Factions: Cultists: Population: 200 - 600 Worshippers of the fungus and aliens. They saw the first Cataclysm as the coming of their savior, and seek to integrate themselves into the new biosphere. Their goal is the precipitation of the Second Coming: a second Cataclysm which will truly and irrevocably change the world into an alien ecology. Acceptance is based on alien infection; those without an infection will be captured or killed. Those with an infection but unknown will be welcomed, and those with an infection but belonging to a hostile faction will be captured and enticed to join. Rank is based upon integration with alien biology, powers, etc. Its also affected by shadowy politics; assassinations are common. Cultists offer the player improved alien powers, decreased alien drawbacks, and a small number of agents, who are suited for special missions. Missions include spreading corruption, destruction of existing infrastructure, assassinations, direct attacks on other factions, capture of "holy sites" If the Cultists gain control of the Lab, they may gain: -Directed Spawn Storm: Unleash a giant swarm of otherworldly enemies at a targeted point on the world map. -Fungal Creep: The biome surrounding the Lab will become Alien Jungle; this will expand slowly in all directions. When the island is covered, the Cultists open a massive portal and the game is over. -Avatar of Gehenna: A high-ranking member (the player!) will gain a large amount of beneficial mutations. -Alien Command: Aliens become tame, and can be commanded in battle. Military: Population: 600 - 1000 Ex-soldiers, officers, and government officials, along with those who miss the structure of society. The seek to re-establish government and gain power. Their immediate goal is complete control of the island, including the Lab. The do not want to destroy its power, but to harness it. They see the island as a crucial stepping stone to wider control. Acceptance is offered immediate to unknown individuals after they are captured and interrogated. Members of enemy factions are almost always killed on sight. Rank is based upon military-style promotion and succession. Politicking is minor and mainly out in the open. Service is valued above all. The Military offers the player advanced weaponry and other supplies, access to maps and secure areas, and command of lower-ranked members, suitable for direct assaults. Missions include foraging, capture of strategically important areas, "cleansing" of alien life from an area, control of infrastructue, destruction of infrastructure (e.g. roads) in enemy areas, direct assault on enemy encampments If the Military gains control of the Lab, they may gain: -Directed Destructive Portals: Unleash a storm of destructive twists in space anywhere on the world map, causing heavy structural damage. -Weaponized Lifeforms: It becomes possible to manufacture weapons based upon alien biology, unlocking powerful & unique weapons. -Coarse Teleport: It's possible to teleport a large number of people or items to a coarse area (1-5 tile accuracy, not underground). Naturalists: Population: 2000 - 2500 Anarchists, activists, and begrudging libertarians. The Naturalists seek to return the Earth to its natural (alien-free) state, without imposing a strong government. They live in a semi-Communist state, with shared property, though not all members adhere to this rule. Their goal is the destruction of the lab and eradication of all alien life. Their secondary goal is the pacification of other factions - or destruction where this is not possible. Acceptance is given freely, though there is a great deal of suspicion at first which is overcome by performing missions. Members of enemy factions are welcomed, though the suspicion is even greater; they'll generally be stripped of belongings and forced to farm. Rank is based upon pure democracy. There are no offical positions of leadership, and all issues are voted upon. Still, some individuals take a natural position of influence. Corruption is rampant - votes are frequently bought with hoarded resources. Naturalists offer the player access to a wide variety of resources, though the player may not get a choice as to what is available. Food, clean water, clothing, and low-grade weapons and ammunition are common, with rarer items infrequently seen (and only if the player demonstrates a need for them, e.g. they need a certain bionic for a certain mission). Large numbers of people with various skills (none very high) are available. Missions include exploration, foraging, securing areas, diplomacy with other factions, If the Naturalists gain control of the Lab, they may gain: -Decreased spawns: Random Alien spawn increases happen less and less. Once they disappear, the connection beyond has been severed and the Naturalists win. -Antidote Research: Naturalists can use study of alien lifeforms to develop cheaps antidotes to fungal infection, mutation, etc. Scientists: Population: 400 - 800 Scientific-minded individuals who see the alien infestation as an oppurtunity for research. The are reclusive, and only engage with other factions when they know it's to their advantage. They engage in a lot of high-tech surveillance; use of eyebots and hacking. Their goal is to gain control of the Lab and to upgrade its capabilities. They will use this to assume a position of power. Acceptance is generally given freely, though gaining trust is slow. Scientists are fairly confident in their knowledge of others due to their spying, and members of enemy factions are shunned or killed. Rank is based upon seniority and prestige. Challenges to authority are frequent, but violent clashses are rare; infrequently, an assassination by poison or similar may occur. Scientists offer the player access to high-tech weaponry and equipment, and occasionally bionic powers. They also offer advance crafting supplies and a large library of books. Missions include collection of important equipment / components, capture of scientifically-important areas, and swift brutal assaults or hacking maneuvers on enemies. If the Scientists gain control of the Lab, they may gain: -Fine Teleport: Teleport 1-2 people / items to a precise location (accurate to the world map tile, can work underground). -Advanced Weaponry: Unlocking the data files allows the Scientists to pull plans for, and to manufacture, advanced, unique weapons and armor. -Satellite Imagery: Reveal the entire map, track positions of enemies. The Island: The basic goal of the game is control of the Lab. The Lab is roughly at the center of the Island. When any faction unlocks and gains control of the Lab, it essentially starts a countdown timer to game over (or game won, if the player is aligned with that faction). During this countdown, any surviving factions will focus their efforts on attacking or disabling the Lab. To unlock the Lab, several conditions must be met: -The Lab must be powered -Power Plant must be active -Relevent Substation must be active -One passcard must be acquired -Passcard A is available at the Landing Strip, Bunker or Hospital (one of the three, randomly picked). -Passcard B is available at the Missle Silo, in the Underground, or in the largest city on the map (randomly pick one) -Passcard C is available at sea: either in a Wreck, a Derelict, or on a small island. -Passcard D is found on a random map bonus, anywhere on the world map. -The Control Station must be occupied. This is a seperate mini-lab (fake lab?) which contains a remote switch for the Lab entrance. Not sure if the requirements should be bypassable (blowing / tunneling a hole in the wall, teleporting, etc). If they are, it should make defending the Lab much harder; if the door is intact it's almost impregnable, but if you blow that open, then you'll have to replace it with a much weaker concrete/etc. wall. If another faction controls the Lab, then there's a few recourses available: -Occupy the Power Plant and deactivate it. -Occupy the relevant Substation and deactivate it. -Only applies when there's a Substation for the Lab. -Assault the Lab -Hard with the Control Station in your control; you can open the door but you have to assault a single chokepoint. -Very Hard with only Passcards; while you're waiting for your ID to be accepted, automated defenses will likely be hammering you. -(Near) Impossible without those two. You'll need to hammer your way into a heavily-fortified bunker. -Espionage -If the faction that controls the Lab trusts you highly, they may let you inside. From there, you can disable the lab: -Sabotauge (hardware) -Sabotauge (software) -Assassinate key figures Outside the lab, there are four key locations, randomly shuffled among the four corners of the island: -Five Substations: One in each corner, plus one in the center, for the Lab. Once the Power Plant is activated, any area with its Substation activated will enjoy power - lights will be on, weapons manufacture is faster, etc. -The Power Plant: Randomly replaces one Substation. The area with the Power Plan does not need a working Substation. Once this is controlled, a team of engineers can get it running again, providing power. -The Landing Strip: -The Bunker -The Hospital