History VideoGame / TachyonTheFringe

* AbsentAliens

-->'''''Courageous's'' captain''': "We can't hold the ''Courageous'' together, she's gonna break up! Don't let us die for nothing!"
-->(cue EarthShatteringKaboom)
-->'''Bora''': "The ''Courageous'' is gone...keep pressing the attack. '''[=WE MUST NOT FAIL!=]'''"

* {{EMP}}: Each side has an EMP weapon that does no damage to the hull (but still capable of damaging shields) but capable of temporarily disabling an enemy without shields. The Bora have the EMP Projector, which uses normal laser energy. [=GalSpan=] has the EMP missiles, which are guided and individually more powerful but limited in supply. They are mostly useful for certain missions that require someone to be captured instead of killed. Some [[{{Wingman}} wingmen]] are equipped with EMP weapons and can be ordered to use them on a target.

* LargeHam: Damn it all Hajod, even your NarmCharm [[spoiler:in the Sistine Chapel scene (''Recovery in good faith'')]] makes this even more rich.

*** [[spoiler:In the Bora ending, [=GalSpan=] is forced to leave the Fringe since the war has become too costly and ends up financially ruining the corporation. Many of its [=CEOs=], especially [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Regional Director Gustav Atkins]], are fired and rivals state their interest in buying it out. Because of this, the evidence that could have cleared Jake's name is lost forever and he will always be known in Sol for his role in the Halley bombing. However, he has found a new home among the Bora, who have secured their place in the Fringe and wins the affections of Anna Highfall.]]

* PragmaticVillainy: In the Bora ending [=GalSpan=] Regional Director Atkins [[spoiler:could easily wipe the floor with the remaining Bora forces after they destroy the Hephaestus. However, Susan Bradley invited the press to witness the battle, and seeing the Director waste resources on a vendetta would only cause [=GalSpan=] stocks to plummet further. Atkins decides to leave in peace.]]
* PsychopathicManchild: Hoo, boy. Baron Hajad. He constantly mistreats his slaves to a severe degree that he'll so much as whip them for his own sick amusement. He additionally throws quite a tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants, such as wanting an alliance with Baroness Onrald, wanting the roof of the Cistine Chapel, etc.

* SpaceCossacks

* TheReveal: ''Warning: This is the most important part of the story. Read at own risk.'' [[spoiler: In the Bora mission ''Weasel in the Coop'', Gray Weasel tells Jake that [=GalSpan=] was behind the destruction of Halley Medical Station. They accidentally released a contagion on Halley, and when [=BioLith=] (a hazmat company) tries to help and finds out that [=GalSpan=] was somehow involved, they decided to replace an AGT Medical Shuttle (the real Argoso 914) with their "clean slate solution" (a shuttle with scan-proof explosives). And Jake ends up as the fall guy, naturally.]]

* ThisIsWrongOnSoManyLevels: Jake's reaction when he's told to find a missing art piece for one of the local robber-barons... and discovering that said missing art piece is ''the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel''. Being late of the Sol system, he takes umbrage with the desecration of such a famous work.

** [[PassThroughTheRings The ring training courses]]- the ring courses quickly become repetitive but completing all 20 is worth over a hundred thousand credits, and can be completed early enough that newly unlocked equipment can be purchased immediately. The only downside is that because the courses only become available after choosing between [=GalSpan=] and Bora, they have to be completed twice.

** [[PassThroughTheRings The ring training courses]]- the ring courses quickly become repetitive but completing all 20 is worth over a hundred thousand credits, and can be completed early enough that newly unlocked equipment can be purchased immediately. The only downside is that because the courses only become available after choosing between GalSpan and Bora, they have to be completed twice.

* PassThroughTheRings: One of the mini-games. Completion of all 20 ring courses awards over 100,000 credits- enough to set you up for the rest of the game.

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Jake does a totally gratuitous barrel roll upon leaving New Vegas station.

* TheReveal: ''Warning: This is the most important part of the story. Read at own risk.'' [[spoiler: In the Bora mission ''Weasel in the Coop'', Gray Weasel tells Jake that [=GalSpan=] was behind the destruction of Halley Medical Station. They accidentally released a contagion on Halley, and when [=BioLith=] (a hazmat company) tries to help and finds out that [=GalSpan=] was somehow involved, they decided to replace an AGT Medical Shuttle (the real Argoso 914) with their "clean slate solution" (a shuttle with scan-proof explosives). And Jake ends up as the fall guy, naturally.]]

** MightyGlacier: The Claymore, the Warhammer, and the Phoenix. Not particularly fast or agile, but don't get in front of any of them. A single ship of any of these classes can turn a lesser vessel into dust with one or two salvos. The Claymore in particular is an enormous fist-shaped slab of missile launchers and lasers with armor so thick that its rating literally goes UpToEleven for hull durability--the HUD only has enough spaces to count to 10, which incidentally is the hull rating of the Warhammer.

