History VideoGame / VectorThrust

** Justified in-universe. In a setting where [[NukeEm dropping a nuke on somebody is often a viable first move]], every nation trying to survive has some sort of sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system that has made conventional nuclear delivery means like ICBMs and cruise missiles have been phased out in favor of bombers that can penetrate these defences, and the fighters and interceptors to defend and attack them, resulting in militaries with heavily developed and highly advanced air forces.

* AttackDrone: The PDU-17 drone functions similarly to a missile, save for the fact that it totes a small machine gun that it uses to spray enemy forces with before crashing into them and detonating in a powerful explosion.

* AwesomeButImpractical: Hitting the limiters in a one versus many situation - yes, removing the alpha safety may allow you to powerslide like nobody's business while pointing your nose at an enemy, but then you end up a big, slow target for their buddies.

* BadassArmy: ''Legion''.

* BlatantLies: Updates every week!

* CoolPlane: With the amount of aircraft to choose from, there are too many to count. Examples can include the Su-47, Su-27, F-14, [[UsefulNotes/RedsWithRockets MiG-29]], F-15 and F-22. There are variants of each plane that are even cooler though, like the F-22X Alvaraptor, which is a F-22 with ''forward swept wings'', the F-15J Kai+ from ''Anime/{{Patlabor}}'', and the Su-37 "Terminator".

* GlassCannon: Most aircraft go down in two or three missile hits, and carry a HyperspaceArsenal containing many, many missiles themselves.
** Particularly noteworthy are late-game variants of the Starfighter family, which gain cluster bombs and anti-ship missiles in contrast to the piddly single unguided bombs and rocket pods used by earlier examples. In terms of air-to-air firepower they also gain another hardpoint for a semi-active radar missile, doubling their long-range anti-air power.

* KillSat: The Ion Rain Mutator involves several dozen of them raining [=L1WAC=] beams onto the battlefield.

* LightningBruiser: The Su-27 and its later variants boast above-average armour ratings as well as a formidable arsenal aimed at decimating formations of enemy aircraft or performing precision strikes on ground targets.
* MacrossMissileMassacre: Another secret weapon, the Micro-Missile Munition, or MMM-1C. It packs a 14-round salvo and carries ''hundreds'' in reserve. Even its Skirmish mutator is called [[ShoutOut Itano Circus]].

* MightyGlacier: The A-10 and its less common counterpart the Su-25 make an appearance. They may be slow and ungainly, but can take the most punishment out of any aircraft family in the game- and they carry a massive warload: The A-10 in particular is the only aircraft in the game capable of mounting 6 AGM-64 missiles and [[MacrossMissileMassacre firing them all at once]], making it one of the heaviest-hitting attackers in the game.

* FailOSuckyname: AI players you face in Skirmish include the standard AXE, VIKING, BLADE, [[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies RIBBON]], and others. Or, you'll be hounded upon by people like FAIL, GASSY and JUICY.

** Update 0.9104 gives us the [[Film/TopGun MiG-28]].

* EpicFail: Time Symmetry decided to have 6 challenges for each plane in the Challenge mode. Given the amount of aircraft in game this amounted to over 1000 challenges. Time Symmetry responded to this by introducing a procedurally generated challenge system, but the computer ended up breaking the game with the sheer amount of variables in each challenge. [[OhCrap Time Symmetry now has to manually create each of the ~1200 challenges by hand]]. In light of this he decided to just make one challenge for each aircraft, albeit longer ones that explore multiple facets of aircraft performance.
* ExtremeGraphicalRepresentation: The briefing cutscenes involve a ridiculous login sequence with systems diagnostics and TechnoBabble scrolling up the side of the screen on par with AceCombat standards. [[NoBudget Apparently these are made on Powerpoint.]]

* {{Leitmotif}}: The Vector Thrust theme and a host of variations makes it into nearly piece of music in the game. Weirdly, one of the few places it doesn't appear is in the Title Theme.

* MegaCorp: Several - notable examples include Sigsawa Heavy Industries which pioneer the Experimental Operations Systems, and the even larger CRADLE conglomerate, the largest heavy arms manufacturer in the world.

* NoPlotNoProblem: The Alpha Campaign has you thrown into random engagement with no continuity or context. Justified, in that it's a demonstration of what the game's early-alpha campaign mechanics were capable of. There's an obscure fan-made mod that attempts to add ''some'' backstory to the campaign.

* PillarOfLight: A SWBM detonation sends a massive, neon-blue pillar of meson energy into the atmosphere, along with a rapidly expanding shockwave of destruction that will [[OneHitKill swat any nearby planes out of the sky.]]

* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Several. Examples include APEX Solutions, a relatively small company focused mainly on logistics and aerial power, and Samson Strategic Services, one of the largest contractors in the world offering a massive range of logistical, tactical and force application power to anybody capable of affording its services. Worth noting is that while some companies are depicted as the stereotypical {{Blood Knight}}s itching to make a profit from any means possible, there are just as many companies concerned with their ethical and social imagery in the public eye and maintain a strict sense of justice and discipline in their employees.

* ResearchInc: Sigsawa Heavy Industries spearhead research and development initiatives in order to sell the latest heavy industry and force-application technology to nations and manufacturers. It's rumoured that their 'Red Crow' internal development wing's handle on technology is lightyears ahead of their public releases.
* SceneryPorn: The unique art-style of the game can create some rather striking environments to fly in, [[http://www.moddb.com/games/vector-thrust/images/carrier-ops like]] [[http://www.moddb.com/games/vector-thrust/images/morning-patrol these]].
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: AI pilots are not afraid to leg it if they're facing down a technologically or numerically superior foe, or are out of ammo.

** The final battle of the Alpha campaign has a massive furball erupt above the ocean involving dozens of aircraft on your side and even more on the enemy's. In the unoptimised Alpha release this was usually enough to crash the game or destroy the frame rate.
** v0.9118 added the "Combined Operations" Battle Scenario, a large land, air, and sea battle with numbers too high to count on both sides - and, as always, you leading the charge to destroy the enemy.

* WretchedHive: The [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Kingdom]] is rapidly turning out like this, after nearly half a century of neglect by the victors of the Grand War - it scores 0.095 on the world's economic rating system.

''Vector Thrust'' is a [[CelShading cel-shaded]] action-arcade [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot flight]] [[SimulationGame simulator]]. Made by one-man studio Time Symmetry along with a motely band of assistants from around the world who contribute in varying amounts, it aims to be an "airborne adventure that offers something for everyone." Notable is its rather [[ArtificialBrilliance brutal AI]] as well as an increasingly ridiculous [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters amount of playable aircraft]]. ''Vector Thrust'' was designed from the ground up with the intent for moddability, and since its (now-closed) release as an Alpha, many fans have already taken it upon themselves to offer a variety of mods and add-ons with varying complexity, ranging from additional aircraft paint schemes and HUD redesigns to even completely new aircraft. Also worth keeping in mind is the game's striking similarity to the classic ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' and ''VideoGame/AirForceDelta'' video games- indeed, both Time Symmetry and the fans see it as a SpiritualSuccessor to those two franchises.

In terms of gameplay, Vector Thrust throws all semblance of realism out the window from the get-go with [[HyperspaceArsenal tons of missiles]] available for use, forgiving flight physics, and simplistic controls that emphasise a team-based, competitive atmosphere both offline and online. That's not to say that the game is completely focused on random battles and multiplayer- in accordance with its focus on moddability, Vector Thrust offers a solid story-based campaign as well as a fully-functional Map, Mission and Campaign Editor.

Vector Thrust can be found [[http://www.moddb.com/games/vector-thrust here]] and on Steam [[http://store.steampowered.com/app/242130 here.]]

* AcePilot:
** Well, what did you expect from a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Ace Combat'' to have?
** In Skirmish Mode, the AI is modified to have distinct personalities representative of the common Ace archetypes as well.
** AceCustom: Possible, and encouraged.[[note]]Textures in the game work a lot like they do in ''VideoGame/{{HAWX}}'', the previous answer to ''Ace Combat'' on PC, but each plane's folder has an unpainted template version of the texture, and with the addition of a text file you can ''add'' your skins to the game rather than simply overwriting the default one as in ''HAWX.''[[/note]]

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: For a pretendant to the crown, [[spoiler Prince Clovis]] is VERY good at flying a fighter jet, an isn't afraid to show it.

* DesignatedVillain: The Kingdom, who at first glance might feel like a dead ringer to Ace Combat's Belka, turns out to be excessively antagonized by the outside world. The truth is nothing like that.

** The S-24A Nighthound, an in-universe example, [[spoiler]]Prince Clovis'[[/spoiler]] aircraft of choice.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: For a pretendant to the crown, [[spoiler]]Prince Clovis[[/spoiler]] is VERY good at flying a fighter jet, an isn't afraid to show it.

* AceCustom: The S-24A Nighthound, [spoiler]Prince Clovis'[/spoiler] aircraft of choice.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: For a pretendant to the crown, [spoiler]Prince Clovis[/spoiler] performs pretty good when it comes to flying a fighter jet.

