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[Aklyon]

That looks more familiar. I don't have any ideas for a name, though.

[Sirus]

Well, which ship would you prefer? Names don't matter so much compared to that 

[warhammer651]

Perekop  class, designation: I DUNNO

[Burnt Pies]

Otlichny class, and we'll call it the Lotus


Because blowing stuff up is cooler than going fast.

Also, we should have a theme for the names of our ships. I vote for flowers.

[Boksi]

I agree with Burnt Pies. More Firepower = Better.

And Lotus is a fine name.

[Aklyon]

Otlichny class.

[Sirus]

Voting closes at 6pm Pacific Time (that's 2am GMT, for any Europeans out there). Plenty of time for everyone to figure this out

Once a decision is made, I will do a mini-update to go over the ship modification and crew systems, before doing a little off-screen grinding. Hopefully it'll be easy enough to understand.

[Sirus]

Mini Update 1: Mods and Crew

Well, voting is closed, and the Otlichny narrowly came in first! We also had two votes for the name LOTUS, so that's what it'll be named.

Spoiler: Modding (click to show/hide)

The stats are pretty simple, and I will describe them to you now:

• Anti-Air is the ship's firepower against enemy fighters. Those won't come into play for quite some time, so this stat is essentially useless at the moment.
• Anti-Ship measures a ship's firepower against other ships. Possibly the most important stats for most ships, as most of their time will be spent shooting holes in things.
• Cruise Spd is the ship's movement while flying from planet to planet. The faster, the better, unless you like long slow voyages.
• Battle Spd is, obviously, speed during combat. Faster ships can more easily get to grips with the enemy. We should have enough speed now to catch that bloody transport from before.
• Mobility affects how likely enemy shots are to miss.
• Armor is armor; damage reduction.
• Durability is simply "hit points". This ship has 460, which is more than double what the DAISY had.
• Atk Range is important, as it measures the range at which your sensors can lock onto enemy ships. If a weapon has a longer range than this and fires from outside that range, it's chance to hit is severely reduced.
• Livability determines how long you can travel before your crew reaches crippling exhaustion levels.
• For fighters, a ship needs a catapult (built into certain models) and hanger space. As previously mentioned, those won't come into play until later.
• Wpn Slots is the number of available hard points on a ship's hull. Weapons range from Small to Extra Large, and each ship has it's own loadout. For instance, the LOTUS here has one Medium and one Small weapon.
• Each ship requires a certain number of crew. You can go above that, which can be useful for melee battles and such, but I usually have better uses for limited hull space.

Now, The LOTUS as is will probably be enough to beat Panfilov, but we want it to be better, right? Every ship, when bought, comes with the bare minimum needed to fight and fly: Default weapons, a basic bridge and engine room, and just enough crew quarters to make the bare minimum. This is where ship modification comes into play. Ship modding is a huge part of this game, and we'll need to find and install better mods as you progress. Let's look at what we can do with the LOTUS:



Like I said, pretty bare-bones. It's also much more simple than it appears at first glance: Bridge modules go in the bridge section, engine rooms go in the engine section, and everything else can go into the other spaces. Each module is in a tetris-like shape, which cannot be rotated. You simply drag and drop modules wherever they can fit.
You need to buy the blueprints for most modules, much like ship blueprints. However, Yuri (or more likely Nia) starts with a few handy:

• A fire control room increases the accuracy of both AA and AS weapons, a must-have.
• A radar room increases attack range by a small amount. Not a must-have, but it's nice and we have space and money to spare.
• Holds are handy. Whenever you dock at a port, you earn a small amount of credits for each hold in your fleet. Higher-level holds earn more money.
• Finally, crew cabins. Each one provides living space for 10 additional crew members, and provides a small livability boost. I'll go ahead and add a couple to keep them happy.

Here's the LOTUS now. I added both a fire control and radar room, as well as two extra crew quarters and two holds. It'll be a little pricy at 750G, but we're ready to fight Panfilov whenever now.

