Welcome to the Interstellar Marines Handbook.

Information will be provided to you in a clean and easy-to-read manner, wherever possible. As much as possible will be included in the guide, but keep in mind that it is still being worked on, and will be for as long as the game lives on.

I'd like to thank Zero Point Software's Kim Haar Jørgensen, aswell as the volunteer developers and many other community members for being an outstanding influence upon this game, and for working so hard upon it, to deliver a tactical game that pushes the creative boundaries in the modern market.

Movement
W - Move Forward
A - Strafe Left
S - Move Backward
D - Strafe Right
Q - Lean Left
E - Lean Right
Left Shift - Multiple contextual uses...

• [HOLD] Sprint [TAP]
  
• Toggle Walk/Run
  
• [TAP WHILE CROUCHED] Adjust Stance Height

Space - Jump
C - Crouch
E - Use
F - Interact

Weapons
Left Mouse Button - Fire
Right Mouse Button - Aim
1 - CE-6 SMG
2 - AR03 Assault Rifle
3 - OS-1 Pistol
4 - Equip Suppressor
5 - Throw Grenade
Mouse Button 3 - Enable Flashlight
G - Enable Laser
Left Alt - Firemode Selection

Miscellanous
Mouse Button 4 - Toggle Helmet
Tab - Toggle Names
N - Next (cycle Environment)
V - Push to Talk
K - Suicide

These controls are based off the default controls as of Update 28.

The environments of Interstellar Marines makes up the bulk of the gameplay. Using an environment effectively and to your advantage can be a crucial step to accomplishing a mission. For example, shooting out a light on a dark map to lower visibility for the enemy, at the cost of lowering your own visibility, can be a viable tactic when you are desperate to remain hidden.

Three part interchanging Astrodome combat arena, surrounded by a harsh snow blizzard.
Modes

• Stormy Days & Windy Nights

A lush forest engulfs the Stronghold training environment, designed to practice advanced offensive and defensive tactics, with low ground infiltrators and high ground perimeter defense.
Modes

• None

Confined multi-purpose training arena designed to simulate different combat environments.
Modes

• Offline
  
• Raining
  
• High Winds

Large canyon rift with bridges connecting 2 opposing compounds on each side.
Modes

• Day
  
• Overcast & Foggy
  
• Dawn
  
• Night
  
• Pitch Black (Thunder)
  
• Warzone

Wide U-shaped pit surrounded by a large array of platforms.
Modes

• Day
  
• Overcast & Foggy
  
• Dawn
  
• Pitch Black (Thunder)

First iteration of Martin Jonsson's winner entry in the community map making contest!
Modes

• Power Online
  
• Emergency Power
  
• Fire Alarm
  
• Power Offline
  
• Shut Down

Full size combat range with a staged crash site in the heart of a wet and moist swamp.
Modes

• Overcast & Foggy
  
• Pitch Black (Thunder)
  
• Warzone

An old disused research lab in the middle of an overgrown swamp.
Modes

• Day
  
• Foggy
  
• Night

A few two-story buildings and a garage interconnects to create a suburban combat range.
Modes

• Day
  
• Dawn
  
• Night
  
• Warzone
  
• Overcast & Foggy

Mainline reconstructed inside a low temperature combat range to simulate winter.
Modes

• Day
  
• Dawn
  
• Bright Overcast
  
• Night

Large interior close quarter combat range connected via tunnels and hallways.
Modes

• Power Online
  
• Emergency Power
  
• Fire Alarm
  
• Power Offline
  
• Shut Down

Walk around a Megalodon class dropship.
Modes

• Power Online
  
• Fire Alarm
  
• Shut Down

Here you can discover the vital parts of a Marine's equipment: his weapons.


The CE-6 SMG is ITO's standard weapon, used over the entire force of Marines, for its reliability, modularity and easy reticle. It comes with a laser/flashlight attachment and has a barrel compatible with standard-issue suppressors.
Magazine Size: 32+1
Suppressor: Yes
Laser: Yes
Flashlight: Yes
Firemodes: SEMI-AUTO | BURST | FULL-AUTO


Pictured: CE-6 SMG mounted to a weaponry rack.


Pictured: CE-6 SMG being used in training.


The AR03 is ITO's hard-hitting standard-issue assault rifle. It is very modular, and comes with a laser/flashlight attachment, with a barrel compatible with standard-issue suppressors, and a 3x magnification scope.
Magazine Size: 21+1
Suppressor: Yes
Laser: Yes
Flashlight: Yes
Firemodes: SEMI-AUTO | BURST | FULL-AUTO


Pictured: AR03 mounted to a weaponry rack.

Pictured: AR03 being held by a Marine.

The standard-issue Marine sidearm. In-game, but has a placeholder model.
Magazine Size: 18+1?
Suppressor: Not Currently
Laser: Yes
Flashlight: Yes
Firemodes: SEMI-AUTO | BURST | FULL-AUTO


Pictured: OS-1 Pistol render.

12-gauge shotgun used by the ITO. Not in-game yet.

Magazine Size: ?
Suppressor: ?
Laser: ?
Flashlight: ?
Firemodes: SEMI-AUTO | BURST | FULL-AUTO


Pictured: Rhino Tactical Shotgun concept art.

Standard hand grenade used by ITO. Explosive but not fully in-game yet.

Capacity: ?
Damage: ?
Radius: ?
Firemodes: EXPLOSIVE

NO PICTURE YET

These are the units found in the game, like the Marines and other planned entities.

