History VideoGame / CyberStorm

* OffModel: During the promotion interlude that introduces the Demon HERC (Squad Leader), the Demons shown are missing their two lower arms.

In ''[=Missionforce: CyberStorm=]'', players take on the role of a NonEntityGeneral in Unitech Corporation, joining the ongoing RobotWar against a race of mechanical beings known as [[AIIsACrapshoot Cybrids]]. The player builds and customizes their own force of both {{Walking Tank}}s and their [[ArtificialHuman bioderm]] pilots, selecting from a wide range of weapons, equipment, and pilot ability. Using these tools, the player participates in randomly-generated skirmishes against the Cybrids to earn money and promotions, eventually outfitting his or her forces well enough to take on the main Cybrid command centers in three different star systems.

* TheAce: The genetic donors for Tola, Kaesar, and several other bioderms. The [[AllThereInTheManual help file]] has a background on each bioderm's donor; most are HERC commanders or pilots who pulled off something epic. Should you destroy all three Cybrid command centers, your skills as a commander make you prime bioderm donor material as well. Unitech treats it as an honor, but a lot of the flavor text up to that point treats it as {{Squick}}.

* CriticalExistenceFailure: In both games, damage to the chassis and the bioderm's health has no consequence until they reach zero, in which case the chassis' destruction causes the HERC to literally fall apart, and bioderm health... is fairly obvious.
** In Missionforce: Corporate Wars, allowing a bioderm's stability to reach zero also induces this, regardless of their remaining health.
** Special mention goes to Mentor, at least in the original game. Unlike all other bioderms, who undergo poison damage to both their Stability and Health in the event that their toxicity exceeds their maximum limit, if Mentor's toxicity reaches it's max, the poor thing drowns and dies instantly, even if right before overdosing on Jackup, it was at perfect health and stability. Also to note, unlike all other bioderms who show symptoms of genetic instability when their stability stat is getting dangerously low, the only physical sign Mentor has of falling apart is the color of the gel containing his brain until suddenly it desolves and sprays all over the jar.

** You can have a very successful campaign and never touch plasma weapons (power hog, sharp damage dropoff at range), elecron flux (weak, power hog, requires hugging range -- with the exception of ELF Mortar), or advanced tech (bioderms with good skill in it are generally expensive, covers a lot of disparate roles). Tola is a great bioderm, but for a fraction of the price you could get Kyoko (good value in an unarmed scout), Xian (great with cannons or ELF Mortar), or Jarvis (great with energy and missiles). Those bioderms are poor when outside their primary roles, but it doesn't matter one bit since those low skills never get tested.

** Averted in the sequel. The faculties of a whole base are at your disposal: mining, research, and customized bioderms are all available to you. In addition, your corporation gives you generous credit infusions and unique bioderms for gaining ranks and defeating enemy corporations.

In ''[=Missionforce: CyberStorm=]'', players take on the role of a NonEntityGeneral in Unitech Corporation, joining the ongoing RobotWar against a race of mechanical beings known as [[AIIsACrapshoot Cybrids]]. The player builds and customizes their own force of both {{Walking Tank}}s and their [[ArtificialHuman Bioderm]] pilots, selecting from a wide range of weapons, equipment, and pilot ability. Using these tools, the player participates in randomly-generated skirmishes against the Cybrids to earn money and promotions, eventually outfitting his or her forces well enough to take on the main Cybrid command centers in three different star systems.

* TheAce: The genetic donors for Tola, Kaesar, and several other bioderms. The [[AllThereInTheManual help file]] has a background on each bioderm's donor; most are [=HERC=] commanders or pilots who pulled off something epic. Should you destroy all three Cybrid command centers, your skills as a commander make you prime bioderm donor material as well. Unitech treats it as an honor, but a lot of the flavor text up to that point treats it as {{Squick}}.

* ArmoredCoffins: Ordinarily, a bioderm will never survive the destruction of its [=HERC=]. The sequel adds optional ejector seats as part of the life support system, which are definitely a good idea as they trigger automatically when the [=HERC=] is destroyed.

* CriticalExistenceFailure: In both games, damage to the Chassis and the Bioderm's health has no consequence until they reach zero, in which case the Chassis' destruction causes the herc to literally fall apart, and Bioderm health... is fairly obvious.
** In Missionforce : Corporate Wars, allowing a Bioderm's stability to reach zero also induces this, regardless of their remaining health.

** It's generally best to specialize each [=HERC=] in one or two weapon types and match a pilot skilled in just those weapons. A generalist like Tola is wasted in anything except a Juggernaut loaded with its unique cannons or advanced tech. ''Corporate Wars'' encourages this further with customized bioderms that can have 1 skill in whatever you don't need.
** You can have a very successful campaign and never touch plasma weapons (power hog, sharp damage dropoff at range), elecron flux (weak, power hog, requires hugging range -- with the exception of ELF Mortar), or advanced tech (bioderms with good skill in it are generally expensive, covers a lot of disparate roles). Tola is a great Bioderm, but for a fraction of the price you could get Kyoko (good value in an unarmed scout), Xian (great with cannons or ELF Mortar), or Jarvis (great with energy and missiles). Those bioderms are poor when outside their primary roles, but it doesn't matter one bit since those low skills never get tested.

* HumanPopsicle: Not for time travel, but your unlinked Bioderms are kept in cryogenic stasis between missions, which prevents them from aging. As you are allowed to have more Bioderms than [=HERCs=], this allows you to swap them out as appropriate, or to keep a balance between older veterans and newly created 'derms.
* HumanResources: Bioderms, and possibly natural humans, can be recycled for a quick profit. This is done in the same vats where they get routine medical treatments, which has lead to [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters some problems]].

** The Remora [=HERC=] combines fairly good speed with light energy weapons, light cannons, and light missiles, but lacks enhanced sensors and has the unique downside of holding only one internal module. While pretty decent at taking out other light opponents, it can't be upgraded far enough to do anything else. It soon becomes obsolete in the campaign, although it could be useful for kamikaze tactics against enemy scouts in multiplayer.
** The Sensei is a medium [=HERC=] that apparently means to combine the Shadow's advanced sensor array with the Remora's firepower. The end result is a [=HERC=] that's terribly overpriced, too slow to scout, too weak to damage anything except light opponents, and too fragile to withstand incoming firepower. It may be a decent choice in multiplayer as the Shadow is quite vulnerable to ScratchDamage from missiles, whereas the AI doesn't usually exploit this fact.

* PlayerMooks: The Bioderms. Some are unique in the sense that they are one-of-a-kind and given to you at certain promotion levels. The rest are clones, and all of them can and will die -- either in combat, or from old age.
* SubsystemDamage: Each HERC has over a dozen subsystems, all of which can have integrity anywhere from 100% (undamaged) to 0% (blown off; unrepairable in the field). A [=HERC=] is only destroyed with the loss of its chassis or reactor.

* UnitsNotToScale: The [=HERC=] Carrier is far too small considering that it serves as the transport for your entire force and apparently carries an unlimited supply of reserve missiles and cannons.

* YouHaveFailedMe: If you screw up ''really'' badly (lose all your Hercs and don't have any money to buy more), you'll be abandoned on a lifeless moon, along with with a beacon that broadcasts your position to the Cybrids.

* BoringButPractical: Once you have access to them, an army consisting mostly of Reapers or Juggernauts -- the two heaviest [=HERCs=] in the game.