Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - The Invasion Has Only Just Begun(XCOM EW+LW, Interactive)

Brian Swartz · 03-04-2015, 02:47 AM

**Warning: this will be an image-heavy post. I intend most updates to contain at most maybe a half-dozen, but I wanted to give the first mission the royal treatment, and there were some that happened to be particularly well-timed as well. There were also a few concepts/features that an image would best highlight. I would also like feedback from the community if they are too large: I know people use lots of different resolutions. If there's constant side-scrolling in these, let me know what resolution you use and I'll resize the larger images down to something a little below that in most cases at least. As always, I'm open to all suggestions on any other subject as well **

OPERATION HOT DIRGE
Murmansk, Russia
3.1.2015, just past midnight

** Three of our heroes venture forth in this first mission: the rest of you who did not request to go on the starting squad will find out more about your characters after we get back to base. Assuming we don't go out in a blaze of ignominy at the first mission of course. The first mission is always nerve-wracking to a degree, because I can't control who goes or what equipment they have. I've just gotta fly with whatever we get, and that can result in some pretty tough situations. By the way, I hate this map -- it's literally my least favorite one in the entire game and we start here. Go figure.**

The three other members of the squad are Su-Min Kim, a tough soldier with a fairly good trigger; Naomi Foster, also tough but not quite as skilled, though she has the only medkit and that makes her important here; and Lily Brodie, a little flimsy but solid shooting and fairly good will.

Didier Keita has a pair of grenades, one armor-piercing and one flashbang. It's the only flashbang in the squad and will almost certainly be needed. Good health, very good will(42), but literally the worst aim I've ever seen in a PFC(sorry, 55) and somewhat of a magnet for fire(-2 defense). Benton Gale has a pair of AP grenades, off-the-scale will(44), poor aim(58), and hideous defense(-4). Dean Hoo has a very solid all-around soldier with very good potential I think. Good aim, and I think you brought along a laser sight to make it even better so you've got the best shooter on this mission. above-average will(34), a bit flimsy with only four health and a single AP grenade.

** Both Gale and Keita are female: I didn't have much choice in this since it was one of those oddball things with only two males out of six operatives. Feel free to change names if you wish to something more ... feminine. **

The squad deployed on the edge of a street, with a 'artistically developed' wall in front past some abandoned vehicles. Trouble can come from almost any direction here, and we don't have the high ground.

Kim is clearly the best for scouting duty in the group, and moves up the police cruiser in front, everyone else taking cover as best they can. Soon the squad hears a noise straight left down the street, but it's more a mechanical sound than one of movement. Heading that way is asking for trouble anyway, taking higher ground if possible is a far more pressing concern.

Then Kim reports hearing ... movement. Past the wall, just past the white 'fuel tank' car. Seems like they are close ... but the train cars would likely shield us from their vision. Kim moves up the ladder ... and we spot a flying mechanical unit of some kind and a pair of whitish creatures that scamper out of sight on all fours. What in the ... well, it's official. First contact. We didn't get all dressed up for nothing. The new species move to the right, while that machine or whatever comes straight forward.

There's no way we can get more than one up there into firing positions quickly, there just isn't time. I order the team to fall back, hopefully they'll chase us. This is risky as well -- if we are approached from the left down here on the street, this could get ugly in a hurry.

We spot that flying thing for a second, Brodie is in position for a shot but misses badly. It's just floating at the edge of the wall. Gale retreats around the back of the semi cab, and hits ... it's damaged but still airborne.

**Probably a good time to point out the idea of damage reduction here, which is a LW feature. The 'red 2' is the actual damage done to the enemy, the 'bluish 1', a little harder to see, below that is the damaged that was 'absorbed' or bounced off. Being in cover grants a bit of damage reduction if you are hit, and some enemies have a significant amount of inherent DR as well. It sometimes happens that you hit the target, but to no effect.

Brodie tries again, and her rifle incinerates it. That's some better shooting! One less enemy in the area and they didn't even get off a shot. I'll take that.

Looks like the others have taken the bait as well, one of the moves up and dares us to move, waiting to take a shot at anyone who tries it appears.

** The 'eye' above the shield icon tells us that they are lying in wait for use to move. The first soldier to move in it's vision will trigger an overwatch or reaction shot. This is a risk best avoided when possible, espescially when they have the benefit of an elevated position.**

We won't be taking that bait. Unfortunately Keita is just a bit too far away for a grenade. An armor-piercing toss by Kim damages it, but doesn't quite kill it. More of them come in from left, and despite it's injuries the damaged one comes down and fires over the police cruiser at Kim ... he's hurt but still ok. The other moves forward and fires at Brodie, missing. And then, more join the party ...

