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Topic: X-COM Monday Nights Campaign (Read 4469 times) |
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chiz
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Jim read the note from Stan, getting visibly excited as he did so. The suspicions the team had about the possibility of rescucitating near-dead soldiers were right! It was only a matter of scaling the medikits up, using the high-speed microdispersal technology that was already present, albeit in a rudimentary way, in the existing medi-kits.
Jim typed quickly, then hit send:
FROM: DR. JAMES ALLEN
TO: STAN WHITE
CC: MEMBERS, ALPHA TEAM
Re: Medical Priorities - response
I'll consult with the rest of the team before getting you an official reply. My initial take is to prioritize the advanced surgical unit, then the advanced version 2 medikits. If the impact on advanced surgical kit availability time is very low, we could go with th advanced v2 medikit first. This is the key issue - is the infrastructure required for the surgical kit independant of any work on the medikit?
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| « Last Edit: on: Aug 11, 2008, 9:16PM » |
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Lazybones
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"Hey there, Jarvis. Feeling better, I hope? Look, I'm really sorry, that's never happened to me before."
The engineer accepts Catalina's apologies, and insists that he's fine, really. Although the immobilizing foam cast he's wearing makes further declarations impossible.
The doc says his broken legs and cracked ribs will heal in about a week. Lucky for him that Catalina fell on him in the most advanced medical facility in the world. The damage done to the reactor housing is likewise not critical, but it looks to set back the project a good day if not more.
OOC Catalina De Ferrago: Climb +6, Balance +9, roll: 1 (automatic failure). Result: -1 engineer/weeks on reactor project (and one engineer out of commission until next week)
Almost as soon as the semi-conscious engineer is carted away to the medical wing, along with the bruised Catalina, Jane intervenes at the damaged housing. It looks like Catalina's fall dented an important juncture box, putting pressure on a critical fiberoptic control line. In a flash of inspiration, Jane is able to use her laser rifle on low power to heat the housing, and using a multitool she is able to correct the dent.
OOC Jane Swift: Craft Mechanical +12, roll: 19 (31) (major success). Result: +2 engineer/weeks on reactor project
Grace Thelon Beluca stands in the control room, which is crowded with most of the engineering staff (minus Jarvis), the X-COM leadership, and Alpha Team. She grins as she pulls down the heavy lever on the main junction box.
There is a flicker of the lights, and a distant noise. "Don't worry, it'll take a few minutes to come online," Grace says. She frowns as the flickers continue for a few seconds longer, and then the lights come back on, and the control board shows green all across, including the new indicator that says, "Laser Defense 1".
"We're in business," the Chief Engineer says, flashing a wide grin.
The applause barely starts before the alarm klaxon interrupts. The voice of the tech on the intercom is calm but intense.
"ALIEN CRAFT INCOMING. TARGET TRAJECTORY INDICATES DESTINATION IS HQX. TIME TO INTERCEPT 3 MINUTES. ALL PERSONNEL TO ACTION STATIONS. THIS IS NOT A DRILL."
OOC Note: Since you didn't state a manufacturing preference, I put the extra engineers this week into producing medikits. After the exchange above, you had an extra 6 manufacturing units available as the reactor was being finished, for a +3 bonus to kits produced this week (11 total).
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Lazybones
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To clarify: the medical research projects must be assigned with researchers from the pool of 24 points, like any other project.
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vanya mia
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*Tests*
Edit: And now it lets me, maybe something to do with the smiley in the last one?
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| « Last Edit: on: Aug 12, 2008, 12:42AM » |
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Lazybones
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Warning: NWC now hates the semi-colon. Validation errors also pop up a lot, but at least you can navigate back and refresh and your post will get through.
If you find it excessive you can keep posting in the other forum, I will monitor both sites for now.
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| « Last Edit: on: Aug 12, 2008, 12:45AM » |
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Lazybones
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+750xp for everyone (dira seems to be out for the count, so I'll consider this a full-party posting). Extra kudos for going the extra mile and following me to the other site.
