The United Earth Coalition is the protagonist faction in Carrier Command Gaea Mission. The colony planetoid of Taurus is a pivotal battleground in the United Earth Coalition (UEC)’s long campaign against the rogue Asian Pacific Alliance (APA), who gained dominion over the Earth in an apocalyptic conflict. The UEC is located on a space fleet dedicated to the destruction of the APA, as a result of the enemy conquering Earth and suppressing a large number of the civilians of the UEC. As such, the UEC is now forced to take Taurus for themselves, as Earth is now a desolate wasteland with little chance of supporting life for much longer.
Military
The United Earth Coalition has a very robust military, largely due to its near-defeat at the hands of the Asian Pacific Alliance. As such, they rely largely on a mixture of human soldiers and robot droids however due to the decreasing population of the UEC, the robotic drones are used in larger operations. The UEC also makes use of Drones to support their ground forces, both infantry and vehicle alike. There are two different drone types: defense drones and scout drones.
· Defense drones are rigged with an explosive charge and provide self-sacrificing protection to the carrier. Commanders can release up to four defense drones, which will automatically assume formation hovering around the carrier. If an enemy Walrus comes near, the defense drone will navigate itself towards it, ram it and self-destruct – inflicting heavy damage. Once a defense drone has been destroyed, and there are more drones in stock, a new one will be deployed to take its place. Defense drones can be retracted back into the carrier at any moment.
· The scout drone, on the other hand, is unarmed and relatively small. This makes them hard to detect and excellent for spying on enemy positions. Thanks to their powerful radar, they are able to scan for enemies from a high altitude, which makes them useful for assessing tactical situations and preparing assaults.
The UEC Marine Corps are the military arm of the United Earth Coalition and are dedicated solely to liberating both Earth and Taurus from the APA and freeing the people under their oppression. Each Marine is equipped with a standard rifle and a suit of powered armour, which possesses an energy shield to protect each marine from damage.
Droids are the staple robotic forces used by both the UEC and APA. A Droid has a limited internal power core which drains both over time and for every shot of their hardwired weapons. Human troops are limited on the colony planet, but these squads of recyclable Droids can be manufactured quickly. During attacks, a balance must be struck between impact and longevity. Each squad of 8 Droids deposited by a Walrus consists of basic Assault units, Snipers, Heavy Weapons and Command Droids, which carry the control virus to hijack an enemy’s Command Centre.
Vehicles
The C-class Survey Vessel, also known as the Carrier, was originally designed as a survey and support ship, primarily to be the main support unit of the colonization and terraforming off-world process. Soon after the UEC attack on Taurus it was refitted to meet new requirements and converted into a multipurpose armed vehicle carrier of immense power. Codenamed Green Dragon, this specific carrier was originally seized by the Gaea crew on planet M38 and rebuilt on Taurus. As such, it lacks several upgrades which the enemy has available. These advanced technologies can be discovered and adapted during the game. The purpose of this carrier is to act as an armed mobile platform with a command base, hangars, repair bays and a flight deck, launching unmanned drones, autonomous Manta aircraft or Walrus amphibious vehicles all with custom armour, equipment and weapon load configuration suitable to complete any mission goals. However, even without the vehicles it’s a mighty floating fortress equipped with strong defensive and hard-hitting offensive weapon systems of its own.
The MANTA (Multi-role Aircraft for Nautical Tactical Assault) is an aerial survey craft which has been adapted with weapon capabilities to fight in battle. Designed to enter even the most hazardous zones for mining and exploration, they are highly manoeuvrable and have good durability. Further enhanced for battle deployment by an ability to be deployed in three different armour variants, ranging from fast recon vehicle, lightly armoured attack aircraft and heavily armed gunship, it is capable of carrying out almost any mission thinkable in any hostile environment or battlefield. Manta can be rigged with an adaptable carrying harness and then used to quickly carry and move Walrus vehicles around the islands or to otherwise unreachable areas. This advanced option allows very fast and accurate ground force deployment even directly to the heart of enemy territory.
