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Topic: X-COM Monday Nights Campaign (Read 4486 times) |
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Lazybones
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Base Chief Hallorand seems to have his answer ready when Jane runs into him in the corridor.
"Base defense, I've made no secret about that as needing attention. I know Grace has been talking about a laser defense system some time in the future, but we have access to the best missile technology on Earth right now, and even a single battery could make the difference if we're attacked. It is inevitable that the aliens will notice our activities as we ratchet up our operations against them, and right now, our base is a sitting duck. Especially if Alpha is away at the time; our guards are good, military veterans to a man, but I saw the tests on those alien weapons you brought back, and there's no way we can stand up to those for long. I know that Director Garret is working on getting Beta Team up and running, but our member nations are being reluctant in sending the next cohort of men and women to us. I suppose it's a blessing in disguise; I'd hardly know where to put them, with all these new scientists arriving."
When Jane raises her point about the "Big Picture," he nods. "I understand where you're coming from. I believe that's why Director Garret and the others have asked Alpha to take such a large role in planning the base expansion, manufacturing, and research priorities. It's my job to focus on the operations side; I have to advocate for what I see as critical to mission success. I know that Grace, Stan, and Kim feel the same way about their areas. But as the team that actually goes out and fights the aliens, Alpha has to put it all together and make the tough decisions that will determine whether you live or die, come back with bloody wounds or alien artifacts that will help us turn the tide."
You are interrupted by a sudden klaxon that fills the base over the intercom. Hallorand stiffens for a moment as he whips out his communicator, then relaxes--only slightly. "Thank god, it's just a drill," he says. "One day it won't be," he adds to Jane, before he runs off, shouting orders to the men who appear in the halls of the base as he goes.
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| « Last Edit: on: May 11, 2008, 3:20PM » |
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Jenniza
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Jane proceeded on to the manufacturing labs and the individual weapons researchers to see who had time to talk next. There were lasers (pistols, rifles and base defenses), motion trackers as well as the robotic weapon platforms.
Also, not to be neglected were the current aircraft and any applications that could be benefitted from alien aircraft, airframes, alloys, tactics and technology, such as space travel. Basic training was also something not to be neglected.
Whoever was in charge of the gun range might also have requests, such as those raised by Jane about group tactics and group guerilla warfare training: fighting sitting targets was only mildly interesting for so long - real training exercises came from complex scenarios.
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Lazybones
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Jane isn't able to learn much more from the rest of the base staff. The engineers are too busy working on the alien wreck to talk for very long. The hangar crew notes that the X-COM interceptors have hardpoints that allow the easy addition of new weapons. Right now, they are busy mounting the new Avalanche missiles. The two aircraft look sleek, deadly. How deadly they will turn out to be against alien ships remains to be seen.
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Jenniza
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FROM: Jane Swift, X-COM Field Agent
TO: Alpha Team
CC: Base Chief Mark Hallorand,
UN Envoy Michael Garret,
FBI Agent Inise Drake,
Dr. Kimberly Wagner,
Medical Officer Stanley White,
Counselor Joan Beauvais,
Engineer Grace Thelon Beluca,
Pilot Ken Yushi,
Dr. Sandesh
RE: Project Update
Okay, to some degree or another, I’ve tried to meet with nearly everyone at HQX this past week to discuss their interests in the future of X-COM. Many would like to see their interests as top priority… of course, we need to look at the Big Picture, as the term keeps popping up and we need to work together to see this through as a team. Theoretically, everything could get done eventually; but, the order in which things get done is what is important that really concerns us all.
- Currently, research is complete in laser technology. This will allow manufacturing of the laser pistol, and developments into the laser rifle… possibly even into lasers for aircraft, robots, ships, base defense, artillery, tanks, satellites, etc.
- The Medical Department needs a major boost in aid:- they need a separate department to do their research and assist patients in, instead of sharing a corner with the Physical sciences team. It’s hardly conducive for treating patients in a triage type environment should a real emergency break out. Their first projects should be the alien medicine, such as the medkits, that they began from the Zion National Park alien substances that Alpha Team recovered, as well as the alien autopsies from the two Sectoids recovered from the northern Mexican desert crash site.
- Although, Dr. Sandesh was unavailable for comment, we are still a firm believer in his work on the motion scanner system. If anyone is able to pitch in, I’m sure he’d appreciate the help, maybe even a little extra funding too.
- Next, several strong cases have been put forth that alien technologies need backing, such as alien alloys and alien plasma weapons. Acquiring more intact examples of these is probably higher priority than anything for Alpha Team now, as I’ve noticed quite a run on fire extinguishers from our friendly-neighborhood merchant for our next crashed ships we encounter. I hope we can continue to bring back even more alien technologies.
