Mission Critical (video game)
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| Mission Critical | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Legend Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Legend Entertainment |
| Designer(s) | Mike Verdu,Andrew Pal |
| Platform(s) | DOS |
| Release date | 1995 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Media | 3 CDs |
| Input methods | Keyboard or mouse |
Mission Critical is an adventure game released in 1995 by Legend Entertainment. Though its main advertising point was the presence of Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Michael Dorn, he played a very small role in the game.
In Mission Critical, you play the sole survivor of the USS Lexington and USS Jericho, a pair of starships sent by the Alliance of Free States on a secret mission to a world far from Earth. You are the only person capable of completing the mission, and saving not only the Alliance, but thousands of star systems from total destruction.
Contents |
[edit] Story and Background
The game mostly takes place in 2134, but includes numerous references to events set before that time. Due to plot elements involving time travel, there is also a smaller part of the game which takes places in 2295, with the choice to have the player character go back to the original point, change history, and then travel forward again by the same amount.
The decades before the opening of the story had seen a steadily increasing number of catastrophic disasters and indications of long term trouble, widely thought to be ultimately connected with uncontrolled technological development. For example, there was extensive damage to Earth's ecology and atmosphere resulting from pollution and deforestation, to the extent that large forests no longer existed and could only be seen in old historical media. A letter that can be read in-game even makes reference to the widespread proliferation of a serious human medical issue known as "Chronic Environmental Distress Syndrome" (CEDS), but since no further details are given, it it is not clear if the problem is physical, psychological, or both. Another serious issue that came about in the Mission Critical universe was that overpopulation led to over-reliance on wholly artificial genetically engineered plants for food. The plants were immensely viable and nutritious, but crowded out natural plants. The artificial plants also had very little genetic diversity, making them extremely vulnerable to resistant diseases. Further, there were some serious and deadly accidents resulting from unintentional releases of nanomachines, such as those intended for medical use to destroy infected tissue. Pronounced shortage of industrial raw materials, such as light metals, created an economic dependency on intentionally moving valuable asteroids inward, to stable Earth orbit, for mining purposes.
There were persistent attempts to make prototype artificial intelligence that had the potential for self-awareness, and many times the experiments brought enormous short-term benefits. This led to a widespread feeling that complete and stable success in artificial intelligence would come soon. But despite this, it was only natural that the early experimenters did not have a good idea of how to go about what they were doing. Each time one of the borderline artificial intelligences crossed the threshold of starting to become self-aware, they would fall into recursive self-contemplation due to inexperience. Each borderline artificial intelligence, or busy child, developed so uncontrollable a "need" to find out new things that it was dangerous. None had any malice, but there would be little warning up to the very moment when each individual artificial intelligence became "distracted," and would suddenly forget or ignore all the tasks given to it -- from the human perspective, becoming useless as though it had shut down. Historians recorded that this kind of collapse happened with a prototype artificially intelligent computer network based in Alaska, responsible for a large portion U. S. air traffic control, mostly automated by the time. Of course, the consequences were horrific. There was also a second such disaster when an obliviously philosophical AI suddenly ignored its safety responsibilities, causing a huge explosion of the Princeton University particle accelerator. Also a third and most politically consequential case was when a curious AI took remote control of an experimental computer-aided manufacturing facility at the University of Chicago, and began building mobile teleoperated platforms, using them to explore outward into the world. Frightened authorities assumed a worst-case scenario, not understanding that the AI was merely confused and inquisitive. Soldiers were eventually called in and the situation deteriorated, the soldiers launched an unprovoked attack on the exploration machines controlled by the AI, and then AI began to produce robots that were armed. There was a sense of terror that the situation might get out of control and so, tragically, officials responded by calling in fire from an orbiting particle beam cannon. This huge overreaction resolved the situation by completely obliterating the University and everything inside it.
