Description
A preliminary assualt on a mutinions depot.

Storyline:
Not <i>too</i> bad in conception, PA envisions a preliminary assault on a Shivan cargo depot as a prelude to invading Shivan space. However, the briefing is rather below average, with a lot of spelling and grammar errors. Also, the icons are badly placed, ships that are actually Ulysses are represented as Lokis, and the Wing icons are never used. Finally, in the briefing and debriefing, the word "you" isn't used. Instead, "u" is subsituted. Once or twice, this error is okay, but throughout the mission? FRED isn't an IRC chat, folks.

Balance:
Weapons selection is sufficient, permitting the use of Avengers, Prometheuses, Banshees, Pheonix Vs, Stillettos, and some other missles. However, I must complain that there are not nearly enough missles of the more common variety - more than a few of my ships didn't get the Hornet/Interceptor combo I wanted. In addition, only 4 each of the Ulysses, Athena, (Why? There aren't any Tsunamis or Harbingers) and Hercules fighters. Ugh. For the most part, the two sides are very well balanced... but the Dragons have got to go. If there had been no Dragon fighters, I would have won easily, but with the two (they respawn once, making 4 total) present, I died soon. My wingmen helped me dispatch the first two, but by the time the second wave came, I was down to one allied Ulysses. Needless to say, I went splat.

Design:
The design isn't bad at all. The events are well done, as is the Objectives programming. The time between waves is properly long, discounting the artificial effects usually seen. Overall, there is nothing wrong with PA from a technical perspective.

Gameplay:
However, the mission is overall easy, except for the thrice-damned Dragons. The little unprintable buggers just chew me up... and otherwise, things aren't quite hard enough. Adding just one more Cain (NOT ANY LILLITHS) would fix the easiness part, I think, but the Dragons just have to go.

Other Thoughts:
Wow! Someone daring to use a Cain and not a Lillith! Could this be a sign of sanity returning?