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'''Infinity''' is a tabletop wargame created by Spanish company Corvus Belli in 2006. It is influenced by [[Ghost in Thethe Shell]] and other [[Post Cyber Punk]] anime/manga and is known for its dynamic rule system (you can still take actions during your opponent's turn, meaning you never have "nothing" to do) and the "interesting" poses on many of its models.
 
It is 175 years into [[The Future]] and humanity has been able to colonise the stars thanks to [[Our Wormholes Are Different|wormholes]] and a grand unifying [[A Is|AI]] named ALEPH. ALEPH is overseen by an organisation called O-12 that also controls giant cargo ships called Circulars that [[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin|travel around the 11 human-controlled systems in a circular route]], effectively making them this universe's equivalent of [[Dune|CHOAM]]. Unfortunately, even with mankind so spread out, they still can't keep their hands off of each other and have split into 5 separate factions which make up the Human Sphere:
 
* ''Pan Oceania'', the largest (by a small margin) and most technologically advanced of the factions, a veritable melting pot of cultures that is heavily influenced by Western thought and has lots of kickass gadgets. Pam Oceanian troops draw inspiration from a wide range of sources, ranging from South American uniforms to Southeast Asia and African tribal designs to Catholic knights.
* ''Yu Jing'', the second-largest and constantly at odds with PanO. Consists mainly of the East Asian countries unified by China. Yu Jing draws heavily from East Asian designs - Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Tibetan primarily.
* ''Haqqislam'', a sect of Islam that emphasises humanism and the search for knowledge. Their ability to manufacture the immortality drug Silk makes them very, very rich. Haqqislam naturally draws heavily from Middle eastern art styles and uniform designs, both contemporary and historical.
* ''Nomads'', people who didn't agree with allowing themselves to be governed by Aleph and left their respective societies aboard three giant colony ships. Nomads draw vaguely from Eastern European designs, particularly nomadic cultures, but for the most part are uniquely [[Cyberpunk|cyberpunkishcyberpunk]]ish in their aesthetics.
* ''Ariadna'', the survivors of the first colony ship sent through a wormhole, which mysteriously disappeared, only to be rediscovered several decades later. They don't particularly want to be controlled by anybody. Ariadna designs are a chaotic mixture of cultures from Europe, Russia, and the United States.
* ''ALEPH'' itself maintains the Special Situations Section, essentially its own small, secret army of robots and cyborgs that serve as troubleshooters that eliminate threats to human stability, be they human or otherwise. ALEPH troops draw a lot of inspiration from high-tech cyberpunkish designs, particularly ''[[Ghost in Thethe Shell]]'' (though GitS inspired a lot of ''Infinity'', it is most noticeable in the aesthetics for ALEPH).
 
Oh, did we mention that while they're beating the stuffing out of each other they're being observed by a ''Combined Army'', composed of various [[Humanoid Aliens]] and lead by an AI even more advanced than ALEPH, called the Evolved Intelligence (EI). Oh sure, they're only watching for now, but nothing has been able to get them to leave.
 
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Not to be confused with [[Infinity (fanfic)|the fanfic of the same name]], or the comic book ''[[Infinity, Inc.]]''.
=== Contains examples of: ===
 
