Homeworld 2

Homeworld 2
Developer(s)	Relic Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Sierra Entertainment
Platform(s)	PC / Mac OS X
Release	September 16, 2003
Genre(s)	Space simulation, Strategy game
Mode(s)	Singleplayer and Multiplayer

Homeworld 2 is a real time strategy (RTS) computer game, the sequel to Relic Entertainment's Homeworld from 1999. Taking place 100 years after the original game, it concerns Hiigara's response to a new threat, known as the Vaygr. It features enhanced graphics and brand new audio, and its gameplay takes a new direction: Vaygr and Hiigaran ships differ significantly in design and application, as opposed to the near-identical Kushan and Taiidan forces of the original game.

Homeworld 2 was made in late 2003, but shortly after, Relic Studios was bought by THQ, a direct competitor of Sierra and Vivendi, who still own the Homeworld license. Therefore, there is a very low chance of any more Homeworld games being produced. A personal falling out between Relic and Sierra staff just prior to the THQ purchase also dashed any hope of further games being made.

There has been a rumor circulating around the internet, mainly the RelicNews forums, that Relic has reacquired the Homeworld license. This rumor was sparked by an article in an issue of Game Informer magazine. (Issue 158 (June), Page 30, upper left hand side.) Relic staff have yet to give a definitive answer on the subject.

Gameplay

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Homeworld 2's interface was improved from the original Homeworld

Homeworld 2 shares the three-dimensional battlefield that its predecessor introduced to the real-time strategy genre of computer games. Unit movement commands can be issued in all three dimensions via a movement disc that handles movement relative to the plane that the vessel in question currently resides on, and a second modifier that handles movement 'up' or 'down' relative to this plane.

To accomplish base construction, Homeworld 2 features 'production vessels': the Mothership/Flagship and ancillary carriers that can be constructed. The Mothership is capable of producing most large vessels, serving as a drop-off point for resources, and defense against light enemy attack. Carriers are significantly more mobile but less capable of construction and feature less protection than the Mothership/Flagship vessel. The Shipyard is a special type of construction facility which represents a significant investment of resources. The shipyard is a poorly-armed and very slow unit capable of significantly increasing production capacity, it builds the most powerful conventional units available to each side, the Battlecruiser. Production vessels can build themselves various modules to enhance abilities; production modules enable construction of each respective ship class while subsystem modules perform special actions or enhancements. These modules serve the purpose of the factory/barracks and research structures common in other real-time strategy games, they can also often be targeted and destroyed by enemy attack.

A resourcing/economy component is present in Homeworld 2. Resource Collectors are small vessels capable of extracting resources, in the form of RUs (Resource Units), from asteroids and debris. Debris is the wreckage of destroyed capital ships, and returning it to a drop-off point nets the player RUs according to the size of the debris piece. Drop-off vessels can be the Mothership/Flagship, carriers, and Mobile Refineries; some have multiple drop-off points for serving more than one Resource Collector at a time. Defense of Mobile Refineries and resourcing points comprises an important aspect of game-play, although mining is made somewhat superfluous in the single-player campaign since the available resources in a map are automatically harvested upon the successful completion of the map's mission. Resources, as do ships, carry over to the next single-player mission.

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A typical Strikecraft skirmish in Homeworld 2

Combat is conducted by four primary classes of vessels. Strikecraft consist of several types of fighter and corvette. Functioning as a single unit, all Strikecraft units are a collection of units. Fighters and bombers are capable of engaging any enemy unit in the game, from other fighters to capital ships and installations. Corvettes are slightly larger Strikecraft, also functioning in groups that are treated as single units. Their primary purpose is protection and assault against Strikecraft, other corvettes, and Corvettes are also good against the next largest ship class, Frigates. Frigates are small capital ships, usually specialized for maximum effectiveness against a certain other class of ship, while capital ships such as Destroyers and Battlecruisers excel against the enemy's larger ship types.

Enemy ship capture is conducted by specialized type of frigate on both sides, in contrast to the system used by the previous two games: instead of small vessels locking onto a ship and towing it back to the Mothership for capture, capture frigates maneuver close to enemy vessels and dispatch boarding parties. The progress of a ship capture is indicated by a cyan bar beneath the target vessel's health indicator and is often made easier by the using of multiple Frigates attempting to capture the same target simultaneously. In the single-player campaign, enemy production ships can be captured, but once under player control they do not have their original production capacity. Larger combat ships, such as the Battlecruiser and Destroyer can however be captured fully functional.

Mission objectives in the single-player game are mostly achieved by destroying key enemy elements, capturing particular targets, protecting certain units for a particular amount of time, or towing an object back to the Mothership. In addition to the storyline objectives present in all missions, a significant portion of the missions will additionally require the destruction of all enemy units.

