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[Krevsin]

I'm not really bothered by the fail ending being canon in XCOM 2. Hell, you see that all the time in sequels to games with choose-your-own-ending things.

[GobbieMarauder]

That raises the question of why XCOM made a giant airship capable of functioning as a mobile base, yet didn't save a back-up of all their research onto it in the event that they'd actually need to use it.

The XCOM series is, after all, about waging a seemingly hopeless war against an enemy that outnumbers you and overpowers you. You'd lose a lot of that if this was just a second wave and you were starting over due to shenanigans that would put Samus Aran to shame. To me, an AU "what if you lost?" scenario is vastly more interesting than the game backhanding me into square one and demanding I do it again for arbitrarily contrived reasons. I'd rather canon be sacrificed at the altar of narrative than vice versa.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Besides, it means the backstory of XCOM 2 is nearly 1:1 identical with the backstory of Delta Green, so this is my best shot at one last night at the opera in video game form.

[Sean Mirrsen]

That raises the question of why XCOM made a giant airship capable of functioning as a mobile base, yet didn't save a back-up of all their research onto it in the event that they'd actually need to use it.

They didn't "make" it, they stole it. Presumably the game begins with, or shortly after, its acquisition, since you'll be building rooms and facilities into the thing as you go.

[Rolan7]

According to the IGN article XCOM lost the first game really quickly.  There wasn't much research to save, even lasers probably:

Earth is enemy territory, and in this reality XCOM never acquired the advanced weapons and armor technology that allowed us to go head-to-head with powerful aliens.

[Zangi]

Acquiring the mobile base may actually be the first mission.  You can't fail it, even if you lose everyone.  Probably.

[Chiefwaffles]

even if you lose everyone.

"We did it! We finally captured the alien ship!"
"Hello?"
"Guys?"
"..guys?"

[Sonlirain]

I've never seen it, and I've done a dozen full runs.

The guard thing in Long war only.

[Silent_Thunder]

Acquiring the mobile base may actually be the first mission.  You can't fail it, even if you lose everyone.  Probably.

Nah you could fail it if that is what they would do for the first mission. Just like how in Xcom 1 if you failed the first mission (if you chose to skip the scripted tutorial) the council of nations IMMEDIATLY cancels the Xcom project because it's clear you and your men are a bunch of nitwits.

And then the mission restarts.

[puke]

The frustrating thing is, that they could totally salvage the entire plot with just a little rewriting.  They could keep the game exactly as they are making it, just change some of the narration and backstory.

Lost the war?  Sure.  You took out the alien boss ship, and then they stopped screwing around and came down in force.  Or they took the leash off the chrysalids, or whatever.

Tech setback?  Sure.  20 years ago you had plasma guns, but now they are not maintained and mostly broken down.  You cant refuel the power cells.  Your MEC trooper is 50 years old and his suit doesnt work, so he is in a wheelchair now.  But you can still steal and salvage and re-learn some tech if you make raids...

Cargo ship base?  Sure.  How many captured ships in various states of landed / shot down did xcom have?  Dozens, if not more.  Probably sold them to most major governments to reverse engineer and turn into military technology, the world should be rotten with them.

They would not have to make *any* gameplay changes, and could probably even keep whatever cinimatics they already have.

I dont know how they'd salvage the snakeboobs and snakepelvis though.  Oh wait, I've got it!  Those are the Thinmen, right?  they're able to alter their appearance into agent smiths to infiltrate and blend in, maybe they decided they needed to look somehow... i dont know, sympathetic?   to the humans they were occupying?  And one of the snakemen in the snakecommittee is like, "ive got it guys!  they wont have such kneejerk hind brain reactions to our obvious predatory appearance if we have BOOBS and PELVISES" and then alien Bob says "but wont it be awfully hard to use our natural locomotive systems if we grow pelvises?" and they say "SHUTUP AND GROW YOUR PELVIS ALIEN BOB, NO ONE LIKES YOUR IDEAS".

