GTF Hercules

FreeSpace 1 Ships Terran ships Fighters Bombers Transports and freighters Cruisers Capital ships Installations Misc Ships Sentry Guns Cargo Containers Vasudan ships Fighters Bombers Transports and freighters Cruisers Capital ships Misc Ships Sentry Guns Cargo Containers Shivan ships Fighters Bombers Transports and freighters Cruisers Capital ships Sentry Guns Cargo Containers Notable ships of FreeSpace 1

FreeSpace 2 Ships Terran ships Fighters Bombers Transports and freighters Cruisers and corvettes Capital ships Installations Misc ships Sentry Guns Cargo Containers Vasudan ships Fighters Bombers Transports and freighters Cruisers and corvettes Capital ships Misc ships Sentry Guns Cargo Containers Shivan ships Fighters Bombers Transports and freighters Cruisers and corvettes Capital ships Misc ships Sentry Guns Cargo Containers Notable ships of FreeSpace 2

The GTF Hercules

The GTF Hercules (nicknamed "The Big Momma") was first introduced during the Great War and flew several successful missions against the Shivans, becoming the mainstay of Terran forces during the Great War.

The Neo-Terran Front was known to have used large numbers of these ships during their rebellion.

The replacement of this class was the GTF Hercules Mark II with increased agility and secondary loadout at the expense of having only four primary guns.

The FreeSpace Reference Bible states that a wing of four Hercules fighters at some point took out a Vasudan Aten cruiser. Since in-game information explicates that the Hercules was designed during the Great War, this cruiser was probably under the control of the Hammer of Light.

Description:

FS1 Tech Room Description

The GTF Hercules is the slowest and most unmanageable fighter in the fleet. This is offset, however, by its overpowering weaponry and shielding. It carries 6 primary weapons, as well as two full secondary banks. This heavy assault fighter is best suited for small target attacks and bomber escort.

FS2 Tech Room Description

The old workhorse of the Terran fleet, the Hercules is a beloved but aging design. It was the mainstay of the Terran forces during the Great War, but it is slowly being phased out of the modern fleet. As they are replaced by Herc IIs, Myrmidons, and other recent designs, Hercules fighters are increasingly relegated to training and guard duties far from the front lines. Pilots who've flown Hercs for years love the ship's heavy armor and firepower and have learned to compensate for its low speed and poor maneuverability. The old Hercs are still widely used by NTF forces.

Developer Notes

Low max velocity offset by its tremendous offensive capabilities. High weapon capacity.

Name origin

Hercules is the Latin name for Herakles, son of Zeus. Hercules is a symbol of masculinity and action. He was an esteemed and powerful warrior, and it is said that "he made the world safe for mankind."

Performance:

Statistics

Name	GTF Hercules
Type	Heavy Assault
Manufacturer	Han-Roland Corp.
Maneuverability	Average / Poor
Yaw, Pitch, Roll	4.0, 4.5, 4.0 s
Max Velocity	50 - 64 ms-1
Max Afterburner Velocity	120 ms-1
Armor	Medium / Heavy
Hitpoints	250 pts
Shields	600 pts
Length	20 m
Weaponry
Primary weapons
1st bank	4 guns
2nd bank	2 guns
Secondary weapons
1st bank capacity	60
2nd bank capacity	60
Countermeasures
Countermeasure capacity	25 countermeasures

Armaments

• Gun Mounts

FreeSpace 1 Bank Guns Standard Loadout 1st 4 Avenger 2nd 2 Disruptor Compatible primaries ML-16 Laser, Disruptor, Avenger, Flail, Prometheus, Banshee, Leech Cannon, S-Breaker

FreeSpace 2 Bank Guns Standard Loadout 1st 4 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 1 Bank Capacity Standard Loadout 1st 60 Interceptor 2nd 60 Fury Compatible secondaries MX-50, D-Missile, Fury, Hornet, Interceptor, Phoenix V, EM Pulse, Cluster Bomb

FreeSpace 2 Bank Capacity Standard Loadout 1st 60 Harpoon 2nd 60 Hornet Compatible secondaries MX-64, EMP Adv., Tempest, Hornet, Tornado, Harpoon, Trebuchet, Infyrno

Modding Resources

The GTF Hercules in FS2_Open with the 3.6.14 mediavps

Retail:

$POF File: Fighter06.pof

Textures: Fighter06-01(a/b/c), thruster

MediaVP 3.6.10:

$POF File: Fighter06.pof

Textures: Fighter06-02( /b/c), Fighter06-03( /b/c), Damage, Tercoc01

History
Proposed by: ??? on ???
First WIP Post: ??? on ???
First In-Game Model: ??? on ???
Completed In-Game Model: ??? on ???
Final Corrections: ??? on ???

