The Zylons have returned, and this time they are not content with tormenting the starbases in your corner of the galaxy. Now they have infected the entire galaxy, and not just in deep space. Several alien worlds have been occupied, and the Zylons are at work on destroying the rest! As the galaxy's best Star Raider, it is again up to you to kick the Zylons out of the neighborhood. This time, however, the Zylons know who you are, and if they discover you're out for them, they'll throw everything they have at you! So, the Federation has officially dispatched you to find the lost planet of Solaris and rescue a group of Federation settlers. The Zylons are aware of your mission, and so they are now searching for Solaris as well. They have spread their forces to just about every corner of the galaxy for this quest, and they will engage you in every sector you cross paths with them. That's a lot better than trying to face the entire Zylon armada all at once, so there is still a chance for victory! Fire up the thrusters and turn on the scanner. It's time to go hunting!
The galaxy is divided into 16 quadrants, each with 48 sectors. Your ship's scanner will show you all the important places and activity in the current quadrant, including locations of Federation worlds, Zylon worlds, Zylon fleets, and natural phenomena like wormholes and star clusters. The icons displayed by the scanner represent what you will find in each sector.
Federation worlds are represented by asterisks. Here you can get additional fuel, or defend the planet when it has been attacked by a Zylon fleet.
Zylon-occupied worlds are represented by ringed planets. Each of these offers a chance to rescue stranded Federation cadets, and to earn an extra ship for your trouble.
The letters "COR" represent a special kind of Zylon-occupied world. Each of these have a giant Corridor protected by one or more energy barriers. Defeating the energy barriers and flying successfully through the Corridor will destroy the planet, wiping out a few more Zylons in the process.
A gun icon represents a mix of Zylon-allied ships waiting to do battle. Mechnoids, the brutes of the Zylon armada, frequently appear in these fleets. Kogalon Star Pirates and occasionally Cobra Ships will appear as well.
Kogalon Star Pirates also have their own fleets. These mercenaries for hire, represented on the scanner by an icon of one of their ships, aren't really part of the Zylon armada, but they still aren't very friendly!
A snake shows you where a fleet of Cobra Ships is hiding. Cobra Ships are especially troublesome, hard to kill and packing lots of firepower!
All space fleets are backed by Zylon Flagship, big bulky ships that can fire at you and also launch little red Drones which zap your ship's energy when they run into you. Some fleets are actually nothing but Flagships. These fleets are represented by Flagship icons by your scanner.
Zylon minefields are represented by a mine icon. Often the only way to get where you want to go is through the mines. Fly carefully, shooting or dodging the mines until you are clear. Minefields are also guarded by Zylon Flagships, so be prepared to do battle at the end. Once a minefield's Flagship is destroyed, the minefield will be cleared.
Star Clusters are too dense for any Federation or Zylon presence. You cannot warp to these sectors.
Wormholes provide an opportunity to warp somewhere else in the quadrant, perhaps even a place you can't warp to otherwise. Be aware, however, the trip is one way, and getting back again may require an unexpected sacrifice!
Your location within the quadrant is marked by an X on the scanner. The X then becomes your cursor for selecting the next sector you wish to warp to.
Finally, a "jump" timer appears below the quadrant map. When this timer reaches zero, enemy fleets will move, possibly to attack a Federation planet. Womrholes will also move, possibly providing access to a new destination.
Your ship's dash includes a short-range radar, which tracks the closest important target in the current sector, or just the closest object if there are no more targets. The display shows where the target or object is in relation to your ship, while the numbers and arrows give directions on how to reach the target. Your radar can become damaged if you take a particularly hard hit from an enemy. When this happens, warp to a Federation world for repairs.
Also shown on the dashboard are the number of ships in reserve, and your ship's fuel meter. If fuel is getting low, warp to a Federation planet before it's too late!
When looking at the scanner, you can select another sector to warp to. Your choices are limited to empty sectors, and sectors with a Zylon or Federation presence, that have a clear path between you and the target. This means you cannot warp through Star Clusters, nor can you warp through any occupied sector, including those Zylon fleets and Federation planets. The only way to get through those sectors is to destroy whatever is occupying them. This can be a bad thing if you don't plan accordingly.
When you have selected a sector to warp to, press the button to start the warp. During a warp, you will notice your ship veer to the left or right of the ideal warp path. Use the joystick to keep your ship centered until the warp is complete. The closer you are to center during a warp, the closer you will be to your intended target following the warp.
Certain sectors provide paths to other quadrants of the galaxy. If one of these sectors is occupied by something other than a Star Cluster, you can clear the way by engaging and destroying whatever is occupying the sector. Either way, once you have successfully navigated to one of these "bridge" sectors, you will be transported automatically to the new quadrant. Be aware the quadrants do not line up as logically as you might think, so you may want to make a map as you look for Solaris.
When you have warped to a sector with targets in space, whether the targets are a Zylon fleet, a minefield, or a wormhole, use the joystick to pilot your ship up, down, left and right (you will always fly forward). Space sectors are full of small, unoccupied planets, which can cost you fuel when you run into one; shoot or dodge them instead. When you have found your targets, do what you must to survive and clear the sector! Once you have finished, the scanner will be displayed again, where you can then select a new sector to warp to.
When you warp to a Federation planet, you ship pilots automatically to the planet's surface. If the world is currently under attack, you must engage and destroy the Zylon ground forces, led by Zylon Raiders, before they have a chance to blow up the planet!
Once the planet is free from attack, or if you have warped to a Federation world not currently under attack, you can refuel and repair any damage by finding and flying into the docking station. Be careful you do not shoot the docking station, or you will destroy the whole planet in the process!
If a Federation planet is destroyed, the entire quadrant becomes a Red Zone. Red Zones are filled with a thick, red radiation that reverses your ship's controls, making it harder to navigate. Worse, you will have lost your only available pitstop in the entire quadrant. Protect the Federation planets as much asyou can!
Zylon planets are worlds the Zylons have recently occupied, much to the chagrin of the Federation cadets still on those planets. When you warp to a Zylon world, you will find yourself on the surface, with your radar tracking nearby cadets. If you succeed in rescuing all available cadets, you will earn a bonus and an extra ship, followed by destruction of the planet! If you do not succeed in rescuing all cadets, you will still blow up the planet, but you will not earn a bonus or extra ship.
Of course the Zylons will not take an attempt on one of their worlds lying down. Zylon Gliders and Targeters will engage you while on the planet's surface. Destroy these menaces before they kill you first!
Zylon worlds with a Corridor require a different tactic. Once you are on the planet's surface, look for the entrance to the Corridor, while shooting or avoiding Zylon Guardians. Once you are in the Corrdior, more Guardians will try to block your path. Usually they can be handled easily enough, but what you must really look out for are the energy barriers. Each barrier will have a key before it. Run over the key and the barrier will be disabled, letting you pass. Miss the key and your ship is done fore!
After you have passed all barriers and exited the Corridor, the Zylon planet will be destroyed, and you will fly back into space, ready for your next warp.
The Federation's cover mission for your ship isn't just an excuse for you to engage the Zylons. There really is a Solaris out there, waiting to be found again. As you make your way through the galaxy, look out for the one Federation world that blinks on your scanner. That is Solaris. If you can reach Solaris and rescue all the Federation settlers before the Zylons get to the planet, you will have fulfilled your mission and shown the Zylons you cannot be stopped. Victory will be yours! Good luck!