* VillainousBreakdown: Director Atkins has a gradual one over the course of the final mission in the Bora storyline, when the Bora go after one of Hephaestus' modules. His initial orders to attack the Bora are irritated, but as damage on the module increases he resorts to desperately trying to offer bonuses, then not only increases the bonuses but flat out threatening to fire any [=GalSpan=] pilots who miss a shot. When the module is finally destroyed, he tries to act like a GracefulLoser, though it's likely an act for the cameras at that point

%%* VillainousBreakdown: In the Bora finale, [[spoiler: Director Atkins has one of these while Jake and Susan lead the attack on the Hephaestus Module. He gets back up to GracefulLoser levels and admits defeat when the Module is successfully destroyed.]]
%%--> (Upon the Zeus's arrival): This is Director Atkins to all Bora warriors: your cause is futile, your weapons inadequate. Weapons command, you may [[spoiler: destroy the frigate when ready.]]
%%--> (While still attacking): All GalSpan military, please destroy those fighters immediately. Triple salaries to whoever lands a shot at any of them.
%%--> (When the module's hull is less than 50%): This is Director Atkins. Ten times normal salaries for any who destroy one of those damned Bora vessels, and contract termination for any pilots who fail to harm them. DESTROY THOSE VESSELS!

** This also falls under CripplingOverspecialization. The Rail Gun takes too many hits to go through even fighter or bomber shields to be worth it, most of the time...but [[AttackItsWeakPoint it destroys capital ship powerplants]] with a single shot.

* FrickinLaserBeams: It gets to the point that laser bolts travel ''slower'' than Rail Gun shots. Some of the smaller missiles will also outrun lasers!

* CoolButInefficient: The Rail Gun seems wonderful on paper. A ton of damage delivered via HitScan - which is a boon in the Tachyon world, where every other weapon has [[PainfullySlowProjectile painfully slow projectiles]] that require lots of [[LeadTheTarget leading]]. But the firing rate is very slow, and most importantly every shot eats a ton of energy, so it's impossible to resort to Rail Guns as your only weapon. And even using them with other guns, it doesn't take long before you figure out you'd almost always do more damage by shooting continuously with something else instead of waiting for the Rail Gun(s) to recharge.

* HitScan: The Rail Gun. Every other weapon has moving projectiles, but the railgun is instant-hit.

* PassThroughTheRings: One of the mini-games.

->''[[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture It is the 26th Century]]. Peace prevails in the Earth's solar system. Tachyon gates allow us to travel tremendous distances in mere seconds. This is the Golden Age of space exploration...''\\
''But there is trouble on the fringe of civilized space: [[MegaCorp Large corporations]], desperate for new resources, threaten to overtake distant colonies. The colonists, fearing for their independence, respond with violence...''\\

* NoFairCheating: Entering any cheat code causes voiceovers of Creator/BruceCampbell [[CrowningMomentOfFunny calling you a little bitch.]]

[[http://fringespace.org/index.php There is a remake of this game in progress]], based on the ''VideoGame/FreeSpace2'' Open Source Project. (Don't get your hopes up; as with most such hobby projects, it's been going on for a while and the implementers don't seem to have any time to spend on it.) Fortunately, [[{{Starlancer}} unlike a certain other space dog-fighting game]], you won't have much trouble installing the real thing anyhow.

** Similarly, the Flare medium laser, the [=GalSpan=] equivalent of the Boron. Simple and effective, even if it isn't as useful against hulls as the Boron, but also not as punishingly energy-intensive or slow as the Deimos heavy laser nor as expensive to keep stocked as missiles.

* CoolButInefficient: The railgun seems wonderful on paper. A ton of damage delivered via HitScan - which is a boon in the Tachyon world, where every other weapon has [[PainfullySlowProjectile painfully slow projectiles]] that require lots of [[LeadTheTarget leading]]. But the firing rate is very slow, and most importantly every shot eats a ton of energy, so it's impossible to resort to railguns as your only weapon. And even using them with other guns, it doesn't take long before you figure out you'd almost always do more damage by shooting continuously with something else instead of waiting for the railgun(s) to recharge.
** This also falls under CripplingOverspecialization. The railgun takes too many hits to go through even fighter or bomber shields to be worth it, most of the time...but [[AttackItsWeakPoint it destroys capital ship powerplants]] with a single shot.

** The Deimos laser is one of the biggest lasers available to a [=GalSpan=] player. It takes a chunk out of even capital ship shields (to say nothing of the far weaker fighter shields), but it takes a lot of your available energy reserve to fire just one shot, and its rate of fire is almost criminally low. If you miss, expect to wait more than a few seconds before getting off the next one.

* FrickinLaserBeams: It gets to the point that laser bolts travel ''slower'' than railgun shots. Some of the smaller missiles will also outrun lasers!

* HitScan: The railgun. Every other weapon has moving projectiles, but the railgun is instant-hit.

%%--> (Upon the Zeus's arrival): This is Director Atkins to all Bora warriors: your cause is futile, your weapons inadequate. Weapons command, you may destroy the frigate when ready.

** The Boron medium Laser, the go-to weapon for Bora pilots. Its qualities are all largely endearing ones--cheap, decent rate of fire, decent damage to hulls and shields, and relatively modest energy consumption. It's also just a laser, and substantially less flashy than later offerings like the Pulsar laser or Railgun...while being boatloads more efficient than either of those guns.

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: [=GalSpan=] Regional Director Gustav Atkins. Strangely enough, [=NOT=] the head [=CEO=] Roland Belliar.

* MoreDakka: One of the weapons you can get is a machinegun InSpace. It's fairly good at damaging hulls, but is virtually useless against shields. Unlike lasers, the machinegun has limited ammo that must be purchased between missions.