>>HISPANIA NEWS NETWORK<<

New Nomad Threat
A Maltese customs officer was attacked last night by a man who was acting strangely. Juan Esteban had been missing since the 2nd Nomad Invasion and presumed dead. When Lieutenant Emilio Sanchez of the newly formed Combined Hispania Armed Forces asked him to submit to a routine body scan at the docking bay, Esteban went berserk. Lt. Sanchez had to be assisted by four bystanders before he could subdue the suspect. An MRI revealed a strange growth inside Esteban’s abdominal cavity with tendrils extending into his spinal column. He is being held in isolation while doctors determine how to extract this strange mass of tissues, which has a DNA sequence very similar to that of captured Nomad ‘pilots’, the central nervous system organ which directs Nomad fighters and other vessels.

In other news, acting Leader of the Ordered Chaos Corporation, [OC]Remnant, defeated a Nomad Elite pilot last week. Details to follow.

UPDATE
In an exclusive interview by Carlos Rodriguez on the Oribital Spa & Cruise Luxury Liner Hawaii, Freelancer Han Solo is quoted as saying, “Details are simple. The Ordered Chaos pilot lost multiple engagements to the nomad in single combat, then put out a general distress call, which was answered by my friend Luke Skywalker. While it took them a while to coordinate operations between a notorious pirate and an upstanding citizen, eventually they settled on a tactic of one person attracting the nomad’s fire and just dodging, while the other concentrated on shooting at him. When the nomad switched targets and began spamming missiles at the one shooting at him, then they switched roles.”

Sadly the co-operation between the heroic Luke and the pirate came to an end after the [NOM] was chased from the system, and the relentless pirate turned on his crippled rescuer, sending his outcast minions to finish off his erstwhile savior.

Anarchy In the UK
Submitted by Tachyon Net from Trafalgar Depot
The recent rescue of the Queen Mother has been met with mixed emotions by the citizens of the remnants of Britonia. Details of her whereabouts since the mass exodus from Sirius Sector are sketchy at best. The Britonia flagship Prince of Wales, which was transporting the Queen Mother to safety in the Antares Sector, was destroyed during the exodus and all hands were presumed lost. The Royal Physician, who was with the Queen Mother throughout her ordeal, refused to allow her to be scanned for alien implants saying, “It is preposterous that she should be forced to submit to such indignanty, especially after all that she has had to endure.”
Such scans have been implemented at a number of bases as a security measure following the discovery of Nomad parasites infesting the bodies of several people recovered from the wreckage of a Nomad Battleship. The nature and purpose of these infestations are not known at this time. Masses of alien tissue inhabited the abdomens of these victims with tendrils entering their spinal columns.
The Queen Mother was transported by heavily armed and escorted Armored Transport to Planet Edinburgh. Officials felt that given the fact that the Britonia Armed Forces are beginning to turn the tide against the Nomad Threat, it would be safer to return her to Britonia rather than risk another flight through the Devil’s Corridor, as the Zeta Sector has come to be popularly known. The welcoming ceremony staged at Edinburgh was marred by riots as Britonia Police clashed with protesters.

Communications Lost
From Order Information Network, Planet Nefarra
Communications have been lost with a number of bases and planets in the Sirius Sector. Information is sketchy at this time, but reportedly a number of the locations which are now off the Tachyon Net had reported incidents of recent arrivals suddenly attacking government officials without provocation. Large numbers of people who had been thought to have been killed during the 2nd Nomad Invasion and the Antares Exodus have been turning up in recent weeks, all reportedly suffering from amnesia since their disappearances.
(in the interest of saving space in the Starport forum, HNN Tachyon Podcast continus in linky at top of page)