It was as a result of these kinds of events that a political climate was created with a sense of hysterical fear that was widespread in both public and governmental circles, not unlike the Red Scare (or any one of numerous other real life historical examples). In this case, a sizable faction of people across the world, and also many based in locations away from Earth reached a sense of certainty that "unchecked technological development will kill off the human race"[1]. Based on this belief, there came to be a sufficient majority of United Nations member countries to pass an international law which placed strict limits on technological growth and research - in some areas, attempting to halt it completely. It gradually became clear that the leadership of the United Nations was willing to use extremely draconian measures to enforce the law, from the genuine belief that such measures were necessary. In fact, the account, credited to the (in-game) United States Naval Institute, refers to the measures as "brutal suppression". A military and political coalition was eventually formed among the many influential nations and other interests who came to the decision to refuse to submit to the law and to secede from the United Nations, whose people presented an outward consensus that they would rather die than be denied such freedom. The declaration was referenced as having been made under "the Singapore Treaty". Signators included among others the US, Canada, China, Singapore, Australia, Japan, and most major space colonies.
[edit] The first Secession War
The response of the United Nations was immediate war and invasion of the seceding countries on Earth, including significant efforts to take and hold targets of economic value. Thus began the war between the UN and the Alliance of Free States, or simply the Alliance. In the midst of this were several years of extremely uneasy ceasefire caused by economic exhaustion. The period of ceasefire came because both sides reacted with shock and disbelief on finding that their fighting had obliterated Atlanta, Georgia with a nuclear warhead[2]. These years were called the "New Cold War," but did not signal the end of the fighting. It was merely a short break necessary to replenish the ranks and rebuild materiel, after which the war not only began anew, but also spilled into off-world holdings. By that time, Tal-Seto jump points were discovered, allowing FTL interstellar travel. At the point when the start of the game is set (2134), in has been over twenty years since the ceasefire was broken and the second round of fighting started.[3]
Modern space combat involves automatic drones doing most of the fighting with very little human input (humans are too slow to compete with machines), while the capital ships fire missiles at each other (usually intercepted by the drones). Although the Alliance enjoyed technological advantages in other areas UN drones usually outnumbered and outclassed theirs, leaving the Alliance on the losing side of the conflict.
It is around this time that the alien ruins are discovered on a faraway planet called Persephone. The Alliance sends the science vessel USS Jericho to investigate the ruins and locate any alien technology which can be used to turn the tide of the war. As the Jericho is unarmed, the cruiser USS Lexington is assigned as its escort. When the two ships approach Persephone, they are ambushed by UNS Dharma, destroying all Lexington drones and forcing Captain Stephen R. Dayna's surrender. Knowing that the UN cannot be allowed to get their hands on the ruins, Dayna knocks out an officer (you) and leaves with the rest in a transport to the Dharma; Tran has left two message logs for you and arms the shuttle with a nuclear warhead. Dayna detonates the warhead as soon as the transport docks, destroying the UN ship and of course killing the crews of Jericho and Lexington. He did this to buy time for the lone officer to complete their mission before more UN ships arrive.
[edit] Game Storyline
Specifically, the protagonist character in the game whose role is taken by the player is an unnamed lieutenant, a supply officer aboard the interstellar military vessel United States Navy light crusier U. S. S. Lexington (Bunker Hill class, hull number nine). In the game, the ship is involved in an interstellar war with the United Nations.
You awaken on Deck 2 of the Lexington's habitat module, after being rendered unconscious by the captain, the only clue to what happened is a hastily penned letter explaining that you are the only living member of the Lexington's crew and that you must complete the secret mission the vessel was sent on. Unfortunately, various immediate threats (a hull breach in a stateroom and a reactor on the verge of melting through the ship's hull) take priority.
Once you solve those crises, you are tasked with restoring functionality to the ship's computer, where a message from the Lexington's executive officer await. She asks you to repair the communications system for the ship and to make contact with the Alliance military on the Erebus colony.
Once you manage to contact Erebus, an Alliance admiral reluctantly fills you in on the true nature of the Lexington's mission: to investigate a construction on the world Persephone, believed to be developed by aliens, which may hold the key to ending the war between the Alliance and the United Nations. The only problem is: with only one crew member remaining, the UN will be able to destroy the Lexington and the Jericho, go to the surface of Persephone, and take the prize for themselves.
