by //code: Infinity – Welcome, recruit —
The shuttle had just landed on the tarmac of the spaceport on Edda, the capital of the planet Concilium Prima. Young recruit Erik Wang disembarks and takes a second to breathe in the sea air. After this long journey through space, the fresh air is a blessing. In the sky, the planet’s two artificial rings intersect above the horizon. Erik turns his back on the coast and heads for the offices of O-12, the organization that regulates and arbitrates relations between the nations of the Human Sphere.
Futuristic skirmish game
“Recruits, form ranks!” roared the drill sergeant. “Look carefully at the handful of individuals around you; they will be your comrades in arms. On the field, there will rarely be more than a dozen of you. Modern battles are won by a handful of soldiers with complementary skills. And if you’re lucky, you’ll be supporting Tactical Armored Gear!”
– Mechas ! exclaims an excited recruit.
– I see we have a fan of classic visios . Forget your 21st-century slang; these days, we call these little marvels TAGs. They’re powerful, but rare and costly. Besides, a close-knit, well-trained team can be just as effective in completing the mission.”
The Scenario and Your Lieutenant
“The mission comes first, get that into your head! You’ll only have three rounds to complete it, so don’t waste any time. Eliminating the enemy will often not be your primary objective. Don’t make the mistake of losing sight of the mission. Whether it’s hacking data, capturing equipment or a dignitary, or simply holding a position, achieving it will give you victory.
“Protect your lieutenant. He commands and coordinates your squad. Without him, you’ll likely find yourself each acting in isolation. And when that happens, completing your objectives will be much more difficult!
– Why, Sergeant? We all just have to act to accomplish the mission, right? Wang asks.
– Until you’re veterans, you’re unlikely to succeed without a chain of command, rookie! I’ll explain why.”
Actions and Reactions
“I’ve already told you that you’ll only have 3 rounds to act. Each round is divided into two turns, one for you and one for the opposing side. As long as your Lieutenant is present, each of you contributes to giving an Order to your common reserve. Your Lieutenant can then assign these orders to those who need to act, potentially multiple times per turn on the same soldier. Each Order allows you to perform either a Movement and a Simple Action (in the order of your choice), or a Complex Action.
– But then, what do the others do? We’re warriors, not cheerleaders! … Sergeant…
– You hold your position, Recruit Jenkins! Because as soon as your side’s turn ends, you become your teammates’ defense mechanism. Never forget: every Order spent by the enemy on a soldier in line of sight allows you to React. Most of you will simply shoot or dodge, but some specialist troops may attempt to hack into equipment or signal the enemy’s position.
This reaction is called an Automatic Reaction Order, or ARO in military terms. Anyone who sees an enemy act can react. Keep this in mind before you run down the middle of a street into the line of fire of all enemy units! Technically, your action and the enemy’s reaction resolve at the same time. So, it’s possible that your enemy will prevent you from performing your action. You could even be injured while firing at your target…”
Rolls and Oppositions
“It’s time to talk about action resolution. Whenever you attempt to do anything other than move across the terrain, you must roll with one or more 20-sided dice. Your goal is to roll less than the skill you’re using, plus or minus a few modifiers depending on the situation. This is called a simple roll. If your action affects an opposing soldier, they’ll do the same thing on their side. Then it becomes an opposed roll, and only one of you will succeed at what they’re trying to achieve.
The modifiers you apply will play an important role in resolving your actions. In combat, it’s crucial to determine who has the greatest chance of succeeding at an action. Your equipment, your target’s equipment, whether they are in cover, the distance between you, all of this will affect your chances in a Shooting roll. With a little practice, you’ll be able to estimate your chances of success. And, more importantly, in the case of an opposed roll, whether you have a greater chance of success than your target. Stay in cover and choose your opponents!
Special Skills and Rules
“When choosing which soldier to use against which opponent, skills and equipment make all the difference. And I can tell you, you’ll be well served! There are about a hundred possible skills and equipment, and I’m not even counting weapons. Learning them will take time, so start by knowing the ones your fellow soldiers use.
– Sergeant, why don’t we just recruit those with the heaviest equipment?
– Because there isn’t one answer to every situation, recruit! And almost every piece of equipment has its weakness. You’d never send a heavy armor or a TAG near a Hacker, would you?
– No, Sergeant.
– Along the same lines, imagine that all your men have a multispectral visor that allows them to see camouflaged enemies, but the enemy sends a soldier with an albedo. Against him, this visor becomes a source of penalties instead of helping you! And if the enemy doesn’t have any camouflaged units, your visor is a useless equipment expense. If wars of the past were a game of “rock-paper-scissors” depending on the troop types, combat in the Human Sphere is more complex.
– We add “lizard” and “Spock”…
– Stop with your 21st century references that no one understands anymore, Walker! Final warning!”
What awaits you
“Learning to succeed in the field will take some effort. Expect to lose during your training. Practice is key; you can’t avoid it, as the rules of engagement are complex. If you’re not afraid of the initial challenge and enjoy putting your strategies to the test, you have what it takes to lead!”
Free Rules and the App
“That’s all for today, recruits. Tomorrow we begin training. Wake up at 0400h !
For those who want to get a head start, the complete Rules of Engagement manual is available on the Maya Network. As is a Troop Register for all factions. You can also find the latter in a format for your personal Tactical Com Unit.
– In the 21st century, Maya was called the internet, TCUs were cell phones, and…
– Walker! 5 laps of the training ground at a run! You’ve been warned… Everyone else, break ranks.”
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