Missions
Missions are the bread and butter of the game, wherein the player commands a force of Marines (and other motley recruits as the game progresses) against pirates, alien fauna, other Factions, and eventually the MENACE itself on a tactical grid. A series of 3 to 5 tactical battles comprises an Operation. Failing any one of these missions results in the entire operation failing! Mission progression is as follows:
Mission Selection
The player is treated to a view of the planet the operation as a whole takes place on, and is given a branching selection of missions which have different objectives, but also provide different rewards for completion. These missions are also labeled with different numbers of skulls representing difficulty, with 1 being the easiest and 3 being the hardest.
Briefing and Preparation
After selecting a mission, the player is provided a map displaying the tactical objectives of the mission as well as the disposition of enemy forces. The amount of intelligence received is based on OCIs and other factors, so the player can go in knowing exactly where every enemy unit is located or can enter battle completely blind. Then the player chooses which Squad Leaders and/or Pilots to bring to the mission and what their equipment loadouts will be. Weapons, armor, vehicles, and accessories all cost supply points which are taken from the mission's total limit. The more squaddies attached to a squad, the more expensive it is to deploy as well.
Success in Battle
Once you have chose your troops and their loadouts, the TCRN Impetus will deploy a dropshop and send them to battle. It is very important to remember that victory alone is not enough, you must win decisively to gain long-term advantage. On every mission you have a chance to earn a maximum of 5 stars, and you need at least a 4 star rating to gain benefits to the ship's Discipline. This is very important in keeping your Morale high in tactical battles and reducing the number of negative Events in the strategic layer. Not only that, but the higher your rating, the more promotion points are gained at the end of a mission to improve your Squad Leaders, promote them to higher ranks, and gain new perks. The mission rating is calculated based on the number of secondary objectives completed within an Operation.
Mission Types and Objectives
Alien Wildlife
As of Patch 10 the Alien Wildlife faction has the Alien Outbreak Operations Chain that consists of the following:
One or more of the following early missions:
- Reclaim Settlement
- Clear Landing Zone
- Rescue Settlers
One or more of the following mid operation missions:
- Protect Settlement
- Extermination
- Contain Migration
- Smoke Out Nests
- Collect Samples
One of the following final missions:
- Hunt Hive Queen
- Contaminate Brood Pools
- Corrupt Xeno Hatchling DNA
Pirates
As of Patch 10 the Pirate faction has the Counterinsurgency Operations Chain that consists of the following:
One or more of the following early missions:
- Secure Perimeter
VICTORY CONDITION: Sweep the battle map and eliminate at least 60% of all enemy units.
DEFEAT CONDITION: All friendly units are eliminated.
- Establish Combat Outpost
VICTORY CONDITION: Secure targeted zone on the battle map, by moving as many units as you can into it and keeping them there for a certain amount of time; the more units you can place, the better. For instance, if the turn limit is 12, if one friendly unit is in the zone, you have to keep it there for 12 turns to capture the zone, but if 6 are inside, only two turns will earn you victory.
DEFEAT CONDITION: All friendly units eliminated and/or target zone is left in control of, or regained by, enemy forces.
- Stop Extortion
VICTORY CONDITION: Eliminate at least 80% of attacking enemies while saving as many civilians as possible.
DEFEAT CONDITION: All player-controlled units are eliminated.
NOTES: It is still possible to gain 5 stars for "effectiveness" even if one civilian unit is killed, as long as some remain alive. As of the demo this may be a bug, though.
One or more of the following mid operation missions:
- Search Weapon Caches
VICTORY CONDITION: Destroy targeted numbers of weapon caches, which are units on the battle map, AND bring all friendly units to an extraction point.
DEFEAT CONDITION: All friendly units eliminated.
- Clear IEDs
VICTORY CONDITION: Destroy targeted numbers of IEDs, which are units on the battle map.
DEFEAT CONDITION: All friendly units eliminated.
NOTES: IEDs are armored structures that explode when destroyed. Keep your units far away from them when destroying them--long-ranged weapons with high armor penetration can make these missions much easier.
- Protect Town
VICTORY CONDITION: No enemy units are permitted within the target zone for a certain number of rounds. You are also required to defend civilian personnel as well.
DEFEAT CONDITION: All player-controlled units are eliminated and/or enemy units occupy the target zone for a certain number of rounds. The enemy will attempt to move as many units as possible into the zone and keep them there for a certain amount of time; the more units infiltrate, the closer you are to defeat. For instance, if the turn limit is 12, if one enemy unit is in the zone, you have 12 turns to dislodge it, but if 6 are inside, you will lose the mission in only 2 turns.
- Take Out Bombmaker
VICTORY CONDITION: An assassination mission: Eliminate marked enemy VIPs and get all friendly units to a marked extraction point on the map.
DEFEAT CONDITION: All friendly units eliminated.
- Rescue Authorities
VICTORY CONDITION: Contact friendly VIPs and escort them to an extraction point.
DEFEAT CONDITION: All player-controlled units eliminated and/or friendly VIPs are eliminated.
NOTES: It is extremely important to remember that enemy forces are unlimited on these kinds of missions, reinforcements will pour in constantly. You cannot waste much time destroying enemy units, get the VIPs to the extraction point ASAP.
One of the following final missions:
- Lion's Den
VICTORY CONDITION: Eliminate majority of (that is to say, all) enemy units. Note that unlike Secure Perimeter missions, the enemy forces will be clustered in a highly defensible position at the center of the map, and will also have at least two powerful heavy weapons as turrets.
DEFEAT CONDITION: All friendly units are eliminated.
- Repel Counterattack
VICTORY CONDITION: No enemy units are permitted within the target zone for a certain number of rounds.
DEFEAT CONDITION: All friendly forces are eliminated and/or enemy units occupy the target zone for a certain number of rounds. The enemy will attempt to move as many units as possible into the zone and keep them there for a certain amount of time; the more units infiltrate, the closer you are to defeat. For instance, if the turn limit is 12, if one enemy unit is in the zone, you have 12 turns to dislodge it, but if 6 are inside, you will lose the mission in only 2 turns.
And the Thwart Invasion Operations Chain that consists of the following:
One or more of the following early missions:
- Seize GTAM-Site
- Hunt down Saboteurs
- Secure Repair Depot
One or more of the following mid operation missions:
- Interdict Forces
- Retain Spaceport
- Break Off Raid
- Sabotage Supply Infrastructure
- Rescue and Disengage
One of the following final missions:
- Defeat Pirate Force
- Crush Bridgehead
- Eliminate Leadership
Rogue Army
As of Patch 10 the Rogue Army faction has the Counterinsurgency Operations Chain that consists of the following:
One or more of the following early missions:
- Delay
- Stop Marauders
- Relieve Outpost
One or more of the following mid operation missions:
- Mine Roads
- POW Rescue
- Search and Rescue
- Raid Command Post
- Defend Outpost
One of the following final missions:
- Decapitation Strike
- Breakthrough
MENACE
As of Patch 10 the MENACE faction has the Construct Activity Operations Chain that consists of the following:
One or more of the following early missions:
- Investigate Attack
- Recon Patrol
- Secure Landing Pad
One or more of the following mid operation missions:
- Search missing Civilians
- Deny Resources
- Gather Samples
- Destroy Comms Towers
- Contact Checkpoints
One of the following final missions:
- Terror Attack
- Raid Holding Cells