This is a tactical cluster right now. They're coming at us from high ground in front, and flanking from the left. We've got to take out some of the enemies right now, or this is going to go very badly, very quickly. The on up top behind the train is the real problem. Brodie has a pretty good shot at it but we need better than that ... it needs to die for sure. Foster moves to the back of the police cruiser and just has enough arm to get an ap up there ... gone! That's a huge one.

Kim moves to the 'landing pod' or whatever those things are, executing the second one from point-blank range. That leaves three coming at us down the street. We move to cover, and there isn't anything decent except the semi cab, but we won't be able to see anything from back there. Two move up. One had a decent angle at Kim from behind some rocks, but missed. The other is waiting for us to give him a shot. Kim's stuck a bit too far forward, and we have to pull him back even with the risk. He dashes back to the semi, and thankfully they miss. Foster heals Kim, and we hunker down.

They advance a bit and look for reaction fire again. It's a mutual cat-and-mouse game right now, we've got the numbers but they have better position, each trying to bait the other into a foolish rush. We hold again, Hoo has a decent look at one of them but fires a bit high. He's really the only one in decent shooting position here.

The enemy in front seems to be the toughest and most threatening of the group, and Foster treats it to a grenade now that the distance has closed. That barely did anything. A follow-up by Kim injuries it more, but it's still up.

**I think this is the best shot of what happens when an armor-piercing grenade goes off that I've managed to get. A cloud of shrapnel, purplish for some reason.**

They press us hard now, the injured one moving up but not able to get off a shot, one of the enemies behind firing at Brodie from that van ahead on the right, but missing. Kim has a shot but misses. Brodie is forced to move up to the pod and take it down. Two left.

They don't seem to want to approach us, instead going for suppression on Brodie on the right, and a missed shot at Foster on the left. Our turn now to inch forward, and they try Brodie again, she has good cover there and they miss. Both are huddled behind that van, which presents an opportunity. Foster moves in and takes one of them down, but both Brodie and Gale miss the second. Keita uses the flash-bang to pin it down, and a minute later it's Gale moving around to finish the job.

For the first time since we first spotted them, we are clear of the enemy. With most of the grenades spent, I hope this is over soon. The squad heads back to the insertion point, preparing to use the ladder and go back up over the wall to the train. Whatever else is out there, high ground will probably be useful.

Again Kim is ready to go up, and just as he is we hear them again. Straight past the train, right where the first group came from. Super. I think we're in better position now than before, perhaps we can get shooters up top in time. Four of them! They're just past the train. Damn it. This isn't likely to be easy. They move left, and I think we'll have a better approach from the right though it isn't going to be great from any direction. As we gather over the wall, the train cars shield most of them from view, and vice versa. Somebody's about to get a nasty surprise, and I'm not sure if it's us or them.

They find a couple of shots at Hoo, badly missing one but they hit him the second time. He panics and stands there in one of our few good shooting vantage points, babbling like an incoherent fool. Fantastic. We get mostly into firing positins, Brodie and Foster are left, Hoo/Gale in the middle, and Kim/Keita on the right. Keita has a reasonable shot at the close one that injured Hoo, but fires just high. Gale still has two grenades, and soon she has one and we have one fewer enemy.

They fire at Hoo again and miss. Probably of more importance, one does this strange thing that seems to combine his mind with that of a comrade. It's just past the train, probably waiting in ambush. We're not taking that bait. From that position, they could fire on anyone trying to breach the train line. I'll say it again, clever bastards.

**The wavy lines indicate a mental link, and give away the position of the third member of this group

The hiding enemy sneaks along the tracks to try and get a shot at Brodie ... Foster has her covered but misses, shots at Brodie miss as well. That, my friends, was an absolute gift on a silver platter.

They won't get another chance, as from that close range she gives the enemy a premature grave. We can now fire at them from both sides, but only Kim manages to hit anything. One of the enemy has to reload, the other scampers into a defensive position behind the building up on the left. We have numbers now and can afford to be patient. Keita finally drills the wounded one, and there's only one of them left up here. That we know of. It's Brodie again, and they tell me that's all of them! No life signs remain, except of our course for the known animal life, and ours.

POST-MORTEM

Phew. 10 of the enemy were killed, 0 of our lost. That was very tense, and could have gone a LOT worse. Could have been better too, but we were up against it almost from the outset and are very lucky nobody came back in a body bag. It is to be attributed to nothing other than sheer dumb luck. I fear XCOM will need a lot more of it in the days ahead. There's no question we are up against a sneaky and intelligent adversary.

Artifacts Recovered

7 Sectoid Corpses
Drone Wreck
8 Weapon Fragments
1 oz. of a mysterious orange substance.

It is 1:58 AM as the Skyranger returns to base. The whole thing took maybe half an hour, but it felt like half a lifetime.