Plot

Homeworld 2 continues the epic struggle of the Hiigarans and their leader Karan S'jet. Many thought their hardships would end when they returned to Hiigara, yet fate has not been so kind to the Exiles. Now the Hiigarans face a new and bitter enemy, a renegade clan from the eastern fringes of the galaxy, who wield the power of the ancients. Homeworld 2 chronicles the valiant journey of the Mothership and its crew into the oldest regions of the galaxy to confront their new foe and discover the truth behind their exile.

Ship Classes

Homeworld 2 ships can be evenly divided by size, the smallest of which are the strikecraft: fighters and corvettes. Medium sized ships are the frigates. Large ships are the capital ships and the super large are the motherships. Both the Hiigarans and Vaygr have similar ships in each class with some minor differences. The Hiigarans have extra frigates while the Vaygr have additional fighters and corvettes. Extra ship classes include the Utility class ships and the additional weapons platforms.

Strikecraft

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A swarm of Hiigaran fighters

Strikecraft are the cheapest, lightest, fastest, and most numerous ships in the game. Like many of the new generation RTS games, Homeworld 2 lets the player control small squadrons of units rather than many discrete individuals. Strikecraft enjoy a free reinforcement philosophy: when badly battered squadrons dock, the surviving ships are not just repaired, but lost wing men are replaced free of charge. Ships still dogfight and circle as individuals like they always have, but now each squadron is a mini-formation.

As squadrons lose members, their effectiveness drops sharply. If a squadron has been whittled down to a single ship, it's nearly useless for it to remain in combat and should be docked. A player who can remember to periodically dock Strikecraft forces before they get completely destroyed can get great tactical values and conserve RUs at the same time. For the anti-Strikecraft weapons systems in the game, the best defence against Strikecraft is still Strikecraft

Fighters

Fighters are Homeworld 2's infantry; light, fast, cheap and numerous. They execute hit and run passes, strafing their target before flying off to attack from another angle. They rely on their small size, maneuverability, and speed to stay alive. The effectiveness of each Fighter squadron is progressively degraded as they take losses, but since these can be replaced when docked it's a little easier and cheaper to maintain Fighter forces than other types of shipping - provided that the player remembers to pull them out in time.

The key to their success is in their numbers. They're the cheapest warship class to set up and develop. Their high mobility is ideal for intercepting enemy units far across the map or getting help to remote outposts in a timely fashion. Their only drawback is their lack of armour and the need for frequent docking to maintain their effectiveness.

All Fighters have 30 hit points each and wear Light Armour. There are no armour upgrades for Fighters, but their speed upgrades are impressive. As a general rule, most weapon systems miss them far more often than not, but any kind of hit is usually instant death for a Fighter - or at least brings it to Death's door. They can only be manufactured at a production vessel with a Fighter Facility

A lot of things can destroy Fighters: Interceptors and Assault Craft are naturally, the best anti-Fighter units in the game; Gunships and Missile Corvettes can easily overpower them unless seriously outnumbered; Assault Frigates and the Light Platforms are a worry in numbers; Torpedo Frigates are a real problem, and Flak Frigates are utterly lethal.

Corvettes

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Vaygr Missile Corvette

Corvettes are small gunboats, slower than Fighters and easier to hit but still agile, packing heavier armour and heavier weapons. Most Corvettes make use of turrets, and can cruise around the target, subjecting it to a constant barrage from all angles without the need to line up attack runs. Corvettes add weight to Strikecraft swarms, providing some heavier muscle where Fighters find themselves outclassed. In Homeworld 2 Corvettes are no longer the missing link between Strikecraft and Capital craft; they're now classified as a subspecies of Strikecraft. They tend to outlast Fighters thanks to their armour, but are slower to move and docking them can take a bit of time. They are susceptible to any anti-Strikecraft systems and Frigates. Corvettes can only be produced at a production vessel with a Corvette Facility. Individual Corvettes have about 400 Hit Points, upgradable to 640 points, and wear Light Armour. They rely on their stronger armour to survive.

Frigates

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A flak Frigate in formation with several fighters

Frigates are the mid sized ships of Homeworld 2, built and deployed as individuals. They can slowly repair themselves, but they can't dock for repairs. However, Frigates can be repaired with Resource Collectors. In the original game, Frigates formed the mainstay of the fleet, and Corvettes were the missing link between Strikecraft and Capital ships. In Homeworld 2, Frigates are now relegated to the role of the corvette, filling in the link between the small ships to the large.

However, frigate-class ships are easily destroyed by Capital warships. Even with Strikecraft trying to distract it, a Destroyer or Battlecruiser will focus on destroying a frigate first. Even Anti-Capital Frigates pick on other Frigates before attacking Capital ships. More often than not, in huge battles involving all classes of ships, the Frigates on both sides will be the first to be completely destroyed.

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A Vaygr Heavy Missile Frigate unleashes its cargo

Even to Strikecraft, lon Frigates are quickly overwhelmed. They seem to have the worst of all worlds with few advantages. Like all the game's escort shipping, Frigates tend to be singular in their duties, have real difficulty against threats they aren't designed to handle, and while they seem brittle, a wall of Frigates still represents a substantial amount of firepower. They are best served at destroying smaller ship classes.

