UFO character profiles

[Bomb Bloke]

All I can say is .

[Snikers]

Asian people don't have green eyes either. Go for brown or black.

 

I could still believe blue, but there'd have to be a mention of ocular albinism or something.

[Zager]

The first character I make in a year and a half WITHOUT brown eyes, and this is what happens.

[Bomb Bloke]

He said they can have black eyes. Sounds unique enough to me.

[FullAuto]

I'm sure Asians can have green eyes. Haven't you ever seen 'Big trouble in little china'?

[Hankosha]

NAME: Samuel 'Shades' Thompson

AGE: 25

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 185 pds

ORIGIN: Shades is a soldier of Fortune. He was referred to X-com by Hankosha (Backstory will appear in one of my posts). He was born in Italy, and joined the Mob. When a deal went bad, Shades turned and fled to the United states. He joined the army to sell his skills, and ended up becoming an expert in heavy weaponry. He met Hankosha when they both had been hired as mercenaries, and they saved each others' lives.

PHYSIQUE: Muscular. Brown hair, Bluish-Grey eyes (color shifts as you look at them). Tanned Skin, Always wears Mirrored Shades.

HOBBIES: Juggling, knife throwing, showing off, and blowing stuff up.

PSIONIC STRENGTH: Medium. He is prone to massive migranes if he is being mind-controlled, and drops his weapon.

Religion: Zen Bhuddist. Believes in inner harmony.

[storm turmoil]

Name: David Brown

Callsign: Turmoil

Race: Human

Nationality: British

Age:26

 

Personal Information:

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 242lbs

Build: medium built

Hair: red, asymmetric Spikes, mid length

Eyes: grey

Needs glasses due to short sight; steel framed, blue tinted.

 

 

Physical Statistics

Strength: extreme

Speed: average; has good long distance endurance, sprinting is poor

Agility: poor (clumsy, cannot control strength, poor hand eye coordination, bad distance vision)

Stamina: very high

Mental condition: subdued, mostly introverted, some hints of possible manic-depression

Psionic Potential: unknown. Often complains of itchy temples around alien containment, no known instances of loss of control. Prior head injury and unusual physical training regimen may be contributing factors.

Bravery: bolstered by his extreme toughness, combat bravery is quite high, but knows his limits. Outside of combat, tends to be solitary and very isolationist; is afraid of getting close to people,

 

Intelligence: possesses excellent mechanical intuition, and gets on well with engineers. Understands most mid to high level scientific concepts, however, is very mistrustful of scientists in general (worried about his 'section being un-postponed)

Accomplished con artist and flim flam man, particularly regarding fake alien technology. May become an active part of spin control and cover up teams, as well as recovery teams, and evaluation of supposed alien artefacts.

If approved for combat, may act as heavy support/ on site HWP armourer and maintenance

 

Hand-to-hand and melee combat: very proficient. Uses dirty tactics, own style. Style adapted to capitalise on his extreme strength.

 

Pistols: fair

 

Rifles: poor

 

Heavy weapons: decent accuracy, and can manage even the heaviest weapons

 

Favoured weapon: 40mm Heavy cannon, stun rod (usually used as bludgeon, but...)

 

Grenades and explosives: good with explosives generally, excellent throwing range, poor accuracy

 

Note: has no formal military training. With training, weapons skills likely to improve .

 

 

Characters controller: storm turmoil

 

Background: Brought in as a suspect for testing after having been identified as an "abductee" He spent most of his early days being shuttled around X-inv bases, locked in containment cells and undergoing batteries of tests leading up to an eventual planned vivisection. Numerous escape attempts, all foiled, though some close shaves. Final examination during pre-section finally uncovered anomalies with suspected Alien alteration landmarks. Conclusion: subject was a very professional, very sophisticated hoax. All alterations derived from solely terrestrial technology, with no similarities with, for example, the Roswell evidence, except superficial.

 

Held for further testing, vivisection postponed. Transferred to X-com jurisdiction following first successful missions, and subjected to further analysis. All technology found to be incompatible with recovered Alien devices. In particular, power source was entirely electronic, with no utilisation of Elerium-115.

 

Found to have developed the whole 'abductee' ploy simply to confirm his own suspicions over alien sightings, UFO's over the Pennines, and a swarm of abduction and cattle mutilation stories.

