X-Com agents.

[Ki-tat Chung]

do remember to kiss the new-woman-you-get-each-mission.

[FullAuto]

Gaah! There's so much to include!

[Hobbes]

Just remember to look at each chapter as a TV episode....

 

- Some characters only have superficial roles: the nerd scientist, the stiff X-COM Commander, the Commander's blonde secretary and the aliens don't need that much elaboration.

- Give your best work into the new motives of each chapter: the fox lady that will accompany your hero (blonde? brunette? slim? well stocked? heroin? villan?), the general theme (alien base assault? taking pictures of aliens socializing with human leaders? preventing the end of civilization)

- Finally remember that some things should always be present: the high-speed chase scene, the final confrontation, the cocky macho attitude while telling the Muton Commander that his secret plot for world dominance has been defeated.

[FullAuto]

I'll try and bear it all in mind! :o

If anyone's interested in the beginnings of the X-com Agents, have a read of the "Here's the beginning" thread. See what you think.

[JellyfishGreen]

Latest installment still great balls-to=the-wall action. I'm going to start commenting here to stop cluttering up your main posts.

[FullAuto]

Why thank you, JFG. I do try. :angel:

New post time, for those of you who care! The conclusion looms.

On a side note, I hope you've all enjoyed this family-sized megabucket style entry. I know I've certainly enjoyed writing it, even if it is four times longer than it was supposed to be. I hope to continue the series, but if there's a gap don't worry, I haven't shot my bolt, I'm just taking a break!

[FullAuto]

There you go. The final part. If you want to comment on it, please do so. If you thought it was good or bad, worthy of praise or abuse, please say so and please tell me why. Criticise away, but for the sake of me ego just TRY and be constructive, eh?

I was going to take a bit of a break, but the third part wants to be written, so....if you want it, or you don't, please tell me. It'll be written either way, but you lot get to choose whether you want to see it or not.

Once again, my thanks to all those who bothered to read it. To you who decided my fic warranted attention, I salute you. You know who you are. You keep reading it, I'll keep writing it.

[JellyfishGreen]

I reckon the advanced metabolic cycles of Chrysallids give them a much shorter lifespan than the other aliens, say a couple of weeks. Not a big problem for a terror weapon.

 

Having reached this conclusion, I'm going to stay under my bed until the last escaped Chryssies have surely died of old age. See you all again in July.

[FullAuto]

Can't be too careful. Enjoy your hol JFG, the fanfic won't be the same without you. Here's the start of the third part. Please excuse the dialogue-heaviness, if you can. Read, and as they say, review.

One thing I am especially curious about is whether you lot thought the length of the second installment made it better or worse. Opinions & reasons for, please?

 

Edit: Chapter 3 Part 2 is now there, it's short, and not necessarily sweet, but its there.

[FullAuto]

Chapter 3 Part 3 is up. Look, you lot don't have to give rave reviews, you know? You CAN be critical, if you want. I don't mind, as long as it's constructive. Really. Go ahead. Let me hear the bad points, it's the only way it'll get better.

[Hobbes]

Let me hear the bad points, it's the only way it'll get better.

Where are the blonde bimbos?

 

I haven't paid much attention to your fanfic but from what I've skimmed through on the past ten minutes you're doing a good job. *Thumbs up*

[FullAuto]

Sorry! I always forget something.

I don't know whether I'm going to keep writing this Agents fic or not. I'm only three stories in and it's not grabbing me as it once did. I've got plenty of ideas for future missions, but I don't know. I'll finish off this chapter, hopefully, then see how it goes.

[JellyfishGreen]

Eh, if you want to make me happy, finish the current chapter so that the stuff you have written stands on its own with a more-or-less conclusion.

 

Then, even if you don't continue, your fans aren't left wondering how the story will end.

 

...and then go write in the collaborative fanfic...

 

JFG

[FullAuto]

This chapter will get finished, no worries there. I've got woman trouble at the moment, so hopefully as soon as it's over I'll go back to writing the next chapters. I just don't want it to be spoiled, so rather than write crap I might leave it after finishing this chapter. We'll see, I suppose.

[JellyfishGreen]

I've got woman trouble at the moment, so hopefully as soon as it's over I'll go back to writing the next chapters.

Apologies. I was inspired.

 

since my woman up and left me

i've been missing all the news

i've got behind on my fanfic

and bugs in my base modules

i've got those love-life x-com real-life incompatiblity bluuuues... B)

[FullAuto]

Thanks, JFG. Needed that.

A blues classic I can't get out of my head is:

 

Momma took those batteries,

She took 'em away,

Momma took those batteries,

Size Double A

 

Unashamedly borrowed from the Simpsons.

Fanfic blues corner, anyone?