One of ITO's projects, and mankind's first line of defence against an otherworldly threat. The Interstellar Marines are highly specialised and are capable of taking on a variety of tasks independently, and will do anything required to accomplish their objective. Their suits are highly customisable visually, coming in many different camos, which is chosen by their user.

Pictured: Walking group of Interstellar Marines.

Pictured: Marines infiltrating Starcrown Aerospace.

Combat Training Robots, known as CTRs, are highly advanced AI robots designed for testing the abilities of the Marines, and for simulating many realistic scenarios and challenges. They can be a formidable foe in groups, and can be programmed to use the same weapons the Marines use. There is another type of CTRs, known as Defective Combat Training Robots. They do not use weapons the Marines use, but instead rush the Marine and beat them rapidly with their fists. They might also come in groups, making them very dangerous if not dealt with effectively.

Pictured: CTR Group Picture.

An advanced mech designed by Cybernetic Robotics Division of ITO, and armed with twin miniguns, this walker is a great defensive or offensive asset when paired with a Marine team. However, if it is programmed to be hostile to the Marines, they will need to make the most of their abilities to stop it. Not in-game

Pictured: Titan Walker test-firing.

The landshark is a prototype by ITO, but not much else is known at this time

Pictured: Landshark on the attack.

The Recon Drone is an enemy unit that appears only in Wargames currently. It is unarmed and instead alerts CTRs to your position until taken down. It can, as a result, be shot down to eliminate it. Upon being eliminated, it drops to the ground and becomes useless.

Pictured: Recon Drone as it appears in Sandbox.

Stealth is an integral part of Interstellar Marines. By using shadows and lack of light to your advantage, you can bypass enemies or be able to sneakily take out targets in your way. Sneaking also allows you to avoid tripping alarms, if done right. If you cannot see yourself in a dark corner, chances are the enemy cannot either, unless they were to illuminate you with a flashlight, or if you were to compromise yourself by walking under a light. Ontop of this, a suppressor can lower your chances of being detected, but keep in mind a suppressor does not make your weapon completely silent and may still alert enemies close-by.

Pictured: A marine sneaks up to a lone CTR in a guard tower. The CTR is completely unaware of his presence due to the low light.

Flashlights and lasers work both ways too. A flashlight will allow you to see easier in dark rooms, but at the cost of the enemy being able to easily detect where you are, your current direction, and even how close you are, by looking at the size of the flashlight's flare. It is also possible to blind the enemy with the flashlight, but they may be able to pinpoint exactly where you are by the light anyway, so this technique only allows you a few seconds to react. The same can be said for lasers, as the long beam is visible easily at night (and in some cases, at day) and can be traced back to the origin point more or less, though distance is almost impossible to judge if you are not visible, for example, with the enemy seeing the laser around a corner.

Pictured: A marine sneaks up to a lone CTR in a guard tower with his flashlight and laser on. The CTR has instantly spotted him!


Sprinting is a way to get around the area very quickly, get to cover quickly, or avoid enemy fire. When sprinting, the Marine's maneuverability when turning corners is detrimented, especially when exhausted. Sprinting also rapidly increases the Marine's fatigue. Once the Marine is fully exhausted, the Marine moves a bit slower while sprinting, and his aim will sway a lot more. It also becomes difficult to hear other sounds when the helmet visor is on, as the breathing effect is louder. Taking the helmet visor off can help, at the cost of removing the HUD.

Pictured: A marine sprinting for cover.

Sprinting should always be used as a last resort, or to move quickly, as when sprinting, the Marine makes more noise and can be caught off guard easily. It is much better to move slowly or jog instead of sprinting.

Pictured: A careless marine rushes into a CTR.


Leaning is a mechanic introduced in Update 28 that allows players to utilise traditional leaning.

The traditional lean will is much more familiar to most players of tactical games, where a key is required to be pressed (and likely held in) to manoeuvre their player character as such that they may look around a corner and utilise their weapon, while keeping the Marine behind cover as much as possible to avoid exposing their body to the enemy. The traditional lean can be used anywhere.

Pictured: Using traditional lean to fire around a barrier.

The contextual lean is a prototype iteration of leaning, where the player may approach the corner of a wall, and be able to lock their weapon against it, using their mouse to control leaning orientation. It is most useful for peeking around walls, but may not be very efficient in a fast-paced combat situation. This requires a wall or similar object, and cannot be used while freely standing. This contextual lean was introduced in the test versions of Update 28, but has not been put in the current release version yet.

Pictured: Contextual leaning being utilised to engage the enemy.

It is crucial to make split-second decisions when in a mission. This list of helpful tactics can make the difference between mission failure and mission success.

When in a mission, there will come many times when you will have the choice whether you eliminate a target or not. It is vital to consider whether the target stands in the way of the mission, or if its elimination is the objective. If it is the latter, I'm sure you know what to do, but if it may be the former, take a second to identify whether the target is really critical. Ask yourself a few questions. Do I have enough ammo? Will the target be able to flank me later? Is the target the bigger threat?

Pictured: The guard infront of the compound door is currently patrolling. There is no need to eliminate him yet.

If you are currently under attack or have been spotted by the enemy, the wise thing would be to eliminate the targets efficiently and quickly, or to flee if there are too many. Sometimes eliminating a guard or target is necessary for advancing.

Pictured: This CTR must be eliminated to gain access to the control room.

Updates to the guide will be displayed here.

• Updated controls
  
• Updated units with new drone picture
  
• Updated leaning

Previous updates on the guide will not be stored for readability purposes.

Created by Radium
Join the Interstellar Marines Discord[discord.gg]!

- Zero Point Software for the fantastic game
- The community and volunteer developers sticking along for the ride