* FragileSpeedster: Several planes like the NF-104A which has a usable rocket engine mounted onto it. Exaggerated with the F-15 Streak Eagle and P-42, which both can ''outclimb a Saturn V rocket'', but carry no weapons nor armour at all.

*** Two more to ''Ace Combat Zero'', though only in the pre-Steam version: "Solo Wing" is an achievement for surviving massive damage. An achievement for hitting enemies head-on is called "Fire Away, Coward!"

*** Another general ''Ace Combat'' reference comes with the special weapons themselves, which are properly named after their real-world counterparts but are still suffixed with ''AC''[='=]s name for that type of weapon, like the F-14 family's Phoenix missiles, which can target four enemies at once, being called the "AIM-54A XLAA".

** The Type-72 "Condor" Airspace Denial System, or the Kingdom's last 'vengeance' weapon against the outside nations. A triple-barrelled monster railgun designed to establish complete airspace dominance over the ruined Kingdom and drive out all corporate and mercenary forces exploiting its makers. Being the [[CrapsackWorld King]][[WretchedHive dom]] we're talking about here, it's not exactly finished when you take it out. Good thing it isn't too otherwise you'd have trouble even getting to it.

* WretchedHive: The [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mushroom Kingdom]] is rapidly turning out like this, after nearly half a century of neglect by the victors of the Grand War - it scores 0.095 on the world's economic rating system.

[[caption-width-right:460:A mile high and poles apart. When skies fall, this is where we start.]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vector_thrust_922.jpg]]

ExtremeGraphicalRepresentation: The briefing cutscenes involve a ridiculous login sequence with systems diagnostics and TechnoBabble scrolling up the side of the screen on par with AceCombat standards. [[NoBudget Apparently these are made on Powerpoint.]]

* UsefulNotes/ChineseWithChopperSupport: The beta update added a plethora of Chinese planes, from the old J-7 to the modern J-31.
* ClownCarBase: EOS-14 is a massive fortress/bunker thing that starts spawning large amounts of MiG-29s from {{Hammerspace}} once its first point-defence suite is knocked out of commission.
* CrewOfOne: Averted -- for some reason, before the game entered beta, ''nobody'' was flying the planes.

* CrewOfOne: Averted -- for some reason ''nobody'' is flying the planes. As of the game entering beta, however, a few aircraft now have pilot models in them.

* HighSpeedMissileDodge: Standard for the series, though this may not work as well with the update that makes IR-missiles more receptive towards engine afterburners.

* LethalJokeCharacter: The antique [[UsefulNotes/RedsWithRockets MiG-21]] and its family can carry all-aspect missiles. Bonus points if you've modded the game to give them some scary weapons. A more strange variant of this is the Su-74 Tukreb, a variant of the Su-47 with its wings slapped on backwards. Its performance is pretty similar to its predecessor and some may argue its conventional control surfaces are also pretty cool as well.
** SdrawkcabName

** The point-defence Phalnax cannons mounted on all the superweapons and most of the larger destroyers and carriers certainly manage to pull this trope off. Enemy fleets like to invoke this especially well because they coordinate their fire at a single target, usually [[DeathOfAThousandCuts tearing them apart]] [[NoKillLikeOverkill within seconds.]]

** The [[VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar MPBM]] and [[VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception SWBM]] from ''Ace Combat'' are hidden in the game files.

** [[StatusBuffDispel ESCM]]: Electronic Support Counter Measures that neutralise buffs given by enemies to their allies.

* TriumphantReprise: Strike Force is one of these to the Dreamers's theme, and then the Vector Thrust Main Theme is one to the triumphant reprise of Strike Force while having a [[UpToEleven triumphant reprise to itself]] in the same song.
* TurnsRed: EOS-14 will activate massive amounts of new CIWS gun turrets and start launching planes from its runuway when you take out its first point-defences.

* VoiceWithAnInternetConnection: [[http://www.moddb.com/games/vector-thrust/news/black-ops-report-01-the-kingdom-to-come1 An intercepted transmission]] reveals Overton, an intelligence agent contracted by somebody in the Kingdom to fill them in on the status of the outside world.
** However, it's hinted that he drops this and become an actual pilot in the Legion that you fight against.
* WretchedHive: The [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mushroom Kingdom]] is rapidly turning out like this, after nearly half a century of neglect by the victors of the Grand War- it scores 0.095 on the world's economic rating system.

* ArtificialStupidity: They still like to crash into the ground though, but given it's often when somebody is harassing them from a higher altitude. Additionally missiles can be quite dumb.