+100xp extra to Jane for successful skill use.
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| « Last Edit: on: Aug 12, 2008, 12:55AM » |
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karvon
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Hadrian sat for a moment as he collected his thoughts. So much new stuff to sort thru and assimilate. New technologies, teams and tactics to adjust to - this definitely was not Marine Recon. For now he planned to watch, learn and chip in when and where he could - and stay alive.
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Lazybones
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Note that for now, we'll go back to using this thread for weekly posting. I will continue to monitor the other site as well.
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| « Last Edit: on: Aug 26, 2008, 1:47PM » |
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Lazybones
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Dr. Wagner's weekly e-mail.
FROM: DR. KIMBERLY WAGNER, X-COM RESEARCH LEAD
TO: MEMBERS, ALPHA TEAM
CC: MICHAEL GARRET, GRACE THELON BELUCA, AGENT INISE DRAKE
RE: Research/Manufacturing Progress Report
We have taken delivery of the FIRESTORM advanced interceptor, and have already credited one kill to its account. Work on the LIGHTNING advanced transport has begun in earnest, and we hope to have a prototype within a month. Keep in mind we will need an ongoing supply of Elerium-115 to fuel both craft.
Field tests on the Powered Armor seemed to go well, based on your action reports from the Russia mission. This armor is now ready for field production. Each suit will take approximately 150% of the time needed to produce the Personal Armor. Unfortunately, due to its bulk and the actuators required to give it mobility, stealth upgrades are not possible for this armor.
We have completed a preliminary examination of the Russian tactical armor. The armor is powered by an advanced alien device that uses Elerium-115 as a power source. The armor is inferior to our own Powered Armor, but slightly stronger than the Personal Armor that Alpha Team has been using, if heavier and more bulky. (OOC: this is medium armor)
We sent the encrypted hard drive that you found in the Russian base to Buzz Olloff to decipher the information contained within.
We've completed our interrogation of the Snakeman Soldier in custody. Due to space limitations, we are only keeping one individual from each alien "type" in custody; excess prisoners are sent forward to a central holding facility. The Americans, in particular, seem quite interested in these prisoners, and are fully funding the cost of their incarceration.
The snakeman did not have any useful intelligence, but our study did result in some refinements of our Stun Rod technology (OOC: +2 to Stun Rod DC).
Research Priorities (24 points total):
Completed Research:
- Laser Weapons: Research complete. Laser pistols may be constructed.
- Laser Rifle: Research complete.
- Laser Cannon: Research complete. All future interceptors will be equipped with this weapon. Laser Defense may be constructed.
- Motion Scanner: Research complete.
- Heavy Weapons Platforms: Research complete. Laser Tanks may be constructed.
- Alien Medicine: Research complete. The new Medical Lab will produce eight medikits per week. Dr. White reports that when the lab is involved in research projects, such as alien autopsies, the rate of production will slow. Further upgrades may come from research into alien life forms.
- Alien Alloys: Research complete. Personal Armor is now available for manufacture.
- Powered Armor: Project complete.
- Elerium-115 Reactor: Project complete.
- Plasma Pistol: An alien weapon.
- Sectoid Prisoner: Research complete.
- Snakeman Soldier: Research complete.
- Alien Navigation: Research complete.
- Alien Power Supply: Research complete.
- Sectoid Autopsy: Research complete.
- Snakeman Autopsy: Research complete.
- Floater Autopsy: Research complete.
Current Projects:
No projects active.
Available Projects:
- Plasma Rifle: A more powerful alien weapon.
- Heavy Plasma: A massive alien plasma weapon. (ooc: requires the Expert Firearms Proficiency feat to use).
- Plasma Cannon: A craft-based weapon with superior range and stopping power compared to the Laser Cannon. However, unlike the laser it requires a supply of Elerium-115 to function. Once research is complete, we anticipate being able to construct a Plasma Tank and Plasma Defense using this technology.
- Small Launcher: An alien stun weapon.
- Vibroblade: An alien melee weapon.
