Let's Play: UFO Enemy Unknown

[GloatingSwine]

I threatened I was going to do one of these, so now I am.

For those of you who have never seen a Let's Play before, what happens is that I play through a game, and log the experience of playing it for all of you to see and potentially participate in as an ongoing fiction.

The game I'm going to be playing is UFO: Enemy Unknown [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/5379-Guest-Review-X-Com-Revival-Package], a turn based strategic game only slightly older than God but about twice as much fun.

(Small note: I will be playing a slightly modified version of the game which does not include Psionics but which requires Elerium to build laser weapons, making them harder to build and not profitable to manufacture and sell, so money will be harder to come by, and which actually has functional difficulty levels, the game will be played at the "Experienced" level)

Now, on to the audience participation. What I'm looking for is you, the readers of the Escapist, to lend your names to an X-Com soldier. Are you a big enough badass to save the world from aliens? Apply here to find out! I may also throw some decisions open to the democratic process to liven things up a little, and if you want to contribute to the fiction in character, I'll see if I can work you into the updates.

If you want to join in, just reply to the thread and say so, and what your preferred role in the proceedings will be (assault/scout, heavy weapons, RUV driver, sniper, or general assault troop).

I'll be trying to update this once a week at least, starting as soon as I get a few volunteers.

To give you a bit of an idea what's going on, here's the opening steps of the game:

 

[GloatingSwine]

*** CLASSIFIED: ABOVE TOP SECRET ***

X-Com Command Staff Eyes Only

Excerpt Personal Log, General McSwine, X-Com

Day 1: Welcome to my hole in the ground.

So here we are, a hole in the ground a short way outside Stuttgart, as far as the world knows we're just some boring little bit of NATO left over from the cold war when we had to watch over the Reds, means we get to launch our birds without anyone being too inquisitive, but the enemy we're here to fight ain't red, he's grey. First we knew of them was fifty years back when they managed to smash one of their ships into a patch of nothing out in New Mexico. Ugly little dead critter inside, USAF tried an autopsy but it was too smashed up to learn much. Not a local though, they knew that much. Few years later it was quietly suggested we start looking at the skies, and so a lot of radiotelescopes got pointed at a lot of nothing.

Never found anything that way, of course, too much sky to cover. But for the last few years sightings of unexplained and unidentified bogies have been going up, people getting spooked, cattle getting cut up and dumped, and a few concerned parties started to be a little more than concerned. So that's where we come in, the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit, X-Com, and me, the guy they decided gets the job of running it.

End Personal Log

----

X-Com Escapist daily report, Reporting officer General McSwine

First things first, I've expressed concerns about the layout of our facility. It looks like it was built by civilian contractors, and they haven't thought one bit about defensibility.

An attacker can get at us through any of those hangars, or the main access lift. We'd be caught in an encirclement with no way out and no cover. I'll have to get this sorted. I ordered new hangars dug next to the existing one and we'll backfill the old ones when they come on line, and when funding permits we'll get the main living quarters moved so that the access lift forms a defensive bottleneck. That might give us the chance we need if the enemy comes knocking. I've made sure we've got a brig on hand as well, and some more storage space and extra billets.

I checked over our personnel and equipment as well, a handful of ground troops and some small arms are here already with a transport aircraft, and we've got a couple of Interceptors, but the birds look like they're armed for fighting earth planes, everything I've seen shows that the enemy we're going to face builds his birds out of tougher stuff, so the first job is to get those planes loaded for bear. I've put in an order for an unmanned reconnaisance and combat vehicle as well, and increased our combat and scientific staff, and made sure we've got enough small arms to go around.

It doesn't matter who or what your enemy is, he always attacks with paperwork first.

I've had a quick meeting with our science team as well, they say they've got some ideas for a portable laser weapon that could double our groundpounders' combat firepower. That's a big claim, but I told them to look into it.

Over the next few days I'll be getting to know the soldiers in my command, I'll be sending these men and women to what may well be their deaths, so I owe them something.

 

[AceDiamond]

I'll gladly lend my name to this project (big fan of the first XCom/UFO game), though I can't decide between a driver or general assault role. Just put a space in between "Ace" and "Diamond" and you're all set for a name.

 

[Birras]

*clears throat, begins talking in bad Russian accent* I am Heavy Weapons guy. And this...is my weapon *clears throat again, talks normally* I'm in.

 

[vid20]

If this is not THE BEST idea ever.. i don't want to know what is..

I'm in if you want me.. But you can go by my alias Vidius or CAPSLOCK FURY if you prefer more realistic names then ones with numbers in them..

wait.. whats realistic about CAPSLOCK FURY? Unless of course.. its.. CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK FURY!