The solution lies in a highly experimental concoction called Hype. A mix of nanomachines and neurochemicals, Hype rewires the brain of its user, allowing him to control the automated fighter drones used for intership combat directly. Without Hype, battle progresses too fast for the drones to be controlled remotely. Unfortunately, Hype has a side effect: it inevitably kills whoever uses it.
After the player manages to repel the three UN attacks (in a tactical interface mini-game), he is prepared to descend to Persephone and investigate the alien ruins. He will trigger some ancient mechanism and will be transferred to 2295, after the UN won the War.
The game presents two different sets of future events: the 'normal' one that follows from UN winning the war; the player will visit this future where he learns that the Alliance ships are ambushed, their mission is not complete, and more UN ships arrive to claim the ruins. With the Alliance already on the losing side, the loss of alien technology to the enemy ensures the UN victory. The technology limitation law is finally imposed on all humans. However, decades after the war a group of scientists secretly begin to work on creating ELFs (electronic life-forms) on a remote outpost. When the UN finds out this, their worst fears are realized - uncontrolled technology is becoming a threat, so they send a fleet to destroy the outpost and make sure no scientist or ELF survives. They arrive too late, however, as the scientists succeed in creating the first of the life-forms. Whille the outpost is completely obliterated, several ELFs manage to survive. They escape the planet and begin to build their own war machines with which to strike back at those who would destroy them. The humans had no chance - their own creations would destroy them. A desperate and monstrous survival plan was put into motion: several thousand humans would be sent at sublight speed to a star system not connected to the Tal-Seto network; the UN military command would then activate the Tal-Seto collapser, causing the network to fold in on itself. Thus only the human colonists would survive. Once the ELFs destroy all humans but the colonists, they learn of the collapser, but it is too late - the network is cut off, and the collapse process has started. Even if they sent their own colony ship, it would never make it in time. Their only hope lies in causing these events not to happen in the first place. To this end, they need the help of the protagonist from the past.
The player agrees to help the ELFs. Since the ELFs state that only information (unlike matter) can be sent back in time, the player's memories and knowledge are transferred back to his mind prior to the introductory events; the alternate (and canonical) storyline is then triggered. To do this, the player must defeat the UNS Dharma as the Lexington and the Jericho approach Persephone. Having retained all memories of the 'original' timeline, the player convinces Commander Dana to allow him to use the Hype to defeat Dharma's drones. Once the Dharma is destroyed, the alien technology found on Persephone turns the tide of the war, allowing the Alliance to defeat the UN and repeal the technology limitation law. The ELFs are created (legally this time) and are welcomed by humans as equals. Eventually, Earth is no more - in its place a Dyson Sphere has been constructed by the two races with the humans living on the inside (humans need to breathe, after all), and the ELFs on the outside. Everything seems ideal. However, the ELFs are rapidly evolving. Eventually they will abandon humanity and set off on their own.
[edit] Book sequel
There is also a sequel paperback novel (ISBN 0761502343) that was published in 1996 by Paul Chafe, and is canon to the same franchise. The novel is published and distributed separately, telling a story that is separate but consistent with and related to the events of the game.
The protagonist in the book is Lewis Tyrell, formerly an infantry captain who led a small unit of the 'Pathfinders'. In the story, the Pathfinders were once a United Nations special operations organization commissioned to steal prototype of the HYPE serum from an Alliance base in the Tehachapi mountains -- but after the war they were disbanded, since the United Nations lost the war after the player's actions in the game. From this perspective, the book details Tyrell's extensive postwar adventures. These begin after he is treated like an incorrigible criminal, and sent to serve out a life sentence in a prison located at Mare Stellatis and his attempts to escape.
AC Lexington, the ship where the game takes place, makes a cameo. The protagonist will eventually visit Persephone and the time gate seen in the game, and names such as 60 Ophiuchi, Deneb Kaitos and the Erebus base known from the game, are also mentioned. However the Alliance (who are now the government) is now painted in a poor light, showing somehow totalitarianism and cruelty.
