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Let's Play X-COM Apocalypse!

X-COM Apocalypse is the first 'real' sequel to the best game of all time, X-COM: UFO Defense (IE, UFO: Enemy Unknown). Unlike Terror from the Deep (TFTD) which was largely a glorified Palette Swap, Apocalypse had a truly different setting.

Instead of protecting the globe from alien incursions from space or under the sea, you now defend the gigantic super-city of Mega Primus from a new alien menace. Lots of features were unfortunately dropped from X-COM Apocalypse, leaving it a shell of what it could have been. Still, it's an entertaining game and makes for some nice LP material.

The game itself had more than a few problems. A lot of it's most anticipated features such as complex cyberpunk corporate diplomacy, multiple alien factions, etc had to be dropped. However, I've patched and modded a lot of features back into the game. For example, I've modified the ground vehicle system to make land vehicles viable against the alien menace on the strategic map. Likewise, I've also added some weapons back into the game that were cut, such as the Dimension Destabilizer.

So for this LP, I'd like YOU to make the broad sweeping decisions. It'll be a whole new game that many of us haven't played, but rebalanced entirely. I'll write fictional entries and whatnot, but I want to see what you think. Intro post to follow.

Oh. And tell me what kind of gear you want. I'll go over what we've got soon. Basically, your standard assortment of futuristic Tommyguns, multibarreled autocannons, laser sniper rifles, oversized drills, etc.

White Haven, signing up for duty, Ma'am. Looking forward to being the first dumb motherfucker to fire off HE in a Marsec Arms Factory.

Sign me the fuck up and give me the biggest fucking gun there is. I want big guns, bigger guns, BIGGEST GUNS. I want guns so big they make me forget what I was trying to compensate for in the first place. And I want a silly hat...

Monday, March 2, 2084
Audio Log, Col. Nephtys, X-COM Intelligence


I hate mondays. Nothing ever happens here in Mega-Primus. Which is funny when you come to think about it, since I was so excited to get transferred back to Earth after fighting sectoids on the Frontier. But nobody here of course cares about that. No, of course not.


No, Mega-Primus is a paradise. Just like all the brochures said. Our first self-contained MegaCity, an ecologically balanced utopia that will be the model for all future cities. Mankind's last hope against the ecological damage caused by the destruction of T'Leth in the last war and so on, so forth, blah blah blah.

All it means is that X-COM doesn't do jack shit, since no Sectoid worth his probe is going to fly within five Lightyears of Earth's orbital defenses after three botched wars against us.

*yawn*.


All sectors are looking pretty good so far. MegaPol station all chromed up and clean as always. I really wonder sometimes what the designers were thinking with this art deco crap.



Hrm. What's that?


Computer, Magnify! What's going on?


Oh my g---


Shit! It's moving off!


All hands, UFO Alert! UFO ALERT! This is not a drill! Respond! Get the council on the line, we've got a problem!

'That thing came out of nowhere!'
'Ma'am! Civilian Rescue Craft 461 losing control... she's coming right for us!'


Everyone, get down! GET DOW---

*RECORDING TERMINATED*

Hell Yeah! I took a look at a list of some of the stuff dropped from Apocalypse awhile ago, and some of it looks like it would have been, like you said, a whole 'nother game.

That said, we seem to have enough Heavy Weapons Guys,* and I can't afford the deductions from my pay that the collateral damage would incur, so I'll be one of the crazies with a tommy gun and/or stun weapons. At least that way I might get "live capture" bonuses...

Also, if you're hiring from minorities, I'm happy to be an android or a hybrid. Obviously, if I'm a hybrid, I'll be the slightly cracked psionics specialist, while if I'm an android, I'll make suitable comments about how metal is superior to flesh, that the earliest AIs had the right ideas, et cetera, et cetera.



* - And yes, I know, whaddya mean "enough"? Rule #37: There's no such thing as "overkill", only "open fire" and "time to reload"!

