Front Mission: Alternative
Encyclopedia
is a real-time strategy
video game developed and published by Square Co., Ltd.
, and was released in Japan
on December 18, 1997. Front Mission Alternative is the second spin-off entry and the third entry overall in the Front Mission
series. Unlike other Front Mission titles, Front Mission Alternative is the precursor to the serialized storyline and features a completely standalone story and cast of characters.
It was re-released in Japan on October 5, 2007 as part of Square Enix Co., Ltd's Ultimate Hits
line.
entries of the numbered Front Mission titles. Rather than being played out on a grid-based map and using a turn-based structure, battles takes place in real-time on full 3D maps. The player controls up to three platoons, each platoon consisting of three mecha - the wanderwagen, or WAW. During missions, they have complete control over where their platoons move, and what enemy platoons they can attack. Movement on the battlefield is done through waypoints; the player must select preset waypoints on the map in order to move their platoons. Player-controlled platoons can attack enemy targets along the way to the waypoints, or if they are ordered to attack the aforementioned targets.
A unique feature of Alternative is the ability to control the AI
of the player-controlled platoons; their offensive and defensive tendencies, as well as their targeting priority can be changed at any given time. Player units set to offensive maneuvers prefer to attack with ranged weapons. Player units set to defensive maneuvers, on the other hand, will use shields to block enemy fire and prefer to fight at close ranges. For targeting priority, player units can either focus on one target or attack any targets within range. On certain missions, players can request aid from a supply platoon to restock on supplies or a support fire platoon to rain artillery bombardment on the enemy. Lastly, the player can choose to withdraw their platoons from battle at any given time.
Unlike most Front Mission titles, failing a mission does not result in a game over. Players are allowed up to four attempts to complete a mission. Furthermore, players are allowed up to 20 mission failures overall before they receive a game over. Upon completing missions, players are graded on their performance through a new mission ranking system. Based on how well they met the mission objectives, the player can receive monetary and part rewards. The money earned from missions can then be used to purchase new parts to be used by WAWs in combat. Mission rankings are tied to another new feature - mission branching. Based on how well or poorly the player performs in specific missions, they can unlock new story scenarios to play and new endings to view.
Missions aside, Alternative boasts other new features seen in future Front Mission entries: a range system, new auxiliary backpacks, and Cockpit Mode. The range system affects battles in that distance is factored into weapon accuracy and a unit's evasive maneuvers. The farther away a target is from the attacking unit, the less likely its weapons will hit it. Likewise, a unit will be unable to evade incoming fire if it's attacked at close ranges. Auxiliary backpacks are no longer restricted to storage and generator types; there are new backpacks which possess unique features. These include: anti-missile guns, night vision sensors, vernier packs, flare dispensers, radar antennas, and ECM
devices. Cockpit Mode allows the player to view battles from inside the WAW cockpit; this mode grants greater control of the action and operates similar to a first-person shooter
.
Game progression in Alternative is done in linear manner: watch cut-scene events, complete missions, set up WAWs during intermissions, and sortie for the next mission. Briefings from Front Mission
and Front Mission 2
can also be reviewed during intermissions. Alternative expands on this feature significantly: briefings now reveal enemy threats, mission objectives, and topography conditions, using pictures to illustrate these details. The player can also run simulations of their strategies on a 3D map of the mission. The player travels to locations on a world map. As the player progresses through the plot, new locations are revealed on the world map.
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
video game developed and published by Square Co., Ltd.
Square Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
, and was released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on December 18, 1997. Front Mission Alternative is the second spin-off entry and the third entry overall in the Front Mission
Front Mission
is a collection of video games and related media produced by Square, now Square Enix. The series was created by Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio that was later absorbed by Square and is now with Square Enix as Product Development Division-6...
series. Unlike other Front Mission titles, Front Mission Alternative is the precursor to the serialized storyline and features a completely standalone story and cast of characters.
It was re-released in Japan on October 5, 2007 as part of Square Enix Co., Ltd's Ultimate Hits
Ultimate Hits
The Japanese video game company Square Enix publishes budget range titles under three labels: , "Legendary Hits", and "Eternal Hits".- Ultimate Hits :...
line.
Gameplay
As a real-time strategy spin-off, the gameplay of Front Mission Alternative differs from the tactical role-playing gameTactical role-playing game
A tactical role-playing game is a type of video game which incorporates elements of traditional role-playing video games and strategy games. In Japan these games are known as , a designation which might seem peculiar to native English speakers...
entries of the numbered Front Mission titles. Rather than being played out on a grid-based map and using a turn-based structure, battles takes place in real-time on full 3D maps. The player controls up to three platoons, each platoon consisting of three mecha - the wanderwagen, or WAW. During missions, they have complete control over where their platoons move, and what enemy platoons they can attack. Movement on the battlefield is done through waypoints; the player must select preset waypoints on the map in order to move their platoons. Player-controlled platoons can attack enemy targets along the way to the waypoints, or if they are ordered to attack the aforementioned targets.