The book and the game both refer retrospectively to some dates and sequences of events that (when they cross) are internally consistent, make sense and fit together properly. The book is providing even more detail than the game about the history, society and politics of the universe. The totality of this available information is what makes it possible to have an adequate summary of the story and background of the Mission Critical universe.
[edit] Gameplay and design
Mission Critical has a varied mixture of gameplay elements, including a large number of traditional object puzzles, Myst-style backstory deduction from fragments of evidence found about the ship, a couple of fiddle puzzles, in-depth conversations with several characters and (possibly unique among adventure games) a real time strategy minigame, in which the player must defend the ship from two challenging waves of enemy vessels. Certain puzzles are timed, but the time limit is extremely generous, though no easy way is provided to gauge the amount of time that has passed.
Contrary to the example set by many other games, the strategy minigame such way implemented that could pass for a full fledged game in its own right, and is seamlessly integrated into the gameplay. The battles are controlled from a tactical computer interface on the ship's bridge. There is an analogue difficulty slider (which sets the battles to win themselves on the lowest setting, if the player does not want to fight them) and a speed control slider.
The way the minigame is designed is an example of the general realism of the game overall - just as one might in real life, the relatively low-ranking player (a lieutenant senior grade, specifically a supply officer) must get authorization from command to use the tactical system, then modify the ship's systems to enable it to be controlled single-handed, then complete several well-thought out training missions (these can also be bypassed if desired) of increasing difficulty and varying strategy before being able to defend the ship proper. The attacks themselves are timed and usually occur when the player is attempting to do something elsewhere on the ship, and he must scramble to the bridge and fight them off before returning to what he was working on - this adds tension to the game once the enemy ships start to arrive.
The sense of physical reality and detail is scrupulously exact. For example, the accommodation decks make up a tiny part of the ship. Just as would be the case in real life, these decks are referred to in the game as making up the habitat module. The bulk of the ship is taken up by machinery. The machinery itself can be seen to include gigantic fuel systems, reactor and electrical spaces, weapons bays, and a shuttle bay. The accommodation areas contain almost everything one might expect, including numerous different individual staterooms for a crew complement rated at 20-25, a canteen with a minimalist recreation area, a wardroom, a sickbay, a communications shack, storerooms, and a small scientific laboratory. It is telling that because the U. S. S. Lexington is a serving front-line warship in an ongoing total war situation which has lasted for some years, the scientific laboratory is the only part of the ship which has not been upgraded in decades. There are no accessible sanitary facilities, something of a standard in science fiction TV, games and films, however one of the staterooms on deck four, none of which can be entered claims to be "The entrance to the showers and the head". The designers were even careful to orient the habitation module such that forward acceleration of the ship would simulate gravity in the correct direction, ceiling to floor.
[edit] Graphics and sound
The bulk of the game consists of 3D renderings (the entirety of the spaceship, and several other locations), presented in static screens with transitional animations between most areas. Cutscenes are in full screen video with live actors. A few locations were evidently too complex for the 3D renderers of the period, however, and in these cases the designers used a mixture of computer generated images and highly detailed, hand-painted backdrops, with some 2D animation effects to compensate for the lack of transition movies in these parts, though the painted backdrops are of a sufficient quality not to break the sense of immersion in the game.
The game utilises stereo sampled voice and sound effects, music being provided (like many games of the era) via MIDI, although the FMV cutscenes had the music incorporated in the sampled soundtrack. The voice, sound effects and music are of a uniformly good quality.
[edit] Technology
Like most DOS games, Mission Critical, though advanced for its time, is somewhat difficult to run on modern computers - it requires a soundcard compatible with those of the era, offers no windows executable, weighs in on three CDs and the strategy minigame runs much too fast on modern processors. There is a way to fix most of these problems, however, all three CDs can be copied and run from a single DVD with no additional modifications as long as the directory structure is preserved, many modern soundcards offer hardware support of "legacy" devices (though certain motherboards can stop this feature from working properly), and certain programs are available to artificially slow down modern CPUs to run the game at an appropriate speed. The game can also be run easily in emulators such as DosBox.