[Metalax]

I think I've figured out the point of divergence for this AU. In this time-line Bradford stayed in tactical control of the teams and his love of dashing caused too many fatalities and lost missions.

[Sheb]

What's this thing with Bradford and dashing?

[Sonlirain]

Snakeboob

I'll just assume those are genemoded humans nicely brainwashed and crossed with a snake... for some alien reason.
They are new and there are 3 possible explanations for them.
1 - Alien species not used in the forst assault (why not?).
2 - Humans after some invasive gene therapy (Humans DO go missing)
3 - Thinmen before they were twisted into humanoid infiltration form (again makes no sense why didn't they exist back in the first game. They didn't they use magic gene therapy on all snakemen and then magically unthinman them all back into snakepeople when infiltration was no longer a concern?)

2 and 3 seem to be the most likely but hell if i know.
2 explains the boobs at lest tho.

What's this thing with Bradford and dashing?

In the (scripted) tutorial mission you are forced to play like a total idiot non stop dashing and not doing anything a sane player would do. And that's all orders coming from Bradford.

[puke]

3 - Thinmen before they were twisted into humanoid infiltration form (again makes no sense why didn't they exist back in the first game. They didn't use magic gene therapy on all snakemen and then magically unthinman them back into snakepeople.

This is what IGN is reporting, and they are the official "news" source.

[Metalax]

What's this thing with Bradford and dashing?

A quote by Kagus back when EU was new, that I have saved in my quote file.

Bradbert:"Gentlemen, we're heading into a very dangerous mission with lots of unknown factors.  I want you to exercise extreme caution at all times."

Moi:"Roger that, command"

Bradbert:"Now, use up all your movement by dashing madly ahead with everybody, and make sure to cluster around explosive objects with lots of flanks"

Yours Truly:"...Uh, sir, I think-"

Bradbert:"DASH!  DASH!  I MUST SEE THE DASHING, I LOVE DASHING!  SO HAPPY AND FREE!"

Still Me:"Fine, yes sir, right away."

Brad:"Now, I want you to jump through that window into the unexplored dark building with no support, and make sure to dash while you're at it so you can't fire any shots."

XCOM Commander:"Sir?  Shouldn't we-"

Rad Brad:"JUMP THROUGH THE WINDOW.  I MUST SEE IT SHATTER, I LOVE IT WHEN IT SHATTERS!"

Yo Supremo:"Yes sir."

Bradminton:"Okay, see that obviously unstable man with the shotgun and grenade?  Send someone right in front of him to talk things over."

Kagus-with-a-fancy-hat:"What?  Sir, that's just stupid.  We haven't cleared the building, we have no idea what's going on here, and that man is clearly not in his right mind.  We should-"

A Brad Enough Dude:"THAT BOMB LOOKS INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS, YOU MUST SECURE IT AT ALL COSTS."

Me:"Fuck you, sir."

Kagus - bay12

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I am 99% sure that all changes in the aliens are the direct result of them having human hybridization, a reversal of the gene modding system and Apoc hybrids. The Ethereals came to Earth in order to absorb humanity's positive traits for themselves, so this makes sense.

Reddit is speculating on the opening quote, and I've been trawling Wikiquote myself.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Revenge is the sweetest morsel to the mouth, that ever was cooked in hell." -Walter Scott

"The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked." -Psalm 58:11.

"The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it." -Molière

"There are no great people in this world, only great challenges which ordinary people rise to meet." -William Frederick Halsey, Jr.

(Ironman Impossible Only) "I attempt a difficult work; but there is no excellence without difficulty." -Ovid

"Pain is temporary, glory is forever." -Anonymous

"Once a man has tasted freedom he will never be content to be a slave." -Walt Disney

"Freedom is the alone unoriginated birthright of man, and belongs to him by force of his humanity." -Immanuel Kant

"The star dies, but the light never dies; such also is the cry of freedom." -Nikos Kazantzakis

"A man without hope is a man without fear." -Frank Miller

"Better to die on your feet than live on your knees." -Emiliano Zapata