I used to play a lot this game when I was a teenager. I finished every campaign several times each. So I was very excited to play the game again...

But then, today, I experienced some difficulties issues, that I cannot remember from my previous play...

For example, when I return to the Organians (second mission with them, scan two planet, then a phenomenon while attacked by some ships), I had to buy two escorts to survive, because 3 Klingon battlecruisers were a bit more than a match for my CA+...and still lost a missile destroyer.

Then, still with my CA+ and a DDG, I had to escort a light cruiser and a fleet of cargos against ... 6 Klingons light cruisers...did quite well there, so ok.

But one I cannot understand is when I am sent, with my CA+ and DDG, to protect a retruiting federation dreadnought, attacked by two Klingons dreadnought...How am I supposed to help ? I had the time to fire a single volley before the federation dreadnought was utterly destroyed by the Klingons, mission failed.

What the hell ? I feel there is a glitch on the difficulty scaling system. As if the system thought I was a Read Admiral with a Battleship escorted by two star Dreadnought...Well no, I command a Heavy Cruiser...and I would like playable missions...

Anyone experienced the same problem ?

Like you, I played a lot of SFC as a teenager. And this was a constant problem. If you're playing Late Era (and I assume you are because you have that CA+), the Klingon ships that are "equal level" are easily a match for the Federation Cruisers, and since Klingons tend to pack on weapons (particularly missiles) it can make some missions impossible. The best bet is probably to hold off on buying a Cruiser (stick to Light Cruisers) and the game will throw more appropriate enemies at you. Get enough rep to outfit yourself with a fleet of Cruisers, or get a Battle Cruiser/Dreadnaught.

Jumping the gun and getting a Cruiser as soon as you can afford it only leads to heartbreak and frustration in SFC. I'm not sure what the rationale was on part of the designers, but for some reason, the Late Era is just broken in some aspects. In the Early Era, Cruisers are pretty much as good as it gets, and the CA is a powerhouse and the D7s are a challenge, but not impossible. I didn't often play in the Middle Era, but I do remember the Klingon Cruisers being a pain unless you were sitting pretty in a Heavy Cruiser (Excelsior class).

Any mission where you have to protect a damaged ship from multiple Klingons basically seems set up to fail. Missile volleys from a single ship have a good chance of murdering another one, and multiple missile volleys from a like number of ships is pretty much a death sentence. Missile were waaay overpowered in SFC1 (in the Late Era anyway. Very fast, lots of damage).

Honestly avoid the CA and CA+ in late era only pay attention to these cruisers.

CAD, CADR, CAD+

honestly when I play this is my upgrade path

FFG to FFD to NCDR/NCD+ to CADR/CAD+ to BB

as for their missles its easy, turn on your automatic tractors, and dont fire your phasers just your missles back at them, keep your phasers in reserve to shoot down their missles, also use scatter backs and decoy shuttles to further lay on the hurt.

This. Listen to candle. Candle knows his stuff.

Thanks for starting this topic. I never played the game before but I'm a reasaonble capable RTS player (particularly when I can turn it into "turn-based with the speed slider!). I've been finding that Organian / Damnation Black Hole mission to be a pain. Middle Era, went straight for a CC+ = Not enough power to make effective use of the photons + 6 ECCM and go any faster than like 10, meanwhile, Klingons are just zipping around like gnats at ~25 . . .

If anyone knows about good resources for modding or mods for this game, would love to hear more.

I found "Dynaverse" last night and spent some time browsing stuff on there, but nothing stuck out as the "go to" mod that really fleshed out this game. The Campaign seems a bit railroaded, and I'd love to be able to change how many lifetime prestige it takes to get to Rear Admiral. Cannot even imagine playing through a full 30 year campaign if how the difficulty keeps ramping up in the first dozen or so missions is indicative.

Honestly the mods only really add effects, you want to buy Orion Pirates from Dynaverse its the best version.