Starter Guide

Hello pilot, welcome to the Crossfire Universe! If you are here for the first time then please read the following information which can make your start a much smoother experience.

The basic differences between vanilla and Crossfire space are:

• NPCs:
  In Crossfire space they move better, they evade, use countermeasures, nano bots and shield batteries. So fighting in Crossfire space is much more difficult, but on the other hand, it offers much more fun/challenge when you learn how to move and fight.

  
  

  Note: Check Combat Guides (also in CF Launcher) if you want to learn more about combat in Crossfire space.

  
  

• Trading:
  Routes and Prices for common commodities change daily (dynamic economy). This means you can't use the same route each day for trading common commodities. You will need to explore to gain info about most commonly traded commodities and routes. Bases owned by criminal factions offer common commodities but also highly illegal "Black Market Goods". These BMGs can be bought and sold on fixed routes, offer very high profit and can be bought only with an equipped Smuggler Crossfire role-play license. Crossfire has also one special legal tradable cargo - Cargo Containers, which can be bought (equipped) only with trains. Lastly, the difference between vanilla and Crossfire trade is that common commodities use different amounts of ship cargo units (for example: one Tobacco need 2.5 cargo space units and one Polymer need only 0.5 cargo space unit).

  
  

  Note: More info about all tradable goods can be found on Swat-Portal's Crossfire Wiki - Commodities.

  
  

• Reputation (NPCs):
  Except for the usual hostility from those NPC factions which are in "red", you will soon see that you need to have a minimal neutral reputation (-3 bars) with the base owner when you want to buy their weapons, equipment, ammunition or ships. You can find more information here.

  
  

  Note: Ability to purchase or sell Commodities is not affected by reputation.

  
  

• Escape pods (NPCs):
  Crossfire universe offers a way to maintain your finances whilst fighting (check base's bars for missions). From each (almost) killed NPC will drop an Escape pod. These have various prices depending on rank and can be sold on Prison stations (like those in Texas). In addition, the rewards for base missions are much higher than in vanilla.

How to start?

• Now you may be interested to know how to start (from scratch) when you know that all in Crossfire space is more difficult compared with vanilla. Do not worry; starting is not so difficult if you follow the next guide, (this basic one works for both SP and MP):

• Visit the ship dealer on Planet Manhattan and buy their Rhino freighter or you may look to nearby placed Junkers base for CSV. Both these ships are good buy for a trading start. They offers a decent cargo space (for a starting ship), heavier armor, and can be reasonably armed just from the planet equipment dealer. If you like more to start in a fighter, then do not hesitate take Patriot LF, you will not regret this decision.

  
  

  Hint: Buy guns and turrets with the fastest fire rate OR buy weapons with high damage and start to learn how to use technique called "rapid-fire" which is explained in our Combat Video Guides. Second variant may come handy especially in cases when you can't kill (quickly) the very agile low-level NPCs.

  
  

• Start exploring all bases linked with Trade-Lanes (TL). In each base buy ALL commodities (and check available trade routes). When you start with Planet Manhattan and return there, you will have in your database nine (9) bases. Between those bases, (stations & planets) commodities will change each day. You should be able to have your first 1M in less than 1.5 hour and still be in New York.

  
  

  Warning: Do not go to Detroit Munitions unless you know at least the basics of how to fight NPCs.

  
  

• To make your trading easier it can be a good idea to manage your reputation with NPCs (criminal NPCs factions). If you do not want pay for bribes (especially Junkers bribe in Rochester Base hidden in debris field behind Planet Manhattan can be invaluable), you can try to manage your reputation by destroying factions containers. Example: If you destroy four Deep Space Engineering depots near Baltimore Shipyard, you will be neutral for all NPCs in New York and also some other criminal factions in Sirius.

  
  

  Warning: Be prepared that depots owners and police NPCs will not like it when you start damaging them.

  
  

• If you like to trade, start exploring nearest available systems. Cheapest trader’s ships available to you are Humpback, Swashbuckler and Dromedary. While using those ships you can raise your money MUCH faster than with a basic Rhino.

• If you like to fight take missions available on the Jobs Boards or from the various factions representatives in the Bars. From the rewards, you then can buy any cheap fighter and start to hunt NPCs and sell their dropped pods at the prison stations.

  
  

  Hint: Explore systems near New York, you can find more suitable cheap fighters for "pods collecting".

