It’s been a while since the previous Homeworld game, so we’re sure that Homeworld 3 will draw in some complete beginners to the series and genre.
After all, who can resist the call of epic intergalactic battles and the like? But of course, controlling a fleet of ships out in space is no easy feat, even in a game!
In this complete beginner’s guide, we’ll give you some key tips to help getting into Homeworld 3 a lot easier.
Complete Beginner’s Guide for Homeworld 3
Understand the Game Modes
As soon as you start Homeworld 3, you’ll be able to choose from one of three different game modes. Here’s a quick rundown of what each one entails:
- Campaign – The best mode for beginners. It gives you a story to follow along and also tries to teach you how to play the game, slowly showing you the game’s mechanics.
- War Games – A first for the Homeworld series, this is a sort of roguelike mode. You can complete a variety of increasingly difficult missions either by yourself or in co-op!
- Skirmish – The game’s competitive multiplayer, which you can play either against other players or AI. It’s fairly customizable, but we recommend avoiding playing against other players while you’re still green.
Since Campaign is the best mode for beginners, we highly recommend that you at least do the first few Campaign missions. They do a great job of teaching you the very basics!
Get Resources – Research, Build and Upgrade
Homeworld, unlike other RTS games, has a simplified Resources system. All resources are coalesced into the singular “Resource Units” (RUs) currency.
You can gather RUs by using Resource Collector ships, which you can assign to any Resource node on the map.
Besides manually sending Resource Collectors to any Resource node, you can also simply press the “H” key to send them to their nearest one automatically.
Just be careful of using the command too liberally. It sends them to the nearest Resource node, but that doesn’t mean the node will actually be close to them. It could be far away or guarded by enemies!
Also, keep in mind that Resource Collectors won’t automatically continue gathering once they exhaust one spot. They will idle and wait for your next command instead, so pay attention to them.
Additionally, you can harvest Resources from wrecked ships. This can be ships destroyed during battles or even random wreckages found naturally.
Also, you can press the “Alt” key and Right Click on one of your ships and issue the “Retire” Order. This will make them head back to the Mothership, where they will be dismantled for RUs.
Just make sure you don’t issue the Scuttle Order accidentally, as it will self-destruct the ship. Though, doing that will get you the “Destruct Sequence Alpha-One” achievement.
All of these Resources will ultimately be used for you to make use of Research, Build, and Upgrade. You can do all three of these from your Mothership or Carriers by pressing the “B” key.
Now, which things you want to focus on will depend entirely on your playstyle and mission objectives.
However, we recommend researching Carriers as quickly as possible. They can be vital for helping your fleet on the frontlines, which we’ll cover in more detail later in this guide!
Don’t Ignore Tactical Pause
Tactical Pause is an excellent tool, whether you’re an RTS veteran or not, as it allows you to issue commands without time passing.
You can initiate it by pressing the “P” key anytime or by clicking on the Tactical Pause icon at the bottom of the screen.
Clicking the icon will also open up the Sensors Manager, which will give you a breakdown of the immediate area. It’s great for visualizing any nearby threats and Resource nodes easily.
Using Tactical Pause will be a complete game-changer if you’re a beginner to the RTS genre, but even veterans should find it useful in Homeworld 3.
In short, make good use of this feature to give you some breathing room and change tactics on the fly before it’s too late.
Carriers – A Home Away From Home
Carriers, which are one of the ship types you can research, effectively serve as a moving base. You can deploy them to allow you to produce and repair your other ships.
Their mobility allows them to assist ships in the frontlines with ease, so your damaged ships won’t need to haul all the way back to the Mothership for repairs!
Carriers themselves are very lightly armored, however. They have no means to protect themselves from attacks, so your other ships will need to keep them safe.
Nonetheless, having a Carrier or two in your fleet will make it much easier to keep all of your ships in tip-top condition. It’ll keep everyone ready to engage in combat at a moment’s notice!
Set Your Stances
Every individual unit you have can be set to one of three stances and understanding them is vital. They will greatly affect how they behave in combat and how they act against hostiles.
These are all three Stances each ship can adopt:
- Aggressive – An all-out offensive stance, focused entirely on attacking enemy ships. Aggressive ships will usually forego the safety of cover to attempt to chase and gun down enemy ships.
- Neutral – Ships in this stance will fight back only if needed, but they will primarily focus on staying alive. They won’t go out of their way to fight hostiles, but they will still fight back when attacked.
- Passive – The best stance for ships that aren’t good for combat. Passive ships will never initiate combat, and they will only attack in self-defense. Additionally, they will never chase fleeing hostiles.
You can switch a ship’s current Stance by clicking on the icon in the middle bottom of the screen or pressing the “]” key.
Aggressive can be very dangerous, as your ships won’t stop chasing enemies until they destroy them. This can lead to them flying into traps and getting destroyed instead!
Generally speaking, we highly recommend sticking to Neutral and Passive most of your playtime.
Use Artifacts in War Games
If you’re diving into the War Games mode, there’s one key feature you should be aware of: Artifacts.
Artifacts are long containers you can randomly find in space, almost always guarded by large groups of hostile ships.
Defeating the ships can be challenging, but taking them out will let you take the Artifact for yourself!
Once you collect the Artifact, you’ll be offered three distinct modifiers and allowed to choose one. Pick whichever one you fancy the most.
Collecting as many Artifacts as possible will be crucial to emerging victorious in the War Games mode, so make sure you get as many as you can.
Space Debris Can Be Your Ally
Last but not least, we have a quick and dirty tip: make good use of debris for cover.
Be it the debris from large shipwrecks or even asteroids, you can use these obstacles to hide yourself away from enemies!
You can use this to protect yourself from enemy fire during open combat or even use it to stealth around enemies.
Surprise is always a great tool to have in your arsenal, an ambush will give you the upper hand in combat.
With that said, that’s the end of our complete beginner’s guide. You should now have all the knowledge you need to have an easier start in Homeworld 3!
