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[NUKE9.13]

Working on more future designs cos I'm bored.

Nanofabricator Wing: Our lunar base struggles to meet the needs of our growing invasion. It is high time we expanded it. A whole new wing, half the size of the original base, will be constructed. Alongside warehouses and conventional factories, we shall install in this new wing numerous Nanofabricators, vats of nanobots that can be programmed to construct whatever it is we desire. The primary goal is to substantially increase equipment production, with the potential for vehicle components to be created this way as well.

A revision to the Harvest mission:

Resource Harvesting: As our efforts ramp up, it becomes necessary to acquire ever more resources. Some of which are easiest to acquire from Earth itself. We shall travel to sites where the resources we require may be found- be that mines, factories, warehouses, or whathaveyou- pacify any nearby Earthlings, and start harvesting. This mission works best with high-capacity craft that can carry large quantities of supplies, and strong units that can easily handle the movement of heavy materials.
If XCOM shows up, they are to be eliminated or driven off.

Why stick to one excellent videogame, when you can pull in ideas from other excellent videogames? This is a mission design which should hopefully earn us Psitanium tokens, to aid in Psionics research. And cause no small amount of Panic on the side.

Psitanium Harvest: We have made an astonishing discovery on Earth. The mineral Psitanium (a purple, crystalline substance), vanishingly rare elsewhere in the galaxy, exists in relative abundance here! This miraculous substance can be refined into an extremely psychoreactive metal, known as Psyalloy, which can be used to enhance Psionic abilities. And the Earthlings have no idea! They consider the stuff- which they call something else [suggest a name?]- to be worthless, useful only for decorative purposes. It is absolutely imperative that we harvest as much as possible, whilst not letting the Earthlings discover the (metaphorical) gold mine they are sitting on. Therefore, this mission involves a degree of subterfuge.
On the surface, this mission appears to be one of pure destruction, as we run rampant through the area- infiltrators setting off explosive charges, terror units engaging in displays of wanton violence, regular troops gunning down anyone in their sights and smashing buildings. In reality, all this is a cover for our true purpose: the acquisition of Psitanium. As the majority of our forces are causing chaos, a select few are tasked with breaking into jewelry stores, warehouses, or other locations containing significant quantities of the precious substance, and gathering as much as they can. Other troops are encouraged to steal things as well, to further disguise our mission's purpose.
Once we have purloined all the Psitanium in the area, we can leave. Should XCOM interfere, we are to continue the facade of chaos as we fight them off. Should defeat seem inevitable, the collected Psitanium should be destroyed, rather than letting XCOM get a clue as to our intentions.
The collected Psitanium can be refined back at base to unleash its potential. Small amounts go a long way- we are used to working with microscopic quantities; even a single kilo of the mineral can be used to produce dozens of kilos of Psyalloy.

Once we have obtained Psitanium, we can do stuff like this simple revision:

Psyalloy Amulet: This is a very simple device- basically just a lump of Psyalloy on a cord, that can be worn around the neck of humanoid species, or attached to some other bodypart of non-humanoids. Simple it may be, but its presence enhances the wearer's psi-abilities considerably, giving them the equivalent of two Sectoids-worth of extra Psionic power.

Or this weapon design:

Psi-Rifle: The Psyalloy barrel of this weapon is constructed such as to greatly amplify the user's Psionic power with regards to the technique known as "Psi-Blast". Even unaugmented Sectoids can wield this weapon to great effect, firing deadly bolts of foe-seeking Psionic energy that can fry the brains of the unprepared, instantly killing weak-willed individuals, and dealing serious hurt unto others- in a manner that cannot be stopped by armour or cover, as Psi-energy passes effortlessly through both.

Or any number of other things. Ebbor, would this (Psitanium) be acceptable as a concept?

[sprinkled chariot]

And psychoactive conduits are outside of our grasp before we swag with golden chains ?

[NUKE9.13]

And psychoactive conduits are outside of our grasp before we swag with golden chains ?

A) I didn't mean gold- humans think gold has value, I'm imaging Psitanium as some semi-precious stone-, though I understand the confusion, what with me saying "gold mine". I've changed that to "(metaphorical) gold mine"
B) No, we should be able to design Psionic circuitry without this mission type, just like we can perform genetic modification without DNA tokens. I'm proposing a way of getting easier/better results.

[Thanatos Russ]

I am neutral and won't give spoilers.

Nuke, isn't it clear that both are really important but ground combat is the only time the humans can alien resources? the aerial combat is to see if you get shot down and/or land unopposed - basically reducing how many places the humans need to defend with their troops.

