Freelancer came after a long wait and delivered exactly what it promised: an open-ended universe, tons of solar systems to explore and a gripping story that would keep you glued to the monitor. The intense action and the multitude of items (weapons, engine, missiles and so on) made its replay value go through the roof, not to mention the formidable multiplayer available. We can only hope that Microsoft (Digital Anvil, the developers are now gone) will see the potential and continue this universe's tale.

God mode
Note: This procedure involves editing a game file; create a backup copy of the file before proceeding. Use a text editor to edit the "perfoptions.ini" file in the game folder. Change the "DIFFICULTY_SCALE = 1.00" line to "DIFFICULTY_SCALE = 0.00".

Finding secret bases and jump holes
When you are looking for hidden jump holes to other systems, turn on your Nav Map, then select the "Show Patrols" map. The lines that appear show popular paths that the AI ships use. Almost any path that stretches out beyond the normal trade-lane traffic of a star system will lead to a hidden starport or even a hidden jump hole. Fly out to where the line leads to and turn on the "Solars" option on your targeting computer. You will usually find a place of interest. However, in places with reduced sensor ranges you will probably have to rely on visually looking for something. Also, to find all the paths, make sure to look at the "neutral", "hostile" and "friendly" paths in the patrol paths map. Be wary of stumbling upon an enemy's base.

Easy battles
For slightly easier battles when attacking, select a hostile ship as your target then ignore that ship. Focus instead on the other hostiles but do not select them as a target. Even though they are not selected, you will still be given the blind fire marker (the crosshair you aim with), although it will be smaller. Sometimes, a targeted hostile will just sit there, waiting to be shot. Other times, it will remain on a straight course and will not maneuver too much. The AI will eventually catch on to you and will alter its techniques or will send in more ships. Also, you will not be able to use missiles like this.

If you are in a tight battle, with very few nanobots, use the afterburners as much as possible as you can easily outrun the missiles and mines. Be careful, as you can crash quite easily. Use first-person view to avoid debris.

Easy money
Hang around in the debris fields and use turret mode, etc. to shoot the floating canisters. Haul in the scrap metal, and sell it at Baltimore Shipyards, if you can. You will get about 20 credits per piece of scrap metal, and you can get easy money this way, if you do not mind waiting.

In order to get easy money, you have a good relationship with the Rogues, Hackers, and Outcasts. Go to Mactan Base in the Magellan system. Save the game. Exchange your ship for a Dromedary. Buy as much Cardamine as you can. Leave Mactan and go through the old jumpgate from Magellan to New York. Staying in the Badlands, fly from the jump gate to Buffalo Base. One there, sell all of the Cardamine. Leave, go back to Mactan, and repeat. By the time you can buy a entire cargo bay full you will be making more than 100,000 credits each time.

Profitable trade routes
At the beginning of the game, while still in Liberty, you can find a good profitable trade route between Planet Manhattan and Planet Pittsburgh. Fill up on Pharmaceuticals at Manhattan, then sell them at Pittsburgh. Next, fill up on Boron at Pittsburgh and sell them at Manhattan. Keep doing this to easily get enough money to upgrade your ship to a Rhyno. You can earn nearly 5,000 credits for the whole round trip.

If you are patient, try this trade route. Buy Gate/Lane parts at Trenton Outpost in New York. Take this to Holman Outpost in the Tau 31 system and sell it. Then, buy Niobium at Holman Outpost and take this to Planet Manhattan (which is next to Trenton Outpost). Sell it, then go back to Trenton Outpost and repeat the process. A HumpBack freighter can earning 347,500 credits in one round trip. If you prefer to keep a Heavy Fighter, you can still earn 97,300 credits in one round trip.

Backwards landing intermission sequence
To get an intermission sequence featuring you landing on a planet backwards or sideways, move between the docking rings "pincers" and stop. Turn so that you are facing away from the planet. Dock with the docking ring. You will get an intermission sequence with you landing backwards. Note: This only works with planets.

Finding bases and jumps
To find the exact location of the bases/jumps, check your patrol path map. For bases, find the location where two or more lines intersect. Jump holes will usually either have multiple lines intersecting, or a single line ending abruptly. Obviously, if there is a break in a trade lane, there is most likely a base there.