- Weapon Platforms still rides at the bottom of our priorities at the current time.
----------------------------------------------------
As mentioned,
- I still firmly support the completion of the Research Labs. We can discuss expanding at a later date probably.
- It would be nice if we could separate the Medical Facility from the Research Facility for the previously mentioned reasons. I understand the investment of resources, etc, and I believe it’s worth it.
- The manufacturing facility apparently needs to be moved to the east wing to make room for a second workshop, will allow for decreased delivery time of all the new innovations that the research and medical departments come out with.
- Our base defenses are still vulnerable, even though we are making improvements in hardware and running drills on a routine basis. We currently have a low profile to the aliens; but, one day that will change and we may not be so lucky. Theoretically, lasers may one day be added to our missile defense system and aircraft. I feel the drills need to be expanded to included base defense as well as various scenarios for team runs.
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| « Last Edit: on: May 12, 2008, 1:05AM » |
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Smart Alec
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Marching back into the rec room after taking part in the readiness drill, Vasily spots the group reading over Jane's x-mail and saunters over, giving his own opinion after painstakingly reading over Ms. Swift's work.
"I am thinking maybe building missiles and things is not such bad idea. Seem to me that ex-cav-ating for new worker plant and new doctor hospital all take lots of time, but building missile batteries a little quicker. We get it out of way, yes? Then can focus on other stuff."
He looks a little graver. "Now we know alien for real, it foolish to be anything but as prepared as possible."
EDIT: ((OOC: I might be under a misapprehension here. I assumed - when suggesting to boost the base's research capacity last time - that the researchers would study any new things we found, and then pass on their findings to the manufacturing division, who would build the things. But in the posts above, it seems to be the manufacturing branch who are investigating the alien ship, not the research branch. Am I wrong in my assumption?))
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| « Last Edit: on: May 12, 2008, 2:15AM » |
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Lazybones
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on May 12, 2008, 2:10 AM, Smart Alec wrote:| EDIT: ((OOC: I might be under a misapprehension here. I assumed - when suggesting to boost the base's research capacity last time - that the researchers would study any new things we found, and then pass on their findings to the manufacturing division, who would build the things. But in the posts above, it seems to be the manufacturing branch who are investigating the alien ship, not the research branch. Am I wrong in my assumption?)) |
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A good question, and I'll try to clarify. Game wise, research and manufacturing are totally separate resources. The descriptions were completely flavor text only; in terms of the game universe, both the scientists and engineers are involved in research, and in manufacturing, and there's overlap in terms of facilities. It just seemed when writing the descriptions that it would make sense for the engineers to be "breaking down" the alien ship before the eggheads got into it. When I send out Dr. Wagner's e-mails, I try to put the research options first, then the manufacturing options, as I have to date. I'm completely making up the "Base Operations" part of the game as I go, so please let me know if things aren't clear. 
It's a good idea to ask the engineers what they'd like to see researched, as Jane did, since their priorities will be different than the scientists, doctors, and base staff.
Also, just to clarify from Jenniza's e-mail above, the 2nd stage research lab (20 points) is already complete. You can go to 3rd stage (i.e. 30 points), but that will cost more and take longer. For Monday's game you can switch the manufacturing priorities to something else if you want, or keep building more research labs. Current X-COM headquarters capacity is:
- Research capacity: 20
- Medical capacity: 10
- Manufacturing capacity: 10
- Base Defense: 0
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| « Last Edit: on: May 12, 2008, 4:29AM » |
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Jenniza
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ooc my email was not meant as the definitive answer to the solution as to what to do for X-COM priorities... it was merely to stimulate conversation amongst all departments... to make them aware of each others needs etc.
in term of the players/PC's, it is meant for all of us to look at like a "whiteboard" so to speak, for when we are ready to toss ideas around and REALLY set the priorities for real.
IE, it's to get everyone thinking of the total picture... it's to lay out all the puzzle pieces, rather than solve the puzzle. a few things have been discussed about priorities, so I included them.
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| « Last Edit: on: May 12, 2008, 5:39AM » |
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vanya mia
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Having read the message Catalina returned to a small mat she had placed in the middle of the recreation room floor, and returned to the stretching and strength exercises she had been doing before the drill. Occasionally glancing at the others still scanning the email, as if waiting for comment. When Vasily finally spoke she was balanced in a perfect handstand, and replied from that position.
