The Ur-Quan Masters Discussion Forum

Installed ST2 a couple of weeks ago, and I've noted a few problems with the Melee Combat, which also applies in melee conditions of game play.

1) Ur-quam attack fighters bounce off the planet. In the PC version I have the attack fighters die if they impact the planet. It was a standard tactic to get them to launch fighters then hide on the far side of the planet until they died on impact.

2) Initial ship apperance seems abnormal, in that the ships are generally located in immediate proximity to each other rather than at a random distribution about the large scale screen leading to immediate close scale combat.

By ST2, do you mean Timewarp?

Ah, you must have only played the original Star Control.  This planet-avoiding behaviour was added in the sequel, because kiting the fighters around the planet was deemed a bitch move.  Because it is.  Quit hiding and fight, damn it!

You're imagining things.  Unless you always use the VUX Intruder, in which case you're not. (they always warp in right next to their opponent, it's even in the manual)

I played the original DOS version of SC2 and the fighters would bounce off the
planet. Usually, if you were lined up probalby, they would get stuck there
and die. But, many of them would find their way around.

Having also played the original DOS version, I can confirm that. I always did wonder why they could avoid the planet no problem, but got smashed by random asteroids, though.

I think you could explain that by scale. And reflection.
The planet is large, has gravity and is generally highly reflective (bright).
Astroids, by contrast, are smaller, dark (I sometimes run into them)
and have no gravity to warn the pilots.

There is the scale argument. While it may not look like it
in melee, the planet is probably a few hundred times bigger than
an astroid. So, when one comes along and blind-sides a Ur-Quan
fighter, they don't stand a chance.

Also, in the preferred reference frame of SC combat, the planet is just sitting there, while the asteroids can have arbitrary velocities.

Fair enough. Still, their planet avoidance behavior appears to be something to the effect of "descend to the surface, buzz the tower, and then fly around the planet," rather than anything really resembling avoidance (which makes watching a swarm of fighters avoid a planet pretty funny to watch). But hey, whatever works. Not that I object to seeing the little bastards get mashed by passing asteroids.

I have to admit I've flinched while watching a Ur-Quan fighter get broadsided by
a fast moving astroid. It looks painful.

"You're not actually going into the astroid field?"