UFO Fanfiction Discussion

[FullAuto]

Fly a 'ranger in close, drop the ramp and shoot at it a bit. Not enough to destroy it, just chew a few holes in it here and there.

[storm turmoil]

Ok, now we're getting somewhere...maybe. In any case, I have a tentative idea on the alien weapons and why they haven't been able to get them to work. I'll hash it out a bit and try a post in a little while. as for on base events, the mind probe card game scam sounds like a winner, and how about cricket or baseball with stun bombs ( once we work out thats what they are)

[FullAuto]

Alien weapons could just have security devices on them. You see them for guns these days, pistol locks and so on, that require a combination so they can be taken off, otherwise they lock trigger and hammer into place. A more advanced version would require an alien palm print/DNA sample to be present on the weapon whenever they are fired.

[storm turmoil]

Actually, I was going to go for a much more simple approach; the reason that no one had got them to work was that no-one tried using Duct tape on the grips!

 

The theory being that the grips all have the alien version of a 'grip safety' but that a human hand doesn't apply pressure in the right areas to enable it, so that it seems like the things don't work. One duct-taping later- hey presto, working plasma pistol and badly burned hands (break out the old M60 mitts)

[FullAuto]

I just wanted it to be a little more technologically advanced, but it's a virtually identical idea.

[Bomb Bloke]

A double-handed grip might be a fast substitute for duct tape in the field. A code also works perhaps, but DNA doesn't... This is assuming we want our troopers to be able to pick up any weapon in the field and be able to use it then and there.

[Zager]

This is assuming we want our troopers to be able to pick up any weapon in the field and be able to use it then and there.

 

Unless we issue machetes, then all they have to do is hack off the aliens hand and use that to pull the trigger.

 

That's right, I'm back!

[Bomb Bloke]

Welcome back!

 

I just had some asian lady prank call me. I think.

[JellyfishGreen]

I like it. Speaking as an engineer, any way we can work duct tape into the story line is good.

 

Although, "Tired of prying weapons from cold dead alien fingers? Now you don't have to" has a certain visceral appeal.

[Zager]

I just had some asian lady prank call me. I think.

 

Referring to our aborted JP, correct?

[Bomb Bloke]

No. I really just had some asian lady call my house, ask who she was speaking to, then just hang up on me.

[Zager]

Should we really be gaining access to plasma weaponry so soon? That last post just invalidated all of our laser research, after all.

[Bomb Bloke]

I dunno... As it stands, our plasma weapons are limited to what we've captured, and prudence says we shouldn't use all our ammo at once. Those clips we do have are probably half spent.

 

Lasers, on the other hand, have no ammo limitations, and a gun you don't have to stop and reload in the field is, at the moment, more useful then a powerful gun you do have to stop and reload. That, plus firing a plasma weapon requires a little more concentration, so you'd expect troopers to prefer lasers (when they can't get at their conventional rifles).

 

You see, pretty much any weapon trashes Sectoids. X-Com doesn't know there are more powerful aliens out there yet, with the exception of Cyberdiscs, but they won't be expecting them to be loaded on smaller UFOs anyway.

 

That is to say, we can now use plasma weapons, but that doesn't mean we have a reason to stop using the rest of our equipment whenever possible.

[storm turmoil]

Basically, the idea was to even things up by giving the option of taking along plasma's, but only if they're considered to be really needed ( terror missions...), since they cannot be resupplied at the moment.

 

The idea is that the jump between using them and manufacturing them will be so great that we'll be stuck on captured units for a very long time... ( and even when we have earth made attempts to duplicate them, they may not be as good. we may have to try using magnetic accelerators instead of anti-gravity ones till the ufo engine research is more advanced, and that would leave us with something much bigger and bulkier, with a much slower rate of fire, though maybe harder hitting....)

 

the other point is to give us some way to get a boost on the personal armour design ( which we do need, it's one of the first things on every 'Commer's wish list's)

 

if we have alien weapons to test fire, and know what they shoot, we have a valid threat to attempt to counter with our armour research...and the first step to countering the aliens weapon superiority, to say nothing of a means of lowering X-coms so far disastrous casualty rates.