On to weapons! At this stage in the game there are only two alternative weapons available to us, both of them a gamble. Currently, our two weapon systems are single-shot lasers with decent stats in everything (power, range, accuracy). We can replace either size laser with a dual-shot laser: Each shot does slightly less damage, and range and accuracy are slightly reduced. However, they have the potential to do much more damage than the single-shot guns. I'm leaving the default lasers for now, but I can trade them in before the next update should anyone request it.

Spoiler: Crew (click to show/hide)

After you finish setting up your new destroyer, Nia comes up to Yuri:

: That's quite a ship you got there! And you bought it with your own money, so that makes you the captain.

: I'm a captain?

: Yup. And from now on, sink or swim, the responsibility lies with you.

: (Captain, huh? This doesn't feel real.)

: And considering everything that's happened, I'd be happy to offer my services as one of your crew members. Just assign me to a post. You can assign crew members at the Cosmic Trade Authority you can find at any spaceport.

: You're going to be on my crew?

: What, you don't want me?

: No, of course that's not it. I just feel like you're being way too good to me.

: Ha ha ha! Don't worry about that! After all, you're my client until I get you safely to Central Elgava. Anyway, what's important is that now you're ready to go up against Panfilov.

: I am, aren't I? (Hold on, Kira! I'm coming to get you!)

From now on, the CTA option will show up at any spaceport we visit. There, we can assign crew members to various slots and organise our fleet. We can also visit a HELP desk and check what Yuri's rank as a zero-G dog is.
In fact...



Nuts. Rank is determined by the amount of fame someone has, which is mainly earned by defeating enemy fleets. Yuri has q-u-i-t-e a way to go.
Hmm, I wonder who the top rank is?



Someone named "Valantin", apparently. Pff, I bet we could take him.

Back to the important stuff. First, we need to make the LOTUS our new flagship.



Easy enough. Please note the how the stats have increased from before being modded. Also, we don't lose the DAISY. We can't sell it, so it just goes into ship storage. We may be using it again in the future, but since it can't be upgraded or modded in any way it will rapidly become obsolete.
Next, we need to look at the crew screen.



The "party members" we recruit can be assigned various positions in this screen. Each position has a skill governing it, and this skill increases when a crew member levels up. Including the captain position, there are 35 slots for party members, though Yuri is permenantly locked into the captain's spot. Yuri's spot is special however; he is also sometimes in charge of melee fights (thus his blade and combat suit).



As you can see, Nia is already a skilled zero-G dog. She can be helpful in just about any slot, so I'll now give you a brief overview of what each skill entails:

• Leadership: Only used in the Captain and First Officer posts. Increases Mobility and the rate at which the Command Gauge will refill.
• Control: Increases gauge speed and attack range.
• Navigation: Increases Mobility, Battle, and Cruise Speed.
• Artillery: Increases accuracy of ship weapons.
• Maintenance: Chief Engineers boost Mobility and Battle Speed. Mechanics increase the rate at which health of ships and fighters recover.
• Science: An interesting skill. Scientists automatically research improvements to your flagship, and possibly all of your ships (I'm pretty sure they only work on the flagship, though).
• Medicine: In battle, crew can become injured, which leads to a decrease in combat potential. Doctors and nurses increase the rate at which crew recover.
• Management: Accountants help boost monetary gain from cargo holds and other sources. Head Chef and waiters/waitresses increase Livability and reduce the rate at which fatigue rises.
• Combat: Security officers act as commanders in melee battles, improving their effectiveness. They also increase livability, presumably by bashing the heads of troublemakers
  A further note about Combat: If the Security Chief slot is empty, Yuri commands melee battles. This can be an advantage, as Yuri receives a number of combat upgrades as the game goes on.
• Piloting: Increases the effectiveness of fighters.

So, what shall Nia do on the ship? The choice, as always, is yours

[Aklyon]

Spoiler: Not really spoilery, but why not. (click to show/hide)

Fighting Panfilov just seemed more of a giant game of retreating and then dashing forward every so often then actually needing to have a decent ship, at least how my game went.

Our ship is space tetris!
Put Nia in Leadership with us, ace helmsman sounds like a good thing.

[monk12]

Whee space tetris!