The W.A.L.R.U.S. (Water and Land Roving Utility Shuttle) is a six-wheeled amphibious unit that can be configured to suit a variety of purposes. Their versatility makes them useful for not only ground or sea assaults, but also for transport, hacking and mining. In essence, there are three different versions of the Walrus. Each with their own set of properties in terms of armour, agility and possible weapon/equipment loadouts. To start, there is the basic light armour version, which is fast and responsive, but cannot carry heavy weapons. They are useful for reconnaissance and quick in-and-out missions. Secondly, there is the medium armoured Walrus, which is stronger and can be equipped with heavy weapons, while still remaining agile (comparable to contemporary military armoured vehicles). The last type is the heavily armoured Walrus. This one is slow and bulky, but extremely durable and perfect for heavy combat. Due to the several weapon and equipment attachments available, there are multiple possible variants of each Walrus type. The weapons for the Walrus include the more conventional ones like the machine gun, HE shell or AA cannons and grenade launcher, as well as more futuristic arms, like the plasma or laser gun. For non-combat objectives, like hacking and transport, the Walrus can be outfitted with various construction or hacking capsules, repair arms, ammo boxes and more.
The Gaea-Class Carrier is the spaceship primarily used by the UEC fleet after its evacuation of Earth in the aftermath of its disastrous war against the APA. These ships have the capacity to travel between star systems and are used to transport military platoons to different engagement zones. These soldiers are then deployed from the Carriers via Pods and possess hangers full of both Walruses and Mantas, which are used by the soldiers for ground assaults.
Pods are drop-pods deployed from Gaea-Class Carriers. They are piloted by AI systems that are meant to react to AA fire and take evasive manoeuvres. Pods can seat up to eight people.
Structures
The Command Centre is the most important structure on the island, determining the island’s ownership, as well as providing orders for island units remotely. Reprogramming it results in capturing the island entirely. Its destruction, however, results in the island reverting to neutral, and the Command Centre must be regenerated.
The Pier connects the island to the Island Network. This is done through supply submarines, similar to the Supply Barque. For example, when units and equipment are produced on a Factory island, they are transferred to the Stockpile using the Island Network. Destroying the Pier on an enemy island can cripple their infrastructure if the result is that many islands are then cut off.
The Radar boosts the telemetry signal of the Command Centre, increasing the capabilities and accuracy of the units present on the island. Though not as important as the Command Centre, due to its effect on island units, it is regarded as a critical structure. Destroying this structure on an enemy island will disturb the telemetry signals from the Command Centre to the island’s units, making them less capable of accurately targeting you.
Factories are present on Production islands, and are where units and items are produced. Also present on the island are support structures, such as a Repair Depot and generators which provide extra power. The items produced in the Factory are then sent to the Stockpile.
Refineries are present on Mining islands, and are used to refine raw fuel. Also present on the island are support mining structures, which extract raw fuel from the subterranean. This is then refined into the universal compound used for repairs and construction. You will also find a Refuel Depot in the complex.
Headquarters are present on Defense islands, and handle defense logistics of the island. Islands with this setup generally have more units and turrets, and the island also has additional generators which provide the extra power required by the additional defences.
Scramblers scramble unit control transmissions, severely limiting the telemetry range of enemy Carrier units, which operate at similar frequencies.
Firewalls protect the Command Centre’s internal systems from foreign signals, making it almost impossible to hack while the Firewalls are active.
Shield Boosters provide power to the Command Centre, enabling it to activate a shield around itself. The shield deflects incoming projectiles and destroys enemy units that attempt to pass through.
The Hangar houses several Mantas underground, deploying them when required. his is usually when the island is attacked by the enemy. Destroying these structures on an enemy island will make it easier to capture, as there will be less defending units to contend with.
The Garage holds several Walruses underground, which are deployed when enemy units are present on the island. The destruction of these buildings on an enemy island will decrease the amount of units the enemy has to defend the island with.
The Research Centre is where various technologies are researched and developed. It pays to be thorough, as these structures may house blueprints to what was being developed.
Replenishers are structures that refuel, rearm or repair units when they activate it. These are incredibly useful when attacking an enemy island, as these structures do not identify friend or foe, and thus can be used by your units as well.
Ammunition Depots hold copious amounts of ammunition, ideal for when your units are running low on munitions.
Repair Depots have various devices which weld broken joints and replace punctured plates. These will prove invaluable when you find your units under heavy fire and need to repair them as quickly as possible.
Fuel Depots have large supplies of vehicle fuel. Very useful should your units be running low on fuel in enemy territory.
Turrets are defensive structures on the island designed to eliminate enemy units. They are usually equipped with a cannon or launcher, and are designed individually to engage specific types of targets. A few examples are shown below:
- · Light Machine Gun Turret
- · Quad Anti-Air Turrets
- · Missile Turrets