 

Recruited to X-com engineering, signed on for additional cross training, and finally combat training following early mission casualty rates. Seconded to base defense only, unless approved for drops.

 

also serves as weapons test guinea pig.

 

Transferred to Pine Gap facility recently

[Dan_010]

This Character is a highly trained seasoned veteran of over one hundred fifty missions. (Before joining X-Com) Possessing training in martial arts such that the average person only hears rumors of. If he is not acceptable to the members here, I could create another character.

 

**************************************************************************

 

Name: Oroku Gawa

Callsign: Night Stalker

Background: Oroku Gawa was born in Hiroshima Japan. His family, being members of a Ninjitsu clan dating back over six hundred years trained him in the arts of Ninjitsu from the age of three. When he was five years old, he began his training with Ninjitsu grand masters and he immediately excelled in all of his lesions. By his tenth birthday, he had already received his first Dan rank (Roughly equal to 1st degree black belt). Thereafter he spent almost every hour of free time learning the arts of Ninjitsu, and by his eighteenth birthday he had attained the level of 6th Dan Ninjitsu mastery.

 

When he graduated from high school, he applied to join the Japanese Military and having scored 98% or higher in all of his exams, he was set on a training regime that would quickly lead him into the Special Forces/Black Ops division of the Japanese Military. After four years of intensive eighteen hour a day training, he was given his choice of assignments in the Special Forces branch of the Japanese Military. Of all the options none appealed to him more than the International Antiterrorist Division (IAD for short). IAD was one of those government organizations that did not officially exist, and if Oroku was ever captured the government would deny any knowledge of his existence. Over the three years of his field operations Oroku was responsible for 1256 kills, 387 of which were high ranking members of Terrorist groups and international crime organizations.

 

Though the work distracted from his studies of the Ninjitsu arts, though with continued personal training Oroku has developed to the skill level of 8th Dan Ninjitsu mastery, something that Oroku feels rather proud of.

 

When he was approached for the assignment to X-Com he did not hesitate to join the fight against the greatest threat to Japan, if not the world.

 

 

Strength: Excellent

Speed: Excellent

Agility: Excellent

Intelligence: Good

Psionic potential: Excellent

Bravery: Above Average

 

Skills & Description:

 

Pis-Strength/Psi-Skill: This represents Oroku's training in the mental disciplines of Ninjitsu. Through intense mental training and meditation he has learned how to influence the minds of others through post-hypnotic suggestion. The capabilities at his command include the ability to "make" a person look away from him without realizing it, while he quickly slips away; leaving the target of the ability with the impression that Oroku simply disappeared without a trace right in front of their eyes. His more in-depth abilities include creating post-hypnotic illusions within any given persons mind, such illusions could easily include making Oroku look like a trusted friend, or even making the subject think that they are a small furry rodent.

 

Power Strike: This skill represents Oroku's training in hand/foot hardening exercises; and the ability to smash solid objects with his bare hands. A successful skill roll means that Oroku could literally punch/kick through a wall, or strike and damage virtually any solid object without harming himself. Oroku has refined this skill such that it can be applied in melee combat as easily as any other attack form.

 

Pressure Points: This skill Represents Oroku's training in the manipulation of the Human bodies pressure points, energy channels, and structural weaknesses. With these abilities at his command Oroku could snap someone's arm out of joint with a flick of his wrist, inflict unbearable pain similar to the sensation of burning alive, or cause any of the bodies functions to activate. (Eg, he could make you piss yourself with nothing more than a touch, or rupture your lymph nodes so that you choke to death on your own blood within three days)

 

Metabolic Control: This skill represents Oroku's training in the mental disciplines of controlling his bodies metabolism. He could use this ability to hold his breath for extended periods of time (20-30 minutes), equalize his body temperature with his surroundings, thus making him invisible to thermal sensors, or to put himself into a catatonic state that resembles death. (He would remain fully conscious).

 

Multi-Dodge: This represents Oroku's training in avoiding numerous incoming attacks simultaneously. For the first attack he would use his normal dodge %, for each subsequent attack he uses the multi-dodge skill. The premise of this ability is that multiple attacks would normally incur a cumulative penalty to a normal dodge skill, however multi-doge suffers no such penalty. (Eg, Oroku could dodge fifteen attacks without penalty)

 

Still Movement: This represents training in controlling every aspect of the bodies' movement. To the extent that Oroku could move quickly into and out of water without making ripples, or he could walk on rice paper without breaking it.