As regards personnel decisions, it seems Artillery is the best fit, at least until we get more important crew members.

[Sirus]

Spoiler: Not really spoilery, but why not. (click to show/hide)

Fighting Panfilov just seemed more of a giant game of retreating and then dashing forward every so often then actually needing to have a decent ship, at least how my game went.

Our ship is space tetris!
Put Nia in Leadership with us, ace helmsman sounds like a good thing.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Not the way I play 

I'm gonna leave the question of where to place Nia open until tomorrow evening. Of course, she can always be reassigned as needed, so it's not like this is permanent.

Also keep in mind, we probably won't see any updates during the week. I've got a nice long weekend, which is why I'm pumping out so many pictures and text.

[Jerick]

I say put her in as first officer for now. An increase in gauge speed means more dakka and more dakka is better dakka!

[Aklyon]

I say put her in as first officer for now. An increase in gauge speed means more dakka and more dakka is better dakka!

Especially when we are in the beginning with a lack of serious dakka until later when we have multiple shipses.

[Sirus]

Part 5: Leaving Ropesk

Welcome back! Last time, Yuri purchased a destroyer and named it the LOTUS. It received plenty of upgrades and Nia joined his crew! Let's continue...

Spoiler: Preparation (click to show/hide)

After another close vote, Nia was placed in the 1st Officer slot. Yuri is now ready to face Panfilov, but we have a few more things to do before the we take him down.



I did a little bit of off-screen grinding in order to raise Yuri to level 2, as well as earn some money and fame. Nothing important was missed, never fear!
Now, Toropets (like most worlds) has a tavern, which we haven't visited yet. Let's swing by and see what we can learn. First, the bartender:

Get information
Bartender: Those ships the Ropesk Security Patrol use are getting old and worn out. They just aren't what they used to be.

Good news for us!

Ask about a job
Bartender: Looking for work, are you? All right, I'll give you something. How about you take this cargo to Bagut? This job pays 250G.

I accept, of course.

Bartender: Yeah? Okay, then. Great. Take this cargo to the tavern on Bagut. Give it to the bartender there.

Talking to Nia reveals this tidbit:

: The Space Pioneering Law says that the person who discovers a new planet has the right to govern it. Panfilov is taking advantage of that law to play king of the mountain, but with power comes responsibility. That means if there's trouble on the planet you discover, it's all your responsibility.

: So what you're saying is--

: That's right. No one's gonna mess with you if you bring Panfilov down. So go get him, kiddo!

: I'll do my best!

Finally, there's a laborer we can talk to

Laborer: Everyone's gotta do his or her part to keep our nation afloat! And the ban on space travel is just another way of working toward that goal. Instead of gallivantin' off through space, we gotta devote ourselves to the betterment of our own planet, right here. But I hear there's a guy who was willing to abandon his nation, just for the chance to wander through space. Unbelievable.

Toropets also has the pawn shop which is holding Yuri's Epitaph. You can't really do anything there, however. Onwards!



On the way to Bagut, I take this opportunity to show off our new ship. You can see how much bigger it is than the DAISY.



It also has some pretty awesome laser cannons. If both shots hit, these wimpy Boiky ships take almost 130 damage.



It's very much overkill. I meanwhile take maybe 30 damage, 40 if one of the shots gets a crit.

Back on Bagut, I turn in the cargo and get my 250G. There's only one thing to do before challenging Panfilov...

: Okay! Today's the day we score big! Ready to hit the jackpot?

: I sure am!



YOU'RE MINE!
To be honest, it's still close. The transport Dodges right away, so barrage attacks are out. It takes several rounds of shooting to make the transport surrender, even with crits. Even if the DAISY could catch up to this thing, it probably wouldn't have enough firepower to take the transport down.

: Jackpot! Look at all this great stuff! Well, don't just stand there like a dummy. Let's start hauling it back to the ship.

: Oh, right. Okay.

*Nia and Yuri board the transport ship and loot the luxury items. You got 1,150G!*

A quick trip back to Bagut for rest, and now...we take Panfilov down!

