So far, there have been no alien sightings in the first week. That's OK, but no aliens means no goodies, and no goodies means no money so....despite how nervous I am about our first encounter, it is necessary for survival in a harsh world. So, I sit back and wait.
Then a UFO shows up. It's landed in northern England. I check to see if any Laser Pistols are done, but it looks like we're gonna go without. Fairly nervous, I launch the Skyranger-1 as well as Interceptor-1. Interceptors are fighters, you start with two of them. Though the UFO is landed, the Interceptor is in case it takes off.
Then the UFO takes off. I watch as Interceptor-1 valiantly tries to catch it, and as UFO-1 flies circles around my Interceptor. Skyranger-1 joins in on the chase, though it's only going 1/3 the speed. But it'll be there if it gets shot down. I watch the UFO outdistance me, hoping that it will turn around, but instead it just keeps going and I loose contact over the Indian Ocean. Drat! Another alien getaway.
In my head I hear "they'll be back" and likewise call in my two aircraft. A few days later, my engineers inform me that I'm pretty well broke, as the $8,000 for a Laser Pistol is more than I've got. So I decide to sell some stuff. Most in-month money comes from selling you're pillage from the aliens. But since these are scaredy-aliens I have to resort to selling my extra junk. I sell all my normal pistols and some normal rifles. I end up with enough for one more laser pistol. After it's done, I sell it for $20,000, and then start production on another 3.
Then I pick up another UFO, precisely where the first one had been. Must some sort of resort up there or something. I throw our 4 laser pistols on the Skyranger and set sale for adventure!
This time the Skyranger makes it to the UFO. I wait with nervous anticipation. Finally, our first mission! Which means I hope we all have life insurance, because here we go!
The mission is simple: see alien, point gun, pull trigger. Well, it sounds simple, anyway. Right before the mission you equip your soldiers. I give Zen Halen the rocket launcher, Kevin D. gets the heavy cannon, everyone with an MS class gets rifles and the rest get laser pistols. (One note on normal pistols, they don't have an auto-fire. So, if you don't hit the alien there is a chance that he'll turn around and waste you, even if you still have plenty of TUs. Laser pistols do shoot auto, so it's all good.)
Alright, it's the first turn of X-COM history. Let me say that I hope no one dies, not even the meat shields. Well, here's to good luck and good shooting on the first mission.(wouldn't it suck to die on the first mission?)
This is the 'Battlescape,' or something like that. In X-COM there are lots of different actions available, especially since it uses a 3-D battlefield for combat. There are lots of buttons, so I figure you might as well learn something today.
1;8--These buttons have your unit move up or down a level. Because the map is 3D, but the pieces move on a 2D board, this button allows units capable of it to move up or down one level.
2;9--These buttons move the view camera up or down one level. X-COM has four levels, counting the ground.
3--Tactical Map, allows an overview of where your units are on the field.
4--This shows the inventory of the selected character, used to pull out grenades and reload.
5--Selects the next soldier.
6--Shows the roofs of everything. I guess for a scenic look.
7--Ends the turn
10--Changes the character from standing to crouch, or vice-versa.
11--Center the screen on the character.
12--Selects the next character and deselects the last one. Same as 5.
13--Shows some options.
14--Abort mission.
15--The right hand weapon. Number shows ammo, and you click on it to fire.
16--Left hand item, if there is one.
17--Buttons that save TUs for reaction shots. I don't usually use them.
18--Your current character's stats and ranking.
So, now that you know what all the buttons are, let's get to the action. The tank is the first one off, as I already explained. No aliens are sighted, so I head to the east. Everyone else leaps off, my plan being to send Zen and Kyle to the south, and then move east past some fields. I expect to send Tanner and Neal to the north. Courtney and Mijo wait on the ramp, as they were furthest in the back of the ship, making them the last ones off. I can see the edge of the UFO, and I assume that the aliens are to the east and probably one to the north. There is probably about 6 aliens hanging around, so at least we outnumber them. Now, anyway. Not seeing any aliens, I end the turn.
No alien movement sounds during their turn, so I slowly keep moving. Neal and Courtney follow MSs Brad and Mijo to an orchard in the north. Zen and Kyle keep moving east, and the Tank reveals...a large field. The rest of us line up and admire the UFOs chromium plating.
