Infinity (game)
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Infinity is a science fiction skirmish-level tabletop miniature wargame, produced by Corvus Belli. Set about 175 years into the future, players of the game enact a skirmish between opposing forces using 28 mm scale miniatures, as well as utilising a flexible order system, allowing involved gameplay for both players, regardless of whose turn it is. Anime/manga influences are present within the game.
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[edit] Background
[edit] Setting
One hundred and seventy-five years into the future Humanity has managed to survive despite itself, but for how much longer?
The human race has reached the stars. Travelling through worm-holes, enormous commercial ships, run by the international community, known as Circulars, jump from one star system to another. Circulars are controlled by O-12, an international organism that is the second generation United Nations but with much greater capacity for decision-making and for taking action. A single, massively powerful Artificial Intelligence that is present in the entire Human Sphere, and indispensable for the great powers, assists the O-12 in maintaining a fragile balance between them.
The old nations have grouped themselves into great international federations and have allotted between themselves the star systems that have been shown to be adequate for human life. These new powers, much more powerful than the old ones, continue to be moved by the age-old driving forces of human history: the quest for living space, resources and power. They all want the same and that makes peaceful co-existence difficult. Confrontation and conflict are the constant norm, whether they be open or concealed, of high or low-intensity, of long or short duration… the profession of soldier in this epoque is far from dull.
And yet, underneath the heaving struggles of humanity lies a darker undertone. For the great leaders know that their own problems are minor. Because humanity is no longer alone in the cosmos...
[edit] The Human Sphere
The 11 Systems of the Human Sphere, while large indeed, is mostly subdivided up into various zones of control by the different human powers. While some are shared or under the jurisdiction of the O-12, most systems are directly controlled by different powers. Wormhole travel between the systems is achieved by the use of massive commercial ships utilising said wormholes, usually moving in a circular pattern around the Human Sphere. Such ships, known as 'Circulars' travel different routes between different systems, allowing contact and trade between Humanity to take place.
The 11 systems include (in no particular order):
- Earth
- Neoterra
- Acontecimento
- Varuna
- Yu Jing
- Arsch (Bourak)
- Concilium
- Svalarheima
- Paradiso (Paradise)
- Human´s Edge
- Amanecer (Dawn)
[edit] O-12
O-12, an international organization holding great power, stands over all this to maintain peace and order. It deals with all the tasks of supra-state character such as the maintenance and supervision of ALEPH, the Artificial Intelligence of Humanity, responsible for the management of the large information and infrastructures systems. ALEPH, fruit of the most advanced quantronics (electronics in a quantum state), is a fundamental instrument for the advance and development of the Human Sphere.
Another task for 0-12 is the control of the Circulars, monstrous cargo ships, capable of jumping worm holes that connect the divers star systems. The Circulars follow fixed inter system routes, collecting other ships, cargos and passengers, maintaining the flow of commerce throughout the Human Sphere.
[edit] Technologies
The data network of the Sphere, Cyberspace, the virtual space by which information travels and is stored, is known as Maya. Home and feud of ALEPH, through Maya you can navigate looking for information and entertainment. The leisure industry is centralised in the Maya network, where you can enjoy cinema, music, sport and arts and any type of amusement and entertainment. At the moment the most fashionable extreme contact sport is "Aristeia!" This is a circuit of high level duels and armed combats.
The most advanced Medicine allows whims like "Aristeia!" but also the lengthening of life and combined with the best and costliest technology, practically guarantees corporal immortality.
The Cube, very common in the Sphere, is a sophisticated brain implant of wetware, a quantronic biotechnological microprocessor where you can record the memories and personality of its carrier. Once dead – and thanks to the synthesis of Silk, a powerful drug developed by haqqislamist chemists – the Cube can be implanted in a Lhost, a clonically adapted biosynthetic body. The process that allows resuscitation of those stored in Cubes is very expensive due to the high price of Silk, which is an exclusive monopoly of Haqqislam. Moreover, the institutions that regulate the Resurrections – religious organizations in PanOceania or the Party in Yu Jing, for example – issue few licences, exclusively for those who demonstrate their personal worth as members of the society.
The advanced combination of biogenic technology and experimental Cubes, together with the great computational capacity of ALEPH, has permitted the development of the denominated Recreations, sophisticated Lhosts who carry faithful simulations of the personalities of important historical figures. These Recreations, with talents adapted to present times, work as diplomats, soldiers, communicators or artists, loaned by ALEPH to those who ask for and finance their creation.
