Gaiaterra: Elysea's Conflict/Creeps and Neutral Units

Creep is a term from The Warzone to designate non-affiliated (but aggressive) packs of soldiers and vehicles which guard certain areas from players' armies (mainly tech buildings). Creeps vary depending on the current map tileset and region, though it is possible for creeps to appear on other tilesets than the ones they were designed for.

Creep Tactics
The lands of Gaiaterra are not safe. Even the indigenous creatures of the wild hold peril for the unwary wanderer in the middle of the warzone. Numerous rogue soldiers, hostile fauna of Gaiaterra, mercenaries and independent terrorist groups called creeps camp in strategic locations on the map. Creeps, unlike the harmless critters on the map, are intelligent units with the means and disposition to attack all players. Creeps range in power, or level, much like Heroes. Low-level creeps are simple gunmen that can be easily defeated by a few Rangers or a single G.I Squad. However, powerful creeps are formidable adversaries capable of laying fire on low tier vehicles (i.e Alliance Ranger and the ADI Wolverine), and some are even immune to Tiberium exposure. Such powerful troops are not to be trifled with. Luckily, they are as rare as they are mighty. All creeps are indiscriminate in their hostilities and are ready to attack the units of any player on sight. However, these forces will only pursue your units a limited distance. You can usually outrun them if you wish to avoid confrontation. Most Creeps can be found guarding Tech Buildings. You can always assume that Creeps defend neutral buildings unless other players have cleared them. Some positions are defended by very powerful Creeps depending on the map. Creeps are an expanded element of the game that make the battlezones of Gaiaterra feel more alive and add additional options and strategy elements early and then later in the game. It also adds a method for player's units to gain veterancy.

Creep Base Behavior
Creep Bases act as one unit. When one attacks, they all attack. It is possible to pull creeps apart via spells such as Entangling Roots and Sleep or blocking their movement. All Creeps will rejoin an attack if any one of them is hit. Creeps that are not in combat will ignore aircraft or helicopters if they have not been instructed to direct attack or "attack move", unless the unit stops directly above the creep camp, causing any of them with anti-air capabilities or their own aircraft to begin attacking, while ground attackers remain idle. The radar minimap has a special ability to show Creep Camps on the map.

Sleeping Creeps
The presence of creeps makes it more difficult to scout the map or execute early attacks against other players during the day. Nearly all creeps sleep at night, and during this time can be avoided with ease. It is wise to use the cover of twilight to scout when the creeps leave wanderers undisturbed. You can recognize sleeping creeps by the animated Z over their heads and the sound of their snores. If attacked, sleeping creeps will wake to defend themselves.

They will be neutral to you. While a unit is sleeping your units will not auto-acquire them, so at night you can freely scout the map.

Some Creeps do not sleep, and will not have ZZZs above their heads. Be wary if you get too close to them, as they will cause sleeping Creeps to attack if provoked.

Mercenaries
Mercenaries are hired at a tech building called the mercenary command post. Mercenaries require an initial insurance fee, and charge a smaller rolling fee at five-second intervals. The insurance fee is completely or partially refunded when the mercenary team is released, depending on how many mercenaries are alive. Mercenaries come in three categories, with slightly different deployment costs and upkeep:


 * Official mercenaries: deployment $5000, upkeep: $100/6 seconds.
 * Unofficial mercenaries: deployment $10000, upkeep: $200/6 seconds. Requires upgrade.
 * Illegal mercenaries: deployment $15000, upkeep: $300/6 seconds. Requires upgrade.
 * Special mercenaries; deployment $25000, upkeep: $300/6 seconds. Requires upgrade.

When being deployed, most mercenaries (the exception being Iron Rain, Death Wing and Shadow Hawk aircraft, which they spawn on the players airfield) will land a reconnaissance helicopter or a dropship to scout the drop zone. If this helicopter is destroyed before it can finish surveying the area, deployment will be cancelled and the deployment fee refunded. If the mercenary command post was re-captured by the enemy while the middle of the game, the mercenaries will turn and attack the previous owner.

Mercenaries can be deployed anywhere on the map. However, the further away the drop zone is from the mercenary command post, the longer it will take for the recon helicopter to complete its survey, meaning greater risk for it to be destroyed. Additionally, the upkeep fee will continue to roll while the recon helicopter is scouting, even before the mercenaries themselves arrive to the battlefield. Thus, in many cases it is safer and more cost efficient to deploy mercenaries close to the Mercenary Outpost and have them reach their destination on foot.

The mercenary scout helicopter can also be used as a de facto scout by the player, since it will reveal a small area around itself when it lands. It cannot detect stealth units.