As the HWP moves up he reveals an alien to the east. Tanner takes the first auto-shot, but misses. Tyson also blasts away with an auto shot, but only ends up destroying parts of the wall in front of the alien. Kevin takes an aimed cannon blast, but just fries some cabbage near the alien. Jesse, embarrassed by his teams lack of depth perception, hits the alien on the first round of his auto shot. Go team! The remainder of the squad mills about but doesn't see any aliens. I assume there's at least one in the house the tank just spotted.
These are the actions you can take with a laser pistol. Seeing how its good to have some vocabulary, as I will be telling you which shots I use. An aimed shot has the best chance of success, but it also costs the most TUs, usually around 80% of TUs. I would use it, but most often there aren't the TUs available. A snap shot is the least TUs, and has a per-shot accuracy that is higher than an auto-shot. However, an auto shot allows you to shoot three shots. Because you get to shoot three, the accuracy is, logically, almost as good as the aimed shot. Throw is usually what you do with grenades, but if you want you can throw your gun to another team-mate. This allows ammo carriers to distribute ammo to the whole team.
Anyhow, Brad reaches the back of the UFO and finds....no aliens. So he decides to sneak around and surprise those aliens from the side. I send NealTheFerrin and Courtney J. through the field behind Mijo, towards the UFO door. To secure the house, Tyson and Jesse both start shooting out the walls of the house with their infinite ammo carrying pistols. But no aliens are seen. Kyle moves up to the side of the house, but cannot move very far because his stamina is so low.
Tanner and Kyle secure the house, and Mijo and Brad line up outside the alien door, with Neal and Courtney backing them up. Jesse moves into the house, and Tyson and Kevin try to create some crop circles in the field.
Mijo and the teamsters line up at the door, ready to ring the doorbell and yell "Trick or Treat!" once it opens. I end the turn, and on the next move into the first room of the medium UFO. No aliens. Man, can't find these things. Mijo is covering the right door, while Brad covers the left. Courtney is backing up Mijo with Neal backing up Brad. The safest way into the bridge is through the left side, because there are more angles. But having some backup on the right helps if the first group gets stuck in the small corridors.
Brad is followed by Neal and Courtney around the left side, and Mijo waits at the right door. The rest of the team practices maneuvers outside. Brad bursts through the door, and then runs onto the bridge. There's one alien, and he guns him down. I assume that there are a few more in the power compartment, and Brad gets the job of jumping into the alien nest.
There is only one alien in the other room, and Brad takes him down as well. And that is the mission. Sweet. No casualties. I'm impressed. Though it is odd that there were only 3 aliens, usually there are double that on a medium UFO. No matter, we still get some alien alloys so we can start on the path to personal armor. And selling the stuff will get me some more money. A good first mission, don't let it set your standards too high though. I'm sure the next one will be an apocalypse.
Two promotions, Jesse P. and Brad. It looks like we've got a meatshield for a sergeant. He also gets the MVP of the mission, for single handedly taking out the UFO. And if you feel your promotion got stolen, don't worry. Brad will likely lead the charge into any more UFOs we encounter. Heck, he might even reach commander rank! All in all, good mission.
I get back to base and sell the alien stuff for around 1 million, and I order up 10 more engineers to speed up production. Then laser rifle research finishes, and I start production on 15 of them, enough to stock the Skyranger. After January 17 the living quarters are done, and I get my 10 new engineers. With no money and no aliens I check some stats.
Hmm, looks like we should net 3 million in February, but if we don't get any more missions the income might go down. Not by much, but I'd prefer that it would go up. Once February rolls around I'll get 5 or 10 more soldiers, probably some more scientists and maybe some engineers. I check the graphs. Since my radar is unable to pick up any aliens, I decide to send out my interceptors on some patrols. Some around Europe, others down in the Amazon, but no luck. Hopefully these scardy-aliens will be so intimidated by my interceptors that they will stay in the upper stratosphere.
No aliens yet, and on January 28th the large radar is finished, along with the extra lab and the alien containment. Alien alloys are researched, and personal armor is started. I wait for the end of the month, with little to report. Then, on the 30, terror mission, Buenos Aires. Terror missions are hard. No UFOs, but about 12 or more aliens, as well as civilians. I load up my crew, and set out in the Skyranger, hoping to do well......