I want an autocannon! But if RP is right and we're up to quota on them already, I'd like to pilot something. Wasn't there some sort of a flying scooter X-Com used in this game?

Tuesday, March 7, 2084
Personal Log, Col. Nephtys, X-COM Intelligence


It's been one week since the alien attack on Mega-Primus and my own little brush with death in the command center. The public is in a a state of shock right now, that could easilly turn into panic. We've spun the story as much as we can, but sooner or later, they'll realize this wasn't just a one time occurance.

Somehow, Aliens have penetrated our tightest space defenses, and raided the city. Worse yet, the design of their ships don't seem to match any we've seen on record in use by the Sectoids, Ethereals or the forces of T'Leth. For the first time.


We've finally begun figuring out how they do it. These strange triangular objects in the sky appear to be some sort of portal or dimensional gateway. Here you can see it, near the city's main hospital complex, and adjacent to a high-speed 'People Tube' Station. Attempts to penetrate it with probes have failed entirely, without craft destroyed upon contact with the anomoly. We're transferring in scientists as fast as possible to study this phenomenon, in hopes of closing them before more alien incursions occur.



On the plus side, X-COM has been reactivated with full funding, which is something we're going to damn well need. We have access to a wide assortment of weaponry and heavy equipment, and given free reign to do whatever we can to protect the city from the alien threat.

Our strategic imperative should be three fold.


1. We must protect the populace of Mega-Primus. Given the enemy's ability to strike nearly anywhere, and the unpredictable shifting locations of these 'dimension gates', it will be difficult. In the aftermath of the initial attack, this recreation park complex, public rescue station and office complex were heavilly damaged. We cannot let this continue. Should the Mega-Primus project fail, we may never be able to reclaim Earth from the ravages of the last Alien War.


2. We must analyze and understand this new threat. Our first two wars in 1999 and 2040 were won by understanding the advanced alien technologies, then defeating them with our superior resolve. The Frontier War of 2067 was won by our brave pilots flying a daredevil operation against an Ethereal superweapon beyond a black hole. Now, we must understand these new adversaries and destroy them.


3. Keep the Senate happy and secure, to maintain X-COM funding. One would imagine defense of the human race against alien incursion to be the top priority of any government, but the Government is constantly strapped for funds given the reclaimation efforts around the globe. We must protect the Senate building and ensure that X-COM will be supported enough to properly achieve our goals against this new threat.

...

Still, there's a few things to be thankful for at least, compared to the last two Alien Wars on Earth.



Elerium-115, the most vital substance in the universe. The First Alien War was nearly lost due to the shortage of this precious substance. But finally, thanks to the efforts of companies on the Frontier and the Martian Colonies, we have sufficient quantities of this substance for interstellar travel, and the production of advanced technologies.


Mega-Primus's police force, MegaPol, will hopefully be a potent ally in this coming conflict. Although they are woefully equipped and busy fighting gangs in the unregulated Slum areas of the city, their weaponry and intelligence resources will give us a more stable starting position than we've ever had on the eve of alien invasion.



Likewise, our armament situation is good. We have access to such fine weapons as the MegaPol LawPistol, Marsec M4000 Machine Gun, MegaPol Laser Rifle, Marsec Autocannon. Also, we have a stock of the MegaPol Stun Grapple, a powerful non-lethal shock weapon. Interrogations of alien officers lead us to victory in the first two alien wars, and it may do so again. Also in stock are a wide assortment of grenades, ranging from explosive and smoke rounds, to a powerful knockout gas that we hope may be effective against alien metabolisms.


Unlike the poor souls of the first two wars, we will start this conflict with the superb MegaPol tactical armor system. It is a heavy un-powered armor system, constructed from Trans-Dermal Alien Alloys. It is able to withstand continued fire from even an alien heavy plasma weapon. More weapons and equipment will become available in a week, as the Mars Security Conglomerate (MarSeC) is increasing production with it's factories in Mega-Primus to suit our needs.


