Story
The story of the game puts the player in the shoes of J.Ransom, a 'newblood' who has recently been recruited to help fight off the BioDerm horde in the coming missions. Of course, the first few missions deal with training, such as basic movement,
skiing, using weapons, and using vehicles.
Game Types
There are several game types in Tribes. This is a breakdown of all of them:
Capture the Flag
Just your basic CTF game with 2 teams, 2 bases, and 2 flags. The person who has the flag can still do everything they normally could, with the exception of man a vehicle on AADS servers. They can, however, be in a vehicle that has someone else controlling it. Scoring is simple: Take the flag = 1 point, capture the flag = 100 points. First to 800 points or the team with the highest amount of points when the game is over wins.
Capture and Hold
There are a few bases spread around the map with a switch inside of each one. Touching the switch makes the base belong to your team, and for every second that it belongs to your team, your team gets one point. Winning is determined by whichever team has the most points when the time runs out.
Hunter
The objective of Hunter is to kill as many people as possible and take the flags that they drop. The "nexus" is the area in the center of the map that you redeem your flags for points. If you get killed before you make it to the nexus, you drop all of your flags.
Team Deathmatch
A standard team deathmatch game type with scoring being a point for every kill. The team with the most points when the time runs out are the winners.
Deathmatch
One point per kill, the winner being the person with the most points when the time runs out.
Vehicles
Note: Players with heavy armor can never man a vehicle. Medium armored players can man vehicles indefinitely unless otherwise stated.
Mongoose Grav Cycle
Fastest vehicle in the game, at least on flat ground. Only players with light armor can man a Mongoose.
Dingo Fighter
Fastest airborne vehicle in the game. Has twin lasers for attacking. Effective against the Hammer due to its speed and ability to avoid its attack indefinitely (unless, of course, the Hammer gets above the Dingo)
Hammer Bomber
Drops bombs that are extremely effective at fragging enemies on the ground, as well as destroying things inside of the enemy's base that are close to the door. However, the Hammer opens up the door to camping over the enemy base in a bomber, effectively disabling the entire team until it is shot down, which can take quite a while in a lot of situations.
Piltdown Transport
Can transport a total of 4 players in any armor. It also comes equipped with an automatic anti-aircraft cannon. Effective at getting anyone in heavy armor to a good offensive position on the map.
Armor
Light
Fast movement, but can't take much damage. Relies much more heavily on dodging shots than getting hit a lot by them.
Medium
Allows for damage between the amount Light and Heavy can take, as well as more mobility than Heavy, but still less than Light. Can equip Remote Inventory Stations, and is very effective as setting up small bases inside of the enemy's base, whereas the Heavy wouldn't be able to go in unnoticed and without a lot of resistance.
Heavy
Cannot man vehicles. Very little mobility. Can take a lot of damage before death.
Weapons
Spinfusor
The Spinfusor is probably the most used gun in the game. It shoots little blue discs that are extremely fast traveling and have a lot of splash damage. It doesn't do as much damage as the Plasma Rifle, but it's a lot faster and does a lot more splash damage.
Chaingun
The Chaingun is a fast-firing weapon that does a decent amount of damage. However, it is very inaccurate and it's very difficult to hit enemies at long ranges.
Blaster
The Blaster is an extremely simple weapon with a high rate of fire, but extremely low damage. The ammo is technically unlimited, because it draws from your energy rather than from ammo reserves.
Plasma Rifle
The Plasma Rifle is a very slow firing gun that fires "plasma" that travels through the air extremely slowly. It is accurate because the plasma only goes one direction, period, not changing its course at all unless, obviously, it hits something. It does a decent amount of damage.
Laser Rifle
The sniper rifle of the game. The Laser Rifle does damage based on how much energy your character currently has left, which is why the Energy Pack is popular amongst snipers. It can only be wielded by someone wearing light armor.
Fusion Mortar
The Fusion Mortar can only be equipped by a player with heavy armor. It shoots in an arc shape and is very difficult to hit your target without practice. It does a ton of damage, and doesn't always have to hit the target in order to kill them due to its massive splash damage.
Missile Launcher
Can be wielded by medium or heavy armor, but not light. It is basically a heat-seeking rocket launcher. It can lock onto enemies using their jet packs (which generate heat), anyone in a vehicle, or any Base Turret. The rocket can be deterred by the use of a flare grenade.
Grenades
Basic Grenade
Just as the name suggests: It's a basic grenade. Plain and simple.
Concussion Grenade
The concussion grenade doesn't actually hurt the enemy at all. Rather, it causes the enemy to be knocked back, drop their weapon, and drop their pack.
Flare Grenade
The flare grenade's only use is to change the target of a rocket from its current target to the flare. This is why the grenade is so popular amongst players who chose to man vehicles rather than fight on foot in the field. It is also popular amongst people who's only job is to take the enemy flag, because the person doing that is almost surely going to get shot at with a Missile Launcher, probably multiple times.
Mine Grenade
Mine grenades explode when stepped on.
Armor Packs
Ammo
The ammo pack allows for your character to carry a lot more ammo than before.
Energy
Energy is recovered a lot faster with the energy pack.
Repair
With the repair pack, you can heal fellow teammates, buildings, vehicles, and even yourself.
Shield
The shield can be enabled or disabled. While enabled, it slowly drains your energy and then drains it a lot faster while you take damage. With it enabled, however, no damage is done to your health, only to your energy (which is automatically regenerated)
Deployable Packs
Base Turret Barrels
Allows the player to deploy a Turret Barrel onto any Base Turret. See the Base Turret Barrels section for specific information.
Remote Inventory Station
Deploys an Inventory Station very similar to the ones found already in your base, except these are much more easily destroyed, and won't allow the player to get another Remote Inventory Station pack.
Remote Turrets
An automatically firing turret that does minimal damage. It fires 3 shots at once, but the shots are fairly easy to dodge, especially in an open area.
Remote Sensors
Extends the distance that a remote turret can fire.
Remote Detonation Satchel
Pushing the "deploy" button will cause the player to throw the satchel, much like a grenade, wherever they are aiming. Pushing the same button again causes a decently massive explosion that does quite a bit of damage, usually killing any players around it. Very effective on levels that have base generators right next to each other.
Base Turret Barrels
Anti-Aircraft
Does kind-of a "double shot" sort of deal, where it will fire fire, pause, fire fire, pause, and repeat unless it is destroyed or it destroys its target. It doesn't actually hurt regular players and won't even fire at them unless they're in the air, but it will take down any vehicle in the air fairly efficiently and fast. A player flying through the air who gets hit by the turret, however, may lose health or even die due to being pushed so fast back towards the ground.
Mortar
Just like the Fusion Mortar weapon, except automatically aiming and slower firing. It is a lot more accurate than a human player inherently because it's computer controlled.
Missile
Exactly like the Missile Launcher weapon, except automatically firing. It fires decently fast, as well, and has unlimited ammo, like all Base Turrets.
Plasma
Fires extremely slow, but does a decent sum of damage when it hits. Not really effective against vehicles at all unless they are extremely slow moving or hovering over your base (like a Hammer might do)
PlayStation 2