AAAv2.2: Although our previous attempt at miniaturisation failed, it did succeed in completing most of the legwork. By reconciling the new drive and reduced AI, and redesigning the priming system, we should relatively easily be able to meet our initial design goals.
Easy : 3+4+1 (Unexpected Boon)
The first iterations of the AAA were primitive, flawed. They were failed experiments, especially compared to the new finished product. The latest iteration of the AAA has an AI core that has been redesigned from the ground up to support it's modified drive system. This not only allowed us to cut the cost and size of the projectile, but also to include a potent new feature. By modifying the reactor parameters, the AAA missile can detonate in a spectacular airburst. Ineffective against any armored vehicles or structures, but decently effective against unarmored civilian structures.
The priming system has also been completely redone. The bulky priming system in the missile tube has been replaced with a tiny modified fusion cell integrated in the missile itself, which overloads itself to power up the missile's main reactor/warhead.
In the end, cost of the missile has been maintained at 1 EP, but we managed to double the amount of missiles to 4. We also included a new airburst capability.
Mission 1:
Craft: Large Scout (3 VP), Medium Fighter (2 VP)
Units: Skin Crawlers (free), Sectoids (free), Mutons (2 UP), Mutons (2 UP)
Equipment: AAA Missile x 2 (Large Scout x1, Medium Fighter x1), Plasma Rifle (Mutons 1) (free)
Destination: Canada
Mission Type: Harvest + Investigate Signal
Explosions thunder through the sky, and debris rains down upon the small Canadian town. The Medium fighter plunges into an apartment complex, which crumbles and buries it under the debris. The large UFO spirals out of control, tearing the roofs of several houses before skidding into the local park. It's outer hull has been torn to shreds by missile launches, the core and navigation controls penetrated by several railgun shots.
XCOM's jet fighters do not fare much better. Though they manage to dodge the missiles on their initial approach, they could not escape their relentless pursuit. Both fighters crash on the outer Rim of the city, each hit by three AAA missiles. The two remaining missiles have taken out two of XCOM's Skyrangers, leaving the third alone in the sky. With whining turbines, it dropped it's team of on a nearby building, before disappearing again.
With a secure high ground, XCOM opened fire into the crashed UFO. Railgun shots darted through the scattered debris, only occasionally answered by plasma rifle fire. Sectoids and Skin crawlers, wounded by the crash, were killed before they had a chance to get into cover. The mutons, far faster on their feet, escaped mostly unharmed, but even they suffered some casualties.
Reorganizing quickly, the combat bred creatures soon started pushing forward, overwhelming the enemy with plasma rifle fire. Under the withering barrage, the XCOM soldiers were overwhelmed quickly, and killed before XCOM managed to bring forward the rest of their forces. Peculiarly , some of them were armoured in alloy, strong to resist a blaster bolt. Using build-in grapples, they managed to rapidly relocate out of our Mutons path. With pistols ineffective, and even our rifles significantly weakened, the remaining mutons were slowly whittled down. Even so, the managed to eradicate a significant chunk of XCOM's force.
Tactical insights : Current missile weaponry can destroy enemy jet fighters, but not before they have terminal damage upon our vessels. Their large missile loadouts can rapidly inflict significant damage to UFO's structure even despite the plasma shielding, and their railguns easily inflict lethal damage.
Significant casualties were taking in crash landing, current landing ships are relatively unprotected.
A small number of enemies forces have been noted to wear some sort of power armor suits. They sport alloy armor, what appears to be a grappling hook and potentially other systems. Our plasma pistols are mostly ineffective against, though the rifle still works.
Mission FailedMission 2:
Craft: Small Scout (free), Light Fighter (1 VP)
Units: Skin Crawlers (1 UP), Sectoids (1 UP)
Equipment: AAA Missile (Light Fighter) (1 EP), Plasma Rifle (Sectoids) (1 EP)
Destination: Australia
Mission Type: Recruit Collaborators
The mission is executed without hitch. There's no XCOM response, not even the slightest hint that they knew we where there.
Results are promising. We made contact with several promising targets, and managed to set up several more collaborator networks. For safety sake, we've isolated them from the existing network. If one of them is compromised, the others will remain untouched.
With groundwork laid, the infiltration can move to an active phase. Covert support for our operation in this area is now a possibility.
Mission Success: Infiltration level increased
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.
Plasma Rifle : An effective weapon that can project jets of plasma over significant ranges with great effect. Comes with modular attachment points. Cost: 1 EP [1 Free]
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 an advanced single direction AI-controlled anti-grav missile. Each launcher contains 4 missiles, which can fire in either Armor Piercing or Airburst mode. (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]
Muton : A mainline combat unit, with tremendous endurance and imprinted knowledge of combat. Physically powerfull, agressive and as subtle as a medium-sized rock. Can survive on Earth for prolonged periods. Cost: 2 UP
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
5+1 VP
6 UP
4 EP
2 DNA token, 1 Exalt Token, Psionic Prisoner Token
Dark side of the Moon base [Hidden, Industrious]
Asteroid Belt Base
- Asteroid mining systems (+1 EP, + 1 VP)
- Weak defenses (Max 2 units in garrison)
Africa
---> Egypt
---> South Africa
---> Nigeria
Asia
--->Australia Medium infiltration
--->China
--->India
--->Japan
Europe
--->France
--->Germany
--->Russia
--->United Kingdom
North America
--->Canada
--->Mexico Light infiltration
--->United States
South America
--->Argentina
--->Brazil X
Author
Topic: Ethereals : XCOM Arms Race (Read 65895 times)