Supreme Commander

Supreme Commander (also known as Forged Alliance Forever (FAF), 'that game with tanks in it', Greg's Paradise Vacation Vocation, and 'C F has a CZAR; where's your air superiority guys!?') is a real time strategy game heavily favored by the stream and its participants. The game consists of using space future wizard technology to "quantum gate" (for you see dear Ivan, in the future we will have enough bandwith to download you across planets in three seconds) to the surface of various planets, and using the rocks and trees to manufacture tanks and jet airplanes in three minutes or less.

This is accomplished by utilizing a very important and very expensive space future invention: the Armored Command Unit (ACU). This eight story tall behemoth is 1/4 battlemech, 1/4, manufacturing center, 1/4 networked virtual intelligence and automation manager, and 1/4 fancy future prom tuxedo. Housing the user like a personal chariot, this command suit is capable of raising and orchestrating entire armies out of thin air, defying the law of conservation of mass and energy while doing so. Using 3D printing technology, the ACU can manufature whatever blueprints the space future military provides its commanders, ensuring rapid militarization capabilities on frontier worlds. This often results in each interested party bringing their own ACU to the table to fight over whatever planet strikes someone's fancy.

Occasionally, the planet will actually have civilian colonies, and these civilian colonies may be packing military-grade heat and will use it to shoot at the armies of the commanders if they get close enough, like rednecks with shotguns. The commanders are free to... demilitarize these colonies with prejudice, at their discretion. In the spirit of chivalry (or because no one bothers to deal with them), most civilian structures are left alone. Occasionally, they will be in the crossfire of various munitions and lasers, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of thousands. Sometimes, if a commander chooses, he may butcher the entire town on purpose for giggles and gumdrops. Honestly, if you shoot at a space future commander while he is conducting bona-fide military operations, you probably get whatever fate's coming to you.

There are several known commanders, operating across many worlds and engaging each other whenevery they cross paths.

Cybran Operations Specialist Greg Hoffman
Among many other things, Greg is the personal protegé of Dr. Brackman, a thousand-year-old brain in a jar. After undergoing cybernetic augmentation and pairing his organic brain with a supercomputer AI for advanced strategic recognition and capabilities, he has participated in numerous operations advancing the Cybran military's interests across multiple planets. His superhuman strategic prowess is rivaled by few, and he has claimed victory in nearly every battle he has participated in.

Greg's greatest strength is his capability to effectively produce and manage a constant flow of land and air forces, directing them to efficient attack avenues, challenging his foes' guards in an effective matter when they are prepared, and striking surgical blows into their bases whenever they are not. He can also see into the future, and visualize potential outcomes of the battle based on even the most rudimentary pieces of information. Paired with his ability to switch strategic gears and adopt a wide variety of supplemental tactics depending on the situation, these capabilities make Greg a dangerous foe.

Commander Malicorn
New to the whole "commanding" schtick, Mali has integrated basic unit tactics and economic management with his capability to conduct offensive operations, allowing him to be a formidable presence in skirmishes and achieve the honorary status of "Commander" on the field. His skills lack a lot of the polish experienced commanders have, but a solid foundation and continued determination will allow him to keep growing his skillset and enable him to develop a trademark strategic style.

Champion C F
When the Aeon Illuminate started to suffer internal power struggles, the theocracy opted for the introduction of a single destabilizing element: the Princess's Champion. A cultivated commander with a specific skillset would be able to enter theaters of war, weather and adapt to existing threats, and carry out key objectives with free and unrestricted agency independent of the standard Aeon military. A combination of physical and psychological warfare, his familiarity with existing military doctrines and strategies allows C F to use his skills on the field to counter and/or deter attacks long enough to gain a significant economic footing with as minimal cost as possible. It is at this stage he deploys advanced units and weaponry with the intent to eliminate threats in an effective manner on a timely schedule.

Never one to engage in conventional blows if he can help it, C F will not commit forces to the field unless he is sure it is necessary. Enough pushes early and often with proper skill and foresight at the reigns will force him to leave his comfort zone and engage the enemy in standard unit warfare. While a vicious commander at orchestrating strikes upon the enemy, doing so with standard armies is not his preferred method of attack; his skill in this regard can be rivaled or even overcome by other experienced commanders.

