Homeworld 2 Megathread! (With list of popular/recommended mods :D) - Games

[img]http://filesmelt.com/Imagehosting/pics/4440c8f51e254bce2a48a213bc4b211d.PNG[/img] Begin copypasta. Homeworld 2 is a real-time strategy computer game sequel to Homeworld, developed by Relic Entertainment. It takes place after the events in Homeworld and concerns Hiigara's response to a new enemy called the Vaygr. It features enhanced graphics and audio and its gameplay takes a new direction. Vaygr and Hiigaran ships differ significantly in design and application, in contrast to the closely equivalent Kushan and Taiidan forces of the original game. [b]Gameplay[/b] Homeworld 2 shares the three-dimensional battlefield its predecessor introduced to the real-time strategy genre, and retains that game's movement system. Simply right-clicking on just about any object in space will cause the selected ships to move towards it, while a fairly-intuitive system which binds the Z axis to the Shift key, as in previous Homeworld and Homeworld:Cataclysm, allows complete control over navigation. Fighting in the interstellar void where terrain, permanent settlements and navigational landmarks are scarce, Homeworld players take a different view of tactics and strategy than do most RTS players. Homeworld 2 features only one resource, the ubiquitous "Resource Unit," which is collected by harvester craft. These harvesters often work far away from the Mothership, with the result that strikes against an opponent's supply line can be devastating. Furthermore, RUs are the currency for both ship creation and technology research, meaning the competitors in a multiplayer match must decide carefully what to do with their limited funds. The Mothership is capable of constructing almost every unit in the game, from the smallest Scout fighter craft to enormous Destroyers. Two exceptions are Shipyards which, according to in-game lore, are built at large orbital facilities and then sent to the front lines via hyperspace, and the Battlecruiser, which is the largest combat-worthy ship in the game and can only be built at a Shipyard. The Mothership can also build Carriers, which themselves can build any ship from the Fighter, Corvette and Frigate families. The Mothership is the center of new research, though Carriers and Shipyards can build the same on-board Research Labs to take over the duties. The Mothership (or Flagship for the Vaygr) is the only craft that cannot be rebuilt if destroyed in mulitiplayer matches, thus making it the symbolic heart of a player's fleet. However, even after its destruction, all of its functions can be carried out by surviving Carriers and Shipyards. Loss of the Mothership leads to an immediate game over during a single-player campaign. The vacuum of space also creates differences in the striation of soldiers. While a land-based RTS might feature infantry, cavalry or armor, artillery, navies and aviation, Homeworld 2 works with starships in various size: from smallest to largest, Fighter, Corvette, Frigate and Capital Ship. The larger the ship, the more powerful and durable it is. Conversely, the less maneuverable it is, the longer it takes to bring it into battle. Ships within each family are designed to accomplish certain tasks and are vulnerable to certain other ships. For example, it is inaccurate to say that Frigates as a rule are vulnerable to Fighters; while this is certainly true of the Hiigaran Ion Cannon Frigate, which is basically nothing more than an engine attached to the Homeworld franchise's most powerful beam weapon, Ion Frigates are routinely escorted into battle by Flak Frigates, which are specifically designed for anti-fighter work. Having said that, Flak Frigates lack the firepower to defend themselves against other Frigates, requiring Ion Frigates—or, preferably, the Hiigaran work-horse Torpedo Frigate, which is equally effective against Corvette and Frigate ship class—for protection. These sorts of rock-paper-scissors vulnerabilities are a significant tactical element of gameplay, and a player who shoots well is far more likely to win than one who simply rushes in with guns blazing. (This is exemplified in the later missions of the campaign, in which the player may be outgunned by margins of three-to-one or higher.) The original Homeworld allowed players to pirate enemy ships using specialized craft, a tradition carried on in the sequel. Marine Frigates (for the Hiigarans) and Infiltrator Frigates (for the Vaygr) maneuver close to enemy vessels and dispatch boarding parties, which will capture the vessel after a short period of time, displayed in a bar beneath the target's health meter; capture can be sped up by using multiple Frigates against the same target simultaneously. Having said that, a wise opponent (or AI) will attack the Marine or Infiltrator Frigates until they are destroyed, which reduces or eliminates all capturing progress. Homeworld 2 does not allow players to choose a difficulty level for its single-player campaign; instead, it features dynamic difficulty adjustments, in which the strength of a level's opposition is determined by how many ships, and of what type, the player is bringing in from the previous level. (This has led to an exploit in which players