Our airborne craft are an assortment of new designs in antigravity vehicles. Each runs off a clean, safe Cold Fusion drive and is capable of maneuvering in the close packed confines of Mega-Primus, in the areas where our orbital defenses cannot operate. The powerful Valkyrie Interceptor is the most capable craft we have at the moment. It is durable and capable of carrying a large payload. The Phoenix Hovercar is a militarized antigrav skimmer, highly agile and capable of carrying nearly as much firepower as the much larger Valkyrie. Finally, the Hoverbike is a blindingly nimble craft capable of carrying weapons such as the Janitor missile system or Rendor Plasma Gun.


Groundside, our situation is similar. The Stormdog is a military vehicle disguised as a common groundcar. When aliens are detected, a hidden weapons turret deploys capable of engaging air targets with a 40mm gatling cannon, or compact SAM array. The WolfHound APC is an armored troop transport, designed for rapidly inserting counterinsurgency operatives and attacking airborne anti-grav vehicles with laser-guided missiles. Finally, the mighty Griffon AFV is a massive 100-ton Battle Tank, able to withstand incredible punishment. It is able to hold a wide array of weapons from a heavy turreted plasma cannon, to a long range fusion-tipped SAM launcher to the powerful sonic 'Rumble Cannon', able to demolish buildings and UFOs alike. Although not as mobile or flexible as our airborne assets, ground based fire may be our last line of defense when all else seems lost.



This is our new base, located in a largely abandoned sector of the deregulated zones known as 'The Lovecraft Block'. This slum location will allow us protection from directed alien attacks. From the reinforced underground bunker and with our new weapons, we will have to defend ourselves from whatever horrors the aliens will throw at us. As a student of history, I know this is just the beginning to more horrific alien incursions...

LOG TERMINATED

Alright, so basically time for some decisions. How will we fight this insidious menace? We can hire 3 types of soldiers. Humans, Combat Androids, and Alien-Human Hybrids.

Humans are physically sturdy, able to gain experience quickly. Their flexibility is a great strength
Androids are fast, strong, durable and efficient. These mechanical warriors are superb combatants, though their AI programming only has a limited ability for self-improvement
Hybrids are halfbreed results of sectoid experimentation. They are physically weaker than humans, but have stronger psionic ability than do baseline humans.

Likewise, how will we stop the enemy UFOs before they conduct their horrifying missions? NOTE: I have modded the game so that ground vehicles DO work. The problem of the road being destroyed under the vehicle (and thus instakilling it) has been fixed. It now takes a hell of a lot of fire to blow up most road tiles, and the ground-based weapons have been upgraded to compete with their airborne equivalents.

1. Powerful Aircraft - The plan is to purchase a Valkyrie Interceptor and several Phoenix Hovercars, to intercept and destroy the enemy in Air to Air combat.
PRO: Fast Response Time, High Firepower, easily upgraded as new gear becomes available.
CON: Expensive, Has to be stationed out of our base

2. The Swarm - We'll purchase as many Hoverbikes as possible, and swarm down those vile alien invaders!
PRO: Able to be everywhere at once, able to have multiple stations in the city to launch from
CON: Replacements will be frequent. Pilots will not have life insurance.

3. Defense in Depth - We'll purchase squadrons of Stormdogs, Wolfhound APCs and mighty Griffon AFVs. We'll turn Mega Primus into London during the Blitz and shoot down those alien saucers with a wall of lead.
PRO: Cheap, We can put an AA vehicle in every garage. The Griffon can demolish any building or UFO we don't like.
CON: Poor response time, dispersed firepower. May cause collateral damage. Road system may be damaged.

...

And finally... what will our base be named?

It'll be named 'And Then We Got Killed By Headcrabs'.

Sign me up for this! Rifle or autocannon, please.

