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Intergalactic Pests: Starship Troopers
by Jim CobbTrooper Selection, Movement, and Maps
Troopers can be selected individually, by squads or in groups by the expanding cursor or the tilde “~” key. When all troopers are selected---as they should be because small groups are bug bait---orders are issued through the lieutenant’s HUD. Troops assume his stance and the eight formations are keyed to his position. When he dies, the mission is over. Movement is accomplished in one of two ways: clicking on the terrain or the large tactical map. The first way is slow and a bit tedious but allows the player more control. By selecting cautious stances, formations stay together, avoid the notice of larger bugs and present a phalanx of fire. Moving on the tactical map may seem easier, just click on the destination and the troops move out. However, they move at normal speed, attract attention, ignore targets, waste ammo, and get physically and psychologically strung out.
The best way to move is by combining short trips on the large tactical map, reducing it and then fine tuning moves and attacks on the terrain screen. This method requires much switching of maps and clicking but, again, work is the key to success in this game. Waypoints could help but they disappear after the player intervenes in transit. Reading the tactical map is more difficult that it should be because of a misguided aid. Enemy and friendly units are shown as the usual blue and red dots but a yellow flashlight cone also shows the player’s view. This cone often covers troops and is confusing as to what it shows.
Insecticide – Calm 'n Cool or Berserker?
The real-time combat appears simple; bugs run up and get torched. Smart play is more complicated. Troopers should move in formation. If ammunition is low, they should use the cautious stance to conserve rounds and avoid contact. Otherwise, the normal setting works if the player stops movement when attacked. Sometimes a time limit is imposed and “fire-at-will” mode picks up the pace, especially when re-supply canisters are plentiful. “Beserker” is when a soldier gets out of control and should not be considered a valid tactic.
The platoon swats a bug.
Scoring Points
Points are scored not only for accomplishing missions but also for killing bugs and destroying bug holes. Different weapons work better on different targets. In these instances, individual troopers and weapons are selected. If the trooper is out of range, he will move into range and fire. Such a move is inherently dangerous because he’s moving from the protection of the group. The bugs just love those single morsels. For some reasons known only to the designers, grenade and missile launchers are designated as artillery and require a separate command and targeting for each round fired. The time this combination takes in real-time combat leaves the rest of the group to fend for themselves. Thus, your grenade launcher can take out a target but, while the player concentrates on directing his fire, the bugs ate five other guys.
Some troopers have special skills. The lieutenant can call in available air strikes and medics heal wounded troopers. If the medic isn’t quick enough, the dog tags of the fallen must be retrieved or points will be deducted from mission scores. Points are key in buying new weapons and getting promotions that include better armor.
Design and Documentation Downfalls
Combat rewards fire discipline, unit cohesiveness, use of terrain and weapon selection while penalizing “John Waynes” and letting formations dissolve. All well and good but the interface requires so many unnecessary and undocumented commands that learning the right combinations requires a devotion rarely seen in all but the truest afficionados of a topic. This difficulty and the bad documentation are unfortunate for casual gamers. The game provides an enjoyable variety of missions, ranging from search-and-destroy to rescues to Beau Geste-like defenses. Although scripted, missions often have twists and surprises not in the briefings. Many times, the player may thinks he’s done with a mission only to get additional orders. By this time, the fatigued player would like to save and hit the sack. Too bad: no in-mission save utility is provided. While this may cut down on “cheating”, it increases the already strong work factor. Anyway, with no multiplayer options, is saving at convenient points cheating?
Graphics and Sound
Combat graphics and sounds are quite nice. Troopers assume believable stances and utter appropriate acknowledgements and yells. Bugs crawl, scuttle, grab and bite like the worse things in your dreams. The terrain appears appropriate while instilling an eerie aura.
in a sunnier clime, troops cross a bridge on a rescue mission. The formation is ragged because the movement order was given on the tac map.
So Close and Yet So Far
Had the interface been placed around instead of in the action area and if the controls were simpler, Starship Troopers could have been a classic game accessible to all. As is, the game is so labor-intensive that many players will give up out of sheer frustration. Those hearty souls who hang in there and develop a way to live with the quirks will have a rewarding experience.
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