Presumably the aerial combat becomes more important if both sides end up putting more designs and revisions into it, since more resources spent in the air is less resources spent on the ground.

[NUKE9.13]

Yes, obviously both are important. I'm not saying aerial combat is irrelevant.
What I'm saying is that the sentiment 'aerial combat is all that matters' is definitively untrue.

[Thanatos Russ]

Absolutely

[Tyrant Leviathan]

I feel next turns we need to overhaul ground as that is how we get resources. We do need air power to get it back to base. But need minions to get their hands dirty.

In future the Xenouat Bomb city option sounds really good though. Also maybe make a orbiting drone platform to monitor air control and locate the human base. But need big ship with huge crew for that.

[Failbird105]

I feel next turns we need to overhaul ground as that is how we get resources. We do need air power to get it back to base. But need minions to get their hands dirty.

So what kind of thing are you suggesting, new units? If so I feel my giant dual wielding stealth octopus would be a good idea for that.

[Tyrant Leviathan]

Hell to the yes there.

[~Neri]

Earth name suggestion for psitanium: Quartz

Violet Quartz fits all the listed criteria. Purple, generates electricity for no immediately apparent reason, is really abundant in geologically active celestial objects with earth’s mineral content/atmosphere.

[sprinkled chariot]

Just one failure with psitanium and all xcom soldier's are 360 no scope psionics.
Also, we can probably try to find It at moon.

[Culise]

Earth name suggestion for psitanium: Quartz

Violet Quartz fits all the listed criteria. Purple, generates electricity for no immediately apparent reason, is really abundant in geologically active celestial objects with earth’s mineral content/atmosphere.

Yes, but do you really want to validate pseudoscientific/crystal healing principles that argue amethyst is ideal for stimulating the third eye, increasing intelligence, and empowering imagination and perception?  It's also said to protect against psychic attack, so there's that as well.
^{Also great for healing and, in Roman literature, preventing drunkenness. For being a rather pretty piece of trigonal silica, it seems to do quite a bit.}

[10ebbor10]

Or any number of other things. Ebbor, would this (Psitanium) be acceptable as a concept?

I'm not certain it's fair to let you introduce "out-of-setting" stuff just like that. So, probably not.

[NUKE9.13]

Hmm. Fair enough. Oh well.

[10ebbor10]

Revision

Electric Countermeasure (ECM): The enemy utilize outdated guided missiles to destroy our craft, while effective before they will soon realize it has no application and doesn't even work the way they intended. The ECM we as the aliens utilize more of the defensive mind that involves advance means of blip enhancement and missile terminal homers to make sure that their missiles can't get a lock-on our crafts, making them nearly totally useless in the sky. They could always try dumb-firing their missiles in the sky, but how effective would that be? The ECM is meant to be placed in the Navigation system of a UFO that can be activated on any moment, temporarily utilizing some power to make sure that the ECM is active. As noted its is quite effective at creating a "jamming" signal against enemy missiles which means that they can't lock on or be guided to our craft It can also be utilized by our own artificial drone crafts and they activate the ECM at their own discretion.
ECM measures are much optional, and as it is intended to be incorporated into the Navigation system of a UFO, it can be applied to all crafts.

Normal : 2 + 1  (Buggy Mess)

Creating a universal solution to fool the enemies missile technology turns out to be somewhat harder than initially expected. In isolation, the system works perfectly. Signal enhancers can make any ship appear far larger and more threatening than others, while the jammer should prevent the missiles from attaining a lock. Unfortunately, the created energy signature plays hell with the various navigation computers, rendering them completely unusable. With jammers active, UFO's can only be controlled manually, which restricts maneuvers to straight lines at subsonic velocity.

Battle

Mission Type: Harvest
Craft(s): 2 Small Scout , 1 Medium fighter (4VP)
Unit loadout: 2 Sectoid (2xPlasma Pistols, 1xMeld container, 1xElerium Grenade) (2UP, 2EP)
2 Scout Drone (2UP)
Destination: Brazil

As the three UFO's dropped to the Earth, Senses-the-gift left it's mind to wander. Gently, it tapped into the mindstreams of it's batch mates, letting it's gift take it on a journey through the minds of the other sectoids on board. A tranquil unity enveloped it as it lets it's mind be subsumed into the stream, with just a tiny hint of anticipation and fear deep in the background. Sharply delineated among the background where the minds of the Reveres-the-elders and Punishes-the-heathens, focused intently on operating Light Ufo. Other minds were present through, checking weaponry, minding the Essence and, well in the distance, controlling the other UFO. And through, among, and above it all was an all encompassing presence, for the Elders were with them, now more than ever.

