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[Kashyyk]

Luna soil is known to be a quarter aluminium weight, along with various silicates, and oxides. Whilst these aren't the sole components of Alien Alloy, having a number of the ingredients readily at hand will mean we only have to ship some of the materials across interstellar distances. This will make various vessels much cheaper to manufacture.

[TopHat]

Okay, some thoughts:
- The odds are good that this new "vision-enhancing device" is designed to be able to detect our skin crawlers (either as a primary or secondary function). If so, our thin advantage on the ground has just vanished and infiltration has got much harder.
- They still have a decisive advantage in the air, possibly having revised improvements for their aircraft railguns. I'd be willing to bet that they ditch missiles next turn and move solely to railgun craft armament, adding to this advantage. 3 VP worth of fighters on their side were able to defeat 5 VP of craft on ours. This is not a good sign.
- Ironically, our much-maligned self destruct would have worked perfectly on the Australia mission. We should probably consider using them more if we countinue to spread out our forces.

In the air I seriously doubt one or even two extra VP will make enough of a difference. The simple fact of the matter is that their fighters are, point for point, better than any of our aircraft. I think we would be better off trying one of the following:

- Design improved armour for our craft (e.g. Voidslayer's Energy Field Plating). Should increase survivablity and open up an easy revision to make armour for our ground troops. This is at the moment my personal preference for this turn.
- Design a longer-ranged air-to-air weapon for our UFOs. That or revise range/accuracy improvements for our current plasma cannon.
- Improve the light fighter or small scout to bring it's performance up to par with their interceptor. This could probably be doable as a revision, though we may want to spend a design on it to get the best results (especially if we improve the scout).
- Design cloaking. Unlikely to be very effective due to balance reasons, though.
- Focus on something else this turn instead, like ground combat or maybe a new mission.

[NUKE9.13]

- The odds are good that this new "vision-enhancing device" is designed to be able to detect our skin crawlers (either as a primary or secondary function). If so, our thin advantage on the ground has just vanished and infiltration has got much harder.

Oh, dang, you're probably right. Welp.

- Improve the light fighter or small scout to bring it's performance up to par with their interceptor. This could probably be doable as a revision, though we may want to spend a design on it to get the best results (especially if we improve the scout).

This isn't possible, we know this isn't possible. We tried to improve the light fighter before, and got a medium fighter at the same difficulty as the original with a higher cost.

- Design improved armour for our craft (e.g. Voidslayer's Energy Field Plating). Should increase survivablity and open up an easy revision to make armour for our ground troops. This is at the moment my personal preference for this turn.
- Design a longer-ranged air-to-air weapon for our UFOs. That or revise range/accuracy improvements for our current plasma cannon.

Hmm. I suppose either of these would be good.

Yeah, a new weapon would be good. One capable of shooting down Skyrangers, cos as it stands no matter how well we do in the air, unless we get lucky (like this turn in Brazil) and take off before they arrive, XCOM can just drop in the troops anyway (like this turn in Australia). Like, we have to go through two gauntlets and win twice, or no rewards. Whereas XCOM only has to win once.

[Kashyyk]

WE should design some sort of air-to-air missile, if you're wanting to improve our air game. Guns are massively inferior to a weapon that can be fired at a longer range and tracks the target. You'll note that until we got a semi-decent missile defence, most of our ships got creamed by missiles before they got a chance to shoot back. The few times they survived, they then won the ensuing brawl.

Designed as an alternate weapon to the Plasma Cannons on our vessels, the AAA Missile is a small orb, using the same gravity pulse technology used to move our ships. It is armed with a large, elirium-based explosive and uses very similar piloting and tracking technology to our unmanned fighters. Being a truly, "Smart" missile, this weapon can receive new targets if the previous is destroyed, can identify and track X-Com craft by multiple methods (visual, thermal, radar) and can skilfully predict combat manoeuvres in the same way our fighter can. As it doesn't need a oversized, primitive fuel source a single weapon mount should easily be able to carry multiple missiles internally, deploying as many as needed,.

[sprinkled chariot]

+ 1 to missiles, gotta show xcom, how missiles are really done.

[NUKE9.13]

Yeah, sure.

Alien Anti-Air Missile: (3) Kashyyk, sprinkled chariot, NUKE9.13

[SamSpeeds]

Alien Anti-Air Missile: (4) Kashyyk, sprinkled chariot, NUKE9.13, SamSpeeds

Alternate Ideas:

Magnetic Redirect Device

An internal terminal that can exert a powerful magnetic force at range against incoming projectiles. Given sufficient range, it can cause a missile to miss or a slug to strike far off target.