Spoiler: Confrontation (click to show/hide)

Yuri and Nia approach Ropesk for the first time since fleeing the planet...

: Uh oh. Here comes a big one!

: A big one? Is it Panfilov?

: I think we can bet on it.



Back on the LOTUS, a computer pings

: A communication?

: It's him!

It is indeed. Just like when Yuri heard the broadcast, Demid Panfilov's face appears on the viewscreen

: Ah, Yuri, my boy. I see you've finally come to your senses and decided to return to Ropesk.

: Panfilov!

: Bring your ship to a halt. Your sister is at the spaceport. As a reward for finally deciding to obey the law, I'll let you join her right away.

: Wait a minute. How do I know Kira is really at the spaceport?

: You can see for yourself on the monitor.

: All right. Good. Now I know Kira will be safe when I bring your ship down!

: What?!

: I'm gonna bring you down, and rescue Kira. I am not going back to Ropesk!

: I see. So you defy the laws of our planet to the end, do you?

: Don't give me "laws of our planet"! They're just a bunch of rules you made up to try to keep your own people prisoner!

: Hmph. I traveled the sea of stars far and wide, and finally found Ropesk. A planet to call my own. I broke my back colonizing it. Without me, it would be nothing today! Why shouldn't I be allowed to govern it as I see fit?

: But what's wrong with wanting to explore space anyway? You used to be a zero-G dog yourself, didn't you? You should understand!

: And that's the very reason! You kids, always wanting to run off and do things that I'm too old to do now...I can't stand it! And I won't allow it!

Y'know, I was kinda hoping that Demid forbade space travel in a misguided attempt to protect his people. Guess not.

: Wait, you're just jealous? That's why you've kept us all prisoner?! I think I've heard enough.

Enough banter. Fight now!
This here is the first boss battle of the game, and it can be a doozy if you still don't grasp the combat mechanics. Demid has three ships in his fleet. The first is a Boiky, the second an upgraded model called the Sokol R, which we haven't seen before. The flagship...



Yikes. Meet the Varyag, Panfilov's custom ship. Yes, that is a giant laser cannon on the port side of the ship. Since it's in the back of the fleet, our shots have a poor chance of hitting it. The escorts will have to go first.



Here's the dodge command in action. That barrage could have done a whole lot of damage if it hit, though it wouldn't cripple me.
After the first Sokol dies, a cutscene plays:

Ropesk soldier: Lord Panfilov! That's a formidable ship! I'm afraid we might not be a match for it.

: Damn that boy! Well, he forces my hand. Prepare the Panfilov Cannon!

Ropesk soldier: Yes, my lord! Panfilov Cannon standing by!

: Heh heh. Ha ha ha! Death! That will take care of you all!





The shot narrowly misses! The LOTUS still shakes from the shock!

: What was that?!

: That's an extremely high-powered laser! We don't want to get hit with that thing, let me tell you!

: Got it!

Indeed. For the rest of the fight, the Panfilov Cannon can be fired by Demid. It takes the entire command bar to fire, and it can be Dodged, so it's not all bad. Getting hit, however, will cause MASSIVE DAMAGE.



...or not. Honestly, this is one of the easier fights in the game. At this point, Panfilov has basically gone crazy, and will fire this beam o' fail frequently. The only difficulty comes from the fact that his ship has a lot of health behind it.
The second escort dies to an overpowering barrage. Panfilov is now alone in the skies!



Within a few minutes, the ship explodes. Demid Panfilov is dead!



Sweet haul. With this we almost have enough for a whole 'nother ship.

Spoiler: Reunion (click to show/hide)

On Ropesk's spaceport...



: Yuri! Yuri!

: Kira...You must've been so scared. I'm so sorry. This was all my fault.

: I wasn't scared. I knew you'd come for me, Yuri. You've always come through for me.

: It's all right now. You're safe.

Back on the LOTUS...

: *stares at them*

: (oops!) Sorry, Nia. I didn't introduce you. This is my little sister, Kira.

: H-how do you do?

: Hey. Nice to meet you. Um, don't take this the wrong way, but...Are you sure you two are related?

