Let's Play: UFO Enemy Unknown

[GloatingSwine]

Does make me wonder, can the aliens capture us?

Spoiler

One of the alien missions is Alien Abduction (Alien ships are always doing something, though some missions are basically just "pootle around and land a few times"). I've hardly ever seen one though, don't know what conditions they appear under. There's a special ship that does them. (They don't abduct X-Com personnel though, unconscious X-Com guys are either recovered at the end of the mission or MIA if the mission is scrubbed and they're not carried onto the skyranger.)

 

[HyruleanHyroe]

HELL YEAH I'M A CAPTAIN!

 

[Malkavian]

In case you need more recruits...

Longshot, ready and willing, sir.

 

[HyruleanHyroe]

In case you need more recruits...

Longshot, ready and willing, sir.

Sir, you are a legend among lesser superheros. I MEAN C'MON, WHAT BETTER POWER IS THERE THAN LUCK?

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Damn, I shoot an alien in the back and I don't get a promotion? Tough calls.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

I'd forgotten how good this game is... Please could I be a rifleman? Always good to have a vested interest! Really impressed with this concept by the way! Cant wait for more\

 

[Higurashi]

Damn, I shoot an alien in the back and I don't get a promotion? Tough calls.

Indeed. One would think I would have gotten one long ago, too..

 

[GloatingSwine]

Spoiler

Promotion is odd, every time a new rank slot becomes available, the most experienced member of the rank below is promoted to it. Characters who are in restricted availability roles (Scouts, Snipers, and Heavies, of which there are three of each out of 20) get more chances to get experience, whereas Soldiers rotate more because there are more of them, so they'll stay at the lower ranks. Of course, now he's a Colonel, Birras is well on the way to REMFdom, because the higher the rank, the higher the morale hit when you die, but a high rank soldier provides a morale bonus that insulates newbies against morale loss

 

[GloatingSwine]

*** Classified: Above Top Secret ***
X-Com Council of Funding Nations Gold Level Clearance Required.

X-Com Monthly Performance Report, March 1999

The number of incursions faced in March was significantly down from previous months. This free time allowed us to bring the South East Asia base to full operational status, and manufacture enough Power Suits for the entire frontline team.

The time also allowed us to complete interrogation of a Sectoid prisoner, a navigator who eventually spilled details of the aliens' communication protocols.

Research was dedicated to finding a way to intercept and decode these transmissions, and eventually bore fruit.

Construction of the new Hyper Wave Decoder was begun at the main X-Com facility.

Research attention has now turned to the weapons used by the alien invaders. Our aim is to understand their weapons, and turn them against their creators.

We are still tracking the aliens' craft as best we can during this period of lower activity, and it can be seen that the decision to expand into South East Asia is paying off.

X-Com has responded in timely fashion wherever the alien intruder has reared it's head, intercepting their craft in the air and capturing them on land.

As X-Com has expanded, it's maintenance costs have ballooned, we have reached the point where the finances provided by the Council of Funding Nations barely cover the maintenance costs of X-Com's daily running, fortunately we are able to bolster our income by selling surplus UFO salvage and manufacturing Motion Scanners for sale. Nevertheless, the production and sale of motion scanners will have to be expanded to increase X-Com's cashflow as the war continues.

Fortunately, the Council of Funding Nations has voted to further increase monthly funding, which will alleviate these concerns to a small degree.

Report Ends

----

 

[dekkarax]

General, I wish to possibly act as a field medic when/if we have medkits; I know a bit about first aid and I want to ensure no more of my comrades fall in battle.

 

[cyberoth]

Upon reading the first post, you DID ASK us to expand out characters fiction soooo....

------
Journal Entry, March 1st, 1999
Jason "Cyberoth" Holt, X-Com

Another barrage of tests today. Apparently, I'm in fit enough shape to walk and stand on my own. There's still a blank patch of memory, but amnesia is better then death.

The doc's aren't too sure where I'm gonna end up, and each one I ask says something else. One said I'm heading home, which I dread. I don't want to head home with these THINGS flying in the sky, shooting up our planet like an empty beer can. Another said I might get put to work controlling a UCV, which isn't too bad. That Ace guy sounds like a good man to work with, considering how, despite the fact he's called a coward damn near every mission, he still provides some invaluable covering fire. A few other docs said I'd be back on the front lines, but can't agree on my job.

They let me walk around the labs. Some of the stuff those guys are thinking up are totally fucking nuts. In a good way. They let me try out the prototype Power Suit. The power unit jacks up your strength, but it's still clumsy to fight hand to hand with anything other then a stun rod. Still, armor is armor. I heard one of the guys in SciDiv talking about taking one of those floater mounts and putting on the power armor so we can fly. Scary thought, 10 heavily armed, heavily armored, pissed off soldiers, toting lasers, frying holes in anything that doesn't belong. Ahhhh, happy thoughts...

