Solo NPCs & the Alien Threat
When you're playing solo in RUSS, enemies don’t need a game master to run them. They follow clean, consistent behavior rules that keep the action tense without bogging you down in charts. These Solo NPCs use instinct-based logic to move, fight, and react.
Basic solo enemy logic looks like this:
When you're playing solo in RUSS, enemies don’t need a game master to run them. They follow clean, consistent behavior rules that keep the action tense without bogging you down in charts. These Solo NPCs use instinct-based logic to move, fight, and react.
Basic solo enemy logic looks like this:
- Move toward targets they can see or hear
- Prioritize objectives or threats based on type
- Use personality profiles (Aggressive, Defensive, Cautious) to shape how they engage
What Makes the Alien Rules Special?
These aren’t just bugs with teeth. Alien NPCs are diverse, specialized, and relentless, often functioning more like a system-wide infestation than a squad of soldiers. You’re not fighting one threat—you’re fighting an ecosystem.
Here’s what makes them terrifying:
Chameleon Instincts
Many alien types (like Drones or Spitters) have the Chameleon trait. This means they are always treated as if they are in Stealth, even if they didn’t take a Stealth action.
They get the benefits of being hidden, without paying the movement penalty. This forces you to detect them before you can target them, often buying them the first strike, especially if you're moving too fast or forgetting to check your surroundings.
Specialized Castes
Unlike zombies, which are mostly uniform, aliens are built with distinct roles:
Swarm Combat (They Don't Wait Their Turn)
Aliens thrive in melee. Once they reach your front line, they keep attacking, even if they've already acted this turn. This is handled through the Swarm Melee Phase, which triggers at the end of every round.
If you're surrounded, every alien in base contact attacks again, no matter what else happened that turn. This makes breaking away critical. If you’re bogged down, they’ll tear you apart, one claw at a time.
These aren’t just bugs with teeth. Alien NPCs are diverse, specialized, and relentless, often functioning more like a system-wide infestation than a squad of soldiers. You’re not fighting one threat—you’re fighting an ecosystem.
Here’s what makes them terrifying:
Chameleon Instincts
Many alien types (like Drones or Spitters) have the Chameleon trait. This means they are always treated as if they are in Stealth, even if they didn’t take a Stealth action.
They get the benefits of being hidden, without paying the movement penalty. This forces you to detect them before you can target them, often buying them the first strike, especially if you're moving too fast or forgetting to check your surroundings.
Specialized Castes
Unlike zombies, which are mostly uniform, aliens are built with distinct roles:
- Drones scout, climb, and harass
- Spitters attack from range
- Tanks soak damage and break through
- Hoppers add vertical threat
- Blisters and Plasmas explode or bombard you from across the map
Swarm Combat (They Don't Wait Their Turn)
Aliens thrive in melee. Once they reach your front line, they keep attacking, even if they've already acted this turn. This is handled through the Swarm Melee Phase, which triggers at the end of every round.
If you're surrounded, every alien in base contact attacks again, no matter what else happened that turn. This makes breaking away critical. If you’re bogged down, they’ll tear you apart, one claw at a time.