"It says the new research area is finished, so the big guy's right, we should switch elsewhere, we can't focus on research facilities to the detriment of all else." She paused as she slowly lowered her legs down either side of her arms into a spread seating posture on the floor. "I think I agree that defence looks more of a priority, but we need those pistols the email also says are ready to produce too, if they'll dent the little devil's hides."
Catalina's dark hair dropped around her face as she stretched her body along one leg to touch her forehead to her ankle, and her voice grew muffled. "From what we know now we can either drop all capacity freed up now the new research lab is finished into defense, or split it between that and manufacturing so we get the pistols, or we throw it all into defense for now."
After a pause her head came up and then went down along her other leg. "Now the pistols can be built maybe we should get that autopsy done, it can't take them long surely, and leave everything else as is for now? Once the autopsy is complete we may want to make changes as a result. You never know, we may learn that laser weapons are not going to be as useful as we thought they would."
She straightened up, pushed her hair back, pulled her legs into a lotus position, and then began a series of arm and shoulder exercises. "Just my two penny worth, of course. It doesn't look like our resident tough guy does, but do the rest of you have a different view on medicine as a priority?" Catalina grinned a little. "I have to say she's a busy little bee, is our Calamity. Do you think she'll locate a takeaway and get us a curry if we ask?"
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| « Last Edit: on: May 12, 2008, 4:11PM » |
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Lazybones
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on May 12, 2008, 5:36 AM, Jenniza wrote:| ooc my email was not meant as the definitive answer to the solution as to what to do for X-COM priorities... it was merely to stimulate conversation amongst all departments... to make them aware of each others needs etc. |
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I thought it was very useful and am going to apply an extra XP award for you this week as a result.
vanya, the numbers I posted above were meant to reflect your base capacity, not the current projects. Those numbers won't go down, only up as you build more labs/missiles/workshops/hospital beds, etc. So you have 20 "points" of research to apply to different things, 10 "points" of manufacturing, and 10 "points" of medical. The points applied to a project determine how long it takes to complete. Manufacturing is used to complete base add-ons as well as to build things, so if you split Base Defense and Laser Pistols as your projects this week, each would have 5 points of effort. You start to lose efficiency if you put more than 10 points into anything (there's only so many scientists that can fit around the table), so I'd recommend capping Sectoid Autopsy at 10 (that will go real fast with 10 scientists/doctors working on it), and put the other 10 points of research into something else (Alien Medicine, it seems from your posts thus far).
Medical points do two things (thus far): increase the efficiency of certain kinds of research (i.e. autopsies), and once you research them, automatically put out a certain number of medikits/week based on the total amount of medical capacity you have in the base. Eventually they will discover more advanced techniques as you continue to research more alien types. You do not need to allocate medical points on a weekly basis, just research and manufacturing.
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| « Last Edit: on: May 12, 2008, 1:51PM » |
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Jenniza
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ooc: Buzz & Doc and any one else on deck, please keep in mind the 4-6 hour time zone difference that could explain the massive number of posts that are already present this morning. *grins* Keep your ideas coming in, even if it means waiting until you get off from work, etc. There's been some great discussions going on so far and I'm looking forward to more tonight. I'll chime in when more are around the table, so to speak.
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TheBaldMan
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OOC: Holy shnikeys! *rubs eyes after reading so many posts* 
Inise Drake is the grumpy female correct? if not that is Buzz's target of this post and I will modify...I am leaving it to LB as to Buzz's success in this endevor 
IC:
Buzz tapped the keys of his X-phone as he search the low security personnel files. He glanced up quickly to see if anyone was watching and he typed in the search field: Inise Drake.
He waited hoping his hyper-keygen program that he had just modified for the phone would be able to crack any security code overrides he would need.
He had already hacked in the back door of Vickey's Online Adult Novelties. Now all he needed was Agent Drake's social security number and address. Apply for a credit card, make about $5,000 dollars worth of purchases, overnight delivery of course, and cover all his tracks, he smiled.
If she put some of these novelties to use, maybe she wouldn't be such a . . . ah well, it was juvenile, he thought, but it would make him feel better even if he would not be there to see her face when she got the bill. . . or the packages for that matter. Hmmm, I wonder...
His fingers tapped away furiously a mischievous grin spread across his face.
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| « Last Edit: on: May 13, 2008, 12:56AM » |
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Boomer
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TO: Counselor Joan Beauvois
FROM: Doctor James Baron
RE: Improvements
Counselor so far I'm seeing good progress with our team. When we arrived to the crashed ship site, a perimeter was set up after hostiles were stopped. While others stayed with the ship and investigated it. Our people seem to be working more and more as a team.