Whenever you join Crossfire multiplayer, you need to know:

• The Crossfire server has its own Role-Play. You do not need to actively take part in it, but when you reach the certain state (character lvl 40 and your character have more as 10 hours in space), other players can interact with you (and you with them) in Crossfire role-play. You can meet pirates, who want to tax you, police who might want you to pay a fine or drop illegal cargo if you trade illegal goods (as smugglers do), mercenaries can hunt you if you have a bounty placed on your head).

  
  

  Info: Regarding PvP player can not damage, or be damaged by, other player(s) if is his character below lvl 40 OR do not have more as 10 hours total time in space on at least ONE character on active account!

  
  

  Warning: It is a very good idea to read the multiplayer rules prior starting. They are on the server page or in space next to Planet Manhattan (you cannot fail it when undocking). Do not be unpleasantly surprised later.

  
  

• In Crossfire space, there are systems, which are owned by clans, which pay for its use with real money. This offers those clans the right to set their own rules for their system. The decision to follow those rules is up to your discretion. If you do not know that a system is owned by a clan and ignore the incoming warnings, you might get yourself into troubles.

  
  

  Note: A list (updated) of all Crossfire clans and their home systems can be found on Swat-Portal's Crossfire Wiki - Clans.

  
  

• Please do not forget: If you only have a little experience in playing multiplayer games, it is good to know how to communicate with other players and listen to their advice. In New York you are "safe" against other players and there you have the best opportunity to learn multiplayer specialties.
• In MP you can use console commands: In the chat window (press Enter) type /help for list of all Hook commands that are available to you.
• When another player kills you, you can lose up to $200k. These funds are deducted from your balance and added to the opponents balance. If you do not have adequate funds for this payment, you will be bankrupted and immediately teleport to Planet Manhattan in New York system (bankruptcy is announced by a system message which is visible to all players logged on the server).

For Singleplayer Campaign in the Crossfire mod

• As first please be sure that you DO NOT have checked "Open SP" checkbox in launcher ... this one is there just for case when you want anytime PERMANENTLY END campaign and to play in Crossfire universe freely without campaign scripts running. You cannot use this "check" for "pausing" SP Campaign!
• For start playing newly added story missions you have next two choices:
  • (1) Start a NEW game (very recommended). It means you will need to replay whole vanilla part but it have the least chance for issues related to this huge mod overall functioning due some outdated info in old saves ... It will also help players much easier adapt to changes in this mod like NPCs behaviour etc.
  • (2) Use of old save BEFORE mission no. 13., when you will need to play again this ending part of old vanilla content. After that you will continue without interruption into new Trent's adventures. This must be, because Crossfire campaign story content was added into vanilla Mission 13. And before you ask, there is/was NO other way for doing so otherwise.
    
    And there is one more thing which you must do to make campaign scripts working correctly if you have chose second (2) way. You will need to patch your old saves with information about newly added factions. Please check Freelancer directory for newly added utility called FactionPatch.cmd" and run it. This utility do first backup to all of your "old" SP gamesaves, and then will update theirs copies with information about new faction(s) added into the mod. This step is needed only for OLD saves, but is absolutelly necessary for proper functioning of the NPCs in the side story mission. Patching process needs some time, so be patient.
• Access to newly added systems in Crossfire mod have RESTRICTIONS in the SP Campaign. Main reason for put those restricitions in place is in big expansion to the storyline which reveals newly added areas in appropriate time. And numerous those areas have also very different look depending about storyline phase. This above in practice means that access points (gates, jump holes) to most of newly added systems were INTETIONALLY removed during ACTIVE early campaing phases. Player still can visit these areas earlier, during campaing inactive states (due hard coded Freelancer engine part which cannot be changed by the mod), but once is campaign automatically reactivated (it's usually tied with increase of level), then player can easily get stuck and will be unable to return to the campaign area. Is good to keep in mind, that making an expansion for SP campaign have hard technical limitations and there is no way how mod creator can avoid all player efforts to trick applied restrictions. Therefore here is just a suggestion, or call it an advice from experienced Crossfire mod player: follow the story path and wait for access to new systems as to when story evolves enough. You will be gradually introduced to the new areas which have its own history and evolves consistently with principal narrative of the Freelancer game and the Crossfire mod. You will have many hours of fun ahead while play expanded Freelancer story, enjoy!

• Bonus side mission ongoing in Sol sector was added into Crossfire SP. More detailed information you can read here. This side mission is still worked on, so players can expect some further updates
• Autosave: please avoid use of this save during SP Campaign play completely! It was repeatedly confirmed that use of this particular save file can corrupt all further saves (including mission-saves) and thus irreparably broke progress of the SP Campaign!