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Author Topic: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race  (Read 87033 times)

Chiefwaffles

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1050 on: February 27, 2018, 03:48:07 am »

So, XH-3 seems perfectly serviceable. Due for another revision/fancy design in the near-ish future, but even a slightly-flawed automatic (and better single-shot!) weapon should do wonders for our troops.


Anyways.
We can, with the right token usage, field 3 Talons and 2 Skyrangers. They've split up their air forces enough so that this should be seriously viable. While I would like to see what their mission in Mexico is, they've given a golden opportunity here - their Medium Lander is completely unescorted.
For comparison, last turn we sent two XH-2-wielding NOTSOFTER to the landing site of a Medium Lander + Small Lander + Regular Fighter. They outnumbered us, and our Talons couldn't provide air support since they were somehow pre-occupied by a single fighter. Now they just have on unescorted Medium Lander.

They have less numbers this time. They have no air support, and we do (meaning our Talon could eliminate their mortar either during interception or on an air strike on the landed/crashed UFO). We have the XH-3, which should both just be a really nice general upgrade to our troops and also hopefully a soft-counter to their mortar, since our strategy no longer relies on being able to sit in one place and camp the aliens from afar.
Also, fun fact, we can reliably use the ground support missile package without worrying too much about aerial performance because our missiles suck at air now!


This is our opportunity to grab a Medium Lander.
Quote
Operation Crystal Prophet
Production/Logistics
Spend CW's Token on Talon.
Choose 1 VP for month-end bonus.
3 Talons (3+3+1=7 VP)
2 Skyrangers (1+0=1 VP)
6 Phoenix Gunpods (2 EP)
2 NOTSOFTER Squads w/ XH-3 Rifles & TAV2s (2 UP; 4 EP)

Combined Arms: Bogey 025 (India, Landing)
1 Talon w/ Ground Combat Package & 2x Phoenix
2 Skyrangers w/ 2x Phoenix
2 NOTSOFTER w/ XH-3 Rifles & TAV2s

Intercept: Bogeys 026-027 (Russia, Orbital)
1 Talon w/ 1x Phoenix

Intercept: Bogeys 028-029 (Mexico, Taking Off)
1 Talon w/ 1x Phoenix


Quote
OPERATION CRYSTAL PROPHET (1): Chiefwaffles
The Talon escorting our Skyrangers should effectively have no A2A missiles, though I didn't look at the exacts. Considering their low performance, they're just replaced with A2G missiles (the first time we'd be using the Ground Combat Package, actually!) and two Phoenixes. Phoenixes are also given to every other craft to help the other Talons with the whole "useless missiles" thing and to Skyrangers for air support ability.

Considering the Talon's effectiveness, it should be able to handle a Small Lander/Small Fighter fairly easily (especially when 026-027 are coming from orbit).

Sidenote: Ebbor, you forgot to assign the VP token from last turn to the Talon and my token isn't listed. It's all accounted for in my plan, but just letting you know.
« Last Edit: February 27, 2018, 03:49:38 am by Chiefwaffles »
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Quote from: RAM
You should really look to the wilderness for your stealth ideas, it has been doing it much longer than you have after all. Take squids for example, that ink trick works pretty well, and in water too! So you just sneak into the dam upsteam, dump several megatons of distressed squid into it, then break the dam. Boom, you suddenly have enough water-proof stealth for a whole city!

Happerry

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1051 on: February 27, 2018, 04:04:27 am »

Quote
OPERATION CRYSTAL PROPHET (2): Chiefwaffles, Happerry
Seems good enough.
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Strongpoint

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1052 on: February 27, 2018, 09:13:57 am »

I strongly believe that we should spend end of month token on U and not overinvest in VP even if it may be the best solution for this turn. Also, there are simply no reason to not send a single IAC team in Russia or Mexico for possible mopping up of result's of Talon's work if you have that free UP.

My prefered course of action would be the same plan as above but buy one less Talon, ignore Mexico and send 4 NOTSFOTERS in India
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Rockeater

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1053 on: February 27, 2018, 09:27:01 am »

Hooray humanity I will join next phase.
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Strongpoint

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1054 on: February 27, 2018, 09:36:50 am »

What stops you from voting right now?