 

[GloatingSwine]

*** CLASSIFIED: ABOVE TOP SECRET ***

X-Com Command Staff Eyes Only

X-Com personnel and equipment log, General McSwine

Been getting to know the men and women of my command a little. Met our UCV operator first, AceDiamond. Bit of a divisive figure for the ground crew, he stays nice and snug at base, he's not in the line of fire personally, doesn't get rained on and doesn't get up to his ass in mud, blood, and shit, but they don't half appreciate the covering fire that the UCV's high explosive rockets provide, not to mention the nice slab of moving cover it provides.

Next to introduce himself was Birras, a seriously big chap with an accent that might have been on a package tour to Russia once, and a strange attachment to very large weaponry, nevertheless, a solid gent to have in a firefight, and he'll be toting one of our Auto-Cannons in the field.

The only other member of my command who's brought up the courage to approach yet is one CAPSLOCK FURY. I'm a little worried about him, to be honest, he's always a little on edge, very alert, but he can be jumpy. Likes explosions too. Big ones. He's one of our forward scouts, lightly armed but with a wide range of supporting tools like shock sticks and breaching charges.

Taken a look at our arsenal as well. The standard X-Com rifle's a bit of an oddity, no attachments for grenade launchers or scopes, and it's got an odd calibre, 6.7mm. Still, that's a good balance of accuracy and stopping power against a human. We'll see how it holds up against what we have to fight.

On the larger end of the scale there's the Auto-Cannon. Rotary barrel high rate of fire with about the largest projectiles a man can stand to shoot, can be fitted with a wide range of different shells too, these should give pause to whatever's out there.

Armoury have cooked up a little something special to get us into the ships we'll be meeting as well. They've modified the mixture of standard high explosive breaching charges used by counter-terrorism teams to give it enough punch to get through the stuff the Roswell saucer was made of. Should give us some options other than walking in the door.

----

X-Com Commander Daily Report, General McSwine

Our first week's been quiet. A few deliveries trickled in, and our stores are full to bursting with inventive ways to greet trespassers on our little planet.

Science team finished up preliminary work on their laser project as well, and they're looking to build a working test model of a new handgun for the force.

A small step, but it's one in the right direction.

Report Ends

 

[GloatingSwine]

*** Classified: Above Top Secret ***
X-Com Command Staff Eyes Only

Excerpt Personal Log, General McSwine, X-Com

Day 8/9: First contact.

Somewhere in the world there's a group of people dedicated to making the most blaring, inconsiderate noises known to man. Those people made our contact alarm. Just past midday GMT January 8th the base siren signalled a bogey contact matching our operational parameters.

Interceptor 1 was scrambled to force the UFO down, and after a short chase engaged it only a few klicks northwest of our base.

A volley of Avalanche missiles saw to the the UFO making an emergency landing, and the field team aboard the skyranger was launched just after dawn on the 9th of January we got our first taste of alien contact.

----

X-Com Battle Report: UFO Crash Recovery 1

Open ground around the UFO crash site allowed the crew to put the skyranger down right next to the target vessel.

As the back door opened, the camera on AceDiamond's UCV showed us two aliens that had dispersed from the crash site. They were obviously a little disoriented, as they were facing completely away from our landing position, and a skyranger doesn't come in quiet.

AceDiamond flipped off the safety on the UCV's rocket launcher and fragged the one on the right. The guys standing behind him won't thank him for the noise and smoke, but these UCVs are designed to minimise backblast on the rocket launchers, so even a trigger happy operator can't cook his own guys.

After confirming the first kill, AceDiamond moved the UCV tentatively down the skyranger's exit ramp, and almost immediately came under fire from the right. Turning the camera to get a look at the culprit revealed that not all of the aliens were dazed from the crash, one had taken up position in a blind spot and was covering our exit ramp.

Fortunately, it only had a hand weapon which didn't damage the heavily armoured UCV, but unfortunately AceDiamond couldn't generate a decent angle to take it out.

Next out of the bird was CAPSLOCK FURY, mindful of the alien on the right, he exited left of the bird to spot for danger on our other flank, and finding none took cover behind the landing gear. Next out were some of the general assault troops, who lined up and shot down both the alien covering the ramp

And the one in the field with its back to us.

The rest of the squad debarked in relatively good order.

Meeting no further resistance at the LZ, the squad dispersed so as not to present a close target profile and be hit by stray shots.

It soon became apparent that any more aliens around the crash site were still on board their vessel, so the squad moved to cover it, and CAPSLOCK FURY primed and placed a demolition charge along one of the UFO walls*

This is where it all got a bit confused, before anyone could stop him, and certainly before anything resembling backup was in position, Birras stormed up to the UFO and the dull roar of his Auto-Cannon through the smoke told the squad that he'd spotted something in there. Reappearing he indicated that there had been two aliens inside, and there was now one, but it was taking cover behind what appeared to be the ship's drive system.