Point Defense Turrets

A miniscule, automated turret with a cutting edge AI targeting system that can register and accurately melt incoming projectiles with directed energy pulses, or increase the density of the Plasma Wave. Cheap enough to be equipped in numbers. Can be used in close range ship to ship combat.

[Puppyguard]

Alien Anti-Air Missile: (5) Kashyyk, sprinkled chariot, NUKE9.13, SamSpeeds, Puppyguard.

[TopHat]

r.e. light fighter revision: welp, looks like I misremembered that.

Missiles sound good, with luck they won't be expecting it and we'll get a round of air dominance. The only downside I can see is that it can't use the plasma wave.

[NUKE9.13]

I mean, there's a decent chance they decide to ditch missiles after this turn and just equip their Interceptors with nothing but railguns (in which case missiles of our own would trump them). Or design a new fighter, which could really screw us over.

[10ebbor10]

Designed as an alternate weapon to the Plasma Cannons on our vessels, the AAA Missile is a small orb, using the same gravity pulse technology used to move our ships. It is armed with a large, elirium-based explosive and uses very similar piloting and tracking technology to our unmanned fighters. Being a truly, "Smart" missile, this weapon can receive new targets if the previous is destroyed, can identify and track X-Com craft by multiple methods (visual, thermal, radar) and can skilfully predict combat manoeuvres in the same way our fighter can. As it doesn't need a oversized, primitive fuel source a single weapon mount should easily be able to carry multiple missiles internally, deploying as many as needed,.

Normal : 1 + 3 = 4 (Below Average)

Closer to a small drone than a missile, the Alien Anti Air Missile is an effective anti air weapon. Equipped with it's own gravity based drive and a full AI core and powered by a potent Elerium cell, it far exceeds the capabilities of all humanities missile weaponry. With it's advanced flight algorithms and powerful warhead, it should be capable of destroying anything human currently in the air.

Unfortunately, all this comes at a price. The missile is not exactly compact, and certainly not cheap.

AAA missile battery : A missile launcher that replaces a normal plasma cannon. Each launcher contains 2 missiles. (Cost 1 EP).

Prepare to launch Invasion :

Your Australian informant, Tamsyn, has worrying news for you. His favorite niece has been kidnapped. Worse even, the kidnappers have not asked for money, but for an alien artifact (some useless debris from the battle) that Tamsyn's research division had acquired. Tamsyn's keeping it quiet for now, but the man appears to be rather worried for his relative's life.

Tamsyn has forwarded you a video from the kidnappers. They don't appear to be XCOM, and don't appear to have any advanced weaponry. Well, none shown, anyway. They demand a handover of the goods soon, taking place in an abandoned ore processing facility.

Spoiler: Equipment (click to show/hide)

Vehicles

Small scout : One of the tiniest vessels at your disposal, the Small scout is both cheap and reliable. Powered by a single Elerium core, the vessel makes decent speed, while carrying up to 2 units to their destination. It's equipped with a plasma turret for self defense . Cost : 1 VP  | 1 Free

Light fighter : Roughly half the size of a Small Scout, the Light fighter is a small craft that can be slaved to a nearby UFO to defend it. It's armed with 3 forward firing plasma guns, giving it a decent amount of firepower. Like the small scout, it is powered by a single Elerium core that gives it decent speed. Cost : 1 VP

Medium fighter Roughly 3 quarters the size of a small scout, the medium fighter is a small automated craft capable of independent operation. It's armed with 3 forward firing plasma guns, giving it a decent amount of firepower. Powered by an enlarged Elerium reactor, it's small size gives it greatly superior speed and maneuverability. Cost : 2 VP

Medium Scout : Roughly twice the size of it's smaller cousin, the medium scout is medium sized craft powered by a single large elerium reactor. It's armed with 3 plasma turrets around of the rim of the hull, and a mortar for ground use. It's armor is no stronger than that on the light scout, but an extra layer around the core provides extra protection to critical systems/ It's powerful engines give it's decent speed while carrying 4 units.
Cost: 3 VP

Equipment

Plasma Pistols : A basic simple sidearm that has been used in many pacification operations. The plasma pistol is a dependable bit of equipment that is light but not particularly powerful.