A unique feature of Alternative is the ability to control the AI
Ai
AI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
of the player-controlled platoons; their offensive and defensive tendencies, as well as their targeting priority can be changed at any given time. Player units set to offensive maneuvers prefer to attack with ranged weapons. Player units set to defensive maneuvers, on the other hand, will use shields to block enemy fire and prefer to fight at close ranges. For targeting priority, player units can either focus on one target or attack any targets within range. On certain missions, players can request aid from a supply platoon to restock on supplies or a support fire platoon to rain artillery bombardment on the enemy. Lastly, the player can choose to withdraw their platoons from battle at any given time.
Unlike most Front Mission titles, failing a mission does not result in a game over. Players are allowed up to four attempts to complete a mission. Furthermore, players are allowed up to 20 mission failures overall before they receive a game over. Upon completing missions, players are graded on their performance through a new mission ranking system. Based on how well they met the mission objectives, the player can receive monetary and part rewards. The money earned from missions can then be used to purchase new parts to be used by WAWs in combat. Mission rankings are tied to another new feature - mission branching. Based on how well or poorly the player performs in specific missions, they can unlock new story scenarios to play and new endings to view.
Missions aside, Alternative boasts other new features seen in future Front Mission entries: a range system, new auxiliary backpacks, and Cockpit Mode. The range system affects battles in that distance is factored into weapon accuracy and a unit's evasive maneuvers. The farther away a target is from the attacking unit, the less likely its weapons will hit it. Likewise, a unit will be unable to evade incoming fire if it's attacked at close ranges. Auxiliary backpacks are no longer restricted to storage and generator types; there are new backpacks which possess unique features. These include: anti-missile guns, night vision sensors, vernier packs, flare dispensers, radar antennas, and ECM
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
devices. Cockpit Mode allows the player to view battles from inside the WAW cockpit; this mode grants greater control of the action and operates similar to a first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
.
Game progression in Alternative is done in linear manner: watch cut-scene events, complete missions, set up WAWs during intermissions, and sortie for the next mission. Briefings from Front Mission
Front Mission (video game)
is a tactical role-playing game developed by G-Craft and published by Square Co., Ltd., and was released in Japan on February 24, 1995 for the Super Famicom. Front Mission is the first main entry and the first entry overall in the Front Mission series...
and Front Mission 2
Front Mission 2
is a tactical role-playing game for the Sony PlayStation developed by G-Craft and published by Square Co., Ltd., and was released in Japan on September 25, 1997. Front Mission 2 is the second main entry and the third entry overall in the Front Mission series...
can also be reviewed during intermissions. Alternative expands on this feature significantly: briefings now reveal enemy threats, mission objectives, and topography conditions, using pictures to illustrate these details. The player can also run simulations of their strategies on a 3D map of the mission. The player travels to locations on a world map. As the player progresses through the plot, new locations are revealed on the world map.
Story
Set in 2034, the story of Front Mission Alternative takes place on the African continent. In the early 21st century, nations around the world began to form regional entities to combat a global recession and other worldwide crises. While many regions thrived under their newly-formed supranational unions, the nations of Africa fell deeper into environmental, racial, and ethnic conflicts. In an attempt to help them, the European Community (E.C.) and the Oceania Cooperative Union (O.C.U.) assisted the nations of Africa to form a supranational union known as the Organization of African Consolidation (O.A.C.). Although it initially thrived in the first three years, disputes between the five consolidated nations that made up the O.A.C. began to appear. Tensions rose and with diplomatic efforts failing, the nations went to war, leading to the outbreak of the African Conflict.Plot
The plot of Front Mission Alternative revolves around a company of O.C.U. and South African United States (S.A.U.S.) soldiers called the Independent Mobile Assault Company (IMAC). Led by O.C.U. second lieutenant Earl McCoy, IMAC is sent by the S.A.U.S. government to help stop the civil conflicts in its territory and in other consolidated nations. Piloting a new bipedal weapons platform known as the wanderwagen, codenamed "WAW", IMAC finds much success in quelling the violence across the continent. As they travel North to the support the Western African Liberation Front (WALF), the company begins to sight unknown WAWs and WAW-vehicle hybrids known as "mobile weapons" being used by terrorist forces. The E.C. also sends an elite anti-terrorism unit to fight in the war, but appear to be aiding the Union of Northern African States (U.N.A.S.) in prolonging the war. Over the months, IMAC starts fighting their way into U.N.A.S. territory and begin to discover a link between the terrorist uprisings, civil conflicts, the E.C.'s involvement, and the true cause of the war.Music
The music of Front Mission Alternative was done by DJ Riow Arai. The game spawned a special promotional vinyl album during July 1997. A music album titled Front Mission Alternative Original Soundtrack was later released on November 21, 1997.External links
- Front Mission Alternative at Square-Enix.com
- FA Vision
- Front Mission official website at Square-Enix.com
- Ten-Mou / Worldwide Network System
- Fan Translation Project