Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy
Encyclopedia
Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy is a 2000 expansion pack
to the real-time tactics
video game Ground Control
. Developed by Massive Entertainment
and High Voltage Software
, it was first announced in August 2000 by Sierra Studios
. Later in October that year, Sierra further announced that the pack would be included free for new purchases of the original game, the decision having been made to add extra incentive to buying it; existing owners were also entitled and merely needed to apply via online form, also included as a hard copy
in specially-marked boxes.
The largest additions are an entirely new faction, the Phoenix Mercenaries, and a 15-mission single-player campaign that expands on the original storyline. Other changes include extra multiplayer maps, a few more units for the existing factions and more terrain types. Also of note are the changes in the full motion video
cutscenes; the parent game had all of its pre-rendered
in the game engine. In contrast, the expansion's cutscenes were done by Blur Studio.
The campaign begins a few months after the events of the original, with Major
Sarah Parker and her comrades looking to get a way off the planet Krig-7b, on which they are stuck. Battling through Order of the New Dawn stragglers and newly-arrived Crayven Corporation forces, the initial missions focus on getting deep space communications working, at the end of which Deacon Jared Stone is apparently killed. Sarah avenges his death, but feels the situation is lost as the comm. array was also destroyed.
Help arrives in the unlikely form of an Order command cruiser that suddenly drops from hyperspace
. Its surprise entry enables it to quickly destroy its Crayven counterpart, later dispatching dropship
s to the planet surface for Sarah and company. The onboard superior, Cardinal Kila Balor, explains the situation. The Order forces on Krig were a splinter faction, the Second Dawn, not following official Order authority.
The Order cannot move against the faction directly, fearing open civil war
. Rather, they have devised a plan involving Sarah. By supplying her with untraceable information and finances, she can fight the Second Dawn on their behalf in secret. In return, they tell her pursuing them is the only way she can uncover the truth behind Krig-7b. She accepts and contact is made with the new faction, the Phoenix Mercenaries.
Taking command, the campaign takes them against the Second Dawn, and much later original Order and Crayven forces. When all is said and done, the conspiracy is found to be even deeper than imagined.
Others sick of Crayven also joined them, and soon they grew large enough to draw the attention of their original company. Rather than risk hostility, a deal was worked out: Crayven would leave them in peace, and they in turn would take mercenary
contracts. The lack of natural resources
also led to another peculiarity: they accepted scrap
as payment. Under the leadership of a former soldier, they were able to build a rough-looking but effective military.
Within the game, their ground vehicles are hovercar
-like (similar to Order ones), characterized by high top speeds and low acceleration. True to their "Phoenix
" moniker, a good portion of their inventory consists of incendiary device
s, ranging from various plasma-based weaponry
to purpose-built vehicles like the Pyro-Dyne flame tank
or their white phosphorus artillery
units.
Although their units largely parallel their counterparts, their unique ones are of note. For instance, their Plasma Grenadiers are the only infantry equipped with a mortar
-like weapon. Their artillery unit also operates differently; Crayven and Order artillery both fire in bursts of three, while theirs fires one at a time. Although not as quick at destruction, the more regulated firing rate allows for faster target changes.
Additionally, they are the only faction with an aircraft choice that can effectively take on both air and ground targets (excluding infantry), the Swarm. Visually, each squad consists of six very tiny aircraft, each individually weak. The Swarm as per its namesake works best when the squads are clustered into large groups, allowing for massive guided missile
barrages.
Expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
to the real-time tactics
Real-time tactics
Real-time tactics or RTT is a subgenre of tactical wargames played in real-time simulating the considerations and circumstances of operational warfare and military tactics...
video game Ground Control
Ground Control
Ground Control is a 2000 real-time tactics video game developed by Massive Entertainment. It features 3D graphics and a free-floating camera which allows one to zoom in and out and view the action from any angle, from a bird's-eye view to the perspective of one's own assault units at ground level...
. Developed by Massive Entertainment
Massive Entertainment
Massive - A Ubisoft Studio is a Swedish video game company based in Malmö, Sweden. The company is fully owned by Ubisoft. They are best known for the Ground Control series of real-time tactics video games. They were acquired by Vivendi Universal Games in 2002...
and High Voltage Software
High Voltage Software
High Voltage Software is an independent game development company located at Illinois' Hoffman Estates. Established in 1993, it now employs approximately 95 staff members. Red Eye Studios, a motion capture facility, is a wholly owned subsidiary of HVS...
, it was first announced in August 2000 by Sierra Studios
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
. Later in October that year, Sierra further announced that the pack would be included free for new purchases of the original game, the decision having been made to add extra incentive to buying it; existing owners were also entitled and merely needed to apply via online form, also included as a hard copy
Hard copy
In information handling, a hard copy is a permanent reproduction, or copy, in the form of a physical object, of any media suitable for direct use by a person , of displayed or transmitted data...
in specially-marked boxes.