Frigates can only be produced on production ships that have a Frigate Facility. Most Frigates start off with 16,000 hit points, boosted to 25,600 points when fully upgraded. They sport Medium Armour, which means they can be hit by anything, although a Battlecruiser's main weaponry will only inflict 50% damage on one.

Capital ships

The Capital Class is the biggest vessel class in the fleet. They are the only class of ships to have subsystems. Two of the Capital class ships are capable of production, the Carrier and the Shipyard. Two types of warship also fall into the capital class: the Destroyer and the Battlecruiser. Capital class vessels can only be produced by Motherships and Shipyards, and the Shipyard is the only unit able to produce the Battlecrusier.

Capital warships deliver the main firepower of a fleet. Capital Warships can comfortably destroy production ships, weapon Platforms and Frigates, but in turn have great difficulty keeping Strikecraft swarms at bay. Force firing and numerical advantage is another method to deal with enemy Capital ships.

Carriers

Carriers are the smallest production ship with an emphasis on fleet service. They process and repair Strikecraft more efficiently than any other ship in the fleet. However, if undefended they will be quickly overwhelmed by anything more than a few Strikecraft. There is one free Carrier available at the start of a multiplayer game. Despite only having anti-Strikecraft point defenses, Carriers are some of the most valuable ships in the game. They act as mobile forward bases, a lighter and more athletic mini-Mothership. Like all production ships, a carrier increases the sensor range with a Sensor slot, but holds less Module and Production slots than the Mothership or Shipyard.

There are slight racial differences in the Carriers as well. Hiigaran carriers can handle all 3 production modules (fighter, corvette and frigate), where as Vaygr carriers can only handle one. The expanded production options given by the Hiigaran Carrier makes it more expensive, and only a few can be produced. Vaygr Carriers on the other hand are cheaper to produce, and are often seen in larger numbers.

Destroyer

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Destroyer in action

The Destroyer is the smaller and cheaper of the two Capital warships. It's heavy on armour, guns and missiles, and shows off the most maneuverability and speed for a Capital chassis in the game. Destroyers frequently outlive their escorts, and despite their superior range they're often found in the thick of things, absorbing colossal amounts of damage on behalf of the fleet. Unlike every other ship in the game, Destroyers pivot on their z-axis 90 degrees to deliver classy broadsides to a target, moving forward in a sideways fashion to engage targets further away. They're about three to four times stronger than a Frigate, and they dominate the field unless the enemy fields more Destroyers, or has Battlecruisers.

Destroyers start off with 85,000 hit points, upgradable to 136,000 and sport Heavy Armour. There are no units in the game that score any special bonuses against it - except Bombers when they shoot its only Engine Subsystem out, effectively locking it in place. This is only a temporary setback though as the crew will repair the damage. They can repair themselves slowly, but can be attended to by up to three Resource Collectors.

Battlecruisers

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Hiigaran Battlecruiser

Battlecruisers are monstrous, singular units: the epitome of the Capital warship. Battlecruisers come with their own Docking Bay that can service and store five Strikecraft squadrons for defense, as well as two Module Subsystem slots. The Battlecruiser is the nearest thing in the game to a self sufficient, all purpose ship. The best counterstrategy to enemy Battlecruisers, really, is preventing them from being built.

The only drawbacks to a Battlecruiser are sheer expense and set up time. They're ponderously slow and have appalling maneuverability, and there's the many prerequisites they need before the player can start churning them out. It's not just the Battlecruiser tech to research, but all the prerequisites needed to produce the Shipyard, which is the only unit in the game that can build them. Once the player has made that investment, then producing Battlecruisers becomes much easier. If one is seen on the field, there's a very good chance that the next one is well on its way to being built.

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Vaygr Battlecruiser

Much like the Carrier class capital ships there are some racial differences in the way the Vaygr and the Hiigarans deal with firepower and payloads in their Battlecruisers. The Vaygr Battlecruiser has the same amount of armour (and ability to be upgraded for that matter) however has much more localized weaponry but sports an additional +204 for its weapon total, bringing it up to a colossal 5404. Unlike the Hiigarans Battlecruiser which sports multiple arbiter cannons and dual ion cannon turrets, the Vaygr Battlecruiser is built, essentially, like a huge gun. Unlike its Hiigaran counterpart, the Vaygr battlecruiser must turn and completely face its intended target to fire its enormous "Trinity Cannon", which are mass drivers similar to the ones used on the Hiigaran Gunship Corvettes but on a much more grandiose scale. Many players opt for the Hiigaran battlecruiser's better adaptibility in multi-fronted battles where mere seconds can literally spell the difference between life and death. When facing a Vaygr Battlecruiser, the premiere choice is to use Strikecraft on its Engine to make it immobile and unable to turn, or alternatively to use Strikecraft to take out its Heavy Missile Launcher subsystems. Making it immobile leaves the Vaygr Battlecruiser's Trinity Cannon useless, as it cannot turn to its target to fire. Taking out the Heavy Missile Launcher lessens the damage to attacking Capital ships enough to make the cost of attacking bearable, especially by multiple craft that the Battlecuiser's Trinity Cannon cannot rapidly target. Obviously taking out both is even better. The Vagyr Battlecruiser also has short-range hull-defense guns for use against any boarding party or Strikecraft assault.