_______
OPERATION MYTHRIL HAMMER

Production/Logistics
CW's Token spent on Talon. (I consider plan above to be a declaration of such spending)
Choose 1 UP for month-end bonus.
2 Talons (3+1=4 VP)
4 Skyrangers (3+0=3 VP)
3 Phoenix Gunpods (1 EP)
4 NOTSOFTER Squads w/ 2 XH-3 Rifles & 3 TAV2s (4 UP; 5 EP)

Combined Arms: Bogey 025 (India, Landing)
1 Talon w/ Ground Combat Package
4 Skyrangers w/ 3x Phoenix
4 NOTSOFTER w/  2 XH-3 Rifles & 3 TAV2s

Intercept: Bogeys 026-027 (Russia, Orbital)
1 Talon

They already did most of the damage in Mexico and I absolutely don't want to fight outnumbered in India. Our forces being underequiped is unpleasant and I strongly considered adding one more XH-3 but I think air support\limited self-defense of Skyranger to be more than a single set of XH-s or TAVs. BTW, we need 2U point units ASAP.

Quote
OPERATION CRYSTAL PROPHET (2): Chiefwaffles, Happerry
OPERATION MYTHRIL HAMMER (1): Strongpoint
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Rockeater

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1055 on: February 27, 2018, 10:14:55 am »

I need to read a bit on this.
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Damnit people, this is why I said to keep the truce. Because now everyone's ganging up on the cats.
Also, don't forget to contact your local Eldritch Being(s), so that they can help with our mission to destroy the universe.

Madman198237

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1056 on: February 27, 2018, 10:23:43 am »

Quote
OPERATION CRYSTAL PROPHET (3): Chiefwaffles, Happerry, Madman
OPERATION MYTHRIL HAMMER (1): Strongpoint

CP hits every target with a perfect amount of force. MH refuses to strike a target in favor of just dumping more men on our problems, which is not a really viable XCOM strategy.
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Strongpoint

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1057 on: February 27, 2018, 10:54:37 am »

I don't consider 2 units of infantry to be a perfect amount of force against one medium lander. Also, long term we need UP more than VP
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Pavellius

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1058 on: February 27, 2018, 11:56:22 am »

I don't consider 2 units of infantry to be a perfect amount of force against one medium lander. Also, long term we need UP more than VP
I agree that 2 units isn't optimal, but it's what we can give without sacrificing other things. I don't think it's worth it to focus more on the medium lander if it means we have to let a another bogey get away free.

Also, until we get more efficient troop transport, I think we need more VP than UP.

On a different topic, it is possible that the medium lander is a distraction. It has happened before hasn't it? (Then again, maybe this time it isn't, but that want us to think it is.)

Quote
OPERATION CRYSTAL PROPHET (4): Chiefwaffles, Happerry, Madman, Pavellius
OPERATION MYTHRIL HAMMER (1): Strongpoint
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Strongpoint

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1059 on: February 27, 2018, 01:34:19 pm »

Also, until we get more efficient troop transport, I think we need more VP than UP.
We have enough VP to use Skyrangers. Or we can (and should) get units that cost more than 1 UP. Note that unless we get unit token (doubtful) or design UP producing facility we are stuck with 3UP

Quote
I agree that 2 units isn't optimal, but it's what we can give without sacrificing other things. I don't think it's worth it to focus more on the medium lander if it means we have to let a another bogey get away free.
I expect something like 2xsectoid + 1xmimic + 1xdrones. It is seriously outnumbered even with air support we have. Is a chance to deny them a token over Mexico worth fighting battle that hard?

In any case, I don't think it is optimal to not use IAC team in Mexico or Russia if we are going for 2 Skyrangers. Sure, they are likely to die but this may be our first and last time we use them.
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Chiefwaffles

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1060 on: February 27, 2018, 01:40:15 pm »

We have some serious air support this time around - the Talon can focus on air support and is using our G2A missiles for the first time. Our soldiers are using the XH-3, which is a really nice advantage, and we won’t be outnumbered as much.