Then a UFO shows up. It's landed in northern England. I check to see if any Laser Pistols are done, but it looks like we're gonna go without. Fairly nervous, I launch the Skyranger-1 as well as Interceptor-1. Interceptors are fighters, you start with two of them. Though the UFO is landed, the Interceptor is in case it takes off.
Then the UFO takes off. I watch as Interceptor-1 valiantly tries to catch it, and as UFO-1 flies circles around my Interceptor. Skyranger-1 joins in on the chase, though it's only going 1/3 the speed. But it'll be there if it gets shot down. I watch the UFO outdistance me, hoping that it will turn around, but instead it just keeps going and I loose contact over the Indian Ocean. Drat! Another alien getaway.
In my head I hear "they'll be back" and likewise call in my two aircraft. A few days later, my engineers inform me that I'm pretty well broke, as the $8,000 for a Laser Pistol is more than I've got. So I decide to sell some stuff. Most in-month money comes from selling you're pillage from the aliens. But since these are scaredy-aliens I have to resort to selling my extra junk. I sell all my normal pistols and some normal rifles. I end up with enough for one more laser pistol. After it's done, I sell it for $20,000, and then start production on another 3.
Then I pick up another UFO, precisely where the first one had been. Must some sort of resort up there or something. I throw our 4 laser pistols on the Skyranger and set sale for adventure!
This time the Skyranger makes it to the UFO. I wait with nervous anticipation. Finally, our first mission! Which means I hope we all have life insurance, because here we go!
The mission is simple: see alien, point gun, pull trigger. Well, it sounds simple, anyway. Right before the mission you equip your soldiers. I give Zen Halen the rocket launcher, Kevin D. gets the heavy cannon, everyone with an MS class gets rifles and the rest get laser pistols. (One note on normal pistols, they don't have an auto-fire. So, if you don't hit the alien there is a chance that he'll turn around and waste you, even if you still have plenty of TUs. Laser pistols do shoot auto, so it's all good.)
Alright, it's the first turn of X-COM history. Let me say that I hope no one dies, not even the meat shields. Well, here's to good luck and good shooting on the first mission.(wouldn't it suck to die on the first mission?)
This is the 'Battlescape,' or something like that. In X-COM there are lots of different actions available, especially since it uses a 3-D battlefield for combat. There are lots of buttons, so I figure you might as well learn something today.
1;8--These buttons have your unit move up or down a level. Because the map is 3D, but the pieces move on a 2D board, this button allows units capable of it to move up or down one level.
2;9--These buttons move the view camera up or down one level. X-COM has four levels, counting the ground.
3--Tactical Map, allows an overview of where your units are on the field.
4--This shows the inventory of the selected character, used to pull out grenades and reload.
5--Selects the next soldier.
6--Shows the roofs of everything. I guess for a scenic look.
7--Ends the turn
10--Changes the character from standing to crouch, or vice-versa.
11--Center the screen on the character.
12--Selects the next character and deselects the last one. Same as 5.
13--Shows some options.
14--Abort mission.
15--The right hand weapon. Number shows ammo, and you click on it to fire.
16--Left hand item, if there is one.
17--Buttons that save TUs for reaction shots. I don't usually use them.
18--Your current character's stats and ranking.
So, now that you know what all the buttons are, let's get to the action. The tank is the first one off, as I already explained. No aliens are sighted, so I head to the east. Everyone else leaps off, my plan being to send Zen and Kyle to the south, and then move east past some fields. I expect to send Tanner and Neal to the north. Courtney and Mijo wait on the ramp, as they were furthest in the back of the ship, making them the last ones off. I can see the edge of the UFO, and I assume that the aliens are to the east and probably one to the north. There is probably about 6 aliens hanging around, so at least we outnumber them. Now, anyway. Not seeing any aliens, I end the turn.
No alien movement sounds during their turn, so I slowly keep moving. Neal and Courtney follow MSs Brad and Mijo to an orchard in the north. Zen and Kyle keep moving east, and the Tank reveals...a large field. The rest of us line up and admire the UFOs chromium plating.