Brigadier General Phosphonian
Not much is known about the kind of command that would ever trust Brigadier General Phos with either a formal rank or an ACU, but the person responsible probably got fired for it. Phos is a loose-cannon maverick who has killed friend and foe alike in devastating trench warfare.

Commander ExiOfNot
A true-blue UEF commander, Exi will deploy attack columns of tanks backed up by attack columns of artillery backed up by columns of mobile anti-air, mobile missile launchers, and mobile shield domes. His presence is usually heralded by the sound of cannons firing and the rolling wall of blue-grey steel and dust kicked up by tank treads on the horizon. For more mobile assaults, he'll deploy the Janus-model fighter bomber, successfully marketed to the UEF military by a wealthy air design and contracting firm. It's ability to both shoot air targets with skill and efficiency and drop napalm on the ground makes it an excellent all-purpose jet airplane. The only downside to all of this is that it takes precious time to roll out the whole parking lot, and then he has to undo all the bureaucratic red tape, spit-shine all the windows, and pass drill inspection before his assault wave can finally make his debut.

His inflexibility and adherence to code is offset by his determination and dependability in a firefight.

Peasant Mob Leader Suka
Suka is the fucking worst at this game, holy shit, who the fuck builds more than 1 selen? fucking idiots, idiots and nerds.

Suko Shut up.

Junior Colonel Bnlol
A young and ambitious commander, Bnlol has been a commander for some time, but has not yet really gotten this whole "commanding" thing down just quite right yet. Often acting as a wild card for whatever army he serves, Bnlol will use whatever strategy he wants to use, even if it results in his own death. One battle you may find Bnlol producing a real army, one you may find him building a T2 artillery installation on the hill next to your base, and the next you may find him doing nothing besides building hundreds of tiny fragile attack bombers. He prefers to use Seraphim units, but has studied the tactics and uses of each faction. It is also common for Bnlol to "misplace" thousands of precious mass and energy, having zero idea where they are going despite having the exact same production and economy as his next door neighbors.

Major Gears (a.k.a. Jake)
A commander with ferocity in one hand, tenacity in the other, one foot on the neck of Smokey the Bear, and a gas can clenched in his teeth, Jake is a commander with a significant presence and posessed of fiery offensive skill. He has studied Greg and while his skills are limited, his ambition is not. Give him an inch and he'll take one and a half. He'll then write home to the factories to produce two inches' worth. The presence of hard-hitting siege tanks and air superiority fighters is usually crowned off when the experimental bomber shows up, and at that point he'll start aiming his attacks with the intent of scooping entire bases on his dinnerplate.

Commander Aussie (a.k.a. Engineer Aussie)
A commander or an architect? His base uses a lot of wall fixtures and defensive installations, and is usually noted by the presence of symmetrical facilities in an orderly manner. It is unknown if he can actually produce armies. His Australian internet is usually plagued by the presence of wild dingos, so maybe there's something lost in translation. One thing's for certain though: his sense of style and aesthetic is out of this world.

11/10, would fight again.

Lieutenant Commander Andavior Montehagou
My fucking god guys! Did you see that thing that Andavior always does coming this time?...probably, unfortunately for me.

Build more mantis.

Fuck Fletcher.

Forged Alliance Forever Free For All (FAF FFA)
We like the letters A and F, and you can use them for a lot of things. The best thing is when you use them to get everybody into giant gentlemanly disputes that amount to drafting up the best testosterone-fueled budget plans and building the most efficient death armies with them. This game makes managing fun. Or maybe it just turns fun into management. I dunno. If the glass is half-empty, I'd wager you need a refill mate. Did you know you can use your ACU's onboard mass fabrication to make yourself another drink of water?

Rule number ONE:
Always build your factory first. Depending on whether or not you built an air factory or land factory, you will need to follow up with making energy or mass production buildings immediately afterwards. Air factories and their build catalog tend to take relatively more power, whereas land factories tend to eat through more mass. Both are important however! A lack of mass will kill your overall production speeds whereas a lack of power can shut down vital capabilities such as radar and shields.

