Campaign Rules now available!

Dear friends,
As you know, I’m a big fan of 24XX. In my opinion, it’s one of the most innovative game systems of the past decade. The way the game is played has literally given me a new lease of life.
It was only natural for me to develop a series of hacks in my favorite genres. Among them, 202X Special Ops occupies a special place in my heart. It’s the dream of playing something very close to Metal Gear Solid or Rainbow Six. These games have played a big part in my formative years (in a gaming sense).
I’ve been thinking about writing an expansion for Special Ops that’s similar to MGS: Peace Walker in terms of gameplay. It would involve maintaining, managing, and expanding a HQ from which to launch long-running campaigns. I’d love to know if I was successful in my attempt. In the meantime, I think anyone with a copy of Special Ops will find the expansion is free and included in today’s downloads.

Let’s take a look at what it contains in more detail!

Operation Command: Your HQ Awaits

In Operation Command, the HQ isn’t just a backdrop—it’s the beating heart of your operations. Think of it as your base in XCOM or MGS: Peace Walker. You manage missions, personnel, resources, and research while upgrading your HQ to expand its capabilities. The whole system is designed to offer that satisfying loop of upgrading your home base while sending your operatives on high-stakes missions.

Modules and Upgrades

Your HQ comes with six core modules, each one critical to your success:

• Command Center for mission planning and deployment.
• Barracks for recruiting, training, and managing your operatives.
• R&D for tech upgrades and new gadgets—because who doesn’t love better gear?
• Medical Bay to heal and enhance your operatives after a tough mission.
• Logistics to handle supplies and resources.
• Intelligence Division for gathering vital intel on your enemies.

Each of these modules can be upgraded as you gain resources, allowing you to unlock bonuses like faster mission planning, higher morale, or even new tech innovations. You’ll need credits and tech points to improve these areas, earned by completing missions or making smart decisions with your HQ resources.

Mission Generators and Dynamic Campaigns

The expansion comes with several mission generators to help you quickly create engaging, tactical missions. Whether it’s recon, sabotage, infiltration, or rescue, there are random tables for everything—from mission objectives and locations to unexpected complications that can turn a routine op into a chaotic scramble for survival.

Not only that, but the campaign structure lets you set up long-term stories where the enemy evolves and retaliates against your actions. As you succeed, they respond by tightening security, sending elite squads after you, or escalating their operations. Every mission impacts the bigger picture, making your strategic decisions at HQ just as important as the boots-on-the-ground action.

Personnel and Resource Management

If you’re a fan of base-building games, you’ll love this. Managing your personnel and resources is key to long-term success. You can train your operatives to boost their skills, keep morale high to prevent breakdowns, and even enhance them with cybernetics or biological upgrades. Supplies are finite, so balancing your needs with your resources becomes a critical aspect of the game.

Injured operatives will need time to recover, so you can’t just keep throwing the same team at every problem. You’ll have to think tactically about who you send, what gear they take, and how long they’ll be out of action once the dust settles.

This expansion adds a deeper strategic layer to Special Ops, and I hope it brings your campaign to life in exciting new ways. It’s all about creating those tense moments where every decision matters, whether you’re back at HQ planning the next big mission or in the field trying to survive a sudden ambush.

Give it a try, and let me know how your operatives are holding up!

Happy gaming,
Roberto