 

Presence Sense: Is the ability to sense the presence of a nearby person when they could not normally be sensed. (Eg they are hidden, or moving stealthily) Oroku could also sense that someone is observing him from a distance, and even discern the persons direction and intentions. (Eg whether somebody is just looking at him, or if it's a girl checking him out, or more importantly, if a sniper is lining him up in his scope)

 

Rapidity: The ability to cover great distances in a short span of time; or in other words to sprint at speeds faster than any human being has the right to. People with this ability have been known to cover the distance of a large room so fast that they were just a blur of movement, or run down a deer that is in full sprint in a matter of seconds. (Coupled with metabolic control and general mind over matter discipline Oroku could literally sprint for dozens of miles and not even get winded)

 

Great Jump: With mind over matter/meditative discipline Oroku can make himself as light as air. To the extent that he can jump as high as a three story building, or twice as far lengthwise from a standing position. With this skill Oroku could also fall from almost any height and suffer little or no damage.

 

Multi Strike: This ability allows Oroku to initiate more than one attack per round. Currently He has such a skill level that he can attack up to 6 more times that an average person.

 

Firearms:

Israile Arms Desert Eagle heavy pistol.(x2) Modified with an extended 18 round clip; and a built in silencer. (This is the pistol carried by the "agents" of the matrix movies that had enough punch to penetrate a military helicopter's armor.)

 

Modified AK-47 with harmonic stabilized recoil reduction.

 

Custom built 20mm sniper rifle with high explosive armor piercing ammunition

 

Primary Skills:

Pistol: Excellent

Light Machine Guns: Excellent

Rifle: Excellent

Martial Arts: Excellent

Melee Weapons: Excellent

Hide In Shadows: Excellent

Move Silently: Excellent

Quick Disguise: Excellent

Close Quarters Melee Fighting: Excellent

Danger Sense: Excellent

 

Other Skills:

Cartography, Physics, Computer Build/Repair, Computer Programming/Hacking, Military Tactics, Survival: Rural, Urban, Forest, Desert, Mountain, and Sub-Zero (Eg, can survive within the arctic circle year round) Streetwise, Forensic Sciences, Acting, Oratory, Singing, Dancing, Painting, Electronic Build/Repair, Radio Operation, Radio Scramblers, Scuba Diving, Advanced Mathematics.

 

Equipment: Twelve kilos of C-4 explosive with 6 remote detonators, Ten Concussion Grenades, Ten Offensive Grenades, Lock Picks, Two thousand feet of Rappel Line with a Grapple Hook, Black Jump Suit, Damascus Titanium Ninja-To. (Damascus forging is a method of forging a sword out of several small bars of metal being twisted many times, and then hammered into a Sword. The Sword ends up with a wavy pattern running along the length of the blade) Pen Flashlight, Flare Gun with 20 Flares, Goggles with Thermal, Microwave, and Low Light imaging; with built in flare compensation, (Microwave imaging is a bit like ultrasound and radar combined, the goggles emit a microwave pulse that penetrates up to ten feet of rock and bounces back to a receiver in the goggles. This feature practically allows the user to see through walls).

[Snikers]

This Character is a highly trained seasoned veteran of over one hundred fifty missions. (Before joining X-Com) Possessing training in martial arts such that the average person only hears rumors of. If he is not acceptable to the members here, I could create another character.

 

(et cetera)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hmm.

 

Okay, first of all, we seem to have a miscommunication. Based on the description you're giving, you seem to believe this is a dice operated RPG we have going here. Well...this is a freeform storytelling-based thing. Somewhere between an RPG and a multi-contributor fanfic. This character, I think, is instead destined for the XCOM d20 board - your language of skill checks and rolls imply that this is a d20 Xcom character.

 

A very, very, very high level d20 XCOm character.

 

Who can punch through walls.

 

And is omniscient.

 

And can leap tall buildings in a single bound.

 

(Okay...)

 

In any case, try out the X-COM d20 section instead.

[Dan_010]

I simply created a character that had twenty four years of solid training/experience under his belt. Nothing in this character is beyond the abilities of a genuine martial arts master, nor is it beyond the "cutting edge" of current science and technology.