Jump holes
Note: Coordinates in parentheses do not work until after you finish the story.
Alaska
to New York (F5)

Bering
to Hamburg E7
to Hudson C4
to Texas D2

California
to Cortez B4,C5
to Magellan C6
to New York F3
to Texas F5

Cambridge
to Leeds F3
to Omega 3 F3,G4
to Omega 5 F6
to New London B3,C3

Chugoku
to Hokkaido D5
to Honshu E5
to Sigma 13 E5
to Tohoku (E5)

Colorado
to Galileo D3,E2
to Kepler B4,C3
to New York D7,E7

Cortez
to California F4,F5
to Magellan E6
to Manchester B6

Dresden
to Frankfurt G4
to New Berlin D3,E2
to Omega 11 C4
to Stuttgart C3

Dublin
to Leeds E3
to New London E3,F4

Edinburgh
to Leeds F3,F4
to Tau 31 D3

Frankfurt
to Dresden D7
to Hamburg D3,D4
to New Berlin B6
to Sigma 13 D2,E3

Galileo
to Colorado D6,D7
to Kepler B3
to Shikoku B2,E2

Hamburg
to Bering E2,F2
to Frankfurt F5,G4
to Hudson C2
to New Berlin E7,E7

Hokkaido
to Chugoku C3
to Kyushu C6
to New Tokyo E6
to Tohoku (E3)

Honshu
to Chugoku D3
to New Tokyo B5,C4
to Sigma 13 F6,F7
to Sigma 19 G3,G4

Hudson
to Bering F6
to Hamburg E7
to Texas D2,D3

Kepler
to Colorado B4,D7
to Galileo F4
to Shikoku D2

Kyushu
to Hokkaido E2
to New Tokyo G3,G4
to Shikoku G4
to Tau 23 B4
to Tau 29 B5

Leeds
to Cambridge D6
to Dublin C6
to Edinburgh B5,C3
to Magellan E6
to Manchester F6
to New London D6,E7
to Tau 31 F3

Magellan
to California G4
to Cortez C2
to Leeds C3
to Manchester C4,C5
to New York D4

Manchester
to Cortez F2
to Leeds D3
to Magellan F3,G4
to New London B4

New Berlin
to Dresden D6,D7
to Frankfurt G4
to Hamburg C3,D2
to Sigma 13 E5
to Stuttgart B5

New London
to Cambridge G5,G6
to Dublin B6,C5
to Leeds C3,D2
to Manchester G3

New Tokyo
to Hokkaido D2
to Honshu G4,G5
to Kyushu B5,C6
to Shikoku E7

New York
to Alaska (G5)
to California B6
to Colorado C3,D2
to Magellan D7
to New York G6,F7
to Texas E7,F6

Omega 3
to Cambridge B4,B5
to Omega 5 D7
to Omega 7 G5

Omega 5
to Cambridge D5
to Omega 3 D4
to Omega 7 D4
to Omega 11 F4
to Omega 41 D6

Omega 7
to Omega 3 B5
to Omega 5 C6
to Omega 11 F6
to Stuttgart G5

Omega 11
to Dresden F3
to Omega 5 B4
to Omega 7 C4
to Omega 41 C5
to Stuttgart D2,E3

Omega 41
to Omega 5 C5
to Omega 11 D4
to Omicron Gamma E5
to Omicron Theta E4

Omicron Alpha
to Omicron Beta F5
to Omicron Theta F5
to Tau 37 C5
to Unknown 2 F4

Omicron Beta
to Omicron Alpha E3
to Omicron Major (D4)
to Omicron Minor (D4)
to Sigma 19 E6

Omicron Gamma
to Omega 41 C5
to Omicron Theta D3
to Unknown 1 F2

Omicron Theta
to Omega 41 C5
to Omicron Alpha F4
to Omicron Gamma E6
to Sigma 17 E3

Shikoku
to Galileo E7,F7
to Kepler D7
to Kyushu D3
to New Tokyo E2

Sigma 13
to Chugoku D4
to Frankfurt C6,E7
to Honshu C3,D2
to New Berlin C5
to Sigma 19 E3
to Sigma 17 F5

Sigma 17
to Omicron Theta F6
to Sigma 13 C4
to Sigma 19 D3,E2

Sigma 19
to Honshu C3,C4
to Omicron Beta E3
to Sigma 13 C5
to Sigma 17 E6,F6

Stuttgart
to Dresden G4
to New Berlin G3
to Omega 7 B4
to Omega 11 C6,D7

Tau 23
to Kyushu F3
to Tau 29 G5
to Tau 31 C7
to Tau 37 E2

Tau 29
to Kyushu F4
to Tau 23 D3
to Tau 31 B5,C5

Tau 31
to Tau 23 E2
to Tau 29 F4,G4
to Edinburgh A5
to Leeds C7

Tau 37
to Omicron Alpha E3
to Tau 23 D6

Texas
to Bering G5
to California C4
to Hudson D7,E7
to New York D3,E2

Tohoku
to Chugoku (B5)
to Hokkaido (B5)

Unknown 1
to Omicron Gamma E6

Unknown 2
to Omicron Alpha E6