Battlecruisers start off with an impressive 240,000 hits points, upgradable to 384,000, all protected by Heavy Armour. This means there are no units in the game that score any special bonuses against it - except for Bombers that can shoot out its two Modules, Engine and main Weapon Subsystems. They have space for 5 Resource Collectors to repair them, but this is a very small number in respect to how big these ships are.

Utility

There are two basic Utility classes in the game: Resourcing and Probes.

Probes

Probes, as in the original game, are one-shot satellites that fly at high speeds across the map to spy on the opposition. Probes only ever understand one movement command in their lives. Once it is issued a lone command, when they reach their destination they will remain immoblie for the duration of the game. They don't understand way points and they can't be reused. There are no upgrades or enhancements for them: they're fast, but fragile, with no defences of any kind, and no form of armour, either. There are three types, available to both sides:

Probes are simply a sensor pack floating in space somewhere; an extra set of eyes to light up the map. They can be built the moment any regular skirmish game starts. They don't have any special capabilities other than to reveal enemy units at further range than normal. They are a very cheap and easy way to quickly locate the opponent at the outset.

Proximity Sensors are a more advanced eye in the sky: they can detect cloaked units, but have slightly less scanning range than regular Probes. They require their own technology to be researched first.

Sensor Distortion Probes have a more aggressive role: they actively scramble enemy sensors within an operating radius, allowing friendly units to huddle within its spherical sensor jamming field undetected - or at least make them less visible for longer. Distortion Probes are extremely useful in hiding front line forces, and on top of that enjoy superior sensor coverage over a basic Probe or Scout squadron. They require their own technology, and in the case of the Hiigarans, need the Advanced Research Module.

Resource Collector and Mobile Refinery

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A Harvesting Operation

Resourcing is mostly unchanged from the original game, although the lone Resource Collector is now a small gang of workers. Homeworld 2 measures all resources generically as Resource Units, or RU's. RU's are found in discrete pockets around the map, in two forms: clumps of asteroids or small clouds of space wreckage left over from destroyed Capital craft and Motherships. Resource Collectors mine the former and salvage the latter. They'll automatically mine or salvage depending on whatever happens to be closest to them. When the Collectors clear out a pocket, they will stop and await further orders.

The number of Collectors that can harvest an asteroid simultaneously is determined by how many "latch points" are on it. These are invisible handles that tell the game engine where a Resource Collector can grip the asteroid to mine it. The bigger the asteroid, the more latch points it has, and thus the more harvesters that can exploit it at once. Queues form in overcrowded resource pockets, leading to bottlenecks and wasted time.

When it comes to salvaging debris, the rules are a little different. Salvage, regardless of size, is always manhandled by a single Collector. Every skirmish with a Capital ship or bigger will result in small bits of precious RU's floating around, with the amount of RU's increasing depending on how big the destroyed ship was. Salvaged debris bypasses the regular resource drop-offs completely and is deposited at the nearest Docking Bay. It's a slow and clumsy procedure though, and the amount of RU's extracted depends on the value of the lump of junk processed.

Resource Collectors only come with 2000 hit points, upgradable to 4000 points. They sport Resource Armour, which is equally as strong as light armour. They only cart 200 RU's per haul.

The Mobile Refinery is a cheap mining base, with an engine and some point defences. It's basically a mobile Resource Drop-Off module. Its point defences are adequate to keep away annoyances, but it can quickly be destroyed by raiding parties. Mobile Refineries start off with 18,000 hit points, upgradable to 28,800, and have the same Resource Armour as Resource Collectors.

Platforms

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Missile Turret

Platform class represents the static gun turrets. They simply open fire on any hostile units that stray into range. Platforms are strictly defensive: they move too slowly and are designed only to support defenders, not replace them. Platforms requires the production of a Platform Control Module before they can be built.

Like a probe, the platform can only be given one Move or Attack command. Once they've moved, that's it - they are locked in place forever. It will travel in "parade formation" with its parent until given an order to move or attack, if there are enemies in range and the turret is in parade formation, it will stop. Turrets ignore Waypoint commands completely. It's strictly straight line navigation at a snail's pace, with no shooting until they come to rest, although they will line up their guns at targets along the way. They can't be repaired, retired or salvaged.

