Orbital Drop Storm Riders

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If you have issues with online play, check the Troubleshooting section below.

Changelog v0. 60

• Fixed a few instances where the Professor might get stuck after using the 'Lock and Load' order.

This mod introduces two elite units of Rangers and Air Raiders, playable in either solo or coop.

The Air Ranger, a support class that buffs the defenses of other players, and can summon friendly soldiers and vehicles of the EDF.

And the Storm Rider, a more combat-oriented hybrid that specializes in summoning powerful mechs, and can upgrade friendly units.

Yet these are not just summoner classes! They can also issue Orders, a new type of battle shouts that buff players and other units.

Some orders are shared between both classes, while others are exclusive to the Air Ranger or Storm Rider. Orders mix together their effects in cooperative play, and can be equipped in any weapon or accessory slots, allowing for extensive customization.

AIR RANGERS are highly specialized in their weapon selection, playing like a balanced hybrid of a combat Ranger and a supportive Air Raider. Their choice of summons is restricted: they can only summon EDF soldiers, 7 types of wheeled  and tracked vehicles, and 3 types of mechs. To offset this limitation, they are the sole class that can equip 2 summonable combat units at the same time. Their exclusive Tactical Orders (battle shouts) are easy to use and make them a great asset in cooperative play, as they protect other players. Air Rangers can run, having a dedicated slot for armor to ensure they remain highly mobile. They have access to backpack drones, while their only vehicles are helicopters.

And also, Air Rangers come with their own lore:

Airborne strategic command ops, their high synergy of military and civilian expertise represents the lasting legacy of the Civil Conflicts era among the EDF.

Deteriorating envinronmental conditions and the exacerbation of regional disputes had left the world in a state of diffused unrest. To counter the worsening humanitarian crisis, contingency teams had to become more decisive and flexible. Leadership and teamwork became skill requirements in the face of shifting global scenarios: military tasks, such as securing critical infrastructure, may evolve at any time into civilian rescue operations, like delivering relief goods or airlifting endangered personnel.

The Air Rangers' striking vocation to defend the people is perhaps the best example of the EDF's mission to protect all of humanity, regardless of the divisions within. This call for unity is indeed what propelled them to fame during the turbulent events of the Colonial Uprising. Over 400 mining outposts had been established in the Earth's high orbit, extracting resources from asteroids and pioneering space habitation; until the wealthiest of them, Colony 313, claimed independence and lead the rest to rebellion.

Clashes between the colonial mech riders and the EDF continued with intensity, until a stray shot severed the cables of the main colony's habitat module and threatened to plunge all of the colonists to their deaths. As the world watched, the Air Rangers unilaterally ceased hostilities and rushed to lead the rescue effort, coordinating the best of both armies and finally managing to reach the falling module in the nick of time. Building a bond of honor between the opposing combatants.

That unauthorized truce would eventually turn into the peace talks that ended the war. Upon his arrest, one unnamed commander is often quoted saying: 'the only enemy we face in this war, is despair itself'.

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