Paul Millington's guide to Fragile Allegiance
I will create a HTML version of this file, some time. If you e-mail me at
Jtm@millington65.freeserve.co.uk I will send you it when it's ready.
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Contents
1. Versions
2. Before we start killing stuff
3. Buildings
4. Sci-Tek
5. Tactics
6. Cheats
7. Alternitive ideas
8. Bugs
9. PCGamer's FAQ
10. Credits
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1. Versions
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28/7/00 - I started to write this guide
20/8/01 - Sorted out the Contents and added PCGamers FAQ
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2. Before we start killing stuff
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If you are reading this before starting your first game I would suggest that
you get the patch for practically infinite money. e-mail me for it or find it on
the net. This patch will help you to get a feel for which blue prints to buy
from SCI-tech, what types of buildings to buy etc.
Also look at the tutorials, manual and use the left control key for help on
the buttons or you don't stand a chance!
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3. Buildings
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IMHO (In my humble opinion) build:
1 Resiblock
1 Living Quarters
1 Medical Centre
1 pleasure Dome
2 Security Centres
2 Radiation Filters
1 Air Processor (NB if this is destroyed then so will your colony!)
1 Environment Control
1 Hydration Plant
1 Hydroponics Plant
3 Power Stores
? Solar Panel - put in all spaces of one square where no other buildings can go
5 Protected Storage Towers
5 Mines
5 Deep Bore Mines
0 to 2 Seismic Penetrators - depending on how much Nexos and Traxium there is
1 Ore Teleporter
1 Weapons Factory
5 Missile Silos
? Screen Generators - each one has a radius of 5 squares
5 Antimissile Pods
5 Photon Turrets
1 Satellite Silo
1 Sensor Array - until you get Improved Sensors from Sci-Tek
1 Command Centre
2 Ship Yards
5 Landing Pads
1 Refuelling Depot
1 Gravity Nullifier
1 Repair Facility
1 Asteroid Engine
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4. Sci-Tek
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Here is a list of what to get and not to get.
1= Most important to 10= least important
0= Waste of money don't get
1 MK2 Mine
1 MK2 Deep Bore Mine
1 Seismic Penetrator
1 High Energy Power
1 Improved Sensor
1 Power Amp
2 Asteroid Tracker - Comfort
2 Missile Guidance
2 Repair Facility
3 Ore Teleporter - When you have more than 4 asteroids
3 Deflector
3 Missile Bay Extension
3 Construction Droids
4 Screen Generator
4 Fleet Battleship
4 Command Cruiser
4 Mega Missile
5 Turret Optimiser
5 Building Armour
5 Static Inducer
5 Nuclear Missile
5 Stasis Missile
6 Antimissile Pod
6 Photon Turret
7 Shield X50
7 Long Range Transmitter - Not necessary
8 Asteroid Engines
10 Virus Missile
0 Plasma Turret - Photon Turret
0 Terminator - Fleet Battleship
0 Shield X40 - Shield X50
0 Anti-Virus Missile - Get 5 From Trader Because it is cheaper
0 Power Plant - Solar Panels, Uses S
0 Solar Matrix - Solar Panels
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5. Tactics
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BASICS
When you find an enemy's asteroid always send in an agent to locate there
other asteroids and to find out what the buildings do. Also send a spy
satellite to find out what buildings there are.
MISSILE APPROACH
Get the agent to destroy all antimissile defences then you can send in the
missiles. In an ideal world send in 3 stasis missiles then a Mega missile to
destroy the asteroid. Or send in some virus missiles which slowly destroys
there buildings.
SHIP APPROACH
Get the agent to destroy all of the anti-ship defences then send in your fleet
AGENT APPROACH
Get the agent to destroy all essential buildings.
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6. Cheats
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Go to the DOS prompt and start the game by typing:
FRAGILE /cKim.Jon.fmsti for the European version
FRAGILE /c.Osiris.fmsti for the American version
Here's what the arguments mean:
f= build everything in one day
m= extra money
s= see all asteroids
t= change game speed. alt f7 slows time and alt f8 speeds up time
i= have all information about aliens and trading items.
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7. Alternative Ideas
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The range of scout ships to be increased
More variety in the diplomacy screen
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8. Bugs
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With a trader that's selling ore and missiles you can buy unlimited missiles
and ore by going to the trader and buying what you want then press okay and
then press on the trader again and he should have the merchandise again! and
remember that you can only build 10 or 20 missiles but you can buy as many as
you like.
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9.PCGamer Faq
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For a good fight, start right
You won’t get very far without solid foundations. Remember the Chinese proverb
about doubling the amount of rice on every square on the chess-board until you
have veritable paddy-fields by square 30? That’s probably relevant here,
somehow. In less oriental verbiage, use your working capital wisely. Your
initial money should instantly be put to work generating more funds. At the
start, this means getting your mines up and running. Later on, excess funds can
be put to work developing those mighty fleets and securing new territories.
