Galaxy on Fire 2 offers the player so much freedom that it’s easy to become lost in space so to speak.  While I don’t want to give a walkthru or spoil the thrill of exploration for one of the deepest iPhone games ever made, here’s a few tips to get you through deep space.

While it’s possible to simply follow the main story and make your way through the game with a mid-level ship, most players will want to acquire a top-of-the-line craft with the best weapons and equipment and that takes money - lots of it.  The best ships in the game by faction are; 

Mantis - Pirates (3,888,592).  A pure beast with the most armor and weapon slots possible.  When totally decked out this ship can unbalance the game.

Veteran - Terrran (2,488,400)  Another awesome behemoth that makes you virtually invincible.
Its length makes it a little harder to line up your scanner and it has one less primary weapon slot than the Mantis.

Aegir - Nivelian (2,468,739)  Arguably the coolest looking ship in the game with tremendous killing power.  Less armor and cargo space than the others.

Nuyang II - Mido (873,921)  A smaller ship with good armor but less weapon and equipment slots makes this ship more challenging but still deadly.

  
                                       Mantis                                                                                               Nuyang II
  
                                                 Veteran                                                                                     Aegir

There’s another “Super ship” in the game that you’ll have to find yourself.  Until you scrape together enough scratch for one of these elites, the game is loaded with tons of nice mid-level ships that will serve you well like the Furious, Crossfire XL or the Groza.

Without weapons, none of these ships would last long in this cutthroat galaxy.  There are so many types of weapons and missiles that it would take a military manual to cover them.  In picking a favorite a lot of it has to do with the look and sounds they make besides damage and rate of fire but for me it’s hard to beat the MaxHeat o20.  This thermo-type weapon fires purple tracers at an unprecedented rate of fire that tracks your prey so you don’t need precise aiming.   One of the most expensive weapons in the game is the Tyrfing Blaster, a blaster type weapon that chews up pirates.  It’s important to note that your primary weapons fire simultaneously so you can multiply their killing force.  The turret isn't of much use unless you're being attacked while trying to dock at a space station or firing on freighter while passing them.

All this fancy hardware costs big bucks.  Fortunately, there are lots of different ways to make money in GOF2.  Check all the space lounges in every station you visit for side missions and more importantly, blueprints and coordinates to hidden systems.  These blueprints let you build important equipment and weapons.  Early on, I was lucky enough to come across the blueprint to the devastating and fast intelli jet tracking missile that I mass produced and used throughout the game.  Another great blueprint is the Rhoda Blackhole that greatly expands your cargo space.

Make sure you purchase a tractor beam to gather the fruits of your kills.  This provided me with a Beamshield II from some attacking Vossks that gave me another layer of shielding for my craft.  If you come across an unmanned station that won’t let you land due to pirate attacks search around for a nearby pirate hideout usually hidden in a cloud of  red space dust.  Destroying these hideouts yields you a wealth of pirate booty plus a reward from the station although you'll stir up a hornets nest of pirates.

After you acquire the Khaldor Drive via the story which lets you jump to any planet in the galaxy, trading becomes highly profitable netting upwards of $200,000 with the right items and ship.  Look for high end goods that net you the highest dollar profit like organs, Vossk organs, implants and rare plants and find the most profitable trade routes by checking the high and low prices at the bottom of the info screen.  Soon you’ll be well on your way toward acquiring a galaxy of goodies.

Galaxy on Fire 2 is a fantastic iPhone 4 experience in space.  Although seemingly eternal, the story does end and brings to mind Rutger Hauer’s final line from Bladerunner, “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe.  Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.  I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.  All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain.  Time to die.”

goyami@comcast.net