03-04-2015, 02:47 AM	#14
Brian Swartz Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2006	Warning: this will be an image-heavy post. I intend most updates to contain at most maybe a half-dozen, but I wanted to give the first mission the royal treatment, and there were some that happened to be particularly well-timed as well. There were also a few concepts/features that an image would best highlight. I would also like feedback from the community if they are too large: I know people use lots of different resolutions. If there's constant side-scrolling in these, let me know what resolution you use and I'll resize the larger images down to something a little below that in most cases at least. As always, I'm open to all suggestions on any other subject as well OPERATION HOT DIRGE Murmansk, Russia 3.1.2015, just past midnight Three of our heroes venture forth in this first mission: the rest of you who did not request to go on the starting squad will find out more about your characters after we get back to base. Assuming we don't go out in a blaze of ignominy at the first mission of course. The first mission is always nerve-wracking to a degree, because I can't control who goes or what equipment they have. I've just gotta fly with whatever we get, and that can result in some pretty tough situations. By the way, I hate this map -- it's literally my least favorite one in the entire game and we start here. Go figure. The three other members of the squad are Su-Min Kim, a tough soldier with a fairly good trigger; Naomi Foster, also tough but not quite as skilled, though she has the only medkit and that makes her important here; and Lily Brodie, a little flimsy but solid shooting and fairly good will. Didier Keita has a pair of grenades, one armor-piercing and one flashbang. It's the only flashbang in the squad and will almost certainly be needed. Good health, very good will(42), but literally the worst aim I've ever seen in a PFC(sorry, 55) and somewhat of a magnet for fire(-2 defense). Benton Gale has a pair of AP grenades, off-the-scale will(44), poor aim(58), and hideous defense(-4). Dean Hoo has a very solid all-around soldier with very good potential I think. Good aim, and I think you brought along a laser sight to make it even better so you've got the best shooter on this mission. above-average will(34), a bit flimsy with only four health and a single AP grenade. Both Gale and Keita are female: I didn't have much choice in this since it was one of those oddball things with only two males out of six operatives. Feel free to change names if you wish to something more ... feminine. The squad deployed on the edge of a street, with a 'artistically developed' wall in front past some abandoned vehicles. Trouble can come from almost any direction here, and we don't have the high ground. Kim is clearly the best for scouting duty in the group, and moves up the police cruiser in front, everyone else taking cover as best they can. Soon the squad hears a noise straight left down the street, but it's more a mechanical sound than one of movement. Heading that way is asking for trouble anyway, taking higher ground if possible is a far more pressing concern. Then Kim reports hearing ... movement. Past the wall, just past the white 'fuel tank' car. Seems like they are close ... but the train cars would likely shield us from their vision. Kim moves up the ladder ... and we spot a flying mechanical unit of some kind and a pair of whitish creatures that scamper out of sight on all fours. What in the ... well, it's official. First contact. We didn't get all dressed up for nothing. The new species move to the right, while that machine or whatever comes straight forward. There's no way we can get more than one up there into firing positions quickly, there just isn't time. I order the team to fall back, hopefully they'll chase us. This is risky as well -- if we are approached from the left down here on the street, this could get ugly in a hurry. We spot that flying thing for a second, Brodie is in position for a shot but misses badly. It's just floating at the edge of the wall. Gale retreats around the back of the semi cab, and hits ... it's damaged but still airborne. Probably a good time to point out the idea of damage reduction here, which is a LW feature. The 'red 2' is the actual damage done to the enemy, the 'bluish 1', a little harder to see, below that is the damaged that was 'absorbed' or bounced off. Being in cover grants a bit of damage reduction if you are hit, and some enemies have a significant amount of inherent DR as well. It sometimes happens that you hit the target, but to no effect. Brodie tries again, and her rifle incinerates it. That's some better shooting! One less enemy in the area and they didn't even get off a shot. I'll take that. Looks like the others have taken the bait as well, one of the moves up and dares us to move, waiting to take a shot at anyone who tries it appears. The 'eye' above the shield icon tells us that they are lying in wait for use to move. The first soldier to move in it's vision will trigger an overwatch or reaction shot. This is a risk best avoided when possible, espescially when they have the benefit of an elevated position. We won't be taking that bait. Unfortunately Keita is just a bit too far away for a grenade. An armor-piercing toss by Kim damages it, but doesn't quite kill it. More of them come in from left, and despite it's injuries the damaged one comes down and fires over the police cruiser at Kim ... he's hurt but still ok. The other moves forward and fires at Brodie, missing. And then, more join the party ... This is a tactical cluster right now. They're coming at us from high ground in front, and