Newcomer Questions About Crossfire 1.9

Can I play this game with family or friends in the LAN? Meaning, can I set up a Crossfire server for home usage without having to log on to one of the servers on the internet? Is there a guide for setting up an own server?

Not sure, never playe any LAN setup.

Do I have to start a new character when switching from single- to multiplayer, or can I use my character from the singleplayer game?

Yes. You will have to start a new character, no carry over.

Do I have to re-activate the mod with the Mod Manager if I want to switch to multiplayer?

NO, and I do not recommend de-activating the mod for any reason. You will most likely have to re-install if you do this. The mod is much bigger than the vanilla Freelancer.

When a new version of the Mod (Crossfire Mod 2.0) is released, can I continue with my saved game, or do I have to start anew?

Most likely single player will require a restart but multiplayer ships carry over seamlessly.

When I finish the regular mission, will new Crossfire mission(s)
automatically start? Is there an overview of those missions and their
story?

Missions will be available at the bar and I do not recommend really getting into single player until 2.0 when the single player will be 100% complete even the new added content

How do I get access to the new content, like new sectors and systems? Will they be introduced during the Crossfire mission(s)?

All "new content" is included. Follow the story in single palyer until you have the aility to roam and on multiplayer it's all about your skill. Can you defend yourself in the strange unknown sector?

How does the game proceed after the missions? I guess that it offers
plenty of content to explore and develop, like all different types of
ships, equipment, planets etc. Or will most of the content be covered by
the missions (like it is in the old Freelancer game)?

I assume this is a single player question. Multiplayer does not have a story line like single palyer and the missions constantly change. It is the same for single player. Once you complete vanilla there is added content that leads to some very challenging and interesting mission *sorry no spoliers* and after this you can always take missions from bars.

I read something about new sources of income, like smuggling, mining or
trading. Is there a guide which describes how I can do that? (I once saw
big ships mining from asteroides, are they just eye candy or do they
have a purpose?)

Now you are getting into some fun stuff. I suggest you log on and contact me, Walmart, and I will guide you through a simple and effective start to your crossfire carrer based on your tastes. Fighter/trader/miner or all three. Also check the Lexicon for extensive information and guides.

There are other new interesting features (like acquiring certain
Licenses) which are not covered by the Wiki. Is there another guide?

Crossfire multiplayer is Role Play. After you aquire lvl 40 you must equp a license. This is your choice what role you choose and can even play different styles on different ships. You can have up to 5 ships on your account. Pirate They fly around and tax anyone they wish but they must also be able to back up there demands. They are usually skilled fighters and have the ability to attack police on sight. Smuggler These are masters of hide and seek. They have extensive knowledge of trade routes/prices/and maximum profit. They are also the only people who can purchase Black Market Goods. This come with a price, they are not allowed to fire first. They must be fired apon or threathend. Police This license goes to law and order....or even not so much order. They have the ability to attack pirates on sight, stop smugglers and fine them if caught with illegal goods. Even make them drop there cargo if they are rude. They can also "look away for a bit" if the smuggler is genourious enough. Merc This pilot is usually a master of waling a tight rope. They can be hired by police and pirates alike to do there bidding. Smugglers can hire them for protection and Mercs are the only people that have the ability to collect "bounties" set by other players on Crossfire. There are many options, you must be the master of your choices and go wherever you path takes you.

I guess I can also just play the game freely and work myself up to
higher levels without doing the missions. I never tried that. Would you
recommend doing this? (Sounds like lots of exploring fun.)

Multiplayer is "freely". It is not recommended, it is the only way. You must be tough and learn fast to survive in the harsh vastness of space.

Can I access the new systems in the Sirius Sector right from the
beginning? Or will these Jump Gates only be available after finishing
the mission?

You can anywhere you wish at anytime in multiplayer. You must follow the story in single player.