Paycheck arrived back home today too, I realize. I'm gonna be LOADED when this is all over. Twenty K a month, and all you have to do is look at green little moonmen and not piss yourself shooting them. Not getting shot helps, but I think I can safely say its not mandatory.

Not that I want to get shot again. That shit HURTS.

--JCH

 

[GloatingSwine]

Exactly the kind of thing I was looking for, thanks.

 

[Higurashi]

+++
Journal Entry, April 1st, 1999
Sgt. Simon "Higurashi" Nilsson, X-Com Alpha-Squad
---

Still no promotion. Fine, I probably do more good on the front lines anyway. I wouldn't mind staying a Sergeant till we've driven these alien entities away for good, even if I might be able to do a better job in the tactics division. Oh well, I do what is needed. Best thing is the R&D team seem to like me by now. Despite me being very happy with the laser weapons, it would really be a blast to operate some of those more advanced plasma weapons the aliens always attack our UCV with whenever we roll out on a mission. I think I shall have to continue dreaming about that though.

On another topic, I'm writing home to Caroline right now. It was much too long ago I heard from her, although I do not doubt she is doing excellent in her studies and anything else. Sometimes the longing is unbearable despite me being so used to it though. She means so much to me. I need to be with her to feel good. It's like a part of me is missing that only she can remedy. I wish I could see Jenny too.. another irreplaceable friend. These are the things hindering me from my full potential, just like it always has been. If only I could see them now and then.. it would enable me to do my job so much better.

Oh well, the squad is counting on me, and I shall not let them down. I remain the closest leader they have, and the motivational boost during combat is to a large extent up to me. A recent mission was a lot of urban warfare which I know puts everyone in a lot of pressure, but we did very good. Cyberoth was put down, but I understand he will be reinstalled anew thanks to Project Lazarus. I'm glad I endorsed that project. My old pal Shanks made Captain in the latest mission. No surprise there. It was about time really.
Right, back to reading. There's not nearly enough action as I would like nowadays. I just finished Guerilla Warfare and Guerilla Warfare: A Method, and am now reading up on The Once and Future King. It sure has me absorbed.

-Higs

Post Scriptum: I have to confess the presence of females is an enormous morale boost to some of the men, including myself. There has always been something about women that.. calms me. Soothes my soul. Ah, Bling Cat II..

+++

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

++++
Personal log 3-452 April 2nd 1999
Private Steven "Vanilla" Ghrylls, 3rd SAS
-

Onto the second day of tests now, still sore from yesterdays physical, why the hell is it that everytime a medic wants a tissue sample it has to come from your arse? Im not one to baulk at the sight of a needle but still, theres plenty of other pieces of exposed flesh!

Still dont know what this whole thing is about, Major Dawkins said I should be honored to be chosen, even if its just for the preliminary physicals, for this... whatever the hell it is. International black ops outfits just give me the creeps, and x-com? What kind of name is that? No ones talking just yet either way, technically I shouldn't even know the outfits name but theres no accounting for gobby techs. Whatever these guys are doing it must be big, I've seen some weird stuff thats for sure, and thats just in the testing centre.

Oh well, 10 minutes til the psych eval, maybe I'll hear something more soon. Either way it cant get any wierder, especially with all these rumours of Aliens kicking around. Some of the lads in the old unit thought that Pretoria thing a few weeks back was more than the official line of 'Terrorist activity', im not quite ready to blame the actions of a few nutters on little green men just yet, but theres definitely something in the air... Well, time for more jabbing by the labcoats. Maybe soon i'll get some answers around here...


End of Log

 

[GloatingSwine]

*** CLASSIFIED: ABOVE TOP SECRET ***
X-Com Command Staff Eyes Only

Excerpt Personal Log, General McSwine

Day 91, No fool.

As I returned from giving my report to the Council of Funding Nations, I was met by an enthusiastic messenger from the science division, they had finished researching the aliens' stun bomb weapon.

Once work was complete on the launcher for the bomb, we would be able to deploy these as a replacement for the stun prod, meaning that scouts would no longer have to risk closing to melee range under fire in order to capture aliens.

Before we could discuss these weapons further, however, we were cut off by the base siren.

----

X-Com Incident Report, 1st April

An alien craft had snuck in under our radar and landed in North Africa.

The skyranger was dispatched to investigate, this would mark the first deployment of the Power Suit in live combat.

Report Ends

----

X-Com Battle Report, UFO Ground Assault 4

The skyranger set down along the northern edge of the mission area, some way away from the landed alien vessel.

AceDiamond rolled the UCV down the skyranger ramp, and swept the area with his camera. An unfamiliar shape greeted us.

A third alien species had joined in the war against X-Com. A scout deploying next caught sight of another member of this new race to the southwest.

The squad saturated the area this alien was standing in with fire, eventually the scout that called it in managed to kill it.

Meanwhile, AceDiamond lined up a rocket and blasted the one further to the north.

The squad dispersed, and as the UCV scouted southwards AceDiamond spotted another alien.