Before anyone could stop him, he dived back into the UFO and fired on the other alien, missing this time, and for a few heart stopping moments the high crack of an alien weapon being fired reverberated through the squad's ears. Fortunately, the alien had been startled into barely missing Birras' head**, but this appeared to bring him to his senses, and he stayed out of the UFO covering the breach until another soldier could flank the alien through the UFO's main hatch.

Report Ends
----

Mission Debriefing, General McSwine

Although there were a few moments where poor discipline among the troops threatened the safety of the squad, it's hard to rate the first performance of the X-Com field team as anything but a complete success. Five uglies down for no X-Com casualties, a UFO captured intact, and most importantly with it's drive core intact, a fact which has had our science team whooping with joy, as they're sure we're going to need some of the high energy fuel the aliens use to power their new laser weapons.

Also for conspicuous, if potentially suicidal, bravery Birras and the other soldier who entered the UFO to clear the aliens inside it have both been promoted to Sergeant.

May all our operations proceed even nearly this smoothly.

----

* OOC Note: The ability to damage UFO outer walls with high explosives is a result of modification to the game. Normally, HiX are just overweight grenades with not enough damage to justify schlepping them around.

** OOC Note: Literally, the shot was a pixel off target, you can still be hit even if the game rolls a miss if the shot passes through your sprite, which is quite possible at the kind of close ranges

 

[vid20]

loving this! keep it up

 

[Higurashi]

This game does seem like a basket full o' fun. If you want to name the next soldier in line Higurashi, I'd be obliged to follow this. =)
He prefers energy weapons. PEW PEW!
PS: You're European? (suspicion born of game version)

 

[AceDiamond]

This game does seem like a basket full o' fun. If you want to name the next soldier in line Higurashi, I'd be obliged to follow this. =)
He prefers laser weapons. PEW PEW!
PS: You're European? (suspicion born of game version)

Actually it seems to be titled the same over in the states now, at least the version I downloaded from Steam was titled "UFO: Enemy Unknown" at its title screen.

However I too think our esteemed general is from Europe.

 

[Higurashi]

Yes, it appears so. Perhaps it's simply the most popular and/or numerous version. And yes, it seems he is.

 

[GloatingSwine]

He is.

The Steam version is the original UK version of the game in all regions though. (That's actually the version I'm using, as I installed it with all the others despite the fact I've got it on CD as well, since you can use XComUtil with it).

Also, I shall try and have an update up tonight after work.

 

[GloatingSwine]

*** CLASSIFIED: ABOVE TOP SECRET ***
X-Com Daily Report, General McSwine

In the wake of our first successful combat operation, I call in our newest Sergeant for a personal interview

Sergeant Higurashi is one of the front line all round troops that make up the backbone of X-Com ground operations, capable in all areas rather than specialising in any particular one. He's been hanging around science division a lot lately as well, the notes from their office say they have to keep telling him to keep his fingers off the laser prototypes. Maybe when we can get them scaled up to combat size he'll get one of his own to play with.

Personal note: I hope the name doesn't turn out prophetic...*

Next I took a look at the items recovered from the alien craft and crew. Their small arms look a lot like earth ones, but we can't get them working, some kind of hellish alien safety catch. Pending further investigation we've decided to quietly let a few go out to interested governments, keeping enough for science division to study when they get the chance. Same with the bodies of the crew, we can't cut them all up ourselves, after all.

As I was leaving the quartermaster's office to let him deal with packaging our wares for the governments of the world, a member of the science division came running up to me in the hall, wanted me to come right down to their lab for the first look at their new baby.

The working prototype of the Laser Pistol is certainly impressive, it packs more of a punch than our current rifles, and almost matches the Auto-Cannon, though without the latter's versatility or the accuracy of the former. It'll certainly give our scouts more of a fighting chance than their current sidearms, so I order it into LRIP, and get the boffins to start enlarging it to rifle size, which should give us more accuracy and power.

Capturing the aliens' craft and equipment has given us a chance to look more closely at it. A wealth of new projects stands before our capable researchers, but ground crew weaponry is foremost in our requirements.

The first couple of laser pistols are soon ready for combat use, and it's a good thing too, because we have another visitor.

----

X-Com Incident Report: 15th January

Radar return from this UFO is much larger than from the last, and both of our interceptors are scrambled to deal with it.

Unfortunately, it slips the net and despite our planes running Combat Air Patrol over the north atlantic and arctic circle, is not reacquired.

Report Ends

----
X-Com Incident Report: 17th January

An AWACS plane overflying southern Europe sends us a squawk, a pattern on the ground that shouldn't be there. Something slipped in through our radar and has put down near the Spain/Portugal border.

An interceptor is scrambled to loiter in case it tries to leave, and the skyranger is tasked to sweep the area.