 

the other point is that is a major morale coup, both on base and to sell the bureaucrats; X-com has now got the means to show off alien weapons being used against the aliens ( which is going to impress the sponsors, even if they're hardly ever issued) and soon armour designs that allow troops to go toe to toe with the aliens and win...all of which means that Genega finally has something to show for X-com's effort, which willl help keep the sponsors happy.

[JellyfishGreen]

Fair enough - sure, everyone's going to want a laser rifle and/or a heavy plasma, but we'll say there aren't enough to go around. This will help keep the game balance. One or two advanced weapons per squad to start?

 

Our losses are probably below the losses in an average game anyway, because of character development and the like, but I'm OK with that. I have plans to lose a few rookies in the future.

 

As Storm says, capturing working artifacts will in and of itself intrigue the sponsors... Terrick missed out by hours on a working Plasma Pistol

[JellyfishGreen]

Just to mention I have the glimmerings of a next post, although it hinges on detection of the heli; I'm going to start with rotor sound carrying for miles in the Australian night which gives us the bearing for an FLIR search by Trigger.

 

and I'll use FA's idea of just shooting small holes in the copter with 'Ranger soldiers if necessary.

 

Comments?

[FullAuto]

Sounds good. Sorry, I could of sworn I was going to post...

[Bomb Bloke]

If ANYONE would post, that would be really, really nice....

[JellyfishGreen]

OK, got something, time to sleep

 

It's time to figure out who's on the 'ranger, and I suggest we drag a spare UFO door along for use as a shield, might come in handy if Terrick uses his laser pistol on autofire!

 

Nitpicking:

BB, in your post above Cheese is flying an Osprey, I think the Osprey is off to America with Pickering & gang.

 

Storm, Genega probably already knows he's fighting aliens using plasma weapons, maybe he shouldn't say it "sounds like a bad sci-fi movie" at this stage?

 

Cheers

JFG

[storm turmoil]

Sorryabout that, JFG, I was trying to imply with Genega's 'joke' that:

 

1: he was already feeling some of his stress lifted.

 

2: he was secretly laughing at David for getting burned and

 

3: he was expecting the alien weapons to be something a bit more...well, alien. after all, up until they got them working, all they really knew was they shot green blasts that put holes in stuff really quick. they didn't know they were plasma weapons. thats one reason they hadn't started armour development.

 

and besides, it's still funny, because it's true: the whole thing so far does sound like a bad sci fi movie...if it weren't actually happening to them, they'd all be laughing at it. ol' Genega's just detached enough to see it for what it is...

[Bomb Bloke]

I looked for the post saying the Osprey was in use, but couldn't find it. If Pickering and co have the Osprey... then what did squad 3 use to get to our last combat site?

[JellyfishGreen]

As far as i can tell by our continuity, Squad 3 got in by Osprey or 'Ranger or whatever, and they're still on site waiting for Pickering, with Gia & her Hurricane, and probably waiting for the Osprey to bring them back. Pickering is still over the Pacific somewhere with the Osprey. Terrick breaks out of the base before Pickering arrives in the US.

[Bomb Bloke]

Hmm. Our continuity could use work. I'll look into it.

 

By the way storm, Warlord is supposed to be in the Skyranger at the moment. It might be easier to take him out of Vet's post then yours, though.

[storm turmoil]

oops. I suppose I thought I caught them in between sweeps. I was figuring that since the land rover got found, the ranger got sent back till they got the chopper pinned down. basically, that they were on standby till they got another call out. if you want, I can edit it out though. although, since Jasper and Fitz are up there now, I figure that changeover seems just about right: Warlords team are back for some sack time. I guess I'm just a little confused over the whole Terrick search ( which I suppose is how I'm supposed to be, since the whole base is supposed to be in a tizzy at the moment)

 

And thanks for continuing the itchy thumbs trend with David and the mind probe. as you've probably guessed, I have a few ideas to play with over that.

[Bomb Bloke]

Sorry for highjacking your character, but I wanted an excuse to set the mindprobe loose on the base.

 

The chopper is more or less 'lost' again, but now at least we (as the authors) now that it's not going to get away. Heck, we could even let them camp there for a few fic days if we wanted.