X-COM: Vigilo Confido. Trust. Believe.

[Neon_Chaos]

LATEST ROSTER: HERE

---

After being bitten by the X-Com bug again. I'm going to give this a shot. In the end, we may end up saving the Earth, or simply end in a flaming wreck.



Difficulty: Normal Point Two

Normal Point Two at XCOM Nexus - XCOM mods and community

This mod aims to make the Normal difficulty mode in XCOM: Enemy Unknown a bit
less dull. This is done by eliminating all of the numeric changes between
Normal and Classic (enemy bonuses, funding penalties, etc.), so that the
only change in Classic is the full alien AI, higher limit of attacking
aliens on the battlefield, and no free Officer Training School.

I love this mod. I wish there was a default option to simply unshackle the AI on Normal. I quite don't like the alien bonuses in Classic.

Mode: Ironman

Second Wave:

I'm still contemplating on which to use, but seems like I am going to most likely be settling for the following:

Not Created Equally: Rookies will have random starting stats.
Hidden Potential: As a soldier is promoted, stats increase randomly.
Absolutely Critical: A flanking shot guarantees a critical hit.
The Greater Good: Psionics can only be learned from interrogating a psionic alien.
Marathon: The game takes considerably longer to complete. (Choosing this option will increase the length of research and constructing time.)

I am strongly considering adding Damage Roulette as well, in order to up the difficulty.

[Neon_Chaos]

So I decided on using the following:

Damage Roulette: Weapons have a wider range of damage (adds to the unpredictability of hits)
Not Created Equally: Rookies will have random starting stats.
Hidden Potential: As a soldier is promoted, stats increase randomly.
Absolutely Critical: A flanking shot guarantees a critical hit.
The Greater Good: Psionics can only be learned from interrogating a psionic alien.
Marathon: The game takes considerably longer to complete. (Choosing this option will increase the length of research and constructing time.)

Sign-ups are open.

I'll rename the soldiers as we go, if anyone wants to join in on the fun.

First Name, Last Name, Nickname (if you get this far... )

[Neon_Chaos]

OPERATION EMPTY KING
Alien Abductions
Nagoya, Japan
March 1, 2015
06:17

Tough first mission. Man down early, and we lose a guy for 18 days. Still, the aliens are at our doorstep, and we are the first, last, and only line of defense. Comms transcript below.

---

COMMs Transcript:

Big Sky: HQ, this is Big Sky. We are the LZ. Party is out.

HQ: Roger that Big Sky.

====

Makhuba: Squad advancing to north of grocery. Keep your rifles up and your heads down, we don't know what's coming.

Stewart: What the f-. We've got movement inside! What the fuck are those?

Makhuba: I don't know boys, but they don't look friendly to me. Stewart, take point and advance... slowly.

***sounds of rifle fire and plasma weapons***

Stewart: Shots fired! Shots fired! Six tangos, I repeat, six tangos! They've scattered! They've got weird hardware, HQ...

====

***rifle fire***

Makhuba: MISSED THE TARGET! I need support NOW!

***explosion***

Yang: Tango down! Use your explosives! These fuckers go down like flies!

Jacobs: One of them just dropped dead! I repeat, another tango down. Eat this! Fire in the hole!

***explosion***

Makhuba: Kill confirmed, tango number three is down.

====

***exchange of gunfire***

Stewart: Tango down! Nailed him! We've go- shit, I'm hit! I'm hit! Fuck, fuck. Get me the fuck outta here!

Makhuba: Keep it together, soldier!

Jacobs: I see two hostiles, one behind the car and another on the roof.

Makhuba: Explosives hot!

***explosion***

Makhuba: Tango is still up! Tango is still up!

Jacobs: Can't hit the fucker!

Yang: Negative damage!

***plasma fire***

Makhuba: JACOBS IS DOWN!! *screams*

***gunfire***

Yang: Hold your fire! Tango down! Man down, we lost Jacobs.

====

Makhuba: I've lost the one on the roof. Does anyone have visual?

Yang: Negative...

Makhuba: Wait... I've got movement in the book store

***gunfire***

Makhuba: Tango down. That's tango number six, HQ. Team, do a sweep of the area.

====

Big Sky: HQ, this is Big Sky. Area is clear. We're extracting, over.

HQ: Bring 'em home, Big Sky. Over and out.

[BYU 14]

Ace "The Eliminator" Idol reporting for duty.

[Brian Swartz]

I'm voting for 'flaming rack'

Jerome Simpson reporting to be annihilated.