To be honest, I'm still not sure I've done the Chryssalids justice in the last chapter. I know a few more people have been reading the fic (you all know who you are) so if any of you have any views on the my depiction of the Chryssalids, please don't hesitate to tell me, in PM or post.

[FullAuto]

Next part is up! Things are going to heat up in Texas, and the UK is getting warmer too.

[FullAuto]

It's all about to kick off, and perhaps the boys have bitten off more than they can chew....

Same X-Forum, same X-Thread. Soon.

 

P.S. Thanks to Pete, without which this story wouldn't be here, because, well, the site wouldn't. Obviously.

[JellyfishGreen]

For goodness' sake, why isn't there a shotgun for Anna?

 

I thought a .50BMG was a very good tool for Chryssies when applied properly. (If I remember right, the game Chrys doesn't think much of pistol rounds, point-blank and targeting the seams not withstanding.) Enjoyed the Siberia mission immensely but my one nitpick now might be that you describe the new ceramic plate armor as being able to stop a .50 - tougher than Chryssies? And this is without using alien BPC alloy?

 

Cheers

JFG

[FullAuto]

A good Kevlar vest with ceramic inserts stands a decent chance of stopping a .50 calibre round, the problem being that it will probably still break your ribs at the very least. and that's just one bullet. It took bursts to drop a Chryssalid. However, it's a good point, and one I'm going to have to chew over at length. Maybe go back and edit the .50 to something bigger, the 14.5mm KPV or a 20mm cannon. Hmm.

Suggestions JFG? Or indeed, anyone else?

[JellyfishGreen]

Well, since I'm here, I'll conjecture. .50 is effective against unarmored vehicles (cars, pickups). This sounds like a good strength for Chrys shell, similar to car engine block. Also, Chrys don't have ribs. Therefore, break the shell, and it's all meat underneath, with no support structures (and probably some nasty effects from internal bullet ricochet). Pushing the shell section inwards through sheer force (kinetic energy) probably does nasty things as well.

Ceramic plate doesn't cover your whole body - unlike Chrys shell - so you're still vulnerable. Does the plate survive intact after a .50 cal hit? From how close? Are you thinking of a particular brand name of armor and does it have a product brochure?

[FullAuto]

I can't remember what company it was (DuPont? Second Chance?), but I took a look at a level VI (Yank rating) vest, with optional inserts of steel or (boron carbide) ceramic. The steel plates didn't stop the .50 cal but the ceramic did. The manufacturer didn't offer any claim as to whether it'd stop more than one hit, so I'm guessing it wouldn't.

Obviously, the ceramic plate is only front and back, it leaves your limbs and head vulnerable, and repeated impacts would pierce it, especially if they were tightly grouped. Vectran, as you probably know, is a real material, but no-one's used it in body armour yet AFAIK.

That was the basic idea when I brought the Browning into the story, a weapon that could smash the Chryssalids apart through sheer kinetic energy, or at least compress/crack their exoskeleton and damage them internally.

 

On a side note, has anyone ever read 'The Chrysalids' by John Wyndham (same bloke who wrote about the Triffids)?

[JellyfishGreen]

Sorry if I'm dominating the conversation here...

 

Google throws up BulletProofME.com which describes Level IV protection as rated for one shot from a .30 AP bullet (also used by some light machine gun) - I haven't seen ratings vs .50 HMG but I wouldn't think they're rated for that at all. And apparently ballistic ceramic tiles do crack when hit hard.

 

I hadn't heard of Vectran. I Googled it too (twice the strength of Kevlar) but can't turn up any body-armor test results.

 

And yes I did read "The Chrysallids" in school. The rescue at the end had me puzzled because it mentioned a real place in a fantasy story. Up until then I just assumed they were living in some strange place without decent food or television rather than, y'know, England.

[FullAuto]

Dominate away, I don't hear anyone else screaming for attention.

You won't find any Vectran body armour because (shock horror) I made it up because I needed something that would stand up to .50 cal in this chapter. And you're right, ceramic inserts do indeed crack.

 

I never even heard of 'The Chryssalids' until a friend brought it to my attention. It's a good book, but part of me can't help but wish it was an X-Com novel dealing with our favourite monster.

And if that was a crack at my country, JFG, you'd better employ someone to open your mail for you.... :devil:

 

I've went and written a story for each of the Agents (background stuff, set in past conflicts) but none of them touch on aliens in any way shape or form. Think I can justify posting them somewhere?

[FullAuto]

Good God. July 13th? I apologise to everyone for the delay, I promise the next bit will be up before it's a month-long gap. Got distracted, writing a post for the main fic, this one, background stories for the agents and something else I'm doing. Excuses, I know. Many apologies.