Rule number TWO:
Always have a handful of engineers. They allow you to build and expand your influence to multiple locations at once. If you have idle engineers, you can stick them on patrol to gather rocks, trees, and wreckage to convert into resources when the demand strikes your poor economy. Have some engineers. You have no excuse.

Rule number THREE:
Never be stuck with a poor economy! There's plenty of mass deposits out there that aren't where you initially gated down! As soon as your factory is built, you should be wheeling out engineers to gun for them as soon as possible! The sooner you get a mass point, the longer it can benefit you. Tech one mass extractors are cheap, but don't underestimate how much +2 mass a tick per extractor out in the field adds up over time.

Rule number FOUR:
Never get caught with your pants down! The enemy can strike with any tool, whether it's fast and light assault bots, a column of tanks and artillery, or a small handful of bombers. Build a radar to see incoming contacts before they enter your line of sight (because by then it's too late! Ordinance is flying and at that point you're going to end up with some dings in your stuff either way!)  A few interceptors off your air pad can swat down early game air raids, whereas your ACU or some tanks of your own can combat land.

Rule number FIVE:
Have radar! I know we just covered this, but T1 radar is also very cheap. If you have the engineers (see Rule 2), you can build a radar tower! They take -10 energy a tick to run, but can be offset by a single T1 power generator (+20 energy/tick). So plop one of those down too while you're at it! Might as well offset the cost by turning it into economic gain! Worst case, the enemy runs across one of your field intel posts and destroys two inexpensive buildings. But hey: at least you saw them coming.

Rule number SIX:
Use air scouts! Once you have a sound economy, scout planes are cheap. Their speed and line of sight is valuable for finding out what the enemy is up to, and good commanders will use them regularly to keep their intelligence up to date. If the enemy builds something expensive and deadly, you at least deserve something nice like some advance notice. Treat yourself to some yummy enemy intel today!

Rule number SEVEN:
Attack! Press your advantage! Put the enemy on the defensive! Watch everything like a hawk, and know what the enemy is doing. Then make him wish he was doing something else.

Use your intelligence gathering and resource gains properly, and you too can be a space commander that gives the enemy a run for his money!

Oh, and remember to learn from your mistakes. Every time the enemy kills you, you should at least be able to sit back and think  '...well, maybe if I did this thing a little bit differently...'  That's called learning, and it's what separates the true men from the dirty filthy computers. Learn enough, and then you can get really crafty. Get a mental portfolio of battle plans that result in death and pain, and spring them whenever the opportunity presents itself. There's plenty for every tech level if you learn to think outside the box.

Phantom X
Or 'how I learned to use the most expensive military hardware ever to play high-stakes poker'.

Phantom is a game where everyone gathers around a metaphorical table and puts down various metaphorical chips while clutching a single metaphorical bloody hand of cards like a paranoid private eye. The goal is to put down the most advantageous stack of chips while catching the reflective glint off of everyone else's chips to try and see what their hand is. The cool dense air flows around you as you throw a steely glance out from under your fedora. Dim embers flare in the dark-lit room, contrasting the single swaying lamp that's throwing it's pale ambiance down on the table. The guy at three o' clock took a puff of his cigar, probably an import that costs more than your week's pay. His granite eyes betray nothing, but you're not quite convinced...

It's going to be a loooong night.

Rules
So you want to be a Pokémon Phantom Master, you say? Well, if you've read the above metaphor correctly, congratulations! I will now explain how this game really works. It starts out like a typical free for all match, but the similarities end there. Everyone is allied to each other. Most players are INNOCENT. One player is randomly assigned as the PHANTOM, and he gets a boost in resources compared to everyone else. The phantom is also assigned an Illuminati-tier secret task: Kill everyone else. Make sure they don't see it coming.

One innocent, depending on the game's settings, may instead be a PALADIN. The paladin also gets a resource boost, but his mission is to protect everyone else from the phantom. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it in this dog-eat-dog world. Why's it tough you say? Because the innocents don't know you're the Paladin. They never know, and you can't tell them. They'll just accuse you of being the phantom and trying to cover your tracks. Come to think of it, you won't ever know if they're really innocent either...