Platforms come in two sizes: big and small. Or rather, the one basic hull with two different types of turrets: one that only shoots Strikecraft and small targets and another that only shoots Frigates and big targets. The Gun Platform is the small version, a pair of kinetic gun turrets mounted on a pod that shoots down Fighters and harasses Corvettes. They're vulnerable to Bombers, and readily demolished by any force or ship that can kill a Frigate: Pulsar Gunships and the Vaygr Corvettes can be a real worry, while Capital warships merely find them mildly irritating. But with a bit of crossfire, Gun Platforms can hold the line against an attack long enough for reinforcements to show. The big version uses each side's favourite major weapon. For the Hiigarans, it's the Ion Beam Platform. The Vaygr use the Heavy Missile Platform. These larger weapons have exceptional range, but relatively little striking power and they have a terrible time hitting Strikecraft. All Turrets come with 5000 hit points and have their own special armour, Turret Armour.

Nations

There are 4 major nation groups in Homeworld 2: The Hiigarans, the Vaygr, the Bentusi, and Progenitor. The previous races from the other games in the Homeworld series, have been either described as assimilated by the Vaygr (Taiidan Empire, Taiidan Republic) or assumed to be destroyed.

Hiigarans

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The Hiigaran "Angel Moon" crest

The Hiigarans are the playable race in the single player game. The Hiigarans' story starts back in the original Homeworld as a group of Kushan clans on a desert planet known as Kharak, detected a large metal formation in the Great Desert by using a satellite. An expedition was sent, revealing that the metal formation was an ancient space ship: the "Khar-Toba": "First City". Inside lay a stone with a galactic map and the text, "Hiigara": "Our Home". The technology discovered in the Khar-Toba allowed the Kushan to build a massive Mothership in 60 years. However, no computer was powerful and safe enough to command the Mothership. To solve the problem, a young scientist named Karan S'jet volunteered herself to become the living core of the Mothership after creating the technology to do so.

The Kushan, after reaching Hiigara, became a well-established nation and controlled much of the Inner Ring of the galaxy. After generations in exile and a perilous journey across known and unknown space, the Hiigarans have reclaimed their home planet. Seeking peace, they found only chaos. The Galactic Council that had once expelled them from their home lies in ruins, a shadow of its former self. Desperate to maintain their power, their struggles have turned inward, each race determined to protect their own interests, rather than those of the Galaxy.

However, the true test for the Hiigarans may not be merely the threat of the warring Vaygr, but in the prophecy that Sajuuk – He Whose Hand Shapes What Is – will return and herald the coming of the End Time. The Hiigarans, as always, are divided along religious lines: a number of apocalyptic sects see portents of doom everywhere. To these fanatics, the rumor that their enemies the Vaygr are the Sajuuk-Khar is a dire omen and proof of Sajuuk's anger.

In Homeworld 2, a new Mothership has been created, named the Pride of Hiigara, constructed at the Tanis Shipyards to combat the increasing threat of the Vaygr invasion. In order to claim the peace and safety she promised her people when she first set foot upon Hiigara, Karan S'Jet must once again prepare for war. Shortly after the Mothership was built, the Vaygr attacked Tanis in order to destroy it, but the Mothership escaped with its far jump core. The main story line of the game picks up from this point.

Unique Units

Pride of Hiigara

The Pride of Hiigara has the same role as it did in the original Homeworld, except it supports a more militaristic look and feel. While the old Kushan Mothership was the heart and soul of the Kushan people during their great migration, this version is nothing more than the flagship of the Hiigaran space navy. It's the mobile base from which all the crews and resources are ultimately derived from. It's the only vessel that can't be manufactured or replaced.

This new model is certainly a lot tougher than the previous one and its defence points are a little more robust. It can still only field Strikecraft attacks, and not in any real numbers, either. It also has near unlimited docking capacity for Strikecraft and can build everything in the game except the Battlecruiser. Many of its tasks can be delegated to the smaller and lighter Carriers. The Pride of Hiigara has the same slow movement and turning ability, even with all its upgrades. Its vital statistics are basically the same as the Vaygr's Flagship. Without their own Hyperspace Gate, the Hiigarans have to make do with two Hyperspace upgrades, only available from this vessel.

Defense Field Frigate

This is the most advanced Frigate in the Hiigaran navy, only becoming available when an Advanced Research Module is installed and the Defence Field tech is researched. The Defence Field Frigates don't score any Armour or Engine upgrades, and only have an underside turret for defence. They come with more armour than a regular Frigate, but they'll slow down any upgraded Frigate Strike-Forces, and can be blown away almost as an afterthought.

This special Frigate generates a large, spherical force field that blocks most kinds of enemy weapon fire. The field remains up for 20 seconds before requiring a 30-40 second recharge. The field is hollow: enemy ships can fly around inside it and shoot, but it blocks 90% of all incoming fire from the outside. Any forces inside can still shoot out. The only problem is that being slower than other ships, it, and its protective field, tends to be left behind when the other forces race off to engage the enemy. Some micromanagement is required to get them working - and they also get picked on by enemy ships. Effectively, it supports the fleet by temporarily reducing the damage being inflicted on it.

Vaygr

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Vaygr

The Vaygr are a warrior clan originally from Vay, an isolated planet in the Eastern Fringes of the galaxy. The discovery of early and inefficient hyperdrives enabled these warriors to travel and raid widely across their sector of space. Always a nomadic race, the strongest warlords brought groups of Vaygr together into crusades. A Vaygr crusade is entirely independent - the build capacity of their Motherships combined with the resource harvesting abilities of their individual craft enable them to live self sufficiently in space. Communication between separate crusades is minimal.