At present, the comlog has become an indispensable element for any citizen. Indeed so pervasive is its effects that some persons on removing their Comlogs to travel to Ariadna (this is required by law) have had psychotic fits. The Comlog allows one to access MAYA, communicate, search and work.
[edit] The factions
[edit] Overview
Long before the present time, humanity have divided themselves into their various factions (mostly along politico-cultural lines) into the current powers, which came into being due to various reasons, the result of which caused many nation-states to consolidate into the larger socio-political entities of the present time. The three powers that were thus formed on Earth were PanOceania, Yu Jing and Haqqislam. As humanity reached more inhabitable systems during the early stages of expansion of the Human Sphere, such systems were divided up among themselves, the resulting portions due directly to the military strengths of the competitors, though some systems ended under joint control or under O-12 neutrality. The later formation of Aleph, while easing the burden of governance for each power, resulted in many dissastified citizens in all three powers. These people eventually struck out on their own, away from the influence of Aleph, to live among the stars in massive self-supporting starships. Thus the faction known as the Nomads were formed. In the years preceding the current date, the discovery of the last known star system, Dawn, yielded a surprising discovery, for in that system, the descendents of a colony ship previously thought lost long ago were found. Long separation from the rest of humanity and prolonged isolation on the planet Araidnes made the colonists a hardy but somewhat technologically backwards people, forming the Araidne faction, one struggling not to be assimilated by other powers. As the five human factions continue to fight among themselves, an alien threat is making its way into Human Space. The Combined Army 'faction' thus far has resisted all attempts to dislodge them, and more are coming by the day...
Infinity includes 6 main factions at present as well as Mercenaries. Each human faction hails from a certain cultural background on Earth and all factions have certain advantages and disadvantages unique to each of them.
[edit] PanOceania
PanOceania is the Nº1. Great Power of the Human Sphere. It owns the greatest number of planets, has the richest economy and possesses the most advanced technology. Pragmatic and generous, PanOceania is a melting-pot of cultures, heir to the best democratic and welfare traditions of the West. Proud of itself and somewhat domineering it can claim to have the most technically sophisticated society and army in the Sphere and likes to brag about it.
PanOceania, abbreviated as 'PanO', is currently (by a small margin) the most powerful human faction in the Human Sphere, one of two with significant clout. Comprised of a union between India, the Oceania nations, and many other former western colonies, PanO rose to prominence after the collapse of the North American-EU bloc due to the Aurora Incident. While many contemporary Western nations are not present in PanO, many of their influences are evident in the nations that constitute PanO. Western thoughts, religion (Christianity), and technologies have made their mark on PanO, making it the dominant aspect of PanO 'culture'. Even so however, there are many other cultures existing in PanO (Hinduism being a notable example) co-existing with each other. While PanO has much to be pleased about, controlling the most territory in the Human Sphere, there is nevertheless a darker side to it. Despite being a model cultural 'melting pot', there are many insurmountable differences between its peoples, many of which aggravated by a lobby-based democratic system favouring larger, mutually antagonistic factions (most notably the Church). And like their spiritual-ideological forebears, PanO is only too happy, given the chance, to use its powerful armies to obtain what they desire from other factions, should words fail to 'convice' them otherwise...
In gameplay, PanO forces are characterised by their (somewhat) superior shooting skills and a multitude of powerful T.A.G.s at their disposal. Average in cost, they however have somewhat lower close-combat skills and willpower compared to other factions.
[edit] Yu Jing
The other great power, the eternal rival always conspiring and intriguing to bring down its adversary is Yu Jing (read Yu Ching), the Asiatic giant. The entire Far East is united beneath the banner of what was once China but which has now formed a single, though varied, oriental culture. Product of great industrial and technological development and a forceful, thriving economy, Yu Jing is determined to achieve the dominant position which it aspires to.