And I doubt it’s a distraction because we didn’t immediately pick it up as it entered the atmosphere and the computer+heuristics didn’t report anything out of the ordinary.
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Quote from: RAM
You should really look to the wilderness for your stealth ideas, it has been doing it much longer than you have after all. Take squids for example, that ink trick works pretty well, and in water too! So you just sneak into the dam upsteam, dump several megatons of distressed squid into it, then break the dam. Boom, you suddenly have enough water-proof stealth for a whole city!

Emral282

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1061 on: February 27, 2018, 09:56:18 pm »

Joining in on the side of Humanity.
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OPERATION CRYSTAL PROPHET (5): Chiefwaffles, Happerry, Madman, Pavellius, Emral282
OPERATION MYTHRIL HAMMER (1): Strongpoint
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tonnot98

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1062 on: March 01, 2018, 07:34:23 pm »

My one qualm with the plan is that two of our planes are fighting 1v2 against an apparently very effective shielding system. Regardless, this may be the best use of our resources. There soon shall be an end to the xeno scum that infest our skies, should we succeed, and especially so if we recover a power core from their ship.
Quote
OPERATION CRYSTAL PROPHET (6): Chiefwaffles, Happerry, Madman, Pavellius, Emral282, tonnot98
OPERATION MYTHRIL HAMMER (1): Strongpoint
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10ebbor10

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1063 on: March 03, 2018, 08:45:00 am »

Quote
Combined Arms: Bogey 025 (India, Landing)
1 Talon w/ Ground Combat Package & 2x Phoenix
2 Skyrangers w/ 2x Phoenix
2 NOTSOFTER w/ XH-3 Rifles & TAV2s

Covered by darkness, the aliens have landed their UFO straight in the center of this small town. Drones float through the sky, hunting down the humans they haven't yet discovered. Occasionally, groups of sectoids leave their vessel, bringing back more victims to their craft.

XCOM's arrival is sudden and explosive. One moment everything is ordinary, and then two missiles burst out from the landed alien craft, darting towards the incoming Talon. Not a moment later, explosions engulf the UFO. The armored dome hiding the mortar is hit by several high velocity railgun shells, tearing through and reducing the weapon to scrap. More explosions follow as our ground to air bombs tear through the vehicle, shredding the hull and the outer sections.

Our own Talon however, does not come easily. The jet staggers as the two alien missiles explode around it, tearing away it's armament and armor. Two large holes have been punched straight through it's thick armor, with high energy plasma having melted several important parts of the grav wave engine and impinged on the reactor containment. Struggling, the vehicle turns around and heads back towards the nearest safe airfield.

The enemy missiles have been spent however, and our Skyrangers have a far easier job of mopping up the remainders. The TAV is a usefull asset in night missions like this, though it remains a bit of a hazard. Our opposition, primarily sectoids, continue to show remarkable awareness of our location, but their inferior weaponry and non-existent armor suffers greatly against our new Railrifles. At high power, the weapon can easily punch through large structures, while in rapid fire mode it supress or kill larger groups.

Without support from their UFO, and with Skyrangers raining down death from above, it's not long before we have secured victory.

Unfortunately, it's a victory that has come at serious cost. During the initial bombardement, only of our missiles set the UFO's storage areas aflame. By the time the blaze could be extinguished, almost all of the alien's captives had expired from fire or smoke.


 Mission Success : Alien alloy, alien equipment

Quote
Intercept: Bogeys 026-027 (Russia, Orbital)
1 Talon w/ 1x Phoenix

Two UFO's descend from orbit, the heat of reentry blinding their sensors for but a moment as they drop down towards the Earth. They find a Talon waiting for them, armed to the teeth with missiles and railguns. The initial barrage strikes the small fighter, shattering's it's hull with railgun projectiles.

The small scout lasts but a moment longer, it's missile defenses soon overwhelmed by a deadly barrage.

Mission success

Quote
Intercept: Bogeys 028-029 (Mexico, Taking Off)
1 Talon w/ 1x Phoenix

Our Talon managed to intercept the enemy UFO's just as they planned to leave for orbit. The exchange was brief but brutal. The Talon tore apart their escorting light fighter, but not before the craft could launch it's twin missiles. Despite the severe damage sustained in that exchange, the pilot chose to continue pursuit, but failed to destroy the UFO before he was forced to return to base by damaged reactor system.