Suddenly, Senses-the-gift, felt something reach for it's mind and a moment of confusion later it was looking through Punishes-the-Heathens eyes. On the display four strange ships had appeared, climbing towards the ships. And so, without complain or question, it let go of Mindstream and subsumed it self into the Merge.

The Medium Fighter is the first to react, breaking of from the group as it accelerates to it's maximum velocity. The other two UFO's react but a fraction of a second later, turning their vessels and disappearing into the clouds. Three Ravens oppose them, the fast and nimble XCOM interceptors each armed with 12 deadly Avalanche missiles.

The Ravens have been caught badly out of position, still climbing while the Medium fighter is already diving towards them. Surprised by the Fighter's greater speed and mobility, they do not have the time to fire even a single missile before the viridescent green bolts are already flying among them. The medium fighter bursts straight through the formation, having smashed one fighter straight into debris.

Senses-the-gift experiences a moment of elation as it's sees the fighter fall, before it's mind is once again subsumed by the merge. In Unity, it handles the controls, and the turret answers. Viridiscent blasts fly away from the hull towards the human fighters. They scatter desperately, trying to evade, but more fire from the other UFO cuts one of them down. Without wings, the primitive construct plummets towards the Earth.

The last Raven unleashes it's entire missile load upon the twin craft, twelve missiles spiraling towards the light craft. But it's a bad launch and made in desperation, as just moments later the Medium fighter passes through again and obliterates the craft. Eight of the missiles fail to acquire a lock and spin of aimlessly, disappearing into the clouds. Explosions rip at a Light UFO's hull, but the craft shudders and moves on, vitals still intact.

Fear grips Senses-the-gifts minds as it sees the last 2 missiles flying towards it's ship. In a moment, it panics, and before it truly realized it, it has seized Punishes-the-Heathens arm and pressed the button. Light flicker across the UFO as it lurches suddenly, tumbling slowly as the navigation computer shuts down. Continuing on their path, the two missiles narrowly miss the tumbling UFO. A few hundred meters lower, the UFO flight computer reboots and puts the UFO back in level flight.

With the last XCOM craft diving rapidly towards the ground, the UFO's give up the fight and resumes with their mission.


Senses-the-gift let's out a grunt of effort as it pulls yet another unmoving human into the UFO. The specimen is heavy, and it's been the fifth such specimen it had to move on it's own this day. With an uncaring gesture, it dropped the human into the hold, then followed the drone to fetch yet another.

The drone vanishes. Shrapnel bounces of the UFO. A crack of thunder echoes through the village. Then another crack, and another. Drones vanish from the sky, and pain rips through the mindflow as bodies are torn apart. Senses-the-gift jumps behind a car, hiding as it opens it's mind to the stream once more. Ignoring the pain, it pushes outwards, to those strange, wrong alien minds. Melding minds with a human felt wrong, but it had to do it to save what was left of his batchmates.

With most of the village knocked out by drones, it wasn't hard to find the humans. There were but a few of them, hiding in the Jungle near the village. The weapons they used were unusual, and it took senses-the-gift but a moment to recognize why. The heretics had perverted the elders technology, broken it to cobble together a weapon of their own. One fired, and a moment later a short iron rod smashed through a car, missing Senses-the-mind by but a hair.

It ran, and as it did, so did the other sectoids. The remaining droids too converged upon the few humans hiding near the edge of the forest, dodging between the low buildings to avoid painting too great a target. Plasma fire started to converge in their direction, tearing through the trees and setting fire to the Topiary. But the humans kept their calm, and despite how outnumbered they were they reaped a deadly toll.

Senses-the-mind was right up to them now, hidden near the bottom of a hill, the humans out of sight on the other side. But thanks to the merge, it knew where they were, and it had a plan. With a single throw, it threw the grenade, the projectile travelling smoothly over the small hull. An explosion ripped through the jungle, killing several of the humans. With their defense in disarray, the human force crumpled and fell. 

Mission Success : [Severe Losses result in Negative loot modifier]
Loot : 1 UP token, 1 DNA Token

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

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

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 (sometimes), at the cost of shutting of the flight computer.
Cost : 0

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

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

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

3+1 VP
6 UP
2 EP

3 UP Token
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
--->China
--->India
--->Japan

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

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

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

Design Phase

First Month End : The war intensifies.  You receive one VP/UP/EP of choice, to use immediately.

Challenge : Write a (short) excerpt on any of the recent battles from any perspective.  (Reward : + 1 unrestricted token)

Turn 4 Start

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