He signalled it's position to RootOfAllEvil, who dropped it with long range sniper fire.

AceDiamond continued south and spotted another alien standing behind the last one.

Doomsly McSlaughter took this one out with a rocket.

At this, an alien came out of the UFO to investigate the noise, it took a few shots at the UCV, and some of the squad peppered the area it was standing in with return fire, but it was all over when AceDiamond turned round and loosed a rocket into the UFO wall, letting the blast do the job.

Report Ends

----

Mission Debriefing, General McSwine

Once again, an exemplary performance for X-Com. Even in the face of a new threat. Initial reports indicate that these new aliens are tougher than ones we have fought previously, but they are still killed in good time by laser weapons. We are monitoring the situation closely to understand this new threat.

 

[cyberoth]

Quick question. Is Cyberoth officially in the soldier pool yet? And if he is, what is he? Scout, HWS, Soldier, Sniper, AceDiamond backup/replacement/new annoying coworker, etc? It'd help with the journal entries.
----
JOURNAL ENTRY
Jason "Cyberoth" Holt, X-Com

Haul of crap went into the general stores. I'm still somewhat concerned that 4 of these snake corpses are marked 'for specialty markets'. I'm going to start butching my own animals and making my own food from here on out.

The corpse we kept for study has a laser hole drilled in its head. The sniper who got that kill must be proud of himself. Such a clean shot right between the eyes. Or at least they look like eyes. We won't know for sure until we dissect it. They might be buttholes for all we know.

The old laser pistol prototype is still here. It doesn't have the power cell of the combat models, so someone could get shot in the EYE with this and still be able to see. But it's still a gun, so SciDiv gave me a scrap of metal to use as a target. It's not a replacement for field work, but it's better then mindless tedium.

I learned SciDiv also handles most of the administrative work for the base, which also means we get all the after incident reports, and the individual soldier debriefings. Another sad thing is that noo ne offers up any praise to these guys for the weapons. Sure they get paid 3 times as much as us, but c'mon! They designed our guns and our armor, the least we could do is THANK THESE GUYS.

We figured out how those stun bombs worked. It's got something to do with sound waves shaking up yer cells and the shock knocks you out...I forget the full science-y explanation. All I know is that it works on anything with cells, so it'll work on them too.

Still no clue where I'm going after this. But I'm still getting paid like a soldier, so I must still have a job here.

--JCH

PS : I just remembered something! Higurashi helped endorse Lazarus. I owe him a drink when I'm allowed back into the living quarters.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Quick question. Is Cyberoth officially in the soldier pool yet? And if he is, what is he? Scout, HWS, Soldier, Sniper, AceDiamond backup/replacement/new annoying coworker, etc? It'd help with the journal entries.

Spoiler

Cyberoth II has been redeployed to combat yes. His first exploits will be appearing tomorrow. He's a soldier. Death is not considered an acceptable form of retirement from X-Com...

 

[cyberoth]

JOURNAL ENTRY
Jason "Cyberoth" Holt, X-Com

FINALLY! Deployment orders! They sent me some basic soldier gear. No specialization in my orders, but I'm back in the combat pool, and more importantly, I'm back on the Skyranger. It's gonna be kinda weird telling everyone I'm not dead anymore, but I'll be back in action. I'm a bit torn. Part of me wants to stay nice and safe here, but the other half want's the alarm buzzer to sound. I'm itching for combat...weird, but true. I'm gonna have to catch up with the old squad as soon as I get back out.

I'm still gonna drop by SciLab often. The work done here is very interesting, and they almost always need something hauled over.

--JCH

 

[AceDiamond]

Personal Log
April 2, 1999

Maximilian "Ace" Diamond, X-Com, HWP Division

Well, the demise of our first HWP, which I dubbed Señor Tanque Grande after too much rum one night, was by no means the worst thing that's happened to the team. After all a tank is replaceable unlike the skills of the men and women we've lost in combat. Still I felt a bit of pain hearing the sound of the armor being reduced to slag as an explosion tore through the rocket magazines. Anyway the new replacement (which I've decided to give a more function-following name of "Landstalker") seems to be working well but I still have to work on getting the actuators to respond just how I'd like them to. I'm also curious to hear about the plans to mount laser weaponry on an HWP platform, which would be nice to have more ammo but on the other hand I doubt it can replace the raw room-clearing (but indiscriminate) power of a rocket.

Sometimes I itch for a chance to be out there on the field for real. I know that technically I'm the safest member of the squad, huddled up in Germany staring at carnage through a screen. But somedays I wonder when the aliens will take the fight to us directly. After all we've just seen a new, reptilian species in the field. This could only mean they're stepping up whatever missions they have on Earth. For now I'll keep practicing down at the range with one of the extra laser pistols. I can only hope that'll be enough to help when the Aliens knock on our door.

 

[HyruleanHyroe]

CRIT ROCKET TO THA FACE, BIATCH!

I'll surely do one of these bio majiggers in good time, but must be sleeping now.