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Goal of the Game
Story
Galaxies & Clans
Enemies
Raw materials
Spaceships
Equipment & Weapons
Experience, Honor & Missions
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The history of DarkOrbit …

In the course of booming population growth, the planet’s environment started rapidly disintegrating, making the Earth’s surface completely uninhabitable. The majority of the Earth’s population perished in the midst of these radical climactic changes, and only a few fortunate souls were able to save themselves by seeking refuge on far-away planets.

During the last hundred years of the 3rd millennium when the Earth’s climate started collapsing, the human race began to prepare itself for the impending catastrophe, making way for artificial environments to be constructed on foreign planets, the maintenance of which could only be sustained through the use of valuable raw materials.

Back then, there was an abundance of raw materials floating around in outer space, but over time the careless mining of these ores led generated acute shortages, particularly during the last few decades; this culminated in a war between the three largest mining companies over the control of these raw materials – and it’s been a bitter, all-out war ever since.

Each and every one of these three companies will stop at nothing to gain power over the mining and trade of the available raw materials, but in order to do so they’re going to have to build up a powerful fleet of battle squadrons and recruit pilots who are tough as nails. Now it’s up to you to decide which of the three companies you will join: There’s the Mars Mining Operations, Venus Resources Unlimited or Earth Industries Corporation – select the company that best suits your philosophy and fight on their behalf with other battle-hardened space pilots for honor, glory and wealth beyond your wildest imagination!


The cockpit

Greetings, space pilot! Looks like you made it: You graduated from the Space Academy with flying colors and are now ready to take control of the cockpit in your very own spaceship.

Okay, so it might not be the biggest ship around, and it might have a few bumps and scratches and be a little cramped, but what the heck, it’s your own ship! And you’re the captain of it: It’s your decision if you want to keep this ship for good or if you want to zip through all the different levels to continually get bigger and better ships.

If you take a look around in your cockpit, you’ll quickly discover that your display shows your ship from an exterior perspective. This is a spectacular invention which uses virtual reality to help you gain a huge tactical advantage in space. All the important navigational and tactical information you need for controlling your ship will be automatically displayed to you here.

You’ll also find statistics here about your current career status, your ship and your weapons.

The navigation system

You can navigate your ship easily just by using your mouse.

  • On the main space map display, click the mouse pointer on a spot somewhere in the direct vicinity of your spaceship and your ship will automatically fly to this spot.
  • To travel longer distances to galaxies far, far away use the mini space map on the bottom right: Just set your destination and with one simple click, your ship will navigate to this position.
  • If you’d like to fly in continuous mode, just click somewhere on the main space map display and hold down your mouse button: Your ship will now follow your mouse pointer.
You can launch an attack by clicking on your opponent’ ship: That way your targeting systems can focus and lock in on your target. Make sure that the energy and shield level display appears.

If you click on the button “Lasers”, your ship will continue firing at the ship you targeted either until it is destroyed or until all your ammunition is used up. As an alternative, you can use the CTRL key to fire your lasers.

If you click on the button “Rockets”, your ship will fire one rocket at the ship you’ve got in your cross-hairs. If you wish to shoot an additional rocket, you’ll have to click the button again. You’ll need to wait, however, until the bar in the display indicates that your system has been fully recharged before you can fire again. An alternative to fire your rockets is to use the space bar. If you hold down the spacebar, a new rocket will fire as soon as the rocket launcher is ready (i.e. has been completely recharged).

If you’d like to change the ammunition you’re using or switch to another type of rocket in your arsenal, just click on “Lasers” or “Rockets”.

If you click on “Extras”, you’ll be brought to the section for all the extras you’ve installed on your ship (such as the repair bots); of course, this applies only if you’ve equipped your ship with extras.

A jump portal can be activated if you’re close enough to it. You’ll see the button become active once you get close enough. Click on it once and your ship will be transported through space to the area on the other side of the jump portal. You can’t use the jump portal if you do not have the required career level. Take a look at the next section for more details.

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