88 Flak is a fast-paced combat mod for the 3D action game Freelancer by Digital Anvil. It aims to bring quick and brutal arena-like combat to Freelancer with Unreal Tournament 2004 style speed and years of refined Team Fortress inspired class balancing. In addition, it aims to expand the gameplay experience with numerous new features, including docking on player Battleships (use teammates as mobile bases), purchasable stations (private bases that shoot at hostile NPCs and players), hiring AI wingmen, dynamic AI routines (88 Flak's AI is hailed to be the best in Freelancer), ability to script story missions in multiplayer (extremely beta), AI Bots (persistent NPCs with their own reputations and loadouts), and full customization via a Freelancer Mods Manager script with configurable client-side and server-side options such as advanced graphics/audio and more.

Visit the 88 Flak Portal
(Server Information, Forums, etc.)

88 Flak has been in the works since January 21, 2005, and continues to be developed today by members of the community. Anyone from lone players to full clans are welcome to either join in the fun on the 24/7 server or get active in the project's development.

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The main goal of the mod is to provide intense combat while keeping everything at an even, balanced level. Instead of linear balancing for ships, 88 Flak adopts a more "circular" balancing where nothing is better, just different. For instance, Light Fighters are dogfighting vessels: very fast, but limited in firepower - while Very Heavy Fighters are the opposite: slow, but armed with Torpedoes and cloaking devices for tactical bombing runs. The basic "balance circle" goes like this: Fighter > Large Capital > Small Capital > Fighter. Players must have a well-rounded selection of several different ship classes if they wish to maximize efficiency of their fleet.

And it only starts there; a vast selection of 56 Fighters/Freighters, 17 Capital Ships, 31 Stations, 9 Weapons Platforms, 2 Liners, 5 Transports/Trains/Lifter, the Repair Ship, and finally the unique Storage Depot can all be piloted - all built directly from original Freelancer content to fit fight in without feeling "tacked on."

Finally, 88 Flak's most robust change to the Freelancer formula is the AI, and that they are no longer dull pawns spawned for the sole purpose of being slain in a few seconds. Instead, AI NPC ships are capable of performing most tasks that players themselves are capable of; this includes, but is not limited to, traveling anywhere in a system to perform anything from trade to station raids, hiring themselves out to players or other NPCs as wingmen, dropping a fight to pursue a fleeing ship, using counter-measures to stop missiles, extensive usage of afterburners and strafing, and salvaging loot off the battlefield to sell (or use). 88 Flak's AI is hailed as the most advanced AI ever seen in a Freelancer mod, and will thrill even the most hardened PvP combatant.