: Huh?

: What are you trying to say?

: Aw, forget it. Never mind. Anyway, here's a bodysuit for you, Kira. If you're gonna be traveling with us, the clothes you've got on aren't gonna cut it.

It's hard to tell, but Kira is currently wearing a raggedy dress like something out of the Middle Ages. Hardly space-traveling attire.

: Off you go to get changed!

: O-Okay.

Fade to black

: Urm...Nia?

: Yeah, what's up?

: This bodysuit...It's so...



: ...form-fitting...

: Ha ha ha! Ah, you'll get used to it. Besides...(whistles) It looks damn fine on you! Right, Yuri?

: Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure, whatever. Don't worry about it, Kira.

: Um. Okay...(gulps)

Kira joined your crew!

Spoiler: ??? (click to show/hide)

??: Intersection at point 2300056 SS confirmed at the estimated time.
??: Ability to pinpoint subject's coordinates has entered stable range of precision.
??: Phenomenon consistency rate rising to 98.7764 percent.
??: Progress satisfactory. Proceeding as planned.

Spoiler: Leaving Ropesk (click to show/hide)

Huzzah! We've rescued Kira, and defeated Panfilov! Now we can get out of this sector and explore the sea of stars! Our first stop is Bagut, to repair the LOTUS and give the crew a chance to rest.



We also need to assign Kira a post on the ship. Her stats are fairly sub-par, which is understandable given that she's probably never even seen a spaceship until all this happened. Where shall she be put to work?

Now that Panfilov is dead, the people we talk to in taverns are in shock. They can't believe that anyone would kill their beloved dictator! We also have an important chance to talk to our friends. Most sections in the game have these opportunities, so I'll be sure to talk to them after important events or in new areas. Talking to your friends after defeating Demid, for instance, yields this conversation:

: Nia, I really appreciate everything you've done for me. You even helped me rescue Kira.

: Ah, don't mention it! I'm your launcher. I had to make sure my customer was satisfied, right? But yeah, no problem, kid! Say, I'll bet you and Kira don't have a lot of experience with guns, do ya? You want me to give you a lesson on how to shoot?

: You mean, right here?

: Sure. It's not like we're really gonna fire anything. Just practice taking aim and stuff. You know, the basics. Then you can use what you learned on the ship's guns.

: Okay, yeah. That would be great. Kira, you too?

: Huh? Oh, all right.

Nia imparted her wisdom! Yuri's Artillery skill increased by 1! Kira's Artillery skill increased by 1!

Here's a slightly weird one:

: Yuri? What is Nia to you?

: What is she? She's my launcher. Launchers are people who help others get started on their space journeys. She took me on as a client, and here I am, in space.

: I see.

: Huh? Is something bothering you, Kira? You look kind of upset.

: Why would I be upset?

Okay...moving on.
Our next stop is Hapsal. Radimir is there again, so let's talk to him!

: (sighs)

: ...

: (sighs)

: ...

: I'll bet you want to know why a grown man like me is so despondent, don't you?

: ...

A yes or no choice here. Might as well see what's up; he did give us a job before.

: Ha ha ha! That's what I thought you'd say. You see, lately, this tavern just hasn't been making the money it should. If things keep up this way, I'm surely going to lose the place.

: I'm sorry to hear that.

: It's tragic, right? I've always done my best, always put customers first. And after all my hard work, this is my reward? (sighs) It makes you wonder what the point of it all is. This tavern is my treasure. I'd rather throw myself off a cliff than lose it.

: You shouldn't let it get you down. It's not the end of the world, you know.

: Hm...You seem like a person with a kind heart. Let me ask you a favor.

: What is it?

: Please, please lend this destitute man a little money. What do you say?

: No way.

: Anything, even the smallest amount, would really help.

: Nope, not a single G. I don't trust guys that go on and on about their "hard work" and "always doing their best."

: Isn't that a little harsh, Nia?

: Just promise me one thing: no matter how far you fall, never ever get as low as this guy.

: Okay...

: (groans) That's cold! That's really cold...

The above scene was actually important. On to the void gate!