The largest additions are an entirely new faction, the Phoenix Mercenaries, and a 15-mission single-player campaign that expands on the original storyline. Other changes include extra multiplayer maps, a few more units for the existing factions and more terrain types. Also of note are the changes in the full motion video
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
cutscenes; the parent game had all of its pre-rendered
Pre-rendered
Pre-rendering is the process in which video footage is not rendered in real-time by the hardware that is outputing or playing back the video. Instead, the video is a recording of a footage that was previously rendered on a different equipment...
in the game engine. In contrast, the expansion's cutscenes were done by Blur Studio.
Plot
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Sarah Parker and her comrades looking to get a way off the planet Krig-7b, on which they are stuck. Battling through Order of the New Dawn stragglers and newly-arrived Crayven Corporation forces, the initial missions focus on getting deep space communications working, at the end of which Deacon Jared Stone is apparently killed. Sarah avenges his death, but feels the situation is lost as the comm. array was also destroyed.
Help arrives in the unlikely form of an Order command cruiser that suddenly drops from hyperspace
Hyperspace (science fiction)
Hyperspace is a plot device sometimes used in science fiction. It is typically described as an alternative region of space co-existing with our own universe which may be entered using an energy field or other device...
. Its surprise entry enables it to quickly destroy its Crayven counterpart, later dispatching dropship
Dropship
A Dropship is a fictional transport vehicle featured frequently in science fiction, in particular Military Science Fiction and Space Opera genres. A dropship is a common fictional spacecraft archetype, generally depicted as designed to drop troops and equipment onto a planetary surface from an...
s to the planet surface for Sarah and company. The onboard superior, Cardinal Kila Balor, explains the situation. The Order forces on Krig were a splinter faction, the Second Dawn, not following official Order authority.
The Order cannot move against the faction directly, fearing open civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
. Rather, they have devised a plan involving Sarah. By supplying her with untraceable information and finances, she can fight the Second Dawn on their behalf in secret. In return, they tell her pursuing them is the only way she can uncover the truth behind Krig-7b. She accepts and contact is made with the new faction, the Phoenix Mercenaries.
Taking command, the campaign takes them against the Second Dawn, and much later original Order and Crayven forces. When all is said and done, the conspiracy is found to be even deeper than imagined.
The Phoenix Mercenaries
The game manual gives them a brief background and history. They are Crayven outcasts that were relocated to the planet Crim-12, former employees that dissented the corporate structure. The planet had already been mined thoroughly before and was considered worthless in that sense. Left to themselves, the outcasts built a new society using scavenged parts, seized from leftover Order and Crayven holdings.Others sick of Crayven also joined them, and soon they grew large enough to draw the attention of their original company. Rather than risk hostility, a deal was worked out: Crayven would leave them in peace, and they in turn would take mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
contracts. The lack of natural resources
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
also led to another peculiarity: they accepted scrap
Scrap
Scrap is a term used to describe recyclable and other materials left over from every manner of product consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has significant monetary value...
as payment. Under the leadership of a former soldier, they were able to build a rough-looking but effective military.
Within the game, their ground vehicles are hovercar
Hovercar
A hovercar is a transport vehicle appearing in works of fiction. It is used for personal transportation in the same way a modern automobile is employed. You must steer it, like you would a normal vehicle...
-like (similar to Order ones), characterized by high top speeds and low acceleration. True to their "Phoenix
Phoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
" moniker, a good portion of their inventory consists of incendiary device
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
s, ranging from various plasma-based weaponry
Plasma-based weaponry
A plasma weapon is any theoretical firearm designed to use plasma as a weapon. The plasma is typically intended to be created by superheating lasers or superfrequency devices....
to purpose-built vehicles like the Pyro-Dyne flame tank
Flame tank
A flame tank is a type of tank equipped with a flamethrower, most commonly used to supplement combined arms attacks against fortifications, confined spaces, or other obstacles...
or their white phosphorus artillery
Self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery vehicles are combat vehicles armed with artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery...
units.
Gameplay
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
-like weapon. Their artillery unit also operates differently; Crayven and Order artillery both fire in bursts of three, while theirs fires one at a time. Although not as quick at destruction, the more regulated firing rate allows for faster target changes.
Additionally, they are the only faction with an aircraft choice that can effectively take on both air and ground targets (excluding infantry), the Swarm. Visually, each squad consists of six very tiny aircraft, each individually weak. The Swarm as per its namesake works best when the squads are clustered into large groups, allowing for massive guided missile
Guided Missile
Guided Missile is a London based independent record label set up by Paul Kearney in 1994.Guided Missile has always focused on 'the underground', preferring to put out a steady flow of releases and developing the numerous GM events around London and beyond....
barrages.