 

What has never made sense to me is how X-Com is supposed to be an international organization with the sole purpose of defending Earth from complete annihilation; yet it's soldiers are the rawest, gumshoe, green horn, snot nosed, punk kid, just fell off the newbie truck, with a baby bib still tied round their neck, clueless, cannon fodder rookies imaginable. I mean really; are you going to send raw recruits who have all the skills and abilities that three months of boot camp can give them; to defend the whole world from an alien menace? Or will ya send in the seasoned veterans with decades of experience, and dozens, if not hundreds of missions under their belts? Personally I would scour the globe to find the absolute best of the best of the best. But that's just me.

 

Think about it, would you have any worries if a dozen squads of sixteen soldiers with this characters abilities were in charge of defending your country from the alien menace? I for one would be sleeping soundly without a care in the world.

 

As for how the character is created, well I have used the system that I saw outlined in the first few posts. Eg: Strength: average, Bravery: good etc... I just added in other skill descriptions to round out the character. It's the way ive seen other character profiles outlined here.

 

Hmm.

 

Okay, first of all, we seem to have a miscommunication. Based on the description you're giving, you seem to believe this is a dice operated RPG we have going here. Well...this is a freeform storytelling-based thing. Somewhere between an RPG and a multi-contributor fanfic. This character, I think, is instead destined for the XCOM d20 board - your language of skill checks and rolls imply that this is a d20 Xcom character.

 

A very, very, very high level d20 XCOm character.

 

Who can punch through walls.

 

And is omniscient.

 

And can leap tall buildings in a single bound.

 

(Okay...)

 

In any case, try out the X-COM d20 section instead.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Dan_010]

I shall present this excript of a character I saw just a couple posts up from mine:

 

**************************************************************************

 

Hand-to-hand and melee combat: very proficient. Uses dirty tactics, own style. Style adapted to capitalise on his extreme strength.

 

Pistols: fair

 

Rifles: poor

 

Heavy weapons: decent accuracy, and can manage even the heaviest weapons

 

Favoured weapon: 40mm Heavy cannon, stun rod (usually used as bludgeon, but...)

 

Grenades and explosives: good with explosives generally, excellent throwing range, poor accuracy

 

**************************************************************************

 

This is not much different from how I have outlined my character.

 

Dan.

[Snikers]

Nothing in this character is beyond the abilities of a genuine martial arts master, nor is it beyond the "cutting edge" of current science and technology.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Does that include the ability to lower one's body temperature to room temperature, move through water without leaving ripples, instantly know when someone is looking at him and what they are thinking, sprint for miles without getting winded, jump three storeys in the air, and psychic powers?

 

In any case, I was simply confused. I honestly thought you had this section confused with the d20 section, with language such as:

 

Power Strike: This skill represents Oroku's training in hand/foot hardening exercises; and the ability to smash solid objects with his bare hands. A successful skill roll means that Oroku could literally punch/kick through a wall, or strike and damage virtually any solid object without harming himself. Oroku has refined this skill such that it can be applied in melee combat as easily as any other attack form.

 

(Emphasis mine) My mistake. Very sorry.

[Dan_010]

Does that include the ability to lower one's body temperature to room temperature, move through water without leaving ripples, instantly know when someone is looking at him and what they are thinking, sprint for miles without getting winded, jump three storeys in the air, and psychic powers?

 

Well frankley yes, but then again most people regard that stuff as fiction. I on the other hand have met, and trained with people who could do all that and more. In fact I was toning down Oroku's abilities, any real 8th Dan Ninjitsu black belt would rip Oroku apart. Then again there are allot of fake so called "Ninjitsu masters" out there who use the name of Ninjitsu for it's reputation. But don't be fooled by them, they know nothing of consequence.

 

Oh and that skill roll part was in fact a hold over from another board. I origionally made Oroku for an internet group that had skill rolls, I just forgot to edit that out.

 

Dan.

[Snikers]

Well frankley yes, but then again most people regard that stuff as fiction. I on the other hand have met, and trained with people who could do all that and more. In fact I was toning down Oroku's abilities, any real 8th Dan Ninjitsu black belt would rip Oroku apart.

 

You actually saw people jump three storeys in the air, punch through concrete walls and so on?

 

Well, I do consider that fiction, but I like to consider myself open-minded. Link me to some realiable evidence out there and I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Until then...well, I can only speak for myself, but I'll remain skeptical.

