ETS keys a lot more than the shield quadrant augmentation keys, I ultimately decided only to bind the equalise shields command and the ETS keys. To compensate, I bound the transfer shield <-> laser keys to the TAB key which, in single player mode, served me just as well, if not better.

Using a mouse to aim has improved my ability to fly more manoeuvrable ships since I no longer overshoot as much.

Difficulty Level

It has been Very Easy for the longest time, and I used to be proud of it.

I started playing FS2 by using cheats on every single player mission. Ironically, the demo disables progressing through cheating, so I do play through missions legitimately from time to time. When I cheat, I do it on Very Easy or Insane; the latter difficulty gives me insight into just how challenging the game can be, and I hold everyone who has completed the main FreeSpace 2 campaign on Insane without cheating in the highest regard. Extra points if the person has been playing the game on both single and multiplayer since the days of PXO and SquadWar.

Despite the assessment of another member that I could probably do okay on Medium difficulty, I've historically avoided doing it under any circumstances due to my teenage perception of "all or nothing". Recent forays into FREDding have changed this, with my playtests being done on Easy difficulty.

Ship Selection

Ever since I started playing FreeSpace 2, I've preferred flying heavy assault ships and abusing ETS settings to fly them like a heavy interceptor or an afterburner with guns. The main reason for this is because I tend to overshoot or undershoot my target when flying an incredibly agile ship with a fast turn rate. I also scoff at pilots who seem to think that having a lot of speed and agility will make up for lack of protection. On the other hand, I acknowledge that even the best armour in the world won't prevent your destruction if you don't fly smart or fast.

My first legitimate mission death was in Argonautica, while I was flying a Horus—a layer of shielding didn't stop the hurt from a Nahema's Piranha explosion blowing away the remaining 23% of my hull. I've reserved a special hatred for the Horus since then, described in verbose detail below.

Canon Ships I Prefer to Pilot

1. GTF Ares—I fell in love with the Ares when I first saw it on Rake's Flail SCP video. Then I ended up in the cockpit of one and fell in love with it even more. Its huge powerplant and missile banks means you can become quite a killing machine if you load it up right, and if you're lucky. There isn't much else that can compare to it. Agility-wise, I've piloted better ships, although on the lower difficulty levels, the Ares is still able to defend itself somewhat.
2. SF Mara—This is the only canon Shivan fighter you can fly. It's just slow enough for me to effectively pilot it with a keyboard, and it has an even larger powerplant than the Ares, capable of easily firing the GTW UD-8 Kayser for lengthy periods without stopping. However, I rarely fly one of these because they're not common, so I still prefer the Ares.
3. GVF Tauret—Strangely enough, I disliked this ship when I first saw that the tech room rated its manoeuvrability as "Poor". It was only after I decided to pilot one myself that I realise that the tech room was more or less lying in this regard. I love to chuck missiles at everything I see, and the Tauret has two missile banks larger than that of the Ares to fit.

Non-Canon Ships I Prefer to Pilot

1. GTF Nyx—I find it difficult to overstate this fighter. It has eight gun mounts, cavernous missile banks, relatively good speed and agility, and is very durable. It's a difficult choice between this and the Ares.
2. UEF Uriel—Nothing is more satisfying than hearing the sound of the Archer after using the mouse to make a precise aim at a far-off turret. It seems to turn a bit too slowly, though that might only be my imagination given the fast pace of skirmishes between the GTVA and UEF.

Canon Ships I Dislike With a Passion

1. GVF Horus: Perhaps the only ship in FreeSpace canon that can truly make me openly use the word "hate" on it, the Horus flies like rubbish with me behind the controls. The Horus has the most atrocious pitch and yaw rate of any fighter I have ever flown—a small moon could easily fit inside the amount of time this abomination takes to do a 360-degree turn. Forget the fact that it's fast if you can't even turn properly. The GVF Serapis may be less durable, but at least that thing's nimble enough to avoid exploding Piranhas. This ship cannot.
2. GTF Perseus: My dislike for the Perseus has waned a little ever since I started to learn how to pilot agile ships with a keyboard more effectively, but it's still there. I know a lot of FreeSpace pilots love the Perseus because of how it perfectly balances speed, agility, durability and loadout, and I won't disagree. However, I find the Perseus turns a little too quickly for comfort. This was the first fighter I flew where I kept overshooting targets. If I'm just shooting down bombers and bombs, the Perseus is probably one of the better ships I can ask for. For everything else, I'd rather fly a GTF Myrmidon.
3. GTB Medusa—The Medusa was introduced to me in Slaying Ravana, and in hindsight, I think it's quite cruel since I overlooked it in favour of the GTB Ursa, which is superior in every way except speed and manoeuvrability, both of which are not really necessary when you fly a bomber.

Non-Canon Ships I Dislike With a Passion

1. GTF Vesuvius—With its Shivan-style paintjob, it's nearly impossible to distinguish a friendly from foe. Whee. Let's have fun shooting each other and turning traitor on every mission!

Weapon Loadout

I'll make no secret about my poor accuracy. Put me in a fighter with a rapid-fire cannon, and you'll be safe as long as you're in my reticle. I just cannot do anything with low-damage, high-refire primary weapons, because I'll end up shooting the space immediately surrounding my target. On the hand, I'm no marksman, and I don't have the patience to line up shots using weapons that deliver extreme damage at a very low rate of fire. My best bet is a primary weapon that deals reasonable damage at an average rate of fire. Dual-linked primary weapons work as well. Even a Subach will fit the bill nicely as long as I mount all six guns of a Myrmidon with it.

As for missiles, I prefer those that do damage; it doesn't need to be heat- or aspect-seeking. As long as I can use it with my primary weapons and it deals good damage for the maximum number of it that I can load onto my ship, it's good.

Preferred Canon Weapons

Primary

1. GTW UD-8 Kayser
2. GTW Mekhu HL-7
3. GTW Avenger

Secondary

1. GTM Trebuchet
2. GTM Tornado
3. GTM Tempest

Preferred Non-Canon Weapons

Primary

1. Rapier
2. Maul
3. Quasar

Secondary

1. A.C.R.
2. Hurricane
3. Paveway