- Alien Grenade: These explosives seem to be based on a biochemical agent combined with a tiny amount of Elerium-115.
- Advanced Medikit 2: Improves efficiency of current medikits.
- Elerium-powered Biogenesis Unit: Increase Medikit output by 50% or more.
Current Prisoners held in Alien Containment:
- Snakeman Leader.
- Snakeman Navigator.
- Snakeman Engineer.
- Floater Navigator.
- Floater Soldier.
- Sectoid Engineer.
Manufacturing Priorities (36 points)
- Research Capacity: Research Labs 1 and 2 are fully operational. Further expansions will run into problems due to base size limitations.
- Medical Capacity: the Medical Lab is fully operational.
- Manufacturing Capacity: Workshops 1, 2, and 3 are fully operational. Further expansions will run into problems due to base size limitations.
- Base Defense: Missile Defense and Laser Defense have been completed. Current base defense factor: 40
- Laser Pistol (19): Nine units have been constructed. Units may be constructed with an integrated VDU targeting system (+3 engineer-weeks per unit).
- Laser Rifle: One unit has been constructed.
- Motion Sensor: Two units have been constructed.
- Personal Armor: Six suits have been constructed. Helmets have been upgraded to resist mental attacks. Units may be constructed with stealth augmentation (+4 engineer-weeks per unit)
- Powered Armor: One prototype suit constructed.
- Medikit (3): Current level: Advanced Medikit 1. Doctor White's medical lab can construct eight of these kits each week without compromising our manufacturing capacity. If you wish to dedicate additional resources to the project, the kits can be produced at a faster rate.
- Advanced Surgical Kit: An advanced field intervention kit that can stabilize and restore a dying soldier. (ooc: Raise Dead)
- Heavy Weapons Platform (13): Two Laser Tanks produced. It takes 3 engineers one week to restore a seriously damaged HWP to full working order.
- HWP Repair Kit: These repair kits can only be used on HWPs and require about twice the resources of a medikit to construct.
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OOC: Your current allocations are listed in parens above.
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| « Last Edit: on: Aug 27, 2008, 3:26AM » |
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Jenniza
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ooc: current scorecard (with estimated costs)
Research Priorities (24 points total)
Completed Research:- Laser research completed: Laser Weapons, Laser Pistols, Laser Rifles
- Laser Cannons completed – All future interceptors will be equipped with this weapon.
- Lasers Defense completed (+100% Base Defense)
- Plasma Pistol – Alien weapon, we have several in storage (some for field agents, the remainder to be converted to consortium funds, re: the Americans’ 75% share of Firestorm costs)
- Motion Scanner: Research completed
- Heavy Weapon Platform: Research completed – Laser Tanks may be constructed.
- Alien Power Supply: Research completed (Anti-matter w/ Elerium-115)
- Alien Navigation: Research completed (plus alien power coupling device)
- Alien Alloys: Research completed; Personal Armor Available
- Powered Armor – Elerium-115 powered armor (ooc: medium armor)
- Elerium-115 Reactor (+20% Research, +20% Manufacturing, +50% Base Defense)
- Project FIRESTORM (Advanced new Interceptor) – Research completed
- Alien Medicine: Research completed; The new Medical Lab will produce eight medikits per week. Dr. White reports that when the lab is involved in research projects, such as alien autopsies, the rate of production will slow. Further upgrades may come from research into alien life forms.
