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				*GTFg Damocles*
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			The GTVA's first Frigate-class ship!

o use this MOD:
Place this readme where ever you want.
Place the frigate2r-02.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 vessel 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 Iceni is still usable in FreeSpace 2.  Paint Shop Pro 6.01 was used for the editting of the skins (the skin of the Damocles is basically copied from the skins of the Colossus, Deimos, and some rearrangement of the Iceni's original skins).
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, the Damocles would not be possible.
Also special thank you to Volition for creating the best space sim in the known universe, FREESPACE 2! :)

I was torn between dubbing the Damocles a frigate or a modified corvette.  Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines a frigate as:  1.) a light boat propelled originally by oars but later by sails.  2.)  a square-rigged war vessel intermediate between a corvette and a ship of the line.  3.)  a warship that is smaller than a destroyer.  Of these three, numbers two and three apply rather well to the FreeSpace universe.  Thus, I have decided to dub the Damocles a frigate instead of a modified corvette since it is more powerful than a corvette, but less powerful than a destroyer.

The GTFg Damocles is based upon the original NTF Iceni.  I concocted a story about command finding some plans that Bosch had attempted to destroy but the deletion was not complete.  Command sort of reconstructed the Iceni and made this new ship type.  The Damocles is somewhat less powerful than its rebellious predicessor, I have dropped its hitpoints to 81000 from the original 90000, also it still has a devastating weapons loadout, but I have significantly reduced its anti-capital ship utility.  The BGreens have been replaced with SVas and TerSlash beams.  This was done for the sake of balance.  The Iceni was truly a one of a kind ship, and reproducing it in large numbers would be too costly for the GTVA so I have weakened it somewhat to make it seem a more realistic vessel.  This also helps play balance.  The original Iceni could easily wreck a Hecate or Hatshepsut class destroyer all by itself, it is far too powerful in its default configuration.  The Damocles' default config gives it somewhat better firepower than a Deimos-class corvette and somewhat higher hitpoints as well.  This means that the Damocles will likely do some damage to an enemy destroyer, but ultimately the destroyer will soundly spank the Damocles in a one-on-one engagement.  However, it is a match for one Deimos or Sobek-class corvette and it could bloody the noses of two of those corvettes before it went down.

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 GTFg Damocles :).  
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 Terran version of the Mara, 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