Or not. Dammit, I killed Panfilov, let me through!

Gate Guards: No ships shall pass without the express permission of the Ropesk government. Turn around and leave the area at once.

And so we do. Back to Hapsal, I guess.
Anyone remember Torlo's tip back in update 4? In the Hapsal tavern, there are a couple of off-duty gate guards. Let's talk to them and see if they'll see reason.
The game tries to be a little tricky here. The guards want "something like 100G" in order to pass. However, if you just give them 100G they call it a bribe and get offended. So the proper option is:



Yep. After that, the guards say to leave everything to them. Back to the gate, for surely such men of integrity wouldn't renege on their offer!

But wait! On the way back to the gate, Kira speaks up!

: Yuri, there's a strange ship that seems to be following us.

: Huh? What do you mean?



: It's me! It's me, Torlo! Let me on!

: It sounds like he wants to board. What do you think?

: Well, it wouldn't hurt to hear what he has to say.

*After being granted permission to board, Torlo goes up to Yuri and gives him a big hug, his face beaming*

: They say you took care of Panfilov! I just gotta thank you, man!

: You're welcome. No problem. Uh, is that why you chased us down like this? To thank us?

: Well, that and...I've always wanted to travel the sea of stars myself. You gotta take me with you, man!

: You want to come with us?!

: Oh totally! In fact, I already left the business to Kachko, so you can't say no to me!

Technically, we could...

: Uh...

: C'mon, we'd make a great team! Lemme come with you! What do you say?

: (Whew. This guy sure is...enthusiastic.)

Torlo Adkin joined your crew!

A quick detour back to Hapsal to show you Torlo's stats. He needs to be placed as well!



Once again, back to the void gate!
Geez, I sure hope I'm getting some sort of frequent flyer miles for this...

...but once again, the guards stop you! Well, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding, they probably don't recognize my ship! Let's talk to them!

: Can you read me? This is Yuri. We met in the tavern on Hapsal.

Gate Guards: You, eh? Yeah, we remember you.

: Then you remember that we--

Gate Guards: Just because we met you in some bar, that doesn't mean we're going to let you through. You're going to have to turn back.

: What?!

SHOCKER

Gate Guards: If you don't turn back immediately, we'll be forced to open fire. We repeat. Turn back, or we open fire!

: So they're playing all by-the-book now, are they?

: How could they do that to me?!

: Don't let 'em get you so upset. If you let this kind of thing get to you, you're never gonna last, kiddo.

Well, I guess that's it. We'll have to take the long way to Elgava. Sure, it'll take almost 10 years, non-stop, but at least I got my 100G back.
...I did get that money back, right?

SEGA: Um...no.

GAHHHHH!



There are three guards, and they're all flying Sokol R ships. A bit of a challenge, but nothing the LOTUS can't handle.



I dodged this, thankfully.



I managed to fly straight into the next one, however >.<



That was my health at the end of the fight. Yeah, they gave me a pounding, thanks to getting off two normal attacks while I was attempting to dodge. The fact that these ships can survive three normal attacks each means that they are much tougher than the Boikys.
Still, the path to the void gate is clear! On to the next sector!



Holy crap, just look at the size of that thing.

: Wow. Check that thing out! Void gates sure are something else!

: I don't know why, but I'm a bit scared.

: There's nothing to be scared of. Just think of it as a bridge into space.

: We just have to go through it, and then we'll be in the Lutsk Sector. Let's go!

: Roger!



Yeeeee-haaaaw!

What surprises await Yuri and the team in the Lutsk sector? What jobs will Kira and Torlo find on Yuri's crew?

Find out next time, on Let's Play: Infinite Space! See you then!

[Bluerobin]

Awesome! So, when you're describing stats and crew positions you mentioned stats increasing when crew levels up. Do they always gain a point in the stat corresponding to whatever position they're in (so you can sort of make anyone good at anything if you leave them there long enough)? Or did I misunderstand and they just gain stats based on who they are? Regardless I vote cooking for Kira and artillery for Torlo. I'm also thinking I might have to grab this myself and play it...