Capture Missions

Capture Missions

Capture missions are probably the hardest and most nerve-consuming to make and test. Bear the following suggestions in mind:

• Given the fact the AI in FreeSpace 2 is not smart enough to take the goals into consideration, they tend to attack and eventually destroy the ship you will have to capture. To block this, use the change-iff SEXP and change the ship to friendly after it is disarmed and disabled.
• Not putting the capture party's transport into the escort list might suggest two facts:
  

You did not place it into the escort list because it does not come under attack during the mission
You neglected your mission
So, in a word, use the Escort list

• Order the player to destroy the Communication subsystem. Otherwise, using the intact communication systems, the enemy can call in for reinforcements. If the player fails to disable the communications in time, have some more enemy forces arrive. If you are evil enough, you will send in a force that is impossible to beat, making the disablement of the communication system obligatory.
• Make the capture transport send messages often, keeping the pilots updated about the status of the capture operation.
• If you think it is a good idea, you can make the capture party fail and send in a new transport or order the pilots to leave, considering the mission a failure.
• If you have used the change-iff to make the capturable ship friendly, do not forget that the enemy also considers it friendly. Therefore, they do not intend to destroy it until they see it is easier to destroy than to defend it.
• The above hint should also work in reverse: If the friendly team considers the mission a failure, they should attempt to destroy that vessel. Do this if the capture transport is destroyed.