As the HWP moves up he reveals an alien to the east. Tanner takes the first auto-shot, but misses. Tyson also blasts away with an auto shot, but only ends up destroying parts of the wall in front of the alien. Kevin takes an aimed cannon blast, but just fries some cabbage near the alien. Jesse, embarrassed by his teams lack of depth perception, hits the alien on the first round of his auto shot. Go team! The remainder of the squad mills about but doesn't see any aliens. I assume there's at least one in the house the tank just spotted.
These are the actions you can take with a laser pistol. Seeing how its good to have some vocabulary, as I will be telling you which shots I use. An aimed shot has the best chance of success, but it also costs the most TUs, usually around 80% of TUs. I would use it, but most often there aren't the TUs available. A snap shot is the least TUs, and has a per-shot accuracy that is higher than an auto-shot. However, an auto shot allows you to shoot three shots. Because you get to shoot three, the accuracy is, logically, almost as good as the aimed shot. Throw is usually what you do with grenades, but if you want you can throw your gun to another team-mate. This allows ammo carriers to distribute ammo to the whole team.
Anyhow, Brad reaches the back of the UFO and finds....no aliens. So he decides to sneak around and surprise those aliens from the side. I send NealTheFerrin and Courtney J. through the field behind Mijo, towards the UFO door. To secure the house, Tyson and Jesse both start shooting out the walls of the house with their infinite ammo carrying pistols. But no aliens are seen. Kyle moves up to the side of the house, but cannot move very far because his stamina is so low.
Tanner and Kyle secure the house, and Mijo and Brad line up outside the alien door, with Neal and Courtney backing them up. Jesse moves into the house, and Tyson and Kevin try to create some crop circles in the field.
Mijo and the teamsters line up at the door, ready to ring the doorbell and yell "Trick or Treat!" once it opens. I end the turn, and on the next move into the first room of the medium UFO. No aliens. Man, can't find these things. Mijo is covering the right door, while Brad covers the left. Courtney is backing up Mijo with Neal backing up Brad. The safest way into the bridge is through the left side, because there are more angles. But having some backup on the right helps if the first group gets stuck in the small corridors.
Brad is followed by Neal and Courtney around the left side, and Mijo waits at the right door. The rest of the team practices maneuvers outside. Brad bursts through the door, and then runs onto the bridge. There's one alien, and he guns him down. I assume that there are a few more in the power compartment, and Brad gets the job of jumping into the alien nest.
There is only one alien in the other room, and Brad takes him down as well. And that is the mission. Sweet. No casualties. I'm impressed. Though it is odd that there were only 3 aliens, usually there are double that on a medium UFO. No matter, we still get some alien alloys so we can start on the path to personal armor. And selling the stuff will get me some more money. A good first mission, don't let it set your standards too high though. I'm sure the next one will be an apocalypse.
Two promotions, Jesse P. and Brad. It looks like we've got a meatshield for a sergeant. He also gets the MVP of the mission, for single handedly taking out the UFO. And if you feel your promotion got stolen, don't worry. Brad will likely lead the charge into any more UFOs we encounter. Heck, he might even reach commander rank! All in all, good mission.
I get back to base and sell the alien stuff for around 1 million, and I order up 10 more engineers to speed up production. Then laser rifle research finishes, and I start production on 15 of them, enough to stock the Skyranger. After January 17 the living quarters are done, and I get my 10 new engineers. With no money and no aliens I check some stats.
Hmm, looks like we should net 3 million in February, but if we don't get any more missions the income might go down. Not by much, but I'd prefer that it would go up. Once February rolls around I'll get 5 or 10 more soldiers, probably some more scientists and maybe some engineers. I check the graphs. Since my radar is unable to pick up any aliens, I decide to send out my interceptors on some patrols. Some around Europe, others down in the Amazon, but no luck. Hopefully these scardy-aliens will be so intimidated by my interceptors that they will stay in the upper stratosphere.
No aliens yet, and on January 28th the large radar is finished, along with the extra lab and the alien containment. Alien alloys are researched, and personal armor is started. I wait for the end of the month, with little to report. Then, on the 30, terror mission, Buenos Aires. Terror missions are hard. No UFOs, but about 12 or more aliens, as well as civilians. I load up my crew, and set out in the Skyranger, hoping to do well......
1 comment:
The epicness is beginning. this is so awesome! i wish i had this game. you should send it to me.
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