You seem to be taking a fairly serious outlook on the game, as opposed to some of the more irreverent LPs out there, so...

Count one vote for Powerful Aircraft. I'm uncomfortable with the loss of trained pilots in The Swarm (even if we don't pay out death benefits, eventually all those solemn funerals and rounds into the air add up), and the poor response time and high probability of collateral damage makes me wary of Defence in Depth (after all, the Senate might get pissy).

That said, I think it would still be a good idea to at least minimally invest in Hoverbikes and Ground Defence vehicles, the former to provide enough threat that when our main force is occupied we can still knock down a scout or two, and the latter to defend key installations.

Then again, I suck at this game, much as I enjoy it, so take that with a grain of salt.

As for the base name, I couldn't come up with anything not monumentally cheesy that wasn't already take, but maybe naming it after a hero of one of the previous wars (from the notebook in Terror From the Deep)? Like Russ Sharp, commander of X-Com from '99 to '03, or Jake Gaston, South American Base Commander, the guy that the novelist was interviewing? Alternatively, the base could be named something the grunts came up with and it stuck, until everyone was using it over the official designation. In that case, something like "Probe Revenge Central", or "Alien-Tech'R'Us", maybe? Idunno.

Oh, it's going to be wacky. When the time comes for that sort of thing.

After all, X-COM is the organization that hires the world's best soldiers. That is, ones who can't shoot thirty yards in front of them without veering off target by 30 degrees.

EVERYONE knows the real heroes of UFO:D and TFTD were Otto Zander and Lyudmilla Mannski Oh, and the legendary Carlos Carlos.

Sign me up, preferably as a Sniper or pilot.

And I second the vote for the 'Powerful Aircraft' option.

I ain't afraid of no Brainsucker.

Not got much brains anyhow.

You may as well sign me up. I'm also willing to be the cannon fodder again

Sign me up as an android sniper. (Unless thats retarded in which case go human)

My own experience with this game, having nearly completed XCom, was to send 8 guys fully kitted out to the first disturbance. Short story shorter, mobbed by headcrabs killing half the team, other half wiped out when they exhaust their ammo failing to damage some things they encountered, then eaten.

Apocalypse was the only X-Com game I managed to finish. I found it much more fun to play in real-time too, it certainly kept the headcrabs under control hehe.

Headcrab, signing up as an android. I wish to use an auto-cannon, alternating between explosive and incendiary ammunition.
Spoiler Another vote for powerful aircraft. I want our money's worth. It gets to be a hassle buying new hover-bikes constantly and ground vehicles left a bad taste in my mouth. Besides...
Spoiler

Spoiler I vote for DEFENSE IN DEPTH, mainly because I wanna see how it works in this modded setup for a change of pace.

'And we shall call it...This Land!
I think that we shall call it Your Grave!'

Actually, that's a good point, WH. We've all seen/played/heard of both of the other styles, and besides, what's a little collateral damage to X-COM, past masters of the "Cover? What cover? You mean that crater?" style of warfare? Plus, it will get more people out of the slums and in to productive work environments, where they get to (legally) blow shit up and be rewarded for it!

Consider this one vote changed to Defence in Depth.

Signing on as a Human whatever, I'll show those robots/aliens/hyprids humanity is still the most kick arse race in the galaxy.

I too vote for Defence in Depth, if only for the hilarity that will come from teh pblic training films of what to do when the X-com tanks rumble around.

Androids, everybody needs good androids!

Whatever role you need, and another vote for defense in depth.

Reminds me of a Battletech game once..we were stomping along the main drag of a city when two arking garages opened up and four Alacorns rolled out. I subsequently glared at the GM.

Cpl Kendall stands ready to defend our great city!

I'd go with machine gun and android if at all possible.

Sign me up as a human grunt with some sort of sniper rifle.

And I'll also vote for BLOW UP THE CITY AKA DEFENSE IN DEPTH.