MissionForce: CyberStorm
Encyclopedia
MissionForce: CyberStorm (commonly referred to as "CyberStorm") is a turn-based strategy game developed by Dynamix
and published in 1996 by Sierra Entertainment
. The game is set in the Earthsiege
universe created by Dynamix, and the player control units of HERCULANs (Humaniform-Emulation Roboticized Combat Unit with Leg-Articulated Navigation): bipedal warmachines of varying size and construct, more commonly known as HERCs. Although CyberStorm was a limited commercial success, it sold well enough to spawn a 1998 sequel called CyberStorm 2: Corporate Wars
.
(MSI). Early on in the game one of the corporate communiques infers that Unitech can and will execute any of its military officers if they fail. This is confirmed if the player ever loses the game by having his or her forces eliminated down to the last HERC without having enough credits to replace them.
The player's soldiers are "BioDerms," or artificially created humanoids, designed to pilot the HERC war machines. The BioDerms are supposedly used because of their genetically engineered reflexes, their ability to be directly "linked" to the HERCs, and their obedience. The instructions and early parts of the game indicate that these BioDerms are sub-human, more like trained dogs, but later communiques show that they are intelligent, can think independently (and even rebel), and even think of one model as a "messiah." Thus, the BioDerms are actually slaves: disposable humanoids to be used on the battlefield, and "recycled" for a few credits or blown up in kamikaze attacks by corporate officers when they are no longer useful. One early communique describes the horror of having one's genes taken to create BioDerms, and if the player wins the game, Unitech makes it clear that they will in fact do that with the player's avatar, it is an "honor," and there is no choice.
By completing missions and progressing, the player gains rank in order to get access to more advanced equipment and hardware, as well as being able to control more HERCs. Missions can be selected from a list of Cybrid-controlled planets within a specified system.
The game is played from a top-down isometric view-perspective typical for turn-based strategy
games. The player gets credits for every enemy he destroys as well as a mission-bonus dependent on the difficulty of the mission. However, in the beginning of the game the primary source of income is through mining ore, which can be found scattered across the maps. All HERCs can be outfitted with an ore extractor which when activated collects all mineable ore in the hexagon where the machine is standing.
All maps and enemy locations are randomly-generated, meaning no two playthroughs will be the same. The campaign as a whole, however, is not dynamic; player success or failure does not affect upcoming battles beyond the strength of the players forces.
In between missions the player manages HERCs and pilots in the HERC Base. From here the player can buy and assign BioDerms. The player also has the opportunity to repair, customize and upgrade his HERCs from a wide range of equipment, for instance by adding more advanced life-support to increase BioDerm survival-rate, better shields, different armor, or fitting more powerful weapons to the chassis.
wrote: "Sierra has taken a basic, turn-based strategy game and added some beautiful graphics, fantastic sound, and great network play" and gave it the rating "great" with a score of 8.9 out of 10. Strategy Plus Magazine wrote a positive review, and a line from it: "Early contender for best Strategy game of 1996" is cited on the game's packaging. In late 1996 a patch
released by Sierra added two new game modes: Hotseat
and Play-by-EMail.
Dynamix
Dynamix, Inc. was an American developer of computer games from 1984 to 2001, best known for their flight simulator, Red Baron, the Front Page Sports series, Betrayal at Krondor, and their online multiplayer game, Tribes.-History:...
and published in 1996 by Sierra Entertainment
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...
. The game is set in the Earthsiege
Earthsiege
Metaltech: Earthsiege is a mecha-style simulation game developed by Dynamix and released in 1994. Earthsiege is the first in a long line of games in the Earthsiege universe, which contains Earthsiege 2 and Battledrome , as well as action game Hunter Hunted , strategy games MissionForce: CyberStorm...
universe created by Dynamix, and the player control units of HERCULANs (Humaniform-Emulation Roboticized Combat Unit with Leg-Articulated Navigation): bipedal warmachines of varying size and construct, more commonly known as HERCs. Although CyberStorm was a limited commercial success, it sold well enough to spawn a 1998 sequel called CyberStorm 2: Corporate Wars
CyberStorm 2: Corporate Wars
CyberStorm 2: Corporate Wars is a turn-based strategy game developed by Dynamix and released in 1998 as a sequel to MissionForce: CyberStorm...