dispose of their entire fleet at the end of a level, generally by "retiring" their ships to reduce them back into RUs, and then enters the next level with a huge store of raw materials to use against the almost-nonexistent enemy.) It also codifies the support caps introduced in Homeworld, and explained in Homeworld: Cataclysm, by placing overall limits on how many Fighters, Corvettes, Frigates and Capital Ships the player may control at once. Mission objectives in the single-player game are primarily achieved by destroying key enemy elements, capturing particular targets, protecting certain units for a particular amount of time, or towing an object back to the Mothership. In addition to the storyline objectives, a significant portion of the missions require the destruction of all enemy units. [b]Plot (spoilers)[/b] [sp]Homeworld 2 continues the struggle of the Hiigarans and their leader Karan S'jet. During the events of the first Homeworld game, the Kushan race of the planet Kharak began a quest to discover and reclaim their home. By discovering the wreckage of a huge interstellar transport, containing a crude galactic map etched on a piece of stone, the Kushan had ascertained that they had actually been transplanted to their desert home thousands of years ago; to reclaim their planet of origin, Hiigara (translated: "Home"), they crafted an enormous self-sufficient Mothership. capable of handling anything its designers could (or could not) envision and carrying 600,000 souls in cryosleep. In that Mothership, these Exiles crusaded across the galaxy to reclaim their homeworld, and in doing so brought an end to the Taiidan Empire which had exiled them. It was later discovered that the Khar-Toba (the ship which contained the Guidestone) contained one of the Three Hyperspace Cores, which were created by the Progenitors and from which modern hyperspace travel took its root. The First Core was possessed by Bentusi, an enigmatic race of traders who had helped the Exiles in their fight; the third was lost until rediscovered, some hundred years after the Exiles returned home, by a Vaygr Warlord named Makaan, who used it to conquer much of the galaxy and—as of the beginning of Homeworld 2—has set his sights on Hiigara. The discovery of the Third Core is also believed, by religious folk across the galaxy, to be the herald of the End Times, during which Sajuuk Himself, He Whose Hand Shapes What Is, will return. The game begins with the commissioning of a new Mothership, the Pride of Hiigara, similar in shape and design to the original Mothership but designed solely for war, and commanded by the original Fleet Command—Karan S'jet, rendered somehow immortal by her exposure to the energies of hyperspace. After an emergency evacuation in the face of the Vaygr onslaught, the Mothership, which now represents the last hope of the Hiigaran people for continued life or independence, begins to take the war to the Vaygr. The Bentusi inform them that their only hope is to find Balcora Gate, a location left by the Progenitors and holding the keys to stopping either the Vaygr threat, the End Times, or both. Unfortunately, Makaan is racing to this location as well, and the game's penultimate mission takes place on the other side of Balcora Gate, where Hiigarans and Vaygr alike discover an enormous Progenitor starship with sockets for the Three Cores, a ship (whether appropriately or blasphemously) named Sajuuk. Here the player and Makaan duel over the Three Cores; the player, of course, leads the Hiigarans to victory, and combines the Vaygr, Hiigaran and Bentusi Cores (recovered from the wreckage of the last of the Bentusi ships) within Sajuuk. Abandoning the Mothership, the Hiigarans return home to overthrow the leaderless-but-still-dangerous Vaygr invasion; Sajuuk is later found to be the key to a galaxy-wide network of hyperspace gates, ushering in a new age of trade and prosperity for all civilized races in the galaxy.[/sp] [b]Races[/b] There are four major race groups in Homeworld 2: The Hiigarans, the Vaygr, the Bentusi, and Progenitor. [i][b]The Hiigarans[/b][/i] The Hiigarans are the playable race in the single player game. Their story began in the original "Homeworld" as a number of Kushan clans on a desert planet called Kharak. They detected a large metal formation in the Great Desert after a deep-space scanning satellite encountered an error in its propulsion system, which turned it around and scanning the planet's 'Great Desert.' It was revealed to be an ancient space ship, turned into a city, known as the "Khar-Toba". Inside was a stone with a galactic map and the text, "Hiigara", which means "Our Home". The technology discovered allowed the Kushan to build a massive Mothership which took 60 years according to the opening cutscene. However, no computer was powerful enough to command the Mothership as there would be too much data to be processed at any one time. A young scientist named Karan S'jet volunteered to become the living core of the Mothership after creating the technology to neurologically link her brain to the Mothership's systems (this action, however, led Karan to become inseparable from the core). Within the Khar-Toba was one of the three known Hyperspace