If you're innocent...
The innocents, plus paladin, must successfully identify and eliminate the phantom in order to win.
 * 1) Greg is always the phantom.
 * 2) C F is always also the phantom.
 * 3) Greg can always be trusted.
 * 4) Never trust C F or Phos.
 * 5) C F never lies.
 * 6) Greg will invariably end up with the blood of innocents on his hand.
 * 7) The phantom is never identified on the first go.
 * 8) Bnlol is always the phantom.
 * 9) Bnlol is always the paladin.
 * 10) Exi is never the phantom.
 * 11) Andavior is a phantom half-breed.
 * 12) Gears is incapable of being the phantom, but only on Wednesdays.
 * 13) Aussie is still waiting to be Phantom.. JUST ONCE!

If you're the phantom...
The phantom, masquerading as an innocent, must make sure everyone but him is dead by the end of the match. Preferably with knives sticking out of their backs. Players are only told the hand they're dealt, and their hand is only revealed when that player bites the dust.
 * 1) Encourage strife.
 * 2) Encourage the killing of others.
 * 3) Never follow one or two directly, as they make you seem suspicious.
 * 4) Never be suspicious.
 * 5) Always be kind of suspicious, but at least to a regular degree.
 * 6) Accuse other players of being the phantom.
 * 7) Other players will accuse you of being the phantom.
 * 8) As sure as the moon will rise, you will need to be clever.

Trust no one.

Co-Op Campaign
Sometimes the world needs saving. No one's ever fully convinced of this fact, but the ones who aren't are the kind of lousy incompetents who get whole worlds into this mess. Whole cities are threatened, high profile military officials are holed up in bunkers while the apocalypse rains down around them, and a hostile alien race decided to invade Earth. As in: all of it. Simultaneously. In these situations, there's very few things to hold on to. But sometimes a dedicated commander adhering to a strict doctrine can demonstrate the kind of solidarity it takes to buckle down and get things done.

This is not one of those times.

They say, given enough time, one thousand monkeys at one thousand typewriters will eventually produce the works of Shakespeare. This is kind of like that, except we can only afford four of you monkeys at a time, the typewriters go thermonuclear if you press the 'k' key the wrong way, and you've only got until the enemy commander is fed up with the flying feces and sends over sixty gunships to clean up the unorganized mess you filthy primates are leaving all over the battlefield.

Oh, and you've got limited mass points to work with. Have fun!

Rules
Okay, so I don't know why you are all down on the planet together when we've only got one LZ's worth of mass to work with, but hear me out. You need to ration it very carefully! It's like a trickle feed of hope that you have to drip into just the right shape so that it solidifies into a beautiful and mighty crystalline structure, but if you waste too much of it, you end up just making a poor puddle on the ground.

And then the enemy brings in gunships.

Rule number ONE:
Know your roles, and what to expect! Trust each of your teammates to do their job, and cover for one another.

Rule number TWO:
Keep your ACU out of harm's way! The mission is over as soon as you lose a commander.

Rule number THREE:
Do not rush the objectives! Your team may not be ready to handle the next wave.

Rule number FOUR:
Do not stockpile all kinds of experimentals and weapons of mass destruction before completing the next objectives! While the mission will not move on without having the objectives completed first, the Co-op mod will not sit idly by for this kind of exploitation. As soon as the map expands, expect a proportionate wave of Strategic Bombers and the like to come flying out of the woodwork to kill any precious toys the computer may think you have. Not only is this amount of high-end strikes deadly and hard to counter, it also may lag the game once the map expands and renders it all in at once.

Rule number FIVE:
...Eh, the computer's actually pretty predictable once you get right down to it and know all the tricks. The missions do not even host an AI capable of making decisions, just a hard-coded set of move and build orders for each opponent. They're sitting pretty with superior numbers, but they don't know how to adapt at all. Just figure out how to survive each of their patterned attack waves, and you too can impress all your friends at your typewriting capabilities.

Just be sure not to let them die while you're doing it.