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Mission 10 - Design & Production Notes
Samarra Stryker Brigade

The most intricate production focus of this mission was the Stryker, the US Army’s new armored personnel carrier or APC. It’s an armored wheeled vehicle designed to allow for easier maneuverability in tight, urban areas and to offer protection in open terrain. It is deployed in Iraq, but its units have seen minimal action aside from this event in Samarra.

We recreated the Stryker from photographs and public domain models. Many have add-on grillwork to prevent damage from RPG rounds, but we chose not to add that to our version. You operate the Stryker the same way you work the tank in other missions. You movement buttons drive while the mouse controls the gun.

The Stryker Brigade encountered their first attack from a schoolyard in Samarra. The school was populated with children whom insurgents used as human shields to prevent return fire from US soldiers. For our mission, we replaced the children with adult innocents. We didn’t want to have children getting killed in the game.

We’ve broken the mission down into two main segments -- vehicle patrol and foot patrol - so you get a real feel for the difference. It will also give you a sense of the advantage of having a Stryker. We even extended the foot patrol longer than the actual event in order highlight the contrast. There are times in combat scenarios when you have to leave the safety of your vehicles. For example, in the case of the enemy firing from the schoolyard, the Stryker is ineffective. The patrol needed the surgical precision of their marksmen in order to not harm the children.  

As for the flock of pigeons, General Wilkerson explained that their flight was most likely a coincidence and not a "sign" as many media outlets reported. We chose not to include them because their factual accuracy was in question. However, Dante will tell you it’s because pigeons would have made a mess of his nice texture maps.