Overview

## Introduction

Frontier is a game mode that takes place in plausible scenarios within the Muv-Luv world called Potentialities. While gameplay is largely single player, all players in the same Potentiality share the same world state, with the objective being to coordinate with other players to halt the BETA advance.

It is recommended to join the fan made Joint Command Post server to ease communication and allow effective group participation and effort. An alternative is the Official Mikhail Discord. A quick reference of a general outline can be found here.

## Mechanics

### Nodes

In Frontier, players can sortie out to mission areas by clicking on a node on the map. This section will explain some less obvious node-related mechanics. For general information, please refer to the official play guide.

Nodes with bases are strategic positions and effort should be made to defend and preserve them. A base can prevent BETA waves from passing through until the BETA dominance of the node reaches 100%, after which any overflow of BETA will be able to pass through it. BETA dominance can be reduced by running Elimination Missions. However, there are certain times during the day where this rule is ignored and BETA can overflow to neighbouring bases regardless of dominance % (around 02:00 to 03:00 JST).

BETA can freely pass through nodes without a base.

Elimination missions appear once BETA dominance of a node has reached 20%, after which it can be reduced back down to 10%.

If BETA are left alone on a node with a base, they will begin attacking it, which results in the base taking damage over time until its health is reduced to 0. If a base is destroyed, players will have to rebuild it. Any TSF research and base upgrade progress will also be reset if the base is rebuilt.

There are 2 types of missions players can run to halt the BETA advance. BETA Elimination reduces the BETA Dominance %, Base Defense reduces the rate at which the base's HP falls. Subsequently, there are Base Repair and Base Upgrade missions. Base Repair restores the base's health, and Base Upgrade increases the health pool and defense of the base. Base Repair takes metal scraps to repair and Base Upgrade takes Rare Metals which increases the progress by 10% per 30 Rare Metals (see Known Issues).

Bases can be repaired when the BETA dominance on the node has been reduced to 10%, and will be closed off to repairs when reaching around 20% again.

### Bases

Nodes have slightly different properties depending on the type of base is on there. (As of December 2, 2021) The only difference between base types is that bases with the same icon as Yokohama base can be upgraded to level 4, whereas other bases only go up to level 3. Bases have an HP and defense value. A base is destroyed if its HP reaches 0. It is uncertain what the Defense value of a base does, but it is speculated to provide a damage reduction when it is attacked by BETA.

The following is a table of Base Levels and their stats.

Base Level Stats
 2
 3
 4

### Time modifier

Frontier Mode has a separate in-game clock to track its progress. This clock has three states: fast, normal, and slow.

The in-game clock speed has no relationship with BETA spawn speed, map speed, nor dominance increase when an arrow reaches a node.

Fast: 1 min in-game time = 3 sec real time (Observed after #51022-1 Frontier mode restart)

Fast: 1 min in-game time = 4.5 sec real time

Fast: 1 min in-game time = 34 sec real time (Observed in Potentiality #40658-3 after 12/5 event mission spawn, game time reverted to Normal at this time in Potentiality #40658-2)

Normal: 1 min in-game time = 1 min real time

Slow: 1 min in-game time = 2 min 10 sec real time

## Event Missions in 51022

Event missions occur on the game board to serve as Frontier Mode's storytelling element. They appear at predetermined times according to the ingame clock. Events are separated into phases, with players having to reach 100% overall progress within key missions in order to advance to the next phase.

Each event has a total of 10 phases containing 5 separate missions for each of the mode's factions. Each phase lasts for a ***24 hour real-time period***. Advancement from phase to phase requires 2 (or 3 depending on phase) of the 5 key missions to be completed to 100% to achieve 100% overall phase completion. Mission completion rate is variable by the mission progress pace rating.

Mission progress pace determines the value of player contributions toward sortie clears, base repair/upgrade/construction, and TSF Research and Development missions. If the pace is **higher**, the **same resource cost will contribute more value** than a lower pace. Mission progress pace is determined by player activity on the current day and updates at 00:00 JST.

Examples at *10,000* mission progress pace:

* 1 Key Mission Sortie = 1.00% mission completion contribution.
* 1 Base Repair Turn-In = 1.24%~ per contribution.
* 1 TSF R&D Turn-In = 5%~ per contribution.

