Kavik Kang's Multiplayer Tactics Manual for Star Control

Many years ago I wrote a similarly titled tactical guide to Interplay's Star Fleet Command.  I will do a similar guide for Star Control.  Obviously the game does not release for at least a year so I have plenty of time to finish it:-)  Until I actually get to play the SuperMelee and see how the ships have been designed I can't really take it much further than this.  I plan on keeping this guide as short as possible.  If I can squeeze the information I am trying to convey into just 3 or 4 pages that would be great.  I want it to be a simple and fast to read primer that conveys a great deal of information in short read.  In other words, a tactical guide for casual gamers who don't want to read more than a few pages.  Here is what I have so far... I don't think I'll add much more other than a section on each ship with specific advice as to how it is most effectively used in general.  I really want this to be something that can be read in 10 or 15 minutes and not a complete and comprehensive guide to 2D tactical combat.

It loses it's Word formatting when I post it here.

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Star Control: Multiplayer Tactics Manual
This tactics manual is designed to help players new to Star Control by teaching the basic tactics that create a foundation of knowledge that will allow you to become a good player. This tactics manual is intended to introduce you to the most basic aspects of this type of 2D combat. It also provides advice for how these basic concepts apply to each ship available in multiplayer Star Control. This tactics manual focuses solely on the tactics of top-down space combat. While this may improve your fighting style in the single-player game, this manual does not cover any aspects related to the adventure game. There are plenty of guides and walkthroughs available for that purpose.

Speed is life
"Speed gives you the initiative". This the the most important thing to know about 2D space combat. Nothing is more important than speed, it is the primary attribute of every ship. The fastest player will determine when and where the exchange of fire will take place. A small speed advantage is helpful and provides and advantage to the faster ship. But a large speed advantage gives the faster ship complete control over the situation. In such a case, the combatants will fire at each other within effective range only when and where the faster ship chooses. There is nothing at all the slower ship can do about it. Ignore this axiom at your peril.
Nothing is a better defense than not being within range of enemy weapons in the first place. The most obvious situation in which high speed is essential, beyond the proven axiom of maintaining a high speed in general, is when facing a ship armed with seeking weapons (e.g. missiles). If your ship is moving fast only the fastest seeking weapons can even catch it, and you can safely ignore slower seeking weapons provided you do not make too many turns (which allow slower objects to gain on faster objects).

Primary Forms of Attack

Overrun
An "overrun" is the simplest form of attack. In an overrun the attacker simply heads straight for the enemy and flies right "over" the target. Weapons are usually fired at minimum range during an overrun attack. After the pass the attacker is in a good position to open the range, tail-to-tail with the enemy who must make a 180-degree turn in order to pursue the attacker. A ship being overrun will often drop a mine, if it has one, shortly before the exchange of fire. This form of attack is most often used by a ship with high point-blank firepower.

Close Pass
A Close Pass is another form of close range attack. This type of attack is used when point blank range is not desired, but a close range is still desired. In a Close Pass the attacker approaches to close range, fires, and then turns away. This form of attack avoids range point blank range and actually overrunning the target, and immediately turns away after firing. As the range widens, the enemy will eventually be behind you. This form of attack is most often used by a ship with inferior point-blank firepower to its target that wishes to make a close range attack, the point of the Close Pass is to achieve close range without allowing the enemy to achieve point blank range.

The (Race Name) *Slow Dance*
A (Race name) *Slow Dance* occurs when a player decides not to turn away and open the range after an Overrun or Close Pass. A (Race Name) *Slow Dance* is a close range fight to the death where more maneuverable ships dominate. Ships with short range weapons are also (Race Name) *Slow Dancers* even if they do not possess superior maneuverability.

Oblique Attack
In an Oblique Attack the attacker approaches from one side, and does not point directly at the enemy. The attacker seeks to achieve a position about 60-degrees off of the forward centerline of the target, at usually at medium range. This position is known as "The Oblique Option Point". From this position, just barely within the range of the attackers weapons, the attacker can either fire and turn away, or turn towards the target and conduct and overrun or battle run. This decision is often based on the actions of the target. If the target fires, the attacker will often turn towards the target and close the range before firing. If the target does not fire, the attacker will usually fire and turn away.

T
  -
    -
      -
        -
          -
            -
              -
                A

In the primitive diagram above, "T" is the target and is facing the bottom of the page while "A" is the attacker and is facing the top of the page. The ships are at the edge of the attackers firing range. The angle is such that both ships are on the edge of a 45-60 degree firing arc, if they continue forward without turning forward firing weapons will be out of arc. This is the Oblique Option Point. The most valuable aspect of this position is the ability to turn away and open the range. If you head directly toward the target you would need to make a U-Turn in front of the targets guns to turn away after firing. At the Oblique Option Point you still have the target within the firing arc of your weapons, and are already half-way through the turn away from the target after firing. Obviously, this form of attack is most often used by a ship that has a speed advantage over its target. In fact, the Oblique Attack a primary reason why "Speed is Life".
The precise Oblique Option Point, as described in the example, is difficult to achieve in Star Control unless both players are seeking to do so (which is sometimes the case). Even so, the facing of the target is mostly irrelevant (the ability to turn away with a slight turn is the greatest value of the position) and the Oblique Attack is among the most as important concepts to understand in this type of combat.

The (Race Name) *Dance*
The (Race Name) *Dance* is performed by making repeated Oblique Attacks and repeatedly achieving the Oblique Option Point to fire on your enemy. The ship makes an initial oblique approach, fires at the option point, then circles around to achieve the Oblique Option Point again. A ship must have a significant speed advantage over its enemy in order to perform the (Race Name) *Dance*.

The (Race Name) Retrograde
The (Race Name) Retrograde is a key concept to understand within this type of 2D combat. The retrograde can be performed by any ship that can fire at a pursuing ship while moving at full speed in the opposite direction. There is a large advantage in doing this. For example, a mine dropped by the retrograding ship is a fast moving missile approaching the pursuer. A mine dropped by the pursuer is simply left behind. A missile launched by the retrograding player has a double closure rate on the pursuer, a missle launched by the pursuing player has a long, slow, uphill climb to reach its target. These are the more glaring examples, but the retrograde also affects the shots from guns or any type of weapon that does not automatically insta-hit its target with no travel time. If a weapon has any type of travel time, it is affected by the retrograde. If a ship is particularly good at the retrograde the best advice is... don't follow it, you'll lose.

The Ships of Star Control
***This section will include a ship-by-ship discussion of how the general tactics presented earlier apply to each ship in Star Control. Each ship discussion will also cover the weapons and/or devices that ship has and how they govern how that ship should be used.

Obligitory Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Mumbo Jumbo, Mumbo Jumbo, Mumbo Jumbo...