[MacroGuru]

Brayden "The Frog" De Brach ready for duty..

[DavidCorperial]

Ariel "Shadowcat" Pryde reporting for duty sir, and yes, I'm male.

[path12]

Path "Future Corpse" Twelve reporting.

[Neon_Chaos]

OPERATION FADING LINE
Alien Abductions
Edmonton, Canada
March 6, 2015
12:45 PM

SQUAD

Rk Jerome Simpson
Sq Ace Idol, Heavy
Sq Ariel Pryde, Assault
Rk Brayden De Brach

MISSION RECAP

* Jerome Simpson kills a Sectoid doing a mind-merge, and kills two XRays.
* Ace Idol drops another Sectoid while on Overwatch.
* Brayden De Brach finishes things off with another grenade on another Sectoid.
* 4 XRays down, everyone else is safe.

AFTER ACTION

Jerome Simpson promoted to Squaddie, Sniper.
Brayden De Brach promoted to Squaddie, Sniper

MY NOTES:

Smooth operation in the trainyard. We kept our heads down and did what we needed to do. Ariel Pryde had a couple of close calls, but the aliens weren't feeling hot today.

[Travis]

Jace "Hunter" Slater reporting for duty sir.

[Neon_Chaos]

Got it.

I will post stats soon as well. We have a motley crue of guys with not so optimal stats. So... I don't know if we're going to keep the casualty rate low.

[DaddyTorgo]

An XCOM dynasty? That's pretty awesome.

I had a pretty good night last night - did a couple difficult missions and lost nobody. Then I decided to play one "moderate" mission before I went to bed, got sloppy, and lost a couple people (fortunately not my most leveled-up folks).

S.C.O.P.E. + laser weapons is nasty powerful

[Coffee Warlord]

WHOO!

The Coffee Warlord Combat Unit Cloning Facility is back open for business!

[Neon_Chaos]

Name / Rank / Specialization / Kills / Missions / Will / Aim / Status
Ace Idol / Squaddie / Heavy / 3 / 2 / 28 / 65 / Active
Ariel Pryde / Squaddie / Assault / 2 / 2 / 40 / 75 / Active
Jerome Simpson / Squaddie / Sniper / 2 / 1 / 34 / 88 / Active
Brayden De Brach / Squaddie / Sniper / 1 / 1 / 43 / 69 / Active
Path Twelve / Squaddie / Support / 1 / 1 / 35 / 59 / Injured (12 Days)

[Neon_Chaos]

We make our first UFO contact and down it over the skies of Japan.

OPERATION DARK MOTHER
UFO Crash Site
Japan
March 12, 2015


SQUAD

Sq Jerome Simpson, Sniper
Sq Ace Idol, Heavy
Sq Ariel Pryde, Assault
Sq Brayden De Brach. Sniper

MISSION RECAP

We ecountered two pairs of sectoids as soon as we approached the ship. Brayden De Brach gets hit in half-cover behind a log, but shakes it off. Ace Idol and Jerome Simpson take care of the ones on our left flank. Ariel Pryde tried to get the sneak up on the ones on the right flank, however, she got hit by overwatch fire. One grenade later, and it's 4 Xrays dead.

The breaching of the UFO aircraft is pretty straight forward and Ace Idol introduces the Alien navigator to his LMG.

AFTER ACTION

Ace Idol promoted to Corporal
Ariel Pryde promoted to Corporal / Wounded (14 days)
Brayden De Brach Wounded (14 days)

MY NOTES:

The UFO crash gives us material to sell. Since this is marathon mode, we get the luxury of just getting rid of all the alien stock via the Gray Market without really affecting our ability to research (since we will get more UFO missions eventually, and those research options will come sometime towards the end of the second month).

I also went out and hired three more rookies. WIth these injuries, we're going to need as many bodies as possible.

[Neon_Chaos]

The Council informs us that there is an urgent request from Russia. It appears that Aliens have planted some sort of bomb inside a highly populated area.

OPERATION BLIND THRONE
Bomb Disposal
Volgograd, Russia
March 17, 2015

SQUAD

Cpl Ace Idol, Heavy
Sq Jerome Simpson, Sniper
Rk Coffee Warlord
Rk Oba Kekana

MISSION RECAP

Good old bomb disposal mission. We were efficient on this one. Smart usage of grenades opened up lanes for our guys. It was smooth all throughout the actual bomb deactivation. Then, thinmen started coming down from the skies. A couple of stupid one-damage shots (thank you, Damage Roulette!) almost cost Ace Idol his hide... of course, the axe swings both ways, and Idol gets hit for one measly point from close range. We mop up and go home.