How do I travel to different sectors? I found no clue about how that
works. Are there special gates leading to other sectors? How do I find
them? (The Crossfire universe seems to be too HUGE to search it
completely!)

There are trade lanes in most sectors. Click on the trade lane and press F3 to dock. Usually at the end of a trade lane there is a gate. Click on the gate and puch F3 to dock with it and you will go to another place...caution where you jump.

The F1 menu cannot be opened anymore if you are in space. I miss that
feature since I might want to be able to change the options or load a
saved game at any time. Is this a bug or is it intended?

You must be docked to use F1...you can use it in space by pressing enter then F1...caution: using F1 in a fight or to log out in space will result in a fine to your credits.

What's the deal with those luxury liner ships?

I don't understand this question. It is another type of ship you can use. Many players use them as a "store" type character where they sell hard to get items

I never got a license in Single Player. Also, about exploration. Some of the harder sectors become available through the storyline....this is all I can say without ruining it. Most can be explored when there is a break between mission. Example: you must attain certain lvl to accept next mission. This is a good time to trade and exlpore.

Hello subxero, welcome here and congratulations on discovering the mod

Q: Can I play this game with family or friends in the LAN? Meaning, can I set up a Crossfire server for home usage without having to log on to one of the servers on the internet? Is there a guide for setting up an own server?
A: As far as I know, the download package contains only client part for Crossfire, which means you don't have the necessary files to start your own server. Instead, the decision of mod developer was to attract all players to a single official server. It is available 24/7 and everyone can play there for free.

Q: Do I have to start a new character when switching from single- to multiplayer, or can I use my character from the singleplayer game?
A: There is no corellation between SP and MP (singleplayer game has no effect on MP and vice versa), so the answer is yes - you have to start a new character.

Q: Do I have to re-activate the mod with the Mod Manager if I want to switch to multiplayer?
A: Negative, all you need is to press the corresponding button in CF launcher ("Launch Multiplayer").

Q:When a new version of the Mod (Crossfire Mod 2.0) is released, can I continue with my saved game, or do I have to start anew?
A: I am not sure about this but saved games made while doing CF-added story missions will probably cause problems because those missions are likely to be modified in the next version.

Q:When I finish the regular mission, will new Crossfire mission(s) automatically start? Is there an overview of those missions and their story?
A: Positive, they will start automatically. An overview of CF missions is here but only chapter 1 is finished with detailed instructions (just follow the links under "Missions").

Q: How do I get access to the new content, like new sectors and systems? Will they be introduced during the Crossfire mission(s)?
A: A major part of new systems is introduced through the CF campaign. You can also explore them yourself (just look for new jumpgates in Sirius systems) in order to get better ships and equipment, but I would recommend doing this only during "breaks" between missions in original campaign in order to avoid possible waypoint bugs.

Q: How does the game proceed after the missions? I guess that it offers plenty of content to explore and develop, like all different types of ships, equipment, planets etc. Or will most of the content be covered by the missions (like it is in the old Freelancer game)?
A: Upon finishing the CF missions you are offered to find a job, just like in original game. Although the campaign makes good sightseeing of new sectors, discovering ships and equipment is something you have to do on your own.

Q: I read something about new sources of income, like smuggling, mining or trading. Is there a guide which describes how I can do that? (I once saw big ships mining from asteroides, are they just eye candy or do they have a purpose?)
A: Particularly about smuggling, an introductory guide is here. Trading hasn't changed much, you just have bigger ships at your disposal now (be aware that not all of them can dock at all bases!); a piece of advice about train usage can be found here. Mining is a bit improved due to megaroids presence (these can be cracked using Mining Ship's special laser) but profits still remain inferior to those of trading, smuggling and escape pod farming.

Q: There are other new interesting features (like acquiring certain Licenses) which are not covered by the Wiki. Is there another guide?
A: Licenses are all about role play (and there are many guides on this topic), however you might need a Smuggler License even in SP in order to be able to buy black market goods.