>>OUTCAST GIRLS<<

Kurt Baumann was approaching Yanagi Depot with a load of engine components in the hold of his Dromadary, the deleted.
A lone Sabre approached him from behind a wrecked Imperial fighter and scanned his cargo hold. The pilot, a female Outcast, hailed him on the sub-space comm. In a threatening yet somehow sultry voice she said, “I’ll give you just one chance, stud. Drop the cargo and you can leave here in one peice.”
Baumann studied his tactical display. Only one fighter…very unusual…pirates usually operated in packs of several fighters. He answered, “You’ll just have to fight me for it baby.” If there was one thing he couldn’t stand, it was a faction that just wouldn’t stay bribed. He already had the Outcast girl’s Sabre targeted, and he swung the Drom around to bring his turrets and missile launchers to bear on her.
The Outcast girl purred, “I was hoping you’d say that” and launched a Hornet followed by a Cannonball and opened up on him with her guns and turrets.
Buamman switched targets to the Hornet and destroyed it. The blast wave detonated the Cannonball and the combined blast waves engulfed the Sabre. He opened up on her with shield stripper turrets he’d picked up down in Corsair turf and once her shields were down followed up with a barrage of Moonstalkers. He targeted her shield generator and blasted it with his guns and turrets.
The Outcast girl dropped mines and floored her thrusters to maneuver for a clean shot. Baumann detonated her mines just as they were clearing the launcher, once again engulfing the Sabre in the blast wave. The already weakened Sabre began coming apart.
Baumann dumped one of his pallets of engine components and tractored in the Outcast pilot’s escape pod. He commed Yanagi, “This is the deleted with a load of engine components and an angry lady. Request permission to dock, and please send a medic to the docking bay.”
The Junkers on duty acknowledged, “Copy that, welcome back to Yanagi, will have medic standing by. Do you need a security detail as well?”
Baumann laughed, “No thanks, if I can handle her in a VHF I think I can handle her in person.”
Baumann landed his Drom in bay one and stepped out of the cockpit. He unzipped his faded brown leather flight jacket and unsnapped his shoulder holster to allow quick access to his antique .45 ACP. He opened the cargo hatch on his Dromedary and stood back as the Junkers stevedores unloaded the escape pod. The medic was reaching for the release handle when the escape pod opened up.
Inside was a very attractive looking Outcast woman with brown hair and blue eyes. She said, “I’m fine, really…although I could use a drink.” She winked at Baumann.
He laughed and said, “Well let me buy you a drink then, miss…” She smiled and said, “Josephine Dominguez. Mrs. actually.” Baumann said, “Pleased to make your acqaintance, although I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances.”
She answered cryptically, “The circumstances are more pleasant than you imagine, Herr Baumann, late of the Rheinland Police.”
At his quizical expression she said, “Yes, I know all about you. Let’s talk about it over that drink, shall we?”
(in the interest of saving space in the Starport forums, story continues in the linky at top)

ANTARES MOD
=VFF Productions=
HELP WANTED

Background:
The Antares Mod is unique in that instead of a static, fixed FL universe, new bases are added at each update, and planets are colonized, and the commodities market is rebalanced, and new weapons and equipment become available.
In the Antares Mod, players can put thier money to work by ordering new construction and upgrades, and by designing new weapons and equipment or upgrading existing designs.
Example:
CK of {SOLN} designed a unique new weapon called the Gau 25, which is a gun that fires projectiles with explosion effects.
I ordered a new thruster design, the Outcast Thruster, a new missile design, the Annihilator (6k damage and a turn radius just under that of a Firestalker), and another unique weapon called the Obliterator.

The updates are usually incremental; however during the early phase of the current update I suggested we add one new system with two new factions, to give players an intermediary place to do missions. The Antares Side missions are low paying and easy, the Sirius Sector missions pay up to 2.35 million credits but it takes a lot of effort just to find your way across the wastland known as the Zeta Corridor connecting Antares to Sirius.

The Antares Mod Team took my suggestion and got a little crazy with it. I am not at liberty to divulge how many new systems and factions we wound up with in the 5.0 update (formely known as the ‘July’ update….July 08 that is), but suffice to say it is way more than two.

Along with the new systems and factions, Achilles has also put patrol paths back in the Mod, for a Wingmen Mod add-in. Each of the new factions also has unique weapons.