- Advanced Surgical Kit – Resuscitate downed patients (ooc: one-shot Raise Dead)
- Prisoners researched: Sectoid, Sectoid Leader, Snakeman Soldier
- Autopsies completed: Sectoid, Snakeman, Floater
Current Projects:- (freebie) Project LIGHTNING (Advanced new Skyranger) is underway (ETA 4 weeks)
Available Projects: - Plasma Rifle [10] – More powerful Alien weapon (requires Exotic Firearms Proficiency)
- Heavy Plasma [20] – A massive Alien plasma weapon. (also requires Exotic Firearms Proficiency)
- Plasma Cannon [20] – prerequisite to ship-mounted plasma weapons, plasma tanks and plasma defense
- Small Launcher (Stunner) [10] – Alien stunner
- Vibroblade [10] – Alien melee weapon
- Alien BioGrenade (Elerium-115) [10] – alien biochemical grenade based on Electrum-115
- Alien Medicine (Level 2) [10] – advanced medikit
- Elerium-powered Biogenesis Unit [10 researchers, 5 engineers] – (increase medikit production by 50-75%, etc)
Prisoners held in Alien Containment:- Sectoid Engineer [5]
- Snakeman Engineer [5]
- Snakeman Navigator [5]
- Snakeman Leader [10]
- Floater Soldier [5]
- Floater Navigator [5]: Alien intelligence
Manufacturing Priorities (36 points total)- Note: Future base expansion will run into problems due to base size limitations.
- Elerium-115 Reactor (+20% Research, +20% Manufacturing, +50% Base Defense) (online)
- Manufacturing Labs: 3
- Research Labs: 2
- Medical Labs: 1; the Medical Lab is fully operational.
- Defense: Missiles & Lasers (Base Defense Rating = 40)
Current Projects: - Medikit [3] : Doctor White's medical lab can construct eight of these kits each week without compromising our manufacturing capacity. If you wish to dedicate additional resources to the project, the kits can be produced at a faster rate.
Available Projects: - Laser Pistols [5/8/3] :9, (upgrade: integrated VDU (+1 attack) that can also be made at +3 engineers per week, (Buzz, Allen, Baron, Vasily each have one regular laser pistol; Yeren, Hadrian, Soheil, Catalina each have one VDU laser pistol; one regular laser pistol unaccounted for – possibly Yeren has it)
- Laser Rifles [10] : 1 (they come equipped w/ +2 laser-sighted scope standard, Jane has one)
- Motion Scanners [10] : 2
- Heavy Weapons Platforms : Laser Tanks: 2 [10 to produce, 3 to repair, it was 7 to upgrade rocket launcher]
- HWP Repair Kit [6] : 1 - These repair kits can only be used on HWPs and require about twice the resources of a medikit to construct.
- Personal Armor [10/14/4] : 6; Helmets have been upgraded to resist mental attacks (+2); (Catalina’s armor is treated to be a (+2) stealth suit that ca also be made at +4 engineers per week)
- Powered Armor [15] : 1 prototype suit constructed, 2 Russian-model suits retrieved (inferior to ours though); Powered Armor cannot be made into stealth suits
- Advanced Surgical Kit : 1 – Resuscitate downed patients (ooc: one-shot Raise Dead)
I would like to suggest a few considerations:
Research:
Plasma Cannon 10 [20] – prerequisite to ship-mounted plasma weapons, plasma tanks and plasma defense
Elerium-powered Biogenesis Unit 9 [10 researchers, 5 engineers] – (increase medikit production by 50-75%, etc)
Snakeman or Floater Navigator (5) – We might learn something of their homeworld perhaps or other tidbits
We need to think long-term sometimes.
Manufacturing:
Laser Pistols (6) [5/8/3] :9, upgrade Allen's and Vasily's, (upgrade: integrated VDU (+1 attack) that can also be made at +3 engineers per week, (Buzz, Allen, Baron, Vasily each have one regular laser pistol; Yeren, Hadrian, Soheil, Catalina each have one VDU laser pistol; one regular laser pistol unaccounted for – possibly Yeren has it)
Anyone else want anything?
-------------------
In answer to the question: can two plasma pistols be dual wielded in X-COM, the answer is no, Jane picked up the second plasma pistol before we left HQX that no one wanted  Jane couldn't dual-wield it... so she gave it to Hadrian when I found out he only had a ballistic gun and laser pistol. So much for fun R&D.
Some guns can be dual-wielded in X-COM (normal ballistic D20), some cannot be dual-wielded (plasma) in X-COM.
----------------
I'm discussing something with LB about another player joining us.. more on that later.
