STALKER7

Last week’s Insurgent Earth mission was postponed due to Real Life commitments, so here’s a short post to go over some basics of the game instead.

For those already familiar with Exploit Zero and Nightwatch, IE will be another Solo/Cooperative game. In this case, players take the role of Resistance fighters struggling against alien invaders occupying our planet. If you’ve seen the TV shows Colony, V, or Falling Skies, the movies Battle for L.A. and Captive State, or played the most excellent computer game X-Com, you’re in the right neighborhood.

THE BATTLEFIELD

Think of your player characters as partisans; regular people caught ‘behind the lines’ of an invading enemy force. As they venture out into an invaded world, each Insurgent Earth mission offers the chance to gain victory and experience by accomplishing specific objectives (sabotage an alien power node, restore a cell tower for the Resistance, rescue another survivor…) as well as gain valuable salvage – which can be converted between games into useful items like Med Kits, gas grenades, weapon accessories, and more. You can also acquire xeno-tech by stripping weapons and armor from the enemy units you eliminate. Improve your characters, improve your gear, develop new technology – whatever it takes to take back the planet.

SOLDIER OR CIVILIAN?

With two primary character classes and multiple menus of Skills, Equipment, Weapons, and Armor, Insurgent Earth lets players can create distinct fighters for the planetary resistance. Remember however that they’ll need to work in a team. Complimentary abilities are an absolute necessity if you want to be alive when the fighting is over.

Character Skills operate both on the tabletop and in between missions over the course of a campaign. For example, Ellen Rapley has a knack for scrounging up more salvage than usual while Jasper can fabricate weapon accessories post-mission from any mechanical components she finds. A front grip for Cpl Ortiz’s M4 or a brace for Ellen’s SMG translates to an accuracy bonus for their ranged attack rolls next time out.

The same principle applies to medical supplies and med-kits, chemical components and gas grenades or war-pharma, weapon or armor upgrades and advanced items like load-bearing gear. Or even – if you want to spend the time and resources – a suit of exo-armor. Salvage isn’t there to give players something to do; it lets them upgrade gear and build new equipment.

ALIEN OCCUPATION FORCES

The Invaders… They may be bugs, robots, exotic bio-forms, reptiles, dopplegangers – you can pick your extraterrestrial poison. In Insurgent Earth, the Alien Occupation forces will vary according to your collection and taste, but to smooth out the game play, their troops and tactics are governed by caste and combat role.

Whether it’s a Sector Patrol, a pair of Sentries, or a Rapid Response Team, (or worse, a pod of elite Hunters) a unit’s caste establishes their capabilities, (expressed as a single die type and number of potential actions) while their combat role dictates their behavior by giving them a few simple procedures on the battlefield. No flow charts or book keeping. They’re dangerous and relentless, but their consistency can be a vulnerability with a bit of luck and the know-how to exploit it.

RESISTANCE CELLS

There is no set size for a team of Resistance fighters; the enemy units will scale accordingly. And the more dangerous the area you operate in, the higher the caste of invader you face.

It’s important then to develop a roster of fighters composed of both Civilians and Soldiers so you can mix-n-match according to your needs and objectives. Soldiers may do better in a firefight – at least initially – but over a long campaign they’ll be hard pressed for supplies. Fighting wins the battle; Logistics wins the war. Be sure to include both in your Resistance Cell. Of course, you’ll need to buy appropriate miniatures to represent your Field Medic, your Combat Engineer, your Stealthy Scrounger, your Heavy Weapon Specialist, etc, so that’s a plus.

STAY FROSTY

Alien Occupation aerial surveillance drones are in the area, so that’s it for now. With any luck, the mission to the Rowville Fuel Storage and Transport will be green lit next week, so I’ll post an AAR then.

Thanks for stopping by. Start strengthening those Resistance forces and get ready to fight for humanity’s survival.

Game hard. Take Care.