Elerium Grenade : The elerium grenade is powerful handheld explosive. Cost : 1 EP

Meld Container : A container filled with the precious Meld, a substance that consists out of billions of cybernetic nanomachines that automatically capture, catalogue and analyse any foreign DNA they find. Greatly increases the effectiveness of recovery operations. If capture threatens, the container will perform an auto-sterilization cycle.  Cost : 1 EP

ECM equipped flight computer : A modified flight computer that can mimic a larger ship or deceive missiles.
Cost: 0 EP

Defensive Plasma Wave : A modification of our current generation plasma weaponry, that allows our vessels to engulf themselves in a bath of plasma to stop missiles at close range.
Cost :0EP

AAA missile battery : A missile launcher that replaces a normal plasma cannon. Launches advanced, intelligent and high yield Alien anti air missiles. Each launcher contains 2 missiles. (Cost 1 EP).

Elder's Scorn : A modified Elerium power core that destroy a ship when it sustains damage, or it's crew is killed/incapacitated.
Cost: 0.25  EP

Aliens
Sectoid : A formerly weak species with a limited capability for the gift. Nonetheless, their simple biology allows to easily clone these creatures and deploy them in great numbers. Integration of human DNA has brought their strength up to par with human baseline.
    - Reversable Mind Merge: Merge minds with an organic, intelligent friendly or enemy, giving or drawing upon them for strength
Cost 1 UP   ( 1 Free available)

Scout drone : A small but fast scout drone armed with powerfull short range non-lethal weaponry and powerfull sensors. Effective at hunting down humans as well as spotting threats, but lightly armored.
Cost 1 UP or 1 EP

Skin Crawler : An infiltrator unit capable of mimicking human form (more or less). Has 8 claw equipped tentacles and is capable of using most handheld technologies.
Cost 2 UP (+1 UP if infiltrated [Infiltrated units require no transportation, but can not use equipment]) [3 UP worth free] 

Mission Profiles

Harvest: A simple mission profile that involves a UFO landed in a secluded area to capture humans other lifeforms for analysis in the main base.

Recruit Collaborators : A more complex mission profile that relies on the insertion of infiltrating units to make contact and recruit potential collaborators.

Alien Resources

4+1 VP
6 UP
2 EP

2 DNA token

Dark side of the Moon base [Hidden, Industrious]

Spoiler: PANIC METER (click to show/hide)

Africa
---> Egypt
---> South Africa
---> Nigeria

Asia
--->Australia  Light infiltration
--->China
--->India
--->Japan

Europe
--->France
--->Germany
--->Russia
--->United Kingdom

North America
--->Canada
--->Mexico
--->United States

South America
--->Argentina
--->Brazil   X

Invasion

Turn 7

Challenges : The Ethereals have decided to catalogue our enemies equipment. The side which manages to make the best description/analysis of a piece of enemy equipment may win a price.

AABBCCDD

[NUKE9.13]

Man. Forget about XCOM, EXALT (or whatever this relic-hunting faction is called) is clearly the real threat here. So far they've popped up in Japan, Egypt, Brazil, and Australia- either we've just gotten supremely unlucky, or their reach is global.
Anyway. What now? If we want to help out our Australian contact, I'd suggest we Recruit Collaborators there again, on the basis that further infiltration of the country might reveal or give hints as to the location of EXALT's Australian assets, which we can then next turn attack using a designed Assault Facility mission type. Unless someone else has a better idea?
Bearing in mind that we are probably going to get slaughtered on the ground no matter what we do, as we likely don't have enough missiles (4 at most) to shoot down all their Interceptors and still have some left over for their Skyrangers, unless they have a 100% kill rate.

[10ebbor10]

The help collaborator thing is just the equivalent of a council mission from XCOM. You don't need to design more stuff for it, just throw a few assets at it.

Edit: Though to be fair, the mission is a bit too vague. I'll add a bit more info.

unless they have a 100% kill rate.

A single hit of your AAA can destroy a Small Scout.

[Kashyyk]

Well, our missiles should be very effective by the sounds of it. Shame they cost so much. If be happy to trade a pair of scout drone squads for them though.

It's unfortunate that schrodinger's revision means we can't reduce their cost before using them on a mission.

[BBBence1111]

Has anyone made a list yet or do I need to go through the posts and catalogue everything they've ever shown? (Do note that if I have to it's going to be a slow project doe to lack of mobile internet )