I like how in-game Faction lore states that the UAF are straight up failing

[Lurking_Garbage]

The UAF are the good guys, r-right? If they are the good guys they can’t be losing-…

"The loyal remnants of the United States and Other Western armies. The UAF is the final effort at control after the collapse. However, things are not going flawlessly and cracks are starting to form. Resources are running out, and support is falling for the UAF; it’s only a matter of time before the whole force implodes." - UAF Lore Tab

W-what about the Airborne branch? Surely with their skills they can pick up where-…

“The Special Forces arm of the UAF. Only the best of the best serve with the Airborne division, with only a select few ever reaching their ranks. They are rarely regulated by the UAF with many of their operations remainign highly classifined, and highly controversial.” UAF Airborne Lore Tab

Is this why we fight Halloway in mission 8-6?

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I find this rather dark. No wonder why we fight nearly everyone who isn’t strictly UAF in the campaign: everybody knows the UAF faction sucks and that the KLG actually have power! Hell, even the KLG Lore tab says the people under their rule are “content:”

“After Kurtz went rogue, he used his battalion to strong arm the local factions into either joining his cause, or be destroyed. His gambit was successful, and Kurtz now controls most of the city. It’s not a perfect society but most seem content enough, and no one dares to oppose Kurtz.” - KLG Lore Tab

While yes, the KLG faction is effectively totalitarian, the Lore basically says that people are content with Kurtz’s rule.

The People’s Guard faction is a combination of both the Mafia and the Triad - and they are succeeding:

“A direct response to the KLG threat, the People’s Guard protect settlements that do not want to join Kurtz. Started as an uneasy alliance between former Mafia and Triad remnants (might need to check grammar here, devs). Thanks to some level-headed leadership they have accomplished a lot in the short months since starting their fight against the invaders.” - People’s Guard Lore Tab

A combination of the freakin’ MAFIA AND TRIAD are doing better than the UAF.

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To be fair, the Shoremen have a little bit of in-fighting and the Morlocks are just lawless sewer rats. The Rangers are basically a faction of boogeymen and the Magistrates are seen as “gun-toting paranoids.”

At least they aren’t trying to “regain control” of the City while under a fragile leadership and a recession of resources and support.

[Rygel]

I also kinda like the fact that the faction you’re theoretically playing as (canonically at least, since the 3 surviving squad members of the original strike force, Ryker Nightingale and Butter, are UAF) isn’t the “big unfailing power house” of the lore… at least in this current theater of battle. As that would feel kinda crappy and lackluster, to be the leading edge of the big bad unstoppable army, crushing foes under your massive combat boots. At least this way, victory is not assured and what you’re doing actually has a chance to be the “make it or break it” endeavour for the UAF, on whether or not they can resecure the city and bring proper order and peace to it.

And yes, I agree with you that KLG do seem to have the power in the city, but I wouldn’t say that the people are actually content… because as your quote stated:

…It’s not a perfect society but most seem content enough, and no one dares to oppose Kurtz.” - KLG Lore Tab

So that tells me more that it might seem like the people living under the KLG rule are content, but it could also be that they’re too scared to oppose Kurtz so are keeping their discontent and despair to themselves for fear of bringing down the wrath of the KLG on them and their loved ones.

Makes sense, since if you look at it, the KLG (and child factions) is the largest group in the entire game (14 of the 61 heroes are KLG, KLG Irregulars or KLG Black Ops), and this includes some of the scariest (lore wise) assassins in the game, like Odachi and his kabal female ninjas (Kunoichi being chief among them I think), and Beck who has always given me the impression that she’s a cold blooded serial killer/maniac who’s found a “legitimate” outlet for her homicidal tendencies in Kurtz’ army (just from the look on her face).