Cyberphobia: Prologue - Proxy War

Humanitarian convoys and “non‑profits” flood a disputed district while white‑label mercenaries enforce competing ceasefires. Every contract comes through an intermediary; every sponsor hides behind a different mask. Track the money, pierce the smokescreen, and force the real backers into the light—or weaponize the ambiguity to turn factions against each other. In Proxy War, your hacks, leaks, and battlefield choices redraw the map more than bullets do.

Proxy War — DLC Overview
Genre & tone
FPS cyber-thriller with factional politics and information warfare. The vibe is “humanitarian theater meets corporate shadow ops”—tense, morally messy.
Premise (story)
A contested district becomes a stage for “neutral” NGOs, shell-company contractors, and deniable mercenaries. Each claims to stabilize the area while quietly advancing a sponsor’s agenda. You’re hired to trace the funding, expose (or exploit) the proxies, and force the true backers into the open—by contract, by leak, or by force.
Estimated playtime
Critical path: 4–6 hours
Full clear (branch outcomes, side ops, evidence hunts): 7–10 hours
Structure & Goals
Follow the Money: Use intel and forensic tools to connect NGOs and security outfits to their real sponsors.

Control the Corridors: Secure checkpoints, aid depots, and media uplinks to shape both movement and public sentiment.

Force Revelation: Choose an endgame—Expose (publish proof), Co-opt (run the proxies for your benefit), or Collapse (burn the network).

Core Mechanics
Proxy Contracts
All missions are offered via intermediaries. Accepting a job shifts Sponsor Influence (three hidden patrons), Civilian Support, and Mercenary Loyalty. You can:
take the money and do it,

double-book and play sides, or

accept then flip (sabotage objectives for leverage).

Intel as Ammunition
Rumor payloads, video leaks, and contract scans work like gear: deploy them to raise/lower suspicion, move checkpoints, or lock vendors.
Negotiated Combat
Before some missions, parley for Rules of Engagement (e.g., non-lethal zones, time-boxed curfews). Breaking ROE grants tactical freedom but spikes heat and future mission risk.
Frontline Tuning
A district map shows Aid Flow, Security Density, and Media Coverage. Mission results update these layers, changing patrol routes, civilian presence, and extraction options.
Hostage / Convoy Systems
Escort or intercept humanitarian convoys under drone curfews. Hostage rescues are score-weighted by collateral and camera presence.
Factions (examples)
Civic Hands (NGO): Public-facing aid org, secretly funded by a telecom bidding on surveillance contracts.

Tantalus Solutions (PMC): “De-escalation specialists” who escalate for billable hours.

Aegis Collective (Grassroots): Local citizen defense with fractured leadership—can become ally or powder keg.

Grey Ledger (Media Collective): Brokers footage and pays for leaks; may be compromised.

Level & Encounter Design
Neutral Zone Market: Firefights risk civilian casualties and camera capture—win by manipulating lines of sight and crowd control.

Pop-up Field Clinic: Non-lethal route with biometric spoofing; lethal entry triggers international incident timers.

Border Checkpoint Chain: Take or fake control across three gates; bribe, hack, or blitz.

Roof-to-Server Raid: Snatch proof from a comms station while mercs and “observers” negotiate downstairs.

Progression & Rewards
Skill nodes:
Mediator (cheaper bribes, better ROE deals)

Operative (disguise uptime, faster silent takedowns)

Archivist (evidence value ↑, leak cooldown ↓)

Gear: Proxy badges, non-lethal launchers, drone-spoof beacons, crowd-calming sonic pulses.

Vendors: Access shifts with your reputation among civilians and sponsors; “clean” vendors close if you brutalize, “black” vendors open.

Challenges
False-Flag Ops: Plant evidence to misdirect blame—backfire risk if counter-forensics catch your signature.

Live-Stream Pressure: Missions with active spectators; damage or detainees on camera alter the meta-score and future patrols.

Collateral Accounting: Post-mission audits reduce payouts and vendor trust if you were messy—even if you “won.”

Ceasefire Windows: Hard timers where firing a shot fails objectives; rely on gadgets and positioning.

Soundtrack & Audio
Sparse industrial percussion over low, pulsing drones; intermittent radio chatter, donor teleconference snippets, and crowdbeds. Combat cues fold in metallic hits and clipped alarms; negotiation spaces lean on heartbeat-soft bass and compressor-pumped ambience.
Modes & Replayability
Contract Deck (Roguelite Variant): Draft a sequence of proxy jobs; your leak/evidence cards persist between runs.

Ceasefire Trials (Score Attack): Clear objectives without breaking ROE; leaderboards weigh time, evidence value, and zero-harm bonuses.

Faction NG+ Flags:
Humanitarian Line: High civilian support unlocks clean vendors and discounts.

Kingmaker: High sponsor influence grants black-budget gear and deniability perks.

What Makes It Unique
Treats conflict as an economy—aid, media, and contracts move the front more than bullets.

Evidence is leverage: publish for legitimacy, hoard for power, or forge to rearrange the chessboard.

Moral outcomes are systemic, not scripted: how you fight (or don’t) rewires vendors, patrols, and prices for the rest of the game.