GTF Hercules Mark II

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File:Herc2.jpg
The GTF Hercules Mark II

The GTF Hercules Mark II was a replacement for the original Great War-era GTF Hercules. It is superior in most aspects of the original Hercules, with the notable exception of primary firepower. This sacrifice is offset by more space for secondary weapons.

Description:

FS2 Demo Tech Room Description

The second generation of the Hercules fighter. It is faster, more maneuverable, and still carries a decent payload.

FS2 Tech Room Description

The GTF Hercules Mark II is the next generation of Terran heavy assault fighter. Introduced during the Great War, the original Herc's balance of firepower and maneuverability made it the most versatile strike fighter in the fleet. Some military historians have claimed the Hercules won the Great War, citing its deployment in key battles near the end of the Shivan conflict. Implementing recent advances in fusion drive technology, the Mark II improves the assault fighter's speed and maneuverability without sacrificing loadout capacity.

Developer Notes

None

Performance:

Statistics

Type	Heavy Assault
Manufacturer	RNI Systems
Maneuverability	Average
Yaw, Pitch, Roll	55.0 - 65.0 s
Max Velocity	120.0 ms-1
Max Afterburner Velocity	Heavy ms-1
Armor	275
Hitpoints	610
Shields	17
Length	{{{10}}} m

Armaments

• Gun Mounts

FreeSpace 2
Bank	Guns	Standard Loadout
1st	2	Subach HL-7
2nd	2	Prometheus R
Compatible Primaries
Subach HL-7, Akheton SDG, Prometheus R, Prometheus S, Morning Star, UD-8 Kayser, Circe, Lamprey, Maxim

• Missile Banks

FreeSpace 2
Bank	Capacity	Standard Loadout
1st	80	Harpoon
2nd	100	Hornet
Compatible Secondaries
MX-64, Emp. Adv, Tempest, Hornet, Tornado, Harpoon, Trebuchet, TAG-A, TAG-B, Infyrno,

Veteran Comments

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The Herc II flies okay. My only complaint is with the weapons placement, as having the primaries set side by side makes shooting a fleeing target with horizontal deflection tricky. The secondary max loadout is a blessing, sometimes I like to load out on nothing but Harpoons and be a mobile SAM launcher.

I like all the Hercs. Good armour with large missile capacity, although a bit on the slow side, but decent maneuverability.

The Herc II gets introduced rather cruelly to you; in your first mission in the fighter you are thrown against Shivan Maras and Astaroths, both of which can outmaneuver and outrun you with ease. A Lion at the Door demonstrates the problems with the Herc II in rather brutal fashion on high difficulties. Mystery of the Trinity can end up subjecting you to SF Dragons to boot, for the ultimate in bad introductions; survival of that situation is difficult on ANY difficulty.

Despite this the fighter is a capable heavy assault ship; its spacious secondary bays and having only four gun banks appear to be a reaction to and endorsement of the Hornet-spam technique for dealing with enemy logistics craft and cruisers.

The problem with the Herc II is the early missions, where it's the required fighter, often just aren't well suited to pure heavy fighter forces, which leaves some people with the impression it is an inferior ship overall. It really isn't. It's quite a good ship for Clash of the Titans II or Dunkerque for instance, and it's my preferred ship for Proving Grounds.

While in the main campaign the Herc II is pretty much useless, in user-made campaign missions with lots of enemies, the Herc II is a godsend (provided that you have the right weapons, and no other ships like the Erinyes are available). Its thick armour and shielding is enough to get you through the fiercest of battles.

It's surprisingly maneuverable, but is slow as hell. Its thick armour, heavy shielding and huge secondary banks give you the opportunity to survive long missions without support, like Love the Treason. However, the Tauret is a better assault fighter, with more guns, even more missiles and less maneuverability.