[Bomb Bloke]

I know people can punch through phone books. I know that people can also take a hot water bottle, and blow air into it until it explodes.

 

I also have an idea how one trains for such things, and that the resulting body is not one that can launch itself three stories in the air. The combination of speed and raw power you'd need to do that (while carrying, for example, a couple of thousand feet of grapple line etc), could not be tapped on demand.

 

You can't walk through water without making ripples. You touch water, you touch the surface tension. You enter water, you -break- the surface tension. Doesn't matter how you move, that makes ripples on it's own.

 

The guy trains 18 hours a day, leaving 6 hours for R&R. He wouldn't have time to develop a talent for singing.

 

Hypnosis requires you to prepare a subjects mind before you can start messing with it. You can't do that on the fly, either. Nor can you hypnotise someone who does not want to be hypnotised - there are exceptions, but long story short, you're not going to convince someone who is ready to shoot you that you are not, in fact, there, without giving them time to convince you that you are dead.

 

Most people can outpace a deer, if it's over a short distance and you both start from a stand still. You can't outpace a deer in full sprint, however, due to mechanics. Even if you could produce the movements required, you couldn't pull in the oxygen to burn the energy, you'd nearly kill yourself with an overdose of lactic acid.

 

And so on, and so forth. Don't mind me.

[FullAuto]

Name: Duc Van Vinh

Callsign: Duck

 

Background: American, left the US Army to join X-Com. Touchy about his Vietnamese heritage (father was Vietnamese, mother is American) and choice of career, which has been the Army since he left high school (contrary to parent's wishes).

 

Personal Information: 29, 5'8" tall, black hair, blue eyes, distinctly Asian bone structure. Slim, distance-runner's build. People find his gaze quite unnerving, bright blue eyes in an Asian face is quite unusual. Practices calligraphy and Vo Binh Dinh, a Vietnamese martial art which shows in his hand-to-hand practice.

 

Strength: Below average.

Speed: Average.

Agility: Excellent.

Mental condition: Exciteable.

Psionic potential: High.

Intelligence: Good, but unable to see the big picture, be it on the battlefield or otherwise.

Bravery: Cautious, but will not heistate to help a teammate in danger.

Controller: Me, others welcome.

 

 

Vladimir Iosevich Ulyinov

Callsign: Lenin

 

Background: Former Spetsnaz, been working for the Russian Mafia for the last three years. Joined X-Com because it pays better. Slightly paranoid that he's going to be somehow recognised and arrested.

 

Personal information: 35, 6'1" tall, blonde hair, green eyes, broken nose. Muscular, very broad. Married, wife still thinks he's in the Russian Army. Big fan of Russian literature. Unrepentant communist and intelligent enough to hold his own in an argument. Veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

 

Strength: Very good.

Speed: Average.

Agility: Poor.

Mental condition: Slightly nervous. All the time.

Psionic potential: Good.

Intellignece: Good. Doesn't look it.

Bravery: High.

Controller: Moi, others welcome.

[JellyfishGreen]

Think about it, would you have any worries if a dozen squads of sixteen soldiers with this characters abilities were in charge of defending your country from the alien menace? I for one would be sleeping soundly without a care in the world. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would be, if they really existed. Mind you with 1256 kills each I'd be a little scared of them as that's nearly a quarter of a million people killed by them alone, more than the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

 

I'm also skeptical about the abilities you say are common to martial arts masters. I've heard of Indian fakirs demonstrating some metabolic control in a laboratory setting, for instance, but nothing like this; but please tell us what you saw yourself, because I don't believe claims of real ultimate power.

 

I agree that XCOM rookies seem to be really inept in the game, but we've agreed that we're operating on the game's level of reality which includes a high possibility of death. Our Special Forces guys may know 26 ways to kill, but they won't be leaping onto the top of a Harvester UFO without a flying suit, or running across the entire map in one turn, or hypnotizing the aliens without a Psi-Amp, or racking up 1256 kills in three years... can you see what I'm trying to say? They're no better than, say, Bruce Willis in Die Hard. And they're being forced to operate with weapons from the game, only.

 

You mention dodge % as well, which is a lot of RPG-like detail and not so useful for the fic as we aren't making any rolls. Even so, if I was to put Oruku Gawa in an RPG, it would have to be Gurps Supers, because you'd need 500 points to build him. :mad:

 

Think about it -

JFG

 

PS. Is this more cannon fodder I see from FullAuto?

