Skirmish

Skirmish is a mode crafted by Crystar800, for massive multiplayer matches of 32 to 64 players at a time. The mode is a mix of elements from the RTS genre, wide-scale multiplayer, and the Zombies mode itself.

Background
Skirmish mode is played in two large teams that represent different factions. Skirmish has a lot of aspects to it that are RTS-inspired. Some people have compared it to "Fat Princess" in the sense that players must manage a base while attacking the enemy.

While having many working parts to it, the goal of Skirmish is to eliminate all of the structures in the opposing faction's base.

In sections below, the many working parts of Skirmish mode are explained in greater detail.

Infantry
Skirmish is a class-based mode. You are not allowed to customize your classes whatsoever.

However, when you first spawn into a Skirmish match, you will only start with a mere M1911!

This is where managing your base comes into play. Working together, building a infantry production building such as a Barracks. The name of this building may differ depending on your faction. From this structure, players will start spawning in as classes designated for their specific faction.

For example...

The Allied Nations is one of the eight factions featured within Paradox-Z. The Allies only start with a main structure that they dub their "Headquarters." Producing infantry will require the Allies to build a "Boot Camp." Building the Boot Camp will let players spawn in as the tactically adept Peacekeeper, or the vehicular-devastating Javelin Soldier.

Although one would argue that building structures is not completely needed, it is unlikely a team will survive an entire match with the M1911 alone. The Mystery Box may be present somewhere on the battlefield, but trekking out into the darkness is not recommended...

Zombies
Although the warring factions may seem like the main attraction, do be aware of the zombies that litter the battlefront in growing numbers. These zombies occupy both outdoor and indoor spaces, with their variation randomized. It is not uncommon to see a Napalm Zombie leading a horde within an abandoned village.

Since Skirmish does not involved rounds of any sort, Zombies shall spawn in without any actual timer. On the contrary, Zombies do not increase their health in any way. Their health remains static throughout the match at 1045, the amount of health they earn at Round 10 in normal Zombies modes.

Packs of zombies may sometimes lumber across the map randomly. If they wander close enough to a faction's base, they will attack - often dismantling any base defenses on their way to damage the base structures. It is advised that players keep watch for any of these "Flash Hordes."

The Zombies add a challenge to Skirmish. It won't be easy destroying the opposing faction when hordes of the undead remain in your path.

Resources
Collecting resources is something players must do in Skirmish in order to maintain their base, as well as ultimately remaining alive.

There are only two main resources that the player must worry about are Money and Power.

On rare occasions, a faction may require a third resource in order to function properly. If that is the case, the resource will be specified on that faction's page.

Money
A faction's Money is needed in order to build structures, of course. The main way to acquire funds is by collecting natural ore or supply boxes on the map. Most factions have a collection unit designated for this purpose. There are other ways to obtain funds, but they are not nearly as effective as using collection units.

Some alternate methods include: Defeating zombies also adds to your faction's overall funds, albeit not enough to rely on. Defeating units from the opposing faction does not add to your faction's funds.
 * Calling in an Emergency Supply Drop.
 * Hacking the opposing faction's funds.
 * Taking over an abandoned bank.

Power
Power is the other resource you must pay attention to. All bases start with power, but building more structures consumes that power amount. On your HUD, a bar will represent the current power state.

If the Power bar is green, your base is being powered effectively, running on all cylinders.

If the Power bar is yellow, your base is in danger of losing power completely if you build any more structures.

If the Power bar is red, your base does not have enough power.

Not having power is dangerous in Skirmish mode. The wait time for players to respawn is doubled. This goes for vehicles spawning in as well. Building enough structures that produce powers is advised in order to prevent this scenario from occurring.

On rare occasions, a specific faction may not need power! In this case, the power bar will be grayed out.

Structures
Buildings and are determined by the faction in question specifically. Checking the faction page specifically will prepare a player for a certain faction's rules.

A few examples of how building varies by faction:

- The previously mentioned Allied Nations faction builds their structures from their Headquarters, within a high-tech building queue. When the structure is complete within the queue, they deploy it onto the field.