Cores, which allowed the Mothership to perform its hyperspace jumps. After generations in exile and a perilous journey across known and unknown space, the Kushan/Hiigarans fought their way to Hiigara, reclaimed their homeworld, and became a well-established nation controlling much of the Inner Ring of the galaxy. During the game we learn that the Kushan were the exiles of the Hiigaran Empire, which had historically spanned throughout a great area of space within the galactic core. However, the Taiidan Emperor believed the Hiigaran expanse was too great, and thus under duress forced them into exile. The Hiigaran refugees fled to Kharak, secretly taking their hyperspace core with them. However, the true test for the Hiigarans may not be the new threat of the warring Vaygr, but a prophecy that Sajuuk – "He Whose Hand Shapes What Is" – will return and herald the coming of the End Time. The Hiigarans, as always, are divided on religious lines. A number of apocalyptic sects see portents of doom everywhere. To them, the rumor that their enemies the Vaygr are the Sajuuk-Khar- "The Chosen One"- is a dire omen and proof of Sajuuk's anger. In Homeworld 2, a new Mothership has been created, named The Pride of Hiigara. Karan S'jet must once again prepare for war. Shortly after the The Pride of Hiigara was built, the Vaygr attacked in order to destroy it. The The Pride of Hiigara escaped with its hyperspace core newly-installed. The main story line picks up from this point. The The Pride of Hiigara has the same role as the mothership did in the original Homeworld, although it now bears a more militaristic look in keeping with its new role. While the old Kushan mothership was the heart and soul of the Kushan people during their great migration, the Pride of Hiigara is the flagship of their space navy. It is the mobile base from which all the crews and resources are ultimately derived. It is the only vessel that cannot be manufactured or replaced. [b][i]The Vaygr[/i][/b] The Vaygr are a warrior clan originally from Vay, an isolated planet in the eastern fringes of the galaxy. The discovery of early and inefficient hyperdrives enabled these warriors to travel and raid widely across their sector of space. Always a nomadic race, the strongest warlords brought groups together into crusades. A Vaygr crusade is entirely independent. The build capacity of their Motherships (Also known as flagships) combined with the resource harvesting of their individual craft enable them to live self sufficiently in space. Communication between separate Vaygr crusades is minimal. Over the centuries, the Vaygr have integrated many separate races, civilizations and technologies including - as we learn from the opening scenes of the game - what remains of the Taiidan Empire. The planet Vay is now forgotten, the name they take its only living reminder. Constant infighting between separate crusades and struggling for position among warlords has kept the eastern fringe a warzone as long as any can remember. However, under the guidance of the warlord Makaan, the various Vagyr tribes have formed into a cohesive force. While still operating independently, the overall strategic aims of the Vaygr have been coordinated and focused by Makaan, a master strategist. Homeworld 2 opens with a massive Vaygr invasion of Hiigarran territory. However, by the end of the single-player campaign Makaan was destroyed at Balcora and the main invasion force defeated in the Siege of Hiigara. It is not clear if remnants of the Vaygr continue to exist in the Outer Rims. [b][i]The Bentusi[/i][/b] The Bentusi are an enigmatic race of highly advanced, nomadic traders. Calling themselves The Unbound, the Bentusi have no known leader and are all cybernetically integrated into their ships (much like Karan S'Jet but believed to be much more advanced). The Bentusi are a very ancient, wise race who do not claim any planet for themselves, instead opting to live exclusively among the stars. It would probably be impossible for the Bentusi to even survive outside of their ships, since they are physically connected to them. The Bentusi are one of the three races to possess hyperspace cores, along with the Vaygr and the Hiigarans. They made their debut in the original Homeworld and traded the Hiigarans the ion cannon technology. They also brought the Galactic Council to Hiigara to persuade them to allow the Hiigarans to have their homeworld again. The Bentusi were instrumental in revealing the past history of the Hiigarans. In Homeworld: Cataclysm they helped perfect the siege cannon and gave the designs for the Super Acolyte in the end. At the beginning of Homeworld 2, the Bentusi are described as having one ship, the Great Harbourship of Bentus. It was revealed that 4000 years before the events of Homeworld, the Hiigaran Empire's fleet abused the use of their hyperspace core. Due to Bentusi pressure, they were ordered to give it, but in an act of defiance attacked the Bentusi fleet. As a consequence, the Hiigaran ships were obliterated by the Bentusi, enabling the vengeful Taiidan to conquer Hiigara and drive the people into exile on the desert planet Kharak. The Bentusi thus are indirectly responsible for the Hiigaran exile and felt compelled to help the Kushans return to their Homeworld. Because of their guilt the Bentusi adopted a peaceful existence. [sp]Eventually, the Bentusi ship self-destructs to save the Hiigarans from an attack by Progenitor Keepers, thus apparently ending the presence of the Bentusi in the Homeworld universe.