((Unfortunately, it seems we can't rename people. I'll look into modding it.))
Research has started on Firearms, to be followed up with preliminary drone research.
Note the lies. Their "preliminary research" always shows that the task is very easy, and that the results will be ready soon.
The difficulty indicators on the techs change based on the team's skill and training.
Work was started on some knives to fully outfit the team, and some explosives.
I had to make some choices here on who to send out on the scientific and technical rovers. Every unclaimed soldier/technician other than Pauline was sent out, since she has the best aim, and so only she remains available for claiming.
The scientific rover will be returning to base soon, and everybody inside is still claimable - Technicians have the driving skill, which speeds up rovers. Oddly, only the commander and base steward are scientist/technicians. In order to get the critical speed boost on the scientific rover, one of them needs to spend most of their time out of the base. I sent the base commander to the workshop to get the skills needed to train driving.
Also pictured: The guy in charge of organizing the base storage being sent away for most of the game.
I sent the scientific rover out to claim territory, starting in the south. Hopefully the commander will have finished learning how to drive by the time it gets done.
Here's the preliminary soldier squad. I am temporarily putting both technicians in the squad, since the early missions aren't a threat and we'll need that XP.
Discovering new lands south of us triggers the following:
Reticulan psy-speak always sounds like buzzing. Not English with a buzzing filter, just buzzing.
The commander, Mr. Balding Grey-hair, is once again speaking gibberish: Our only enemies during the first war were these Reticulans and mutant animals. The drones certainly aren't a threat at this point. It's possible to encounter other Mars enemies before them, but unlikely, as the lands between the starting position have pretty nice mines.
Here's their alliance offer. I accepted the generous offer of free explosives.
From now on, we may make a generic offer or request for equipment, resources, or land. I've never seen land work. Trading away resources is a terrible idea, since the only way to get those back is to break the alliance. Equipment trades tend to be a few guns and some ammo for something similar. It's decent for keeping one or two people armed with their gear, but making the guns gets expensive.
After the knives are made, I begin clearing the two nearby robot sites. Everyone had a spare gun, just in case, which went unused.
One mission down. Knifeswarm tactics, ho!
They really didn't like Benant.
Total loot: four crawling drone wrecks. It would have been six, but the UFO was weighed down too much to carry the other two. These drones are very heavy.
RAM/Ute gained no levels. Takudez (who might never even see another mission) and Sonlirain/Benat each gained two. Everyone else gained one. If their owners don't choose level-ups, I'll be putting points into willpower.
Shortly after the battles, we gained a pair of Reticulans. Tabatch't'kvlam is a pure soldier.
Oghla'k'nkmant is a soldier/scientist. Being a telepath, it can initially train two unique scientist traits. (Mind probe helps with interrogation research)
Both Reticulans have less HP (I think it's effectively -2 levels of constitution). Much like how humans can hear, Reticulans have a psychic sense, which can work through walls (And DOES allow targeting, if we want to try long-ranged bombardment). They can use special telekinetic weapons, which we don't have, but which can hit through walls. Reticulan medics get a ranged medical device with unlimited ammo.
We can research something new now!
Firearms have been researched. Just as soon as the technicians build a metal mine, we'll be able to build rifles, pistols, and robot rifles. Oddly, the ammo is different.
We can now study the Reticulan database, disassemble a crawling drone, or figure out how to reestablish communications with Earth. They might have more tech for us, because we obviously don't have enough options yet.
Decisions:
Research. We have a lot to study. We have guns, and have started down the path to drones. Medicine, military training, preliminary suit research, and Earth communications are pretty easy and the former three are pretty useful. If Earth can send us physical help, we'll want to ask when the planets are aligned properly. (I'm fairly confident we have a time limit there, but don't remember what it is. We don't need to drop everything to race for it, but can't really save it for last.)
Reticulan Technologies might be difficult, but we might be able to use the database they freely handed us to manufacture a convoluted casus belli, which would be useful sooner rather than later.
Finally, do we plan to keep our alliance with the Reticulans? There will be an opportunity to get more than two recruits later if we don't. Our Reticulan soldiers will require decent effort on figuring out how to trade for their specialized gear if we keep them. We
could delay the decision, but I don't want to actively use extra-vulnerable XP-sinks we plan to get rid of, and things are generally easier if we engage in backstabbery.
Also, they did kinda help with shipping some ten thousand people to Mars, with building our base, and by giving us some free rockets.
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Topic: Let's Play UFO Afterlight: Recruiting (Read 9758 times)