Each Mod Team member focuses on a particular aspect eg. commodities/factions/weapons/equipment and we use Google Docs to post our changes and additions.

When we put it all together, somewhere in all the huge changes this update, something is not getting along with something else. We would greatly appreciate it if one or more of the accomplished modders using this forum could help us sort out the problem.

Once we have the current update under control, we plan to experiment with the FLMM 1.5 which should allow us to make incremental, modular updates to the Antares Mod, eg. Antares Mod 5.1 adding new base and planet orders, 5.2 adding new weapon design orders, etc.

Any help we can get would be GREATLY appreciated.

If you are intersted in helping us out, please contact us by:
posting here in the Starport Help Wanted thread
sending me a PM here at Starport
Sending Achilles a PM at Vanguard
Updated: I am now a moderator for the Mod Team Forum. You can also contact me by PM at my profile in Vanguard

By the way, the current release of The Antares Mod for Freelancer woks fine. I strongly suggest you try it out before deciding to offer your services to the Mod Team.

Thanks y’all. Ruppet there turned me on to this site. Thanks again mini-me for the new ships going into our update. Maybe with all the awesome tutorials and threads here I can learn how to actaully mod….

>>The Antares Mod<<
(click for link to the home website of =VFF= Productions for the DL & instructions)
brought to you by the team of =VFF= Productions, Team Leader and original author Achilles of GrimAxe

You flew all the missions of SP as Edison Trent and ended the Nomad threat to Sirius…or so you thought. Fifty years after what is now known as the First Nomad War, the Nomads are back with a vengeance. Humanity is evacuating the planets and bases of the Sirius Sector and withdrawn to the newly discovered Antares Sector.

>>The 2nd Nomad War<< brings unique challenges and opportunities to Freelancers and Clans. Gone are most of the bases and tradelanes in the Inner House systems. A few bold Freelancers continue to smuggle refugees past the Nomad Fleet. Opportunities arise in the buildup of infrastructure safely for the moment hidden behind an ancient alien Hypergate in the recently discoverd Antares Sector.

The Antares Mod brings Freelancer into a whole new dimension, with new systems, new factions and bases, including player designed and built custom bases and planets. A dynamic new commodity system updated with each release of Antares Mod Updates allows great opportunities for trading…and for piracy.

The equipment is totally interchangeable, and players can order new weapons designs. Ever wish you could arm a patriot with code guns and nomad weapons? Now you can. Modular design allows players to customize thier ships with unique powerplant, reactor, thruster, armor, scanner, and tractor beam designs.

The Antares Mod features dozens of new systems, an improved physics engine, myriad new modular equipment options and scores of new ship designs ranging from screaming fast Light Fighters to heavily armed Torpedo Bomber Very Heavy Fighters, some with multiple CD/T Launchers, all the way to player flyable trains, gunboats, and capitol ships.

>>Clans and individual players can put thier hard-earned credits to use buying new planets and bases and ordering new ship,weapon and equipment designs here<<

>>The current direct connect IP for Vanguard 2 can be found here<<

>>If you have trouble getting the Antares Mod to work try checking here<<

For an In Character Tutorial on how to thrive in the Antares Mod, check out >>The Adventures of Alvin Noob<<

[XD]This is a PvP Server
Player Looting is Enabled
While most of the players there are friendly to newcomers, once you are established you may be attacked at any time without provocation by pirates (or by police and navy if you are a pirate or a smuggler) and Nomads (Nomads are for the time being limited to the Sirius Sector and the Zeta Corridor linking Sirius to Antares)…all in good fun and in the interest of keeping the action lively

-Please respect the {Vanguard} and {Sentinal} Server Admins-
Remember: they’re there to help the community, and they’re doing on thier own free time!
No swearing allowed in System Chat, period.
No swearing allowed in Private Chat or Group Chat without the consent of all parties.
Please keep in mind that the ‘vicious pirate’ or [NOM] you’re mad at could very well be a ten-year-old kid or somebody’s grandpa with his grandkids watching him play Freelancer over his shoulder.
Please read and abide by the server rules! >>Vanguard 2 Server Rules and News<<

>>Roleplaying is strongly encouraged<<. After a hard mission or a breathtaking battle come join your comrades and adversaries in our RP bars.

