Let's play X-COM and save the Earth!

[scherbchen]

2 rockets? is this wartime rationing already? if I don't get 4 rockets the (alien) terrorists win!

who do I have to talk to here about starting an investigation into our leader being controlled by aliens? anal probes are the surest way to tell I have been told....

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Carrying all 4 rockets is gonna slow you down... it's your call.

Or we could get Feanor to carry some spare rockets and throw them to you if you run out.

EDIT: Heretic and Feanor need their roles for the mission assigning.

Heretic either a scout or a rifleman. We only have 1 scout on the roster at the moment,

Feanor either another scout (could carry spare rockets for scherbchen then), a sniper or take the other heavy cannon.

I think we need 1 more scout Heretic probably the better choice since he's nearer the front.

 

[Fëanor]

My guy is pretty average, making him scout/opportunistic grenadier would probably the safest role for him, although a CQB role could turn him into a decend all-rounder, or more likely one of the first causalities in this worthy fight.

How much do recruits cost (compared to tanks?)

 

[ParadigmShifter]

New recruits cost $40K, tanks cost $400K. If anyone survives till the end of the month we have to pay salary, $20K for soldiers.

You should be OK on the first mission there won't be many aliens and you are last off the ship

I'll put you down for a scout, and give you the other 2 rockets in case scherbchen gets trigger happy.

Should we make Heretic a sniper then? Or go with 3 spotters?

 

[scherbchen]

$20k a month is a pretty sweet deal btw if I make it out of this alive. heck, I even get somebody to carry my rockets for me!

no idea on the sniper/spotter situation, sir!

just make sure that I nuke the crap out of barns and brick walls in order to expose or kill hidden aliens. which is why we need rockets. I'm just thinking about my fellow teammates here. oh, and I like to blow up stuff....

 

[ParadigmShifter]

I'm gonna go with another spotter since there won't be many aliens from a very small UFO.

Time to equip the squad and get this game started!

Erik: rifleman
Captain2: scout
Heretic: scout
Thorn: rifleman
scherbchen: rockets/blowing stuff up
nodikus: auto-cannon
Paradigm: heavy cannon
Feanor: scout and rocket man for scherbchen

 

[Polycrates]

Oooooooh XCOM! I'm feeling suicidal! Put me down for plasma fodder when the current stock of human resources has been churned through in a mission or two. My specialties include soaking up fire on the first step out of the skyranger, getting blown up by my heavy weapons "teammates", and acting as a warm, nurturing bioenvironment for new baby chrysalids. I believe that my resume makes me an ideal fit for the X-Com combat team, and I look forward to the opportunity to briefly serve with such an exemplary body.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

PrinceScamp and Polycrates will be 2 of the new grunts we recruited but haven't yet arrived.

I wait until 6:30 AM on January 2nd before sending out the skyranger

It arrives at the crash site

Our mission: to destroy all alien operatives and salvage the UFO

Erik Mesoy

Captain2

Heretic Cata

Thorn

scherbchen

nodikus

Paradigm

Then I realise we have only 5 pistols

So I take a pistol off nodikus and give him more autocannon ammo just in case

Feanor gets 2 rockets and the pistol

And we open the bay doors

Here's the map, we haven't spotted the UFO yet

It's daylight and farmland

Deployment advice needed. Do we go for a smoke grenade straight away to try and create some cover or do we risk it?

The only cover we have is the ramp and the landing gear of the skyranger.

EDIT: There's a hedge over to the northeast and a building or another hedge to the east (maybe not to the east, there's definitely a hedge NE though).

 

[Thorn]

I hate to say it, but whoever goes out first stands a pretty good chance of being shot right away. You should determine who goes down the ramp first.

Also, no medic? I always had one guy loaded with med packs. He could also ferry weapons from the dead to people who needed them (or ammo).

 

[ParadigmShifter]

We need to research medikits, and I don't think it's worth doing that until we have armour as well (one hit normally deadly without armour).

Captain2 being the brave scout is going to be first down the ramp. I forgot to put a smoke grenade in his hand too I could prep one for the 2nd turn though.

 

[cardgame]

This looks awesome, sign me up for the next round when you buy more soldiers

I'll be a sniper if that's possible.

 

[Captain2]

if my arm gets blown off I want someone to pick it up for me

I want it stuffed and mounted

 

[Polycrates]

There is no problem that can't be solved by throwing wave after wave of your own men at it. May I humbly suggest a wild charge down the ramp, firing wildly at anything that moves? You could maybe take cover behind the pile of corpses that builds up on the ramp

 

[scherbchen]

well there are going to be aliens and/or buildings to be blown up either on the eastern or southern side. if my memory is to be relied upon you will not face anything frome the western side at all as this appears to be the end of the map.

and, yes, at this stage it is very likely that the first person to peek around the side of the aircraft will die. heck, that is why we have spotters, right? I'd be happy to send in a hovertank but for now the first wave will have to earn their pay.

as long as I get to obliterate tiny hovels and rundown sheds with my rockets I am all set. all of it for the good of the team, of course!

 

[ParadigmShifter]

I remember I can do some scouting from within the ship by turning the back row (Feanor and nodikus) in the ship and moving to the back, looking around. This reveals a lot more of the map but sadly we can't spot aliens from the craft.

We are in the north-west corner of the map. To the northeast, the hedge blocks our way into the field, although rifles can punch holes in hedges I think

East of that tile, a stone wall. If we want to go this way we have to blow a hole in the fence and blast the wall.

Directly east of the skyranger, a fence blocks the way, this provides cover if we kneel behind it and we could probably blow a hole in it too.

East of that field there is another hedge with a gap

Directly south of the skyranger is an orchard which provides cover to our team and the aliens

South of the orchard, another field

South east of the skyranger, a field

And east of that - cabbages!

Here's the revealed map so far. Still no sign of the crashed UFO

Don't worry about the big white X, that's just where the camera is pointed.

EDIT: It seems the best place to start looking is east and south. We should probably split into 2 teams and begin a sweep, maybe leaving someone covering to the northeast.

It looks fairly safe to leave the skyranger but I could be horribly wrong of course.

 

[Captain Carnage]

I hereby offer my services as a soldier.
(it might make more sense if you remove the "captain" from my name on the roster. Rookie Carnage, Squaddie Carnage etc)

I usually have 2 teams of 4 soldiers, 1 team searches all buildings, the other covers the door of the UFO. Sometimes I have a sniper sit on the roof of a barn and provide cover. That's just a rough guide, obviously it can change according to strategic requirements.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

We already have rookie Captain2 so Captain Carnage is fine.

It doesn't look like there are any buildings nearby here.

I propose the following plan:

Covering sniper positioned on the arrow to the north facing east, Erik can do that job until the sniper gets into position

Scouts advance to first X. Not much cover though, maybe go via the undercarriage.

Teams advance south along the fence. One team goes south the other goes east.

 

[Captain2]

As the pointman I recomend that we go back to our own ship and wait for the aliens to come to us

if they fail to appear they're clearly not hostile enough to be worth our time

 

[Captain Carnage]

double post, please disregard

 

[Janusi]

Interesting, you can sign me up for cannon fodder too.