[/sp] [i][b]The Progenitors[/b][/i] The Progenitors were an immensely powerful and technologically advanced race that apparently died out about 100,000 years ago. Much of what remains from them is found in the Karos Graveyard, an area full of spaceship derelicts and debris. The three Hyperspace Cores were created by the Progenitors in the forge module of one of their greatest spaceships, which was also the berth for the dreadnoughts. One of the cores was discovered by the Bentusi 6,000 years ago, which brought forth a great age of galactic prosperity by making possible interstellar travel over long distances. The second core was discovered by the pre-Exodus Hiigarans, who through misuse of the device ended up being exiled to Kharak. The third core was found by the Vaygr. The central conflict of Homeworld 2 revolves around acquiring all three cores and unlocking their secrets. The Progenitors possessed great knowledge of interstellar and even intergalactic travel. Their hyperspace gate network, which uses The Eye of Aarran as its main gate, is one of the many constructed by this ancient race which possibly "seeded" intelligent life throughout the universe. End copypasta. [b]List of the best popular mods:[/b] [b][i][url=http://www.homeworld2complex.com/]Homeworld Complex[/url][/i][/b] Homeworld Complex adds a shitload of new ships, weapons, and complexity to the game. It's very challenging, however, as it adds a lot of realism things such as crew having to man your ships, officers, and the like. It brings a lot of stuff back from Homeworld 1 as well. [b][i][url=http://www.pds.hwaccess.net/news.php]The PDS Mod[/url][/i][/b] The PDS mod (from what I can tell) aims to put in a LOT of realism into the game. I can't seem to find an "about" page, but it seems pretty good looking. [b][i][url=http://www.moddb.com/mods/star-wars-warlords]Star Wars: Warlords[/url][/i][/b] This mod is a total conversion of the game into the Star Wars universe. I'd give it 5/5, it looks amazing. [b][i][url=http://www.moddb.com/mods/pirates-mod]The Pirates[/url][/i][/b] It adds a new faction, the Pirates, that are scavengers and enjoy hit-and-run tactics. It looks good, but is in early WIP stages. Still playable :) [b][i][u][url=http://www.moddb.com/mods/homeworld-2-fx]Homeworld 2: FX - Commander[/url][/u][/i][/b] This mod apparently adds all the factions from HW1 back into HW2, with a shitload of new FX, gameplay changes, and added-on shit that makes it amazing. I think I'm gonna give this one a whirl, looks absolutely fantastic. [b][i][url=http://www.moddb.com/mods/battlestar-galactica-fleet-commander]Battlestar Galactica Fleet Commander[/url][/i][/b] This mod brings the BSG universe into Homeworld 2! It's still WIP but things seem to be coming along nicely, and it's playable at the moment. [b][i][url=http://www.moddb.com/mods/gundam-mod-0079-to-0083]Gundam Mod[/url][/i][/b] Adds the gundam universe into HW2. Looks nice, but not my cup of tea. [b][i][url=http://www.moddb.com/mods/tactical-fleet-simulator]The Tactical Fleet Simulator[/url][/i][/b] Adds... Well, I'll let ModDB tell you. TFS Features: The provision of new, more complex strategies and tactics. Split-second decisions of what units to build and when to deploy. Exhausting battles add to the fatigue of simulated combat. New ships, weapon systems, abilities and attack behaviors. Dynamic weapon systems, unit mobility and far more realistic three-dimensional movement. A vast and complex unit selection, each with differing or a slight variance in their role. New game modes and game options prolong the entertainment factor. More realistic weapon damage relative to ship armor/health. [b][i][url=http://www.moddb.com/mods/hw-classic-rebalance]Homeworld Classic Rebalanced[/url][/i][/b] The following features are implemented: * Unlimited unit caps * Carrier battle * Win condition - capture enemy capital ship * Resource injections * Resource lump sum injection * Bounties * Research disabled * Crates * Hyperspace disabled" [b]And last, but not least... Screenshots![/b] [img]http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/1/54/ss00229.jpg[/img] [img]http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/1/54/ss00237.jpg[/img] [img]http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/1/54/ss00318.jpg[/img] [img]http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/1/54/ss00322.jpg[/img] [img]http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/1/54/ss00305.jpg[/img] [img]http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/1/54/ss00315.jpg[/img] [img]http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/1/54/ss00232.jpg[/img] [img]http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/1/54/ss00057.jpg[/img] [img]http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/1/54/ss00011_copy.jpg[/img] One last note... Can you believe this was released in [b][u]2003[/u][/b]? :D (Updated 6/26/09: Two new mods listed (Thanks guys!))