- The Vietnamese, featured in Black Ops 1, have workers build structures on the battlefront from scratch. An officer must designate the area before workers are allowed to start building.

- The Revolutionaries, another faction in Paradox-Z, has Dozers at their disposal for the construction of base structures. The player operating the Dozer chooses what to build, unlike the other factions where someone with authority must give the order.

Some structures provide added benefits once built. The Allied Boot Camp, for example, while serving as a production building for infantry, also provides a roof balcony that serves as a vantage point, unreachable by Zombies.

Types of Structures
Although the names of structures may vary between factions, their purposes do not change much. Essentially, a total of 8 buildings are essential to an effective base: Some factions have their own special structures. These in particular are usually optional. Other optional structures are available as well, although they are not entirely necessary. WMD Examples (Because WMDs in a game are awesome.):
 * Headquarters - Protect at all costs!
 * Infantry Production - Produces infantry classes to spawn in as. You can change your current class there as well.
 * Vehicle Production - Produces ground vehicles. When a vehicle is taken, the wait time for a new vehicle varies depending on how technologically sound it is.
 * Aircraft Production - Produces air vehicles. Wait time applies here as well.
 * Naval Production - Produces watercraft. Wait time applies here as well. The map has to have water, of course!
 * Power Production - Produces power.
 * Resource Collection - Drop-off point for collectors. Alternatively, resources can be dropped off at the Headquarters, albeit for less funds than normal.
 * Tier Advancement - Advances the current tier to the level specified by the building. If destroyed, the tier will reset back to what it was prior.
 * Base Defenses - Protect your base with turrets, walls, and other special defenses.
 * Radar Building - Radar helps, but it's not of utmost importance.
 * WMD - One of the most game-changing weapons in the mode, WMDs are highly volatile. They often explode violently when destroyed, which can heavily damage a base. If fired, however, they can almost level an entire enemy base, or completely erase a village of zombies in one blow. Be careful of the negative effects that may arise from firing one of these. WMDs also take a large toll to build, requiring a bevy of power, funds, and time. Not to mention that the enemy will be gunning to take it down. Many servers have banned WMDs for their extreme destructive power.
 * The Allied Proton Collider is a massive artillery cannon that rains down on the opposition from afar. The proton shells, upon impact, have the ability to cause chain reactions within any volatile equipment.
 * The Revolutionaries have access to the Resonance Jackhammer, a highly experimental seismic weapon. The Jackhammer, as it suggests, creates earthquakes on the battlefront, destroying structures with lackluster foundation rather easily. The effect is doubled when used over a large body of water. Beware of the aftershocks, however...
 * The Vietcong have stolen blueprints for missile silos at their disposal. Although their cluster of three missiles isn't as powerful as a nuclear missile, the missiles are still rather powerful, and can be targeted individually.

Tier System
Familiar to RTS players, the tier system determines what tech is available to a faction at a specific time. Over time, you will want to progress your faction's tier in order to unlock better technology to use. Upgrading a tier will allow much more powerful units to be deployed, giving you a leg up on both the opposing faction and the undead.

Much like structures, the Tier System varies between factions. Here are a few examples:
 * The Allies deploy tier updates from their Headquarters, although the appropriate buildings need to be place before those updates are authorized.
 * The Revolutionaries don't care about tiers! Everything's unlocked from the start! That doesn't mean they're very powerful, though...
 * The Vietcong are similar to the Revolutionaries, although they can call upon their Communist friends from the north from a Radar Tower if they need extra fire support.

Usage
One may ask, "This is cool, but how do I use this in my own game?"

Simple. Create two factions of your own with the essentials listed above, and you're good to go!

This mode is under this Wiki's "Creations for Free Use."`

Trivia

 * Power-Ups don't exist at all within Skirmish mode.
 * Skirmish mode is "open source" and can be modified to how you see fit.
 * Although Skirmish mode is meant for factions with Modern or Sci-Fi themes, the mode can work for factions from other eras or themes as well.