Remember, Fragile Allegiance is a financial game - your credits aren’t worth
the plastic their encoded into if they’re not begetting more credits. So while
you might hate the Mauna (and who wouldn’t? Particularly their mothers...) and
have your heart set on pulverising them each new level, it’s important to get
the show running smoothly first. Build a successful mining operation that pulls
in the most credits possible. Other races, individual asteroids and even your
own workers are expendable, provided you get the maximum return.
Back to basics
No matter what ore it contains or where it is on the map, it’s best to develop
your first asteroid as your main centre of operations. After all, it’s likely
to be in the middle of your eventual sphere of influence. Also, with careful
conquest, it will be buffered from alien attacks by your surrounding empire.
Defend it to the hilt, all the same. Obviously, your first asteroid will need
life support, power storage generators, mines and so on. It should also have a
missile silo, satellite silo, weapons factory, ship yard and control centre. Put
them all to work as soon as you get them (for instance, start building scout
ships and looking for new asteroids straight away). Use this one asteroid to keep
all your ore. This saves confusion when the any-old- ore Traders, or indeed the
federal transporter, come sauntering into range, asking for an asteroid to visit.
You’ll soon have multiple space rocks, so it’s best to set yourself up as a Tesco’s
rather than one hundred Mr Singhs. Initially, you’ll need to move your ore with
your transporter. Later on, though, you’ll be thrilled to purchase the ore
teleporter blue-prints from Sci-Tek, so it’s all done for you. Wealthy is wise.
A gravity nullifier is money well spent on your first asteroid, since it stops
rogue asteroids wiping out your work in one catastrophic collision (just ask the
dinosaurs).
Support Life
Keeping your colonists alive is vital, what with the unreliability of robots.
If we could do without them, believe me I’d know! When you first arrive on an
asteroid the transporter automatically builds a CPU. Before you race to build
mines, pop down an air processor, a food production plant and hydration facilities.
This will keep your people fed from the off. The alternative is to build an
Environmental Control Centre. These produce a small amount of food, water air and
power - enough for emergencies. Build an ECC if you’re strapped for cash (because
you’re running a tight operation where most of your money is always invested - good
work) or if you only need to stay on the asteroid long enough to rip out the small
supplies of precious Traxium and Nexos you’ve found.
Social Securities
People being, all too sadly, people, you might need to add security centres,
medical centres and radiation filters. Stick them all on your first asteroid,
just in case. Later on you can play the situation by ear. Don’t bother building
Resi- blocks - they just attract hundreds of migrant workers, overpopulation and
the general skull-duggery that encourages.
Mr Buy Right
You’ll get most of your advanced goods from Sci-Tek, by purchasing the blue-prints.
This is all to the good, Sci-Tek is virtually TetraCorp’s brother company, but
remember that no-one uses and abuses like a sibling. Spend wisely, always
considering the return you’ll get. There are a few goodies you’ll want as soon as
possible. Topping the list is the Seismic Penetrator, which enables you to mine the
most valuable ores. (You need these ores to build certain equipment, and for general
credit balance enhancement.) The MK2 Mine and MK2 Deep Bore Mine will double the
speed of your mining facilities. Do we need to talk cash flow here, or have you been
paying attention? Anti-missile pods. These stop you getting bombarded early on, and
are thus vital. If you find you’re off to a flying start, Sci-Tek have lots of other
ways of liberating your funds. The following are useful luxuries:
Repair facility - You can set these to look after your best colonies while you go off
to desecrate pastures new.
Asteroid engines - Glorified ram-raiding for the extra-terrestrial masses.
Shield x50 multiplier - Extra protection for your fleets.
Construction droids - Help you build your mighty fleets even more quickly.
Ore teleporter - Did you buy Fragile Allegiance to play a coalman? Enough said.
Anti-virus missile - don’t buy these from Sci-Tek, buy a couple from a trader. You’ll
save credits since the blue-print is very expensive, considering you’re unlikely to
need very many at once.
One final word to the wise. Don’t spend all your money at Sci-Tek. There are often
better ways of spending your money, particularly at the start of the game. Having said
that, if you can get a piece of kit like the MK2 mines relatively early on, you will
(if left alone) score a devastating advantage long term.
Hitting Hard
If you’re going to play an overtly aggressive game, you need to do so from the start.
As soon as you’ve built your construction facilities, start creating small strong fleets
of scouts and assault craft. As these are assembling, gather as much information on the
aliens as you can using scout ships and spy satellites. A few tips:
1. Don’t bother with Combat Eagles at the start of the game. They’re too expensive and
they consume a lot of ore. Concentrate on your scouts and assault craft.
2. Don’t waste expensive weapons on your first plucky yet weedy fighters. Photon cannons
and napalm orbs will do just fine. Costly guns won’t significantly reduce the chances
of their weedy owners exploding.
3. Build fleets of 20-30 cheap craft. These should be able to tackle most early alien
colonies. You’ll know when your enemies have begun to build better defences, as these
fleets will be annihilated in seconds.
4. Remember you will soon have to start funding expensive craft like Combat Eagles and
Destructors - as soon as your weaker fleets begin to fall. Plan accordingly. It’s a
good idea to buy the x50 shield from Sci-Tek to protect your investment.
