Earth - 2089

The world in which we live is a far cry from that into which our great-grandparents were born. What was once a world held in an uneasy detente by the threat of annihilation, has now become a world at war. Nations seek to expand their power and influence, attempting to gain dominance over their neighbors, militarily, socially, or economically.

Europe has coalesced into a super-state. The European Federation incorporates all of Western Europe and is now the world’s richest and most powerful nation, exerting influence across the globe. It is not, however, without its problems, notably frictions between its member-states, and civil war in one - the United Kingdom - regarding continued membership of the alliance.

The United States has remained strong, but it also has its difficulties. After decades of aggressive actions against worldwide threats driven by the so-called Bush Doctrine, it is diplomatically and politically isolated. It has also come under the dominance of corporate interests who have little interest in the wider world. This introspection has caused America to underestimate the political complexity of the situation in Europe and elsewhere. Myopic vision has led to a series of overreactions and poor decisions, which have triggered a major confrontation with the Europeans called the Armageddon War. Playing Europe and America off against each other in this conflict is the Tiger Combine, an association of nine Southeast Asian nations. The Combine is the world’s second most powerful economic force and home to the latest military invention, the WarMek. These walking tanks have revolutionized warfare, allowing the combatants to wage a very mobile and technological war, usually with the aid of Combine pilots and technicians. To the Tigers, war is business, and business is good.

Around the three great powers circle a host of lesser players. Russia is a staunch ally of the USA but has refused to be drawn into the Armageddon War, instead providing its ally with logistical and technical support. The Nordic League is an economic alliance of three Scandinavian states that is Europe’s largest neutral power. It serves as an intermediary between the US and EF. Israel is an outcast nation, ignored even by America. After launching a nuclear holocaust against its neighbors, its lands are now little more than an island in the midst of a radioactive wasteland. India is the world's most populous nation and an economic powerhouse, but is driven by domestic problems and concerns of a Combine invasion. China has fragmented into a collection of warring states that jockey for position and serve as proxy battlegrounds for their Asian neighbors. Japan has recovered from decades of economic and social collapse to regain its role as a major commercial power, though national and corporate identities are virtually indistinguishable. Pro-Europe South Africa heads an alliance of southern African states against its pro-American rivals in Nigeria. Hostile to the USA after years of American intervention in its internal affairs, the drug lords of Columbia have thrown their lot in with Europe. Columbia serves as a major way station for attacks against the US and its Mexican puppet though the shattered remains of Central America. Above all political considerations are the corporations, massive trans-national entities willing to support and protect those who can afford their fees.