Q: I guess I can also just play the game freely and work myself up to higher levels without doing the missions. I never tried that. Would you recommend doing this? (Sounds like lots of exploring fun.)
A: Exploration is fun indeed, but you will miss a great piece of developers' work... Also, CF campaign guides you through places that are extremely hard to find on your own. Anyway, you can select "Open SP" in CF launcher to disable missions completely, but this feature is still experimental and you can't switch back to story mode without a complete re-installation.

Q: Can I access the new systems in the Sirius Sector right from the beginning? Or will these Jump Gates only be available after finishing the mission?
A: Jump gates are available from the beginning, but during the CF campaign their destinations may change, as well as locked/unlocked status. That's when you can easily get into trouble or even become unable to complete the game, if you have a talent for screwing things up

Q: How do I travel to different sectors? I found no clue about how that works. Are there special gates leading to other sectors? How do I find them? (The Crossfire universe seems to be too HUGE to search it completely!)
A: Different sectors of Crossfire universe are connected with Hypergates. A visit to each sector is included in CF campaign; in case you decide to play Open SP, just ask for instructions here or in game.

Q: The F1 menu cannot be opened anymore if you are in space. I miss that feature since I might want to be able to change the options or load a saved game at any time. Is this a bug or is it intended?
A: To make F1 work in space, you need to assign a different key for "Open Attention Window" in Options -> Controls -> Crossfire Multiplayer (it is F1 by default).

Q: What's the deal with those luxury liner ships?
A: You can buy and fly those ships for fun, but it probably won't be a good idea to do this during CF missions - in some places you can't dock with big ships, in others you can survive only with a fighter... In fact, a VHF is the only viable type of ship for finishing the story without problems (but not without effort, as you will see).

Looks like there were 3 new replies while I was typing... And now you have 2 versions of the same answers, hope you make good use of both

- Wanderer -

too many questions in my opinion but hey, welcome to crossfire

Not enough questions

Before re-reading the manual (found online, still looking for my box) I understood that there is no possibility, even in Crossfire, to own multiple ships? I think that was something that was a bit...

Anyways, when playing the original I never ran with a pure merchant vessel because it felt the universe was full of pirates and not safe at all for traders.
Q: How is it in Crossfire, are traders a bit safer or are piracy the main occupation for unemployed space-fares?

Chipp chipp

In multiplayer you can have 'unlimited' accounts and this means unlimited amount of ships. Pirates are numerous and skilled (mostly), but for experienced pilot there are many possibilies how to evade them. Police have less pilots, but they have possibilities how to balance firepower and keep pirates busy.

... in SP you can have only one char/ship under normal circumenstances.

Thanks!

I have nothing against One ship to rule them all as long as there are viable play mechanics.

If we split the ship in three categories: 1. War ships with minimum cargo. 2. Intermediate; and 3. Cargoships.
Then the Fighters can go everywhere, Intermediate can handle some fighting but the 3rd must trade in safe areas. And they should be safe.
The more risk the bigger profit though.

I hope Crossfire is setup something like this

Well it will be an interesting playthrough whatever the situation!

Quote

One ship to rule them all

Lord of the Tradelane Rings?

and u should also think about the other roles. there are police, and when u see them and u have some Black Market Goods, then u'd better run as from pirates. but if u really escape from police or pirate, u should also expect a nice bounty on ur head placed by the police or pirate. and then is the time for the bounty hunters (means mercenaries) and they must not ask about anything

u see, dangers from all sides.

hey Locksley, i think all trading players will agree that the very most places in CF are safe areas. the main-danger u find around the X-system and areas with NPC-s which simply don't like ur reputation.

Quote

Lord of the Tradelane Rings?

lol

Ah, lucky for the traveling salesmen then. The poor traders always seem to get shafted in space sims

Nothing better than to unload a gigatonnage of Spacewhale manure for aphrodisiac manufacture...

Cheers!