Veteran Comments

Please read the Veteran Comments policy before editing this section.

The best way to use this fighter in FS2 is to load the quads with Kaysers and the dual with Maxim and the first bank of missiles with Harpoons and the second with Hornets. That way, you will win a lot of bomber and cruiser kills in the last mission. The Maxim and Hornets should be used on the cruisers, while the Kaysers and Harpoons on bombers. The GTF Hercules was, to me, better than the mark 2.

I would say this is an okay fighter during the first Great War, but during FS2, it has become outdated. It has six gun points, so it has reasonable firepower, but that firepower is offset by its slow speed and 'blockiness'. During FS1, it was a decent fighter, but it has been replaced by the GTF Hercules Mark II and the GTF Myrmidon in FS2. I like this a little better than the newer GTF Hercules Mark II, because of its firepower, but there is almost always a better ship to use in FS2.

I like this fighter. It may be old in FS2, but it's better than some of the newer craft, such as the Myrmidon. It doesn't have the maneuverability, speed, armor, or capacity of its newer version, but it has more and better placed gun points, and a still large missile capacity. In addition, it shares the same general compatibility with virtually all available weapons.

I have always felt that the old Herc is far superior to the Herc 2 in terms of firepower and in general in fulfilling its role as assault fighter. If anything, the Ares is the true successor to this fighter. In FS1 you could take on literally anything in one of these, and the Herc 2 pales in comparison with the original.

The Herc II has 25 extra hull points, 10 extra shielding points, 50% more secondary capacity and has a normal speed 5 m/s faster than the Herc I, at the expense of two primary gunmounts. Personally I think the gunmounts are worth it, but it all comes down to playstyle, really.

The main issue I have with the Herc I is the placement of the set of 4 gun mounts. Those are difficult to hit other fighters with, leaving the other set of 2 gun mounts that are useful in a dogfight. The other issue is that, in my experience, it has a tendency to take more damage than a Herc II due to its shape, especially from the rear.

Generally speaking, in FreeSpace 2 I prefer the Herc II for its larger secondary capacity, smaller target profile and slightly higher durability or the Myrmidon for its superior maneuverability, greater adaptability, and equal firepower. In FreeSpace 1, however, nothing can take out a Seraphim like a Hercules with quad Avengers and a pair of Banshees. This fighter has some obvious weaknesses. Its large target profile, low speed, and low maneuverability combined with its widely distributed gun points, make it a bad choice to dogfight fast, maneuverable vessels like the Dragons. If confronted by a similarly small, highly maneuverable opponent when in this fighter, don't hesitate to empty your missiles on them.

I personally hate this ship. It handles like a potato, and lacks top speed, as well as a sufficient afterburner reserve. I would choose anything over this ship. Although it has high weapons compatability, why equip it with the best weapons if you're always too slow to line up to make a shot? The best way to use this ship is to stay in one place, on top of a friendly ship, and pretend you're a sentry gun.

Not really recommendable at any of the times you can use it in the FS2 campaign except the first SOC Loop. The Herc has around 50% more missile capacity than the Myrmidon, which makes it particularly more effective when dealing with the nippy Serapis fighters. With a pair of Subachs, you still have the firepower with the better-placed six guns to take out Taurets and Sekhmets, and more survivability (as the increased speed of the Myrmidon and Loki isn't necessarily a good thing given you're engaged in convoy escort).

Reinforcing the above comments after playing through Silent Threat: Reborn again. Many of the missions are based around defending an outpost, convoy, or destroyer from Shivan or Terran ships, and for that, the Hercules is undoubtedly the best option. Run with Avengers if you're fighting Shivans (better sustained DPS than the Banshee), or the Prometheus if you're expecting warships or Terran enemies. Bank of Interceptors for fighters and a bank of Hornets for cruiser saturation ensure that a Herc can handle most anything short of a destroyer. Depending on some circumstances, the Zeus may be a better option if you're expecting to fight more than a couple of cruisers or a destroyer, or a dedicated heavy bomber if the mission demands it. The fact the Herc uses the Prometheus makes it preferable to the Athena in ST:R, as the Avenger takes longer to kill Terran ships than it does their Shivan counterparts.