Attack! Attack! No stop!
There is a logical order which you should follow if you’re to overcome your enemies.
It is not:
1. Stumble across an alien outpost.
2. Launch everything you’ve got at it.
It is:
1. Stumble across an alien outpost.
2. Employ agents to gather vital information about the colony.
3. Get the same agents to tamper with defences and retaliation facilities.
4. Now bombard the defences with a rain of missile death.
5. Finally, send in your fleets to destroy any remaining buildings and to mop up alien
craft survivors.
Rock Rockets Missiles are a vital part of war in Fragile Allegiance, but remember that
they are inherently awful. Missiles are clumsy and just as explosive on empty moon rock
as on the buildings you actually wanted them to hit. Save your missiles for heavily
colonised asteroids. These are likely to be protected with anti-missile turrets. Check
first with a spy satellite. The aliens will laugh into their tentacles at the site of
half a million credits worth of fireworks lighting the sky. To wipe the sorry excuse
for a smile from their faces:
1. Always launch from several different silos at once.
2. Launch lots of cheap missiles as well as a few expensive ones. It’s the shoaling
strategy - your cheap missiles act as decoys and soak up some of the defences.
3. Consider freezing the asteroid with the Stasis missile. This will enable you to
launch loads of missiles, almost at your leisure. Missiles arriving at a frozen
asteroid hang in the air until stasis runs out. Then they all come crashing down.
How d’ya like that, Mr Qu’rdo Manuau-Squeeg?
Fleeter Fleets
It’s obvious, but many people forget all about repairing their fleets. If you want to
get the best out of them, it’s much cheaper to keep your craft in good repair. Get the
blue-prints for the Repair Facility from Sci-Tek. To repair Scout Ships, Assault Craft
and Combat Eagles, land them in the hangars. Medium and large ships need a Space Dock
in orbit. As the craft fly around the asteroid, the Space Dock and Repair Facility mend
the craft. It may take months to return all your craft to full working order, but
that’s still quicker then building them all from scratch. Build a second Repair
Facility if you’re rushed for time.
Know thy neighbour
There is no such thing as community. What a wonderful TetraCorp employee Mrs T. would
have made. Below is a summary of Fragile Allegiance’s rational self- seekers, and some
tips on dealing with them rationally for your gain.
Supervisors
Don’t prevaricate; these guys are worth the cost. Employing supervisors will enable you
to concentrate your efforts on conquest, rather than day-to-day colony management. There
is a strict correlation between the price paid for a supervisor and his or her quality.
Get the best you can. I can personally recommend Makepeace Fox, Thomas Lorca and Andreas
Perrers as about the best in the business. Keep your supervisors well paid, or they’ll
turn nasty, which will cost you a lot more in the long run.
Traders
Important for obtaining specialist items and medicines like Vir-Attack and Bio- Fort,
traders are also vitally important if you’re to make money. It’s tempting to sell your
ore to the Federal Transporter, but laziness costs. Compare the prices they’re offering
with the transporter, and keep notes every time it visits to follow trends in price.
Traxium and Nexos are the most important money-spinners, and also the most volatile. I
wouldn’t let Traxium go for less than 60,000 credits and I’d ask near 200,000 for Nexos.
The luxury goods, tools, machinery and other goods the traders bring can be bought and
sold for profit, but to make money takes some effort on your part. You may prefer to
just stick to ores. If you are tempted to play the markets, do it in style. You’ll only
get worthwhile rewards from big risks, so send back those ten fur coats and order ten
thousand. Apart from the Anti-Virus missile, buy weapons blue-prints from Sci-Tek and
make your own. It’s far cheaper in the long term.
Agents
Don’t skimp on agents - always employ them before going to war to collect as much
tactical information on your enemies as possible. Agents should usually be your first
line of attack in battle, since their covert sabotage missions can save you big bucks
on missiles. They’re even handy in peacetime, just to let you know what your rivals
are up to. The best agents can all but destroy a colony single handed. They’re
expensive though, and best employed tactically to take out a critical asteroid when
fighting on several fronts. Personally, I recommend Vyvyan Beauregard and Scot Mandelson.
Aliens
Make as many non-aggression pacts with your rival cultures as possible. You can always
break them (and so can they) but you’ll still be fairly certain that you’ll not be
attacked by two or three cultures at once. Years of experience in the Fragmented Sectors
has made me very cynical when it comes to aliens. They break down simply as follows:
The Mauna - Kill them. They’re aggressive, nasty and they’ll try to get you first.
The Artemians and the Mikotaj - Not as lethal as the Mauna, they’ll still cause
headaches with random, senseless and profit-impairing war-mongering. Best destroyed
after you’ve got rid of the Mauna.
The Braccatians - Fine unless provoked, when they’ll fight back with a vengeance. So
don’t provoke them. Until you can destroy them.
The Acheans and the Regelians - Easy going neighbours, they should be putty in your
hands.
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10. Credits
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I would like to thank:
Interplay
Gremlin Interactive
You
Me
PCGAMER
