Starting point - Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers tells the story of Juan Rico, a youngster who joins the elite Mobile Army at the outbreak of the Bug War. He survives boot camp, rises rapidly through the enlisted ranks through heavy attrition, is culled off for Officer Training School, and survives his first experience as a platoon commander. Rico goes on to become a confident commander, passing to younger officers the wisdom he has absorbed from many mentors.
The book is set in the distant future when intergalactic space flight and warfare are in day to day life. Humankind, which has colonized the Solar System and expanded to galaxies beyond, has clashed with rival colonizing races, the most menacing being the highly evolved, antlike Bugs.
There are many different types of bugs featuring in Starship Troopers, each with a different ability, skills and stats and each have a weakness and a certain way they have to be killed.
The Warrior Bug - very aggressive, high agility in any combat environment. Exo-armour can withstand temperatures above 500 Celsius and low intelligence. Weapons: Cutting/chewing jaws.
The Tanker Bug - Very aggressive and fast in tight situations. Contains a tank of bio-corrosive fluid. Weapons: Sprays highly bio-corrosive fluid.
The Hopper Bug - Very aggressive, jumps a lot and has a short flight capability. Weapons: Cutting/chewing jaws.
The Plasma Bug - Non-aggressive, generates a one time only high energy plasma blast only when it has been in contact with the breeder. Weapons: High energy plasma.
The Chariot Bug - Non-aggressive except in large numbers they will stampede. Function is to carry and transport larger bugs and Queens. Weapons: Cutting/chewing jaws.
The Brain Bug - Very large, aggressive when confronted. Believed to have intuitive and psycho-kinetic powers. Weapons: Piercing type of claw or palp.