So far everyone has accepted the concept of aliens easily enough. And have treated them as they would any other hostile in a combat situation. Still though I can't help, but wonder how our team would react to say entering a large alien vessel. Another thought that keeps coming to mind is the rumors that aliens kidnap people and do terrible experiments on them. Before I would have ignored these rumors, but now I wonder if there is a grain of truth to them. Does our facility actually have documented proof of people being kidnapped by aliens? If so, what was done to them?
Doctor Baron
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| « Last Edit: on: May 13, 2008, 1:17AM » |
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Lazybones
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+450xp for full-party IC posting this week, with an extra bonus for Jenniza for her in-depth research on base development options.
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Jenniza
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ooc: proudly wears her labrat label stamped on her left ear, then gets placed back into the glass cage to go nibble on some lettuce and play on the spinning wheel.... please note the dozen or so DM healed scorchmarks from various laser blasts from a variety of unearthly weapons.
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Jenniza
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Scene: Dr. Beauvais’s Office
Jane knocked on Dr. Beauvais’s office door. The door opened with the counselor smiling, “Hello, Jane. Please come in.”
Jane smiled back, “Hiya, Doc. How are you?”
The counselor replied, “I’m well, thank you. How are you today?”
Jane shook hands as she entered and they sat down, she let out a sigh, “I’ve been better.”
The counselor nodded, “I heard you were rushed to the Medical Area on a stretcher. What happened?”
Jane took a deep breath, “Not sure exactly. From what I’ve been hearing, I had a concussion and passed out on the Skyranger on the way back from the Canadian Rockies and had to be rushed to the Medical Area for treatment. They’ve had me on these pills for dizziness since then,” she held up a bottle of pills. She continued, “Seems I got a case of the stupid’s and nearly got myself killed twice on the mission. Started off just fine: I went and scouted out from a high vantage point and spotted two Sectoids with my binoculars and silently motioned to the others that there were two to the northwest. Someone was about to toss a grenade and I was about to snipe one of the Sectoids. The rest of the group was spread out to avoid being bunched up. When combat began, that’s when things went from bad to very bad to even worse: I shot one of the Sectoids well enough; but, then there were lots and lots of energy shots fired back at us… at me. I was hit and hit hard… It hurt very badly and I knew I was about to die… then I sensed there were two more Sectoids north of my position, not merely the ones I had seen to the northwest. They were on either side of the passage through the mountains, like a perfect ambush, just like we predicted; but we were still outmatched due to inferior weaponry and armor protection. It all happened so fast… in seconds… or split seconds… I sensed that a second hit would kill me and I was too far forward and there were too many now firing. In short, I wanted to save my life, I turned and tried to make for safer ground among the others… perhaps I should never have revealed my position or never have gone that far forward. In any event, I twisted my ankle among the debris up there temporarily and in short… I was toast… the Sectoids cut me down.
I was brought around by Dr. White only to discover that Dr. Baron and Catalina were also brought down. He patched us up using his new medicine. I’m grateful for the technological advancements of X-COM. I’m alive because of them. Ironically, I wouldn’t be at risk if I wasn’t here or if the Sectoids weren’t invading the planet; but, then again…. I’m just grateful for the medicines nonetheless.
I was told to go back to the ship and rest along with the others. None of us did. Instead, the troopers we were, we pushed on and climbed up to the alien scout ship. Apparently this time we managed to salvage it … least that’s how it appeared. When we entered it, I was immediately shot and knocked out … again. When I came to, apparently half of us were taken out by the two Sectoids in the ship. At that point, I managed to snap some pictures of the interior and exterior of the ship and we headed out.
It appeared that one of the four Sectoids had been stunned and taken alive by Vasily and the others and placed in the containment unit. I wonder if how we treat the Sectoid is indicative of how the Sectoids treat us? Do the Sectoids also perform vivisections on live human subjects to better perfect their war efforts against us? Are there any Sectoids that discuss the ethics of such actions? What is their society like and what drives them to their ways? Are their differences of opinions in their society? Can they be reached, is there a way we can end this war from within their society?
Heh, listen to me babble on. I must have hit my head pretty hard.”
The counselor smiled, “I guess you had a lot on your mind.”
Jane replied, “Guess so. I’m still not sure how I feel about cutting up a live one though. I know I agreed to capture one and what that likely entailed; some how one wonders when we begin to lose a piece of our own humanity though by crossing that line. Does the definition of being human include showing compassion to another species, even when they are bent on our destruction? I’m not a philosopher, so that is not for me to decide, I suppose, unless X-COM’s mission is to set total policy on such issues.”
The counselor thought for a minute, “I don’t know either. Perhaps it is something to discuss with Chief Hallorand.”
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We should have it back in for testing next time.