AFTER ACTION

Ace Idol promoted to Sergeant, Wounded (8 days)
Jerome Simpson promoted to Corporal
Coffee Warlord promoted to Squaddie, Sniper
Oba Kekana promoted to Squaddie, Support

MY NOTES:

In a turn of stupidity and oversight, I ordered a Satellite one day too late. So the Council Report for this month will be coming in before I can launch that Sat. Damnit. Not that I needed it for the reduction in Panic, but I needed the influx of cash (I was planning on deploying it to the USA).

[Neon_Chaos]

Alien Abductions! We decide to go for the much-needed cash, and head for Miami.

OPERATION BANISHED SMOKE
Alien Abductions
Miami, United States
March 26, 2015

SQUAD

Sgt Ace "Eliminator" Idol, Heavy
Cpl Jerome Simpson, Sniper
Sq Path Twelve, Support
Sq Jace Slater, Support

MISSION RECAP

Still a low alien count, only four XRays in this mission. Not that I'm complaining. I am grateful. Everyone gets a kill on this one. Since we are in Marathon mode, Weapon Fragments are going to be abundant due to the amount of missions, we use our grenades and use them often.

AFTER ACTION

Cpl Jerome Simpson has been promoted to Sergeant
Sq Jace Slater has been promoted to Corporal

MY NOTES:

The Influx of money allow us to get to work on an Officer Training School. It will take around 16 days... I'd really love the soldier count upgrade, considering the aliens may be bound to escalate things in the next month.

[Breeze]

Benton Gale...reporting for duty...

[ntndeacon]

Deacon "Target" Palmer reporting for duty.

[Neon_Chaos]

MARCH 2015 COUNCIL OF NATIONS REPORT

[Neon_Chaos]

XCOM Roster

[Neon_Chaos]

New set of Alien Abductions!

OPERATION BLOODY SPARK
Salvador, Brazil
April 7, 2015

SQUAD

Sgt Ace "Eliminator" Idol, Heavy
Sgt Jerome "Long Shot" Simpson, Sniper
Cpl Ariel Pryde, Assault
Rk Benton Gale

MISSION RECAP

This was our first encounter with Floaters. We approached this one like we always do, slow and steady. Ace "Eliminator" Idol was definitely the MVP. He held his own, and took some hits for us. We obliterated nearly half the lobby of the building trying to weed out the aliens. In the end, 8 XRays down, with Idol getting some MedBay time.

AFTER ACTION

Sgt Ace Idol has been promoted to Lieutenant. Wounded for 8 days.
Rk Benton Gale has been promoted to Squaddie, Assault

[Brian Swartz]

How is it that I haven't died yet?

[PilotMan]

Errol "Spuds" Mackenzie is ready to take on the alien scum.

[Neon_Chaos]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

How is it that I haven't died yet?

Grenades!!!

[Neon_Chaos]

Not long after the last sortie, our satellites pick up a landed UFO. This will be our very first encounter with an undamaged vessel.

OPERATION CRYSTAL KNIFE
Japan
April 10, 2015

SQUAD

Sq Coffee Warlord
Rk Errol Mackenzie
Sq Benton Gale
Rk Deacon Palmer

MISSION RECAP

We made our first mistake by underestimating the enemy strength, and not bringing in any of the more experienced soldiers. It was a bloody battle, First contact was against six Sectoids... not good. We went through many close calls, but we were able to nail down five of them and had one slip away. Three Floaters show up and join in on the fray as soon as we approach the UFO. We make short work of them, as well as the Outsider piloting the craft. We had the very last Sectoid surrounded, but he was rooted in place in a well-fortified spot. Deacon Palmer distracted the Sectoid and drew his fire while Benton Gale rushed in to finished the job. Palmer wasn't lucky enough, though... the Sectoid was able to score a plasma shot right through Palmer's chest just before being blown to hell by Benton Gale. RIP rookie.

AFTER ACTION

Sq Coffee Warlord has been promoted to Corporal
Rk Errol Mackenzie has been promoted to Squaddie, Sniper. Wounded for 12 days.
Sq Benton Gale is wounded for 12 days.
Rk Deacon Palmer KIA.

[ntndeacon]

Deacon Palmer Mark 2 ready to join!