The Vanguard Federation of Freelancers
=VFF Productions=
Antares Mod Team:
Achilles
CK
Han Solo
Poidrac
Lancer Solurus
Mutilator
Haunt
Ruppetthemuppet
Scorch
Maxwell
Killer B

Special Thanks to Ship Contributors
XMT
Panther X
Mini-Me
Mancer
Forsaken
for contributing ships to the upcoming Antares 5.0 release

Additional Credits from the FLMM read-me for Antares Mod by Achilles of GrimAxe:
Giving Credit where credit is due!!
This MOD would not exist today without something these people have in some way added to it or to my knowledge of Freelancer MODDING
Thanks go to all those who have offered their modding knowledge up to help new modders on The Lancers Reactor forums, this has gotten me past quite a few bumps while making this mod.

New Ships created by

Baene
Ceptyr
Redemption
Shifter MK I
Seething Fury
Scourge
Bloodrage
Switchblade
Spectre
Darkhorse
Plague
Colossus
Elite Defender
Draconji
Starskipper
Guardian
Gunstar
Interloper
Enfilade
Ragebringer
Silverfish
Marauder
Devestator
Starfield
Juggernaught
Outrider
Demon Experimental
Starshift
Anomaly
Bullpup MK I
Bullpup MK II
Bullpup MK III
Elite Nomad Fighter
Hydra MK III
Rapier
Silverfish MK II
Skiff
Templar
Stumpy Tug
Undertow
Zeus
Ferocity
Grim
Miser
Orb
Pantheon
Phoenix CR
Peregrine
xR844 Interceptor
Pod
Meesa Racer
Vortex
Soul Reaper
Assassin Mk 2
Demon Mk 2
Artemis
Final Breath
Ceptyr A-3
Defiant
Emperor’s Might
Ubermacht
Bloodfeast
Baene’s Tooth
Black Dragon
Crusher
Nephthys
Praetorian
Loki

FireBase
Ghost
Basilisk
Black Specter
Death Scythe
Phantom
Ravenclaw
Slipstream

Astral Prime Studios
Starviper
Cougar
Hornet X
APS Pegasus
APS Griffen
APS Hydra

Aug Ship Pack
Gaijin MK I
Gaijin MK II
Halycon MK II
Halycon MK I-A
Halycon MK I
Ryuoken
Seraphim
Behemoth
Hawkeye MK II

AluminumHaste/Argh
Enforcer - Civilian
Enforcer - Pirate

DwD/Wanderer
Thunderbird
X Fighter
Y Fighter
Z Fighter
Raven

Caid
Bretonia Champion

Ospery
Osprey

Havikar, UltraLeon Works
SwordFish

Buckaroo Banzai
Starblazer

DS9 Starfighter
Thunder (aka Aen Nnea Thhaei)

Author Unknown (please send me any information reguarding authership of these)
Mauler
Hydra
Longsword
Order Bomber

Thanks to Nephilim and his Capital Ship Encounters Tutorial on Lancers Reactor that got me stared in modding.

Alcander is also due some thanks for the transferable engines and credit limit incress patches he created, keep up the good work Alcander.

Nebulae Wolf for the of the icons used for some of the new equipment.

Wyrmblight Dragonsbane for the new commodity icons, the opening splash screen, and the Universe map background.
Haunt for several new weapons.
Han Solo for his work on the Saskatchewan system and a few new toys to go with it.
CK, Poidrac, Scorch and the rest of the Vanguard Mod Team for their assistance, it would not have gotten done without all you guys.

Icon Pack v1.0 by Nebulae Wolf

Some of the new weapons were taken from the “Just For Fun MOD v 1.1” by Jim Rupp (Old Beowulf).
Of the following I atlered a few things to better fit the Antares Expansion MOD but left as much of Beowulf’s work as I could.