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| « Last Edit: on: Aug 27, 2008, 4:04AM » |
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karvon
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Hadrian sighed as he sat down at the terminal and clicked up the AAR template. Paperwork, always the least favorite part of the job. Given his lack of any formal briefing or orientation to XCom and Alpha team as yet, he wasn't quite sure of what to make of things yet or what the standards were, but they insisted on a report, so a report they'd get. He paused to review the mission, realizing that - as in any combat situation - facts and details got blurred or forgotten.
He began to type...
After Action Report: Siberian Base Infiltration
Alpha team successfully inserted undetected on the outskirts of objective. Two scouts led the team to the perimeter and circled the base to assess the situation. One or more team members seemed to follow the scouts, rather than await their report, and apparently were spotted by sentries. Firefight broke out, sentries were neutralized, several team members injured and element of surprise was lost. Team belatedly decided to destroy bases satellite dish and one team member was caught in the explosion and seriously injured requiring med-evac.
To speed penetration of the base, team decided to breach the hanger elevator deck plate with explosives and repel down into the facility. More base security was encountered almost immediately and a series of running firefights, and a few hand-to-hand actions, took place in and around the lower hanger bay and adjoining facilities.
While most of the security personnel were conventionally armed, a few specialists were equipped with alien arms and armor and put up a very determined resistance, causing serious injuries to every member of the team. Our alien med kits helped stablize the wounded and the team pressed on deeper into the base, going down to the second level.
The team tripped defensive countermeasures as it attempted to break into the lab area and most were badly burned. The final security officer was eliminated after a brief but fierce fight and the team searched the lab and adjoining offices. Unfortunately, two members were caught in yet another defensive device field while doing so and one was incapacitated, the other seriously injured.
We recovered an encrypted hard drive from one of the lab computers and were able to activate an alien medical device which apparently accelerated healing. 3 of the team members risked using this to get back to nearly full physical capacity.
Pressing on, the team ran into automated defense systems and several members were badly wounded. The team fell back to the lab and tried to utilize the alien medical center again, but the power was cut externally mid-process, so the team was unable to be treated.
Surprise lost, further progress impractical, most of the team wounded and one member incapacitated, it was decided to scrub the mission in favor of saving the fallen, rather than attempt what was deemed impossible.
Alpha team exited the base fairly quickly, picking up a suit of alien armor on the way, without meeting further resistance on the ground. Air elements arrived to extract us almost immediately.
Enemy interceptors pursued and attempted to engage, but were successfully evaded without sustaining further injuries.
Intel Notes:
1. Recovered encrypted hard drive taken from work station in lab office turned over to R&D.
2. 2 suits of alien heavy power armor recovered from the bodies fallen security specialists turned over to R&D.
Tactical Notes:
1. Recommend review and revision of recon procedures to minimize premature contacts and detections.
2. Recommend team adopt planning and tactics review once recon stage is completed.
3. Recommend cross training in dealing with defensive devices and tools for detecting/neutralizing such.
4. Recommend expanded EMT training and additional medical kits be allocated.
Sgt Hadrian L. Jones
Alpha Team - Xcom
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Lazybones
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Just to clarify, I shouldn't have cut-and-pasted the armor project; Powered Armor is complete, and the next upgrade (to Heavy Armor) won't be available for a while.
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Jenniza
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I edited my post to reflect the above, thanks LB.
Most notably:
I would like to suggest a few considerations:
Research:
Plasma Cannon 10 [20] – prerequisite to ship-mounted plasma weapons, plasma tanks and plasma defense
Elerium-powered Biogenesis Unit 9 [10 researchers, 5 engineers] – (increase medikit production by 50-75%, etc)
Snakeman or Floater Navigator (5) – We might learn something of their homeworld perhaps or other tidbits
We need to think long-term sometimes.
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Smart Alec
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Excerpt of Session Transcript #19, Kasprjak, V.D.
***
[Time: 1 minute 22 seconds into session]
Was tough. No way to get round security.
[Pause of 9 seconds.]