flanking from the left. We've got to take out some of the enemies right now, or this is going to go very badly, very quickly. The on up top behind the train is the real problem. Brodie has a pretty good shot at it but we need better than that ... it needs to die for sure. Foster moves to the back of the police cruiser and just has enough arm to get an ap up there ... gone! That's a huge one. Kim moves to the 'landing pod' or whatever those things are, executing the second one from point-blank range. That leaves three coming at us down the street. We move to cover, and there isn't anything decent except the semi cab, but we won't be able to see anything from back there. Two move up. One had a decent angle at Kim from behind some rocks, but missed. The other is waiting for us to give him a shot. Kim's stuck a bit too far forward, and we have to pull him back even with the risk. He dashes back to the semi, and thankfully they miss. Foster heals Kim, and we hunker down. They advance a bit and look for reaction fire again. It's a mutual cat-and-mouse game right now, we've got the numbers but they have better position, each trying to bait the other into a foolish rush. We hold again, Hoo has a decent look at one of them but fires a bit high. He's really the only one in decent shooting position here. The enemy in front seems to be the toughest and most threatening of the group, and Foster treats it to a grenade now that the distance has closed. That barely did anything. A follow-up by Kim injuries it more, but it's still up. I think this is the best shot of what happens when an armor-piercing grenade goes off that I've managed to get. A cloud of shrapnel, purplish for some reason. They press us hard now, the injured one moving up but not able to get off a shot, one of the enemies behind firing at Brodie from that van ahead on the right, but missing. Kim has a shot but misses. Brodie is forced to move up to the pod and take it down. Two left. They don't seem to want to approach us, instead going for suppression on Brodie on the right, and a missed shot at Foster on the left. Our turn now to inch forward, and they try Brodie again, she has good cover there and they miss. Both are huddled behind that van, which presents an opportunity. Foster moves in and takes one of them down, but both Brodie and Gale miss the second. Keita uses the flash-bang to pin it down, and a minute later it's Gale moving around to finish the job. For the first time since we first spotted them, we are clear of the enemy. With most of the grenades spent, I hope this is over soon. The squad heads back to the insertion point, preparing to use the ladder and go back up over the wall to the train. Whatever else is out there, high ground will probably be useful. Again Kim is ready to go up, and just as he is we hear them again. Straight past the train, right where the first group came from. Super. I think we're in better position now than before, perhaps we can get shooters up top in time. Four of them! They're just past the train. Damn it. This isn't likely to be easy. They move left, and I think we'll have a better approach from the right though it isn't going to be great from any direction. As we gather over the wall, the train cars shield most of them from view, and vice versa. Somebody's about to get a nasty surprise, and I'm not sure if it's us or them. They find a couple of shots at Hoo, badly missing one but they hit him the second time. He panics and stands there in one of our few good shooting vantage points, babbling like an incoherent fool. Fantastic. We get mostly into firing positins, Brodie and Foster are left, Hoo/Gale in the middle, and Kim/Keita on the right. Keita has a reasonable shot at the close one that injured Hoo, but fires just high. Gale still has two grenades, and soon she has one and we have one fewer enemy. They fire at Hoo again and miss. Probably of more importance, one does this strange thing that seems to combine his mind with that of a comrade. It's just past the train, probably waiting in ambush. We're not taking that bait. From that position, they could fire on anyone trying to breach the train line. I'll say it again, clever bastards. The wavy lines indicate a mental link, and give away the position of the third member of this group The hiding enemy sneaks along the tracks to try and get a shot at Brodie ... Foster has her covered but misses, shots at Brodie miss as well. That, my friends, was an absolute gift on a silver platter. They won't get another chance, as from that close range she gives the enemy a premature grave. We can now fire at them from both sides, but only Kim manages to hit anything. One of the enemy has to reload, the other scampers into a defensive position behind the building up on the left. We have numbers now and can afford to be patient. Keita finally drills the wounded one, and there's only one of them left up here. That we know of. It's Brodie again, and they tell me that's all of them! No life signs remain, except of our course for the known animal life, and ours. POST-MORTEM Phew. 10 of the enemy were killed, 0 of our lost. That was very tense, and could have gone a LOT worse. Could have been better too, but we were up against it almost from the outset and are very lucky nobody came back in a body bag. It is to be attributed to nothing other than sheer dumb luck. I fear XCOM will need a lot more of it in the days ahead. There's no question we are up against a sneaky and intelligent adversary. Artifacts Recovered 7 Sectoid Corpses Drone Wreck 8 Weapon Fragments 1 oz. of a mysterious orange substance. It is 1:58 AM as the Skyranger returns to base. The whole thing took maybe half an hour, but it felt like half a lifetime.