The Talisman just means that whatever direct fire weapons you carry will always hit if within range. The default weapon for the Norak is the Meson BLaster, which has a range 2 less than the APB and many other direct fire weapons in the game, not to mention various seekers. This is not such a big advantage as you might think, though it can be nice in certain situations. Popping through a WP to find a bunch of Talisman-equipped ships waiting for you is NOT fun!
But they can still be easily out-ranged and they still have to break down any shield/armor in order to do serious damage to an enemy. I've changed them to research the PPB and that does make them more dangerous.
[ 29 April 2002: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]