Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri

Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri is a 1996 tactical first-person shooter video game developed and published by LookingGlass Technologies. The game follows a faction of humans who colonize the Alpha Centauri star system to escape from the Hegemony, a totalitarian Earth government. The player assumes the role of Nikola ap Io, the leader of an Alpha Centauri military unit, and undertakes missions against pirates and the He hegemony.

About Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri in brief

Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri is a 1996 tactical first-person shooter video game developed and published by LookingGlass Technologies. The game follows a faction of humans who colonize the Alpha Centauri star system to escape from the Hegemony, a totalitarian Earth government. The player assumes the role of Nikola ap Io, the leader of an Alpha Centauri military unit, and undertakes missions against pirates and the He hegemony. Terra Nova has been cited as one of the first squad-oriented games with three-dimensional graphics. Despite critical acclaim and sales in excess of 100,000 units, the game was a commercial failure: it did not recoup its development costs. While it was intended to be the first in a series, its low sales led the company to cancel plans for a sequel. The protagonist wears powered battle armor that features lock-on targeting, jumpjets for limited flight, infrared and zoomed vision, and a rechargeable energy shield that protects against attacks. Only a small amount of equipment is available at the outset, but more becomes accessible as the game progresses. The setting’s early inspirations were the novels Starship Troopers and The Forever War, and several compared it to the 1995 video game MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat. However, reception of its graphics was mixed, and many noted the game’s steep system requirements. The game’s TED engine can render 3D outdoor environments and simulate physics; the latter enables such effects as procedural animation. As the game begins, an elite Strike Force called Strike Force is formed in response to increasing pirate activity in the New Centauri system.

The main character is Nikola ap. Io, leader of the Strike Force, and he leads the squad to defend against bandits and create the New. Centauri Council to govern the system. In the beginning of the game, Earth is subsumed by a world government called the. Hegemony. The settlers divide into twelve clans, with each with a military force to defend themselves against bandits—and create a military strike force to protect the Earth-like planets from pirates. Between missions, the player may read e-mails, news and military files, and a “library” that details the game’s setting. The three types of PBA—Scout, Standard and Heavy—vary in ability; for example, the Scout armor is fast and light, while the Heavy armor is slow and powerful. Each may be fitted with weapons and an Auxiliary Suit Function, the latter ranges from increased jumpjet power to deployable automatic turrets. Additional missions—whose contents may be selected by the player—are available through theGame’s “Random Scenario Builder”. The player outfits the squad and protagonist with PBA suits and equipment, and may be given special commands, such as repairing a teammate’s armor or setting explosive charges, during missions. During missions, squad members radio in enemy sightings and status assessments. Each begins with a briefing that describes such details as objectives, squad size and enemies. Objectives range from rescues and assaults to reconnaissance photography.

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