Since that time, the Vaygr have integrated many separate races, civilizations and technologies. The planet Vay is lost in the sands of time, the name they take its only living reminder. Constant infighting between separate crusades and jockeying for position among warlords has kept the Eastern Fringe a warzone for as long as any can remember, and therefore no threat to the larger galactic civilizations. Under the guidance of the Warlord Makaan, the various tribes of the Vaygr Reaches have formed into a cohesive force. While still operating independently, the overall strategic aims of the Vaygr have been coordinated and focused by Makaan, a master strategist.

After Homeworld: Cataclysm the Imperial Taiidan were defeated by the returning Exiles, many sought the patronage of Makaan in an effort to regain some of the power they had lost. Some of the obvious Taiidan technology found in Vaygr ships include the Atmosphere Deprivation missiles seen in the final mission, originally used to destroy the Hiigarran's exile world, Kharak.

Homeworld 2 opens with a massive Vaygr invasion of Hiigarran territory. However, by the end of the single-player campaign Makaan is destroyed at Balcora and the main invasion force defeated in the Siege of Hiigara. It isn't known however if the remnants of the Vaygr continue to exist in the Outer Rims.

Bentusi

The Bentusi are a mystical and strange race of nomadic traders. Calling themselves The Unbound, the Bentusi have no known leader, and are all cybernetically integrated into their ships (much like Karen S'Jet but believed to be much more advanced). The Bentusi are a very ancient, wise race who do not claim any planet for themselves, instead opting to live exclusively among the stars. It is interesting to note that it would probably be impossible for the Bentusi to even survive outside of their ships, given that they are physically connected to them. The Bentusi are one of the three races to possess hyperspace cores, along with the Vaygr and the Hiigarans. They made their debut in the original Homeworld and gave the Hiigarans the Ion Cannon technology. In Homeworld, they brought the Galactic Council to Hiigara to allow the Hiigarans to have their homeworld again. They were also instrumental in revealing the past history of the Hiigarans. In Homeworld: Cataclysm they helped perfect the Siege Cannon and gave the designs for the Super Acolyte in the end.

In the beginning of Homeworld 2, for some unknown reasons the Bentusi were described as having one ship, the Great Harbourship of Bentus. In the game, an enhanced background of the Bentusi's were also given and it was revealed that 3000 years before the events of Homeworld, the Hiigaran Empire's fleet abused the usage of the hyperspace core. Due to Bentusi pressure they were ordered to give up the core but in an act of defiance attacked the Bentusi fleet. As a consequence they were obliterated by the infuriated Bentusi, enabling the vengeful Taiidan to conquer Hiigara and drive the Hiigarans into exile on the desert planet Kharak. As such the Bentusi are indirectly responsible for the Hiigaran exile, and were compelled to help the Kushans in their quest to reach their Homeworld. As a result of their guilt, the Bentusi abandoned all weaponry and adopted a peaceful existence (However ships in previous Homeworld games suggest otherwise, but in Homeworld 2, the Harbor Ship of Bentus has no (seen) weapons).

Eventually, Bentus self-destructs in order to save the Hiigarans from an attack by Progenitor Keepers, thus ending the presence of the Bentusi in the Homeworld universe (though there is evidence to suggest some ships escaped to another galaxy as seen in Homeworld: Cataclysm) and repaying their guilt.

Progenitor

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The Dreadnaught inside of its berth

The Progenitors are an immensely powerful and technologically advanced race that seemingly went extinct around 100,000 years in the past. Much of what remains from them is found in the Karos Graveyard, an area of space full of spaceship derelicts.

The three Hyperspace Cores were created by the Progenitors in the forge module of one of their greatest spaceships, which was also the berth of the Dreadnaughts. One of the cores was somehow discovered by the Bentusi 6,000 years ago, which brought forth a great age of galactic prosperity since it made interstellar travel spanning long distances possible. The second core was discovered by the primitive (pre-Exodus) Hiigarans, which, through misuse of the powerful device ended in the Hiigarans being exiled to Kharak. The third core was found by the Vaygr; the central conflict of Homeworld 2 revolves around aquiring all three cores and unlocking their secrets.

The Progenitors seem to have possessed great knowledge of interstellar and even intergalactic travel. Their hyperspace gate network, which uses The Eye of Arran as its main hyperspace gate, is one of the many constructs of this ancient race which possibly "seeded" intelligence through the galaxy.