*The highest known mission progress pace is 125,000 (reached in Potentiality #51022-41).*

If an event phase fails to reach 100% overall completion by the end of the 24 hour real-time period, the potentiality will end. Additionally, two phases of each event will contain **hidden failure conditions** that are triggered by the mode's current balance of power graph. Hidden failure conditions are triggered by faction power balance, and will lead to a different ending video depending on faction. Hidden failure conditions become permanently unlocked once triggered, however *if both conditions for a phase are triggered at the same time* only *one* of the triggers will be revealed for future potentialities. (*Please note, as of the March 31st 2023 update, some conditions have been changed and rehid. We have not rediscovered them, so we are going off the data before the update.*)

*As of November 16th, 2023 Update: Certain conditions have been purged.* Meaning that Fail Conditions related to factions have been removed from the game entirely. Therefore, the entries for "Hidden Fail Conditions" in the table below have become obsolete (but remain listed for the sake of completeness). As of Potentiality #51022-41 only the 100% Mission Phase Competition requirement remains!

Failure conditions are listed and updated as discovered in the chart below:

1 last known value prior to the Update, might be outdated 2 value has been confirmed to be outdated, but current correct value remains unknown

**Event Missions in 40658**

## Event Missions in 40658

As of **December 10, 2021**, only the Alternative events have been implemented, with no route splits. There being trigger management between events is also questionable (see XM3 and Yokohama events below). Progress requiring all missions to be completed also means that the game currently does not support a route splitting design.

### Event list

1: As of potentiality 40658-5, this event cannot be completed due to there not being anyway for players to obtain Pro-American Faction reputation in order to be eligible to do the **Secret** and **Top Secret** level missions.

2: Occurs regardless if Operation 21st has been completed. (Observed in Potentiality 40658-2)

3: Occurs regardless if Yokohama BETA Invasion has been completed. (Observed in Potentiality 40658-2)

~~XM3 Trials (Dec 10 Location: ?)~~ Not implemented, or not triggered because BETA Capture Operation was never finished. No space in Chronicles mode unless part of 12/5 Incident event line. Potentially part of BETA Capture Operation

### Endings

Potentialities can end in several ways:
1. Yokohama Base's HP reaches 0
2. Time runs out with an event phase not 100% complete
3. Failure conditions for the faction power graph met
4. Operation Cherry Blossom succeeds

Some of the failure conditions in 3. are hidden by default, and are revealed at the end of a phase should the game state meet the hidden criteria. Failure conditions revealed this way remain revealed in subsequent potentialities. A given phase can have anywhere from 1 - 3 (observed as of #51022) failure conditions, one of which is the 100% progress requirement, which can be achieved by running Event Missions.

### Endings Reached

```
#51022-1: Failure at Niigata event phase 9 (Discord and Destruction)
#51022-2: Failure at Niigata event phase 5 (The Price of Reckless Glory)
#51022-3: Failure at Niigata event phase 1 (Too Little Too Late)

```

### Development Missions

Moved to Project Mikhail TSF Research/Development Missions

## FAQs

Q: Is lv30 the max level in Frontier?

A: You can raise the playable level to lv50 by completing the Yokohama Hive Simulator at your highest current level within ~~approximately 3 minutes~~ 10 minutes. You can raise the level by 2 if you finish in ~~around 2~~ 9 minutes and by 3 if you finish in 8 minutes or less. (e.g. Finish lv30 simulator within 3 minutes to unlock maximum level 31, finish lv31 to unlock lv32, etc.)
The Yokohama Hive Simulator (lv90), unlocked after the completion of the Coup event, allows players to reach level 90.
The Sadogashima Hive Recon mission, unlocked after the completion of the Sadogashima event, allows players to reach level 100.

Q: What do levels do?

A: It increases the maximum drop level and spawns harder enemies (heavy laser/fort BETA, aura variants). It is theorized that item drops follow an estimate of (Average equipment level+ Mission level)/2 with a variance of +5 levels.

Q: Are the Gekishin/Phantom the only TSFs I can pilot in this mode?

A: The Gekishin/Phantom are Gen 1 TSFs which are unlocked by default. Doing Development missions will unlock new TSF models that every player in the Frontier server can construct in the Maintenance Bay or obtained from drops in combat.

Q: What's the difference between Base Defense and Elimination?

A: Base Defense missions are only available for nodes with bases on them. Completing those missions to 100% allows players to repair the base. Elimination reduces the BETA dominance of the node by about ~2%, preventing BETA from passing through it.

Q: I see people with callsigns in their name. Do I need to join a squad to play the game?

A: It is not required to join a squad to play Project Mikhail; squads are just a way for players to roleplay get coordinated.

## Disclaimer

All information listed here are compiled from players in the current Early Access. Special thanks to the players in the Japanese community for helping out with theorycrafting and testing.

Japanese Frontier Wiki.