Hmmm, I press F12, it says screen shot taken, then in Steam it says I have no screenshots saved, humph.

Mind you, my scores are lagging behind those posted so far.

AJ_ wrote:

You haven't synced the two? Also, those are some impressive stats, particularly the top score and wins:games ratio, kudos. EDIT: @ Elm, obvs.

No, by the time I bothered to look at something like SugarSync I had already started a play through on the desktop using the same tactics, and then I managed to get a couple of decent ships unlocked so decided that stats were a small price to pay for keeping the ships, so the desktop save will get copied over the laptop one as soon as I figure out how to do it. 

My actual top top score is on the laptop, it's 6876 on easy with The Osprey. I found myself with 4 burst lasers, I think one grade 1, 2 grade 2 and one grade 3, plus a boarding drone and powered up artillery beam. I was so unstoppable in sector 4 or thereabouts I actually let the rebel fleet catch up and farmed them for a little while!

Finally!

I was 'this' close to giving up for good. I'd come to the conclusion the game was either too hard or too random for my abilities. When I went into my first wining boss fight I thought "if I fail this time that's it".

Looking at everyone else's stats I don't feel so bad about contemplating giving up after 91 attempts without success.

Alt + print screen will take only a screen of the current window too... Saves editing...

The Osprey is practically cheating. I quite like the Engi ship when you're doing something else at the same time; it almost runs itself.

Also Elm, actual mega stats. How do you do it?

AJ_ wrote:

The Osprey is practically cheating. I quite like the Engi ship when you're doing something else at the same time; it almost runs itself.

It's funny, I've never completed it with the Osprey, it doesn't quite click with me. I like the alternative layout of it though, so will have a few more goes.

I've just done two of the Achievements for the Osprey, they're easy really. And popped the baddie at the end. 91 goes without success then three on the bounce. There's going to have to be something really special between now and year end to steal my GOTY away from this.

I guess he means farmed for points.

Same problem I had when I got to the end with the torus.

There is a strong element of luck in getting the weapons you need for a particular strategy. I wonder if the loot and shop supplies are weighted differently for different ship types.

The way this game seems stupidly hard, then just clicks makes me wonder how much playing it has to do with subconscious processes. Could be why Elm's so good at it, I imagine he uses similar thought routines in his job.

Carbon_Altered wrote:

Just done it with the Nisos (alternative layout to Osprey/Federation cruiser). Final boss, and pretty much all enemy ships, just can't stand up to a laser assault. Get four lasers, preferably including a couple of burst lasers, then fire off all at once. They'll overwhelm shields and lay waste to whatever room you target. This is still my favourite/most reliable tactic.

Absolutely. Coupled with the artillery beam doing some random slicing every so often, and doing a lot of system damage, it's excellent.

Mod74 wrote:

Beam weapons or drones* are pretty useless against the final boss.

Depends entirely on your strategy. Beam weapons, for example, are unmatched for dealing damage once you've got shields down; a couple of system damaging bombs with a good beam should work really well.

It's a tricky tactic with the boss, since it's got so much shield. Having the cloak and that aug that makes you arrive with your weapons ready to fire would really help - since beams are useless until their shields are down you have to get rid of them quickly - but I reckon, if you can get the shields down in the first couple of volleys, you should be able to survive long enough to get yourself into a winning position.