Some Progenitor constructs include:

Mover

Movers: Automated utility vessels whose program has deteriorated over the millennia, they are extremely hostile and swarm over ships that stray too far in the Karos Graveyard. It should be noted that these vessels resemble the "Junkyard Dawg", an automated vessel from the first Homeworld that defended the Graveyard in a manner similar to the Movers. In the single player game they have 5000 hitpoints each at first, making them incredibly resilient to Strikecraft. The Flak Frigate is by far the best ship against the infinite swarms of Movers at the Kharos Graveyard. Since they are also poorly targetable by the Ion Frigate, they can be a serious threat to the fleet if the player doesn't come into the mission with a detachment of Flak Frigates already built. After researching Anti-Mover Weaponry, their hit points drop to 1000, making them much more vulnerable to Strikecraft.

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Keeper

Keepers: Indestructible ships armed with fast-firing phased cannons. They possess enormous firepower for the stage of the game where they appear, and are able to disappear or "phase-out" when damaged sufficiently, only to return fully repaired. Keepers are highly maneuverable destroyer-class ships that will eventually wipe out the player's fleet if not counteracted by completing the objectives of the mission. Keepers are capable of launching a number of automated combat drones.

Drones: These fighter-sized A.I controlled combat vessels are launched from the Keepers. They have a massive amount of hitpoints for their size, and they are armed with powerful kinetic cannons. Fortunately, Drones have horrible accuracy against Strikecraft, and are more of a threat to larger vessels. They are most susceptible to anti-corvette weaponry.

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Balcora Gate

Balcora Gate: Extremely powerful hyperspace gate with enough energy to send matter through the black hole cluster at Balcora. A Dreadaught is needed to activate it.

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Dreadnaught

Dreadnaughts: Two of these powerful ships were created by the Progenitors, one ends up in Makaan's possession, the second one was found by the Hiigarans, causing the awakening of the Keepers. The Dreadnaught is armed with a powerful gun that fires fast and highly damaging projectiles. Its main weapon is however the Phased Ion Array cannon, which fires a large ion beam, and requires the Dreadnaught to be aligned with its target. The Phased Ion Array cannon only recharges for approximately 10 seconds after firing, making it immensely destructive on large, stationary targets.

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Sajuuk

Sajuuk: Sajuuk itself is also a Progenitor construct. It is an extremely powerful warship, the most powerful in the game. Sajuuk, like the Dreadnaught, is armed with a phased cannon array, though more powerful than the Dreadnaught, and has many defensive weapons such as small energy beams similar to lance beams, only more powerful. It is also the only ship in the single player game that can be commanded to make tactical hyperspace jumps.

Mods

Homeworld 2's success has spawned a number of modifications. Due to the use of .big files to play the game, and that only 10% of the game data is hard-coded, this means that almost anything, from ships and weapons to menus and interfaces can be changed or inserted. This has lead to a large number of different ideas and mods.

Tactical Fleet Simulator

A game enhancement called Tactical Fleet Simulator (TFS) has been developed by a small yet dedicated modding team to enhance the tactical aspect of gameplay. TFS presents a militartistic perspective of the Homeworld 2 game, and focuses on realism while still retaining a large element of strategy. Fixes and changes included were the addition of more build and research options for ships, re-balancing the game and the weapon damage, as frigates were woefully underpowered in the stock version of Homeworld 2.

In addition, new game modes and maps were compiled for TFS and included in the final release. The current version of Homeworld 2 EVO is called Tactical Fleet Simulator (TFS), and gives the Homeworld series an overall impressive and attractive appearance that provides much improved gameplay and options.

• TFS Mod page at moddb with screenshots and reviews

EVO Mod

TFS (described above) is the current encarnation of the EVO mod. The EVO mod includes the versions v1.0, v1.1, v1.2, v1.3, v1.4, v1.4SE and v1.6. EVO was redesignated to TFS following v1.6. TFS is composed of the versions v1.7, v1.8, v1.9, v2.0 and v2.2. The v1.5 version was a modified variation of the v1.3 Calyn race for use with the TFS mod.

Due to complaints by members of the PDS development team and senior Homeworld 2 modders and modding community members, the TFS mod has been suspended due to complaints regarding the mods accidental infringement on the Homeworld2 modding communities rules regarding intellectual property.

• EVO (v1.2) Mod download

Point Defense Systems

The Point Defense Systems mod significantly enhances the tactical depth of Homeworld 2 gameplay. Its development process benefited from the participation of many actual military personnel, anchoring it firmly in the tactics and technology of actual modern naval combat. However, unlike TFS, PDS strays from the RTS genre and is less focused on gameplay.

PDS has evolved through nine iterations, each representing a new technological and strategic phase in the ongoing Hiigaran-Vaygr war. It has also spawned a near-truescale Newtonian space combat simulator referred to as NGCS, for Next Generation Combat Systems.

• PDS / NGCS HW2 Mod Website

Homeworld: The Dust Wars

Currently in Pre-Beta testing, Homeworld: The Dust Wars is a highly popular mod (Better known as a Total Conversion) of the Homeworld 2 engine, sporting enhanced graphics, new races and a highly complex storyline, taking place over a large degree of time, set during the period before the original Homeworld. It is debatable whether it will actually be completed, considering the massive graphical complexity and sheer size of the TC (Total Conversion).

