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					*GTLC Athos*
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This zip contains:  this readme, ships.tbl, freighter63.POF, freighter63-01a.pcx, freighter63-01b.pcx, freighter63-01c.pcx

To use this MOD:
Place this readme where ever you want.
Place the freighter63.POF file in the FreeSpace 2/data/models directory.
Place the ships.tbl file in FreeSpace 2/data/tables directory.
Place all the graphic files (files ending with extension '.pcx') in the FreeSpace 2/data/maps directory.

I created this little cruiser using several programs.  VPVIEW enabled me to extract the skins, the model (POF), and the ships.tbl.  AXE, a freeware HEX edit program enabled me to change the POF to refer to the new skins so the old Elysium and Satis are still usable in FreeSpace 2.  Paint Shop Pro 6.01 was used for the editting of the skins (the skin of the Athos was basically created by covering the brown, Vasudan looking areas of the Satis up with a bit of Deimos corvette tiling).
A special thanks to Zarathud at Descent Chronicles for creating the MODing guide that helped me to create this mod.  Without that guide and its recommendations, these medical ships would not be possible.
Also special thank you to Volition for creating the best space sim in the known universe, FREESPACE 2! :)

The ships.tbl, model .POF, and the graphics included in this zip will add the GTLC Athos to FS2.  The designation of GTLC is a new designation to FreeSpace 2 which I thought up.  It isn't a terribly imaginitive one, the meaning being Galactic Terran Light Cruiser.  I basically just reskinned a Satis and played with its ships.tbl properties to make it into what it is now.  Though it has only five turrets, those five mounts are put to good use as the ship is equiped with one anti-capship beam, two anti-fighter beams, two long range flak cannons, and two standard flak cannons.  Yes, I realize that I have given it a total of seven weapons.  I did this by adding another gunpoint in ships.tbl.  I don't have anything to modify the .POF files so the turrets still look the same (read:  the turrets do not have three barrels for three gunpoints, such as the turrets on the Orion do).  I thought about using anti-fighter beams, but decided that that many more anti-fighter beams would severely upset playbalance.  In a mission I made, I used several Satis freighters (not the Athos) similarly equiped as Q-Ships.  I found they were effective, but rather weak hull made them easily destroyed.  Seeing the tech room breifing about the Satis and playing with that mission gave me the idea.  The bit in the tech room about GTA thinking the Satis a light cruiser when they first encountered it during the Great War got the ball rolling.  In the ships.tbl, it has many more hitpoints than before.  I gave it 18000 hitpoints versus its original 5000.  In Terran cruisers, the Fenris is the low end with 10000 and the Aeolus the high end with 38000.  I wanted it to fall somewhere in between, preferable towards the low end since it is supposed to be a light cruiser.  The reason I gave it more hitpoints than a Fenris is for balance.  The Fenris may actually survive longer because it has more turrets and thus more weapons.  The Athos becomes little more than tissue paper when it has less than 10000 hitpoints because it has fewer turrets.  It is still a weak vessel, but then again it is a light cruiser and not intended to hold against large forces on its own.  It is fairly effective if deployed in a good formation, even better when given some fighter cover.  Even though it has relatively few turrets, its much better hitpoints ensures that it is rather effective.  However, much like the Fenris, it is quite an easy target by itself.  However, several of these in a sensible formation can be very tough to take down.  I also reduced its speed, from the about 55m/s that the Satis was capable of to about 40m/s.  I did this so that the explanation in the tech room about more armor would seem more plausible.  I also wanted to ensure it still had a very high top speed for a warship since that is one of its advantages.  I just kind of built it to be a light patrol craft, a jack of all trades capable of effectively handling most any opposition but not truly excelling in any particular field.

If you need any help thinking up ideas for how to use the Athos, here are a few:
1.)  Patrol in distant or low population systems (systems that don't have much trouble).  Naturally, your daily patrol with the one or two little Athos cruisers stationed in your small system will get a little more interesting:)

2.)  Perhaps GTVA has begun sending the smaller, cheaper Athos along with convoys as protection.

3.)  Could be used in a swarm attack on a larger vessel such as a corvette or perhaps a destroyer.

These are just a few I came up with off the top of my head.  I'm sure there are many other uses and I look forward to seeing those other uses.

You can use this mod in conjunction with any other mods if you wish.  Simply cut and paste this mod's ships.tbl entry into another mod's ships.tbl or vice versa.  Just remember to give yours truly credit for creating the GTLC Athos:).  
In adding it to another ships.tbl, it may be neccessary to free up some room in the ships.tbl to combine them like that.  That should be easily done.  Delete ships that you never use in your missions (such as the GTD Bastion, for example) and you will have more room for other ships you intend to use.

Thats about it.  If you have questions/comments/complaints/etc. you can contact me via e-mail at:
  vasuda_prime@hotmail.com

-Ice Heart  