Dynamic Campaign Engine Starshatter takes the concept of the "mission-based" space simulation to a new level. Rather than deliver twenty-five heavily scripted missions that play the same way every time, Starshatter will use a dynamic campaign engine to custom build an unlimited number of unique missions based on the current state of the war, and the type of ship you are commanding: Fighter Mission Types * Patrol * Sweep * Bomber Escort * Starship Escort * Ground Strike * Starship Strike Starship Mission Types * Fleet Engagement * Escort * Blockade * Starbase Assault * Fighter Ops The enemies you will face in Starshatter's dynamic campaign won't just be targets. Enemy ships and fleet admirals use the same AI algorithms as your own wingmates and commanders. They are trying to win the war just as much as you are. This means that with every kill you make, you are directly contributing to the war effort. Starshatter supports mouse, keyboard, joystick, throttle, and gamepad flight controls simultaneously, so that you can find the control method that works best for you. You can easily assign any joystick or gamepad axis to any function you wish, and each axis (including the mouse Y-axis) can be inverted to suit your preferences. In the arcade flight model, the joystick is configured as in a typical space combat simulation, with the stick controlling pitch and yaw and the twist axis controlling roll. In the standard flight model, the joystick is configured as in a high-end airplane simulation. The stick controls pitch and roll, while the rudder pedals or twist axis controls yaw. At any time, in any flight model, you can swap the roll and yaw inputs by pressing the "J" key. Under normal circumstances, the mouse is used to control the user interface and to manipulate the interactive HUD.
When using the third-person exterior view, the mouse is also used to control the camera and to select targets and issue orders to allies, just as in a space-based RTS game. You can right-click on any friendly unit in the chain of command to access a context-sensitive orders menu.You can also use the mouse to fly your ship and fire your weapons. By pressing the "" key, you toggle the mouse between selection mode and flight mode. In flight mode, the mouse works much like the "mouselook" control in an FPS game. You steer the ship by moving the mouse in the direction you want to go. Fire guns with the left button and missiles with the right button. Tap the middle button to select a target, and use the mouse wheel to control your speed.If you prefer, you can also configure the mouse to work as a "virtual joystick." In this mode, the distance of the mouse cursor from the center of the screen controls how fast your ship will turn, instead of how far it will turn. Some people may prefer the "virtual joystick" mode for dogfighting because it requires less repositioning of the mouse than the "mouselook" mode.