The Dreadnaught Factor
Encyclopedia
The Dreadnaught Factor was a video game produced by Activision
in 1983 for the Atari 5200 video game system and Atari 8-bit computer family.
called a "Novaray Hyperfighter" and attacking a much larger and heavily armed vessels, the Dreadnaught
s. Each Dreadnaught approached the "Galactic
Unstable Energy Field," which acted as a defensive line. The goal of the player was to disable or destroy each Dreadnaught before it could reach the Energy Field and launch its missile silos on the planets the player is entrusted with defending.
As the game progressed, the player could make repeated passes over the Dreadnaught, one fighter at a time, attempting to weaken its defenses, slow its progress, and finally destroy it. Each Dreadnaught could be destroyed by bombing all of its energy vents, which would cause the Dreadnaught to overheat and be destroyed. Destroying its engines would slow its progress to the Field, and destroying its bridges would result in a diminished ability of the Dreadnaught to return fire.
To defend itself against the player's fighter, the Dreadnaught could fire various types of cannon and missile launchers; these could be destroyed to prevent them from firing on future passes. If all of a Dreadnaught's silos are destroyed, then even if it reaches the Field, it does not pose a threat, but still must be destroyed before the player runs out of fighters. As soon as a Dreadnaught was destroyed, another Dreadnaught of a different design would show up and need to be attacked. There were several different dreadnaught designs, and in later waves, multiple dreadnaughts would need to be attacked.
The game had various difficulty levels, ranging from "Basic" and "Novice" to "Expert" and finally, "You've Got to Be Kidding."
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
in 1983 for the Atari 5200 video game system and Atari 8-bit computer family.
Gameplay
The game involved the player flying a small fighter spaceshipSpacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
called a "Novaray Hyperfighter" and attacking a much larger and heavily armed vessels, the Dreadnaught
Dreadnaught
Dreadnaught may mean:* Edward Boscawen , Admiral in the Royal Navy, was given the nickname "Old Dreadnaught"In film:* Dreadnaught , a Yuen Woo-Ping film from 1981...
s. Each Dreadnaught approached the "Galactic
Galactic
Galactic is a funk and jazz jam band from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.-Origins and background:Originally formed in 1994 as an octet and including singer Chris Lane and guitarist Rob Gowen, the group was soon pared down to a sextet of: guitarist Jeff Raines, bassist Robert Mercurio,...
Unstable Energy Field," which acted as a defensive line. The goal of the player was to disable or destroy each Dreadnaught before it could reach the Energy Field and launch its missile silos on the planets the player is entrusted with defending.
As the game progressed, the player could make repeated passes over the Dreadnaught, one fighter at a time, attempting to weaken its defenses, slow its progress, and finally destroy it. Each Dreadnaught could be destroyed by bombing all of its energy vents, which would cause the Dreadnaught to overheat and be destroyed. Destroying its engines would slow its progress to the Field, and destroying its bridges would result in a diminished ability of the Dreadnaught to return fire.
To defend itself against the player's fighter, the Dreadnaught could fire various types of cannon and missile launchers; these could be destroyed to prevent them from firing on future passes. If all of a Dreadnaught's silos are destroyed, then even if it reaches the Field, it does not pose a threat, but still must be destroyed before the player runs out of fighters. As soon as a Dreadnaught was destroyed, another Dreadnaught of a different design would show up and need to be attacked. There were several different dreadnaught designs, and in later waves, multiple dreadnaughts would need to be attacked.
The game had various difficulty levels, ranging from "Basic" and "Novice" to "Expert" and finally, "You've Got to Be Kidding."