Requiem War

Requiem War's main goal is to bring all gameplay features of Homeworld to the new graphical engine of Homeworld2. It's a Total Conversion, currently focused on recreating Homeworld multiplayer gameplay, and ultimately it will contain entire singleplayer campaign, plus some additional bonus missions.

Mod's current status: advanced development.

• Requiem War website

HW2: Pirates Mod

Main Article: HW2: Pirates Mod

The Pirates Mod adds a third race to play as or against in multiplayer and skirmish games with a focus on strategic, well-balanced gameplay. A cunning faction known simply as "the Pirates", their sleek strike craft and quick capital ships strike fear into any opponent. The Pirates Mod features all new ship designs for the pirates fleet, new sound effects, new voice sfx, new multiplayer maps, and new gametypes including Capture the Megalith and Trader's Hell modes, and a fully functional Pirate AI for a new challenge. This mod also implements minor universal gameplay changes, game balance tweeks, and adds additional ships to the existing hiigaran and vaygr navies.

Current Mod Status: v0.3 released (100% complete)

• Pirates Mod Discussion Forum
• Download the Pirates Mod

Homeworld Classic

Homeworld Classic is a game-type mod that adds many of the gameplay features of the original Homeworld game. It was originally released by one of the Relic developers, Luke Moloney, shortly after the release of the game itself. The mod was subsequently taken over and maintained by a member of the Relic fan-base. Recent revisions have seen many bugfixes, additional features, and a library of converted Homeworld maps.

• Mod homepage
• Discussion thread for current version
• Discussion thread for original version

Gameplay Enhanced mod

This mod is a compendium of several, older mods released previously; namely the Bentusi Roulette, Deathmatch Plus, Special Fleets and Defined Roles mods. It is a game-type mod that extends upon the existing Deathmatch game-type.

• Mod homepage
• Discussion thread

Homeworld 2 v1.2 Patch

An unofficial patch that enhances the gameplay by rebalancing some of the units and weapons. In addition, the games visuals were improved making the combat more enjoyable and realistic while still retaining the gameplay of version 1.1. Some elements have been taken from the infamous TFS mod, such as the incorporation of the ship combat manuvers, the weapon firing styles and the Heavy Missile Bomber model.

However, it seems that the patch breaks the single player campaign; in the beginning of level 9, Counter Attack, the Dreadnaught gets destroyed almost instantaneously, well before you can reach it with any ship. Additionally, it's not possible to load v1.2 saves with v1.1 to temporarily get around the problem. The only possible course of action is to start the whole single player campaign all over again with the v1.2 patch.

• Homeworld 2 v1.2 on Moddb
• Homeworld 2 v1.2 Patch Download

UPDATED 6/21/06 - Major bug corrected with Heavy Missile Frigate & Bomber CTD

Programming Languages

Homeworld 2 uses a proprietary programming language, known as SCAR (SCripting At Relic) in addition to others.

SCAR

The SCAR language was created for the express purpose of coding in Homeworld 2, and deals mainly with events in the single-player campaign (zooming out with the camera, creating enemy ships, moving the player to the next level, etc.) See the SCAR Documentation

LUA

Homeworld 2 also makes use of the Lua programming language. Homeworld 2 mainly uses LUA for in-game levels, formatted as .level files. A players sets many variables inside a Homeworld 2 game, including ambient light, background, placement of start positions and asteroids, among many other things.

Quotes

• "This is the story of the end time. We know this because the Third Core has been found..." - Narrator, Homeworld 2 opening film.

• "The Hiigarans have claimed their home and their empire. Now they must defend it, and in doing so find their destiny."

• "Children of Hiigara... you are beaten. This sector is now under my control. Stand down, and prepare for Vaygr occupation. I have come to claim what is mine. Return the Second Core and I will spare your homeworld.." - Makaan, Warrior Lord, mission 2 opening film.

• "Our time has ended. Sajuuk awaits beyond the gate of Balcora. The Dreadnaught will open the way. There you must end what has begun. You must take our core, and unite the three. This is our legacy to you. Farewell...." - The Bentusi while Bentus self-destructs.

• "At this moment, a dark cloud gathers above the skies of Hiigara. The Warriors of the Fringe will never be defeated." - Makaan before his ship explodes, ingame dialog in mission 14.

Reception

Rated with a 9.0 at IGN, the reviewers were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the work done, and the greatly improved graphics, music, and ease of play.

External links

Official sites

• Official homepage
• Official discussion forum

Reviews

• IGN Review

Fan sites

• Karos Graveyard - The Homeworld 2 wiki, featuring modding references, code snippets and tutorials.
• Karos Graveyard - Probably the best introduction to HW2. Features a plethora of HW2 mapping, coding, and modeling tools.
• KG: Homeworld 2 Custom Maps
• Homeworld 2 Mods - At the Mod DB
• Homeworlds Paper Models for download
• Homeworld Paper Models from Erick's Models
• Homeworld 2 Walkthrough
• Homeworld 2 at Stargamer.Net