.
Plot
The player starts as an employee of the Unitech Corporation, serving as a commander of a private military taskforce to fight a race of mechanical beings mankind created long ago called Cybrids. The game's plot and atmosphere is filled in via messages and text between missions, and is rather dark. The corporate environment is cold and ruthless, with military decisions being controlled by a computer system called the Main Synthetic IntelligenceSynthetic intelligence
Synthetic intelligence is an alternative term for artificial intelligence which emphasizes that the intelligence of machines need not be an imitation or any way artificial; it can be a genuine form of intelligence. John Haugeland proposes an analogy with artificial and synthetic diamonds—only the...
(MSI). Early on in the game one of the corporate communiques infers that Unitech can and will execute any of its military officers if they fail. This is confirmed if the player ever loses the game by having his or her forces eliminated down to the last HERC without having enough credits to replace them.
The player's soldiers are "BioDerms," or artificially created humanoids, designed to pilot the HERC war machines. The BioDerms are supposedly used because of their genetically engineered reflexes, their ability to be directly "linked" to the HERCs, and their obedience. The instructions and early parts of the game indicate that these BioDerms are sub-human, more like trained dogs, but later communiques show that they are intelligent, can think independently (and even rebel), and even think of one model as a "messiah." Thus, the BioDerms are actually slaves: disposable humanoids to be used on the battlefield, and "recycled" for a few credits or blown up in kamikaze attacks by corporate officers when they are no longer useful. One early communique describes the horror of having one's genes taken to create BioDerms, and if the player wins the game, Unitech makes it clear that they will in fact do that with the player's avatar, it is an "honor," and there is no choice.
Gameplay
The game is played from a top-down isometric view-perspective typical for turn-based strategy
Turn-based strategy
A turn-based strategy game is a strategy game where players take turns when playing...
games. The player gets credits for every enemy he destroys as well as a mission-bonus dependent on the difficulty of the mission. However, in the beginning of the game the primary source of income is through mining ore, which can be found scattered across the maps. All HERCs can be outfitted with an ore extractor which when activated collects all mineable ore in the hexagon where the machine is standing.
All maps and enemy locations are randomly-generated, meaning no two playthroughs will be the same. The campaign as a whole, however, is not dynamic; player success or failure does not affect upcoming battles beyond the strength of the players forces.
In between missions the player manages HERCs and pilots in the HERC Base. From here the player can buy and assign BioDerms. The player also has the opportunity to repair, customize and upgrade his HERCs from a wide range of equipment, for instance by adding more advanced life-support to increase BioDerm survival-rate, better shields, different armor, or fitting more powerful weapons to the chassis.
Reception and legacy
The game was generally well-received by reviewers and gamers alike. GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
wrote: "Sierra has taken a basic, turn-based strategy game and added some beautiful graphics, fantastic sound, and great network play" and gave it the rating "great" with a score of 8.9 out of 10. Strategy Plus Magazine wrote a positive review, and a line from it: "Early contender for best Strategy game of 1996" is cited on the game's packaging. In late 1996 a patch
Patch (computing)
A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...
released by Sierra added two new game modes: Hotseat
Hotseat (multiplayer mode)
Hotseat or hot seat is a multiplayer mode provided by some turn-based video games, which allows two or more players to play on the same device by taking turns playing the game...
and Play-by-EMail.
Trivia
- The game came with two play-discs. The thought was that the second one could be loaned to a friend so that you could play against each other over the internet.
External links
- MissionForce: CyberStorm at GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...
.