I'm currently stuck on mission 7, The Barrier. I'm no newcomer to space sims but this is starting to seriously frustrate me. I'm using a joystick, prioritize damage control to shields, weapons, hull and life support and boost power to shield (110-120%), phasers (110%) and photon torps (105%).

It's totally down to luck whether I survive the attack by the 2 light cruisers in the system with the enemy base, but then Alshof in his medium cruiser just kills me, no matter what I try.

I've already reduced the difficulty level but still no dice.

Any ideas, tips, help?

My advice is to focus on the two light cruisers first, repair the damage to your ship, then focus on Alshoff.

Thanks, I finally beat that mission after many tries.

I always repair my ship after a fight but damage often seems extremely random.