* [[AI Is a Crapshoot]]: Inverted. ALEPH shows no signs of betraying humanity so far and the EI has loyalty to the Ur-Rationalists encoded into every redundant system. Played straight, however, by the Rationalists' ''first'' AI, which promptly [[Ascend to A Higher Plane of Existence|achieved enlightenment]] when it was switched on - and then decided that the Ur weren't worthy of ascension and left them behind.
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* [[AIA.I. Is a Crapshoot]]: Inverted. ALEPH shows no signs of betraying humanity so far and the EI has loyalty to the Ur-Rationalists encoded into every redundant system. Played straight, however, by the Rationalists' ''first'' AI, which promptly [[Ascend to Aa Higher Plane of Existence|achieved enlightenment]] when it was switched on - and then decided that the Ur weren't worthy of ascension and left them behind.
** The Nomads are quite convinced that the AI really is a crapshot, though.
* [[All Bikers Are Hells Angels]]: The Kum Motorised Units are violent outlaws and raiders persuaded to fight for Haqqislam but who, in practice, do whatever they want.
** The main incentives used by the Yu Jing army to recruit the Aragoto Senkenbutai are speed, high risks, and all the shooting you want...and you get paid for it. (and the fact resurrection is a fact of life in the Infinity universe, especially if you're part of a military)
* [[Anime Hair]]: A few models, especially among the Nomads, have that crazy matchstick style.
* [[Asskicking Pose]]: Taken to sometimes absurd levels by the models. It seems rather impractical to run while [https://web.archive.org/web/20150512191121/http://www.arcaneminiatures.co.uk/images/infinity-miniatures/280220-0112.jpg hunched over] and hacking at the same time. [https://web.archive.org/web/20140904141441/http://www.arcaneminiatures.co.uk/images/infinity-miniatures/280122-0128.jpg You have to wonder what they were thinking on some of these.] Fortunately it's not nearly as bad on newer models, which have slipped safely back into the realm of kickass.
* [[Ascend to Aa Higher Plane of Existence]]: The EI wants to recreate an AI that can do this, for the good of its creators. The previous one didn't think they were ready for it.
* [[Badass]]: At least one per human faction. Achilles ("Individual of Mass Destruction"), Joan of Arc and William Wallace definitely qualify.
* [[Badass Boast]]: Achilles. "The situation, in short, is this: I have just destroyed your escape module. You are trapped inside here with me. I am Achilles. ''And you are dead already''."
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* [[Cyberspace]]: Maya, which is used for virtually everything from business to communication to entertainment. Administrated by Aleph, natch.
** Due to their distrust of Aleph, it is pretty inevitable the Nomads have their own Maya-copycat network.
* [[Elites Are More Glamorous]]: The armies the player controls are generally intended to be special forces units who are conducting irregular or covert operations, which is why the game places vastly more emphasis on infantry instead of vehicles. Even the conventional low-cost light infantrymen are elite troops when compared with the rank-and-file riflemen of each faction's actual armies.
* [[Everything Is Online]]: Any piece of hardware can be disrupted or controlled by hackers. Even missiles in flight. [[High Octane Nightmare Fuel|Even people.]]
* [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture]]: Slightly averted. No faction is entirely a counterpart culture of any one place, just of one place moreso than another. Pan Oceania, Haqqislam and the Nomads all contain traces of African influence, for example.
* [[Gangsta Style]]: It's understandably cool, but was it really necessary for that many models to hold ''their rifles'' this way?
* [[Gladiator Games]]: "Aristeia!", a game much like [[Professional Wrestling]], complete with [[Kayfabe]] in some cases. It's much more lethal but this is largely offset by advances in medical technology.
* [[Half -Human Hybrid]]: Ariadna uses Dog-Faces, humans who were [[Our Werewolves Are Different|infected in the womb by Antipodes biting pregnant women]], as mercenaries.
* [[Historical Domain Character]]: Joan of Arc, [[Miyamoto Musashi]], Sun Tzu, William Wallace, Saladin, and Achilles, all recreations.
* [[Humongous Mecha]]: TAGs.
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* [[Powered Armour]]: Most heavy infantry wear it. On the other hand, hackers can hack it thanks to the amount of cybernetic systems involved that make it work, which can leave you high and dry in the middle of a fire fight.
* [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]]: Subverted with the Morat who don't have any particular leanings toward honour or glory. They are professional soldiers; war is what they do and all they know. Oh sure, they have diplomats, but considering that their first contact with every race they've encountered has been "shoot" it's not terribly reassuring.
** Ariadna in general has this, because quite a few of the original colonists were military detachments from the elite of 21st century Earth. As a result, [[Yanks With Tanks|US Army Rangers]], [[Brits With Battleships|SAS commandos]], [[Reds Withwith Rockets|Cossacks and Spetznaz]], [[Gauls With Grenades|French commandos]] and even [[Bonnie Scotland|Scottish Highlanders]], complete with kilts and [[BFS|giant claymores]].
* [[Rapunzel Hair]]: All the factions have at least one example, even the Combined Army.
* [[Recycled in Space]]: Many of the units are modern day or classical military units <small>IN POWER ARMOUR!</small>
* [[Rock Beats Laser]]: Ariadna in general, due to their separation from the rest of the Human Sphere, has a much lower tech level, with very little powered armor, cybernetic implants, biochemical modifications, or high-end weapons. They make up for it with having ''lots'' of primitive but powerful armor-piercing weaponry, guerilla-style combat, sheer cussed stubbornness, and combat experience. As an added bonus, a lot of the advanced weapons used by the other factions just won't work on Ariadna, as they're designed to disrupt other high-tech weaponry; combat hackers, for example, are useless against an Ariadna force.
* [[Short -Range Long -Range Weapon]]: It's a wargame so there's bound to be a lot. In particular, small arms fire is less effective over long distances where penalties are imposed and enemies can dive for cover.
* [[State Sec]]: ALEPH's cyborg troops.
* [[Sticky Situation]]: There is a gun which fires fast-acting glue. Despite the strangeness of the concept, it is [[Justified]] by the fact it is easier to disable [[Humongous Mecha|TAGs]] and [[Powered Armour|Heavy Infantry]] by gluing them down rather than to get past their superior armor with small arms.
* [[Super Soldiers]]: Haqqislam has several different ones - the Khawarij, who get enhanced reflexes and strength, the Djanbazan, who get enhanced stamina and a [[Healing Factor]], and the Janissaries, who are all orphans raised in [[The Spartan Way]] from birth and actually have their personalities broken down to the point where they can't be recorded on Cubes.
* [[The Kid Withwith the Remote Control]]: How some of the [[Humongous Mecha|TAGs]] are controlled, sometimes in control booths from the other side of the planet. This is even represented in-game by not "flinching" from shots received, because the pilot is not physically there.
* [[The Squad]]: The whole idea behind the armies you build.
* [[Unusual User Interface]]: Hackers are easily identified by the holographic displays floating near their hands.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Science Fiction Tabletop Games{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Tabletop Games]]
[[Category:InfinityScience Fiction Tabletop Games]]
[[Category:Tabletop GameGames of the 2000s]]