–-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mines and Countermeasuers:

Liberty Experimental Mine
Bretonia Pursuit Mine
Order Plasma Mine Mk1
Order Plasma Mine Mk2

---

Missiles:
Javelin C Missile
Eraser C Missile
The above 2 missiles use the standard ammo but mount on the cruise disruptor hardpoint.

Liberty Experimental Missile
Order Missile MK1-C (cruise disruptor mount)
Order Missile MK1 (class 9 gun hardpoint)
Order Missile Turret MK1 (class 9)
Order Missile MK2-C
Order EMP Missile MK1 (cruise disruptor mount)
Order EMP Missile Turret MK1 (class 9)
Nomad Torpedo
Nomad Cruise Disruptor
Dragoon Type 4 (Outcasts, class 7)
Dragoon Type 4 Turret (Outcasts, class 7)
Funny thing here. The Outcasts had class 6 and class 8 tachyon-based weapons, but no class 7, so I added them.

Guns and Turrets:

Naginata (Blood Dragons, class
Death’s Hand Mk IV (Order, class
Death’s Hand Turret Mk IV (Order, class
Death’s Hand Mk V (Order, class 9)
Death’s Hand Turret Mk V (Order, class 9)
Reaper Mk IV (Order, class
Reaper Turret Mk IV (Order, class
Reaper Mk V (Order, class 9)
Reaper Turret Mk V (Order, class 9)
Hornviper Mk III (Rhineland, class 10)
Tizona del Cid Turret (Corsairs, class 9)
Kraken Turret (Outcasts, class 9)
BLOODSTONE TURRET (Bretonia, class 10)
Tobie’s Edge (Bretonia, class 7)
Tobie’s Edge Turret (Bretonia, class 7)
Bretonia Pursuit Gun (Bretonia, class
Bretonia Pursuit Turret (Bretonia, class
Bretonia Pursuit Cannon (Bretonia, class 10)
Xenos Solution (Liberty, class 1)
Xenos Solution Turret (Liberty, class 1)
Liberty Experimental Cannon (Liberty, class 6)

---

Class 10 Turrets:

Bretonia Cannon Turret
Hornviper Mk III Turret
GOLDEN BLADE Turret
ARCHANGEL Turret
DARK BLOSSOM Turret

=======================================================================================

---

----------)XTS Station Pack V2(----------

---

XTS Nova,
XTS Xbase,
XTS uhmrah,
XTS sirius wheel,
XTS Solar Refinery,
XTS Meridian-Station,

XTS Solar Refinery, XTS Nova, XTS Xbase, Modelled by: XTS-ImperaTodd

XTS uhmrah, XTS sirius wheel, XTS Meridian-Station, Modelled by: XTS Rankor

Hardpoints & Script: XTS-TheXtreme

---

XTS Solar Replacement Mod

Model & Texture created by XTS ImperaTodd

Hardpoints & Script done by XTS The Xtreme

XTS-Vancusz

Model & Texture created by Todd

Hardpoints & Script done by The Xtreme

---

—)www.XtremeTeamStudios.com(—

---

Hello,
I’m a 45 year old Arkansan who does electrical and plumbing, and services tug boats for a living.
I write Science Fiction stories, so far only as a hobby…maybe a publisher wil bite, one can only hope…
I’ve been playing Freelancer since it first came out, but I didn’t start MP until 2006.
I started playing on the HA3 Battle Server, and then when the Hunters Association split up I moved to the Vanguard Federation of Gamers.
I started playing on the V2 Server in Vanguard when it was running the Aurura Mod, and I was in on the start of the Antares Mod.
I am a plank owner and coleader of a pirate clan on V2, [OC] The Ordered Chaos Corporation.
I helped found The James Gang, an association of Train Robbers.
I am also a moderator in the UCC, the United Confederation of Clans.
I am a member of the =VFF Productions= Antares Mod Team.
My modding skills are modest to nonexistant.
My main function on the Antares Mod Team is writing storylines and making up names.
My secondary function is PR. I hope you like the ad for the Antares Mod I intend to post here ;D