Our second ground mission, and it will take place at night.

Report Ends

----

* OOC Note: Low bravery means a high chance of a berserk or panic if things go pear shaped and people start dying. The name may be more appropriate than hoped...

 

[vid20]

MOAR!!!! loving this

 

[GloatingSwine]

*** Classified: Above Top Secret ***
X-Com Command Staff Eyes Only

Excerpt Personal Log, General McSwine, X-Com

Day 17: Lessons Learned

We'd expected night fighting to present new challenges for X-Com, and this mission reaffirmed some of our fears.

----

X-Com Battle Report: UFO Ground Assault 1

Initial deployment was by the book, with no targets in sight, AceDiamond rolled the UCV down the skyranger's ramp, and straight into a wall of plasma fire.

The aliens can see in the dark. We can't. We've looked into low light gear, but it gets blinded and fried by the high intensity of alien plasma weapons. For now, we have to make do with flares.

A scout takes cover behind the UCV and deploys a flare ahead where the reaction fire came from, the alien is sighted and AceDiamond opens fire.

A hit and a kill. We advance cautiously, deploying further flares around the LZ as we go. In the dark we have to be doubly careful to sweep the countryside.

An additional problem comes in the form of orchard plantations, annoyingly effective at concealing aliens, especially these small ones we've taken to calling Sectoids.

The advance is slow and tense, at one point an alien on patrol walks over to the corpse of his comrade. Fortunately he doesn't notice X-Com personnel behind him, and a sniper puts him down.

Higurashi sweeping the western side of the LZ with his squad is also caught up in the orchard trap, fortunately as we've run out of light sources the flares we use are re-usable electrically powered light sources rather than chemical flares, so they can safely be picked up to reposition them.

As the squad reaches the front of the UFO, we notice life signs from the alien downed by sniper fire, it's unconscious but not quite dead, we keep a close eye on it.

This UFO is larger than the last, we don't know the internal layout, so can't determine the best entry point, so the door is chosen as the likely candidate. A breaching charge is set up to blow it in so we can surprise any aliens inside.

As the breaching charge goes off, the unconscious alien is shocked into waking, acting fast, the scout watching the body bloods our new laser pistol design, marking first blood for X-Com's science team.

The UCV rolls up to the door to check inside, the entryway of this UFO class is spartan, and devoid of any aliens, but a wall divides it from the rest of the craft, presenting a defensive advantage to the aliens inside.

The squad enters and stack up at the inner doors, the scout primes a grenade, the plan being for the soldier he is with to spot for him and him to throw.

Unfortunately, the bridge crew get the drop on us, the soldier goes down, X-Com's first casualty of the war.

The scout manages to throw the grenade anyway.

And a soldier flanks from the other side.

We prepare to open the final door into the centre of the UFO, but again are surprised by and alien bursting out and spraying the bridge with plasma

Not only another soldier, but a heavy weapon trooper are caught in the hail of fire and killed.

The scout, now alone in the UFO, rushes the door of the central room, two aliens are waiting in there. He dials the laser pistol to automatic fire.

The aliens don't survive.

Report Ends

----

Mission Debriefing, General McSwine

The ground team have recovered another UFO, but at a much higher cost than the first. Three X-Com troopers lost their lives on this operation, and we will need to study this UFO class in more detail to attempt to prevent reoccurances when assaulting the tightly defended bridge and engineering areas inside. Simultaneous breaches in the bridge and entryway walls may be required to fully retain the element of surprise against these well dug-in foes.

Consolingly, however, the experience of the field team has grown. Birras has shown good leadership skills and is being promoted to Captain, and the scout who braved this UFO interior is promoted to Sergeant in his place.

Funerals with full military honours will be arranged for those killed in action, and recruitment is underway to find adequate replacements.

 

[dekkarax]

This looks very interesting indeed.

You may use my name if you wish

 

[Higurashi]

Aw, as if I would have low bravery. =3
And yes, the name is ominous.. but let's say it means to bring darkness to the aliens.
Loving this! ^_^

 

[GloatingSwine]

And yes, the name is ominous.. but let's say it means to bring darkness to the aliens.

A pity X-Com doesn't issue cleavers to it's soldiers....

Next update will be saturday.

 

[Higurashi]

<spoiler=Higs>Hah! A pity indeed. How I would mow down aliens. I didn't get my nickname from that, but it certainly would not have been any shame in that if I had. Possibly the best anime ever. <3
In fact, I was just reading about cultural phenomenons in Japan, and stumbled upon the cicada with the name, as it got up when the sun set. "That which brings darkness". I thought it had a nice sound to it, so I adopted it as my first nickname. Perhaps a month later, I found the anime, and some places I go, people recognize my nick and think I got it from there. x)
Ah, excellence of such frequent updates. ^_^