[FullAuto]

No, it's not. Bastards!

[Bomb Bloke]

Meh, you built that last load of characters with the specific intention of having them killed. You're just shirty because we did all the killing.

 

I think I'll make the next fodder brigade, and (providing your timing is better) you can kill them. How's that?

[FullAuto]

I can live with that.

[Alitorious]

Name: Donald Ramson

 

Callsign: "Bighorn"

 

Background:

 

Donald Ramson was born in Washington, DC. Fascinated with flight since his childhood, he enlisted as soon as he was able. Ramson proved to be a natural pilot and developed his skills quickly, graduating to First Lieutenant quickly, and Captain soon thereafter. Donald has served an extensive career and has served overseas in many NATO and UN missions, including Iraq and Kosovo, and has twelve confirmed 'kills' to his name.

Recently he had transferred to a mainland base to spend more time with his family, but he was soon offered, and accepted, the opportunity to be a test pilot for the new YF-22 Raptor program. Despite being based halfway across the country from his family, he still got home much more often than when he was stationed on the carrier.

Unfortunately, the program was undergoing some 'hiccups' and Ramson was transferred to Bolling Air Force Base, close to his family, until the problems between the Raptor program and Congress smoothed over.

This is when a UFO entered Washington airspace, killed his wingmate, and fled with heavy battle damage. Ramson was soon picked up by X-COM Agents in Washington, with the foresight of arming global X-COM operations. (Multiple bases... we're gonna get those sometime, right?)

 

 

Personal Information

 

Caucasian, stands at 5'11". Short dark-brown hair, hazel-coloured eyes. He's rather fit.

Has a family in Washington, DC. Doesn't like the aliens much, for obvious reasons.

Tends to remain rational, both in and out of the cockpit, as he's got a good head on his shoulders, but knows, as all pilots should, when to trust his instincts. However, at times he tends to get a little too aggressive, but he keeps this side of himself under control at all times as he knows it will only get him into trouble.

 

Strength:

Fair. He's a pilot, after all.

 

Speed:

Above average.

 

Agility:

Above average.

 

Accuracy:

Fairly proficient with a handgun, not that he expects to need it.

 

Character's Mental Condition:

Stable. No problems here. See above for details.

 

Psionic potential:

Slightly below average, not that it matters.

 

Bravery

Good. Stays calm until his breaking point, at which he becomes aggressive.

 

Character's Controller: Alitorious, but everyone's welcome.

 

 

 

There, I finally did it. I figure we're gonna need some pilots for the overseas X-COM bases sometime, no? I figure we bring this guy to Pine Gap, train him up on Hurricanes and do a bunch of more fun stuff of 4 pilots and 2 Planes, then transfer him away when we get bored of him. (Or him or another pilot dies or something)

 

Oh, and it also explains one reason why I wanted to bring the agents over to Washington. Heh heh...

[Snikers]

All right! It seems to me we have about ten thousand soldiers but not enough pilots. But Trigger, Gia, Doc and now Bighorn - up to four! That should do it, I think.

 

Eh? Wassat?

 

"Cheeseman"? Who the hell is named Cheeseman? You made that up.

 

[Alitorious]

We also have Davies, right?

 

Yeah, what happened to Cheeseman? No one's mentioned him in ages.

 

(So this guy should bring it up to 6: 4 figher pilots + 2 'ranger pilots.)

[JellyfishGreen]

I wasn't keen on other bases in the fic as that could be too many plots and characters to keep track of; but as time goes on we could let it be known that different bases have opened, or detected craft for us to intercept, or gone on missions, without the need for our characters to be there in person.

 

"Cheese" was Doc's co-pilot when they were recruited into XCOM. I mean, obviously.

 

I think it's statistically probable that we're going to lose a pilot in UFO combat, especially before we know what Battleships are capable of. That and the requirement for off-duty time means the more Pine Gap pilots the better!

[Snikers]

The thing about seperate bases is, it allows not only more plotlines (and a good writer never cuts himself off from possibilities) but also allows us more nameless extras, which allow us to go out and have the same shocking casualties XCom is known for (or at least, for me).

 

And if we're going to go any further along this tack, we should probably move it to the Fanfiction Discussion.