Tough security, too. Rough. Electrified doors not common in facilities. Old fashion. Dangerous, you know. Easier ways. Not what expect.
[Pause of 15 seconds.]
Keep going over and over it. Can not think of anything would have change... we just unsupported, if we went further maybe all died. Who know.
[Pause of 12 seconds.]
Is stupid, all this time we been suffering with team half professionals, half civilians. Not enough muscle. This time, we suffer... eh. Stupid.
[Pause of 22 seconds.]
What you going to do, ah? Spetsnaz pride of Russian military for fifty years. Alien weapons, alien armour, you got a force to fear.
[Pause of 12 seconds.]
We should have won, though, we...
[Pause of 32 seconds.]
If we just done something, you know? Something matter? Find something important, bring alien back... finish rest of base, would make it seem...
[Pause of 4 seconds.]
Seem worth it. [shakes head, inaudible mutter. Pause of 7 seconds.]
We kill them. Not even got anything to show for it. [Russian word] waste.
[Pause of 20 seconds.]
They know I here, working for agency, if US government complain about base, they go there, find it attacked... it not take them long to...
[Pause of 3 seconds.]
I have feeling my career, over.
[Pause of 5 seconds.]
No room in OSNAZ for man who step out of line.
[Question: How do you feel about that?]
Angry.
[Pause of 8 seconds.]
Not sure at who.
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Smart Alec
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The Russian is sullen and uncommunicative following the mission, ignoring people and avoiding conversation, directing the occasional frowning glance at particularly persistent folk. He scowls visibly for hours after reading Hadrian's report of the whole mission, even if he does not elaborate on what exactly it is that offends him about it.
Jane's suggestions on research priorities finally serve to draw him out, though, even if all he says is,
"We need alien rifles."
***
OOC: Working on the Medical Assembly thing and the alien prisoners is fine; just think that we need those rifles.
Building two suits of Powered Armour is, I guess, a no-brainer.
Edit: Do we need a new player? We were unlucky with both the medic and the intelligence operative being away on the same week, but I don't think that's going to happen again...
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| « Last Edit: on: Aug 27, 2008, 7:15AM » |
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Jenniza
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ooc a minor tidbit about medikits that dates back to the days of healkits from NWN fantasy... Treat Injury works just like the Heal Skill, in that, in combat... it's a d20 worth of healing medicine and post-combat it's a Take 20, ie the full 20 points. So... on average, you'd get about 10 points more healing per medikit if you wait til after combat to use it. In other words, if you heal people between combats when they are somewhat wounded, they will less likely get critically wounded where you might panic and use the medikits in combat and run out of them faster.
Also, since it is based on Treat Injury Skill... one might consider tossing a few points in there on occassion. Also, there is a Medical Kit that one could buy and a Surgical Kit that each have DC's to repair some HP's. Read the manual and experiment in the D20 1.3 module to try them out to see how they work if you are curious. Surgery feat knocks off the 4 point penalty. Regardless, the patient will be exhasted following surgery (slight drain of attributes, be careful of M*A*S*H surgery and sending them back into combat, it's risky).
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Jenniza
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So the list is now updated to:
Research:
Plasma Rifle [10] – More powerful Alien weapon (requires Exotic Firearms Proficiency)
Elerium-powered Biogenesis Unit (9) [10 researchers, 5 engineers] – (increase medikit production by 50-75%, etc)
Floater Navigator (5) – We might learn something of their homeworld perhaps or other tidbits
The Elerium-powered Biogenesis Unit should address Hadrian's concern for more medikits per mission.
Manufacturing:
Laser Pistols 6 [5/8/3] :9, upgrade Allen’s and Vasily’s to VDU’s, (upgrade: integrated VDU (+1 attack) that can also be made at +3 engineers per week, (Buzz, Allen, Baron, Vasily each have one regular laser pistol; Yeren, Hadrian, Soheil, Catalina each have one VDU laser pistol; one regular laser pistol unaccounted for – possibly Yeren has it)
Powered Armor 30 [15] : for Hadrian & Vasily, 1 prototype suit constructed (Soheil has it?), 2 Russian-model suits retrieved (inferior to ours though);
Any other requests to the list changes?
