his is not an average movie Web site. Not in the slightest. It is a highly interactive and immersive environment, part game, part online community, and part infomercial. The Federal Network poses as a future Internet whose main purpose is to recruit and train Starship Troopers. It rarely lets this facade slip, even referring to the movie Starship Troopers as a Civilian Educational Propaganda Film.
At the top of the page are news stories from the world of the film, but the real focus of the site is to enlist recruits for a virtual Mobile Infantry. Anyone can sign up, which allows them to create a persona for themselves and then choose a platoon. Each platoon has a page listing its members with their names, e-mail addresses, a slogan, and point totals.
All this is part of an ongoing contest in which recruits compete to rack up points. Points are gained by recruiting other troopers and through high achievement in the four Training Modules. Each Module has a written test and a skills test. The answers to the written tests can be found in the Training Manual, which contains lessons in topics like Galactic Navigation and Basic Insect Behavior. The skills tests are Shockwave games set in the Starship Troopers milieu--obstacle courses, insect blasters, etc. The tricky part is that recruits get only one chance to take the tests, but they can practice in "simulators" all they want. In December 1997 prizes will be awarded to the Top Trooper, Top Recruiter and Top Platoon. Prizes include props, posters and autographed storyboards.
A site that demands commitment
Slick graphics and Shockwave Flash animation dominate this site, giving it a non-Web feel: it seems faster, more responsive. The site is also lavishly illustrated with photos from the movie, but where it really excels is in its innovative approach. Never before has a movie tie-in site made so much effort to be an ongoing place of interest on the Web. The whole enlistment concept goes far beyond simple registering, allowing visitors to become steeped in the world of the film and interact with other fans. While other movie sites invite people to tour or play a little in their worlds, Federal Network encourages them to move in and stay. In the process they will learn a lot about the Starship Troopers world, as well as the original novel and even Robert A. Heinlein himself.
On the other hand, some people are sure to feel that the site suffers from too much innovation. The Training Manual is a hefty chunk of reading, and there's no offline version. And how many people will want to do all that studying and practicing anyway? It's perfectly possible to read the manual and play the games without enlisting, but the site strongly implies that it's required. Additionally, users looking for information about the actual movie will be disappointed. Aside from the release date there is nothing, no cast list, no behind-the-scenes tidbits...zip.
Overall this site blends lively humor and square-jawed, can-do militancy into a kooky and entertaining atmosphere. It's fun to visit and impressive in its scope.