** AceCustom: Possible, and encouraged[[note]]Textures in the game work a lot like they do in ''VideoGame/{{HAWX}}'', the previous answer to ''Ace Combat'' on PC, but each plane's folder has an unpainted template version of the texture, and with the addition of a text file you can ''add'' your skins to the game rather than simply overwriting the default one as in ''HAWX''[[/note]].

Vector Thrust can be found [[http://www.moddb.com/games/vector-thrust here]] and on Steam [[http://store.steampowered.com/app/242130 here]].

* CrewOfOne: Averted -- for some reason ''nobody'' is flying the planes.

* CoolBoat: ''Vector Thrust'' doesn't skimp on this area as well, boasting watercraft ranging from the Karel Doorman class frigates, Arleigh-Burke class destroyers, numerous fast patrol and torpedo boats, as well as aircraft carriers like the Nimitz. More radical designs include the British STAC trimaran carrier, the Sea Shadow stealth destroyer, as well as the NAM-16 double-decker design. There's also the absolutly huge EOS-04-1 ''[[MeaningfulName Leviathan]]''.

* EnemyChatter: Standard for this kind of game.

** Outside of mutators, the developer has been working with fans to rework aircraft loadouts, which almost always lean towards updating the special weapon loadout to the maximum possible mounted by the aircraft. Since ''Vector Thrust'''s mechanics allow for full salvoes of missiles, this often results in aircraft salvoing anywhere from four to eight missiles in one go as opposed as the previous two.

** Most challenges with an objective more complex than "shoot down other planes" turn you into this.

** [[DoppelgangerAttack Mirror]]: Receives and broadcasts false electronic signals in response to enemy radar searches, granting the illusion that there are more units out there than there really is. Advanced variants can even fool enemy radar into locking onto them, wasting precious ammo for the enemy if long-range attacks are launched. At close range however, enemy pilots will realise that the mirrored aircraft are nothing but thin air.

* TheWarSequence: The final battle of the Alpha campaign has a massive furball erupt above the ocean involving dozens of aircraft on your side and even more on the enemy's. In the unoptimised Alpha release this was usually enough to crash the game or destroy the frame rate.

* WretchedHive: The [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mushroom Kingdom]] is rapidly turning out like this, after nearly half a century of neglect by the victors of the Grand War- it scores 0.095 on the world' economic rating system.

* EliteArmy: [[http://www.moddb.com/games/vector-thrust/images/the-mark#imagebox Legion]] numbers only around 200 pilots but is feared across the world for their heavy-handed tactics whenever they intervene to stabilise a nuclear conflict.

* LawOfChromaticSuperiority: Update 0.9115 gives us the L1WAC-8B variant of the original laser with greatly improved performance. Obviously, it fires a red beam.

** The Leviathan's CIWS missile tubes certainly invoke this- you'll need to keep your speed up at all times to avoid being blown into next week by a constant stream of munitions.

* MegaCorp: Several- notable examples include Sigsawa Heavy Industries which pioneer the Experimental Operations Systems, and the even larger CRADLE conglomerate, the largest heavy arms manufacturer in the world.

* MoreDakka: To a T. The More Dakka mutator increases the Rate of Fire of aircraft cannons, which already follow basic design principles, i.e.: rotary cannons like the Vulcan fire faster than revolver cannons such as the ADEN.

* NoseArt: Some of the schemes for the A-10A and J-35 have them.

* OneHitPointWonder: A Skirmish Mutator invokes this trope and references it by name.
* OneWomanWail: Present in the Main Theme

* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Several 'corporates' exist- examples include APEX Solutions, a relatively small company focused mainly on logistics and aerial power, and Samson Strategic Services, one of the largest contractors in the world offering a massive range of logistical, tactical and force application power to anybody capable of affording its services. Worth noting is that while some companies are depicted as the stereotypical [[BloodKnight Blood Knights]] itching to make a profit from any means possible, there are just as many companies concerned with their ethical and social imagery in the public eye and maintain a strict sense of justice and discipline in their employees.

* {{BFG}}: The 135mm cannons carried by destroyers can and will shoot at your craft, blowing you out of the sky if you're unlucky enough to be hit. The ZiZ carries two 80mm cannons that will annihilate anything they can get a bead on. Player controlled examples include the GAU-8 Avenger 'tank buster' cannon and the larger bore cannons carried by Russian aircraft.

* SceneryPorn: The unique art-style of the game can create some rather striking environments to fly in, [[http://www.moddb.com/games/vector-thrust/images/carrier-ops like]] [[http://www.moddb.com/games/vector-thrust/images/morning-patrol these]].