Partial Success


Spoiler: Technology (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: PANIC METER (click to show/hide)

Revision Phase

Turn 8

Month end : Gain 1 free VP; UP or EP point

AABBCCDD
[/quote]
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Chiefwaffles

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Re: Vigilo Confido : XCOM Arms Race
« Reply #1064 on: March 03, 2018, 05:21:43 pm »

The storage compartment bit is annoying but ALIEN ALLOYS BAYBEEEE

I may post another design later. I think we should either do this or upgrade the Talon. The Talon works wonders right now, but we are dangerously close to being outclassed if they upgrade their missiles. If we don't design something that helps at air this turn, then we should at least use our revision to fix Rockbreaker missiles.
Also two other things to consider are Investigation and Alien Capture. It wouldn't be the worst idea to do one of those two things instead for our design (while focusing air for revision). How would we handle a capture design, actually? I feel like an Arc Thrower is a bit too much for a revision and a bit too little for a design.

Design: Hunter Armor
2 Alien Equipment Tokens, 1 Alien Alloy Token
Hunter Armor is a set of personal armor taking full advantage of the nature of alien alloys. Namely, the fact that alien alloys are really light while being really strong and can somehow absorb blunt forces.

First element is, well, the alloy armor. Armor covers pretty much all of the body; though we want to preserve mobility (even with the lightness of alloy, if you put enough on a person eventually they start getting encumbered) and expense. Regardless, survivability should be up insane levels thanks to the super-miracle material that is alien alloys. We use a Alloy Token to help with the proper integration of alloy into proper personal armor here, which should hopefully free up some time and effort for other parts of Hunter armor.
A helmet incorporates an improved version of the TAV2. Namely "not prone to breakage if someone makes a mean joke about it in its proximity"-improved. The sensors are integrated into the suit and the helmet visor incorporates the HUD, which can be turned on and off at will. This should allow our operatives to always benefit from the TAV2 without suffering from its bulky and fragile nature. Some learning of how aliens make small yet effective devices from alien equipment should help a lot in fitting a TAV into the armor without bugs or increased cost.

A simple system in the back, near the spine, monitors vital signs and distributes various medicines when needed. It's not a huge deal since we don't have medkits yet are just using standard non-bleeding-edge drugs - painkillers, stimulants, anesthetics, etc. - in low quantities, but it should at least be a notable aid. Enough to keep a soldier from death for a couple hours or to keep someone fighting for a few more minutes. That kind of thing. The vital sign monitoring system is also networked with the integrated TAV, meaning the status of Hunter armor-wearing soldiers is visible to all other agents so they may react appropriately and just be better aware of injuries.


Moving past all the hybrid alien groundbreaking technology advancing human knowledge and our view of reality as we know it, we approach the most important feature:
A grappling hook.

It turns out that when your armor is sufficiently light and when you can reinforce the cable with alien alloys, you can create an extremely effective grappling hook. In order to ensure the viability of the grappling hook, we're using some alien equipment parts to more properly integrate the systems, from just getting an idea of how to properly build the grappling hook, to integrating an elerium power supply in order to ensure it has enough power to actually take advantage of the alloy-reinforced cable. The grappling hook will be mounted on the wrist. It shouldn't matter how much horizontal or vertical distance or if there's a wall to support you - if the cable can reach it, it should zip the soldier over there ((read: we're aiming for the same ability as XCOM1 and XCOM2 grappling hooks)).
Imagine. Our soldiers zipping across the sites, confusing aliens, using the integrated TAV to get the advantage on them and always be aware. Never being in one place. Their armor keeping them alive.



Quote
DESIGN
Hunter Armor (1): Chiefwaffles
Also at some point we should probably deal with their battlefield awareness thing (which is 100% psionics).

EDIT: Ebbor, can we use multiple tokens of the same type in one action? Like 2 Equipment tokens.
« Last Edit: March 04, 2018, 06:08:53 pm by Chiefwaffles »
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Quote from: RAM
You should really look to the wilderness for your stealth ideas, it has been doing it much longer than you have after all. Take squids for example, that ink trick works pretty well, and in water too! So you just sneak into the dam upsteam, dump several megatons of distressed squid into it, then break the dam. Boom, you suddenly have enough water-proof stealth for a whole city!
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