Yu Jing, like PanO, is one of two factions with significant influence in the Human Sphere. Formed when the territories of East Asia (as well as parts of Northern and South-East Asia) were unified under one rule by China, Yu Jing was one of three major powers formed in the aftermath of the Aurora Incident. Unlike other factions, the constituent territories that make up Yu Jing are culturally similar/identical to the dominant Chinese culture, which has influenced them for millennia. Culturally united and with great discipline, Yu Jing has, despite the odds, managed to merge cherished traditions and modern technologies to create a force that rivals even that of PanO, though much remains to be improved upon. Unlike the brute force tactics favoured by PanO, Yu Jing prefers the use of diplomacy and carefully planned schemes that, if successful, would give them whatever they require without a fight. Should intrigue unfortunately fail, the armies of Yu Jing are often more then sufficient for the task. However the method used to further their cause, the people of Yu Jing, whether on Earth, the binary capital worlds of Yu Jing itself, or on contested Svalarheima and Paradise, knows that it is a matter of time before they reach primacy...
In gameplay, Yu Jing forces are characterised by their superior close-combat skills and willpower, coupled with a significantly higher proportion of power-armoured heavy troops in the armed forces. Average in cost, their specialization in close-combat skills results in them having somewhat lackluster shooting skills, though that is somewhat compensated by their weaponry at close ranges. More so than other armies, the forces of Yu Jing require careful planning in order to maximise their strengths, especially so then the ruleset makes their combat style risky...
[edit] Haqqislam
Haqqislam, the New Islam, is a smaller power which possesses a single star-system only, Bourak. Separating itself from fundamentalism, Haqqislam bases its culture on an Islam which is humanist, philosophical and in continuous contact with nature. Biosanitary Science and Earthformation are the two major strengths of Haqqislam, which includes the best schools of medecine and planetology in the Human Sphere.
Haqqislam, or 'New Islam' in Arabic, is the third of the factions formed after the Aurora Incident. A branch of Islam, it was founded by the philosopher Farhad Khadivar, who proposed a radically different interpretation of Islam, one that focuses almost exclusively on the aqquistion of knowledge combined with humanism. This eventually put them at odds with the other branches of Islam, so much so, then when space travel was made possible, the followers chose to move their homes to the distant system of Bourak, away from the fraticidal conflict engulfing their fellow Muslims. With their emphasis on human knowledge, the people of Haqqislam enjoys an advantage in biological and environmental technologies, making their qualities of life somewhat better than other factions. Their specialised knowledge has proven to be a useful asset, allowing them great merchantile potency (especially due to their current monopoly on Silk) and better specialists in their armies. However, their specialisation in peaceful technologies leaves them somewhat lacking in those of war, ensuring that their overall influence in the Human Sphere is limited, though they are by no means helpless...
In gameplay, Haqqislam forces are characterised by strong willpower and a greater number of specialists in the armed forces. Somewhat expensive in cost, their numbers are reduced as a result, ensuring that any losses are costly indeed. Ranged and melee skills are also average, making the use of specialists even more important in battle.
[edit] Nomads
The Nomads consist of three enormous ships whose inhabitants, discontented with a society controlled by huge macroeconomic blocks and by A.I., have separated themselves from it and roam through space, trading from system to system. Tunguska is dedicated to the traffic and storage of information. Corregidor offers skilled labour at a good price, while Bakunin trades in all that is exotic and illegal in whatever area, from fashion to nano-engineering.
The Nomads, unlike the other factions, was formed long after the Aurora Incident, in a time when space travel became routine. They consist of former citizens of other factions who chose to separate themselves from the rest of humanity after the establishment of Aleph. While Aleph plays an important role in the Human Sphere, its pervasive influence made such people concerned of its implications. Rather than to subject themselves to it, for whatever reason, they chose to leave the rest of the Human Sphere in three separate starships, all of which colossal structures capable of supporting own ecosystems. Comprising of oblivious idealists, criminal elements, and everybody in between, they are seen by other peoples, with some justification, as the riff-raff of humanity, unbound by the normal rules governing human behaviour. Indeed, their societies are based on virtually unfettered freedom, and all the consequences that result, only kept barely in control by the 'security forces' of the ships by the 'rule of the gun'. Excellent traders due to the local cut-throat environments, they often sell their unique and/or forbidden services to other human factions in order to supplement themselves. Normally distrusted by O-12 due to their 'uncontrollability', they have proven themselves indispensable against the ongoing onslaught of the Combine Army...
In gameplay, Nomad forces are characterised by having average scores in all stats, with no particular advantages or disadvantages. Their unique technologies do grant them bonuses in certain areas, especially hacking, but they are otherwise the jack-of-all-trades in warfare.
