Starship Troopers: Extermination is a 16-person squad-based first-person-shooter co-op game that is based on the cult classic 1997 movie Starship Troopers. The movie is considered one of the most influential sci-fi movies ever, deconstructing and satirizing heavy topics such as authoritarianism and fascism while packaging it within a plot that managed to get audiences excited and thinking.
Starship Troopers: Extermination captures the movie's wild frenzy and frantic pace, emphasizing teamwork and planning. The Arachnid threat players will deal with come in waves, and get stronger as each wave passes. Thus, the game stresses the importance of building a base, defending, and fortifying it every moment to counter the emerging Arachnid threat. There are some tips to keep in mind when building bases, especially for newer, less experienced players.
8 Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
Starship Troopers: Extermination, like the movie, places extreme importance on teamwork. The 16 players have to defend their base and build it to keep out the Arachnids. The main priority is ensuring the base isn't overrun and destroyed.
Even though most players will play with squads that have been matched up by the game itself, there has to be some level of trust and teamwork between the players to ensure they succeed in this co-op.
7 Utilizing The Building System
Players can access the Building System by using the 'B' button to build the base in whichever way the team needs. Players will access the Building tool, which opens up a grid system to let players lay down the blueprint.
Though simple, this is the very first step players should take when it comes to doing their part in fighting against the enemy.
6 Building A Hub
The very first structure players have to build when accessing the Building Tool is the Squad HQ, which serves as the hub for all player operations in the mission. The Squad HQ is also the building that needs to be defended most against the Arachnids.
The Squad HQ, once it is completed, allows players to gather more resources, make upgrades to their base, and also sets the maximum cap for gathering resources at 100,000 units.
5 Resources And Ore Refineries
Once the Squad HQ is constructed, the resource caps are lifted to 100,000 units. This means players can now travel around the map to find these resources, which can be collected by the Building Tool. They then need to be deposited at ore refineries, where they can be used to improve defenses.
Support characters have a unique boost when it comes to resource gathering, having an additional resource canister that other classes do not, allowing them to pick up more for the team. Gathering more resources sooner and having them processed quicker ensures that the team can beef up its base in no time.
4 Building A Defense
Once the ore refineries are set, and a steady supply of resources has been guaranteed for the squad, they can choose which way to build their defenses against Arachnids. Players can access which defensive structure they want to build by pressing 'R'. They can then switch between the defensive structure of choice by pressing the 'Q' and 'E' keys.
Another point to note is that scrolling on the mouse key allows players to rotate the structure in whichever way they want before placement. Buildings can be repaired by observing troopers to ensure bugs cannot target any unknown weak points.
3 Walling Opposition
The most essential structure to build when defending any base is a wall that covers it completely. Like in real life, walls that cover the structure ensure land-based Arachnids cannot enter and overrun the base.
Another great one to use is the tower, which helps the team scout for threats and incoming bug invasions. Building walls and towers, managing them, repairing them, and patrolling them for any incoming Arachnid invasion become vital activities that define the success of a mission.
2 Having Sentries
In Starship Troopers: Extermination, the threat of dealing with horrifying land-based bugs is a given, but so is dealing with flying bugs. There is no point in having a wall blocking the enemy when they can just fly over it. This is where keeping constant vigilance and building effective Sentry Turrets come into place.
Sentry Turrets are highly effective against both aerial and land threats. The only thing stopping players from dumping sentry turrets everywhere is their high cost, which means that players have to be strategic about their placement to make the best use of them.
1 Last Resort
In the worst case, if the Arachnids have managed to overcome squad defenses, and have overrun the base, there is still one option left for the team. Players that have survived the bug onslaught can access the bunkers.
These are the final fallback point and will provide a sort of safe area for what's left of a squad, in which they can plan out their next move. As such, making sure that these bunkers actually get built is vital, in case the mission fails and its last survivors are forced to retreat.
Starship Troopers: Extermination was released in May 2023, and is available for play on PC as an early-access game.