Wow. My dad never stops going on about this.

I loved playing the [url=http://www.moddb.com/mods/hw-classic-rebalance]Classic Rebalance Mod[/url] at school. It disables most of the RTS-like features like research and such for a faster-paced HW1-style game.

I love Homeworld 1 and 2, they're some of the best Space RTS games ever made and yes, for a game made in 2003, it has amazing visuals.

I never really liked Homeworld 1/2, I guess because it just hurls you into the combat, I'm more of a base-building RTS guy.

I fucking love this game! I heard some rumors about relic getting to work on homeworld 3. I hope they're true

Seeing as how Relic bought back the Homeworld rights a few years ago, I'm sure they're making it right now as an undisclosed project.

man those graphics still look good its like how the cgi in jurassic park still looks better than most modern movies

I have homeworld 2, but when I do the tutorial missions, I can't see the ships. I only see the trail behind it.

Wow, I reinstalled this just a few days ago. HW1 had a better storyline but both are great games. Also, you can't forget the awesome music used in this series: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIUxwEJ-GXI[/media]

[QUOTE=Shuzup;15715288]I have homeworld 2, but when I do the tutorial missions, I can't see the ships. I only see the trail behind it.[/QUOTE] Patch and tinker with the settings, if that doens't work, download a model pack. It'll be worth it even if it takes you 4 hours to find a model pack.

HW2 is awesome. I think a number of screenshots up there are from mods though, because I don't recognise some of the ships from vHW2. Anyway, the Tactical Fleet Simulator mod is fucking brilliant. It makes Hw2 a bit less rock-paper-scissor-y, and adds a shitload of new ships while still keeping with the style of the original. There are now long range missile frigates, a number of different types of capital ships, assault carriers (Armed carriers with less storage space), Strike Fighters, Light, Heavy, Medium and Tactical bombers, Ion Destroyers, Several new frigates and a FUCKLOAD new weapons.

Although the second Homeworld was good. The first was a lot better in my opinions (except graphics, but who cares) Homeworld 2 felt like a entirely different game.

I'm reinstalling Homeworld 2 now, I'm gonna try some of those mods.

[QUOTE=Morbo!!!;15717072]Anyway, the Tactical Fleet Simulator mod is fucking brilliant. It makes Hw2 a bit less rock-paper-scissor-y, and adds a shitload of new ships while still keeping with the style of the original. There are now long range missile frigates, a number of different types of capital ships, assault carriers (Armed carriers with less storage space), Strike Fighters, Light, Heavy, Medium and Tactical bombers, Ion Destroyers, Several new frigates and a FUCKLOAD new weapons.[/QUOTE] Hmm, did they remove the stuff they stole from the PDS mod? I remember quite a ruckus on Relicnews over all that.

Someone should remake HW1 in the HW2 engine. In my opinion, the first game really only needs the graphical update (and maybe some small balance tweaking). It's still just as enjoyable and playable today.

I wish i had this game in english.. It's in polish for me.. T.T

awesome game this is :)

I'm being a bit of a necromancer here... but I really want to start playing this again and need some advice about the best mod to try. There seems like there are a lot of good ones...

Battlestar Galactica Fleet Commander is the best mod for this game and complex mod

Ok, I am gonna try this out, looks awesome, but, why do i have to log in to the forums to download the latest version of the Complex Mod, can someone give me a mirror or something? It is version 7.4.3, I don't want to make an account just for a download.

Alright, I'm going to try complex mod. It seems like something I would like the best. Thanks for the tip.

Damn this game looks good, too bad I don't have any moneys :(

Legitimate bump instead of creating a thread for Homeworld 2 now (this one already has an OP) I've managed to get HW2 installed + Tunngle and looking for people to play multiplayer. This game is my favorite RTS of all time pretty much, and I'd love to see a thread on it survive.

I might take you up on MP, I've been playing the BSG mod quite a bit recently.

mini-bump why no love for the original homeworld or cataclysm OP should have more extensive info on those games, plus some mods this is also p. much the go-to site for community-made content for HW1 and cata [URL]http://jstonline.homeworldtrinity.org/[/URL]

I'm trying to get back into Homeworld but I've realized how terrible I am at it. Last time I played I got all the way to The Garden but had to quite now I'm stuck on taking out [sp] the fleet that destroyed your homeworld [/sp]

If its going to be a Megathread why not make it about all the Homeworld games?

Complex Mod is crazy fun, but you'll actually struggle to run it on a lower end processor, it really begins to chug 30 minutes - 1 hour. :(