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| « Last Edit: on: Aug 27, 2008, 12:58PM » |
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karvon
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OOC:
Hadrian is a stealth specialist so any armor he uses will have to allow for that, thus I don't see him wearing heavy power armor in most situations.
While it may be ideal to wait for after combat to use medkits, when you're near death and combat is raging, waiting's not really an option.
The DC levels on the other med gear make them a bit useless unless you've got pretty decent skills in related skills - unless I'm misunderstanding how they work.
If the team is relying on only 1 member for any one critical skill then some contingency plans should be in place before missions kick off in case and that person is missing or incapacitated. In other words, more pre-launch planning and establishing of some SOP - standard operating procedures.
If we add another team member, it would be wise to clearly spell out what we really need to provide balance and cross-coverage of critical skills. Had I been more aware of the current team's composition, I might have built Hadrian a bit differently to compliment the current group.
I second the call for better rifles.
Karvon
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| « Last Edit: on: Aug 27, 2008, 4:34PM » |
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Smart Alec
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OOC: Many, many stealth operators in this group.  Gonna be kinda candid here, don't take it too personal, folks.
It's been my experience that cross-class skills are actually pretty tricky to build up in D20 Modern. Many classes don't have that many to spend. Every skill point I've been getting has been going into Craft: Mechanical and Craft: Chemical to be able to use trap kits (admittedly, we never do seem to use traps) and into Knowledge: Tactics for an eventual possible Soldier multiclass, and none of those skills are at particularly useful levels. If I'd been building up Treat Injury, I'd still only have about 5 ranks in it. Worse, when it comes to traps, trapfinding etc, low-level skill ranks don't help a lot, because it usually means you'll only see the smaller traps. 
The group does feel very specialised, as in the beginning we had what amounted to a team of specialists; an infiltrator, a sniper, a field medic, a field scientist, a daredevil tank and a charismatic psychologist. As time's gone on, though, the psychologist, the field scientist and the field scientist we recruited in his place have had to drop out and in their place we've had an influx of military soldier types.
The funny thing is, this makes perfect sense with the way the game was going. Each mission up till now has been fairly fighting-intensive, low on traps and security systems, protecting cities from alien attack and investigating alien crash sites. So, it makes sense for the group to 'hire' more soldiers. This was the first mission in the campaign, I think, where having a competent trapfinder was actually necessary, and it's just bad luck we didn't have one.
On the subject of stealth, it's also not really been that important so far. The mission areas are often reasonably compact, compact enough to almost see the enemy from where we exit, sometimes (very much in the style of the original computer game, it has to be said). Often, our stealth agents are seen and occasionally cut down in a hail of plasma fire before they can report back. Usually - especially inside alien ships, and buildings - it's been more useful for the group to stick together and cover each other rather than to split up, and as long as our gunfights take place near a corner, a hill or a door, we can duck inside if we get too badly wounded. Clever use of terrain has been more useful than surprise attacks, especially as many foes (snakemen especially) are tough enough for battles against them to last over 20 rounds. Getting the 'first shot' isn't all that important in battles of that length, I guess.
Sometimes it is useful, of course. Usually in outdoor situations where we need to locate the enemy - but the frequency of those occasions has been diminishing. Again, the most recent mission was an unusual one. And there's a strong possibility that the snakemen do not represent the toughest of the alien cadre.
Maybe we could form some kind of a 'recon unit', and divide the group into 2 groups of 3, now that we have a larger group of stealth specialists - that would make you guys less vulnerable to getting picked off. But part of me wonders if it's just stealth for stealth's sake.
Edit: I guess we could all try to go for some diverse multiclassing to boost our skill point/class skill pool, but part of me feels that's somehow 'cheating', y'know...
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| « Last Edit: on: Aug 27, 2008, 9:56PM » |
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