[edit] Ariadna
Ariadna is made up of the descendents of the first human colonizing ship that disappeared into a worm-hole and was given up for lost. Isolated on a remote and hostile planet, the Ariadnes – Cossacks, Americans, Scots and Frenchmen – have evolved into a hard and technologically less advanced race, which has just made contact with the Human Sphere and is trying to carve out a niche for itself without falling under the control of the other powers.
Araidna, unlike all the other human factions, was actually formed before the Aurora Incident, and were among those most affected by it. The faction takes its name from the colony ship, the first of its kind, that successfully travelled through a wormhole to the distant star system known as 'Dawn'. Once established there, they were supposed to be joined by other colonists of the next ship from Earth, the Aurora, but before she could pass though the wormhole, it collapsed on her and sealed off Dawn from Earth. While the Incident would lead to great changes on Earth, to those of Araidna, it caused their isolation from the rest of Humanity until their rediscovery decades later. In the time preceding their rediscovery, the colonists decended into an 'international' civil war, which eventually resulted in the Cossacks holding the reins of power once fighting between each other died down. Their combat skills were not forgotten however, as the planet they were on proved hostile as well, resulting in a most resiliant people(s), though their isolation and constant warfare stunted technological development. When finally rediscoverd, their resource-rich planet and technologically inferior status proved tempting targets for exploitation, especially by PanO, though attempts at such exploitation proved mostly futile thus far. Nevertheless, the people of Araidna were happy to trade with other human factions and (re)establish themselves in the Human Sphere, though they fiercely retain their right for independence...
In gameplay, Araidna forces are characterised by having a better Physique, but otherwise average. Their technologial inferiority compels them to specialise in guerilla tactics, with a significant use in camouflage to complement their simpler (but no-less-deadly Armour Piercing) weaponry, as well as their great mobility.
[edit] Combined Army
And while Humanity devours itself, a new threat, perhaps the most terrible of all, has managed to form a bridgehead in the heart of the Human Sphere. A Combined Army of alien races, united beneath the dominance of an Evolved Intelligence, an ancient but supreme artificial intellect with hegemonic aspirations with respect to any race that crosses its path. A small expeditionary force, equipped with technology superior to that possessed by humans, that has managed to withstand everything the Sphere has thrown against it, and appears to be awaiting reinforcements….
The present is a critical and decisive moment….Will humans become fully aware of what they’re up against? Will they continue with their internecine struggles for larger slices of power? What will be the destiny of Mankind? The Chinese curse has come to pass and the Interesting Times are approaching…
The Evolved Intelligence, an artificial alien intellect endowed with the most immense knowledge, the coldest, most ruthless will power, has dominated, subdued and wiped out whole civilizations in search of its one ambition: the Transcendence to a superior evolution level. To this end it has created the Combined Army, an instrument of conquest in which it has united the most dangerous species of its dominions. The brutal and violent Morat, born for war. The treacherous and lethal Shasvastii, who’ll do anything to guarantee their survival. And the Concordat Exrah, cynical, aggressive death merchants. They are led by combat incarnations produced by the E.I. itself, making them the most formidable war machine the galaxy has ever seen. The Human Sphere is their next objective....who would you bet on?
[edit] Gameplay
[edit] Overview
Like other tabletop wargames, players assemble (and paint) a combat force of several miniatures. As a skirmish-level wargame, only a relatively small number of miniatures are actually required to play, though the actual miniatures used are determined by a chosen total 'army' point values as well as the unit availability (AVA) and Support Weapons Cost (SWC), limiting specific units and special/heavy weapons and equipment respectively in the 'army'. During the game, which is turned-based alternating between the players, unit actions are determined by a d20 dice, where a score below the attribute score of the unit in question usually results in success. Unit actions themselves are, on the active side, determined by the number of Orders available, where a single miniature present 'provides' an Order to use. Such Orders are used by miniatures to perform basic actions. Using more Orders on a single miniature allows it to perform additional actions. Should the miniature being used come into contact and/or affect in any way other opposing miniatures, such miniatures are allowed a Automatic Reaction Order (ARO) in order to 'react' against the incoming miniature. During actual combat (ranged or melee) between two miniatures, a Face to Face (FoF) roll is taken using a d20. The miniature successful in that roll wins the combat, or complete whatever action it was ordered to do. As in other wargames, the game usually ends when one side destroys (or routs) the enemy. Terrain also plays a very important part of gameplay.
