Infantry Combat involves combat actions between Characters, NPCs, Droids and Creatures.

The Player's Character is essential to all forms of infantry combat, whether they are issuing orders, or engaging in their own combat actions. If the player is incapacitated or killed, his units will no longer be able to engage in combat and will flee.

The player character is able to lead troops, directly commanding 12 NPCs within his or her own party and indirectly a number of extra troop squads based on the Ground Command skill.

Although they may be numerous, squads of NPCs without direct player leadership will be considerably weaker than a player squad.

Players will be allowed to control their own squad directly, plus one extra squad remotely, plus one further squad per ground command level. The extra squad must remain within the same container (city or terrain square) to remain under command.

Both the player and NPCs in squads will need to be equipped with weapons. Characters will have regular slots plus two weapon slots and a utility slot.

NPCs have a simplified slots and will not be able to carry as many items as a regular character.

The Player is able to issue orders to his units, such as attack target or patrol this area. His units shall then follow their orders until they either complete them, or are recalled by the Character.

Units that are following orders are less effective than units that are actively engaging in actions with the character. They will choose their own weapons and tactics within combat based loosely around the core objectives given.

The Player can not be killed outright, unless his available units have been eliminated. In the event that a Player is knocked out while his units are still active, they will either resurrect him using an available stimpack they have equiped to their utility slot, or the entire unit will flee from the battle taking their commander with them. Note
Fleeing units can still be attacked and destroyed. Fleeing units are less effective when defending against an attack.
Note
The unit will continue to withdraw away from the opposing units until it can either no longer see them, or it finds an available friendly entity that has sufficient capacity to hide inside (eg. a drop ship)

In the event that an entity is eliminated during Combat, all attacking parties receive a share of the experience, based on the percentage of damage they dealt during the battle. If a Player is knocked out and is forced to withdraw from combat, he loses all potential XP. Also, if the Player enters an entity such as a ship, or a facility before the defending entity is destroyed, he loses all potential XP.

Equipment slots contain any equipment the player thinks he may need when he enters into combat.

Once in combat, swapping out primary, secondary weapon and utility slot takes a time delay, to promote preparation beforehand.

The Primary Weapon Slot contains the Character's weapon of choice. This weapon can be used for both attacking and defending.

The Secondary Weapon Slot contains the Character's back up weapon. This weapon can be used for both attacking and defending. Note
Shield items such as Riot and Energy shields take up the Secondary Weapon Slot. So a Character will need to decide between added defense, or broader offensive capabilities. (Wearable armour is equipped to chest and head slots as usual)
Tip
It is always a good idea to carry a melee weapon, though it is not required, in the event that the enemy gets into close range (The same square) as Ranged Weapons will not be useable at that range.

The Utility Slot contains weapons with either a limited used (Explosives, Throwing Weapons, Medkits). Jetpacks can be equipped into the back slots.

When in combat, any items equipped to the utility slot will be available to be used automatically (e.g. medpacks or stimpacks), or with no delay when used interactively.

The Attacking Player or NPC is able to attack a target using either a weapon in his Primary Slot, Secondary Slot, or Utility Slot.

Once an attack has been carried out a fire delay will be created. During a firedelay phase, the Player is prohibited from moving, engaging in other attacking actions, or making changes to his units.

Players will be able to switch weapons during this time, but will not be able to fire their newly equipped weapon until their pre-existing firedelay is complete.

A Defending Player or Party, on being attacked, makes a counter-attack. This counter-attack follows almost all of the same rules that attacking involves, with the exception that the defending entity does not receive a fire delay, and is able to instantly attack again when possible (if the previous fire delay was set attacking the same attacker).

The weapon used when defending will be picked from both the primary and secondary weapons, and the defender will use the best available equipped weapon to defend with. Note
Players or NPCs with fire delays will still be able to defend against an attacking party.
Example
You have a party of 12 Riflemen, you fire at a Party of 5 Rifleman and 1 Character. You fire 12 shots with your party. The defending party then takes 6 shots as their counter-attack.

Weapons have a base damage and base accuracy.

Each weapon will have specific modifiers based on range, the target and skills. These will positively or negatively affect the base damage and accuracy.

Weapons will do either splash damage, which attacks several units within the party at random, or individual damage which attacks one unit within the party. Automatic weapons will do splash damage firing on multiple targets, whilst rifles and pistols will do individual damage. Automatic weapons may fire more than one round per attack.

Creature Combat is an extension of Infantry Combat. In Creature Combat, one party (Either the attacker or defender) is replaced by creatures.

In the event that the player is seen by a creature, the Creature will then decide on an action to take. These actions are regarded as Unprovoked Actions, as they do not require the Character to interfere with the Creature.

• Attack - The Creature will move towards and attack the Character.
• Call for help - Rallys Creatures of the same type within a certain range to attack the target.
• Run Away - The Creature will move away from the Character, and will continue to flee until the character is outside their field of view.
• Grazing - The Creature is stationary.
• Moving - The Creature is moving around aimlessly, looking for food.

In the event that the Character takes a proactive action against the creature, such as attacking it, the creature will decide on what action to take. These actions are called Provoked Actions.

• Attack - The Creature will move towards and attack the Character.
• Call for help - Rallys Creatures of the same type within a certain range to attack the target.
• Run Away - The Creature will move away from the Character, and will continue to flee until the character is outside their field of view.

Note
Continuing to approach a creature might result in it becoming startled and it attacking you, such action is called an interfering action.